Methods and articles for providing a body jewelry accessory comprising an edible candy portion

Abstract

The invention comprises an improved means for forming and retaining candy on an accessory for body jewelry. A candy-bearing means comprises a perforated member connected to a central ring member of the accessory; a flexible attachment means comprises a perforated panel occupying the interior of the ring member enabling quick and reversible attachment to jewelry fixtures of variable sizes and shapes. The invention also discloses improved methods for forming candy pieces upon said candy-bearing means, including the use of strategically placed perforations or scorings in the tab member thereof, yielding candies that are especially suitable for the challenges associated with body jewelry; furthermore the accessory advantageously includes a handling means for allowing fine manipulation of the accessory via a removable and disposable handle that a user may grasp while attaching the accessory of the invention to any other body jewelry.

I claim: 
     
         1 . An article for providing an edible candy portion as an accessory for body jewelry, the article comprising:
 a flexible attachment means for attaching the article to one or more of a fixture comprising body jewelry, wherein said flexible attachment means comprises a retaining ring and an inner disk attached to said ring, said disk comprising one or more perforations in the center thereof to receive said fixture comprising body jewelry,   a candy-bearing means for forming and retaining an edible candy portion thereon, the candy-bearing means comprising an elongate structure descending from a lower portion of the retaining ring.   
     
     
         2 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein said candy-bearing means further comprises one or both of a feature selected from the group comprising one or a plurality of perforations and one or a plurality of scoring. 
     
     
         3 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the candy-bearing means is a tab having a generally rectangular shape comprising perforations therein. 
     
     
         4 . The article of  claim 1 , further comprising a handling means for facilitating the gripping of the accessory during use by a person, the handling means comprising a handle extending from an upper portion of the retaining ring and a removal means for removing said handle after use, the removal means comprising a detachable junction linking the handle to the retaining ring. 
     
     
         5 . The article of  claim 3 , further comprising a handling means for facilitating the gripping of the accessory during use by a person, the handling means comprising a handle extending from an upper portion of the retaining ring and a removal means for removing said handle after use, the removal means comprising a detachable junction linking the handle to the retaining ring. 
     
     
         6 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the disc of the flexible attachment means, the ring of the flexible attachment means, and the candy-bearing means comprise one molded piece composed of a plastic material. 
     
     
         7 . The article of  claim 4 , wherein the disc of the flexible attachment means, the ring of the flexible attachment means, the candy-bearing means, and the handling means comprise one molded piece composed of a plastic material. 
     
     
         8 . A method for providing an article, the article having an edible candy portion as an accessory for body jewelry, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing a flexible attachment means for attaching the article to one or more of a fixture comprising body jewelry, wherein said flexible attachment means comprises a retaining ring and an inner disk attached to said ring, said disk comprising one or more perforations in the center thereof to receive said fixture comprising body jewelry;   providing a candy-bearing means for forming and retaining an edible candy portion thereon;   immersing the candy-bearing means in a candy mold comprising a candy-forming solution such that a hard candy having a shape corresponding to the an inner shape of said mold forms upon the candy bearing means;   removing the candy-bearing means from the candy mold such that the hard candy remains attached thereto;   thereby providing an article having an edible candy portion as an accessory for body jewelry which is attachable thereto via the flexible attachment means.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said candy-bearing means further comprises one or both of a feature selected from the group comprising one or a plurality of perforations and one or a plurality of scoring. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the candy-bearing means is a tab having a generally rectangular shape comprising perforations therein. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising the steps of:
 providing a handling means for facilitating the gripping of the accessory during use by a person, the handling means comprising a handle extending from an upper portion of the retaining ring and a removal means for removing said handle after use, the removal means comprising a detachable junction linking the handle to the retaining ring; and,   removing the handling means by tearing at the detachable junction to separate the handle from the retaining ring.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising the steps of:
 providing a handling means for facilitating the gripping of the accessory during use by a person, the handling means comprising a handle extending from an upper portion of the retaining ring and a removal means for removing said handle after use, the removal means comprising a detachable junction linking the handle to the retaining ring; and,   removing the handling means by tearing at the detachable junction to separate the handle from the retaining ring.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the disc of the flexible attachment means, the ring of the flexible attachment means, and the candy-bearing means comprise one molded piece composed of a plastic material. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the disc of the flexible attachment means, the ring of the flexible attachment means, the candy-bearing means, and the handling means comprise one molded piece composed of a plastic material.