Abstract:
An adjustable jewelry assembly includes a jewelry chain or other flexible member slidably mounted to a clasp for adjusting a hanging length or opening size of the flexible member. The clasp is formed from a single piece of thin sheet material and includes a pair of walls connected together by a biasing portion. Superimposed tabs with openings extend from the walls in opposite directions. The flexible member is normally held against movement in the clasp by opposing biasing forces exerted by the edges of the openings from the biasing portion. When the walls are pressed toward each other, the flexible member may be slid through the clasp until the desired hanging length or opening size is achieved, then released to clamp the clasp and flexible member against relative movement.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     This invention relates generally to jewelry, and more particularly to a jewelry assembly having an adjustable clasp and a length of jewelry chain, such as a necklace, bracelet, anklet, and so on, adjustably held by the clasp for adapting the hanging length or opening size of jewelry around a person to a desired amount to thereby accommodate the person&#39;s body size, clothing type, and fashion preferences.  
         [0002]     For many years, people have worn necklaces at 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.  
         [0003]     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.  
         [0004]     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, 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.  
         [0005]     Due to the wide variety of body shapes and sizes, a necklace chain of a given length will hang differently from person to person. For example, an eighteen-inch necklace chain 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. In some cases, such persons have been unable to wear necklaces and other jewelry at appropriate fashionable lengths.  
         [0006]     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. Likewise, a pendant which hangs at a fashionable length when worn over light clothing may not hang at the same fashionable length when worn over relatively bulky clothing.  
         [0007]     Many necklace chains include a fixed clasp for connecting and separating opposite ends of the chain for mounting and dismounting the chain around a person&#39;s neck. Such clasps are relatively small in size and thus are relatively difficult to manipulate.  
         [0008]     In an effort to overcome the afore-mentioned difficulties, U.S. Pat. No. 6,484,535 to Grosser-Samuels, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference, discloses an adjustable jewelry assembly having a length of chain and various clamping mechanisms for adjusting the hanging length of the chain and/or pendant mounted on the chain to accommodate the particular user&#39;s clothing style and size in a relatively quick and easy manner. Although the Grosser-Samuels adjustable jewelry assembly has found much success and enthusiasm in the jewelry industry, the clamping mechanism requires multiple small parts, such as a plunger, biasing member and cap which are most often constructed of precious metals. The parts must be separately cast, formed and assembled together using skilled labor, resulting in additional expense to the adjustable jewelry assembly.  
         [0009]     Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an adjustable jewelry assembly for adjusting the hanging length or jewelry, such as necklaces and/or pendants, or to adjust the opening size of necklaces, bracelets, anklets, etc., to accommodate the particular size and clothing style of the wearer in a relatively quick and easy manner while reducing the manufacturing costs associated with the adjustable jewelry assembly.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0010]     The present invention provides an adjustable clasp for precisely adjusting the length of jewelry, such as necklaces, to easily and conveniently accommodate the particular size, clothing type, and fashion preferences 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.  
         [0011]     An adjustable jewelry assembly according to one aspect of the present invention comprises an adjustable clasp and an elongate flexible member releasably secured to the clasp. The elongate flexible member forms a loop portion with the clasp and is slidable in the clasp to adjust the size of the loop portion. The clasp includes a first wall, a second wall and a biasing portion that extends between the first and second walls. The biasing portion exerts a biasing force that tends to push the first and second walls apart. A first tab extends from the first wall in a first direction and a second tab extends from the second wall in a second direction opposite the first direction. At least one first opening extends through the first tab and at least one second opening extending through the second tab.  
         [0012]     An elongate flexible member is also provided with first and second legs and a loop portion that extends between the legs. The first and second legs extend through the first and second openings, which are normally misaligned under biasing force from the biasing portion to thereby create opposing forces on the flexible member and prevent relative movement between the clasp and the first and second legs of the flexible member. The adjustable clasp can slide along the first and second legs to adjust the size of the loop portion of the flexible member when the first and second tabs are moved relative to each other against the biasing force to thereby align the first and second openings.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]     The foregoing summary as well as the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention will be best understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like designations denote like elements throughout the drawings, and wherein:  
         [0014]      FIGS. 1A and 1B  are front and rear views, respectively, showing a clasp, pendant and necklace of an adjustable jewelry assembly according to the present invention placed around the neck of a wearer and adjusted to a relatively short length;  
         [0015]      FIGS. 1C and 1D  are front and rear views, respectively, showing the adjustable jewelry assembly according to the present invention around the neck of a wearer and adjusted to a relatively long length;  
         [0016]      FIG. 1E  is an enlarged view of a clasp in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention;  
         [0017]      FIG. 2  is an enlarged perspective view of the adjustable jewelry assembly according to the present invention;  
         [0018]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a clasp in a clamping position according to the present invention that forms part of the adjustable jewelry assembly of  FIG. 2 .  
         [0019]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the clasp in a closed position;  
         [0020]      FIG. 5  is a longitudinal sectional view of the clasp in an open position;  
         [0021]      FIG. 6  is a longitudinal sectional view of the clasp in the closed position showing longitudinal adjustment of a jewelry chain of the jewelry assembly of  FIG. 2 ;  
         [0022]      FIG. 7  is a longitudinal sectional view of the clasp in the clamped position to hold the jewelry chain in place;  
         [0023]      FIG. 8  is a top plan view of a clasp blank subsequent prior to bending;  
         [0024]      FIG. 9  is a top plan view of a clasp blank according to a further embodiment of the invention;  
         [0025]      FIG. 10  is a top plan view of a clasp blank according to an even further embodiment of the invention;  
         [0026]      FIG. 11  is a perspective view of a jewelry assembly that employs the clasp blank of  FIG. 10 ;  
         [0027]      FIG. 12  is a top plan view of a clasp blank according yet a further embodiment of the invention;  
         [0028]      FIG. 13  is a top plan view of plan view of a clasp blank according to another embodiment of the invention;  
         [0029]      FIG. 14  is a perspective view of a jewelry assembly that employs the clasp blank of  FIG. 13 ;  
         [0030]      FIG. 15  is a top plan view of a clasp blank according to yet a further embodiment of the invention;  
         [0031]      FIG. 16  is a top plan view of a clasp blank according to a further embodiment of the invention;  
         [0032]      FIG. 17  is an enlarged, longitudinal sectional view of a jewelry assembly employing the clasp blank of  FIG. 16  with the clasp in the clamped position to hold the jewelry chain in place; and  
         [0033]      FIG. 18  is a longitudinal sectional view of the clasp of  FIG. 17  in the open position. 
     
    
       [0034]     It is noted that the drawings are intended to depict typical or exemplary embodiments of the invention and therefore should not be considered as limiting the scope thereof. It is further noted that the drawings are not necessarily to scale. The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0035]     Referring to the drawings, and to and to  FIGS. 1A-1D  and  2  in particular, an adjustable jewelry assembly  10  comprises an elongate, flexible jewelry member  12  and an adjustable jewelry clasp  14 . The flexible member  12  can be formed of any suitable material, such as metal, fabric, string, plastic or silicone, and is preferably formed as a jewelry chain of base metal such as stainless steel, nickel, aluminum and so on, and more preferably as semi-precious or precious metal such as such as gold, silver, platinum, various alloys thereof and so on, using methods that are well known in the art.  
         [0036]     As shown, the flexible member  12  includes a loop portion  16  extending from one side of the clasp  14 , and a pair of legs  18  and  20  extending from the opposite side of the clasp. The loop portion  16  can extend around the neck  22  of a wearer  24  with the clasp  14  located behind the neck and the legs  18  and  20  extending generally downward from the clasp. The leg  18  terminates in a first free end to which a first end stop  26  is attached by means well known in the art, such as soldering when the components are constructed of metal. The leg  20  terminates in a second free end to which a second end stop  28  is attached by similar means. The first and second end stops  26  and  28  can be fashioned in a wide variety of decorative and ornamental shapes and can also comprise precious stones, such as one or more diamonds, rubies, sapphires and so on. Alternatively, the flexible member  12  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, the first end stop  26  and second end stop  28  would not be present.  
         [0037]     A decorative ornament or pendant  30 , which can comprise a setting with one or more precious stones, such as a diamond  32  as shown, rubies, sapphires and so on, can be mounted on the loop portion  16  of the flexible member  12 . The pendant  30  is preferably mounted on the flexible member  12  according to means well known in the art so that the pendant  30  can freely slide along the length of the loop portion  16 . Alternatively, the pendant  30  can be fixedly connected to the loop portion  16  in a well-known manner.  
         [0038]     Manipulation of the clasp  14 , as will be described in greater detail below, permits the legs  18  and  20  and thus the loop portion  16  to be adjusted to a desired length on the wearer. For example, when the clasp  14  is adjusted so that the loop portion  16  is of a relatively short length, the pendant  30 , if utilized, hangs relatively higher on the front of the wearer&#39;s neck, with the legs  18  and  20  being of a relatively long length, as shown in  FIGS. 1A and 1B . When the clasp  14  is adjusted so that the loop portion  16  is of a relatively long length, the pendant  30 , if utilized, hangs relatively lower on the wearer&#39;s neck or chest, with the legs  18  and  20  being of a relatively short length, as shown in  FIGS. 1C and 1D . Likewise, although not shown, it will be understood that when the clasp  14  is adjusted so that the loop portion  16  is at an intermediate length between the long and short lengths, the pendant  30 , would hang at the intermediate length with the legs  18  and  20  also being of intermediate length.  
         [0039]     Since the clasp  14  can be positioned at any desired location relative to the first and second legs  18  and  20 , the loop portion  16  of the flexible member  12  can be adjusted to any desired size and thereby accommodate any desired length, regardless of the wearer&#39;s relative size, clothing styles, and fashion preferences.  
         [0040]     With reference now to  FIGS. 2 through 7 , the adjustable clasp  14  is preferably constructed of a single, thin strip of material and includes a first wall  36  and a first tab  38  extending in a first direction from the first wall  36 . The clasp  14  also has a second wall  40  and a second tab  42  extending in a second direction opposite the first direction from the second wall  40 , with the first tab in front of the second tab. However, it will be understood that the clasp  14  can be constructed with the second tab in front of the first tab. Preferably, the first and second walls are of a generally circular planar shape. A biasing portion  44  extends between the first and second walls  36  and  40 , respectively. Although the biasing portion  44  is shown with a curved shape, it will be understood that the biasing portion  44  may be straight, V-shaped, inversely curved-shaped, and so on. A pair of first openings  46  and  48  extend through the first tab  38  and a pair of second openings  50  and  52  extend through the second tab  42 . Likewise, a pair of third openings  54  and  56  extend through the biasing portion  44 . Preferably, each of the pairs of first, second and third openings are oriented in a lateral direction on the strip  34 .  
         [0041]     Referring now to  FIG. 8 , a blank  34  of a clasp  14  can be stamped and formed out of a thin sheet of material in a continuous operation with well known stamping and forming equipment. Preferably, the first and second walls  36 ,  40 , the first and second tabs  38 ,  42 , the shape of the biasing portion  44  and the openings  46 - 56  are simultaneously formed. The tabs  38  and  42  are preferably bent along bend lines  58  and  60  during the same operation. Likewise, the area of the biasing portion  44  between dashed lines  62  and  64  may be shaped during the same operation but preferably after the tabs are bent. In this manner, a large number of clasps can be automatically formed by machine in a much quicker and efficient manner than the multiple part clasps of the prior art that require separate casting and assembly steps. It will be understood, of course, that the stamping and bending operations may be accomplished through separate operations.  
         [0042]     It will also be understood that the clasp  14  can be formed partially or completely by hand. By way of example, the blank  34  may be cut manually by hand or machine, and the bending may be performed by hand. In accordance with a further embodiment of the invention, the clasp  14  may alternatively be formed by well known casting techniques in either its completed shape as shown in  FIG. 3  or in its flat shape as shown in  FIG. 8 .  
         [0043]     With reference now to  FIG. 1E , in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention, the clasp  14  may include a setting  53  for mounting a precious stone  55  such as a diamond or the like. The setting  53  may be simultaneously formed on one of the walls  36 ,  40  when the clasp  14  is cast, or may be formed separately and attached to one of the walls through laser welding or the like when the clasp is separately stamped and bent. The setting  53  is arranged so that the precious stone  55  is viewable when the adjustable jewelry assembly  10  is worn. It will be understood that the clasp  14  may include other settings, stones or ornamental features.  
         [0044]     Referring to  FIG. 5 , a cross section of the completed clasp  14  is shown in an unstrained or free condition with the first wall  36  and second wall  40  extending at an acute angle A. The angle A, and thus the amount of bending of the biasing portion  44 , depends on the desired biasing force to be applied against the flexible member as well as the elasticity of the clasp material and the relative size and shape of the flexible member  12  ( FIG. 2 ). The biasing portion  44  thus acts as a torsional biasing member to pull the tabs  38  and  42  away from each other.  
         [0045]     As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 6 , the legs  18  and  20  of the flexible member  12  extend through the set of first openings  34 ,  36  and the set of second openings  38 ,  40 , respectively, of the clasp  14  with the first and second tabs in an overlapping position. Relative movement between the clasp  14  and the first leg  18  and second leg  20  is normally prevented by opposing shear forces acting on the first and second legs by the edges of the first openings  46 ,  48  and second openings  50 ,  52  due to the torsional biasing force created by the biasing portion  44 . In particular, the biasing portion  44  tends to force the first tab  38  away from the second tab  42  of the clasp  14 , and thereby creates a misalignment between the first openings  46 ,  48  and second openings  50 ,  52 . This misalignment produces a shear force on the first leg  18  at the openings  46  and  50  and a shear force on the second leg  30  at the openings  48  and  52 . The opposing shear forces applied to the first and second legs  18  and  20  keep them firmly secured within their respective openings when the clasp is in its normal, prestressed or biased position ( FIGS. 2, 3  and  7 ). As shown in  FIG. 7 , the angle B between the first wall  36  and second wall  40  at the clamped position is less than the angle A ( FIG. 5 ) at the unbiased position.  
         [0046]     Referring to  FIGS. 4 and 6 , when it is desired to adjust the size of the loop portion  16 , opposing forces are applied to the first and second walls  36 ,  40  of the clasp  14  sufficient to overcome the biasing force of the biasing portion  44  as represented by arrows  66  and  68  until the openings  46 ,  48  of the first tab  38  are aligned with the openings  50 ,  52  of the second tab  42 . The opposing forces may be applied by the thumb and forefinger of a user. In this position, the first and second walls  36 ,  40  are generally parallel and the clasp  14  is free to slide along the length of the legs  18  and  20  of the flexible member  12  to thereby adjust the length of the loop portion, and thus the position of a pendant that may be installed on the loop portion with respect to a wearer. The clasp  14  can then return to its normal, clamping condition as shown in  FIG. 2  by simply removing the external compressive forces applied to the first wall  36  and second wall  40  to thereby clamp the legs  18  and  20  against movement with respect to the clasp  14 . The openings  54  and  56  ensure that the legs  18 ,  20  do not move laterally out of the clasp  14  during movement, such as when the clasp is adjusted or worn. It will be understood that the openings  54  and  56  may be eliminated.  
         [0047]     In order to assemble the adjustable jewelry assembly  10 , a pendant  30  ( FIGS. 1A &amp; 1C ), if desired, is first mounted to the flexible member  20 , preferably by sliding or stringing one of the legs  18 ,  20  through an aperture or other mounting means (not shown) of the pendant. The first and second walls  36 ,  40  of the clasp  14  are then pressed toward each other until the openings  46 ,  48  of the first tab  38  are aligned with the openings  50 ,  52  of the second tab  42  as previously described. The leg  18  is then threaded through the aligned openings  46 ,  50  and the opening  54  of the biasing portion  44 . Likewise, the leg  20  is threaded through the aligned openings  48 ,  52  and the opening  56  of the biasing portion, with the pendant, if used, positioned on the loop portion  16 . Once a suitable length of the legs has been attained, the first and second walls are released to secure the flexible member  12  against movement with respect to the clasp  14 . The first end stop  26  can then be attached to the free end of the first leg  18  and the second end stop  28  can be attached to the free end of the second leg  20 , using suitable attachment means, such as soldering. The first and second end stops  26 ,  28  are preferably larger in cross dimension than the diameter or cross dimension of the openings  46 - 56  to thereby prevent disassembly of the adjustable jewelry assembly  10 .  
         [0048]     The material of the clasp  14  is preferably compatible with the material of the flexible member  12 , pendant, and end stops. By way of example, when the flexible member is in the form of a jewelry chain constructed of 18 karat yellow gold, the strip  34  may also be constructed of 18 karat yellow gold, albeit a different alloy due to the spring requirements of the clasp. Likewise, the pendant and end stops may also be constructed of 18 karat yellow gold. When the jewelry chain  12  is constructed of precious or semi-precious metals, it is especially important to construct the clasp  14  so that, on the one hand the clamping force does not deform or kink the chain, yet on the other hand the clamping force is sufficient to clamp the jewelry chain against movement.  
         [0049]     As shown in  FIG. 4 , the clasp  14  is preferably relatively small in size with a width W of approximately 3 mm, a length L of approximately 5 mm, and a height H of approximately 2.5 mm. The openings are preferably sized to receive a chain with a cross dimension or diameter of about 0.6 mm. It has been found that a clasp constructed with these general dimensions yields what appears to be a small, delicately shaped ornamental clasp that complements the jewelry chain and any pendant that may be used, but unobtrusively and advantageously holds the loop portion  16  and pendant  30  to the desired position around a wearer&#39;s neck. It will be understood that the above dimensions, materials, shapes, and so on are given by way of example only and can vary over a wide range of values, materials and shapes.  
         [0050]     Referring now to  FIG. 9 , a blank  70  of a jewelry clasp  14 A in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention is illustrated. The jewelry clasp  14 A is similar in construction to the clasp  14  previously described, with the exception that a single slotted opening  72  replaces the separate first openings  46 ,  48 , a single slotted opening  74  replaces the separate second openings  50 ,  52 , and a single slotted opening  76  replaces the separate third openings  54 ,  56 . The slotted openings  72 ,  74  and  76  of the  FIG. 9  embodiment result in less frictional force during assembly and adjustment of the jewelry clasp  14 A with respect to the flexible member  12 .  
         [0051]     Referring now to  FIGS. 10 and 11 , a jewelry clasp  14 B in accordance with yet a further embodiment of the invention is illustrated. The jewelry clasp  14 B is preferably formed from a blank  80  that is similar in construction to the clasp  14  previously described, with the exception that the generally circular first wall  36  and second wall  40  are replaced with a generally rectangular first wall  82  and second wall  84 , respectively. Accordingly, it will be understood that the first and second walls may be of any convenient functional, decorative and/or ornamental shape.  
         [0052]     Referring to  FIG. 12 , a blank  90  of a jewelry clasp  14 C in accordance with another embodiment of the invention is illustrated. The jewelry clasp  14 C is similar in construction to the clasp  14 B previously described, with the exception that the first openings  46 ,  48 , the second openings  50 ,  52  and the third openings  54 ,  56  extend in a longitudinal direction of the blank  90 . In order to accommodate the change in orientation of the openings, the tabs  38 ,  42  and biasing portion  44  may be elongated. It will be understood that the pairs of openings can be replaced with longitudinal slotted openings as in the  FIG. 9  embodiment.  
         [0053]     With reference to  FIGS. 13 and 14 , a jewelry clasp  14 D in accordance with yet a further embodiment of the invention is illustrated. The jewelry clasp  14 D is preferably formed from a blank  90  that is similar in construction to the blank  80  ( FIG. 10 ) previously described, with the exception that opposing side walls  92  and  94  extend from the first wall  82 . The side walls are bent along fold lines  96  and, as shown in  FIG. 14 , serve to cover the portion of the legs  18 ,  20  that extend through the clasp  14 D for a more aesthetic appearance than the previous embodiments.  
         [0054]     Referring now to  FIG. 15 , a blank  100  of a jewelry clasp  14 E in accordance with a further invention is shown. The blank  100  is similar in construction to the blank  90  previously described with the exception that the side wall  94  extends from the second wall  84 . Accordingly, it will be understood that the side walls  92  and  94  may be arranged in any combination on one or both walls  82 ,  84 .  
         [0055]     Referring now to  FIGS. 16-18 , a jewelry clasp  14 F in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention is illustrated. The jewelry clasp  14 F is preferably formed from a blank  110  that includes a generally rectangular first wall  112 , a second wall  114 , and a biasing portion  116  extending between the first and second walls. A first tab  118  is formed in the first wall  112  and is bent along bend line  120  so that the tab  118  extends toward the second wall  114 . A slotted opening  122  is formed in the tab  118  for receiving the flexible member  12 , as previously described. Likewise, a second tab  124  is formed in the second wall  114  and is bent along bend line  126  so that the tab  124  extends toward the first wall  112  adjacent the first tab  118 .  4 . A slotted opening  128  is formed in the second tab  124  for receiving the flexible member  12 . A slotted opening  130  is also formed in the biasing portion  116 .  
         [0056]     As shown in  FIG. 18 , since the tabs  118  and  124  are closer to the biasing portion  116  than the previous embodiments, the shear force acting on the flexible member  12  will be lower. Accordingly, the angle C between the first and second walls  112 ,  114  may be larger than the angle A ( FIG. 5 ) of the previous embodiments to create similar shear forces on the flexible member at the slotted openings  122  and  128 . Alternatively, the material may be selected with lower elasticity or higher resistance to deformation. As can be appreciated from this embodiment, the tabs  118  and  124  may be formed at any longitudinal position along their respective walls  112  and  114 .  
         [0057]     While the invention has been taught with specific reference to the above-described embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that changes can be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention. By way of example, it should be sufficiently demonstrated by the above exemplary embodiments that the adjustable clasp may be formed of any desired shape. Moreover, although both legs of the flexible member are shown and described as being slidable with respect to the adjustable clasp embodiments, one of the legs may be fixed with respect to the clasp, such that the loop portion is adjusted by sliding the other leg with respect to the clasp. Thus, the described embodiments are to be considered in all respects illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.