U.S. patent application number 11/472781 was filed with the patent office on 2006-12-28 for interchangeable semi-mount ring system and method for selling rings.
This patent application is currently assigned to Sol Savranksy Diamonds, Inc.. Invention is credited to Eli Savransky.
Application Number | 20060288734 11/472781 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37565670 |
Filed Date | 2006-12-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060288734 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Savransky; Eli |
December 28, 2006 |
Interchangeable semi-mount ring system and method for selling
rings
Abstract
A semi-mount ring system includes a set of semi-mount shanks and
a set of semi-mount heads. Each semi-mount shank includes a
substantially similar head mounting mechanism. Each semi-mount head
includes a stone mounting mechanism, one or more stones or the like
secured within the stone mounting mechanism, and a substantially
similar shank mounting mechanism. The head mounting mechanism of
the shanks and the shank mounting mechanism of the heads are of a
mating form, thereby allowing any semi-mount head to be detachably
secured to any semi-mount shank to form a ring that has the
appearance of a completed ring. In this fashion, a customer, for
example, may select a custom ring and view the ring in its final
form before the ring is completed.
Inventors: |
Savransky; Eli; (Stamford,
CT) |
Correspondence
Address: |
OSTROLENK FABER GERB & SOFFEN
1180 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS
NEW YORK
NY
100368403
US
|
Assignee: |
Sol Savranksy Diamonds,
Inc.
|
Family ID: |
37565670 |
Appl. No.: |
11/472781 |
Filed: |
June 22, 2006 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60693150 |
Jun 23, 2005 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
63/15 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A44C 9/00 20130101; A44C
17/0216 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
063/015 |
International
Class: |
A44C 9/00 20060101
A44C009/00 |
Claims
1. A semi-mount ring system comprising: a shank having a head
mounting mechanism; a head having a stone mounting mechanism, a
stone secured within the stone mounting mechanism, and a shank
mounting mechanism secured to the stone mounting mechanism; and
wherein the head mounting mechanism and the shank mounting
mechanism are configured to have a mating and connectable form such
that the head can be connected to the shank to form a ring.
2. The semi-mount ring system of claim 1, wherein the head mounting
mechanism and the shank mounting mechanism are further configured
such that once the head is connected to the shank, the head can
thereafter be detached from the shank.
3. The semi-mount ring system of claim 2, wherein the head mounting
mechanism and the shank mounting mechanism are further configured
to form a friction-type fit when the head is connected to the
shank.
4. The semi-mount ring system of claim 2, wherein the ring has an
appearance of a custom one piece casting.
5. The semi-mount ring system of claim 1, wherein the stone
mounting mechanism is at least one selected from the group
consisting of a bezel setting, a channel setting, a tension
setting, and a prong setting.
6. The semi-mount ring system of claim 1, wherein the stone is at
least one selected from the group consisting of a precious stone, a
semiprecious stone, a pearl, and a synthetic stone.
7. The semi-mount ring system of claim 1, further comprising a
plurality of heads of different appearances and each including the
shank mounting mechanism in a substantially similar form such that
any of the plurality of heads can be connected to the shank.
8. The semi-mount ring system of claim 1, further comprising a
plurality of shanks of different appearances and each including the
head mounting mechanism in a substantially similar form such that
the head can be connected to any of the plurality of shanks.
9. The semi-mount ring system of claim 1, further comprising: a
plurality of heads of different appearances; a plurality of shanks
of different appearances; and wherein each of the plurality of
heads includes the shank mounting mechanism in a substantially
similar form and each of the plurality of shanks includes the head
mounting mechanism in a substantially similar form such that any of
the plurality of heads can be connected to any of the plurality of
shanks.
10. The semi-mount ring system of claim 9, wherein the plurality of
heads have different appearances as a result of varying among the
plurality heads at least one selected from the group consisting of
a type of stone, a shape of stone, a size of stone, and a number
stones.
11. The semi-mount ring system of claim 1, wherein the shank
includes a void and wherein the head mounting mechanism is situated
within the void.
12. The semi-mount ring system of claim 11, wherein the head is
configured such that when the head is connected to the shank to
form the ring, portions of the head substantially abut walls of the
void.
13. The semi-mount ring system of claim 11, wherein the head
includes one or more spacers secured to the stone mounting
mechanism such that when the head is connected to the shank to form
the ring, the one or more spacers substantially abut the walls of
the void.
14. The semi-mount ring system of claim 12, wherein the ring has an
appearance of a custom one piece casting.
15. The semi-mount ring system of claim 1, wherein the head
includes one or more spacers secured to one or more sides of the
stone mounting mechanism.
16. The semi-mount ring system of claim 1, wherein one of the head
mounting mechanism and the shank mounting mechanism includes a
bridge and one of the head mounting mechanism and the shank
mounting mechanism includes a channel, and wherein the channel and
the bridge are configured such that the channel can receive the
bridge and thereby connect the head to the shank to form the
ring.
17. The semi-mount ring system of claim 16, wherein the channel and
the bridge are further configured such that the bridge can be
removed from the channel, thereby detaching the head from the
shank.
18. The semi-mount ring system of claim 17, wherein the ring has an
appearance of a custom one piece casting.
19. The semi-mount ring system of claim 16, wherein one of the head
mounting mechanism and the shank mounting mechanism includes an
opening and one of the head mounting mechanism and the shank
mounting mechanism includes a pin, and wherein the opening and the
pin are configured such that the opening can receive the pin when
the channel receives the bridge to form the ring.
20. The semi-mount ring system of claim 16, wherein the head
mounting mechanism includes the bridge and the shank mounting
mechanism includes the channel.
21. The semi-mount ring system of claim 20, wherein one of the head
mounting mechanism and the shank mounting mechanism includes an
opening and one of the head mounting mechanism and the shank
mounting mechanism includes a pin, and wherein the opening and the
pin are configured such that the opening can receive the pin when
the channel receives the bridge to form the ring.
22. The semi-mount ring system of claim 21, wherein the head
mounting mechanism includes the opening and the shank mounting
mechanism includes the pin.
23. The semi-mount ring system of claim 16, further comprising: a
plurality of heads of different appearances; a plurality of shanks
of different appearances; and wherein each of the plurality of
heads includes the shank mounting mechanism in a substantially
similar form and each of the plurality of shanks includes the head
mounting mechanism in a substantially similar form such that any of
the plurality of heads can be connected to any of the plurality of
shanks.
24. The semi-mount ring system of claim 1, wherein one of the head
mounting mechanism and the shank mounting mechanism includes an
opening and one of the head mounting mechanism and the shank
mounting mechanism includes a pin, and wherein the opening and the
pin are configured such that the opening can receive the pin and
thereby connect the head to the shank to form the ring.
25. The semi-mount ring system of claim 24, wherein the head
mounting mechanism includes the opening and the shank mounting
mechanism includes the pin.
26. The semi-mount ring system of claim 24, wherein the ring has an
appearance of a custom one piece casting.
27. The semi-mount ring system of claim 24, further comprising: a
plurality of heads of different appearances; a plurality of shanks
of different appearances; and wherein each of the plurality of
heads includes the shank mounting mechanism in a substantially
similar form and each of the plurality of shanks includes the head
mounting mechanism in a substantially similar form such that any of
the plurality of heads can be connected to any of the plurality of
shanks.
28. A method for selling rings to a customer comprising the steps
of: displaying to the customer a plurality of shanks, wherein each
shank includes a substantially similar head mounting mechanism;
displaying to the customer a plurality of heads, wherein each head
includes a stone mounting mechanism, a stone secured within the
stone mounting mechanism, and a substantially similar shank
mounting mechanism secured to the stone mounting mechanism; and
wherein the substantially similar head mounting mechanisms among
the plurality of shanks and the substantially similar shank
mounting mechanisms among the plurality of heads are configured to
have a mating and connectable form such that any of the plurality
of heads can be detachably connected to any of the plurality of
shanks.
29. The method for selling rings of claim 28, further comprising
the step of detachably connecting a selected head to a selected
shank to form a ring.
30. The method for selling rings of claim 29, wherein the formed
ring has an appearance of a custom one piece casting.
31. The method for selling rings of claim 29, further comprising
the steps of: disconnecting the selected head from the selected
shank; and detachably connecting any of the plurality heads to any
of the plurality shanks to form another ring.
32. The method for selling rings of claim 28, further comprising
the steps of: permanently securing a selected head to a selected
shank to form a ring; and selling the formed ring to the
customer.
33. The method for selling rings of claim 28, further comprising,
once the customer selects a head and selects a shank, the steps of:
redisplaying the selected head and the selected shank; and forming
a ring for sale to the customer, the customer's ring having an
appearance substantially similar to an appearance of the selected
head connected to the selected shank.
34. The method for selling rings of claim 33, wherein the stone of
the selected head is a synthetic stone and the stone of the
customer's ring is one selected from the group consisting of a
precious stone and a semiprecious stone.
35. The method of selling rings of claim 33, wherein the forming
step is performed by a supplier of the plurality of displayed heads
and the plurality of displayed shanks.
36. The method of selling rings of claim 33, wherein the forming
step includes the step of forming the customer's ring from stocked
replicas of the selected head and the selected shank.
37. The method of selling rings of claim 28, wherein each of the
substantially similar head mounting mechanisms includes a bridge
and each of the substantially similar shank mounting mechanisms
includes a channel, and wherein the channels and bridges are
configured such that any of the channels can receive any of the
bridges and thereby detachably connect any of the plurality of
heads to any of the plurality of shanks.
38. The method of selling rings of claim 37, wherein each of the
substantially similar head mounting mechanisms further includes an
opening and each of the substantially similar shank mounting
mechanisms includes a pin, and wherein the openings and pins are
configured such that any of the openings can receive any of the
pins when any of the channels receives any of the bridges.
39. The method of selling rings of claim 28, wherein each of the
substantially similar head mounting mechanisms includes an opening
and each of the substantially similar shank mounting mechanisms
includes a pin, and wherein the openings and pins are configured
such that any of the openings can receive any of the pins and
thereby detachably connect any of the plurality of heads to any of
the plurality of shanks.
40. The method of selling rings of claim 28, wherein each of the
plurality of heads has a different appearance as a result of
varying among the plurality heads at least one selected from the
group consisting of a type of stone, a shape of stone, a size of
stone, and a number of stones.
41. The method for selling rings of claim 28, wherein the
substantially similar head mounting mechanisms and the
substantially similar shank mounting mechanisms are configured to
form a friction-type fit when any of the plurality of heads is
detachably connected to any of the plurality of shanks.
42. A method for forming a ring, the ring comprising: a shank
having a head mounting mechanism; a head having a stone mounting
mechanism, a stone secured within the stone mounting mechanism, and
a shank mounting mechanism secured to the stone mounting mechanism;
wherein the head mounting mechanism and the shank mounting
mechanism are configured to have a mating and connectable form, and
wherein said method comprises: aligning the head mounting mechanism
and the shank mounting mechanism; and connecting the head mounting
mechanism and the shank mounting mechanism to form the ring.
43. The method of claim 42, further comprising the step of
permanently securing the head to the shank.
44. The method of claim 42, wherein one of the head mounting
mechanism and the shank mounting mechanism includes a bridge and
one of the head mounting mechanism and the shank mounting mechanism
includes a channel, and wherein the channel and the bridge are
configured such that the channel can receive the bridge and thereby
connect the head to the shank to form the ring.
45. The method of claim 42, wherein one of the head mounting
mechanism and the shank mounting mechanism includes an opening and
one of the head mounting mechanism and the shank mounting mechanism
includes a pin, and wherein the opening and the pin are configured
such that the opening can receive the pin and thereby connect the
head to the shank to form the ring.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is based on and claims priority to U.S.
Provisional Application No. 60/693,150, filed on Jun. 23, 2005, by
Eli Savransky, entitled, "INTERCHANGEABLE SEMI-MOUNT RING," the
contents of which are herein incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to semi-mount rings, and in
particular, to a ring system that includes semi-mount shanks that
can be interchangeably connected with semi-mount heads having
stones or the like secured therein and to methods for selling
rings.
[0004] 2. Description of the Art
[0005] A ring, such as an engagement ring, may include a shank, a
head secured to the shank, and a focal stone, such as a diamond,
secured/mounted within the head. In general, the shank is the
portion of the ring that fits around one's finger. The head
includes a mechanism, such as a plurality prongs, that holds the
focal stone and thereby secures or mounts the stone to the
shank.
[0006] Jewelers often sell rings, such as custom engagement rings,
by displaying to prospective customers numerous semi-mount shanks
of different styles and by separately displaying a variety of
individual loose focal stones of different styles (i.e., stones
that are not secured to a head or a shank). More specifically, a
semi-mount shank is a shank that does not include a focal stone set
therein. For example, a semi-mount shank may include an integral
head secured thereto, the head simply being a set of prongs, for
example, into which a focal stone may thereafter be placed and
secured. Alternatively, a semi-mount shank may be a shank with a
gap or opening therein, into which gap or opening a head and a
focal stone may thereafter be secured. In general, each of the
semi-mount shanks displayed by the jeweler may be of a different
style with each shank including, for example, a different
decorative pattern etched thereon, and/or one or more secondary
stones secured thereto in various fashions. Each of the focal
stones displayed by the jeweler may be of a different type, shape,
and/or size, for example
[0007] By displaying to prospective customers different styles of
semi-mount shanks and different varieties of loose focal stones,
jewelers allow customers to select a desired shank and a desired
stone to form a custom ring. More specifically, when selling rings
in this fashion, a prospective customer traditionally views the
different shanks and loose stones and selects a possible desired
combination. In order to demonstrate to the customer how the final
ring may appear once the stone is mounted within the head and to
the shank, the jeweler often thereafter grabs the selected stone
with a pair of tweezers and holds the stone over the shank and/or
head. Alternatively, the jeweler may simply place/rest the stone
atop the head. If the customer is unhappy with the selected
combination, the customer may thereafter select a different shank
and/or stone, with the jeweler then repeating the above process.
Once the customer is satisfied with the selected combination, the
jeweler thereafter mounts the stone within a head and secures the
head to the shank.
[0008] In general, displaying and selling rings in the above
fashion is advantageous in that a customer is able to select a
custom ring and a jeweler is able to maintain a limited sized
inventory (i.e., the jeweler only needs to maintain a single
version of each shank and a single variation of each stone, for
example). Nonetheless, selling rings in this fashion has several
drawbacks. For example, because the selected focal stone is not
actually mounted within a head and secured to the selected
semi-mount shank, the customer often gets only a crude view of how
the final ring may appear once the stone is actually permanently
mounted within the head and shank. Similarly, the customer often
has difficulty viewing the ring because the jeweler often has
difficulty holding the focal stone steady in the shank or head. In
addition, because the focal stone is not secured to the shank, the
customer is not able to easily handle the ring or place the ring on
a finger and thereafter move the ring to get different perspectives
of the ring.
[0009] As an alternative to selling rings by displaying to
prospective customers different semi-mount shanks and different
individual loose focal stones as described above, a jeweler may
maintain and display several "ring series". In general, a ring
series is a set of finished/completed rings each having the same
style shank and with each shank having a different type, shape,
and/or size focal stone mounted therein. Accordingly, a jeweler may
maintain several ring series, each series having a different style
shank and with each ring within a series having a different style
stone, for example. The jeweler may display to prospective
customers each of the rings within each of the series, thereby
allowing a customer to select a custom ring. Advantageously, as
compared to above, using ring series to sell rings allows the
customer to easily see and handle the rings in a completed
form.
[0010] Nonetheless, selling custom rings by using ring series has
several drawbacks. Specifically, rather than simply maintaining a
single semi-mount shank of a given style and several stones of
different types, shapes, and/or sizes, the jeweler must now
maintain a large inventory of finished rings. This inventory may
require a substantial investment cost for the jeweler, may be
difficult to physically display given limited space, and may also
create additional work in having to manage the inventory.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a ring system that
overcomes the above and other disadvantages of the prior art.
According to an embodiment of the invention, a semi-mount ring
system includes a semi-mount shank and a separate semi-mount head.
The semi-mount shank includes a body and a head mounting mechanism
integral with the body. The semi-mount head includes a stone
mounting mechanism (e.g., prongs), a focal stone or the like
secured/mounted within the stone mounting mechanism, and a shank
mounting mechanism secured to the stone mounting mechanism.
[0012] According to an embodiment of the invention, the head
mounting mechanism of the semi-mount shank and the shank mounting
mechanism of the semi-mount head are configured such that the head
mounting mechanism may receive the shank mounting mechanism in
order to attach the head to the shank to form a ring. The head
mounting mechanism and shank mounting mechanism are also configured
such that the head may thereafter be removed from the shank,
thereby again forming two separate units. According to an
embodiment of the invention, the head mounting mechanism and shank
mounting mechanism may also be configured such that when the head
is detachably secured to the shank, the head and shank are
interconnected in a stable fashion so that the resulting ring may
be moved without concern of the head disconnecting from the shank.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the head mounting
mechanism and shank mounting mechanism may also be configured such
that when the head is detachably secured to the shank, the ring has
a clean and finished appearance as if the ring were in a final
form, even though it is not. According to an embodiment of the
invention, the semi-mount shank and semi-mount head may be
configured such that when detachably secured to form the ring, the
shank and head have the appearance of being one continuous piece of
metal for example, thereby resulting in a ring that has the
stylistic appearance of being a "custom one piece casting".
[0013] According to an embodiment of the invention, a jewelry
store, department store, vendor at a trade show, etc. (hereinafter
collectively referred to as a retailer) may provide or display to
prospective customers for example, a plurality of semi-mount shanks
of different styles and a plurality of semi-mount heads each with a
focal stone or the like pre-mounted therein of a different type,
size, and/or style, for example. According to an embodiment of the
invention, each of the plurality of semi-mount shanks provided or
displayed by the retailer has a substantially identical head
mounting mechanism, irrespective of how the remainder of the shank
is shaped or designed. Similarly, each of the plurality of
semi-mount heads provided or displayed by the retailer has a
substantially identical shank mounting mechanism, irrespective of
the type, style, and/or size of the stone pre-mounted therein. In
addition, the head mounting mechanism and shank mounting mechanism
of each of the provided or displayed shanks and heads are of a
mating-form, as described above. In this way and according to an
embodiment of the invention, a retailer may provide or display to
prospective customers different semi-mount shanks and different
semi-mount heads with different stones mounted therein and allow
the customers to interchangeably mix and match any of the heads
with any of the shanks in order to form any number of different
custom rings, each ring having the head detachably secured to the
shank and each ring having a clean and finished appearance.
[0014] As such and according to an embodiment of the invention, a
prospective customer may view a plurality of displayed semi-mount
shanks and semi-mount heads and select any one of the semi-mount
shanks and any one of the semi-mount heads. Through the head
mounting mechanism and shank mounting mechanism of the selected
shank and head, the head may thereafter be secured to the shank to
form a complete ring. According to an embodiment of the invention,
the customer may thereafter hold and view the ring, and move the
ring without concern that the head or stone will disconnect from
the shank. In addition, according to an embodiment of the
invention, the ring may have a clean and finished appearance as if
the ring where in a final form, even though the ring is technically
not finished, allowing the customer to easily see how the ring will
appear once completed.
[0015] Assuming the selected shank and/or head do not meet the
customer's preference, the head and shank may be detached and a
different head and/or shank detachably connected. Such a process
may continue until the customer finds a desired combination of a
head and a shank. Thereafter and according to an embodiment of the
invention, a finished ring may be formed by soldering, for example,
the selected head to the shank.
[0016] Accordingly, the semi-mount ring system of the present
invention has the advantage of allowing a retailer, for example, to
easily and conveniently show a prospective customer numerous
different custom rings. The semi-mount ring system also has the
advantage of allowing the customer to easily see how each custom
ring will appear once completed. In addition, the present invention
also allows a customer to handle and try each ring on a hand to
further visualize how the ring will appear, without the jeweler
having to hold the stone. In addition, the present invention allows
a retailer to sell numerous styles of custom rings while
maintaining, if desired, a limited sized inventory.
[0017] Other features and advantages of the present invention will
become apparent from the following description of the invention,
which refers to the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] FIG. 1A shows a front view of a semi-mount ring system that
includes a semi-mount shank and a semi-mount head with a stone
mounted therein according to an embodiment of the invention.
[0019] FIG. 1B shows a front view of the semi-mount shank and
semi-mount head of FIG. 1A in an assemble configuration according
to an embodiment of the invention.
[0020] FIGS. 2A-2Q show top and front views of different semi-mount
shanks according to an embodiment of the invention.
[0021] FIGS. 3A-3L show top, front, and side views of different
semi-mount heads that can be mounted to the semi-mount shanks of
FIGS. 2A-2Q according to an embodiment of the invention.
[0022] FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 4C show a front view, a top view, and a
cross-sectional side view of a semi-mount shank according to an
embodiment of the invention.
[0023] FIG. 5 shows a front view of a semi-mount shank according to
an embodiment of the invention.
[0024] FIGS. 6A, 6B, and 6C show a front view, a side view, and a
bottom view of a semi-mount head according to an embodiment of the
invention.
[0025] FIG. 7A shows a front view of a semi-mount shank and
semi-mount head in an assemble configuration according to an
embodiment of the invention.
[0026] FIG. 7B shows a front view of a semi-mount shank and
semi-mount head in an assemble configuration according to an
embodiment of the invention.
[0027] FIG. 8 shows a front view of a semi-mount shank and
semi-mount head in an assemble configuration according to an
embodiment of the invention.
[0028] FIG. 9 shows a cross sectional side view of a semi-mount
shank and semi-mount head in an assemble configuration according to
an embodiment of the invention.
[0029] FIG. 10 shows a cross sectional side view of a semi-mount
shank and semi-mount head in an assemble configuration according to
an embodiment of the invention.
[0030] FIG. 11 shows a cross sectional side view of a semi-mount
ring system that includes a semi-mount shank and a semi-mount head
with a stone mounted therein according to an embodiment of the
invention.
[0031] FIG. 12A shows a front view of a semi-mount ring system that
includes a semi-mount shank and a semi-mount head with a stone
mounted therein according to an embodiment of the invention.
[0032] FIG. 12B shows a top view of the semi-mount shank of FIG.
12A according to an embodiment of the invention.
[0033] FIG. 12C shows a front view of the semi-mount shank and
semi-mount head of FIG. 12A in an assemble configuration according
to an embodiment of the invention.
[0034] FIGS. 13A-13E show top and front views of different
semi-mount shanks according to an embodiment of the invention.
[0035] FIGS. 14A-14L show top and front views of different
semi-mount heads that can be mounted to the semi-mount shanks of
FIGS. 13A-13E according to an embodiment of the invention.
[0036] FIGS. 15A-E show top, front, side, and perspective views of
a semi-mount shank according to an embodiment of the invention.
[0037] FIGS. 15F-N show top, front, and side views of different
semi-mount heads that can be mounted to the semi-mount shank of
FIGS. 15A-15E according to an embodiment of the invention.
[0038] FIG. 16 shows a process according to an embodiment of the
invention for selling rings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0039] Referring to FIG. 1A, there is illustrated a semi-mount ring
system 100 according to an embodiment of the invention. Semi-mount
ring system 100 includes a semi-mount shank 110 and a separate
semi-mount head 130. Semi-mount shank 110 includes a body 112 and a
head mounting mechanism 114 integral with body 112. Semi-mount head
130 includes a stone mounting mechanism 132, such as a plurality of
prongs (i.e., two or more prongs), a focal stone or the like 134
secured/mounted within stone mounting mechanism 132, and a shank
mounting mechanism 136 secured at the base of stone mounting
mechanism 132.
[0040] According to an embodiment of the invention, head mounting
mechanism 114 of semi-mount shank 110 and shank mounting mechanism
136 of semi-mount head 130 are configured such that the head
mounting mechanism may receive the shank mounting mechanism in
order to attach head 130 to shank 110 to form a ring 102, as shown
in FIG. 1B. Head mounting mechanism 114 and shank mounting
mechanism 136 are also configured such that head 130 may thereafter
be removed from shank 110, thereby again forming two separate
units, as shown in FIG. 1A.
[0041] According to an embodiment of the invention, head mounting
mechanism 114 and shank mounting mechanism 136 may also be
configured such that when head 130 is detachably secured to shank
110, the head and shank are interconnected in a secure and stable
fashion so that ring 102 may be moved without concern of head 130
disconnecting from shank 110. For example, the shank 110 and head
130 may be secured such that a customer may place ring 102 on a
finger and move the ring to view the ring from different
perspectives, for example. Significantly, because stone 134 is
secured/mounted within stone mounting mechanism 132 of head 130 as
indicated above, such movement may be conducted without a jeweler,
for example, having to hold the stone within the head and without
concern that the stone may fall from ring 102.
[0042] According to an embodiment of the invention, head mounting
mechanism 114 and shank mounting mechanism 136 may also be
configured such that when head 130 is detachably secured to shank
110, ring 102 has a clean and finished appearance as if the ring
where in a final form ready for delivery to a customer, even though
the ring is technically not finished (i.e., even though head 130 is
not permanently secured to shank 110). According to an embodiment
of the invention, shank 110 and head 130 may also be configured
such that when detachably interconnected to form ring 102, the
shank and head have the appearance of being one continuous piece of
metal for example, thereby resulting in a ring 102 that has the
stylistic appearance of being a "custom one piece casting," as is
known in the art.
[0043] According to an embodiment of the invention, a jewelry
store, department store, vendor at a trade show, etc. (hereinafter
collectively referred to as a retailer), may provide or display to
prospective customers for example, a plurality of semi-mount shanks
110 of different styles/appearances. For example, FIGS. 2A-2Q each
show a top view and a front view of a different style semi-mount
shank 110 according to an embodiment of the invention. One skilled
in the art will recognize that semi-mount shanks 110 of FIGS. 2A-2Q
are merely examples and other style shanks are possible. As shown
in these Figures, each of the shanks 110 provided by a retailer may
have a different overall shape, may have a different decorative
pattern formed on body 112, and may have one or more secondary
stones 115a/115b, for example, of one or more types, sizes, and/or
styles secured to body 112 (see, e.g., FIG. 2G). In addition to
semi-mount shanks 110, a retailer may also provide or display to
prospective customers a plurality of heads 130 each with a
different appearance as a result of varying the focal stone 134 or
the like pre-mounted therein. For example, FIGS. 3A-3L each show a
top view, a front view, and one or more side views of different
heads 130 according to an embodiment of the invention. Again, one
skilled in the art will recognize that the semi-mount heads 130 of
FIGS. 3A-3L are merely examples and other variations are possible.
As shown in these Figures, each of the focal stones 134 secured
within each of the heads 130 provided by a retailer may be of a
different type, shape (e.g., round, marquise, princess shape, or
tear drop), and/or size (e.g., 0.5 carat, 0.75 carat, or 1.00
carat), thereby providing a different appearance for each head. One
skilled in the art will recognize that in addition to or as an
alternative to varying the stones 134 among various semi-mount
heads 130, the heads may also vary in appearance as a result of
including multiple focal stones, one or more secondary stones,
and/or other forms of decoration, or simply changing the
arrangement of stones.
[0044] According to an embodiment of the invention, each of the
plurality of semi-mount shanks 110 provided or displayed by the
retailer may have a substantially identical head mounting mechanism
114, irrespective of how the remainder of the shank is shaped or
designed. Similarly, each of the plurality of semi-mount heads 130
provided or displayed by the retailer may have a substantially
identical shank mounting mechanism 136, irrespective of the type,
style, and/or size of stone 134 pre-mounted therein. In addition,
head mounting mechanism 114 and shank mounting mechanism 136 of
each of the provided or displayed shanks and heads may be of a
mating-form, as described above. In this way and according to an
embodiment of the invention, a retailer may provide or display to
prospective customers different semi-mount shanks and different
semi-mount heads with different stones mounted therein and allow
the customers to interchangeably mix and match any of the heads
with any of the shanks in order to form any number of different
custom rings, each ring having the head detachably secured to the
shank and each ring having a clean and finished appearance.
[0045] More specifically, according to an embodiment of the
invention, a prospective customer may view a plurality of displayed
semi-mount shanks 110 and semi-mount heads 130, each having a focal
stone mounted therein, and select any one of the semi-mount shanks
and any one of the semi-mount heads. Through head mounting
mechanism 114 and shank mounting mechanism 136 of the selected
shank and head, a jeweler, salesperson, or the like (hereinafter
collectively referred to as a jeweler) for example, may thereafter
secure the head to the shank to form a complete ring 102, as shown
in FIG. 1B. As described above, the head mounting mechanism 114 and
shank mounting mechanism 136 may have a form such that the customer
may thereafter take ring 102 from the jeweler and hold and view the
ring, or place the ring on a finger for example, and move the ring
without concern that the head or stone will disconnect from the
shank. In addition, the head mounting mechanism and the shank
mounting mechanism may have a form such that ring 102 has a clean
and finished appearance as if the ring where in a final form, even
though the ring is technically not finished, allowing the customer
to easily see how the completed ring will appear once completed.
Again, according to an embodiment of the invention, ring 102 may
also have the stylistic appearance of a custom one piece
casting.
[0046] Assuming the selected head/stone 134 for example, does not
meet the customer's preference and the customer prefers and selects
a different head/stone, the jeweler may thereafter remove head 130
from shank 110 and replace the removed head with the newly selected
head, thereby again forming a ring 102. Such a process may continue
until the customer finds a desired combination of a head 130 and a
shank 110. Thereafter and according to an embodiment of the
invention, the retailer may form a finished ring by soldering, for
example, the head to the shank.
[0047] Accordingly, semi-mount ring system 100 of the present
invention has the advantage of allowing a retailer to easily and
conveniently show a prospective customer numerous different custom
rings. Semi-mount ring system 100 also has the advantage of
allowing the customer to easily see how each custom ring will
appear once completed. In addition, the present invention also
allows a customer to handle and try each ring on a hand to further
visualize how the ring will appear, without the jeweler having to
hold the stone.
[0048] Reference will now be made in greater detail to a semi-mount
shank 110 and a semi-mount head 130 according to an embodiment of
the invention. Again, it is an object of the present invention to
provide numerous shanks 110 with substantially similar head
mounting mechanisms 114, to provide numerous heads 130 with
substantially similar shank mounting mechanisms 136, and to be able
to interchangeably mix and match any one of the heads with any one
of the shanks to form numerous different custom rings.
[0049] Referring now to FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 4C, there is shown a
front view, a top view, and a cross sectional side view of a shank
110 according to an embodiment of the invention. As indicated,
shank 110 includes a body 112 and a head mounting mechanism 114. In
general and as shown in FIG. 2A-2Q, the overall style/appearance of
any given shank 110 may vary without deviating from the present
invention and again, an object of the present invention is to
provide numerous shanks of different styles. As an example, the
inner surface 112b of body 112 may be circular or rounded in shape
to provide a comfortable fit on one's finger, although any desired
shape may be used. Similarly, the size of body 112 may vary
according to the wearer's finger size. The outer surface 112a of
body 112 may also be substantially circular or rounded in shape
although again, any desired shape may be used. The cross
dimensional width and height of body 112 may also have any desired
dimensions and the width and height need not be uniform across all
cross sections of any given body 112.
[0050] The outer surface 112a of body 112 may have one or more
decorative patterns or the like formed thereon, although decorative
patterns are not required. Similarly, one or more secondary stones
may be mounted at one or more locations around the outer surface
112a of body 112 for example, although such stones are not
required. Any mechanism known in the art may be used to mount
secondary stones to body 112. When secondary stones are included,
they may be of any shape, size, and/or type (e.g., precious stones,
semiprecious stones, pearls, and/or synthetic stones, etc.). In
addition to the above examples, one skilled in the art will
recognize that other forms of decoration may also be added to body
112. In general, body 112 may be formed from any suitable material
known in the art including, for example, one or more metals such as
gold, silver, platinum, etc.
[0051] Turning to head mounting mechanism 114, according to an
embodiment of the invention, this mechanism includes a bridge 116.
As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, bridge 116 may be secured to body 112
between walls 118a and 118b and may extend within the radial
circumference of body 112. As shown in FIGS. 4A-4C, bridge 116 may
be substantially rectangular in shape when viewed in cross section,
although other shapes such as an oval, circular, triangular, or
irregular shapes may be used, for example. Assuming bridge 116 has
a rectangular shape for description purposes, the bridge may
include an outer or top surface 116a, an inner or bottom surface
116b, and two side surfaces 116c and 116d, with these four surfaces
collectively forming the length 117a, width 117b, and height 117c
of the bridge. According to an embodiment of the invention, the
length, width, and height of bridge 116 are preferably
substantially uniform across different semi-mount shanks 110
provided by a retailer. In particular and as described below, shank
mounting mechanism 136 of head 130 seats over bridge 116 when
forming a ring 102. Accordingly, the uniformity of the length,
width, and height of bridge 116 (or more generally, the uniformity
in the size and shape of bridge 116) across different semi-mount
shanks 110 provides the interchangeability between different heads
130 and shanks 110.
[0052] As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4C, bridge 116 may be positioned
such that inner surface 116b lies flush with the inner surface 112b
of body 112. Nonetheless, this configuration is not required and
the bridge may be positioned such that inner surface 116b resides
above or extends below surface 112b. In addition, inner surface
116b may be curved along the length thereof to correspond to the
curvature of inner surface 112b or may be substantially flat along
the length thereof, for example. In general, note that the shape of
inner surface 116b and the position of inner surface 116b relative
to the inner surface 112b of body 112 may vary between different
semi-mount shanks 110 provided by a retailer without affecting the
interchangeability between different heads and shanks.
[0053] As for outer surface 116a of bridge 116, this surface may be
curved along the length thereof to correspond to a curvature of
inner surface 116b for example, or may be substantially flat for
example. Note that outer surface 116a and inner surface 116b do not
need to have the same shape along the lengths thereof (e.g., one
surface may curved while the other surface may be flat). Again,
note that the shape of outer surface 116a may vary between
different semi-mount shanks 110 provided by a retailer without
affecting the interchangeability between different heads and
shanks.
[0054] Referring to FIGS. 4B and 4C, the width 117b of bridge 116
may have a dimension that is smaller than the width 118c of walls
118a/118b, although this relative size dimension is not required.
In addition, as shown in FIG. 4C, bridge 116 may be positioned so
as to be substantially centered left to right within walls 118a and
118b, although again, other relative positioning may be used.
[0055] Referring again to FIG. 4B, according to another embodiment
of the invention, head mounting mechanism 114 may also include at
least one opening/hole 120 formed within bridge 116 (while hole 120
is shown as being circular in shape, any shape may be used). Hole
120 may be positioned at the center of outer surface 116a of bridge
116 for example, although other positions may be used. Assuming
this position, hole 120 may extend radially inward from outer
surface 116a of bridge 116 towards inner surface 116b of the bridge
and may extend either partially into the bridge or completely
through the bridge to inner surface 116b. Again, other
configurations may be used. As described below, shank mounting
mechanism 136 of a head 130 may include a pin that is intended to
seat within hole 120 when the shank mounting mechanism is seated
over bridge 116 of a shank 110. The pin and hole may assist in
securing the head to the shank. Accordingly, the size and shape of
hole 120 and the position of hole 120 within bridge 116 are
preferably substantially uniform across different semi-mount shanks
110 provided by a retailer in order to maintain interchangeability
between different heads 130 and shanks 110. As indicated, head
mounting mechanism 114 may include more than one hole 120, in which
case shank mounting mechanism 136 may include more than one pin to
seat within respective ones of the holes 120.
[0056] Referring again to bridge 116, one skilled in the art will
recognize that while this bridge is described above as being a
single unit with a rectangular shape, bridge 116 may be formed in
various other ways and with different shapes, including irregular
shapes, without deviating from the present invention. For example,
rather than bridge 116 being secured to both walls 118a and 118b,
the bridge may only be secured to one wall. Similarly, rather than
bridge 116 being a single unit connected to both walls, it may be
formed as multiple units connected to one or both walls. As another
example, bridge 116 may be formed as two units, each unit being
connected to a respective one of the walls and extending partially
towards the other unit. Again, other variations are possible
without deviating from the invention. In addition, different shanks
110 provided by a retailer may use different variations and shapes
of bridge 116 as long as the different bridges used by the
different shanks have substantially uniform overall
shapes/dimensions (e.g., substantially the same maximum length
117a, width 117b, and height 117c) in order to maintain
interchangeability between the different shanks and heads.
[0057] One skilled in the art will recognize that bridge 116 may be
secured directly to body 112 as shown in FIG. 4A for example, and
may be integrally molded with body 112 or attached to body 112 as a
secondary unit, for example. Nonetheless, one skilled in the art
will recognize that bridge 116 may be secured to body 112 in other
fashions without deviating from the present invention and different
shanks 110 provided by a retailer may use different variations. For
example, referring to FIG. 2G, there is a shown a semi-mount shank
110 with two secondary stones 115a and 115b, each mounted within a
respective head 123a and 123b. As shown, heads 123a and 123b are
secured to opposing ends of body 112 and bridge 116 is secured
between heads 123a and 123b. Again, bridge 116 may be a secondary
unit secured to the heads or may be integrally formed with the
heads, or some variation thereof, for example.
[0058] In general, bridge 116 may be formed from any suitable
material known in the art including, for example, one or more
metals, such as gold, silver, platinum, iron, etc. In addition,
bridge 116 may be formed from the same material as body 112 and/or
heads 123a and 123b, or may be formed from a different
material.
[0059] Referring now to walls 118a and 118b as shown in FIGS.
4A-4C, according to an embodiment of the invention and as indicated
above, bridge 116 may be secured to body 112 between these walls.
In general, walls 118a and 118b may be formed by body 112, as shown
in FIGS. 4A-4C for example, or may be formed by heads 123a and
123b, as shown in FIG. 2G for example, that secure secondary stones
115a and 115b to body 112. Nonetheless, one skilled in the art will
recognize that walls 118a and 118b may be formed in other ways
without deviating from the present invention.
[0060] According to an embodiment of the invention, the tops of
walls 118a and 118b may extend substantially above outer surface
116a of bridge 116, thereby forming a void 124 as shown in FIG. 4A,
for example. More specifically, walls 118a and 118b may extend to a
height such that once shank mounting mechanism 136 of a head 130 is
seated over bridge 116 of a shank 110 to form a ring 102, walls
118a and 118b extend along the sides of stone mounting mechanism
132 of head 130, for example. In this way and according to an
embodiment of the invention as further described below, shank 110
and head 130 may give the appearance as being one continuous piece
of metal, thereby resulting in a ring 102 that has the stylistic
appearance of a custom one piece casting.
[0061] According to an embodiment of the invention, walls 118a and
118b may have substantially similar shapes and configurations
between the different shanks provided by a retailer. In this way,
the resulting voids 124 of the different shanks are substantially
uniform in size and shape across the different shanks. Again, this
uniformity maintains interchangeability between different heads and
shanks, as described below. As an example and as shown in FIG. 4A,
walls 118a and 118b may have a substantially planar shape and may
extend at an angle 118d upward from bridge 116. According to an
embodiment of the invention, the planar shape and the angle 118d at
which the walls extend upward from bridge 116 may be substantially
uniform across the different shanks 110 provided by a retailer so
as to provide substantially uniformly shaped voids 124 across the
different shanks. Again, one skilled in the art will recognize that
other shapes for void 124 may be used.
[0062] One skilled in the art will recognize that walls 118a and
118b do not need to extend above bridge 116 as described above. In
particular, according to another embodiment of the invention, the
tops of walls 118a and 118b may lie only partially above outer
surface 116a of bridge 116 for example, or may lie flush with the
outer surface 116a of the bridge, as shown in FIG. 5 for example
(i.e., shank 110 may not include walls 118a and 118b and as such,
may not include void 124). In addition, one skilled in the art will
also recognize that of the different shanks 110 provided by a
retailer, some shanks may include walls 118a and 118b (with the
lengths of the walls possibly being different among different
shanks) that form a void 124 while other shanks may not include
walls 118a and 118b that form a void 124. Again, as indicated above
and according to an embodiment of the invention, when different
shanks 110 include walls 118a and 118b, the voids 124 formed
therein may be substantially uniform in size and shape across the
different shanks so as to maintain interchangeability between
different heads and shanks.
[0063] Referring now to FIGS. 6A, 6B, and 6C there is shown a front
view, a side view, and a bottom view respectively of a head 130
according to an embodiment of the invention. As indicated above,
head 130 includes a stone mounting mechanism 132, a focal stone 134
or the like secured/mounted within stone mounting mechanism 132,
and a shank mounting mechanism 136 secured at the base of stone
mounting mechanism 132 for example. In general and as shown in
FIGS. 3A-3L for example, focal stone 134 secured within stone
mounting mechanism 132 may be of any type, shape, and/or size,
thereby changing the appearance of any given head. For example,
stone 134 may be a precious stone (e.g., a diamond or sapphire), a
semiprecious stone (e.g. cubic zirconia), a pearl, or a synthetic
stone, etc. The stone may have a round shape, marquise shape,
princess shape, or tear-drop shape for example, and may be any
size, such as 0.5 carat, 0.75 carat, or 1.00 carat for example.
Again, it is an object of the present invention to provide numerous
heads each with a different focal stone 134 mounted therein, for
example. According to another embodiment of the invention, in
addition to or as an alternative to varying the stones 134 among
various semi-mount heads 130, various heads may also vary in
appearance as a result of including multiple focal stones, one or
more secondary stones, and/or other forms of decoration, or simply
changing the arrangement of stones.
[0064] Stone mounting mechanism 132 may be any mechanism known in
the art for securing one or more stones within a head and/or to a
shank. In addition, according to the present invention, the
mechanism used across different heads 130 provided by a retailer
may vary, thereby changing the appearance of the different heads,
for example. As an example, stone mounting mechanism 132 may be a
bezel setting, a channel setting, a tension setting, or a prong
setting. FIGS. 6A-6C show an example prong setting, the prongs
having a top end 132a and a bottom end 132b. Stone 134 is mounted
within the top end 132a of prongs 132 in a conventional manner. In
general, stone mounting mechanism 132 may be formed from any
suitable material known in the art including, for example, one or
more metals such as gold, silver, platinum, etc.
[0065] As indicated above, one or more shanks 110 provided by a
retailer may include a void 124 formed by walls 118a and 118b,
which void may have a substantially uniform size and shape across
the different shanks. According to an embodiment of the invention,
when shanks 110 include void 124, any given head 130 provided by a
retailer may have a stone mounting mechanism 132 that is arranged
and configured to substantially conform to sidewalls 118a and 118b
and to lie substantially close to and possibly abut sidewalls 118a
and 118b, irrespective of the particular stone 134 mounted therein,
thereby consuming void 124. In other words, according to an
embodiment of the invention, the size and shape of stone mounting
mechanism 132 for any given stone 134 for any given head 130 may be
arranged and configured to substantially match the size and shape
of void 124. As a result of configuring a head 130 and shank 110 in
this fashion, when the head and shank are interconnected to form a
ring 102, the head and shank may give the appearance of being one
continuous piece of metal, thereby resulting in a ring 102 that has
the stylistic appearance of a custom one piece casting.
[0066] For example, referring to FIG. 7A there is shown an example
head 130 secured to an example shank 110 according to an embodiment
of the invention. As shown in this Figure, stone mounting mechanism
132 of head 130 is configured such that the sides of the stone
mounting mechanism that lie adjacent to sidewalls 118a and 118b
have a size and shape so as to lie substantially close to and
possibly abut sidewalls 118a and 118b. In this example, stone
mounting mechanism 132 is a plurality of prongs and walls 118a and
118b of void 124 are substantially planar in shape. Accordingly,
the prongs may be configured to be substantially linear in shape so
as to conform to and fill void 124 as formed by walls 118a and
118b. Again, one skilled in the art will recognize that void 124
and stone mounting mechanism 132 may have other shapes. Note that
in some cases, such as for smaller stones (such as 0.5 and 0.75
carat), it may not be possible to configure stone mounting
mechanism 132 to sufficiently lie close to and possibly abut
sidewalls 118a and 118b in order to fill void 124. As such,
according to an embodiment of the invention, one or more spacers
133a and 133b may be secured to opposing sides of the stone
mounting mechanism 132, as shown in FIG. 3H for example, which
spacers act as gap fillers to fill void 124, as shown by the
assemble ring of FIG. 7B, for example. These spacers may vary in
width between different heads 130 depending on the particular stone
mounting mechanism 132 being used and/or the particular stone 134
mounted therein, for example. For larger stones, such a 1.00 carat,
such spacers may not be required. One skilled in the art will
recognize that other mechanisms may be used to conform stone
mounting mechanism 132 to the size and shape of void 124.
[0067] One skilled in the art will recognize that when one or more
shanks 110 provided by a retailer include void 124, stone mounting
mechanism 132 of the heads 130 provided by the retailer do not need
to be configured to form the appearance of a custom one piece
casting, as described above. For example, according to another
embodiment of the invention, any given head 130 provided by a
retailer may have a stone mounting mechanism 132 configured so that
when the head is placed on a shank 110, the stone mounting
mechanism 132 and stone 134 mounted therein simply fit within the
void 124. Here, void 124 and stone mounting mechanism 132 may have
different shapes. For example, referring to FIG. 8, there is shown
a front view of an assembled ring according to embodiment of the
invention. Here, shank 110 includes a uniformly shaped void 124 and
head 130 includes a stone 134 mounted in a plurality of prongs, for
example. As shown, the prongs are shaped to fit within void 124 but
do not match the size and shape of void 124.
[0068] One skilled in the art will also recognize that of the
different heads provided by a retailer, some heads may have a stone
mounting mechanism 132 configured to fill void 124, thereby
providing the appearance of a one piece casting, and other heads
may have a stone mounting mechanism 132 configured to simply fit
within void 124.
[0069] Referring now to shank mounting mechanism 136, according to
an embodiment of the invention, this mechanism includes an inverted
channel 140. As shown in FIGS. 6A-6C, channel 140 may be
substantially rectangular in shape when viewed in cross section,
although other shapes such as oval, circular, triangular, or
irregular shapes may be used, for example. Assuming channel 140 has
a rectangular shape for description purposes, the channel may be
formed, for example, from a top plate 137 and two side plates 138
and 139 secured to and extending downward from plate 137. Plates
137, 138, and 139 may be cast as a single integral unit, may be
secured together as three separate units, may be formed from a
single unit with channel 140 etched therefrom, etc. While the
overall outer shape of plates 137, 138, and 139 are shown as being
rectangular/box like, one skilled in the art will recognize that
other shapes may be used without deviating from the present
invention and these shapes may vary among the different heads
provided by a retailer.
[0070] As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, channel 140 may have a length
140a, width 140b, and height 140c. According to an embodiment of
the invention, length 140a, width 140b, and height 140c of channel
140 are preferably substantially uniform across the different
semi-mount heads 130 provided by a retailer. As described below,
the uniformity of the length, width, and height of channel 140 (or
more generally, the uniformity in the size and shape of channel
140) across the different heads 130 maintains the
interchangeability between different heads and shanks 110.
[0071] According to an embodiment of the invention, the bottom end
132b of stone mounting mechanism 132 may be secured to any of
plates 137, 138, and 139, or some combination thereof, such that
channel 140 extends in an opposing direction from the stone
mounting mechanism.
[0072] In general and according to an embodiment of the invention,
any given head 130 may be secured to any given shank 110 to form a
ring 102 by seating channel 140 of the head over bridge 116 of the
shank. Accordingly, the size and shape of channel 140 are
preferably configured to readily receive bridge 116 across the
different heads and shanks. In particular, according to an
embodiment of the invention, channel 140 and bridge 116 across the
different heads and shanks provided by a retailer may have
substantially similar sizes and shapes, such as rectangular shapes,
although again, other shapes such as oval, circular, triangular, or
irregular shapes may be used. In this way, any given head 130 may
be secured to any given shank 110 to form a ring 102. For example,
assuming for description purposes that channel 140 and bridge 116
of a given head 130 and shank 110 have rectangular shapes of
substantially similar sizes, channel 140 may be seated over bridge
116 such that bottom side 137a of plate 137 (see FIG. 6B)
substantially lies adjacent to outer surface 116a of the bridge
(see FIG. 4C) and such that the inner surfaces 138a and 139a of
side plates 138 and 139 (see FIG. 6B) substantially lie adjacent to
respective ones of side surfaces 116c and 116d of the bridge (see
FIG. 4C), for example. In this way, head 130 detachably secures to
shank 110.
[0073] Nonetheless, one skilled in the art will readily recognize
that the size and shape of channel 140 do not need to specifically
conform to the size and shape of bridge 116 in order for a head 130
to detachably secure to a shank 110 as described above. For
example, channel 140 may have a rectangular shape and bridge 116
may have a cylindrical or rod-type shape. As one skilled in the art
will readily recognize, if the diameter of a rod-shaped bridge
conforms with the width 140b and height 140c of the channel for
example, the channel will readily receive the bridge and obtain the
above described configuration.
[0074] One skilled in the art will also recognize that different
heads 130 provided by a retailer may use different
variations/shapes of channel 140 as long as the different channels
used by the different heads have substantially uniform overall
shapes/dimensions (e.g., substantially the same maximum length
140a, width 140b, and height 140c) in order to maintain
interchangeability between shanks and heads.
[0075] Referring now to FIGS. 6A-6C, according to an embodiment of
the invention, shank mounting mechanism 136 may also include at
least one pin 142 formed within channel 140, which pin is intended
to mate with hole 120 formed in a bridge 116 of a shank 110, as
described above. Specifically, according to this embodiment of the
invention, when shank mounting mechanism 136 of a head 130 is
configured to include a pin 142 and head mounting mechanism 114 of
a shank 110 is configured to include a hole 120, as channel 140 of
the head 130 is inserted over bridge 116 of the shank 110, pin 142
within the channel is intended to engage hole 120 within the
bridge. In this way, pin 142 and hole 120 act to further secure the
head to the shank. Accordingly, pin 142 is preferably positioned
and configured within channel 140 so as to correspond with opening
120 within bridge 116 and this positioning and configuration of pin
142 and hole 120 are preferably substantially uniform across the
different heads 130 and shanks 110 provided by a retailer so as to
maintain interchangeability between the different heads and shanks.
For example, assuming opening 120 is positioned at the center of
outer surface 116a of bridge 116, pin 142 may be positioned at the
bottom side 137a of plate 137 at a center position thereof and may
extend perpendicularly downward from the plate. In addition, pin
142 may be approximately the same size/shape as hole 120 so as to
obtain a snug and friction-type fit and may have a length so as to
substantially engage hole 120.
[0076] As indicated above, shank mounting mechanism 136 of a head
130 may include more than one pin 142 and head mounting mechanism
114 of a shank 110 may include more than one hole 120. Here,
respective pins may engage respective holes to further secure the
head to the shank.
[0077] In general, shank mounting mechanism 136 may be formed from
any suitable material known in the art including, for example, one
or more metals such as gold, silver, platinum, etc. In addition,
shank mounting mechanism 136 may formed from the same material or a
different material as stone mounting mechanism 132.
[0078] Referring now to FIG. 9, there is shown a cross sectional
side view of a head 130 secured to a shank 110 thereby forming an
assembled ring 102 according to an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 9 may be a side view of an assemble ring as shown in any of
FIGS. 7A, 7B, and 8, for example. As described above, according to
an embodiment of the invention, a retailer may provide a plurality
of semi-mount shanks 110 with substantially similar head mounting
mechanisms 114 and may provide a plurality of semi-mount heads 130
with substantially similar shank mounting mechanisms 136, and the
head mounting mechanisms 114 and shank mounting mechanisms 136 may
be of a mating configuration. In this way, ring 102 of FIG. 9 for
example, may be the result of selecting any one of the plurality of
shanks 110 and any one of the plurality of heads 130 and thereafter
interconnecting the selected head and shank.
[0079] As shown in FIG. 9, the selected head 130 and shank 110 may
be interconnected to form ring 102 by seating channel 140 of the
selected head over bridge 116 of the selected shank. Assuming for
description purposes that channel 140 and bridge 116 each have a
rectangular shape as shown in FIG. 9, when seating the channel over
the bridge the bottom side 137a of plate 137 of the channel may lie
adjacent to and possibly abut outer surface 116a of the bridge and
the inner surfaces 138a and 139a of side plates 138 and 139 of the
channel may lie adjacent to and possibly abut side surfaces 116c
and 116d of the bridge.
[0080] More specifically, according to an embodiment of the
invention, the width 140b of channel 140 (as shown in FIG. 6B) may
be configured to substantially match the width 117b of bridge 116
(as shown in FIG. 4B). In this way, the inner surfaces 138a and
139a of sidewalls 138 and 139 of the channel may form a snug and
friction-type fit against side surfaces 116c and 116d of bridge
116, thereby connecting the selected head 130 and shank 110 in a
secure and stable fashion and preventing the head from easily
detaching from the shank. In other words, the bridge and channel
may be configured to form a friction-type fit such that ring 102
may be moved without concern of head 130 disconnecting from shank
110. Nonetheless, bridge 116 and channel 140 also may be configured
such that head 130 may be thereafter readily detached from shank
110 when the head and shank are purposely pulled apart.
[0081] Similarly, according to an embodiment of the invention,
length 140a of channel 140 (as shown in FIG. 6A) may be configured
to substantially match length 117a of bridge 116 (as shown in FIG.
4B). In this way, plate 137 of the channel may substantially
conceal outer surface 116a of the bridge providing the assembled
ring 102 with a clean and finished appearance. In addition, height
140c of channel 140 (as shown in FIG. 6B) may be configured to at
least match the height 117c of bridge 116 (as shown in FIG. 4C) so
that sidewalls 138 and 139 of the channel may cover and conceal
side surfaces 116c and 116d of the bridge, again, providing the
assembled ring 102 with a clean and finished appearance.
[0082] As described above, when shank 110 includes walls 118a and
118b, the width 117b of bridge 116 may have a dimension that is
smaller than the width 118c of the walls. As is now more readily
understood and as shown in FIG. 9, such a configuration allows side
plates 138 and 139 of channel 140 to lie substantially within the
width 118c of walls 118a/118b. Again, such a configuration provides
the assembled ring 102 with a clean and finished appearance.
Nonetheless, one skilled in the art will recognize that other
configurations are possible, including side plates 138 and 139 of
channel 140 lying beyond the width 118c of walls 118a/118b.
[0083] Again, as described above, shank 110 of ring 102 of FIG. 9
may include a void 124 of a uniform shape and head 130 may have a
stone mounting mechanism 132 of a uniform shape that substantially
conforms to the size and shape of void 124, thereby filling the
void, a shown by the assembled ring of FIG. 7A, for example. As
described above, according to an embodiment of the invention, when
a shank and head are configured in this fashion and are
interconnected to form a ring 102, the head and shank may have the
appearance of being one continuous piece of metal, thereby
resulting in a ring 102 that has the stylistic appearance of a
custom one piece casting. Nonetheless, as also described above, of
the various shanks 110 and heads 130 provided by a retailer, the
heads and shanks do not need to form the appearance of FIG. 7A when
interconnected. For example, a retailer may also provide one or
more shanks 110 that do not include a void 124, as shown in FIG. 5.
Similarly, a retailer may provide one or more heads that have a
stone mounting mechanism that simply fits within a void 124, as
shown in FIG. 8 for example. Nonetheless, of the various possible
configurations of heads and shanks, any selected head and shank may
interconnect as describe above and as shown in FIG. 9.
[0084] According to an embodiment of the invention, once a desired
combination of a head 130 and a shank 110 have been selected, the
head may be permanently secured to the shank by securing channel
140 to bridge 116 using an epoxy, solder, a precious metal (e.g.,
gold, silver, or platinum), or the like. Similarly, if the
resulting ring is to have the stylistic appearance of a custom one
piece casting, a precious metal such as gold, silver, platinum, or
the like may be placed along the seam of void 124 and stone
mounting mechanism 132.
[0085] Referring now to FIG. 10, there is shown a cross sectional
side view of an assembled ring 102 according to another embodiment
of the invention, this embodiment now including an optional pin 142
of shank mounting mechanism 136 and an optional hole 120 of head
mounting mechanism 114. Again, FIG. 10 may be a side view of an
assemble ring as shown in any of FIGS. 7A, 7B, and 8, for example.
According to an embodiment of the invention and as shown in FIG.
10, each of the shanks and heads provided by a retailer may be
configured such that channel 140 and bridge 116 form a
friction-type fit, as similarly described above in reference to
FIG. 9. In addition, each of the heads 130 may have a shank
mounting mechanism 136 that includes at least one pin 142 and each
of the shanks 110 may include a head mounting mechanism 114 that
includes at least one hole 120. According to this embodiment of the
invention, when a given head and shank are configured in this
fashion and are interconnected to form ring 102, pin 142 seats
within hole 120, forming a snug or friction-type fit for example,
although such a fit is not required. In this way, pin 142 and hole
120 may act to further secure a head to a shank.
[0086] As an alternative to the configuration shown in FIG. 10,
according to another embodiment of the invention pin 142 and hole
120 may act as the primary mechanism that secures a head 130 to a
shank 110. For example, each of the shanks and heads provided by a
retailer may be configured such that channel 140 and bridge 116
form a loose fit (rather than a friction-type fit). In addition,
each shank may have a head mounting mechanism 114 that includes at
least one hole 120 and each head may have a shank mounting
mechanism 136 that includes at least one pin 142, with pin 142 and
hole 120 forming a friction-type fit as described above. With this
configuration, pin 142 and hole 120 may act as the primary
mechanism that secures a head to a shank.
[0087] In general, one skilled in the art will recognize that other
variations of pins and holes within head mounting mechanism 114 and
shank mounting mechanism 136 are possible without deviating from
the present invention. For example, according to another embodiment
of the invention, rather than head mounting mechanism 114 having
one or more holes 120 within bridge 116 and shank mounting
mechanism 136 having one or more pins 142, the pins and holes may
be reversed such that the head mounting mechanism includes one or
more pins (extending upward from bridge 116, for example) and the
shank mounting mechanism includes one or more holes formed within
channel 140 (in bottom side 137a of plate 137, for example).
According to this embodiment of the invention, when channel 140 is
seated over bridge 116, the pin(s) seats within the opening(s),
forming a friction-type fit for example. As similarly described
above, bridge 116 and channel 140 may be configured such that
channel 140 forms a friction-type fit with bridge 116.
Alternatively, bridge 116 and channel 140 may be configured such
that the channel forms a loose fit with the bridge. Again, one
skilled in the art will recognize that other variations of pins and
holes are possible. For example, both the head and shank mounting
mechanisms may include holes and pins.
[0088] Referring now to FIG. 11 in which like reference numerals
refer to similar elements, there is shown a cross sectional side
view of a shank 210 and a head 230 of a semi-mount ring system 200
according to another embodiment of the invention. As compared to
semi-mount ring system 100, semi-mount ring system 200 has the
channel and bridge reversed between shank 210 and head 230.
Specifically, according to this embodiment of the invention, each
of the shanks 210 provided by a retailer may have a head mounting
mechanism 214 that includes an upstanding channel 240 integral with
body 112. Channel 240 may be substantially similar to channel 140,
for example. Similarly, each of the heads 230 provided by a
retailer may have a shank mounting mechanism 236 that includes a
bridge 216 secured to stone mounting mechanism 132, for example.
Bridge 216 may be substantially similar to bridge 116, for example.
According to this embodiment of the invention, bridge 216 and
channel 240 are configured such that bridge 216 seats within
channel 240 thereby forming an assembled ring. According to an
embodiment of the invention, bridge 216 may seat within channel 240
with a friction-type fit, for example.
[0089] According to another embodiment of the invention and as also
shown in FIG. 11, head mounting mechanism 214 may also include one
or more pins 242 formed within channel 240 in an upright
orientation for example, and shank mounting mechanism 236 may also
include one or more holes 220 within bridge 216, for example.
Similar to above, pin 242 is intended to seat within hole 220 and
may seat with a friction-type fit, for example. Again, the pin and
hole may be reversed between bridge 216 and channel 240, or both
the bridge and channel may include pins and holes. As similarly
described above, according to an embodiment of the invention,
bridge 216 and channel 240 may interconnect with a friction-type
fit, in which case pin 242 and hole 220 may act to further secure
the head to the shank. According to another embodiment of the
invention, bridge 216 and channel 240 may interconnect with a
loose-type fit, in which case pin 242 and hole 220 may act as the
primary mechanism that secures a head to a shank.
[0090] Referring now to FIG. 12A in which like reference numerals
refer to similar elements, there is shown a front view of a shank
310 and head 330 of semi-mount ring system 300 according to another
embodiment of the invention. Here, shank 310 and head 330
detachably interconnect only through the use of one or more pins
and holes. Specifically, according to an embodiment of the
invention, each of the shanks 310 provided by a retailer may have a
head mounting mechanism 314 that includes a bridge 316 secured
between walls 118a and 118b, for example. Bridge 316 may be
substantially similar to bridge 116, for example, but may have a
decorative configuration in that the bridge is not concealed in
this embodiment. Head mounting mechanism 314 also includes one or
more holes, such as hole 320, formed in the top surface 316a of
bridge 316, for example, as further shown in FIG. 12B, which is a
top expanded view of shank 310. Hole 320 may be substantially
similar to hole 120 for example. Similarly, according to an
embodiment of the invention, each of the heads 330 provided by a
retailer may include one or more stones 134 mounted within a stone
mounting mechanism 132, which is secured to a shank mounting
mechanism 336 that includes one or more pins, such as pin 342 for
example. Pin 342 may extend downward from the bottom end of stone
mounting mechanism 132, for example. Pin 342 may be substantially
similar to pin 142, for example.
[0091] Again, one skilled in the art will recognize that a retailer
may provide a plurality of different styles of shanks 310 and a
plurality of different styles of heads 330. For example, referring
to FIGS. 13A-E there is shown a top view and a side view of
different shank styles according to an embodiment of the invention,
each shank including a bridge 316 and hole 320. Similarly,
referring to FIGS. 14A-L, there is shown a top view and a side view
of different head styles according to an embodiment of the
invention, each head including a pin 342 and configured to
detachably connect to the shanks of FIG. 13. Again, one skilled in
the art will recognize that the shanks and heads of FIGS. 13 and 14
are merely examples and other styles are possible.
[0092] Referring now to FIG. 12C, according to this embodiment of
the invention, pin 342 and hole 320 of the various heads and shanks
provided by a retailer may be configured such that pin 342 seats
within hole 320 to detachably secure a head 330 to a shank 310 and
to thereby form an assembled ring 302. Preferably, pin 342 seats
within hole 320 with a friction-type fit, thereby connecting a head
330 to a shank 310 in a secure and stable fashion and preventing
the head from easily detaching from the shank when ring 302 is
handled by a customer, for example. As similarly described above,
according to this embodiment of the invention pin 342 and hole 320
are preferably uniform in shape and position across the different
shanks and heads provided by a retailer so that the shanks and
heads may be interchangeably mixed and matched. One skilled in the
art will recognize that hole 320 and pin 342 may be reversed such
that the hole is formed within head 330 and the pin is integral
with bridge 316, for example.
[0093] Referring again to FIG. 12A, according to an embodiment of
the invention, one or more shanks 310 provided by a retailer may
include a void 124 of a uniform shape, as shown in this Figure.
Nonetheless, the retailer may also provide one or more shanks 310
that do not include void 124 or alternatively, may provide a
combination of both types of shanks. As similarly described above,
when one or more shanks 310 include void 124, the retailer may also
provide one or more heads 330 that have a stone mounting mechanism
132 of a uniform shape that substantially conforms to the size and
shape of void 124 in order to produce a ring 302 that has the
stylistic appearance of a custom one piece casting, as shown in
FIG. 12C, for example. As also described above, stone mounting
mechanism 132 of one or more heads may also include one or more
spacers 133 secured to opposing sides of the stone mounting
mechanism to act as gap fillers in order to create the custom one
piece casting appearance. Alternatively or in addition, the
retailer may also provide one or more heads 330 that have a stone
mounting mechanism that simply fits within void 124 (as similarly
shown in FIG. 8).
[0094] For each of the above described embodiments of the
invention, it was noted that of the shanks and heads provided by a
retailer, the shanks may include a void 124 and the heads may be
configured to a have a shape that conforms to/resembles the shape
of void 124. For several of these embodiments, void 124 and the
heads were shown as having a substantially linear profile (e.g.,
see FIGS. 1A and 12A). Nonetheless, one skilled in the art will
recognize that void 124 and the heads that are configured to fit
therein may have any general shape without deviating from the
present invention. For example, FIGS. 13 and 14 for semi-mount ring
system 300 show a curved configuration. Similarly, referring to
FIGS. 15A-N, there is shown an example shank 510 and three example
heads 530 according to an embodiment of the invention, which heads
and shanks are similar to semi-mount ring system 100. As shown by
the various views of example shank 510 of FIGS. 15A-E and by the
top, front, and side views of the three example heads in FIGS.
15F-H, FIGS. 151-K, and FIGS. 15L-N, respectively, heads 530 and
void 124 of shank 510 may also have a substantially curved
configuration throughout. As similarly described above, when a head
and shank of the embodiments of FIGS. 13-14 and 15 are
interconnected to form a ring, the head may consume the void so
that the ring has the stylistic appearance of a custom one piece
casting. Alternatively, one skilled in the art will recognize that
the heads may simply fit within void 124. Again, one skilled in the
art will recognize that other shapes are possible.
[0095] Referring now to FIG. 16, there is shown a process 400 for
selling rings according to an embodiment of the invention.
Beginning with step 402, a retailer (which, again, may be a jewelry
store, department store, or the like) may display to prospective
customers a plurality of semi-mount shanks of different styles and
a plurality of semi-mount heads each having a stone of a different
type, shape, and/or size mounted therein, for example. According to
an embodiment of the invention, each of the displayed semi-mount
shanks may have a substantially similar head mounting mechanism,
each of the plurality of semi-mount heads may have a substantially
similar shank mounting mechanism, and the head and shank mounting
mechanisms of the displayed semi-mount shanks and semi-mount heads
may be of a mating form such that any of the plurality of heads may
be interchangeably connected to any of the plurality of shanks. As
such, according to an embodiment of the invention each of the
displayed shanks and heads may be of the same semi-mount ring
system. For description purposes, it will be assumed that each of
the shanks and heads are of semi-mount ring system 100, although
any of the above described ring systems may be used.
[0096] Nonetheless, one skilled in the art will recognize that
multiple and/or different semi-mount ring systems may be displayed.
For example, of the semi-mount shanks and semi-mount heads
displayed, one set of semi-mount shanks and semi-mount heads may
use one variation of mating head and shank mounting mechanisms
(e.g., bridge 116 and channel 140 of ring system 100) and another
set of semi-mount shanks and semi-mount heads may use a different
variation of mating head and shank mounting mechanisms (e.g., pin
342 and hole 320 of ring system 300), etc. Similarly, of the
semi-mount shanks and semi-mount heads displayed, one set of shanks
and heads may have voids and heads of one shape and another set of
shanks and heads may have voids and heads of another shape, for
example.
[0097] One skilled in the art will also recognize that of the
displayed shanks within a given set, one or more of the shanks may
include walls 118a and 118b to form a void 124 while one or more
other shanks may not include walls 118a and 118b, for example.
Similarly, of the displayed heads within a given set, one or more
of the heads may be configured such that when attached to one or
more of the shanks, the resulting ring has the stylistic appearance
of a custom one piece casting. Similarly, one or more of the heads
may be configured such that when attached to one or more of the
shanks, the heads simply fit within void 124 but do not form the
stylistic appearance of a custom one piece casting. One skilled in
the art will recognize that other variations are possible.
[0098] One skilled in the art will also recognize that a retailer
may display the plurality of shanks and heads in various ways. For
example, the retailer may have the shanks and heads displayed in a
fixture that is affixed within a showcase. Here, the shanks and
heads may be individually removed from the showcase when shown up-
close to a prospective customer. Alternatively, the retailer may
have the shanks and heads displayed in a portable fixture that
resides within a showcase, for example. Here, the retailer may
remove the fixture from the showcase and place it on a counter for
a customer's up-close inspection, for example. Again, one skilled
in the art will recognize that other variations are possible. For
example, a retailer may have the shanks and heads in a portable
case that the retailer is able to carry and bring directly to a
customer. For description purposes, it will be assumed that the
retailer has a fixture that may be placed on a counter top for a
customer's inspection.
[0099] Referring now more specifically to process 400 for selling
rings according to an embodiment of the invention, a prospective
customer may initially visually inspect the various shanks 110 and
heads 130 (again, this is assuming semi-mount ring system 100 is
being displayed). Based on the customer's selections or based on
suggestions by a jeweler (which, again, may be a jeweler,
salesperson, etc.), the jeweler may remove one or more shanks 110
and/or one or more heads 130 from the fixture and hand the shanks
and/or heads to the customer to allow the customer to visually
inspect the shanks and/or heads up close. Alternatively, the
jeweler may allow the customer to personally remove one or more
shanks and/or heads from the fixture.
[0100] Thereafter, in step 404 the customer may select or the
jeweler may suggest, for example, any one of the shanks 110 and any
one of the heads 130 as a possible combination for forming a ring
102. Thereafter, in step 406 the jeweler may secure the selected
head 130 to the selected shank 110 through head mounting mechanism
114 and shank mounting mechanism 136 and hand the resulting ring to
the customer. Alternatively, the jeweler may allow the customer to
secure the selected head to the selected shank to form ring
102.
[0101] Next, the customer may handle ring 102 as if the ring were
in a finished form, moving ring 102 so as to view the ring from
different perspectives. The customer may also place ring 102 on a
finger to obtain additional perspectives of the ring. Again, as a
result of the head mounting mechanism and shank mounting mechanism
of the present invention, the customer may handle the ring without
concern that the head or stone will disconnect from the shank. In
addition, because ring 102 may have a clean and finished
appearance, the customer may easily visualize how the ring will
appear when in its completed and finished form.
[0102] Thereafter, in step 408 the customer may make a
determination as to whether ring 102 meets the customer's desires
and preferences, whether the customer does not wish to purchase a
ring at this time (step 410), or whether the customer would like to
see other ring styles. Assuming the customer wants to see other
rings, the process proceeds to step 412 where the customer may
place ring 102 aside, for example, so that the ring may be compared
to other rings. Alternatively, the customer may hand ring 102 back
to the jeweler where the jeweler may grasp the head 130 and shank
110, for example, and detach the head from the shank.
Alternatively, the customer may detach the head from the shank. The
jeweler or customer may thereafter place one or both of head 130
and shank 110 back in the fixture for display.
[0103] Thereafter, the process may proceed back to step 404 where
the customer may again select, or the jeweler may suggest, any one
of the shanks 110 and any one of the heads 130 as a possible
combination for forming a new and different ring 102. Note that
assuming the head and shank of the previously selected ring are
detached, the new ring may be the result of pairing the previously
selected head or shank with a different head or shank.
Alternatively, the new ring 102 may be the result of attaching a
newly selected head and shank.
[0104] Thereafter, the process may proceed as above where the
selected head 130 and shank 110 are secured to form a ring 102
(step 406), allowing the customer to then inspect the ring. Note
that here, assuming different heads and shanks are being attached
and set aside, a customer may easily handle and inspect several
rings at one time to perform a comparison, for example.
[0105] The above process may continue until the customer either
decides not to purchase a ring (step 410), or the customer decides
to purchase a ring and the process proceeds to step 414 where the
customer selects a desired combination of a head 130 and shank 110
that meets the customer's desires and preferences.
[0106] Assuming the customer selects a desired combination of head
130 and shank 110, the process proceeds to step 416 where the
selected head and shank are next permanently secured to form a
final ring. Again, according to an embodiment of the invention, the
head may be permanently secured to the shank by securing channel
140 to bridge 116, for example, using an epoxy, solder, a precious
metal, such as gold, silver, platinum, or the like. Similarly, if
the resulting ring has the stylistic appearance of a custom one
piece casting, a precious metal such as gold, silver, platinum, or
the like may be placed along the seam of void 124 and stone
mounting mechanism 132. According to an embodiment of the
invention, the final and finished ring substantially resembles the
ring prior to the head 130 and shank 110 being permanently secured.
Finally, the process may proceed to step 418 where the final ring
is thereafter delivered to the customer.
[0107] One skilled in the art will recognize that other variations
of process 400 may be used to sell rings without deviating from the
present invention.
[0108] Note that how the selected combination of a head 130 and
shank 110 are formed into a ring (i.e., step 416) may be performed
in different ways. For example, according to an embodiments of the
invention, once the customer selects a desired shank 110 and head
130, the retailer may thereafter use the actual selected pieces to
form the ring, as describe above. According to another embodiments
of the invention, the jeweler or customer may place the selected
head 130 and shank 110 back in the fixture and the retailer may
thereafter form the final ring from replicas of the selected head
and shank. The replicas of the selected head and shank may be
stocked pieces maintained by the retailer. Alternatively, the
retailer may fabricate replicas of the head and shank to meet the
customer order. Note that the replicates may include a shank
mounting mechanism 132 and head mounting mechanism 114, which
mechanisms are secured to form the final ring. Alternatively, the
replicas of the selected head and shank may not include a shank
mounting mechanism 132 and head mounting mechanism 114. In other
words, according to this embodiment of the invention, a retailer
may use ring system 100, for example, to display and sell rings and
may thereafter use traditional ring fabrication techniques to
actually fabricate the ring, for example.
[0109] According to another embodiment of the invention, the
displayed shanks 110 and heads 130 may include only synthetic
stones, such as cubic zirconias. Here, the process proceeds as
described above. Once a shank 110 and head 130 are selected by the
customer (step 414), the head and shank may be returned to the
fixture. The retailer may thereafter fabricate the final ring that
is delivered to the customer by either using stocked pieces, for
example, or fabricating new pieces. The stocked or fabricated head
and shank may be replicas of the selected head 130 and shank 110,
but may include real stones therein.
[0110] According to another embodiment of the invention, the
retailer may work with a supplier. Specifically, according to this
embodiment of the invention, a supplier may fabricate shanks 110
and heads 130 and provide these pieces to a retailer. Here, the
retailer may select from a supplier's catalog, for example, a set
of shanks and heads the retailer wishes to display. Alternatively,
the supplier may provide the retailer with a standard set of shanks
and heads. Thereafter, the process proceeds as above with a
customer ultimately selecting a desired shank and head, for
example. To fabricate the selected ring, the jeweler may fabricate
the ring from the actual head and shank selected by the customer,
may fabricate the ring from stocked pieces supplied by the
supplier, or may use traditional ring fabrication techniques to
actually fabricate the ring. According to another embodiment of the
invention, the retailer may contact the suppler and the supplier
may provide the assembled ring. In this latter case and according
to an embodiment of the invention, the supplier may supply the
retailer with shanks 110 and heads 130 that include only synthetic
stones, such as cubic zirconias, for display purposes. Thereafter,
the supplier may use real stones, for example, when forming the
final ring.
[0111] Advantageously, as compared to the traditional method of
selling custom rings by using shanks and loose stones, the present
invention allows a customer to select a custom ring and to easily
view and handle the ring as if the ring were in its final form. In
addition, as compared to a ring series, for example, the present
invention allows a jeweler/retailer to display numerous styles of
custom rings while maintaining a limited sized inventory, thereby
reducing cost. In other words, as compared to a ring series where
the retailer must maintain all combinations of custom rings for
display to a customer, the present invention allows the retailer to
maintain only a single version of each head and shank style and to
form different combinations of custom rings for a customer as
needed. In addition, assuming the ring delivered to the customer is
formed from stocked shanks and heads, the ring may be fabricated
and delivered more quickly to the customer, as compared to using
traditional fabrication techniques. Significantly, the present
invention also allows the delivered ring to still have a custom
appearance as if fabricated using traditional fabrication
techniques.
[0112] Although the present invention has been described in
relation to particular embodiments thereof, many other variations
and modifications and other uses will become apparent to those
skilled in the art. It is preferred, therefore, that the present
invention be limited not by the specific disclosure herein, but
only by the appended claims.
* * * * *