Abstract:
Methods and apparatus for precisely adjusting an article of jewelry to quickly and conveniently accommodate the particular fashions desires, size and clothing of the wearer. According to the invention, a flexible member, such as a necklace chain, is looped upon itself to form a loop portion, a first leg and a second leg. A slidable clamping device is mounted on the first and second legs of the flexible member. The slidable clamping device is adapted, in response to the application of an external compressive force, to slide freely along the lengths of the first and second legs of the flexible member, thereby precisely adjusting the size of the loop portion. When the external compressive force is released, the slidable clamping device securely prevents relative movement between the slidable clamping device, the first leg and the second leg of the flexible member.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention r elates to jewel ry, and more particularly to methods and apparatus for precisely adjusting the length of jewelry, such as necklaces, to easily accommodate the fashion desires, size, and clothing of the wearer. 
     BACKGROUND 
     For many years, people have worn necklaces at various different lengths depending upon the prevailing fashion at the time. During some years the common length has been a short choker length of approximately fifteen inches. During other years the common length has been eighteen inches or longer. The trends in length have come and gone repeatedly over the decades. 
     Necklaces commonly comprise a fixed length of flexible chain made from one or more precious metals, such as gold, silver and platinum, and these chains are available in a wide variety of designs. The flexible chains are also commonly adorned with a wide variety of pendants, which generally comprise one or more precious stones, such as diamonds, rubies and sapphires, mounted in settings of precious metal. Purchasers of fine jewelry currently select a pendant of a desirable style and size and have it mounted on a flexible chain having a fixed length, which is usually fifteen, eighteen, twenty-four, or thirty inches. If the popular fashion changes, for example, the pendant can in many cases later be mounted on a chain of a different length, but this generally requires the purchase of a new chain and also often requires the services of a professional jeweler to remove the pendant from the old chain and mount it on the new chain. Thus, mounting a pendant on a new chain can be inconvenient, time consuming and expensive. 
     In fine jewelry the most common commercially-available necklace length during the last twenty years has been approximately eighteen inches, which generally allows the looped end to hang about two to three inches below an average-sized person&#39;s collar bone. A twenty-four-inch necklace has also been fashionable from time to time, which length generally allows the looped end to hang about three inches lower than the eighteen-inch chain. A thirty-inch necklace has been another common length, but this has generally been the longest commercially-available necklace length. 
     People, of course, come in a wide variety of body shapes and sizes, and a necklace chain of a given length will therefore hang quite differently on different people. An eighteen-inch necklace chain, for example, which hangs at a fashionable length on an average-sized person, would not hang at the same fashionable length on a relatively larger or relatively smaller person. Particularly large people and particularly small people, including children, have therefore, in some cases, been unable to wear necklaces and other jewelry at appropriate fashionable lengths. 
     Moreover, the style and type of a person&#39;s clothing can interfere with the appearance of a necklace and affect the way the necklace hangs. For example, a pendant which hangs at approximately the same length as the neckline of the person&#39;s clothing can often be hidden from view by the clothing. A necklace chain that hangs at a fashionable length when worn over light clothing may not hang at the same fashionable length when worn over relatively bulky clothing. 
     It is therefore desirable to provide methods and apparatus which allow the length of jewelry, such as necklaces, to be precisely adjusted to quickly and conveniently accommodate the particular fashion desires, size and clothing of the wearer. Such methods and apparatus would permit the wearer to precisely adjust the length of the necklace chain so that the pendant or other ornament hangs at the most fashionable, appropriate and flattering position, regardless of the person&#39;s particular size and clothing. It is also desirable to provide methods and apparatus which allow the person to adapt a necklace to accommodate a variety of different fashionable lengths without requiring the person to purchase a new chain of a different length and have the pendent mounted on the new chain. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides methods and apparatus for precisely adjusting the length of jewelry, such as necklaces, to easily and conveniently accommodate the particular fashion desires, size and clothing of the wearer. Since the present invention allows the necklace to be precisely adjusted to any desired length, the necklace can be custom fit to match the prevailing fashion at the time, regardless of the particular size and clothing of the wearer. Those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention is not limited to necklaces, but can also be readily applied to jewelry commonly worn elsewhere, such as around the waist, wrist and ankle. 
     The apparatus according to the present invention comprises a flexible member, such as a chain, which is looped upon itself to form a loop portion, a first leg terminating in a first free end and a second leg terminating in a second free end. Alternatively, the flexible member can be formed of a single, continuous length of material, which itself forms a loop and thus has no free ends. The flexible member can be a chain formed of a precious metal, such as gold, silver and platinum, or can be a length of some other flexible material, such as fabric, string, plastic or silicone. 
     A slidable clamping device is mounted on the flexible member so that the first leg and the second leg of the flexible member project through the slidable clamping device. The slidable clamping device, when positioned on the flexible member, securely prevents relative movement between the clamping device, the first leg and the second leg of the flexible member. The slidable clamping device, however, can be adapted to slide freely along the lengths of the first leg and the second leg of the flexible member, thereby increasing and decreasing the size of the loop portion of the flexible member. The slidable clamping device can be easily moved to any desired position along the lengths of the first and second legs of the flexible member, and, thus, the size of the loop portion of the flexible member can be precisely adjusted. Once positioned so that the desired size of the loop portion has been obtained, the slidable clamping device can be adapted to once again securely prevent relative movement between the slidable clamping device, the first leg and the second leg of the flexible member. When the necklace is worn, the slidable clamping device is generally positioned at the back of the person&#39;s neck with the loop portion of the flexible member extending around the person&#39;s neck and hanging down the chest, depending upon the size of the loop portion. 
     The invention also preferably comprises one or more ornaments, such as pendants, mounted on the flexible member, but this is not a necessary aspect of the invention. First and second end stops also can be attached to the first and second free ends, respectively, of the flexible member. The first and second end stops are preferably sized so that they are too large to pass through the slidable clamping device. Thus, the first and second end stops can provide added security to prevent the slidable clamping device from inadvertently sliding completely off either the first leg, the second leg or both. If one or more ornaments are mounted on the flexible member, the first and second end stops will also provide added security to prevent an ornament from inadvertently sliding completely off either the first leg or the second leg of the flexible member and becoming lost. 
     The method according to the present invention is a method for precisely adjusting the length of jewelry, such as a necklace, to easily and conveniently accommodate the particular fashion desires, size and clothing of the wearer. The method comprises the steps of providing a flexible member; looping the flexible member upon itself to form a loop portion, a first leg and a second leg; positioning a slidable clamping device on the flexible member so that the first leg and the second leg of the flexible member project through the slidable clamping device, adapting the slidable clamping device so that it slides freely along the lengths of the first leg and the second leg of the flexible member and thereby increases and decreases the size of the loop portion of the flexible member so that it hangs at the desired length. The method can also comprise the step of mounting a pendent of a desired style and design on the loop portion of the flexible member, but this is not a necessary aspect of the invention. The method can further comprise the step of positioning the slidable clamping device so that it hangs at the back of the neck of the wearer. 
     Those skilled in the art will further appreciate the features and advantages of the present invention, together with other aspects thereof, upon reading the detailed description of preferred embodiments, which follows, in conjunction with the drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIGS. 1A and 1B are front and rear views, respectively, showing an article of adjustable jewelry according to the present invention in place around the neck of a wearer, in which the article of adjustable jewelry is depicted as adjusted to a short length; 
     FIGS. 1C and 1D are front and rear views similar to FIGS. 1A and 1B, respectively, in which the article of jewelry is depicted as adjusted to a medium length; 
     FIGS. 1E and 1F are front and rear views similar to FIGS. 1A and 1B, respectively, in which the article of jewelry is depicted as adjusted to a long length; 
     FIG. 2A is a perspective view of an article of adjustable jewelry according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 2B is an exploded perspective view of a slidable clamping device according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 2C is a sectional perspective view of the assembled slidable clamping device of FIG. 2A; 
     FIG. 3 is a detailed view of a preferred embodiment of a slidable clamping device according to the present invention; and 
     FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view through the lines  4 — 4  of FIG. 3 showing a detailed sectional view of a preferred embodiment of a slidable clamping device according to present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIGS. 1A through 1F show a combination of front and rear views of an article of adjustable jewelry  10  according to the present invention. The article of adjustable jewelry  10  comprises a flexible member  20  and a slidable clamping device  100 . Flexible member  20  can be formed of any suitable flexible material, such as metal, fabric, string, plastic or silicone. Flexible member  20  is preferably formed of a precious metal, such as gold, silver and platinum, using methods that are well known in the art. Loop portion  21  of flexible member  20  can extend around the neck of the wearer. First leg  22  and second leg  23  of flexible member  20  can extend down the back of the wearer&#39;s neck. First leg  21  terminates in a first free end to which first end stop  24  is attached by methods well known in the art, such as soldering. Second leg  23  terminates in a second free end to which second end stop  25  is attached by similar methods. First and second end stops  24  and  25  can be fashioned in a wide variety of decorative and ornamental shapes and can also comprise precious stones, such as diamonds, rubies and sapphires. Alternatively, flexible member  20  can be a single continuous length of material which itself forms a loop and which therefore would not have a first free end or a second free end. Thus, in this alternative embodiment, first end stop  24  and second end stop  25  also would not be present. 
     Ornament  30 , which can be a pendant comprising one or more precious stones, such as diamonds, rubies, sapphires and others, can be mounted on loop portion  21  of flexible member  20 . Ornament  30  is preferably mounted on flexible member  20  according to methods well known in the art so that ornament  30  can freely slide along the length of loop portion  21  of flexible member  20 . 
     As depicted in FIGS. 1A through 1F, slidable clamping device  100  can be adapted to slide freely along the length of first leg  22  and second leg  23  so that loop portion  21  of flexible member  20  can be precisely adjusted to any desired size. When slidable clamping device  100  is adjusted so that loop portion  21  is relatively small, ornament  30 , if utilized, hangs relatively higher on the front of wearer&#39;s neck, and first and second legs  22  and  23  extend relatively farther down the wearer&#39;s back. When slidable clamping device  100  is adjusted so that loop portion  21  is relatively large, ornament  30 , if utilized, hangs relatively lower on the wearer&#39;s neck or chest, and first and second legs  22  and  23  do not extend as far down the wearer&#39;s back. It will be appreciated that, since slidable clamping device  100  can be positioned at any desired location along first and second legs  22  and  23 , loop portion  21  of flexible member  20  can be adjusted to any desired size and thereby accommodate any desired fashionable length, regardless of the wearer&#39;s relative size and clothing. 
     FIG. 2A is a perspective view of the article of adjustable jewelry  10  according to the invention. First and second legs  22  and  23  of flexible member  20  extend through first passage  102  and second passage  103 , respectively, of slidable clamping device  100 . FIG. 3 is a more detailed view of slidable clamping device  100 . 
     The construction of slidable clamping device  100  is best shown in the exploded view of FIG. 2B, the sectional view of FIG.  2 C and the detailed cross-sectional view of FIG.  4 . Slidable clamping device  100  comprises an insert  110  having a first end  112  and a second end  113 , first cap  120 , second cap  130 , first biasing member  140  and second biasing member  150 . First cap  120  has aperture  102   a  and a corresponding aperture  102   c  (shown in FIG.  4 ). Apertures  102   a  and  102   c  of first cap  120  are sized to receive first leg  22  of flexible member  20 . Second cap  103  has aperture  103   a  and corresponding aperture  103   c  (shown in FIG.  4 ), which are sized to receive second leg  23  of flexible member  20 . Insert  110  preferably has a first bore  102   b  and a second bore  103   b , which are sized to receive first leg  22  and second leg  24 , respectively, of flexible member  20 . The interior of first cap  120  is dimensioned to slidably receive a first end  112  of insert  110 , and the interior of second cap  130  is dimensioned to slidably receive second end  113  of insert  110 . First biasing member  140  is dimensioned to be received within the interior of first cap  120 , and second biasing member  150  is dimensioned to be received within the interior of second cap  130 . 
     To assemble clamping device  100 , first biasing member  140  is placed within the interior of first cap  120 , and first cap  120  is then, in turn, placed over the first end  112  of insert  110 , thereby compressing first biasing member  140  so that aperture  102   a  and corresponding aperture  102   c  of first cap  120  align with first bore  102   b  of insert  110 . First leg  22  of flexible member  20 , without first end stop  24  attached, is then passed through passage  102  formed by the alignment of aperture  102   a , first bore  102   b  and corresponding aperture  102   c . Ornament  30 , if desired, is then mounted to flexible member  20 . Second biasing member  150  is then placed within the interior of second cap  130 , and second cap  130  is, in turn, placed over the second end  113  of insert  110 , thereby compressing second biasing member  150  so that aperture  103   a  and corresponding aperture  103   c  of second cap  130  align with second bore  103   b  of insert  110 . Second leg  23  of flexible member  20 , without second end stop  25  attached, is then passed through passage  103  formed by the alignment of aperture  103   a , second bore  103   b  and corresponding aperture  103   c . First end stop  24  can then be attached to the first free end of first leg  22  and second end stop  25  can then be attached to the second free end of second leg  23 , respectively, using a conventional attachment method, such as soldering. First and second end stops  24  and  25  are sized so that they are larger than the diameter of passages  102  and  103 , and, therefor, first and second end stops  24  and  25  cannot pass through passages  102  and  103 . 
     In its normal, resting condition, slidable clamping device  100  securely prevents relative movement between slidable clamping device  110 , first leg  22  and second leg  23 . Relative movement is prevented by shear forces applied to first and second legs  22  and  23  by first and second biasing members  140  and  150 , respectively. First biasing member  140  tends to force first cap  120  away from the first end  112  of insert  110 , and thereby creates a misalignment between aperture  102   a  and first bore  102   b  as well as misalignment between first bore  102   b  and corresponding aperture  102   c . This misalignment produces a shear force on first leg  22  at aperture  102   b  and corresponding aperture  102   c . Second biasing member  150  applies another shear force to second leg  23  by creating a misalignment between aperture  103   a  and second bore  103   b  as well as a misalignment between second bore  103   b  and corresponding aperture  103   c . The shear forces applied to first and second legs  22  and  23  keep them firmly secured within passages  102  and  103  and prevent relative movement. While coil springs are preferable for first and second biasing members  140  and  150 , a wide variety of other biasing members can be utilized, including compressible materials, such as rubber, as long as the biasing members exert sufficient force to prevent relative movement between sildable clamping device  100 , first leg  22  and second leg  23 . 
     Slidable clamping device  100  can easily be adapted to slide freely along the lengths of first and second legs  22  and  23  by depressing first and second caps  120  and  130 , as shown best in FIGS. 2A-2C, to compress first and second biasing members  140  and  150 . This external compressive force reduces the misalignment between aperture  102   a , corresponding aperture  102   c  and first bore  102   b  and reduces the misalignment between aperture  103   a , corresponding aperture  103   c  and second bore  103   b , which, in turn, reduces the shear forces applied to first and second legs  22  and  23 . With the shear forces reduced, slidable clamping device  100  can be freely slid along the lengths of first and second legs  22  and  23  to adjust the size of loop portion  21  of flexible member  20 . Slidable clamping device  100  can then be adapted to once again prevent relative movement between slidable clamping device  100  and first and second legs  22  and  23  by simply removing the external compressive force applied to first cap  120  and second cap  130 . 
     It will be understood by those skilled in the art that, while an insert  110  having two passages  102  and  103  is preferable, insert  110  can, alternatively, have a single passage, with first leg  22  and second leg  23  both extending through the single passage. In this alternative embodiment of the invention, it would only be necessary to utilize a single cap, such as first cap  120 , and a single biasing member, such as first biasing member  140 . It will also be recognized that slidable clamping device  100  can be partially enclosed within a decorative housing, and that the housing can comprise precious stones and other ornamental features. 
     Thus, while certain preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated from this description that many changes and modifications can be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.