Abstract:
Energized body jewelry including alternative embodiments designed to be worn by persons who have piercings in their bodies, as well as for those who do not have piercings. In one embodiment, the jewelry may be worn by a person with a piercing by attaching the jewelry with a barbell style piercing including a drilled retainer sized to carry the jewelry. In an alternative embodiment, through the use of a drilled elastomeric band, the jewelry may be worn by a person who does not have a piercing. The jewelry is energized such that it may vibrate, illuminate, or perform other functions requiring energy from some extracorporeal source such as a battery.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/571,986, entitled Energized Body Jewelry, filed on May 16, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,382,815, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY 
     The present invention relates generally to body jewelry including alternative embodiments designed to be worn by persons who have piercings in their bodies as well as for those who do not. Although body piercing in today &#39;s society has been shifting from a counterculture dominated practice to an increasingly popular activity, a substantial number of persons who could be inclined to join the body piercing community are not quite ready to take that leap. The present invention provides unique energized body jewelry that can be worn by members of the piercing community, but also provides an alternative embodiment that can be worn by those who have not had their bodies pierced. 
     In one embodiment, the jewelry may be worn by a person with a piercing by attaching the jewelry with a standard barbell stud style piercing including a drilled retainer sized to carry the jewelry. In an alternative embodiment, through the use of a drilled elastomeric band, the jewelry may be worn by a person who does not have a piercing. The jewelry is energized such that it may vibrate, illuminate, or perform other functions requiring energy from some extracorporeal source such as a battery. 
     The energizing feature of the invention provides for many alternative uses ranging from the primarily ornamental aspect of an embodiment including an illuminating light source, to the more functional aspects provided through the preferred embodiment including a vibrator. A further embodiment of the invention includes accessories comprising sheaths with alternative configurations designed to cover at least a portion of the body jewelry and provide varying surface features for the jewelry. 
     The objects and potential uses of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following description, and various other features and attendant advantages will become more fully appreciated as the invention becomes better understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention including a standard barbell stud with a drilled retainer. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention including a drilled elastomeric band. 
     FIG. 3 is a view of three alternative sizes for the drilled elastomeric band. 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention attached to a person&#39;s pierced tongue with a standard barbell stud with a drilled retainer. 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention attached to a person&#39;s tongue with a drilled elastomeric band. 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention attached to a person&#39;s pierced tongue with a standard barbell stud with a drilled retainer and utilizing an external power source. 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention attached to a person&#39;s tongue with a drilled elastomeric band and utilizing an external power source. 
     FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the invention. 
     FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the invention utilizing an external power source. 
     FIG. 10A is a side view of an alternative configuration of the sheath accessory embodiment of the invention. 
     FIG. 10B is a cross-sectional view of an alternative configuration of the sheath accessory embodiment of the invention. 
     FIG. 11A is a side view of an alternative configuration of the sheath accessory embodiment of the invention. 
     FIG. 11B is a cross-sectional view of an alternative configuration of the sheath accessory embodiment of the invention. 
     FIG. 12A is a side view of an alternative configuration of the sheath accessory embodiment of the invention. 
     FIG. 12B is a cross-sectional view of an alternative configuration of the sheath accessory embodiment of the invention. 
     FIG. 13A is a side view of an alternative configuration of the sheath accessory embodiment of the invention. 
     FIG. 13B is a cross-sectional view of an alternative configuration of the sheath accessory embodiment of the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention including a standard barbell stud with a drilled retainer. Jewelry  10  is shown in FIG. 1 as generally comprising vibrator housing  16 , vibrator motor cap  13 , and battery housing  20 . Jewelry  10  is shown in FIG. 1 attached to a standard barbell stud  18  by inserting vibrator housing  16  through a drilled hole in retainer  21 . Retainer  21  is removably attached to the upper end of barbell stud  18 , and a second retainer  12  is removably attached to the lower end of barbell stud  18 . 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention including a drilled elastomeric band. Jewelry  10  is shown in FIG. 2 attached to an elastomeric band  64  by inserting vibrator housing  16  through a drilled hole in elastomeric band  64 . FIG. 3 is a view of three alternative sizes for the drilled elastomeric band  64 . 
     As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, jewelry  10  can be worn as a barbell style tongue piercing by attaching jewelry  10  to a standard barbell stud with a drilled retainer  21 . Alternatively, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, jewelry  10  can be worn by a person without a pierced tongue by using the drilled elastomeric band  64 . 
     FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the invention that includes two batteries in battery housing  20 . Jewelry  10  is shown in FIG. 8 as comprised of vibrator housing  16 , vibrator motor cap  13 , and battery housing  20 . In this embodiment, batteries  22  and  23  are located within battery housing  20 . Battery end caps  14  are screwed into place with the help of battery end cap slots  30 , which further include vent holes  31  to allow air to energize the batteries. The vibrator is comprised of electromagnetic motor  24 , rotor shaft  42 , and eccentric rotor  44 . Motor  24  is secured within vibrator housing  16 , and enclosed by vibrator motor cap  13 . 
     As shown in FIG. 8, batteries  22  and  23  are connected in parallel to motor  24 . Batteries  22  and  23  are placed into battery housing  20  with the cathode negative electrode end first. The cathode negative electrode ends of batteries  22  and  23  communicate through battery housing cathode  80 . The cathode negative electrode ends of batteries  22  and  23 , and battery housing cathode  80 , are insulated from the battery housing  20  by cathode insulator  81 . Positive lead wire  40  from motor  24  is attached to the inner periphery of vibrator housing  16 . Negative lead wire  38  is fed through passage  52  in vibrator housing  16 , where it terminates at vibrator housing cathode  57 . Vibrator housing cathode  57  is insulated from vibrator housing  16  by vibrator housing insulator  58 . 
     As further shown in FIG. 8, the threaded terminal end  19  of vibrator housing  16  is screwed into battery housing  20 . When vibrator housing  16  is screwed into place, the parallel circuit between batteries  22  and  23 , and motor  24 , is completed as the negative ends of batteries  22  and  23  within battery housing  20  communicate through battery housing cathode  80  to vibrator housing cathode  57 . When vibrator housing  16  is screwed into place, the positive anode ends of batteries  22  and  23  communicate with positive motor lead wire  40  through vibrator housing  16 , battery housing  20 , and battery end caps  14 . 
     A person wearing jewelry  10  as a barbell style tongue piercing may turn on the vibrator by screwing down vibrator housing  16  to the point at which its vibrator housing cathode  57  engages battery housing cathode  80 , and then turn off the vibrator by slightly backing off the threads of vibrator housing  16 . This inventive on-off switch feature limits the necessary moving parts of the design to none other than the vibrator itself. 
     FIG. 4 shows a person wearing this battery powered embodiment of jewelry  10  as a barbell style tongue piercing by attaching jewelry  10  to a standard barbell stud with a drilled retainer  21 . FIG. 5 shows a person without a pierced tongue wearing this battery powered embodiment of jewelry  10  by using the drilled elastomeric band  64 . 
     FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of an externally powered embodiment of the invention. Jewelry  10  is shown in FIG. 9 as comprised of vibrator housing  16 , vibrator motor cap  13 , power adapter body  94 , and external wires  62 . In this embodiment, power adapter body  94  provides a connection between the vibrator and an external power supply. The vibrator is comprised of electromagnetic motor  24 , shaft  42 , and eccentric rotor  44 . Motor  24  is secured within vibrator housing  16 , and enclosed by vibrator motor cap  13 . Positive lead wire  40  from motor  24  is attached to the inner periphery of vibrator housing  16 . Negative lead wire  38  is fed through passage  52  in vibrator housing  16 , where it terminates at vibrator housing cathode  57 . Vibrator housing cathode  57  is insulated from vibrator housing  16  by vibrator housing insulator  58 . 
     As further shown in FIG. 9, the threaded terminal end  19  of vibrator housing  16  is screwed into power adapter body  94 . When vibrator housing  16  is screwed into place, the circuit between motor  24  and an external power supply connected to wires  62  is completed as the negative lead of wires  62  communicates with vibrator housing cathode  57  through power adapter body cathode  90 . When vibrator housing  16  is screwed into place, the positive lead of wires  62  communicates with positive motor lead wire  40  through vibrator housing  16 , power adapter body  94 , and power adapter anode  96 . The cathode negative electrode lead of wires  62 , power adapter cathode  90 , and vibrator housing cathode  57 , are insulated from the power adapter body  94  by cathode insulator  81 . 
     A person wearing jewelry  10  as a barbell style tongue piercing may turn on the vibrator by screwing down vibrator housing  16  to the point at which its vibrator housing cathode  57  engages power adapter cathode  90 , and then turn off the vibrator by slightly backing off the threads of vibrator housing  16 . This inventive on-off switch feature limits the necessary moving parts of the design to none other than the vibrator itself. 
     FIG. 6 shows a person wearing this externally powered embodiment of jewelry  10  as a barbell style tongue piercing by attaching jewelry  10  to a standard barbell stud with a drilled retainer  21 . FIG. 7 shows a person without a pierced tongue wearing this externally powered embodiment of jewelry  10  by using the drilled elastomeric band  64 . 
     A further embodiment of the invention includes accessories comprising sheaths with alternative configurations designed to cover at least a portion of the body jewelry and provide varying surface features for the jewelry. 
     FIGS. 10A through 13A are side views of alternative configurations of sheaths designed as accessories for the energized body jewelry. FIGS. 10B through 13B are cross-sectional views of each of these alternative configurations of sheath accessories. The sheaths are designed to cover at least a portion of the vibratory housing of the energized body jewelry and provide varying surface features for the jewelry. As can be seen in the drawings, each of these alternative configurations provides for a unique surface configuration to enhance the functional aspects of the jewelry. In addition, the sheaths may function as a protective covering for the energized body jewelry by reducing the surface hardness of the jewelry and softening the impact of the jewelry when it contacts a person&#39;s teeth or other sensitive areas of the body. 
     Further alternative embodiments of this invention, which would be apparent to those skilled in the art, include the placement of this inventive jewelry on parts of the body other than the tongue, the modification of the vibrator mechanism to include any of several known alternative structures for creating vibrations, and the use of light emitters in addition to or in place of the vibrator mechanism. 
     It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.