Patent Publication Number: US-2006005575-A1

Title: Article of jewelry which encircles a body part without a clasp

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      An issue associated with jewelry encircling a body part (e.g. wrist, ankle, neck) has always been the means to place the jewelry on and remove it from the body part. Two means have been incorporated into jewelry to accomplish this. For rigid strung jewelry numerous forms of clasping devices have been used. In lieu of requiring a clasp, jewelry utilizing an elastic material as the inner stringing is available. The following are different designs available for jewelry encircling a body part: 
          A chain with a clasp to provide an opening and closing of the piece. There are different types of clasps to provide this same process.     There is elastic material that is covered with different decorative items such as beads and metals of different sorts that is continuous until a knot is necessary to provide a way to get the piece on and off a body part.     There are leather straps that have a chain at the end of it attaching to a clasp. This provides the way to get the piece on and off.     There are leather straps attaching to clasps to allow the item to be placed on and off the body.     There is memory wire that is coiled and simply sits around a body part. This type of piece has no clasp, however, it does not provide a closing to itself. There isn&#39;t a security this item will stay in place having no clasp.     There is elastic material that ends in a clasp. This item stretches, providing a tight fit, yet still needs a clasp to place on and off a body part.     There is a material called “tiger&#39;s tail” that is generally made of durable and flexible metal that is covered with beads and other ornaments having a clasp at the ends to provide a way to place on and off a body part.     There is nylon material used to create an illusion look to an item, yet it is ended with clasps to provide the item to be placed on and off the body.     There is rubber material used to create jewelry and is ended with clasps to place item on and off a body part.        

      Presently there is no jewelry utilizing a rigid non-elastic stringing such as a chain without some form of clasp or tying mechanism. People choose rigid jewelry such as chains because they like the look and style of it. The clasp, however, is not a desirable factor, but a necessity. Clasps are time consuming and uncomfortable. Because of the strain of constant pulling, the chain attached to it becomes weak. Further, clasps are troublesome to people with arthritis, weak eye sight, carpel tunnel and those with long nails. The usual result is that they depend on another to fasten item or end up not wearing item at all. Additionally, clasps get caught on clothing from being opened and closed so many times. They discourage the general public from wearing the item as often. Yet clasps are necessary to provide security that the piece will not be lost. It also provides a way to place the piece on and off a body part.  
      To choose an item that has continuous beads or other decorative ornaments on elastic material is an alternative to having a clasp. This provides a tighter fit which is also desirable. It is more convenient than a clasp. It is easier for those with ailments mentioned above as it simply stretches on and off a body part. The elastic material is clearly an alternative, but it does not provide the look and style of a chain which is often desired.  
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION  
      This invention is designed to enable people to select the look and style of non-elastic jewelry for encircling body parts without requiring a clasping means. It incorporates both the rigid (e.g. chain) and elastic material. The piece is not time consuming or troublesome. It is comfortable, convenient and can be worn more often as it does not get caught on articles of clothing. The item stays in place and provides a tighter fit with the security of not being lost. It allows independence for those with eye sight weakness, arthritis, carpel tunnel and long nails by providing the ability to place the item on and off by themselves. The item stretches over a body part while the chain stays intact. This provides the fashion desired along with the convenience of a clasp-free design. The elastic material is utilized to replace the need of a clasp. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  depicts a fully assembled jewelry piece for one embodiment of this invention.  
       FIG. 2  depicts an unfinished section of the elastic string portion for one embodiment of this invention.  
       FIG. 3  depicts a means for joining the rigid and elastic portions together in one embodiment of this invention.  
       FIG. 4  depicts the elastic and rigid portions of one embodiment for this invention joined together.  
       FIG. 5  depicts one embodiment of this invention with one link of a chain cut for sizing purposes.  
       FIG. 6  depicts a fully assembled jewelry piece for another embodiment of this invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THIS INVENTION  
      Referring to the drawings in particular, one embodiment of this invention comprises a piece of jewelry ( 1 ) intended to encircle a body part comprising an elastic string material ( 4 ) pulled through decorative jewelry articles ( 2 ) and joined at both ends to a chain ( 3 ) to complete a circle ( FIG. 1 ). The decorative jewelry articles ( 2 ), supported by the elastic stringing material, can be any variation of beads, gemstones, crystals and silver findings such as bali beads, bead caps, tubes ( 7 ), and pendants ( 6 ). The elastic material ( 4 ) is selected and sized such that there is no space between the decorative jewelry articles ( 2 ), except when stretched to place on or remove from the body part.  
      Referring to  FIG. 2 , the elastic stringing material ( 4 ) is pulled through the selected articles of decorative jewelry. The last piece on each end of the elastic stringing material ( 4 ) is a bead tip ( 5 ). The elastic is then knotted inside the bead tip ( 5 ) and severed to allow enclosure inside the bead tip ( 5 ) as shown in  FIG. 3 . The bead tip is then pressed firmly together to enclose the knot ( FIG. 4 ). The bead tip has an extension with a loop ( 8 ) for joining to the chain ( FIG. 4 ). The piece of jewelry can be sized for a particular individual by cutting and removing or adding links as required ( FIG. 5 ).  
      The description above and the accompanying figures are presented as examples of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is not limited by the exemplary embodiments. Other application and variations of the present invention are possible to meet a particular application. For example, other non-elastic materials besides a chain can be used and almost any appropriately rigid decorative jewelry article can be threaded onto the elastic stringing material.  
      The above is a detailed description of particular embodiments of the invention. It is recognized that departures from the disclosed embodiments may be made within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. Those of skill in the art should, in light of the present disclosure, appreciate that any changes can be made in the specific embodiments which are disclosed herein and still obtain a like or similar result without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. All of the embodiments disclosed and claimed herein can be made and executed without undue experimentation in light of the present disclosure.