Closure for article, in particular for jewelry

摘要

A jewelry item has a closure that uses shape memory to provide two stable positions. For example, an earring has a setting and a pin, and the closure closes the pin over the ear. The closure consists of a leaf spring extending outwardly in a first loop part from a first location on the setting and looping back in a second loop part to a second location adjacent the first location on the setting. The loop parts each have shape memory and are set with different remembered shapes. The two different remembered shapes work against each other to flip the closure between two stable positions, a first position in which the closure connects to the pin to close the earring and a second position in which the closure is spaced away from the pin to open the earring. The design is particularly suitable for a huggie style earring.

主权项

1. A jewelry item, comprising a setting having first and second ends and a pin having a first end attached to the second end of the setting and extending therefrom, and a closure spanning a space between said two ends, the closure comprising a first bent leaf shaped springy element and a second bent leaf shaped springy element, a first end of each of the elements being attached together, where the first and second bent leaf shaped springy elements extend toward adjacent respective locations on the first end of the setting, each of said first and second bent leaf shaped springy elements having shape memory and being shaped with a respectively different shape that is remembered, and attachment and shaping of the leaf shaped springy elements being such that the respectively different remembered shapes work against each other to enable the closure to flip between a first and a second stable configuration, the first position being a position in which the closure is adjacent to the second end to close the earring and the second position being a position in which the closure is spaced away from the second end to open the jewelry item.