Abstract:
An earring hinge bar with an integral connecting pin is provided. The hinge bar and pin are of unitary construction, integrated into a single piece. The hinge bar is an elongated, substantially cylindrical member. The pin is at one end of the bar and extends from the bar at substantially ninety degrees to form a T-like shape and appearance.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to hinge constructions, especially for items of jewelry of precious metals or their alloys. The invention may be applicable more generally, but it was devised in connection with the manufacture of items of jewelry, in particular items of jewelry known as creole earrings.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Earrings are popular items of jewelry which have been worn by men and women for centuries. The most common and popular earring design has traditionally been the hoop design. The advantages of that design are that such hoop earring is very easy to put on and to take off This invention relates to hinge constructions, especially for items of jewelry of precious metals or their alloys. The invention may be applicable more generally, but it was devised in connection with the manufacture of items of jewelry, in particular items of jewelry known as creole earrings.  
         [0003]     Therefore, in the following reference is made mainly to creole earrings, as such reference best explains the nature of the invention, but it is to be borne in mind that it may have application in other fields, and the applicants do not wish to be prevented from coverage of the invention in such other fields. It must be stated however, that having regard to the nature of the invention, it has particular advantage and application in the field of items of jewelry that have hinge constructions of a delicate nature, and of a relatively small size.  
         [0004]     A number of creole earring designs are know, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,128,923 to Brams purports to disclose a hoop earring comprising a front portion and a back portion, where a post is attached to the front portion and a finding is hingedly connected to the back portion. When an earring is worn the finding is rotated about an axis of the hinge to cover the post. The patent claims that the front portion is designed in a way that allows it to be partially inserted inside an extended pierced hole, so that, when viewed from outside, the hole is not visible.  
         [0005]     U.S. Pat. No. 6,581,244 Peters purports to disclose a method and hinge construction for mounting to an item, such as, jewelry. An H-shaped mounting plate has two support legs for mounting to the item. The plate has a hinge pin pivotally receiving the Y-shaped end of a hinge component with the opposite end of the component securable to a clasp plate mounted to the item.  
         [0006]     The assembly process of these earrings is complicated because the pin is a separate piece and given the extremely small size of the components, it is difficult to place and sufficiently secure the pin in the proper position. It is desirable, therefore, to provide a pin that is already connected to the hinge bar, or an integrated bar and pin of a unitary construction.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     An earring hinge bar with an integral connecting pin is provided. The hinge bar and pin are of unitary construction, integrated into a single piece. The hinge bar is an elongated, substantially cylindrical member. The pin is at one end of the bar and extends from the bar at substantially ninety degrees to form a T-like shape and appearance.  
         [0008]     In more detail, the hinge bar is an earring hinge construction comprising a substantially cylindrical bar defined along a first axis having a pin end and a clasp end. There is a pin at the pin end projecting laterally outwardly from the bar along a second axis. The second axis should be substantially perpendicular to the first axis.  
         [0009]     A method for constructing an earring hinge is provided as well, the method comprising the steps of providing a hinge bar with an integral pin at one end, the pin projecting laterally outwardly from the bar at a substantially perpendicular angle. The pin further comprises a first end and a second end. The first end is inserted into a first mounting bracket aperture, and a second mounting bracket is placed over the second end. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]      FIG. 1  shows a conventional, prior art creole earring.  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  shows the components in the earring of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0012]      FIG. 3   a  shows a bar and pin arrangement for an ear lobe connector according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0013]      FIG. 3   b  is a top-down view of the bar in  FIG. 3   a.    
         [0014]      FIG. 4   a  shows a bar, pin and mounting bracket for an earring according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0015]      FIG. 4   b  shows the bar and bracket of  FIG. 4   a  in an assembled configuration according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0016]      FIG. 5   a  shows a detailed view of a mounting bracket in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0017]      FIG. 5   b  shows a pin and mounting bracket before assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0018]      FIG. 5   c  shows the pin and mounting bracket of  FIG. 5   b  in a partially assembled configuration.  
         [0019]      FIG. 5   d  shows the pin and mounting bracket of  FIGS. 5   a  and  5   b  in a fully assembled configuration according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0020]      FIG. 6  shows the hinge pin of  FIG. 5   a - 5   d  fully installed into the mounting bracket.  
         [0021]      FIG. 7  shows an earring construction according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0022]      FIG. 8  is a close-up view of a hinge and mounting bracket construction according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0023]     Referring to the drawings in  FIG. 1 a  conventional creole  10  earring is shown, and will be seen to comprise a loop body  14  which is made up of two similar halves  14 A and  14 B as shown in  FIG. 2  which are soldered or brazed together along seam lines  16  and  18 .  
         [0024]     The earring body typically will be of precious metal or an alloy of precious metal. It is to be mentioned that the earring body can take any suitable form and can be constructed of any appropriate material.  
         [0025]     Because of the shape of the body, it defines at the top thereof two ends  20  and  22  between which is a gap bridged by the hinge bar  24  of the earring. The hinge bar  24  is supported for hinging movement at end  20  by being mounted on a plate bracket  26  through which and through the end of the hinge bar passes a hinge pin  28 .  
         [0026]     On the other end  22  is provided a clasp plate  30  which is of U-shape form, so that the free end  32  of the hinge bar  24  can be snapped into the clasp  30  to hold it in the position shown.  
         [0027]     In the position shown in  FIG. 1 , the earring would normally be stored or mounted on a user&#39;s ear in which latter case the hinge bar  24  would pass through the user&#39;s earlobe.  
         [0028]      FIG. 2  shows that the earring of  FIG. 1  has six components namely the two body halves  14 A and  14 B, the mounting bracket  26 , the hinge pin  28 , the hinge bar  24  and the clasp plate  30 .  
         [0029]     The difficulties with the conventional earrings shown as mentioned herein are related to the use of a mounting bracket  26 , a hinge pin  28  and the method of connecting the hinge bar  24  to the mounting bracket  26  and pin  28 . Specifically, the hinge bar  24  is provided as shown in  FIG. 2  at one end with an aperture  0 . 134  through which the pin  28  has to pass. In manufacturing the conventional earring, the bracket  26  first of all has to be stamped from flat plate and then folded into U-configuration. The limbs of the U-configuration are provided with apertures  36  and  38  to receive the pin  28 . To assemble the bracket  26  and the hinge bar  24 , the end of the hinge bar is positioned between the limbs of the bracket  26  so that the aperture  134  aligns with apertures  36  and  38 , and then the hinge pin  28  is fed through these apertures. When in position, the ends are swaged over or riveted to fix the pin in position. These operations are normally done manually and are extremely difficult.  
         [0030]      FIG. 3   a  is a side view of a hinge bar  134  in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. A hinge pin  134 . 1  is integrated into an end of the bar  134  so that the hinge bar and hinge pin ( 24  and  28 ,  FIG. 2 ) of the prior art are combined into one piece. The other end of the bar  134  has a rounded ball  134 . 2  at its tip, making it easier to grasp and disengage the end from a mounting bracket when used.  
         [0031]     From the side, the bat  134  is curved to provide a hump  134 . 3  towards the pin  134 . 1  end. The highest point of the hump  134 . 3  is where an earring to which the bat is installed should rest on the ear lobe of a wearer.  
         [0032]      FIG. 3   b  is a top-down view of the bar  134  of  FIG. 3   a . From the top, the bar  134  is preferably straight along a longitudinal axis  35 . The pin  134 . 1  is positioned along a perpendicular axis  37  at a substantially right angle to the pin  134 . The pin  134 . 1  projects laterally along axis  37  in a substantially perpendicular direction in relation to the bar  134 . In preferred embodiments, the bar  134  and pin  134 . 1  are symmetrical about their respective axes  35  and  37 .  
         [0033]      FIG. 4   a  shows a schematic for the assembly of the bar  134  onto the mounting bracket  40 . The pin  134 . 1  is set onto the bracket  40  in the direction and position of arrow  41  by feeding one end of the pin  134 . 1  through one of the apertures in the bracket  40 , and closing the other side of the bracket over the other end of the pin, as shown in  FIG. 4   b . The installation process is described in further detail below.  
         [0034]      FIG. 5   a  shows a perspective side view of the mounting bracket  40 . The bracket  40  has two vertical wings with a retaining portion, or aperture in each. There is a right side wing  40 . 1  and a left side wing  40 . 2 . The right side wing  40 . 1  has a retaining aperture  40 . 3  into which one side of a pin is inserted and the left side wing  40 . 2  has another retaining aperture  40 . 4  for the other side of the pin.  
         [0035]      FIG. 5   b  shows a back view of the bracket  40  and the pin  134 . 1 . The pin has a right side end  344  and a left side end  342  corresponding to the right wing  40 . 1  and the left wing  40 . 2  of the bracket  40 . Before the pin  134 . 1  is installed, one of the wings should be open, or bent outwardly so that it forms an obtuse angle with the bottom surface of the bracket  40 . Either the left  40 . 2  or the right  40 . 1  wing may be open. For the purposes of illustration and to provide and example, the left wing  40 . 2  is open.  
         [0036]     The pin  134 . 1  is positioned between the right wing  40 . 1  and the left wing  40 . 2 . One side of the pin is inserted through one of the retaining apertures, as shown in  FIG. 5   c  where the right end  344  of the pin  134 . 1  is inserted into the retaining aperture  40 . 3  of the right wing  40 . 1  in the bracket  40 .  
         [0037]     Once the pin  134 . 1  is in position, with the pin end  344  fully inserted into the retaining aperture of the wing  40 . 1 , the other, open wing, the left side wing  40 . 2  in this case, is closed over the other end of the pin, or the left end  342  for this example, as shown in  FIG. 5   d . The need for flaring out the ends in the prior art is eliminated.  
         [0038]      FIG. 6  shows the finished hinge  134 , pin  37  and bracket  40  assemblies, generally indicated by reference numeral  60 . The assembly  60  may be attached as one piece in accordance with standard practice to the loop halves  14 A,  14 B and the clasp plate  30  as shown in  FIG. 7 . In this way, the manufacturing process of earrings is greatly simplified.  
         [0039]     Referring to  FIG. 8 , a top-down view of the assembled pin  134 . 1  and bracket  40  arrangements is shown. To ensure a secure fit of the pin  134 . 1  in the bracket  40  and prevent the pin  134 . 1  from coming loose, the width of the overlap  80  of the end  342 ,  344  of the pin  134 . 1  passed the outer edge of a bracket side  40 . 1 ,  40 . 2  should be greater than the width of the gap  82  between the inner edge of a bracket side  40 . 1 ,  40 . 2  and the side of the bar  134 . In use, the bar  134  will slide and shift sideways. If an edge of the bar  134 . 1  can slide far enough passed the interior of a side of the bracket, the bar  134 . 1  will fall out. Put another way, the bar  134  should be wide enough to ensure that its pin  134 . 1  will not slip out of the bracket into which it is mounted.  
         [0040]     In the preceding specification, the invention has been described with reference to specific exemplary embodiments thereof. It will however, be evident that various modifications and changes may be made thereto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the claims that follow. The specification and drawings are accordingly to be regarded in an illustrative manner rather than a restrictive sense.