Adjustable Jewelry Assembly

Abstract

An adjustable jewelry assembly includes a jewelry chain or other flexible member slidably mounted to a clasp for adjusting a hanging length or opening size of the flexible member. The clasp is formed from a single piece of thin sheet material and includes a pair of walls connected together by a biasing portion. Superimposed tabs with openings extend from the walls in opposite directions. The flexible member is normally held against movement in the clasp by opposing biasing forces exerted by the edges of the openings from the biasing portion. When the walls are pressed toward each other, the flexible member may be slid through the clasp until the desired hanging length or opening size is achieved, then released to clamp the clasp and flexible member against relative movement.

1 . An adjustable jewelry assembly comprising: 
 an adjustable clasp including: 
 a first wall;  
 a second wall;  
 a biasing portion extending between the first and second walls, the biasing portion exerting a biasing force that tends to push the first and second walls apart;  
 a first tab extending from the first wall in a first direction;  
 a second tab extending from the second wall in a second direction opposite the first direction;  
 at least one first opening extending through the first tab; and  
 at least one second opening extending through the second tab; and  
   an elongate flexible member having first and second legs and a loop portion extending between the first and second legs, the first and second legs extending through the first and second openings, the first and second openings being misaligned under biasing force from the biasing portion to thereby create opposing forces on the flexible member and prevent relative movement between the clasp and the first and second legs of the elongate flexible member;    the adjustable clasp being adapted to slide along the first and second legs to adjust the size of the loop portion of the flexible member when the first and second tabs are moved relative to each other against the biasing force to thereby align the first and second openings.    
   
   
       2 . An adjustable jewelry assembly according to  claim 1 , and further comprising first and second end stops attached to the first and second legs, respectively, of the elongate flexible member, the first and second end stops being larger than at least one of the at least one first opening and at least one second opening to prevent removal of the flexible member from the clasp.  
   
   
       3 . An adjustable jewelry assembly according to  claim 2 , and further comprising a decorative pendant slidably received on the loop portion of the elongate flexible member.  
   
   
       4 . An adjustable jewelry assembly according to  claim 3 , wherein the decorative pendant comprises a setting with at least one stone mounted in the setting.  
   
   
       5 . An adjustable jewelry assembly according to  claim 4 , wherein the clasp, the elongate flexible member, the end stops, and the pendant are constructed of at least one of a precious and semi-precious metal material.  
   
   
       6 . An adjustable jewelry assembly according to  claim 5 , and further comprising at least one third opening extending through the biasing portion with the first and second legs extending through the at least one third opening.  
   
   
       7 . An adjustable jewelry assembly according to  claim 6 , wherein the biasing portion is curved.  
   
   
       8 . An adjustable jewelry assembly according to  claim 1 , and further comprising a decorative pendant slidably received on the loop portion of the elongate flexible member.  
   
   
       9 . An adjustable jewelry assembly according to  claim 8 , wherein the clasp, the elongate flexible member, and the pendant are constructed of at least one of a precious and semi-precious metal material.  
   
   
       10 . An adjustable jewelry assembly according to  claim 1 , and further comprising at least one third opening extending through the biasing portion with the first and second legs extending through the at least one third opening.  
   
   
       11 . An adjustable jewelry assembly according to  claim 10 , wherein the at least one first, second and third openings comprise first, second and third pairs of openings, respectively.  
   
   
       12 . An adjustable jewelry assembly according to  claim 10 , wherein the at least one first, second and third openings comprise first, second and third slotted openings, respectively.  
   
   
       13 . An adjustable jewelry assembly according to  claim 10 , and further comprising first and second end stops attached to the first and second legs, respectively, of the elongate flexible member, the first and second end stops being larger than the at least one third opening such that the first and second legs are normally not removable from the clasp through the at least one third opening.  
   
   
       14 . An adjustable jewelry assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the first and second walls extend at a first angle in an unrestrained position and at a second angle in a clamping position, with the second angle being smaller than the first angle.  
   
   
       15 . An adjustable jewelry assembly according to  claim 14 , wherein the first and second walls extend generally parallel when the first and second tabs are moved relative to each other against the biasing force to thereby align the first and second openings.  
   
   
       16 . An adjustable jewelry assembly according to  claim 1 , and further comprising a pair of side walls extending from at least one of the first and second walls toward the other of the first and second walls.  
   
   
       17 . An adjustable jewelry assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one first and second openings comprise first and second pairs of openings, respectively.  
   
   
       18 . An adjustable jewelry assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one first and second openings comprise first and second slotted openings, respectively.  
   
   
       19 . An adjustably jewelry assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the adjustable clasp consists essentially of a single, continuous thin sheet of material.  
   
   
       20 . An adjustably jewelry assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the tabs are located at a position between the biasing portion and an outer free end of each wall.  
   
   
       21 . An adjustable jewelry assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein one of the first and second walls of the clasp comprises a setting with at least one stone mounted in the setting.  
   
   
       22 . An adjustable jewelry assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein one of the first and second walls of the clasp comprises a decorative jewelry feature.