Ear-nut with handles

Abstract

An ear-nut or jewelry clasp for gripping a post extending from the back of an earring or other piece of jewelry or ornament. The clasp has a pair of gripping tabs 22 which are longer and/or wider than other parts of a clasp to facilitate gripping by the user when removing the clasp from the post. The clasp may also have a radially outward extending earring stabilizer to avoid ear lobe bending by heavy earrings.

1 . A jewelry clasp for gripping the post of a piece of jewelry, said jewelry clasp comprising: 
 A base plate having a first surface for facing toward said piece of jewelry and a second surface for facing away from said piece of jewelry, an opening in said base plate for passing a jewelry post therethrough;    At least one spring finger extending outwardly from said second surface to a position where a portion of the spring finger can frictionally engage a side surface of a jewelry post when said post is passed through said opening;    At least one user gripping tab extending outwardly from said base plate second surface to a position where said tab can be gripped by a user for removal of said jewelry clasp from said post.    
     
     
         2 . The jewelry clasp of  claim 1  in which said base plate is substantially circular and said at least one spring finger is a pair of spring fingers extending substantially from the twelve o'clock and six o'clock positions thereon and said at least one gripping tab is a pair of gripping tabs extending substantially from the three o'clock and the nine o'clock positions thereon.  
     
     
         3 . The jewelry clasp of  claim 2  in which said pair of gripping tabs extends farther outward than said spring fingers.  
     
     
         4 . The jewelry clasp of  claim 2  in which at least one of said pair of gripping tabs has a greater width than either of said spring fingers.  
     
     
         5 . The jewelry clasp of  claim 2  in which said gripping tabs have a non-smooth outer surface to facilitate gripping thereof.  
     
     
         6 . The jewelry clasp of  claim 5  in which said non-smooth surface is at least one dimple.  
     
     
         7 . The jewelry clasp of  claim 2  in which at least one of said gripping tabs is a substantially U shaped piece of stiff wire secured to said base plate.  
     
     
         8 . The jewelry clasp of  claim 2  in which the opening in said circular base plate is centrally located and said base plate first surface has a funnel shaped depressed area around said opening to facilitate entry of a jewelry post into said opening.  
     
     
         9 . A. clasp for gripping a post extending from the back of a piece of jewelry, said clasp comprising: a generally circular base plate having a first surface for facing toward said piece of jewelry and a second surface for facing away from said piece of jewelry, a centrally located opening in said base plate for passing a jewelry post therethrough, 
 a pair of opposed spring fingers on said second surface positioned to frictionally engage opposed sides of a jewelry post when said post is passed through said opening,    a pair of opposed user gripping tabs extending outwardly from said second surface to a position where said tabs can be gripped by a user for removal of said clasp from said jewelry post, said tabs being spaced away from said spring fingers, and being wider and longer than said spring fingers.    
     
     
         10 . The jewelry clasp of  claim 1  including at least one earring stabilizer extending radially outward from said base plate.  
     
     
         11 . The jewelry clasp of  claim 10  in which said earring stabilizer includes first and second generally parallel extension bars and a stabilizing member connected to at least one of said first and second extension bars.  
     
     
         12 . The jewelry clasp of  claim 11  in which said first and second extension bars project radially outward from said base plate at a position adjacent one of said gripping tabs.  
     
     
         13 . The jewelry clasp of  claim 11  in which said first and second extension bars are secured to said base plate by solder or stamped as one piece.  
     
     
         14 . The jewelry clasp of  claim 9  including at least one earring stabilizer extending radially outward from said base plate.  
     
     
         15 . The jewelry clasp of  claim 9  in which said earring stabilizer includes first and second generally parallel extension bars and a stabilizing member connected to at least one of said first and second extension bars.  
     
     
         16 . The jewelry clasp of  claim 9  in which said first and second extension bars project radially outward from said base plate at a position adjacent one of said gripping tabs.  
     
     
         17 . The jewelry clasp of  claim 9  in which said first and second exterior bars are secured to said base plate by solder.