Patent Application
20230144272
The present disclosure relates generally to apparatuses, systems, and methods for providing atraumatic earrings. More specifically, the disclosure relates to apparatuses, systems, and methods that allow users to wear earrings on unpierced ears, pierced ears, or damaged ears. The apparatuses, systems, and methods may also be implemented on other body parts to provided atraumatic adornment.
Traditionally, earrings or other jewelry relying on piercings through the user's skin and other tissue (e.g., cartilage) to adorn the earrings or other jewelry. For a variety of reasons, piercings may not be desirable due to health conditions, aesthetics, age, and so forth. Furthermore, in some instances, the user has damaged piercing sites due to other piercings, congenital defects, or unrelated trauma. For example, stretched earlobes as a result of consistent use of heavy earrings may make it unfeasible to wear traditional earrings.
Few alternatives to traditional piercings for jewelry adornment. One example of an alternative to traditional earrings or other jewelry that relies on piercings are clip-on jewelry. Clip-in jewelry traditionally rely on a hinged portion that is operable to form a pressure or a frictional engagement with the user's tissue to prevent movement of the jewelry. Another alternative includes screw-type earrings which also form a pressure or frictional engagement with the user's tissue. These devices also have drawbacks, including but not limited to potentially painful, especially with those that are prone to sensitive skin or tissue.
The present disclosure relates to an earring mounting device that may be implemented for damaged, unpierced, or pierced ears for providing the user with the ability to wear earrings. The device enables the user to adorn the earrings in an atraumatic manner or when the user's ears are incapable of supporting the earring in the typical manner.
According to one example (“Example 1”), an earring mounting device is provided for wearing an earring without passing the earring through skin of the ear of a user. The earring mounting device includes an earring interface member operable to releasable couple to an earring, the earring interface member comprising a closed loop and a mount including a mount body, an adhesive, and a coupling member operable to releasable retain the closed loop of the earring interface member, the adhesive being positioned on a back surface of the mount body, the adhesive operable to releasably adhere the mount to an ear of a user.
According to another example (“Example 2”) further to Example 1, the coupling member is a hook and loop fastener positioned on a front surface of the mount body.
According to another example (“Example 3”) further to Example 2, the hook and loop fastener includes a first portion including hooks, a second portion including loops, and a third portion not including hooks or loops, the third portion positioned longitudinally between the first and the second portions.
According to another example (“Example 4”) further to Example 3, the third portion of the hook and loop fastener is operable to form a fold.
According to another example (“Example 5”) further to Example 3, the first and the second portions of the hook and loop fastener are rigid.
According to another example (“Example 6”) further to Example 1, the coupling member is an arm extending from a front surface of the mount body, the arm being operable to receive the earring interface member.
According to another example (“Example 7”) further to Example 6, the arm is angled relative to the front surface of the mount body between 0 and 180 degrees.
According to another example (“Example 8”) further to Example 7, the arm is angled relative to the front surface of the mount body between 10 and 60 degrees.
According to another example (“Example 9”) further to Example 6, the arm includes a neck portion extending from the mount body and a body portion extending from the neck portion, the neck portion being narrower than the body portion.
According to another example (“Example 10”) further to Example 9, the arm is cut from the mount body except for where the neck portion extends from the mount body.
According to another example (“Example 11”) further to Example 10, the mount body includes a notch formed on each lateral side of the neck portion of the arm, wherein the notch is operable to receive and engage the earring interface member.
According to another example (“Example 12”) further to Example 9, the body portion of the arm includes a generally trapezoidal profile.
According to another example (“Example 13”) further to Example 1, the mount body further defines an aperture positioned proximate the coupling member, the aperture operable to receive a post of a second earring.
According to one example (“Example 14”), an atraumatic mount for an earring is provided. The atraumatic mount includes a mount body defining a front surface and a back surface, an adhesive positioned on the back surface of the mount, the adhesive operable to releasable couple to skin of a user, and a coupling member operable to releasable retain an earring, the coupling member extending from the front surface of the mount, the coupling member moveable between an open position and a closed position, wherein in the open position the coupling member is operable to receive a portion of the earring and in the closed position is operable to retain the portion of the earring.
According to another example (“Example 15”) further to Example 14, the coupling member is a hook and loop fastener positioned on a front surface of the mount body.
According to another example (“Example 16”) further to Example 15, the hook and loop fastener includes a first portion including hooks, a second portion including loops, and a third portion not including hooks or loops, the third portion positioned longitudinally between the first and the second portions.
According to another example (“Example 17”) further to Example 16, the third portion of the hook and loop fastener is operable to form a fold.
According to one example (“Example 18”), an earring is provided, the earring including a mount body defining a front surface and a back surface, an adhesive positioned on the back surface of the mount, the adhesive operable to releasable couple to skin of a user, and a coupling member including an arm extending from the front surface of the mount, the arm including a neck portion and a body portion, the neck portion being positioned between the body portion and the first surface of the mount body and being narrower relative to the body portion.
According to another example (“Example 19”) further to Example 18, the arm is angled relative to the front surface of the mount body between 10 and 60 degrees.
According to another example (“Example 20”) further to Example 19, the arm is cut from the mount body except for where the neck portion extends from the mount body.
The foregoing Examples are just that, and should not be read to limit or otherwise narrow the scope of any of the inventive concepts otherwise provided by the instant disclosure. While multiple examples are disclosed, still other embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, which shows and describes illustrative examples. Accordingly, the drawings and detailed description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature rather than restrictive in nature.
The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the disclosure and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments, and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the disclosure.
This disclosure is not meant to be read in a restrictive manner. For example, the terminology used in the application should be read broadly in the context of the meaning those in the field would attribute such terminology.
Persons skilled in the art will readily appreciate that various aspects of the present disclosure can be realized by any number of methods and apparatuses configured to perform the intended functions. It should also be noted that the accompanying drawing figures referred to herein are not necessarily drawn to scale, but may be exaggerated to illustrate various aspects of the present disclosure, and in that regard, the drawing figures should not be construed as limiting.
The device shown in
With reference to
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In some embodiments, the arm 40 is angled relative to the front surface 38 of the mount body 30 between 0 and 180 degrees. For example, when the arm 40 is cut from the mount body 30, the arm 40 may be bent away from the front surface 38 to form an angle therebetween. In some embodiments, the arm 40 is angled relative to the front surface 38 of the mount body 30 between 10 and 60 degrees. In some embodiments, the arm 40 is angled relative to the front surface at about 15 degrees, at about 20 degrees, at about 25 degrees, at about 30 degrees, at about 35 degrees, at about 40 degrees, and at about 45 degrees. The arm 40 is movable relative to the mount body 30 such that angle between the arm 40 and the front surface 38 of the mount body 30 is adjustable. This allows the user to adjust the angle to accommodate various sizes and types of earring as well as adjusting the arm to minimize contact with other body parts such as the skin positioned behind the outer ear.
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With further reference to
The notches 48 may be formed in any number of shapes. For example, as illustrated in
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In some embodiments, the hook and loop fastener 60 includes a first portion 62 including hooks, a second portion 64 including loops, and a third portion 66 not including hooks or loops. The third portion 66 is positioned longitudinally between the first and the second portions 62, 64. Thus, in some embodiments, the third portion 66 is a middle portion that does not engage the with another portion of the hook and loop fastener 60 and therefore forms a loop or a hook where the earring interface member 12 is engaged. The middle portion (i.e., third portion 66) forms the bend of fold for the hook and loop fastener 60 to bend back on itself. In some embodiments, the hook and loop fastener does not include a segment free of hooks or loops. In some embodiments, the first and second portions 62, 64 of the hook and loop fastener 60 are rigid. In other embodiments, the first and second portions 62, 64 of the hook and loop fastener 60 are compliant.
Referring to
In various embodiments, other fasteners may be implemented other than hook and loop fasteners. For example, the coupling member 34 may include magnetic strips (not shown) capable of forming a loop for coupling to the earring interface member 12. Any number of embodiments are considered in which the coupling member 34 is capable of forming a releasable loop for releasably retaining the earring interface member 12 (or in some embodiments, the earring 14 itself).
Referring now to the earring interface member 12, various materials and embodiments may be implemented in order to interface the earring 14 with the earring mounting device 10. For example, in some embodiments, the earring interface member 12 includes an elastic band that can be interfaced with the earring 14 and retained by the earring mounting device 10. The earring interface member 12 may include a compliant or malleable material such as a plastic or metal. The earring interface member may include a rigid material such as a high density or rigid plastic or a rigid metal. Each of these materials may be implemented to interface with an existing earring. The earring interface member 12 may be interface for example with the hook or clasp of an existing earring. In other embodiments, the earring interface member 12 may be retrofitted onto an existing earring by, for example, replacing an existing hook or clasp. For example, in some embodiments, the hook or clasp of an existing earring may be removed from the earring. The earring may include an eyelet from which the hook or clasp was removed and the earring interface member 12 may be installed onto the eyelet. In some embodiments, the earring 14 may be manufactured with an earring interface member 12. For example, the earring may be specifically designed for use with the earring mounting device 10. In other embodiments, the hook or clasp of an existing earring may be implemented as the earing interface member 12.
Various modifications and additions can be made to the exemplary embodiments discussed without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. For example, while the embodiments described above refer to particular features, the scope of this disclosure also includes embodiments having different combinations of features and embodiments that do not include all of the described features. Accordingly, the scope of the present disclosure is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications, and variations as fall within the scope of the claims, together with all equivalents thereof.
