Illuminated Earring

Abstract

An illuminated earring having a housing secured to an earring support, which housing encloses and electrically connects a battery and light bulb and supports a removable light transmissive enclosure having selective configurations that encloses and is illuminated by the light bulb.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There are several known earring ornaments that employ light bulbs in their structure. These earrings normally display the bare light bulb as a part of the ornament. This makes the lighted portion of the ornament small and limits the configuration of the earring to a particularly shaped light bulb. Thus these known illuminated earring ornaments are plain and, understandably, have not experienced commercial acceptance. So it is advantageous to have an illuminated earring in which a large portion of the earring structure is illuminated and which illuminated structure can be removed and interchanged with other illuminatable structures having different configurations and colors.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In an embodiment of this invention, an earring housing holds a small battery in electrical contact with a light bulb. The housing generally comprises a tubular shell that is secured to an earring support for supporting the earring structure on the ear of a person. Attached to the housing structure is a particularly configurated and colored light-transmissive enclosure that is illuminated by the light bulb. In one embodiment of this invention, the housing has a switch means for turning the light bulb on and off from outside the housing structure. In another embodiment, the housing structure is positioned within a second tubular shell that supports the light-transmissive enclosure. In all the embodiments, the tubular housing may be selectively opened to remove the battery and interchange the light bulb, and the light-transmissive enclosure may be selectively changed to provide a different configuration and color to the overall earring ornament.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a new and improved illuminated earring.

It is another object of this invention to provide a new and improved illuminated earring in which the configuration of the illuminated portion of the earring ornament may be selectively changed without requiring any change to the remainder of the earring structure.

It is another object of this invention to provide a new and improved illuminated earring that may be selectively turned on and turned off without having to disassemble the structure.

It is another object of this invention to provide a new and improved illuminated earring structure that is capable of using several different types of light bulbs.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become more apparent upon a reading of the following detailed description and upon an inspection of the drawing wherein like reference numerals designate like parts throughout and in which:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the illuminated earring of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a modified embodiment of the earring structure illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of still another embodiment of an illuminated earring of this invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of still another embodiment of an illuminated earring of this invention.

Referring now to FIG. 1, an earring structure 10 comprises a cylindrical housing 12 with a threaded end 30 and an upper cap 14. A pin 18 secures an eyelet 16 to the cap 14. A known earlobe clamp comprising bail 20 and ear contact portions 22 and 24 with screw means 26, attaches the earring structure 10 to a person's earlobe. A battery 32 with a paper or insulating cover 34 fits into the tubular shell 12. The lower end of battery 32 rests upon switch contact 46 that in turn rests upon the conductor button 58 of the light bulb 60. The light bulb 60, of known construction, is positioned in a circular opening in the lower wall 64 of the tubular portion 12. Circumferential shoulder 56 retains the light bulb 60 in position. The electrical connection of the light bulb 60 across the battery 32 is accomplished by spring contact 36, through cap 14, tubular housing 12 that is made of electrically conductive metal, through the metal portion of the light bulb 52 and 56, through wire 62, through electrode button 58, conductor portion 44 of switch contact 46, and to the other contact of the battery 32. A switch contact 46, that may be made of plastic or other suitable material, has a conductor portion 44 that provides electrical contact between electrode 58 and the end of the battery 32. By pulling on end 50, switch contact 46 slides through the opening 54 and the conductor portion 44 is moved from between the respective electrodes and is replaced by the insulating material. Ridge 48 limits movement of the switch contact 46 through the opening 54.

A light-transmissive enclosure 28 has a threaded opening at one end that coacts with threads 30 to secure the enclosure 28 to the housing 12. It should be understood that the light transmissive enclosure 28 may have any desired shape or color and it is a part of this invention that each earring structure 10 has multiple light-transmissive enclosures 28 so that the ornamentation of the illuminated earring can be selectively varied.

FIG. 2 illustrates another embodiment of an illuminated earring 68 having a closed end housing 70 that coacts with a mated end 72 that is slidably joined at connection 74. The housing 70 and end 72 are separable to insert the bulb 98 into the opening in the bottom of end 72 and to insert the battery 76 into the tubular shell. The battery 76 has the known insulating cover 84. It should be understood that housing 70 and end 72 are constructed of electrically conductive metal. Thus a spring member 78, of conductive metal, contacts the upper surface 86 of battery 76 and closes a circuit through housing 70, end 72, through conductor portions 94 and 96 of lamp 98, through wire 100 and through the button contact at 88 to the other side of the battery 76. The spring 78 thus functions both as an electrical contact and as a spring for biasing the battery 76 against the end of the light bulb 98. The light-transmissive enclosure 90 has an opening 92 with the correct size to provide a friction fit against the outer surface 94 of the lamp 98. Thus the light-transmissive enclosure 90 can be selectively changed in the manner previously described by merely sliding one enclosure 90 off the light bulb 98 and sliding another enclosure 90 thereon in replacement. Ring 80 and pin 82 secure the housing 70 to a known earring support structure.

Referring to FIG. 3, the illuminated earring structure 102 comprises a closed end, tubular housing 104 that is made of plastic or other suitable insulating material and has an electrical conductor 118 embedded therein. Electrical conductor 118 is connected at one end to a spring electrical contact 110 through a connector 116 and at the other end to a ring conductor 134 that fits against the inner circumference of the housing 104. An enclosure 106 of light transmissive material, has a threaded end that coacts with the threaded end 136 of the housing 104. The enclosure has a circumferential shoulder 140 that projects inwardly to support an insulated disk 138. Disk 138 has a rim conductor 132 that makes electrical contact with the inner surface of ring contact 134. A socket for receiving lamp 150 comprises a pair of split rings 126 and 128. The lamp 150 has conductor wires 144 and 146 that bend over and fit between the outer housing of the lamp and the split conductor rings 126 and 128. Line 130 completes the circuit between ring plate 132 and conductor plate 128 and line 124 closes the electrical circuit between contact point 120 and ring plate 126. Shoulder 148 on lamp 150 fits against the outer surface of the socket. Thus tightening the light-transmitting enclosure 106 forces shoulder 140 against ring 138 that presses the battery 112 against spring contact 110 assuring electrical contact of the light bulb 150 across battery 112. Bail 108 secures the earring structure 102 to the earring support 20. It is to be noted that the entire housing structure in this modified embodiment of the invention is made of insulating material. Further, the connections between the respective parts provide a smooth overall outer surface. Also no light is transmitted above the illuminating enclosure 106.

Referring to FIG. 4, a first housing comprises sideplates 168 and 170 that are shaped at 180 to provide a threaded contact to the threaded end 184 of a light bulb 186. The arms 168 and 170 are joined together by a plate 172 having a downwardly projecting center portion that contacts the upper surface 176 of a battery 174. The housing 168 has upper fingers 173 that fit into a circumferential groove 155 in a second housing 154. This allows the housing 168 to be selectively snapped into and out of the retainer ring 155 and to additionally bend the bar 172 to a slightly bowed shape to exert spring force against battery surface 176 that in turn moves the other end of the battery 174 against the electrical contact button 178 of lamp 186. The second housing 154 has an opening 158 therein through which an eyelet 164 having a threaded end 166 projects to thread into the respective upper and lower plates 162. The illuminated enclosure portion 152 has a beveled open end that coacts with an oppositely beveled end of the second housing 154 to provide a snap connection of the illuminated enclosure portion 152 to the second housing 154. It may be understood that housing 154 and enclosure 152 can be constructed of plastic or other suitable materials and their ornamentation and color may be selectively varied. Further in this embodiment, it is possible to change the entire outer earring surface by merely removing frame 168 from the inner cavity of the second housing 154 and removing the earring eyelet 164 by unscrewing threaded end 166 from the plates 162 and 163. Thus in this embodiment, the entire configuration of the illuminated earring may be selectively changed.

From the foregoing description it is evident that we have provided a new and improved illuminated earring that has a flexible and interchangeable structure that particularly lends itself to the selective use and illumination of many earring configurations and colors.

Claims

Having described our invention, we now claim.

1. An illuminated earring comprising,

a source of electrical power,

an electrical light bulb that is energized by said source of electrical power,

an earring housing to be supported from the ear of a person,

a light-transmitting enclosure for enclosing said light bulb and that is illuminated by said light bulb,

means for securing said light-transmitting enclosure to said housing in a manner that said enclosure is easily and quickly removed,

said source of electrical power and said light bulb are supported by said housing,

said housing is a tubular shell with an opening in the bottom wall for receiving and holding said light bulb,

said enclosure is substantially larger than said light bulb,

said source of electrical power is a battery that is positionable in said housing and whose lower end is resiliently biased into electrical engagement with said light bulb by a spring electrical contact that bears against the upper end of said battery,

and said housing includes an electrical conductor means for electrically connecting said electrical contact to said bulb,

said enclosure has an opening in the upper end that is aligned against said opening in the bottom wall of said housing,

said enclosure has an inwardly projecting circumferential shoulder adjacent said opening in said enclosure, and

a disk having an electrical socket for receiving said light bulb is held between said circumferential shoulder and the lower end of said battery.

2. An illuminated earing as claimed in claim 1 in which,

said housing comprises a frame that holds said light bulb in an electrical circuit across said battery,

a second housing comprising a tubular shell that is open at one end and has earring connecting means at the other end,

said second housing has an inwardly projecting shoulder adjacent said opening, and

said housing has outwardly projecting fingers at its upper end that fit over said shoulder holding said housing in said second housing.

3. An illuminated earring as claimed in claim 1 in which,

said light-transmitting enclosure is substantially larger than said light bulb and has an open end that is removably secured to said open end of said second housing.

4. An illuminated earring comprising,

a source of electrical power,

an electrical light bulb that is energized by said source of electrical power,

an earring housing to be supported from the ear of a person,

a light-transmitting enclosure for enclosing said light bulb and that is illuminated by said light bulb,

means for securing said light-transmitting enclosure to said housing in a manner that said enclosure is easily and quickly removed,

said source of electrical power and said light bulb are supported by said housing,

said housing is a tubular shell with an opening in the bottom wall for receiving and holding said light bulb,

said enclosure is substantially larger than said light bulb,

said source of electrical power is a battery that is positionable in said housing and whose lower end is resiliently biased into electrical engagement with said light bulb by a spring electrical contact that bears against the upper end of said battery,

said housing includes an electrical conductor means for electrical connecting said electrical contact to said bulb.