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US4236385A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Earring

Assignee: INTIMATE JEWELS Inc
•
Filing: 1979-04-23
•
Granted: 1980-12-02
•
Expires: 1999-04-23
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Abstract

Abstract An improvement in post-type earrings, which are earrings connected to a human ear by a rigid slender short rod or post. One end of the post is attached to an ornament. The post is rectilinear and cylindrical and extends from attachment to the ornament. In service, the other end of the post is pushed through an opening in a person's ear, and a suitable element is attached to the other end of the post to secure the earring on the ear. In the present invention, at least a portion of the outer surface of the post has a helical threading. The element used to secure the post on the ear is a clutch having a central opening about which are radially arrayed a plurality of spaced apart springy fingers. The fingers extend to terminal attachment to a base portion of the clutch. The clutch is engageable by the post by extending the post axially through the opening in the clutch, until the tips of the springy fingers pass over the convolutions of the threading and are held in the threading. The fingers cannot be moved reversely in an axial direction because in this direction they catch on the flanks of the threads. To disengage the clutch from the post, the clutch must be rotated about the post, so that in effect the clutch is pushed on axially and screwed off by rotary motion.

Inventors

  • 👤 Alvin Block

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-23 12:26
CPC Classifications
A; A44; A44C; A44C7/00; A44C7/003

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 4
Claim 1
Independent Claim 253 words
An earring for pierced ears which comprises an ornament, a rectilinear cylindrical post, said post extending from attachment to said ornament, at least a portion of the outer surface of said post having a helical threading, and a clutch, said clutch having a central opening about which are radially arrayed a plurality of spaced apart springy fingers, said fingers extending to terminal attachment to an annular disc-shaped base, so that said clutch is engageable by said post by extending said post axially initially through the middle of said annular base and then through the opening in said clutch whereby the tips of said springy fingers engage and pass over the convolutions of the threading, and so that said clutch may be disengaged from said post only by rotating said clutch to unscrew the tips of said fingers through the convolutions of the threading, said fingers extending outwards from the plane of the base and being curved, so that said fingers are springy, said curved springy fingers defining a cup-shaped extension from the base, said extension defining a concave recess, at least a portion of the threaded portion of said post extending through said concave recess, and a circular lip, said lip depending from the perimeter of said base and being of thicker cross-sectional dimension than said base, the free end of said lip terminating with a substantially flat planar surface for contact with and for pressing into the earlobe of said pierced ear, said surface being parallel to the plane of said base.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 253 words
An earring for pierced ears which comprises an ornament, a rectilinear cylindrical post, said post extending from attachment to said ornament, at least a portion of the outer surface of said post having a helical threading, and a clutch, said clutch having a central opening about which are radially arrayed a plurality of spaced apart springy fingers, said fingers extending to terminal attachment to an annular disc-shaped base, so that said clutch is engageable by said post by extending said post axially initially through the middle of said annular base and then through the opening in said clutch whereby the tips of said springy fingers engage and pass over the convolutions of the threading, and so that said clutch may be disengaged from said post only by rotating said clutch to unscrew the tips of said fingers through the convolutions of the threading, said fingers extending outwards from the plane of the base and being curved, so that said fingers are springy, said curved springy fingers defining a cup-shaped extension from the base, said extension defining a concave recess, at least a portion of the threaded portion of said post extending through said concave recess, and a circular lip, said lip depending from the perimeter of said base and being of thicker cross-sectional dimension than said base, the free end of said lip terminating with a substantially flat planar surface for contact with and for pressing into the earlobe of said pierced ear, said surface being parallel to the plane of said base.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 18 words
The earring of claim 1 in which the outer end portion of the post is free of threading.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 29 words
The earring of claim 1 in which the outer end portion of the post is tapered, with the outer end terminus of the post being of minimum cross-sectional area.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US439457A Cited
US896695A Cited
US1867041A Cited
US2208779A Cited
GB478782A Cited
US2144926A Cited
US2373002A Cited
CH295468A Cited
US3040406A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1983-12-02 1984-06-02 1984-12-02 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1987-12-02 1988-06-02 1988-12-02 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1991-12-02 1992-06-02 1992-12-02 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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