Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02906677 2015-10-06
Attorney Docket No. MLEE-1N
Magnetic Non-piercing Earring
Technical Field
This invention pertains generally to jewelry and more particularly to
nonpiercing
magnetic earrings utilizing a secondary internal force generated for ensuring
secure closure of
the earring to a user's ear.
Background of the Invention
Earrings and jewelry are known in the art. Normally, earrings are used for
pierced ears
where a front member has a bar which passes through a hole in the user's ear.
A backing member
is attached to the bar to secure the front member onto the user's ear. Those
who do not have
pierced ears are unable to wear standard earrings. Others have utilized
additional means to secure
earrings to nonpierced ears. This may entail using an adhesive to secure a
front member to the
front lobe. Others have used magnets to secure a front member and a rear
member to a user's
earlobe. The front member and the rear member each contain a small magnet,
with opposite
polarities, to hold the earring onto the ear. Each of these methods have
limitations. Adhesives
may cause irritation to the skin. The use of magnets alone may not be
sufficiently secure if a user
is physically active. The earring may still slip off of a user's earlobe.
Also, the use of magnetic
earrings, particularly studs, is difficult given that a user has to find the
correct spot for both the
front piece and the back piece to attract each other. This is difficult when a
user cannot see the
earlobe. What is needed is a nonpiercing earring which utilizes more than one
way to create a
positive force on a user's earlobe in order to secure the earring in place.
Summary of the Invention
The invention is directed to a non-piercing earring comprising a front member,
a rear
member, a first magnet, a second magnet, a stop, and a compressible spring.
The front member
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has a first end and a second end. The front member has an internal cavity. The
proximal end of
the internal cavity is located at the second end of the front member. The
distal end of the internal
cavity is located within the body of the front member. When the first end of
the front member is
disposed adjacent to the ear of a user and the body of the front member
extends radially toward
the opposite side of a user's ear. The rear member has a first end and a
second end. When the
first end of the rear member is disposed adjacent to the ear of a user, the
first end of the rear
member is substantially directly opposite from the first end of the front
member. When the first
end of the rear member is disposed adjacent to the ear of a user the body of
the rear member
extends radially toward the opposite side of a user's ear. The second end of
the rear member is
inserted through the second end of the front member and extends into the
internal cavity of the
front member. The first magnet is secured to the first end of the front
member. The second
magnet is secured to the first end of the rear member. The stop is located
within the internal
cavity. The compressible spring is housed within the internal cavity. The
compressible spring has
a first end and a second end. The first end of the compressible spring engages
the stop and the
second end of the compressible spring engages the second end of the rear
member when the rear
member is inserted into the internal cavity sufficient to compress the
compressible spring. The
compressible spring generates a force pushing the rear member out of the
internal cavity to rotate
the first end of the rear member toward the first end of the front member. The
polarity of the side
of the first magnet that is disposed adjacent to the ear of a user is opposite
to the polarity of the
side of the second magnet that is disposed adjacent to the ear of a user to
create an attractive
force between the first magnet and the second magnet.
The earring may further comprise a cap. The cap is removably secured to the
proximal
end of the internal cavity of the front member. The cap has a central hole
through which the body
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of the rear member passes. The front member may further comprise an internal
threading located
at the proximal end of the internal cavity. The cap has an external threading
complementary to
the internal threading of the internal cavity.
In one embodiment of the earring, the second end of the rear member terminates
in a
flange. The diameter of the flange is sufficiently larger than the diameter of
the main shaft of the
rear member. The diameter of the flange is sufficiently smaller than the
diameter of the internal
cavity. The surface of the flange engages the compressible spring.
In one embodiment of the earring, the second end of the front member
terminates in a lip.
The lip extends from the outer cross-sectional circumference of the front
member toward the
inner cross-sectional midpoint of the front member. The lip forms a central
hole at the second
end of the front member through which the body of rear member passes. In one
embodiment of
the invention, the stop is defined by the end wall of the internal cavity. In
one embodiment of the
invention, the stop is defined by one or more protrusions into the internal
cavity.
In one embodiment of the invention, the invention is directed to a non-
piercing earring
comprising a front member, a rear member, a first magnet, a second magnet, a
stop, and two or
more internal magnets. The front member has a first end and a second end. The
front member
has an internal cavity. The proximal end of the internal cavity is located at
the second end of the
front member. The distal end of the internal cavity is located within the body
of the front
member. When the first end of the front member is disposed adjacent to the ear
of a user and the
body of the front member extends radially toward the opposite side of a user's
ear. The rear
member has a first end and a second end. When the first end of the rear member
is disposed
adjacent to the ear of a user, the first end of the rear member is
substantially directly opposite
from the first end of the front member. When the first end of the rear member
is disposed
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Attorney Docket No. MLEE- IN
adjacent to the ear of a user the body of the rear member extends radially
toward the opposite
side of a user's ear. The second end of the rear member is inserted through
the second end of the
front member and extends into the internal cavity of the front member. The
first magnet is
secured to the first end of the front member. The second magnet is secured to
the first end of the
rear member. The stop is located within the internal cavity. The two or more
internal magnets
are housed within the internal cavity. The two or more internal magnets are
positioned to
generate a repulsive force between adjacent internal magnets. The internal
magnet positioned in
the distal end of the internal cavity engages the stop. The internal magnet
positioned in the
proximal end of the internal cavity engages the second end of the rear member.
The repulsive
force between the adjacent internal magnets pushes the rear member out of the
internal cavity to
rotate the first end of the rear member toward the first end of the front
member. The polarity of
the side of the first magnet that is disposed adjacent to the ear of a user is
opposite to the polarity
of the side of the second magnet that is disposed adjacent to the ear of a
user to create an
attractive force between the first magnet and the second magnet.
This alternative embodiment may further comprise a cap. The cap is removably
secured
to the proximal end of the internal cavity of the front member. The cap has a
central hole through
which the body of the rear member passes. The front member may further
comprise an internal
threading located at the proximal end of the internal cavity. The cap has an
external threading
complementary to the internal threading of the internal cavity.
In another embodiment of the alternative version, the second end of the rear
member
terminates in a flange. The diameter of the flange is sufficiently larger than
the diameter of the
main shaft of the rear member. The diameter of the flange is sufficiently
smaller than the
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diameter of the internal cavity. The surface of the flange engages the
internal magnet positioned
in the proximal end of the internal cavity.
In another embodiment of the alternative version, the second end of the front
member
terminates in a lip. The lip extends from the outer cross-sectional
circumference of the front
member toward the inner cross-sectional midpoint of the front member. The lip
forms a central
hole at the second end of the front member through which the body of rear
member passes. In
one embodiment of the invention, the stop is defined by the end wall of the
internal cavity. In
one embodiment of the invention, the stop is defined by one or more
protrusions into the internal
cavity.
Brief Description of the Drawings
Fig. 1 displays a perspective view of one embodiment of the earring.
Fig. 2 displays an exploded view of one embodiment of the earring.
Fig. 3 displays a cut away side view of one embodiment of the earring.
Fig. 4 displays a cut away side view of one embodiment of the earring.
Fig. 5 displays a cut away side view of one embodiment of the earring.
Fig. 6 displays a cut away side view of one embodiment of the earring.
Fig. 7 displays a cut away side view of one embodiment of the earring.
Detailed Description of the Drawings
Although the invention will be described with regards to the preferred
embodiment, it
should be self-evident to one having skill in the art that other variations
and possibilities exist
without departing from the scope of the invention.
Referring to Fig. 1, the magnetic earring comprises a front member 10 and a
rear member
20. The front member 10 and rear member 20 fit together to form a
substantially circular shape.
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In the preferred embodiment the earring is a hoop earring. The front member 10
is substantially
circular along a cross section of the front member 10.
The front member 10 is positioned on the front of a user's earlobe. The first
end of the
front member 10 fits against the front of the user's earlobe. The front member
10 extends
radially around the earlobe of the user. The front member 10 terminates in a
second end behind
the earlobe of the user. The rear member 20 is substantially circular along a
cross section of the
rear member 20.
The first end of the rear member 20 fits against the back of the user's
earlobe. The rear
member 20 extends radially away from the earlobe of the user and terminates in
a second end. In
the preferred embodiment the cross-sectional diameter of the rear member 20 is
less than the
cross-sectional diameter of the front member 10. When positioned on the
earlobe of a user the
second end of the rear member 20 fits within the second end of the front
member 10.
Referring to Fig. 2, an exploded view of the preferred embodiment of the
magnetic
earring is displayed. The magnetic earring is comprised of a front member 10,
a rear member 20,
a first magnet 30, a second magnet 40, a spring 50, and a cap 70.
Referring to Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, a cut away side view of the magnetic earring
is displayed.
The front member 10 has an internal cavity 15. The internal cavity 15 houses
the spring 50 and is
structured to receive the rear member 20. The internal cavity 15 is formed
starting at the second
end of the front member 10. The internal cavity 15 may extend partially
through the body of the
front member 10. Alternatively, the internal cavity 15 may extend through the
entire body of the
front member. In the preferred embodiment, the internal cavity 15 terminates
in a stop 80. A
cross section of the front member 10 at the internal cavity 15 is
substantially circular, forming a
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hollow tube. The rear member 20 may be solid or hollow. Thus a cross section
of the rear
member 20 is substantially circular and may result in a solid circular disc or
a hollow tube.
Secured to the first end of the front member 10 is a first magnet 30. Secured
to the first
end of the rear member 20 is a second magnet 40. The polarity of the first
magnet 30 is opposite
to the polarity of the second magnet 40. The attracting magnetic force
generated by the first
magnet 30 and second magnet 40 pulls the first end of the front member 10
toward the first end
of the rear member 20. This force causes the first end of the front member 10
and the first end of
the rear member 20 to apply pressure to the user's earlobe.
Internal in the front member 10 is a stop 80. The stop 80 may be positioned at
any
location along the longitudinal length of the front member 10. The stop 80 may
be a flat surface
covering the entire cross-section of the front member 10. In other embodiments
the stop 80 may
cover only a portion of the cross-section of the front member 10, such as
being a ring.
Alternatively the stop 80 may be comprised of a plurality of tabs. The stop 80
is utilized to be a
stop for the spring 50. The spring 50 is enclosed within the internal cavity
15. The first end of the
spring 50 engages the stop 80. The second end of the spring 50 engages the
second end of the
rear member 20. The spring 50 applies a physical force on the rear member 20
to push the rear
member 20 outward from the internal cavity 15 of the front member 10.
In the preferred embodiment, the second end of the front member 10 terminates
with an
internal thread to receive a cap 70. The cap 70 contains an external thread
complementary to the
internal thread of the front member 10. The cap 70 has a central hole through
which the rear
member 20 passes.
The second end of the rear member 20 has a flange 60. The flange 60 is
substantially
circular and extends outward from the outer circumference of the rear member
20. The spring 50
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pushes the rear member 20 outward from the front member 10 until the flange 60
engages the
cap 70. The flange 60 engaging the cap 70 prevents the spring 50 from pushing
the rear member
20 entirely out of the front member 10. In the preferred embodiment the flange
60 does not
engage the cap 70 when the earring is being worn by a user, permitting the
force of the spring 50
to push the rear member 20 against the rear of the user's earlobe. In some
embodiments the
flange 60 only engages the cap 70 if the first end of the front member 10
physically touches the
first end of the rear member 20. In other embodiments the flange 60 does not
engage the cap 70
when the first end of the front member 10 physically touches the first end of
the rear member 20.
In an alternative embodiment, the magnetic earring does not have a cap 70. In
this
embodiment the rear member 20 is sufficiently longer than the internal cavity
15, thereby
preventing the rear member 20 to be fully pushed out of the internal cavity
15. In this
embodiment the second end of the rear member may or may not have a flange 60.
In an alternative embodiment of the magnetic earring, the second end of the
front
member 10 does not receive a cap but terminates in a lip. The lip is
substantially circular and
extends inward from the outer circumference of the front member 10. The lip
has a center hole
which permits the rear member 20 to pass through the center of the lip.
Referring to Fig. 2, to use the earring a user applies a force to the rear
member 20,
causing the rear member 20 to slide into the front member 10, compressing the
spring 50. The
user then places the first end of the front member 10 having the first magnet
30 against the front
of the user's earlobe. The user then releases the force from the rear member
20. The spring 50
pushes on the second end of the rear member 20, causing the rear member 20 to
slide out of the
front member 10. The first end of the rear member 20 having the second magnet
40 engages the
rear of the user's earlobe. The first magnet 30 magnetically engages the
second magnet 40 in a
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magnetic attraction. The magnetically attractive force between the first
magnet 30 and second
magnet 40 pulls the first end of the front member 10 toward the first end of
the back member 20.
The first end of the front member 10 and the first end of the back member 20
compress against
the earlobe of the user. The combined force generated by the spring 50 and the
first magnet 30
and second magnet 40 causes the first end of the front member 10 and the first
end of the rear
member 20 to compress against the earlobe of the user.
The earring may be made out of any acceptable metal. The earring may be gold,
silver,
titanium, platinum, stainless steel, tungsten, or any other type of metal. The
earring may also be
composed of two or more metals mixed together or have a metal plating.
The overall diameter of the earring may be any size. The length of the front
member may
be any number of degrees of the radius of the circular shape of the earring
provided that the
second end of the front member 10 terminates behind the earlobe and there is
sufficient space for
the rear member 20 to compress and permit insertion of the user's earlobe
between the first end
of the front member 10 and the first end of the rear member 20. The rear
member 20 may be any
length provided that the length of the rear member 20 is less than the length
of the front member
10 and internal space in the internal cavity 15 permits placement of the
spring 50. The cross
sectional dimension of the front member 10 may be any size and shape. The
cross sectional
dimension of the rear member 20 may be any size and shape provided that the
cross sectional
dimension of the rear member 20 is sufficiently smaller than the cross
sectional dimension of the
front member 10 to permit the rear member 20 to slide into the internal cavity
15 of the front
member 10. The cross sectional shape of the rear member 20 may be identical to
the cross
sectional shape of the front member 10. Alternatively, the cross sectional
shape of the rear
member 20 may be different than the cross sectional shape of the front member
10.
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The front member 10 may further comprise one or more decorative embellishments
attached to the external surface of the front member 10. The external
embellishments may be
positioned at any location along the length of the front member 10. The
external embellishments
may include jewels, pendants, or any other decorative shape.
Referring to Fig. 5, Fig. 6, and Fig. 7, an alternative embodiment of the
invention is
displayed. In this embodiment the spring 50 is replaced by a plurality of
internal magnets 90. The
plurality of internal magnets 90 are housed entirely within the internal
cavity 15 of the front
member 10. The internal magnets 90 are positioned such that the polarity of
the internal magnets
generate a repelling force. For instance, as displayed in Fig. 5 and Fig. 6,
two internal magnets
90 may be used. The two internal magnets 90 are positioned so that the sides
with the same
polarity are facing each other to generate a repulsive force. The repulsive
force pushes the
internal magnets 90 apart. The outer most of the internal magnets 90 pushes
against the rear
member 20, pushing the rear member out from the internal cavity 15. In this
embodiment, the
combined force of the repulsion of the internal magnets 90 and the attraction
between the first
magnet 30 and second magnet 40 pushes the front member 10 and rear member 20
against the
earlobe of the user with sufficient force to hold the earring onto the user's
ear. As displayed in
Fig. 7, more than two internal magnets 90 may be utilized. In this embodiment,
the sides with
identical polarities are placed facing each other so that each of the internal
magnets 90 generates
a repulsive force with each neighboring internal magnet 90. The internal
magnet 90 furthest
within the internal cavity 15 engages the stop 80. The internal magnet
furthest to the end of the
internal cavity 15 engages the second end of the rear member 20. The internal
magnet 90
engaging the rear member 20 may be permanently adhered to the second end of
the rear member
20. The internal magnet 90 permanently adhered to the second end of the rear
member 20 may be
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attached to the flange 60 or may be large enough in shape to replace the
flange 60. The internal
magnet 90 engaging the stop 80 may be permanently adhered to the stop 80.
As displayed in Fig. 6, when a user wishes to place the magnetic earring on an
ear, the
user pushes the rear member 20 into the internal cavity 15 of the front member
10. As the rear
member 20 is pushed further into the internal cavity 15, the internal magnets
90 are pushed
closer together. The repulsive force between the internal magnets 90 grows
greater as the internal
magnets 90 are compressed together. When the user releases the rear member 20,
the repulsive
force of the internal magnets 90 pushes the rear member 20 out of the internal
cavity 15. The
attractive force between the first magnet 30 and second magnet 40 then pull
the first end of the
front member 10 and first end of the rear member 20 together to apply pressure
onto the earlobe
of the user.
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