Earrings

Abstract

To provide an earing to be reliably and easily fitted to a predetermined position of an earlobe while having a simple structure with less number of components.SOLUTION: An earing includes: a first member 11 having at one end, a first holding member 31 to be abutted to one surface of an earlobe; and a second member 12 having at one end, a second holding member 32 to be abutted to the other surface of the earlobe. A support end part 16 of the second member 12 is pivotally supported at a middle part of the first member 11 so as to enable the second holding member 32 to be turnable in an approaching direction and a separating direction with respect to the first holding member 31. The first member 11 and the second member 12 have an engagement part 20 for keeping a holding interval D1 for holding the earlobe when the second holding member 32 is allowed to approach the first holding member 31.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a clip-type earring that is worn by clamping the earlobe.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there is known an earring having a structure in which a pair of arc-shaped members each having a clamping portion for clamping the earlobe at one end, and the other ends of the pair of members are integrally axially fixed so that the respective clamping portions can be opened and closed at a predetermined interval (Patent Documents 1 and 2). The earring disclosed in Patent Document 2 is provided with a gap setting mechanism capable of setting the opposing interval of a pair of clamping portions to a first open state in which a constant gap smaller than the thickness of the earlobe is opposed, and a second open state in which a constant gap larger than the first open state is opposed. According to this gap setting mechanism, the pair of clamping portions do not easily open even if a certain amount of force acts in the state of being worn on the earlobe. On the other hand, when a certain amount of force acts, it opens and deformation is prevented, and when a strong force unexpectedly acts, it does not open too large more than necessary to prevent dropping.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The gap setting mechanism described in Patent Document 2 above has a structure in which the distance between a pair of opposing clamping parts changes as the axial support portion at the base end of each of the pair of members moves. The mechanism is such that the base end of one member is provided with an axial support portion consisting of two bifurcated grooves, and the base end of the other member fits into these two grooves via a small sphere biased by a spring. As a result, by opening and closing the pair of members, the pair of clamping parts can be locked between a first release position and a second release position, preventing the earlobe from being squeezed too tightly or released too loosely and falling off.

[0005] However, in structures where a pair of components are opened and closed in directions that bring them closer together and away from each other, positioning for attachment to the earlobe can be difficult, and attachment can be time-consuming. Furthermore, in structures where the degree of attachment to the earlobe is set by switching using spring biasing, there are problems such as the need for a large force when switching and the shaft support part being prone to coming loose. In addition, each pair of components requires auxiliary parts such as small spheres and springs, and the process of assembling these minute parts is required, resulting in problems of high cost and labor.

[0006] Therefore, the objective of the present invention is to provide an earring that has a simple structure with a small number of parts, yet can be securely and easily attached to a predetermined position on the earlobe. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides an earring comprising a first member having a first clamping member at one end that contacts one surface of the earlobe, and a second member having a second clamping member at one end that contacts the other surface of the earlobe, wherein the other end of the second member is axially supported in the middle of the first member so that the second clamping member can rotate toward and away from the first clamping member, and the first member and the second member are provided with engaging portions that maintain a clamping distance for clamping the earlobe when the second clamping member is brought closer to the first clamping member. The engagement portion has a first stopper position in which the second clamping member engages with the first clamping member at a first clamping distance, and a second stopper position in which it engages with the first clamping member at a second clamping distance narrower than the first clamping distance. The engagement portion is composed of a first engagement portion provided on the first member and a second engagement portion provided on the second member, and the second engagement portion has a first engagement portion that engages with the first engagement portion at the first stopper position and a second engagement portion that engages with the first engagement portion at the second stopper position. . [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, when the second clamping member is brought close to the first clamping member, an engaging portion is provided that maintains a clamping distance that clips the earlobe in the thickness direction (front and rear surfaces). Therefore, with the first clamping member positioned on the front surface of the earlobe, the rear surface of the earlobe can be clamped with the second clamping member. This allows the earring to be securely and easily attached to a predetermined position on the earlobe. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This figure shows an example of how to wear the earrings of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a front view of the earring engaged in the first stopper position. [Figure 3] This is a partial perspective view showing the connection structure between the first member and the second member. [Figure 4] This is a front view of the earring engaged in the second stopper position. [Figure 5] This is a front view of the earring in its disengaged state. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the earring according to the present invention will be described in detail based on the attached drawings. Figure 1 shows an example of the earring 10 being attached to an earlobe 1, and Figure 2 is a front view of the earring 10 engaged at the first clamping position (first stopper position) when clamping the earlobe. The earring 10 of this embodiment is made of metal such as silver or stainless steel, and as shown in Figure 2, is composed of a pair of parts that form a shape close to a loop (C-shape) when closed together. One part (hereinafter referred to as "first member 11") is formed in a large arc shape that is close to a circle. The other part (hereinafter referred to as "second member 12") is formed in a smaller arc shape than the first member 11 so as to overlap a part of the first member 11. The first member 11 and the second member 12 are connected so as to be openable and closable via a connecting part 17 provided in the middle of the first member 11.

[0011] As shown in Figure 1, the first member 11 has a first clamping end 13 at one end that faces the front surface 1a of the earlobe, and an open end 15 at the other end. As shown in Figure 3, the first member 11 has an arc-shaped groove 18 that accommodates the second member 12, extending from the connecting portion 17 to the open end 15. A first clamping member 31 that abuts against the front surface 1a of the earlobe is attached to the first clamping end 13.

[0012] As shown in Figure 1, the second member 12 has a second clamping end 14 at one end that faces the rear surface 1b of the earlobe, and a support end 16 at the other end that is rotatably supported in a groove 18 of the first member 11 via a shaft 19, and the part from the support end 16 to the second clamping end 14 can be housed in the groove 18. A second clamping member 32 that abuts against the rear surface 1b of the earlobe is attached to the second clamping end 14.

[0013] By rotating the second member 12 toward and toward the first member 11 around the connecting portion 17, the first clamping end 13 and the second clamping end 14 move toward and toward each other at a predetermined distance. This movement toward and toward each other allows the distance at which the earlobe is clamped by the first clamping member 31 and the second clamping end 14 to be set or released.

[0014] As shown in Figure 3, the first member 11 and the second member 12 are provided with an engaging portion 20 for the second member 12 to engage with the first member 11 at a predetermined position. This engaging portion 20 is composed of a first engaging portion 21 provided on the first member 11 and a second engaging portion 22 provided on the second member 12.

[0015] The first engaging portion 21 and the second engaging portion 22 each consist of a concave portion, which is a hole or recess, and a convex portion, which fits into the concave portion and engages with each other. In this embodiment, the first engaging portion 21 is a circular hole formed in the first member 11, and the second engaging portion 22 is a dome-shaped, gently rising convex portion formed in the second member 12. Conversely, the first engaging portion 21 may be a convex portion and the second engaging portion 22 may be a hole or recess. The first engaging portion (hole) 21 is provided on the side surface within the groove 18 of the first member 11. The second engaging portion 22 consists of a first engaging portion (first convex portion) 22a provided on a protruding surface 23 that protrudes from the curved inner circumferential surface of the second member 12, and a second engaging portion (second convex portion) 22b provided on the side surface 12a of the second member 12. The first protrusion 22a and the second protrusion 22b are formed along the direction in which the second member 12 rotates relative to the hole 21. In this embodiment, the hole 21, the first protrusion 22a, and the second protrusion 22b are provided on opposite sides, but they may be provided on only one side. The protruding surface 23 may be formed outward from the outer circumferential surface of the second member 12.

[0016] In this embodiment, the first clamping member 31 is a spherical gemstone such as a pearl or turquoise attached to the first clamping end 13, and the second clamping member 32 is a pad made of an elastic material such as silicone that can be attached to the second clamping end 14 via an attachment ring 25. As shown in Figure 1, the first clamping member 31 is attached to the front surface 1a of the earlobe 1, and the second clamping member 32 is attached to the rear surface 1b of the earlobe 1. To stabilize the attachment to the earlobe 1 and reduce pressure, it is preferable that at least one of the first clamping member 31 and the second clamping member 32 be made of an elastic material such as silicone. Note that the first clamping member 31 is not limited to a spherical gemstone, and may be an ornament with various design shapes other than the part that touches the earlobe 1.

[0017] Figure 2 shows the second clamping member 32 engaged with the first clamping member 31 at a first stopper position where it is held by a first clamping gap D1, and Figure 4 shows the second stopper position where it is held by a second clamping gap D2 which is narrower than the first clamping gap D1. The first stopper position shown in Figure 2 is defined by engaging the first protrusion 22a of the second member 12 with the hole 21 of the first member 11. The second stopper position shown in Figure 4 is defined by engaging the second protrusion 22b of the second member 12 with the hole 21 of the first member 11. By engaging at the first and second stopper positions, the first member 11 and the second member 12 form a double structure where they partially or completely overlap in the thickness direction, thus stabilizing the engagement state against vibrations during installation and external impacts. Furthermore, at the second stopper position, the entire second member 12 is substantially housed in the groove 18 of the first member 11, so when worn, the first member 11 and the second member 12 overlap integrally to form a single ring. The first clamping interval D1 and the second clamping interval D2 both define the standard wearing position of the earring 10. The first clamping interval D1 is suitable for cases where the earlobe is relatively thick, and the second clamping interval D2 is suitable for cases where the earlobe is relatively thin, allowing the wearer to select according to their preference.

[0018] When wearing the earring 10 on the earlobe 1, as shown in Fig. 1, first, position the first clamping member 31 at a predetermined position on the front surface 1a of the earlobe 1. Then, rotate the second member 12 so as to approach the first member 11. By rotating the second member 12, the first convex portion 22a provided on the second member 12 is fitted into the hole portion 21 provided on the first member 11, and engages at the first stopper position shown in Fig. 2, and the second clamping member 32 abuts against the rear surface 1b of the earlobe. If the wearing at this first stopper position is loose, further rotate the second member 12 so as to approach the first member 11, and fit the second convex portion 22b of the second member into the hole portion 21 of the first member 11, and engage at the second stopper position shown in Fig. 4. At this time, if the wearing is tight, conversely, rotate the second member 12 in a direction away from the first member 11 to return from the second stopper position to the first stopper position. In this way, either the first stopper position or the second stopper position can be appropriately selected according to the thickness of the wearer's earlobe and the feeling during wearing.

[0019] In this way, by simply rotating the second member 12 slightly so as to approach the first member 11, the earlobe can be easily clamped by the first clamping portion 31 and the second clamping portion 32. At any stopper position, the hole portion 21 of the first member 11 and the first convex portion 22a or the second convex portion 22b of the second member 12 are engaged, so the wearing on the earlobe is ensured and the earring 10 will not fall off during wearing. In addition, a clicking feeling can be obtained when fitting the first convex portion 22a or the second convex portion 22b into the hole portion 21, so it can be confirmed that the engagement is surely performed.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 3, since the release end portion 15 of the first member 11 is an edge portion 24 that connects both side walls forming the groove portion 18, springiness can be imparted in the width direction of the groove portion 18 starting from this edge portion 24. For this reason, when the hole portion 21 formed in the first member 11 and the first convex portion 22a and the second convex portion 22b formed in the second member 12 slide and fit together, the elastic force from both side walls of the groove portion 18 acts to stabilize the engagement at the first stopper position and the second stopper position. Note that the first member 11 and the second member 12 are finished by heat-treating (age hardening) the whole, thereby improving rigidity and impact resistance.

[0021] FIG. 5 shows a state in which when the earring 10 is removed from the earlobe, the clamping of the earlobe by the first clamping member 31 and the second clamping member 32 is released and widely opened. At this time, a regulating portion 33 for regulating the release interval D3 between the first clamping member 31 and the second clamping member 32 is provided in the vicinity of the connecting portion 17 of the first member 11 and the second member 12. The regulating portion 33 is composed of a regulating surface 34 formed in a flat plate shape on the support end portion 16 of the second member 12, and a flat plate-shaped contact surface 35 formed on the inner surface of the first member 11 and with which the regulating surface 34 abuts when the second member 12 rotates by a predetermined rotation angle in the clockwise direction. As shown in FIG. 5, when the second member 12 rotates in a direction away from the first member 11, when the interval between the first clamping member 31 and the second clamping member 32 reaches a predetermined release interval D3, the regulating surface 34 of the second member 12 abuts against the contact surface 35 of the first member 11. Thereby, since the rotation angle of the second member 12 with respect to the first member 11 is regulated, the release interval D3 does not open wider than necessary, and the second member 12 does not open excessively and damage the connecting portion 17 with the first member 11. Note that the rotation angle of the second member 12 in the regulating portion 33 can be set by the inclination angle of the regulating surface 34 formed on the support end portion 16 of the second member 12.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0022] 1 Earlobe 1a Front surface (one surface) 1b Rear surface (the other surface) 10 Earrings 11. First Member 12 Second Member 12a side 13 First clamping end 14 Second clamping end 15 Open end 16 Support end 17 Connecting part 18 grooves 19 shafts 20 Engaging part 21 Hole (first engagement portion) 22 Second engaging part 22a First protrusion (first engagement portion) 22b Second protrusion (second engagement portion) 23 Protruding surface 24 Edge 25 Mounting rings 31 First clamping member 32 Second clamping member 33 Regulatory Department 34. Regulatory aspects 35 Contact surface

Claims

1. It comprises a first member having a first clamping member at one end that contacts one surface of the earlobe, and a second member having a second clamping member at one end that contacts the other surface of the earlobe, The other end of the second member is axially supported on the intermediate portion of the first member so that the second clamping member can rotate toward and away from the first clamping member. The first member and the second member are provided with engaging portions that maintain a clamping distance for clamping the earlobe when the second clamping member is brought close to the first clamping member. The engagement portion has a first stopper position in which the second clamping member engages with the first clamping member at a first clamping distance, and a second stopper position in which it engages with the second clamping distance which is narrower than the first clamping distance, and is composed of a first engagement portion provided on the first member and a second engagement portion provided on the second member. The second engaging portion is an earring having a first engaging portion that engages with the first engaging portion at the first stopper position and a second engaging portion that engages with the first engaging portion at the second stopper position.

2. It comprises a first member having a first clamping member at one end that contacts one surface of the earlobe, and a second member having a second clamping member at one end that contacts the other surface of the earlobe, The other end of the second clamping member is pivotally supported on the intermediate portion of the first member so that the second clamping member can rotate toward and away from the first clamping member, and a restricting portion is provided near the pivoting point to restrict the rotation angle of the second member when the second member is rotated toward the first member. Earrings in which the first member and the second member are provided with engaging portions that maintain a clamping distance for clamping the earlobe when the second clamping member is brought close to the first clamping member.

3. The earring according to claim 1, wherein the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion are provided along the rotational direction of the second member, and at least one of the engagement portions is provided protruding from either the inner or outer circumference of the second member.

4. The earring according to claim 1, wherein the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion each consist of a concave portion and a convex portion that fits into the concave portion.

5. The earring according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first member has a groove formed therein for accommodating the second member when the second member engages with the first member.

6. The earring according to claim 1, wherein a restricting portion is provided near the point where the other end of the second member is axially supported in the intermediate part of the first member, the restricting portion restricting the rotation angle of the second member when the second member is rotated away from the first member.

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