FR2702343A1 - Retention cartridge for an earring - Google Patents

Abstract

Cartridge in the shape of a ball (47) for retaining an earring for a pierced ear (for ear piercing), characterised in that it comprises a first half-wall (48a) and a second half-wall (48b), the said first half-wall including a first rear surface (56a), the said second half-wall including a second rear surface (56b); a hinge (51) formed between the said first rear surface and the said second rear surface and joining the said first half-wall and second half-wall, a first notch (57a) formed in the said first rear surface and a second notch (57b) formed in the said second rear surface, the said first notch and the said second notch forming an opening in the said cartridge in the shape of a ball.

Description

 Earring retaining cartridge.

 The present invention relates to a disposable cartridge comprising an earlobe piercing earring and a retaining claw and relates, in particular, to an earlobe piercing device to facilitate piercing of the earlobe. keep the piercing earring sterile during handling, storage and piercing.

 The most recent conventional ear piercing systems are of two types, namely earrings housed in a cartridge and open earrings. These two types work by inserting an earring or pointed pin through the earlobe. This earring remains in place for 4 to 6 weeks until the hole produced has healed.

 The earring systems housed in a cartridge use either a cartridge housing a single earring and a clasp, which requires two cartridges per pair of earrings; either a separate cartridge for each earring and the clasp, which requires four cartridges per pair of earrings; either no cartridge but, on the other hand, earrings and clasps which are not protected and which are inserted into the piercing instrument from a support block. In all cases, this results in exaggerated handling with a high potential risk that the earrings come into contact with the fingers of an operator using the ear piercing instrument, this increasing the risk of contamination transfer between successive patients whose ears are pierced and the operator using the ear piercing instrument. In addition, these systems do not protect the instrument itself from contamination due to human contact or the projection of blood or fluids during piercing.

 Two previous documents, namely US Pat. Nos. 5,004,470 and 5,007,918, describe earrings housed in a disposable cartridge and of several styles of different and random shapes, comprising an envelope or coating of the earring , so that the earring cannot be touched before or during the piercing operation. The clasps or claws, called in this field "butterfly spring", are housed in a separate cartridge and are not fully enclosed but make direct contact with the operator difficult. When using these prior art systems, the earring cartridges and the clasp cartridges are inserted into a piercing instrument. This piercing instrument is simple in design and retains the cartridge in sliding tracks. The earlobe is placed in the gap between the piercing earring cartridge and the claw or butterfly cartridge. spring. We move the plunger into the earring cartridge, injecting the earring of the cartridge, then through the earlobe and into the clasp, automatically releasing the clasp of the cartridge, this completing the piercing operation. To form a second drilling hole, remove the earring cartridge and the retaining claw cartridge from the instrument, which is inverted, and repeat the operation. In the system of US Pat. No. 5,004 .470, the earring cartridge and the retaining claw cartridge are not removed but slide inside the ear piercing instrument to place the non-ejected earring in a piercing position .

 These devices of the prior art have given satisfaction.

However, they have the disadvantage that the disposable cartridges which prevent contact between each person and the instrument do not entirely cover the piercing zone of the instrument itself, which zone is in the immediate vicinity of the ear lobe, this allowing a potential risk of contamination by projection of blood or other fluids. In addition, since the operator of the ear piercing instrument has to reverse the cartridge or slide it manually, the cartridges are still subject to excessive manipulation, which exposes them to contamination by The operator, as well as the risk of them falling, is especially important when handling the retaining claw cartridge in which the retaining claws are exposed to some extent and may even be touched during handling.

 Another shortcoming, particularly in the piercing cartridge system of US Patent No. 5,007,918, is the use of a pair of bullet-shaped capsules which are split longitudinally, the halves being connected by means of a thin hinge molded in the halves at the front of the capsule in the direction of ejection. During the piercing procedure, when the earring is ejected, the earring must break the hinge to exit the front of the capsule and enter the earlobe. Additional force is required to break the hinge, which complicates the procedure by preventing easy insertion of the ear piercing earring. This need for additional force makes cooperation difficult for some operators.

 Another disadvantage of the ear piercing cartridge systems of the prior art is that during the ear piercing operation, it is necessary for the operator to hold the ear lobe firmly in place against the retaining plug cartridge. The operator uses their fingertips to hold the earlobe in place. If the operator does not follow rigid cleaning procedures, there is a potential risk of contamination of the ear lobe during piercing, and the fact that the ear lobe is not maintained firmly in place, even when held by the operator's fingers, it can happen that nervous patients with pierced ears move the head, which causes the earring being inserted finds deviated from its projected trajectory, this leading to pierce parts of the ear other than the desired location, or the earring could be deviated laterally and only partially penetrate into the ear lobe, this causing pain, bleeding and the need to reinsert the earring.

 This is why, we are looking for an ear piercing instrument and a cartridge which eliminates the manipulation of the earring, thanks to a simple and monobloc construction method and which overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art.

 In general, according to the present invention, a disposable cartridge for an ear piercing earring and for a retaining claw has been produced, as well as an ear piercing instrument intended to be used with this cartridge. An assembly forming a piercing earring and retaining claw cartridge (hereinafter referred to simply as "cartridge assembly") formed in one single piece comprises a claw retaining sub-assembly containing two side claws -beside. The cartridge assembly also includes an ear piercing earring retainer sub-assembly which contains two ear piercing earrings so as to cooperate with an associated claw. The cartridge assembly is provided with a saddle-shaped region for receiving an earlobe between the claw retainer sub-assembly and the piercing earring retainer sub-assembly.

The cartridge assembly includes a clamp disposed within the saddle-shaped region to clamp the earlobe while holding it in place inside the cartridge assembly during piercing.

 In one embodiment of the invention, the ear piercing instrument is adapted to receive the cartridge assembly.

A plunger arrangement is mounted within the housing and can selectively drive the first or second piercing earring from the piercing earring retainer sub-assembly to snap into the associated claw.

 The ear piercing earring retainer sub-assembly includes a bullet-shaped cartridge housing the ear piercing earring. The bullet-shaped cartridge is slidably mounted inside the cartridge assembly, so that the bullet-shaped cartridge is moved inside the cartridge assembly toward the sub-assembly retaining clip, to eject the earring from the ear piercing earring retaining sub-assembly. The pusher arrangement includes a pusher having a return hook for returning the ball-shaped cartridge to the starting position.

The plunger arrangement also includes a plunger to bring the clip into a position where it maintains, by squeezing, the ear lobe before ejecting the ear piercing earring from the subassembly earring retainer.

 Therefore, the present invention relates to an improved piercing earring cartridge assembly and an ear piercing instrument for use with this cartridge.

 The present invention also relates to an improved cartridge assembly for an ear piercing earring which positions the ear relative to the ear piercing earring before piercing.

 The present invention also relates to an ear piercing earring cartridge assembly which is suitable for housing earrings of a wide variety of thicknesses while positioning the ear for a piercing.

 Another subject of the present invention is also a disposable earring cartridge assembly intended to be used with an ear piercing instrument configured to provide protection against contamination of all the areas concerned with the ear piercing instrument. near the earlobe during piercing.

 Another object of the present invention is a set of ear piercing earring cartridges which increases the desired precision of ear piercing.

 Another subject of the present invention is also a set of piercing earring cartridges using a sliding ball-shaped part, this part having a structure in the shape of a clam shell, articulated at its rear relative to its direction. slip to allow easy ejection of the ear piercing earring.

 The present invention also relates to an improved ear piercing instrument which reduces the number of manipulations of the ear piercing earring and of the assembly claw.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear in the description which will be given below and for which reference will be made to the accompanying drawings, in which
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the assembly of ear piercing earring cartridge and assembly claw mounted inside the ear piercing instrument produced according to the present invention;
Figure 2 is a top plan view of the cartridge assembly and the ear piercing instrument made in accordance with the present invention;
Figure 3 is a sectional view through 3-3 of Figure 2, the cartridge assembly being shown in exploded form;
Figure 4 is a sectional view through 4-4 of Figure 3 ;;
Figure 5 is an enlarged side sectional view of the cartridge assembly and the ear piercing device made in accordance with the present invention;
Figure 6 is a top plan view of the bullet-shaped cartridge in the open position and made in accordance with the present invention;
Figure 7 is an enlarged side sectional view of the instrument and the cartridge assembly, this view showing the ear lobe in a tight position;
Figure 8 is a sectional view through 8-8 of Figure 3;
Figure 9 is an enlarged side sectional view of the cartridge assembly and the ear piercing instrument made in accordance with the present invention, this view showing the bullet-shaped cartridge extending from the assembly cartridge;
Figure 10 is a sectional view through 10-10 of Figure 3 ;;
Figure 11 is an enlarged side sectional view of the cartridge assembly and the ear piercing instrument made in accordance with the present invention, this view showing the ejection of the ear piercing earring;
Figure 12 is a side sectional view of the ear piercing cartridge assembly and the ear piercing instrument made according to the present invention, this view showing the return of the bullet-shaped part to the 'inside the cartridge assembly;
Figure 13 is a sectional view through 13-13 of Figure II;
Figure 14 is a sectional view through 14-14 of Figure 5;
FIG. 15 is an exploded view of the ear piercing and claw earring cartridge assembly produced according to a second embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 16 is a view of a partial top plan view of the cartridge assembly and of the ear piercing device produced according to the second embodiment of the invention;
Figure 17 is an enlarged sectional view through 17-17 of Figure 16;
Figure 18 is a sectional view through 18-18 of Figure 17;
FIG. 19 is an enlarged sectional view of the cartridge assembly and of the ear piercing device produced according to the second embodiment of the invention, this view showing the pliers positioning an ear inside the cartridge ; and
FIG. 20 is a sectional view through 20-20 of FIG. 19.

 Referring now to Figures 1-6, we see that there is shown an ear piercing device made according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention and indicated generally by the reference 20. The ear piercing device 20 comprises a monobloc assembly 30 of ear piercing earring cartridge and assembly claw and an ear piercing instrument indicated generally by the reference 70.

The cartridge assembly 30 comprises a subassembly 40 for retaining an ear piercing earring and a subassembly for retaining a claw or a spring-loaded butterfly, indicated generally by the reference 60.

 The cartridge assembly 30 is formed from a one-piece molded part. The earring retaining sub-assembly 40 is separated from the claw retaining sub-assembly 60, a bottom wall 32 forming a saddle-shaped region 34 between these sub-assemblies.

A pivoting clamp 36 is fixed to the wall 32 inside the saddle-shaped region 34. Between the clamp 36 and the bottom wall 32 is formed a hinge 37 which allows the clamp 36 to move in the direction of the assembly claw retaining sub-assembly 60. The bottom wall 32 has a slot 33.

 The earring retaining subassembly 40 is integral with the bottom wall 32 and includes a front support wall 42 extending from this bottom wall and a housing 44 extending from the front support wall 42. Two holes 46 extend axially over the entire length of the housing 44 through the support wall 42 side by side in parallel. The housing 44 has a cavity 49 below the holes 46 (Figure 14). Opposite ramp-like retaining surfaces 43 extend inside the cavity 49.

 Reference will now be made specifically to FIGS. 3, 5 and 6, on which is shown a bullet-shaped cartridge 47 for an earring, this cartridge being formed by two half-walls 48a, 48b connected by a hinge 51. In an exemplary embodiment, the half-walls forming the bullet-shaped cartridge 47 are molded from a plastic material with a low coefficient of friction so as to define an interior surface with a low coefficient of friction. The half-wall 48a and the half-wall 48b are symmetrical and, consequently, the following description relating to the half-wall 48a is valid for the half-wall 48b and each element which is referenced there with the suffix (a) a a counterpart having the same reference with the suffix (b) unless otherwise specified.

For orientation purposes and to simplify the description of the half wall 48a, its length will be defined here as extending in the axial direction defined by the movement of the bullet-shaped cartridge 47 along the holes 46.

 The half-wall 48a comprises a slot 50a providing flexibility, a spherical wall 72a and an elongated channel 54a as well as a wall 56a. When the half-halves 48a and 48b are assembled, they jointly define with the walls 56a and 56b a cavity intended to receive an ear piercing earring 55 comprising a piercing pin rod 55a and a loop head 55b ear.

 The rear walls 56a, 56b are connected to each other by a hinge 51. Notches 57a, 57b are formed in the rear walls 56a, 56b, respectively, and define an opening 53 intended to receive a pusher 88 during the ear piercing operation. A lateral projection 58a extends along the half-wall 48a at the rear of the bullet-shaped cartridge 47. During the assembly of the earring retaining sub-assembly 40 and the assembly 30 cartridge, a piercing earring 55 is placed in one of the half-walls 48a or 48b. Then, the half-walls 48a, 48b are folded against each other by folding the hinge 51, so that the piercing earring 55 is disposed inside the bullet-shaped cartridge 47 .Position the piercing rod 55a so as to obtain an adjustment without play in the elongated channels 54a, 54b. The ear piercing earring head 55b rests against the rear walls 56a, 56b. The half-wall 48a has tenons 161 extending from this wall. The half-wall 48b has holes 163 dimensioned and arranged so as to receive the pins 161 which are embedded in these holes by pressure.

The pins 161 act in cooperation with the holes 163 to keep the bullet-shaped cartridge 47 closed until the earring is ejected.

 A corresponding cartridge 47 in the form of a ball is held inside each hole 46. The internal diameter of the hole 46 has dimensions which ensure an assembly under tension with the lateral projections 58a, 58b of the cartridge in the form of ball 47, while allowing the latter to slide through the hole 46, while it is kept oriented inside this hole 46. The lateral projections 58a, 58b are slidably arranged inside the hole 46 by partitions or ribs 46a, 46b formed in the hole 46.

A retaining lip 43 extends inwards, that is to say towards the axis of the hole 46, at the outlet end, in the direction of ejection, from the hole 46. The retaining lip 43 has dimensions such that it comes into contact with the lateral projections 58a, 58b acting as a stop to prevent the complete ejection of the bullet-shaped cartridge 47 during the piercing of the ear.

 The assembly claw retaining subassembly 60 comprises a claw housing 62 and claws 63. Each claw 63 is formed from a single piece of elastic metal having a C-shaped configuration forming two symmetrical loops 64 comprising ends 65. An opening 66 is made in the metal in order to receive the piercing rod 55a of the earring 55 and is coaxial with the space between the ends 65.

 The shoe housing 62 is a solid molded housing integral with the bottom wall 32. The housing 62 comprises two chambers 67a, 67b for shoe housing. The structure of the chamber 67a is identical to that of the chamber 67b and, therefore, to simplify the description, only the chamber 67a of claw housing will be described.

The same reference numbers are used to indicate similar elements.

 The claw housing chamber 67a is formed by a blind hole 68. A stud 69 protrudes from the blind hole 68 and extends so as to come to rest between the ends 65 of the loops 64 of each claw 63 to position and hold in place the claw 63 inside the chamber 67a. When the piercing rod 55a enters the opening 66 and continues to advance until it is between the ends 65 of the loops 64, the ends 65 deviate from one another and cease to 'be maintained by the stud 69. The piercing rod 55a comes into contact with the bottom of the blind hole 68, which stops this rod. Each claw chamber 67a, 67b is therefore configured so as to releasably hold therein the claw 63 until it is fixed to the piercing rod 55a of an earring after the lobe of the ear has been pierced. The claw housing 62 has a wall 61 extending rearward and delimiting the outline of this housing by forming a cavity inside this wall 61.

 We will now refer specifically to FIG. 3 for which there is shown an ear piercing instrument 70 comprising an envelope 72 comprising an actuator 74 which is received therein slidingly through an opening 73 and an arrangement housing 76 diver. The plunger arrangement box 76 is held inside the casing 72 by an attachment pin 78.

 The casing 72 is defined by a front wall 118 comprising openings 120a, 120b (FIG. 4) for the plunger and an opening 122 for the plunger which are formed therein. An anvil 124 is formed on the casing 72 and is separated from the front wall 118 by a cover plate 130, a saddle-shaped region 126 being formed between this wall and this plate. The cover plate 130 is fixed to the casing 72 by a screw 131. A retaining element 133 integral with the cover plate 130 is arranged so as to extend through a slot 33 in the bottom wall 32 of the cartridge assembly 30. Slots 135 are formed in the cover plate 130 to allow passage of an ejector 200. A stop member 128 extends from the cover plate 130 and cooperates with the retaining surfaces forming ramp 43 extending inside the cavity 45 when the cartridge assembly 30 is disposed in the saddle-shaped region 126 to prevent movement of this cartridge assembly 30.

 When the cartridge assembly 30 is disposed in the saddle-shaped region 126, the bottom or bottom wall 32 of the cartridge assembly covers the cover plate 130. The anvil 124 is received against the claw wall 61 to prevent sliding of the cartridge assembly 30. The retainer 133 bears against the front support wall 42 to prevent movement of the earring retainer sub-assembly 40. The openings 120a, 120b for the pusher are coaxial with the holes 46, which allows the pusher 88 to extend inside the housing 44 to eject the bullet-shaped cartridge 47. The pusher 88 is also coaxial with the hole 53 that comprises the bullet-shaped cartridge 47. Scalloped portions 38 are also coaxial with the holes 46, which allows the earring 55 to pass over the clip 36 when it is ejected.

The opening 122 is coaxial with the opening 45, which allows the plunger 86 to easily pass through this opening to come into contact with the clamp 36. The ejector 200 is a substantially U-shaped element and includes arms contact 202 (FIG. 14) and a base 204 extending through the saddle-shaped region of the casing 72. Edges 206 extend on either side of the base 204 and prevent the ejector 200 to pass entirely through the casing 72. A spring 208 disposed between a platform 130 and the flanges 206 urges the ejector 200 in a direction which moves it away from the platform 130. The arms 202 of the ejector extend through slots 134 , 135 of the platform 130 so that when the button 204 is pressed in the direction of the arrow J (FIG. 8), the contact arms 202 come into contact with the housing 44, which lifts the cartridge assembly 30 from the ear piercing instrument 70 by sliding the retaining surfaces forming a ramp 43 beyond the stop elements 128.

 The plunger arrangement housing 76 includes a plunger 86 and a pusher 88 which are slidably mounted within this plunger arrangement housing 76. The plunger arrangement housing 76 has a first hole 80 in which the plunger 86 is slidably mounted. A second hole 82 parallel to the hole 80 is formed in the plunger arrangement housing 76 for slidingly supporting the pusher 88. The hole 80 has an opening 81. The opening 81 has a diameter smaller than the hole 80, which forms a shoulder 83 inside the hole 80. Similarly, an opening 85 of the hole 82 has a diameter lower than the hole 82, which forms a shoulder 87.

 The pusher 88 has a groove 90 extending substantially over the entire length of this pusher. A hook 92 is pivotally mounted inside the groove 90 on a hinge pin 94 and pivots about this axis 94. A spring 96 mounted inside the groove 90 biases the hook 92 so that it comes out of the groove 90. The pusher 88 has a front part 91 and a rear part 93. The front part 91 has a diameter substantially equal to that of the opening 85 and can extend through the opening 85. The rear part 93 has a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the hole 82 and the shoulder 87 prevents it from leaving the hole 82.

 A plug 98 is disposed at an open end of the hole 85. The plug 98 has a fixing projection 100. The plug 98 also extends inside the actuator 74, so that a pressure applied to the actuator 74 pushes the plunger arrangement box 76 towards the opening 120. A spring 102 is disposed between the fixing projection 100 and the rear part 93 and pushes the pusher 88 through the opening 85. The spring 102 acts like a pusher stroke length compensator. Not all earring 55 earrings are the same length.

Consequently, for longer earrings, it is not necessary for the pusher 88 to extend over the entire length from the casing 72 during the piercing operation. Once the piercing rod 55a has struck the rear wall of the blind hole 68, no additional drive by the pusher 88 is necessary. The spring 102 contracts by allowing the pusher 88 to go back inside the hole 82, which prevents the pusher 88 from driving the earring 55 too abruptly, which, in turn, prevents damage of this earring 55. The spring 102 acting inside the hole 82 therefore adapts the drive length of the pusher 88 for each length of earring, which provides this pusher 88 with a drive force and an appropriate drive length.

 The plunger 86 has a front portion 104 having a diameter substantially equal to that of the opening 81 and the opening 122 in order to pass through the latter. The plunger 86 also comprises a rear portion 106 having a diameter substantially equal to the internal diameter of the hole 80, so that the shoulder 83 acts as a stop preventing the plunger 86 from passing entirely out of the hole 80.

A plunger stopper 108 disposed inside the hole 80 has at one of its ends a fixing projection 110 extending inside the hole 80. A spring 112 intended to urge the plunger 86 towards the opening 122 is fixed at one of its ends by the fixing projection 110 and at its other end by a rear part 106. In a preferred embodiment, the spring 112 has a lower biasing force than that of the spring 102. The spring 112 acts in a similar manner to that of spring 102 and prevents the plunger 86 from exerting too great a force on the clamp 36. The plunger 86 comes into contact with the clamp 36 and moves it into a position where it clamps an ear lobe 148 against the claw retaining sub-assembly 60, the movement of the clamp 36 stopping at an over-clamped clamping or pinching pressure. As the actuator 74 exerts a pressure continuously, the spring 112 is understood imé, which prevents that additional pressure is applied to the plunger 86, thus preventing it from exerting too great a clamping pressure. The spring 112 absorbs the excess driving force applied to the clamp 36 by the plunger 86.

 The actuator 74 has a fixing projection 113 and the casing 72 has a fixing projection 114. A spring 116 extends from the fixing projection 112 to the fixing projection 114 in order to urge the actuator 74 in a direction which moves it away from the envelope 72 and causes it to return to a position of inaction.

 The actuator 74 has a recess 134. A button 136 is rotatably mounted inside the recess 134. The button 136 has a substantially circular shape complementary to the shape of the recess 134 so that it can rotate in this last.

The recess 134 has a stop element 138. The button 136 has an annular notch 140 extending along a part of its circumference. The annular notch 140 does not extend entirely around the recesses 146, so that walls 142a, 142b are formed at one and the other end of the notch 140.

A projecting finger 144 is formed on the button 136 substantially at 1800 opposite the annular notch 140 relative to the center, so as to facilitate the rotation of the button 136. The button 136 can be rotated in one or the another direction of the arrow B with two points.

When the button 136 is rotated, the wall 142b or the wall 142a approaches the stop element 138 and comes into contact with the latter, which prevents any other rotation of the button 136.

 The button 136 has a square recess 146. A tenon 143 extends from the plunger stopper 108 into the recess 146. The contour of the tenon 143 is also square, which means that a rotation of the button 136 rotates the plunger plug 108 and thereby rotates the plunger arrangement housing 76 (Figure 10) around the plunger 86. The plunger 86 forms the center of the axis of rotation of the plunger arrangement housing 76. The plunger arrangement box 76 rotates in the direction of either arrow C or arrow D (FIG. 10) bringing the pusher 88 in axial alignment with either of the openings 120a or 120b , respectively, when the corresponding one of the respective walls 142a, 142b comes into contact with the stop element 138.

 We will now refer to Figures 3, 5, 7 and 9 to explain the operation of the ear piercing instrument 70. Before operation, an ear-piercing earring 55 is placed inside the half-wall 48b of the bullet-shaped cartridge 47. The half-wall 48a is then pivoted around the hinge 51 The ball-shaped cartridge 47 is then placed inside the earring retaining sub-assembly 40. A spring claw or butterfly is placed inside the claw retaining sub-assembly 60. The entire cartridge is sterilized and shipped.

 At the place of use, the cartridge 30 is placed inside the saddle-shaped region 126 and the ramp-shaped surfaces 43 are held in place by the stop or hooking elements 128, the wall 61 of the claw retaining sub-assembly bears against the anvil 124, thereby holding the cartridge 30 in place inside the saddle-shaped region 126 of the ear piercing instrument 70.

 By way of example, to start drilling, the button 136 is placed in the left position of the arrow B, as seen in FIG. 8, so that the pusher 88 is in the vicinity of the opening 120a and be coaxial with this opening (Figure 5). At the same time, the plunger 86 is located in the vicinity of the opening 45 and is coaxial with this opening inside the cartridge assembly 30.

 The plunger 86 extends further than the pusher 88 and precedes this pusher 88 when the actuator 74 is actuated. A clamping pressure is applied to the actuator 74 which displaces the actuator 74 through the opening 73 as far as in the envelope 72. As the actuator 74 enters the envelope 72, a force is applied in the direction of the arrow E, which has the effect of displacing the plunger 86 and the pusher 88 in the direction arrow E. The plunger 86 comes to bear against the clamp 36 by moving the latter from a first rest position towards the anvil 124 until in a second clamping position of the earlobe 148 between this clamp 36 and the means 60 for retaining the claw cartridge. Simultaneously, the pusher 88 crosses the opening 120a and comes to bear against the ball-shaped cartridge 47 and pushes the latter in the direction of arrow F (FIG. 7). As the bullet-shaped cartridge 47 slides inside the hole 46, this cartridge extends out of the hole 46 in the direction of the earlobe 148. The elongated channel or groove 54 formed at the front end, in the direction of movement, the bullet-shaped cartridge 47 contributes to directing this bullet-shaped cartridge 47 towards the ear lobe 148.

 As the actuator 74 continues to be pressed, the pusher 88 continues to slide the bullet-shaped cartridge 47 through the hole 46 until the lateral projections 58a, 58b meet a retaining lip 43, which stops any further sliding of this bullet-shaped cartridge 47. Simultaneously, the plunger 46 continues to apply pressure to the clamp 36, which keeps the ear in place. However, the pressure exerted on the ear lobe 148 does not increase appreciably, because the spring 112 of weaker force absorbs the force as the actuator 74 is compressed in the envelope 72, which makes that the clamp 36 acts as a stop for the plunger 86 in cooperation with the spring 112, whereby no exaggerated pressure is applied to the ear lobe 148.

 As the actuator 74 continues to move inside the envelope 72, the force exerted on the pusher 88 has the effect of moving the latter through the opening 53 formed by the notches 57a, 57b. The hook 92 which has an inclined front surface slides upwards and over the rear wall 56b of the bullet-shaped cartridge 47 which enters the opening 53 and is then returned to its lowered position by the biasing force applied by spring 96.

 The pusher 88 comes into contact with the ear piercing earring head 55b by pushing this head 55b through the bullet-shaped cartridge 47, which has the effect of separating the rib-shaped walls 52a , 52b in the directions of the arrows G, H (Figure 13). The slots 50a, 50b which provide flexibility close as the rib-shaped walls 52a, 52b are opened by the earring 55b, thereby ensuring a certain clearance to allow the walls to be separated into bullet shape 52a, 52b. The piercing rod 55a extends beyond the notched part 38 of the clamp 36, pierces the ear lobe 148 and is held in place by the ends 65 of the claw 63 and comes into contact with the rear of the blind hole 68. The blind hole 68 acts as an abutment with respect to the piercing rod 55a by preventing any other entrainment thereof by the pusher 88. The spring 102 absorbs the driving force continuing to be applied, which adjusts the stroke length of the drive force to prevent overshoot. By separating the ends 65 of the claw 63, the tension between the ends 65 and the stud 69 is released, which makes it possible to remove the claw 63 from the chamber 67a for claw housing.

 The actuator 74 is then released. The spring 116 provides a biasing force which pushes the actuator 74 out of the casing 72. The plunger 86 is coupled to the actuator 74 by means of a plunger plug 108 and the pusher 88 is fixed to the actuator 72 by means of the plug 98, which means that when the actuator 74 moves in a direction opposite to that of arrow E, the plunger 86 and the pusher 88 are returned to the envelope 72.

 When the pusher 88 is recalled, the hook 92 hooks the rear wall 56b of the bullet-shaped cartridge 47 by sliding this cartridge in the direction of arrow I (FIG. 12) inside the hole 46. The cartridge in bullet shape 47 closes as it moves back inside the hole 46. Once the rear wall 56a, 56b has come into contact with the front wall 118, the bullet-shaped cartridge 47 can no longer continue to move in the direction of arrow I. The rear surface 92a of the hook 92 is slightly inclined at a small angle of approximately 60, which allows it to slide above the rear wall 56b inside the groove 90, so as to slide through the opening 53 formed by the notches 57a, 57b. The pusher 88 comes into the position shown in FIG. 5.

 To form a second hole in an earlobe using the second ear piercing earring contained in the cartridge 30, the knob 136 is rotated in the opposite direction of the arrow B, which rotates the housing 76 for plunger arrangement until the stop element 138 comes into contact with the wall 142a, so that the pusher 88 is now arranged coaxially with the opening 120b. The operation described above is then repeated to eject the second ear piercing earring 55 contained in the cartridge assembly 30.

 When the two piercing earrings 55 have been expelled, the cartridge 72 is ejected from the envelope 72 by exerting pressure on the ejector 200. This has the effect of dislodging the cartridge assembly 30 from the envelope 72, which means that if the operator makes an ear piercing near the place of rejection, such as a trash can, it is sufficient for the operator to actuate the ejector 200 by pressing the button 204 to cause the cartridge to fall in the bin without having to touch the used cartridge yet, which prevents contamination of the operator piercing the ear. The spring 208 returns the ejector 200 to its rest position.

 It should also be noted that, as can be seen in Figures 2 and 3, the cartridge 30 surrounds the saddle-shaped region 126 of the ear piercing instrument 70. Consequently, since it is dimensioned so as to have at least the same extent as the platform 130, the anvil 124 and the front wall 118, the cartridge assembly 30 acts as a screen against projections, which substantially eliminates any risk of blood or body fluid projected against the ear piercing instrument 70 being transmitted to the next user of the ear piercing instrument 70.

 By making an ear piercing instrument comprising a pusher which can pivot around a plunger so that the pusher can be moved from a first position located behind a first earring coaxial to a sub-assembly hole earring retainer to a second position behind a second earring coaxial with a second sub-assembly hole without touching the earring retaining sub-assembly, a piercing device is obtained ear that effectively eliminates any manipulation of the cartridge assembly after sterilization. By providing a clamp, which is made active before the ear is pierced, the tripping and alignment defect is reduced because the ear lobe is now locked in place during piercing. In addition, by using a bullet-shaped cartridge in which the hinge is formed at the rear of this cartridge and not at the front thereof, it is no longer necessary to break the hinge when the piercing has place, this allowing a continuous and easy piercing movement further preventing that the triggering is missed or that the operator experiences difficulties.

 We will now refer to FIGS. 15-20 in which an embodiment of the disposable monobloc assembly of a piercing earring and claw or spring-loaded butterfly cartridge (cartridge assembly) is shown. generally by the reference 230. The cartridge assembly 230 has a construction similar to that of the cartridge assembly 30, the main difference being the mounting of the clamp inside the saddle-shaped region, so that this clip slides inside this region instead of pivoting around a hinge. The same reference numerals are used to indicate similar structures.

 The cartridge assembly 230 is also formed from a single molded part comprising an earring retaining sub-assembly 40 separated from a claw retaining sub-assembly 60, or spring-loaded butterfly, by a lower partition. 232. A pair of spaced guide rails 234 are integral with the bottom wall 232 and extend along this bottom wall 232 in the direction of movement of the ball-shaped earring cartridges 47.

An upper wall or cover 244 extends from the rails 234 by forming an overlap and extends as far as the front support wall 42 of the earring retaining sub-assembly 40 by forming an opening 237 in the latter. The opening 237 is coaxial, in part, with the plunger opening 122.

 A clamp 238 has notches 240 on both of its sides. Notches 240 are coaxial with the claw chambers 67a, 67b of the claw retaining subassembly 60. A tunnel 236 extends from a wall 246 formed at the base of the clamp 238. The tunnel 236 and the rear wall 246 have dimensions which make it possible to arrange them slidingly between the rails 234 while being wide enough to be guided along the bottom wall 232 by the rails 234. The tunnel 236 has a length sufficient to allow at least to receive part of this tunnel inside the cover 244 and the opening 237. The tunnel 236 and, at in turn, the clamp 238, are guided, in their movement, along the lower wall 232 in the direction of the arrow M and the arrow N to selectively clamp an earlobe 148 between the clamp 138 and the housing 62 of pliers.

 Part of the tunnel 238 has an internal profile 242 in a keyhole. The keyhole 242 is dimensioned so as to have a radius slightly less than the radius of the plunger 86 at a location in the tunnel 236 which is coaxial with the plunger 86. Therefore, a friction fit exists between the plunger 86 and the keyhole 242 of the tunnel 236 when the plunger 86 enters this tunnel 236 during operation.

 The operation of the ear piercing and claw earring cartridge assembly 230 is similar to that of the ear piercing and claw earring cartridge assembly 30. While the ear piercing instrument 70 is made active, the plunger 86 extends through the opening 122 and moves in the direction of the cartridge assembly 230. Before use, the clamp 238 is located in the position shown in FIG. 17. The plunger 86 enters the keyhole 242 of the tunnel 236, an adjustment and a friction being formed between this plunger and this keyhole. This friction adjustment has the effect that the plunger 86 pushes the clamp 238 in the direction of the arrow M in the direction of the claw retaining sub-assembly 60. During this movement, the clamp 238 is guided along the bottom wall 232 by interaction of the rails 234 and of the upper wall 244 with the rear wall 246 and the tunnel 236.

 The plunger 86 continues to push the clamp 238 in the direction of the arrow M until it comes into contact with an earlobe 148 and pushes it into the appropriate piercing position between this clamp 238 and the housing 62 of claw (Figure 19).

The spring 112 still prevents the plunger 86 from pushing the clamp 238 with too great a force while avoiding aching the ear lobe 148.

The pusher 88 then ejects an earring cartridge 47 which has released an earring through the corresponding notch 240 of the clamp 238 to pierce the ear lobe 148.

 Once the piercing is completed, the pusher 88 recalls the bullet-shaped cartridge 47 in the cartridge assembly 230 while, at the same time, the plunger 86 is returned to its starting position. The friction adjustment between the plunger 86 and the keyhole 242 of the tunnel 236 has the effect of returning the clamp 238 in the direction of the arrow N to the starting position (FIG. 17). The plunger 86 continues to move the clamp 238 in the direction of the arrow N until a stop 239 formed on the tunnel 236 comes into contact with the upper wall 244 preventing any other movement of the pusher 238. biasing of the spring 116 bringing the plunger 86 to a starting position is greater than the friction force between the plunger 86 and the keyhole 242, so that the plunger 86 is released from the keyhole 242 with the consequence that all elements are returned to the return position.

 By using forceps slidably disposed along a saddle-shaped region bottom wall within a cartridge assembly, this forceps is best suited to accommodate a wide range of lobe thicknesses. ear because the clamp is no longer locked in position at the pivot point. The width between the clamp and the claw is only limited by the size of the saddle-shaped region itself.

 It is understood that the foregoing description has been given purely by way of non-limiting illustration and that variants or modifications may be made thereto within the framework of the present invention.

Claims (1)

 CLAIM Bullet-shaped cartridge (47) for retaining an ear piercing earring (55), characterized in that it comprises a first half-wall (48a) and a second half-wall (48b), said first half-wall having a first rear surface (56a), said second half-wall having a second rear surface (56b); a hinge (51) formed between said first rear surface and said second rear surface and joining said first half-wall and second half-wall, a first notch (57a) formed in said first rear surface and a second notch (57b) formed in said second rear surface, said first cut and said second cut forming an opening in said bullet-shaped cartridge.