Custom-Fit Ear Fastener Base for Heavy Jewelry
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Solution Overview
Problem
The jewelry industry lacks pierce-free, customizable earring solutions that can safely mount heavy ornamentation and accommodate individual ear variations, while also being sustainable and able to cover damaged or altered ear lobules.
Innovation Solution
A custom-fit ear-fastener base device with a double-banded fastening latch and rear hinge system that accommodates the antitragus peak and conchal cavum, allowing for secure attachment of heavy jewelry without piercing, and can be adapted to fit various ear shapes using critical ear-variable dimensions measurements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If traditional piercing earrings are used, then jewelry can be attached to the ear, but they cause damage to ear lobules and require piercing holes
Solution Approach 1:
The earring base is divided into multiple functional components: a front portion with a latch mechanism that engages with the antitragus, a rear portion with a hinge system, and a body that spans the concha. This segmentation allows the earring to distribute pressure across multiple contact points rather than concentrating force on a single pierced hole, thereby preventing lobule damage while maintaining secure attachment.
Solution Approach 2:
The earring base acts as an intermediary structure that bridges the gap between traditional piercing methods and non-piercing alternatives. By engaging the antitragus peak and conchal cartilage through a latch-hinge mechanism, it provides a stable attachment point without requiring penetration of the soft lobule tissue, thus eliminating the harmful effects of piercing while maintaining jewelry security.
2Weight of moving object
If clip-on earrings are used, then no piercing is required, but they cannot safely mount heavy ornamentation above 20 grams
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of relying solely on clamping pressure on the lobule (one-dimensional force), the earring base utilizes a three-dimensional engagement system that incorporates the antitragus peak, conchal cartilage, and lobule in a distributed load-bearing structure. The latch engages the antitragus from above, the body spans the concha cavity, and the hinge system provides rotational stability, creating a multi-point support structure that can safely bear weights exceeding 20 grams without concentrating pressure on a single tissue area.
Solution Approach 2:
The earring base employs composite construction combining rigid materials (for structural integrity and weight-bearing capacity) with compliant materials (for comfort and tissue protection). This composite approach enables the structure to support heavy ornamentation while adapting to individual ear shapes and minimizing pressure points, thereby increasing weight capacity without proportionally increasing harmful pressure on ear tissue.
3Adaptability or versatility
If one-size-fits-all earrings are used, then manufacturing is simple, but they do not accommodate individual ear variations
Solution Approach 1:
The earring base incorporates dynamic adjustment mechanisms including a hinge system that allows the rear portion to rotate and adapt to different ear contours, and a latch mechanism that can be positioned at various engagement points on the antitragus. This dynamic design enables a single earring model to accommodate variations in ear size, shape, and anatomy without requiring multiple custom-made pairs, thereby achieving adaptability while controlling manufacturing complexity through standardized components.
Solution Approach 2:
The design allows for parameter adjustments within a standardized framework, such as varying the latch engagement depth, hinge rotation angle, and body curvature to fit different ear types. These parameter changes can be achieved through adjustable mechanisms or limited-size ranges of pre-manufactured components, enabling customization for individual ears without requiring complete redesign or complex manufacturing processes for each user.
4Weight of moving object
If heavy ornamentation above 30 grams is mounted, then jewelry display capability is enhanced, but safety and comfort are compromised with traditional designs
Solution Approach 1:
The earring base segments the weight-bearing function across multiple structural elements: the latch mechanism engages the antitragus to bear upward force, the body spans the concha to distribute lateral loads, and the hinge system provides rotational stability. This segmentation of structural functions allows the assembly to safely support ornamentation weights exceeding 30 grams by distributing the load across multiple contact points and structural components, preventing any single point from experiencing excessive stress that would compromise safety or comfort.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention is directed to ergonomic pierce-free custom-fitted earring devices capable of bearing ornamentation weighing about 30 grams or more, and more safely and comfortably mounting the same onto the lowermost one-third of each ear without utilizing the lobule of the ear, wherein the fully latched front loop of the first end and the rear component on the second end comprise critical ear-contact-points that engage a thickness of concha cavum cartilage at the front and rear of the ear with little to no perceived squeezing. Methods of making such earring devices comprise effective and efficient methods to ensure accuracy of fit of these earrings to within about 1 to about 3 millimeters for each of multiple critical ear-variable-dimensions (EVD) that taken in concert serve to fit individuals and/or segments of the population of potential and/or targeted wearers, wherein certain preferred embodiments of such methods comprise computer-implemented sizing and fitting processes that convert EVDs into individually grouped fit gauges that are correlated to any of thousands of circumscribed fit profiles, enabling the efficient fabrication of custom-fitted devices, the setting of the same with weighted jewelry ornamentation, and delivering of the same as finished.