Patent ID: 6237367
Filing Date: 2001-05-29
Classification: A44C

Abstract:
An earring for a pierced ear, said earring comprising:a ring body having spaced opposing ends defining a gap sized to receive an ear lobe;an ear post having a length greater than the gap and having one end pivotally attached to one opposing end of the ring body on a pivot positioned to permit movement of an opposite free end of the post toward and away from the other opposing end of the ring body, said movement confined to an arc transverse to a plane of the ring body; and,a locking detent on the other opposing end of the ring body sized to receive the free end of the post and to hold the free end with a resilient bias,said locking detent comprising an indentation formed in said other opposing end of the ring body, said indentation including an entry slot engageable by the free end of the post in response to movement of said free end on said arc, said slot dimensioned to cause a slight resilient deflection of said free end as said free end passes through said slot, said entry slot including a lead-in surface divergent in a direction of resilient deflection of said free end from a direction of movement on said arc, said lead-in surface positioned to be engaged by said free end as said free end moves on said arc into said entry slot, and a locking recess in open communication with said slot and dimensioned to permit return of said free end from a deflected state to lock in said recess.