Electrical circuit jewelry

An article of jewelry includes at least one electrically activated light source, at least two elongated and stiff electrical conductors connected to and extending from the light source, and an attachment assembly for attaching the article of jewelry to a wearer. The electrical conductors conduct electrical power to the light source and are spaced apart to provide an aperture for detachably receiving and retaining an electrical power source between the conductors with at least one conductor contacting the positive terminal and at least one conductor contacting the negative terminal of the electrical power source. The conductors frictionally retain the power source in the aperture. The conductors, aperture, light source, and electrical power source are the visible article of jewelry when the article of jewelry is being worn. The article of jewelry may be worn with or without the electrical power source.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to illuminated jewelry and more particularly to 
illuminated jewelry in which the jewelry itself is the electrical lighting 
circuit. 
Illuminated jewelry has been known in the art for sometime. The disclosure 
statement filed with this document discloses a number of various types of 
illuminated jewelry. 
A shortcoming in the illuminated jewelry known in the art is the absence of 
an article of jewelry in which the entire ornamental structure of the 
article of jewelry is the light source and the electrical conductors 
necessary to carry electrical power to the light source. Another 
shortcoming is the absence of an article of jewelry in which the 
electrical power source, if installed, becomes a part of the visible 
ornamental structure of the article of jewelry. Another shortcoming is the 
absence of an article of jewelry which will easily accommodate power 
sources of various shapes, thereby allowing the power source to be shaped 
to accent the aesthetic appearance of the jewelry. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an article of 
jewelry in which the entire ornamental structure of the jewelry is a light 
source and the electrical conductors necessary to carry electrical power 
to the light source. 
It is a further object of this invention to provide an article of jewelry 
in which the electrical power source, when installed, becomes a part of 
the visible ornamental structure of the jewelry. 
It is an advantage of this invention to provide an article of illuminated 
jewelry which is inexpensive to manufacture. 
It is a further advantage of this invention to provide an article of 
illuminated jewelry in which the electrical circuit may be electrically 
isolated from the body or clothing of the wearer. 
It is a further advantage of the present invention to provide an article of 
jewelry which may be easily configured for use as virtually any type of 
jewelry and with virtually any type of fastener. For example, an ear clasp 
may be connected to the article of jewelry allowing the jewelry to be worn 
as an earring for pierced or non-pierced ears. The invention may also be 
configured for use on a clothing pin, a hair pin, a belt buckle, a watch 
strap, etc. 
The article of jewelry of the present invention includes at least one 
electrically activated light source, at least two elongated and stiff 
electrical conductors extending from the light source, and attachment 
means for attaching the article of jewelry to a wearer. The conductors are 
spaced apart to provide an aperture for detachably receiving and retaining 
an electrical power source, such as an electrical battery. The light 
source may be a light emitting diode or an incandescent light bulb. The 
article of jewelry may be worn with or without the power source installed. 
If the power source is installed it becomes part of the visible ornamental 
structure of the jewelry.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Before explaining the present invention in detail, it is to be understood 
that the invention is not limited to the details of construction and 
arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the 
invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and 
carried out in various ways commensurate with the claims herein. Also, it 
is to be understood that the terminology employed herein is for the 
purpose of description and not of limitation. 
FIGS. 1 through 10 present a preferred embodiment of an article of 
illuminated jewelry, generally designated 20, which exemplifies the 
present invention. The illustrated embodiment is an illuminated earring 
20. It is intended to be obvious from the following description and claims 
that the invention may be equivalently applied to other types of jewelry 
and ornamentation, such as brooches, hair pins, belts and belt buckles, 
watch bands, etc. 
Referring to the example of FIGS. 1 and 2, the invention may be described 
as being generally comprised of at least one electrically activated light 
source 22, at least two elongated and stiff electrical conductors 24, 26 
connected to and extending from the light source 22 for conducting 
electrical power to the light source, and attachment means 28 for 
attaching the article of jewelry 20 to a wearer. 
An electrical power source 30 is needed to provide electrical power to 
illuminate the light source 22, although as illustrated by FIG. 7 the 
jewelry 20 may also be worn without the power source 30, as further 
discussed below. 
The light source 22 should be of a type in which the only visible structure 
is the light source or lamp 22. By light source is meant the element (not 
illustrated) which converts the electrical energy into light energy, the 
translucent or opaque cover which is used to disperse the light energy, 
and the support structure (if any) necessary to physically support the 
element and cover. In this description the electrical conductors 24, 26 
are treated as being independent from the light source 22 although in 
actuality the conductors may be an integral part of the light source. The 
light source 22 may take other forms requiring more extensive support 
circuitry and physical structure, although, as previously stated, it is 
preferred that the light source 22 be limited to minimum componentry in 
order to preserve the simplicity and economy of the present invention. In 
the preferred embodiment the light source 22 is a light emitting diode, 
although an incandescent light bulb or equivalent may be used. 
Referring to the example of FIGS. 2 and 8, in the preferred embodiment the 
conductors 24, 26 are spaced apart to provide an aperture 32 for 
detachably receiving and retaining an electrical power source 30. At least 
one conductor 24 or 26 should contact the positive terminal 34 of the 
electrical power source 30 and at least one conductor 24 or 26 should 
contact the negative terminal 36 of the electrical power source 30, best 
seen in FIGS. 1 and 4. The conductors 24 or 26 which contact the positive 
terminal 34 of the power source 30 should be electrically isolated from 
the electrical conductors 24 or 26 which contact the negative terminal 36 
of the power source to prevent short circuiting the power source 30. In 
the preferred embodiment, the conductors 24, 26 frictionally retain the 
power source 30 in the aperture 32. The light source 22 may also provide 
one side of the aperture, thus providing a three sided aperture for 
detachably receiving and retaining the power source 30. In one embodiment, 
best seen in FIG. 2, an isolator 38 is provided to electrically isolate 
the power source 30 and conductors 24, 26 from the attachment means 28 and 
the isolator 38 is used to provide a fourth side of aperture 32. The 
isolator may also be a light source which receives electrical power 
through conductors 24, 26 and which isolates the attachment means 28 from 
the conductors 24, 26 and power source 30. 
As previously mentioned, the aperture 32 should be arranged to detachably 
receive and retain an electrical power source 30 having an electrically 
positive terminal 34 and electrically negative terminal 36. In the 
preferred embodiment the power source 30 is a visible ornamental addition 
to the article of jewelry 20 when the power source is retained in the 
aperture 32. Preferably the power source 30 is an electrical battery, and 
in the preferred embodiment a lithium type battery is used. As intended to 
be obvious from this description and the drawings, it is not necessary 
that the power source 30 be installed in aperture 32 for the jewelry 20 to 
be worn, as best illustrated by FIGS. 1 and 7. The jewelry is equally as 
attractive with or without electrical power source 30 and the jewelry 20 
may appear to be to entirely different items of jewelry when worn with and 
without the power source 30 installed. The electrical power source 30 may 
be made in virtually any shape, e.g., triangular, oblong, tear-shaped, 
etc. in order to accent the appearance of the jewelry and the conductors 
24, 26 may be assembled, manufactured, or bent into any shape or 
configuration which may be felt to be aesthetically attractive and which 
will complete the electrical lighting circuit, i.e., with one conductor of 
each light source contacting the negative terminal 36 of the power source 
30 and the other conductor of the light source contacting the positive 
terminal 34 of the power source. 
When light emitting diodes are used as light source 22 it is essential that 
the designated positive conductors 24 or 26 be grouped on one side of 
aperture 32 and the designated negative leads 24 or 26 be grouped to form 
the other side of aperture 33, since light emitting diodes will only 
illuminate when positive biased, that is, when their designated positive 
leads or conductors are in contact with the positive terminal of an 
electrical power source 30 and their designated negative leads or 
conductors 24 or 26 are in contact with the negative terminal of the 
electrical power source 30. 
One advantage of using light emitting diodes for the light source 22 is 
that the power source 30 may be installed and worn without illuminating 
the diodes by installing the power source in such a manner that the diodes 
are reversed biased, that is, by installing the power source 30 where the 
positive terminal 34 of the power source contacts the designated negative 
conductors 24, 26 and the negative terminal of the battery contacts the 
designated positive conductors 24, 26. This feature is particularly 
advantageous when the power source 30 contributes significantly to the 
aesthetic appeal of the article of jewelry 20. 
In the illustrated preferred embodiment three light emitting diodes are 
configured into a triangular shape, best seen in FIGS. 1 and 4 and into an 
arcuate shape best seen in FIGS. 9 and 10, although any style, shape, or 
model of light source may equivalently be used. In the illustrated, 
preferred embodiment, the positive terminal contacting conductors 24 or 26 
are arranged to form a pattern on the positive terminal 34 side of the 
power source receiving aperture 32 the same as the pattern formed by the 
negative terminal contacting conductors 24 or 26 on the negative terminal 
36 side of the power source receiving aperture 32. The conductors 24, 26 
should be arranged to securely retain the electrical power source 30 and 
to make good electrical contact with the positive and negative terminals 
34, 36 of the power source 30, and within these general guidelines the 
conductors may take any configuration which is aesthetically or 
functionally pleasing. 
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 9, in the preferred embodiment the attachment 
means 28 is located near the opposite end of the conductors 24, 26 from 
the light source 22. The attachment means 28 is placed in this location so 
that the jewelry 20 will depend from the attachment means 28 in order to 
make an attractive earring. the attachment means may be located any place 
on the article of jewelry 20 which will not electrically short circuit the 
power source 30 and conductors 24, 26. For example, if the jewelry 20 is 
to be used as a brooche or hair pin, it may be more aesthetically pleasing 
to hide the attachment means 28 behind the power source 30. 
In the preferred embodiment the attachment means 28 is electrically 
isolated from the power source 30 in order to electrically isolate the 
jewelry 20 from the body of the wearer. Since the preferred embodiment is 
an earring, and the attachment means 28 is an ear clasp for attaching the 
jewelry or earring 20 to a human ear, it is preferable to electrically 
isolate the electrical circuit from the ear. Even though it is unlikely 
that the wearer would feel any electrical discharge, this electrical 
isolation should prolong the life of the battery by preventing discharge 
of the battery through the ear and the wearer's body. Similarly, it is 
recommended that, regardless of the type of application of the invention, 
the jewelry be isolated from the body or clothing of the wearer in order 
to maximize the life of the battery and the length of time which the 
battery will illuminate the light source 22. 
The preferred embodiments were constructed by taking three light emitting 
diodes, cutting the conductors 24, 26 to the desired length, soldering the 
conductors 24 together, soldering the conductors 26 together, and 
connecting attachment means 28 to the opposite end of the conductors 24, 
26 from the light source 22. In the embodiment of FIG. 1 the attachemnt 
means 28 is connected to isolator 38 which is in turn connected to the 
solderingly united conductors 24, 26 in such a manner to effectively 
electrically isolate conductors 24 from conductors 26 and isolate 
attachment means 28 from conductors 24, 26. In the embodiment of FIGS. 
1-8, the isolator 38 is also a light emitting diode. In the embodiment of 
FIG. 9, the conductors 24, 26 are bent after soldering to give the earring 
20 its arcuate shape and the attachment means 28 is soldered to one of the 
soldering connected groups of conductors 24 and 26 thus maintaining the 
electrical isolation of conductors 24 from conductors 26 and maintaining 
the electrical isolation of the attachment means 28 from the conductors 
24, 26 and power source 30. 
It is intended to be obvious from this description that any number of light 
sources 22 and conductors 24, 26 may be used and may be bent, 
manufactured, and assembled into any desired shape, as long as the 
conductors 24, 26 are arranged to securely retain the electrical power 
source 30 and to make good electrical contact with the positive and 
negative terminals 34, 36 of the power source 30. 
While the invention has been described with a certain degree of 
particularity, it is manifest that many changes may be made in the details 
of construction and the arrangement of components without departing from 
the spirit and scope of this disclosure. It is to be understood that the 
invention is not limited to the embodiments set forth herein for purposes 
of exemplification, but is to be limited only by the scope of the attached 
claim or claims including the full range of equivalency to which each 
element thereof is entitled.