Patent Application
20160015135
This invention relates to jewelry, and more specifically to a clasp for use in making articles of jewelry such as bracelets, from flexible strands of decorative cord or like material.
Making home-made jewelry has become popular among young women, especially those in their teens and pre-teens. Bracelets, and necklaces, for example, can be made from various materials, such as strands of beads, cords of yarn or plastics, metal chains, and many other materials. Typically, the bracelet or necklace is made up of several, e.g., three or more, such strands arranged in parallel to one another. To connect the opposite ends of the parallel array of strands to each other, each end of the parallel array of strands is typically fastened to a clasp. The two clasps are releasably connectible to each other so that the bracelet or necklace can be conveniently worn and removed.
Typical jewelry clasps are described in the following U.S. Pat. Nos:
These clasps provide for connection of the ends of necklaces and bracelets composed of plural strands, but are more suitable for use by adults, and generally lack the ability to accommodate a broad variety of kinds of strands.
There is a need for an inexpensive, versatile, and easy to use clasp to enable young persons to make their own bracelets, necklaces and similar articles.
The clasp in accordance with the invention comprises an elongated hollow tube having first and second ends, and an opening at least at the first end. The tube is defined by a cylindrical wall having a circumferential outer surface and a Z-shaped slot forming an opening from the interior of the tube to the exterior thereof. The slot extends from the first end of the tube to a location adjacent the second end of the tube.
More specifically, the hollow tube is elongated along a longitudinal direction, and its first and second opposite ends are separated from each other along the longitudinal direction. The tube comprises a circumferential wall having internal and external surfaces, and a longitudinal internal bore defined by the internal surface. The bore has an opening at the first end of the tube, and the bore extends longitudinally from the opening at least to a location adjacent the second end. The slot forms a continuous elongated opening through the wall from the internal surface to the external surface of the wall, and extends from the first end of the tube at least to a location adjacent the second end. The slot has minimum and maximum widths and an entry formed at the first end of the tube. The slot comprises a first slot section extending longitudinally from the entry to a first intermediate location between the first and second ends of the tube, a second section extending from the first intermediate location to a second intermediate location between the first and second ends. The first and second intermediate locations are both closer to the first end than to the second end. A third section of the slot extends longitudinally from the second intermediate location to an end surface at a third intermediate location. The third intermediate location is closer to the second end than to the first end, and the first and third sections are circumferentially displaced from each other.
Plural flexible strands, each having a thickness smaller than the minimum width of the slot and an enlarged end having a thickness larger than the maximum width of the slot, can be slid through the first and second sections into positions in which they extend through the third section of the slot, while their enlarged ends are passed through the opening at the first end of the tube and brought to positions inside the longitudinal internal bore of said tube and adjacent the third section of the slot.
The second intermediate location is preferably at least as close as the first intermediate location to the first end of the hollow tube, and can be closer than the first intermediate location to the first end of the hollow tube so that the second section forms acute angles with the first and third sections.
Preferably each of the three section of the slot is elongated, and the slot has a uniform width.
The end surface of the third section of the slot can be constituted by a closed end of the third section.
A fastening loop can be attached to the external surface of the circumferential wall at a location midway between the first and second ends and diametrically opposite the third section of the slot.
An article of jewelry can be made using two of the above-described elongated hollow tubes and a plurality of flexible strands each having enlargements at both ends for connection to the third slot section of the respective tubes. A releasable connection can be provided to connecting the two tubes to each other in parallel relationship, so that the clasps, the releasable connection and the flexible strands form a closed loop.
As shown in
The slot can be of uniform width, but the width of the slot does not need to be strictly uniform. Thus, the slot may have a minimum width and a maximum width. The slot has an entry 28 formed at the first end 14 of the tube, and comprises a first slot section 30, extending longitudinally from the entry 28 to a first intermediate location 32 between the first and second ends of the tube, a second section 34, extending from the first intermediate location 32 to a second intermediate location 36 between the first and second ends of the tube, and a third section 38, extending longitudinally from the second intermediate location 36 to an end surface at location 24, which is a third intermediate location.
The first and second intermediate locations 32 and 36 are both closer to the first end 14 of the tube than to the second end 16, and the third intermediate location 24 is closer to the second end 16 of the tube than to the first end 14.
Because the first and third sections of the slot 30 and 38 are circumferentially displaced from each other and connected by the second section 34, the slot is Z-shaped. Preferably the shape of the slot is such that the second intermediate location 36 is at least as close as the first intermediate location 32 to the first end 14 of the tube. If the distance from intermediate location 32 to end 14 of the tube exceeds the distance from intermediate location 36 to the end 14 of the tube by the width of the second slot section 34, the intermediate section 34 of the slot can be strictly circumferential. Ideally, however, the second intermediate location 36 is still closer than the first intermediate location 32 to said first end 14 of the tube, so that the first and third sections 30 and 38 form acute angles, e.g., angles of about 80°, with the second section 34, as shown in
In
The second slot section 34, which extends from slot section 38 to slot section 30, which is circumferentially displaced from slot section 34, prevents inadvertent disengagement of the strands from the tube by requiring, for removal, a special manipulation of the strands in which they are moved longitudinally from slot section 38 into slot section 34, and then through slot section 34 to slot section 30 in a direction having a circumferential component. Thus when the strands are in place, they are confined between the second section 34 of the slot, and the closed end surface of the third slot section at the third intermediate location 24, and inadvertent removal of the strands form the slot is effectively prevented.
The strands, of course, need not be plastic strands having elongated rectangular cross-sectional shapes. Lengths of yarn having knotted ends, or any of various other kinds of strands, for example, beaded strings or beaded chains, can be used. In the case of a beaded string or chain, an endmost bead can serve as the enlargement at the end of the strand, that prevents the strand from being pulled out through the third slot section 38. The Z-shape of the slot will prevent accidental disengagement of the strands from the tubular clasps.
Although the third section 38 of the slot in the embodiment shown in
As shown in
As mentioned above, the slotted tubular clasps as described above can be used to make bracelets from a wide variety of materials. The size of the bracelet depends on the lengths of the strands that extend from one clasp to the other. With sufficiently long strands of material, the clasps can also be used to make necklaces and even decorative belts. The clasps can be used to make an article of jewelry using two or more strands of different kinds of material, for example a bracelet made from strands of beads and yarns disposed side-by-side in an alternating arrangement.
The clasps can also be re-used. For example, if the strands of an article of jewelry made from a pair of clasps are damaged, or the user simply desires to make a new article of jewelry, she can easily remove the existing strands and replace them with new strands, strands of other materials, or strands of a different length.
