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(11) | EP 0 425 456 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Drop-earring |
| (57) Earring, drop-earring for pierced lobe in particular, comprising a body (10) which
is provided with a substantially longitudinal passageway (12) open at its ends (14,
16). A small bar (18), after passing through sthe ear lobe (28), is inserted in the
passageway (12) and is as long as to protrude by its end from body (10), to engage
with fastening means thereof. The small bar (18) remains fastened to the earlobe (28)
by means of a thread-like element (22), to the other end of which is secured a locking
element (24) which engages with the rear part of the earlobe (28) when the earring
is being worn. |
[0002] Various kinds of earrings for pierced lobes are known, the body of which, being generally the actual ornamental part thereof, is provided with an extension secured thereto, which is suitable to be inserted in the lobe hole. There are also provided means for fastening the earring to the ear, suitable to be applied to the portion of the said extension of the earring body protruding from the rear part of the lobe.
[0003] A considerable inconvenience of the above mentioned earrings derives from the fact that it is generally difficult and uncomfortable to apply the said fastening means to the extension of the earring body, particularly as the sizes of this item are small and above all as the fastening means are miniaturized, so that they do not cause any discomfort to the earring wearer, and are not visible either.
[0004] Another drawback of the traditional earrings of this kind, being a direct consequence of the above mentioned inconvenience, lies in the fact that one is not always sure to have properly applied the fastening means of the earring which might get therefore inadvertently lost.
[0005] There has now been conceived, and forms the object of the present invention, an earring for pierced earlobe, particularly a drop-earring which allows to make up for all the inconveniences of the traditional earrings.
[0006] The characteristics as well as the advantages of the earring according to the present invention will be clear from the following detailed description of one of its non limiting embodiments, made with reference to the enclosed drawings, in which:
FIGURE 1 is an overall view of the earring applied to the ear;
FIGURE 2 is an exploded view from which the earring body according to the present invention has been partially taken off;
FIGURE 3 is a perspective enlarged view of a part of the earring fastening means.
[0007] With particular reference to Figs. 1 and 2, the earring according to the invention comprises a body 10 which is schematically shown, since its shape and configuration may be of any kind, forming substantially the ornamental part of the earring.
[0008] As can be noted from Fig. 1 in particular, the body 10 of the earring is hollow and has on its inside a rectilinear small tube 12 of proper section, which communicates with the outside of body 10 through slits 14, 16 of the body 10.
[0009] The fact that body 10 has been designed as hollow must not obviously be considered as limiting since, according to the same innovating concept, it could as well be solid-walled and have an inner longitudinal rectilinear passageway which would be the equivalent of the small tube 12.
[0010] Still with particular reference to Fig. 2, the earring according to the invention further comprises a substantially rectilinear small bar 18 which, as it appears from the enlarged particular of Fig. 2, is provided at one end with two indentations 20, one for fastening and the other for safety purposes.
[0011] At the other end of the small bar 18 there is fixed in any known way a small chain 22, to the other end of which there is fastened, in a known way too, a small disk 24.
[0012] Referring now in particular also to Fig. 3, to the earring body 10 there are applied, at hole 16, means which, by interacting with the end of the small bar 18 provided with the indentations 20, fasten the drop-earring to the ear.
[0013] Said means consist, in the embodiment considered herein, of two thin wire port ions 26 fastened in any known manner, e.g. by welding, to the body 10 and crossing radially the lumen of hole 16. Whilst portions 26 are set side by side for almost all their length, at hole 16 they are slightly distanced from one another so that they can resiliently snap fit about either indentation s20 of the small bar 18, as will be better explained hereinafter.
[0014] The application of the earring according to the invention is found to be extremely simple and handy; moreover, the resulting aesthetic effect is excellent. Taking the earring off is of course a simple operation too, not involving any particular difficulties.
[0016] The small bar 18 is inserted in the lobe hole, and the small chain 22 is then set to the position shown in Fig. 2, in which the small disk 24 rests on the rear of the lobe 28, being totally covered by it. The small bar 18 is subsequently introduced through hole 14 in the small tube 12, and its length is such that, as it appears particularly from the enlarged detail of Fig. 2, its end protrudes from hole 16, whereby the curved sections of wires 26 resiliently snap fit about one of the indentations 20 of the small bar 18, in the specific case the one which is farthest off from the end of said small bar. At this stage the earring has already been applied, and it is easy to note how simple and swift this operation is.
[0017] It is clear that the above mentioned embodiment should not be considered as absolutely limiting since, still by exploiting the same inventive idea, the small chain 22 could be integrally linked to body 10 and the small disk 24 could be provided with a suitable hole for housing the end of the small bar 18, arranged in this case at the side of the small disk 24 and provided with at least one indentation 20 suitable to snap fit in to the hole of the small disk 24 after passing through lobe 28.
1. Earring, drop-earring for pierced lobe in particular, characterized in that it
comprises a body (10) which has a substantially longitudinal passageway (12), open
at its ends (14, 16), there being further provided a small bar (18) which, after passing
through earlobe (28), is inserted in the passageway (12), and is as long as to protrude
by its end from body (10), to engage with fastening means thereof, whilst it remains
fastened to the earlobe (28) by means of a thread-like element (22), to the other
end of which there is secured a locking element (24) which engages the rear part of
the earlobe (28) when the earring is being worn.
2. Earring according to claim 1, characterized in that the locking means of the end
of the small bar (18) protruding from body (10) consist of a pair of wire portions
(26) arranged at hole (16) at such a mutual distance so as to resiliently snap fit
about at least one indentation (20) of said end of the small bar (18).
3. Earring according to claim 1, characterized in that said thread-like element (22)
consists of a flexible small chain.
4. Earring according to claim 1, characterized in that said locking element (24) consists
of a small disk at the centre of which is secured the end of said thread-like element
(22).
5. Earring according to claim 1, characterized in that body (10) is fixed to one end
of said thread-like element (22), at the other end of which is secured a small bar
suitable to pass through the lobe (28) to resiliently snap fit into a corresponding
hole of a locking element (24) set at the rear of lobe (28).
6. Earring, drop-earring for pierced lobe in particular, substantially as hereinabove
described and illustrated in the enclosed figures.