Ear Jewelry System With Associated Gauges For Optimal Adaption of the Jewelry on the Ear Lobe
Ear jewelry system comprises ear jewelry 1) and an associated gauge (2) for optimal adaptation of the ear jewelry (1) on the ear lobe. The ear jewelry (1) has a U shaped recess (5), which, with its internal width (7) is intended to be pushed from below over the ear lobe (16), which is to be fitted. The recess (5) then takes precisely the thickness of the ear lobe (16) in the condition, in which it is pulled down and stretched. Instead of adapting the recess directly to the measured thickness, an insert can also, with corresponding thickness, be put in the recess. The suitable internal width (7) is determined by means of a gauge (2), appropriate to the system, from multiple number of separate gauges (3). The separate gauges (3) have mouths (8) with graded internal widths (12) and tongues (9) with thickness (13), corresponding with the respective internal widths (7). With the help of a measurement of an ear lobe (16) to be fitted, in its stretched condition, by means of these separate gauges (3), the suitability ear jewelry is ascertained from a series of ear jewelry with U shaped recesses, having different internal widths (7).
The invention relates to an ear jewelry system with very special type of ear jewelry which distinguishes itself through the special fastening system. Furthermore, the invention includes gauges so that the ear jewelry becomes individually suitable for an ear lobe, which is an important pre-requisite for wearing comfort of the ear jewelry. This system is suitable for fashion jewelry as well as for pure ornamentation.
In the conventional fastening of ear jewelry, basically two types of fastening are distinguishable. According to the first type, the ornament can be attached to one pricked hole in the ear lobe. Occasionally other parts of the body are also perforated in similar fashion, for example, the edges of the ear or wings of the nose to fix an ornamental ring thereon. The piece of jewelry or just the ear jewelry then shows a needle, which is pushed through the hole and is secured at its tip with a catch, somewhat in the shape of a safety-clip, to prevent the piece of jewelry from falling out. This catch mechanism is often unappealing. It has to be of a definite size so that it can be used effortlessly and, therefore, it remains visible from behind in many cases, which does not give the right impression.
The second type of fastening is provided in the jewelry itself and is clipped on the ear or on the wing of the nose. The ear jewelry, known as ear clips, consists of, for example, a clamping arrangement, where both the clamp parts are pressed against each other by a spring. For putting on the ear jewelry, the ear clips are opened by spreading apart both the clamp parts against the spring force, and the ear jewelry is pushed over the ear lobe and then both the clamp parts hold the ear lobe, which lies in between them. The ear jewelry is held onto the ear lobe by means of static friction. The bigger and heavier the ear jewelry is, the stronger must be the contact pressure of the clamp parts and with that the spring force to make the ear jewelry stick securely on the ear. If the spring force is too small, the static friction is too less and in case the head shakes abruptly, the jewelry would slip off the ear. This fastening method is, in fact, practical for putting on and off the ear jewelry but has the disadvantage that it causes almost always some pain, especially when the jewelry is worn permanently. The clamping arrangements mostly are of standard construction, which give rise to such contact pressure that every current type of jewelry is to some extent held securely. After a couple of minutes of wearing the jewelry, the pain, caused by the clamps, subsides, so that it no longer troubles excessively. If, however, worn for a prolonged period, invariably the pain becomes perceptible again. Till today, there is no ear jewelry, which is stuck on the ear lobe with spring force, which allows a pain-free and reliable wearing for a prolonged duration. The heavier and bigger the attached jewelry, the more serious is the problem. Wearing the ear clips so far has been, without exception, associated with more or less a strong sensation of pain; that is why many persons give up on wearing such type of ear jewelry, although they find the same attractive on aesthetic grounds and would have loved to wear them.
It is, therefore, the object of the present invention to create an ear jewelry system, which ensures that the ear jewelry remains simple in its operation while putting it on or off, further does not trigger a feeling of pain for bigger and heavier jewelry even when worn for a long period and moreover deploys a fastening system, which can be produced in a more cost effective and simpler way than the conventional spring loaded clamping arrangement and which—after the ornament has been put on—is not visible from any side. In an embodiment, the system should offer additional security against inadvertent or conscious removal of the ear jewelry by thieves. According to the present system, the ear jewelry should be individually selectable according to the respective ear lobe of the wearer, wherein the standard sizes are selectable for the different sizes of ear lobes, conforming straightaway then to the respective ear lobes.
This objective is fulfilled through an ear jewelry system with associated gauges selected from separate gauges for optimum fitment of the ear jewelry on the ear lobe, which distinguishes itself thereby that the ear jewelry has a U shaped recess, which, with its internal width or the internal width of an insert, to be placed into it from below is defined to be pushed on the ear lobe, stretched for the purpose of fitting, thereby taking up exactly the thickness of the stretched ear lobe, wherein the suitable internal width can be decided with the help of an appropriate gauge from a multiplicity of separate gauges with respective mouths having graded internal widths and tongues having thickness of the respective internal width, so that by a measurement of the ear lobe to be fitted in stretched condition with the help of these separate gauges, the suitable internal width can be decided of the U shaped recess of the relevant ear jewelry or of the insert to be inserted from a series of ear jewelry or series of inserts with U shaped recesses of different internal widths.
The core of the system lies therein, that firstly the thickness of the ear lobe is measured individually in stretched-through-pulling condition and secondly the ear jewelry, having a recess which conforms exactly to this thickness of the ear lobe decided by the stretched condition, is held purely through adhesion force on the ear lobe after the ear lobe swells back again when the ear jewelry has been put on and the pulling force has been removed. The individual measurement takes place preferably with a standardised scale, so that an ear lobe with a known unit of measurement and in stretched condition straightaway can be matched with an ear jewelry of appropriate width of the U shaped recess or its insert and the jewelry is held securely on it after the stretching is removed. This system for holding the jewelry on an ear lobe is not visible from outside, and thus, the holding system is totally integrated in the inside of the jewelry. It goes without saying that the system can be implemented merely as support for attaching the actual ear jewelry.
An example of implementation of this ear jewelry system is shown in the drawings and the system with few pieces of ear jewelry as example and also gauges associated with the system comprising calibrated separate gauges are described below and the functioning of the system in all details is explained.
For a better understanding of the ear jewelry system,
An enlarged view of a piece of ear jewelry with its U shaped recess 5 as per the ear jewelry system is shown in
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An example of pure jewelry is shown in
This ear jewelry and its system allow s a particularly comfortable and above all, pain free wearing of the jewelry, specially of fashion jewelry, which are, otherwise and conventionally, fastened on the ear lobe by means of a clamping mechanism. The system also allows for carrying on with pure ear jewelry under additional safety by means of a needle, which is, however, not strained for normal wearing and, therefore, does not stress or stretch a hole on the ear lobe. The ear jewelry can also comprise a holder or support, which works according to this system and on which then the actual jewelry hangs. Of crucial importance for the correct functioning of the system is that the thickness of the ear lobe is determined in the state when it has been stretched by pulling it down and that the jewelry with its corresponding measured width of the recess is made to touch on the ear lobe in this stretched condition. Then the ear lobe is let loose, by which it regains its shape with swelling and then it holds the ear jewelry firmly as a result of adhesion force.
The separate gauges 3 of the Gauge 2 can be deployed with standardised sizes, so that an internationally acceptable standard for their internal widths and their scale is created. This standard would permit that for known ear lobe thickness in stretched condition, that is for known internal widths of the gauge and of the ear jewelry as well as for known position of the safety needle with the help of the readings on the scale, an ear jewelry can be purchased without trial and it fits perfectly straightaway.
Claims
1. Ear jewelry system with associated gauge comprising of separate gauges for optimal adaptation of the ear jewelry on the ear lobe, characterized in that the ear jewelry has a U shaped recess, which, with its internal width or with the internal width of an insert, to be put in the said recess, is intended for being pushed over the ear lobe from below, the said ear lobe to be fitted, being stretched for the purpose of putting on, and thereby taking in precisely the thickness of this stretched ear lobe, wherein the suitable internal width is determined by means of an appropriate gauge for the system comprising of plurality of separate gauges with respective mouths of graded internal widths and tongues having thickness of respective internal widths, so that with the help of a measurement of an ear lobe to be fitted, in stretched condition, by means of these separate gauges, the suitable internal width can be ascertained of the U shaped recess of the relevant ear jewelry or of the insert to be put in, from a series of ear jewelry or series of inserts with U shaped recess, having different internal widths.
2. Ear jewelry system as per claim 1, characterized in that the separate gauges belonging to the system and its gauge have an integral scale on their mouths and on their tongues for measuring the depth of putting on to an ear lobe and determining the position of a possible hole present in the ear lobe.
3. Ear jewelry system as per claim 1, characterized in that the U shaped recesses on the ear jewelry includes inner walls that are provided with one or several longish barbs, which are intended for digging into the ear lobe or for taking in and supporting the insert.
4. Ear jewelry system as per claim 1, characterized in that the U shaped recess on the ear jewelry includes inner walls that are coated with a rubber like foil or provided with rubber like inserts with different internal widths which can be put in the U shaped recesses using grooves and springs or holes and knops.
5. Ear jewelry system as per claim 4, characterized in that the U shaped recess on the ear jewelry includes a pocket shaped slit which extends through the ear jewelry on either side of the recess and extends across and over the recess, and the ear jewelry includes a safety needle with grip head, the safety needle having a ball shaped tip, and fitting in the pocket shaped slit.
6. Ear jewelry system as per claim 5, characterized in that the rubber like foil in the U shaped recess on the ear jewelry extends along the pocket shaped slit and is intended to be penetrated by the safety needle, wherein the ball shaped tip of the safety needle works as a barb, so that the safety needle is secure against slipping off.
7. Ear jewelry system as per claim 5, characterized in that the ear jewelry has a hole for taking in the safety needle when it is not in use.
8. Ear jewelry system as per claim 1, characterized in that the ear jewelry is made from a precious metal, stainless steel or titanium and is fitted with precious stones.
9. Ear jewelry system as per claim 1, characterized in that the ear jewelry is made from plastic, wood or glass.
10. Ear jewelry system as per claim 1, characterized in that the recess is coated with a rubber layer, having a surface with nano humps.
11. Ear jewelry system as per claim 5, characterized in that the insert has closed slits extending along the pocket shaped slit, the closed slits intended to be penetrated by the safety needle, wherein the ball shaped tip of the safety need works as a barb, so that the safety needle is secure against slipping off.
12. An ear jewelry system for use with an ear lobe, the ear jewelry system comprising a plurality of pieces of ear jewelry, and gauges for optimal adaptation of the ear jewelry on the ear lobe, each piece of ear jewelry having a recess defining an internal width fitted using the associated gauges, the gauges having mouths with different internal gauge widths and tongues corresponding to the different internal gauge widths, wherein the gauges are used to measure the thickness of the ear lobe when stretched, and, according to the thickness of the stretched ear lobe, ascertain the internal width suitable for the ear lobe, so that an appropriate piece of ear jewelry can be selected from the plurality of pieces of ear jewelry according to the internal gauge width, and can be pushed over the stretched ear lobe, thereby taking in the thickness of the stretched ear lobe.
13. An ear jewelry system according to claim 12 further comprising an insert provided in the recess, the insert defining the internal width of the recess, and adapted to the thickness of the stretched ear lobe.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 12, 2003
Publication Date: Jun 12, 2008
Inventor: Erich M. Durrer (Horw)
Application Number: 10/535,328
International Classification: A44C 7/00 (20060101); A44C 25/00 (20060101);