U.S. patent application number 12/695318 was filed with the patent office on 2011-07-28 for finger ring for holding interchangeable gems.
Invention is credited to Arie Nhaissi.
Application Number | 20110179826 12/695318 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 44307913 |
Filed Date | 2011-07-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110179826 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Nhaissi; Arie |
July 28, 2011 |
Finger Ring for Holding Interchangeable Gems
Abstract
A finger ring capable of holding interchangeable gemstones of
different colors. The finger ring comprises a loop made of spring
wire shaped to fit around a human finger. The loop comprises first
and second end portions that are movable relative to each when the
loop is flexed. First and second half-settings are respectively
mounted to the first and second end portions. These half-settings
are movable between open and closed positions during flexure of the
loop. The half-settings in their closed positions form a setting
capable of securely holding a gemstone and in their open positions
are incapable of securely holding the same gemstone. The disclosed
structure that facilitates gem interchangeability can also be
incorporated in pendants or earrings.
Inventors: |
Nhaissi; Arie; (New York,
NY) |
Family ID: |
44307913 |
Appl. No.: |
12/695318 |
Filed: |
January 28, 2010 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
63/15.45 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A44C 17/0225 20130101;
A44C 17/046 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
63/15.45 |
International
Class: |
A44C 9/02 20060101
A44C009/02; A44C 17/02 20060101 A44C017/02 |
Claims
1. A ring comprising: a loop made of spring wire, said loop
comprising first and second end portions that are movable relative
to each when said loop is flexed; and a setting for a gemstone
comprising first and second sets of prongs, said first prong set
being mounted on said first end portion of said loop, and said
second prong set being mounted on said second end portion of said
loop, wherein said first and second sets of prongs have a first
state when said loop is flexed due to application of pressure on
both sides thereof to overcome resistance to bending of said spring
wire and a second state when no pressure is applied to either side
of said loop, said first and second sets of prongs being capable of
securely holding a gemstone in said second state but not in said
first state.
2. The ring as recited in claim 1, wherein said first and second
prong sets move apart during flexure of said loop due to said
application of pressure.
3. The ring as recited in claim 1, wherein said first and second
end portions of said loop move in opposite directions during
flexure of said loop due to said application of pressure.
4. The ring as recited in claim 1, further comprising a large
gemstone held securely by said first and second prongs in said
second state.
5. The ring as recited in claim 4, further comprising a cluster of
small gemstones surrounding said large gemstone.
6. The ring as recited in claim 1, wherein said loop comprises
first and second loops of spring wire arranged side by side and
soldered together.
7. The ring as recited in claim 1, wherein said spring wire is made
of silver alloy.
8. A kit comprising a ring and first and second gemstones, wherein
said first and second gemstones have the same maximum width, and
said finger ring comprises: a loop made of spring wire, said loop
comprising first and second end portions that are movable relative
to each when said loop is flexed; and a setting comprising first
and second sets of prongs, said first prong set being mounted on
said first end portion of said loop, and said second prong set
being mounted on said second end portion of said loop, wherein said
first and second sets of prongs have a first state when said loop
is flexed due to application of pressure on both sides thereof to
overcome resistance to bending of said spring wire and a second
state when no pressure is applied to either side of said loop, said
first and second sets of prongs being capable of securely holding
either of said first and second gemstones in said second state but
being incapable of securely holding either of said first and second
gemstones in said first state.
9. The kit as recited in claim 8, wherein said first and second
prong sets move apart during flexure of said loop due to said
application of pressure.
10. The kit as recited in claim 8, wherein said first and second
end portions of said loop move in opposite directions during
flexure of said loop due to said application of pressure.
11. The kit as recited in claim 8, further comprising a cluster of
small gemstones surrounding, said cluster comprising a first set of
small gemstones fixedly arranged relative to said first prong set
and a second set of small gemstones fixedly arranged relative to
said second prong set, said first and second sets of small
gemstones moving apart when said first and second prong sets move
apart.
12. The kit as recited in claim 8, wherein said loop comprises
first and second loops of spring wire arranged side by side and
soldered together.
13. The kit as recited in claim 8, wherein said spring wire is made
of silver alloy.
14. A ring comprising a loop made of spring wire, said loop
comprising first and second end portions that are movable relative
to each when said loop is flexed; a first half-setting mounted to
said first end portion; and a second half-setting mounted to said
second end portion, said first and second half-settings being
movable between open and closed positions during flexure of said
loop, said first and second half-settings in said closed positions
forming a setting capable of securely holding a gemstone and in
said open positions being incapable of securely holding the same
gemstone.
15. The ring as recited in claim 14, wherein said first and second
half-settings move apart during flexure of said loop due to
application of oppositely directed pressure forces on both sides of
said loop.
16. The ring as recited in claim 14, wherein said first and second
half-settings are urged toward said closed positions by a spring
bias of said loop when no external force is being exerted on said
loop.
17. The ring as recited in claim 14, further comprising a large
gemstone held securely by said first and second half-settings in
said closed positions.
18. The ring as recited in claim 17, further comprising a cluster
of small gemstones surrounding said large gemstone.
19. The ring as recited in claim 14, wherein said loop comprises
first and second loops of spring wire arranged side by side and
soldered together.
20. The ring as recited in claim 14, wherein said first
half-setting comprises a first set of prongs and said second
half-setting comprises a second set of prongs.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] This invention generally relates to jewelry and, in
particular relates to finger rings.
[0002] A typical finger ring comprises a generally circular band, a
setting attached to the band and a gemstone held by the setting.
Gemstones exist in many different colors, such as diamonds, rubies,
emeralds, sapphires, etc. The utility of such ornamental jewelry
would be greatly enhanced if the color of the gemstone could be
changed periodically and easily.
[0003] There is a need for an improved ring that would allow the
color of the gemstone to be easily changed.
BRIEF SUMMARY
[0004] The present invention is a ring capable of holding
interchangeable gemstones of different colors. This has the
advantage of allowing a ring wearer to select the gemstone color
that matches the color of his/her attire. It also creates the
illusion that the wearer owns a multitude of rings.
[0005] One aspect of the invention is a ring comprising a loop made
of spring wire, the loop comprising first and second end portions
that are movable relative to each when the loop is flexed; a first
half-setting mounted to the first end portion; and a second
half-setting mounted to the second end portion, the first and
second half-settings being movable between open and closed
positions during flexure of the loop, the first and second
half-settings in the closed positions forming a setting capable of
securely holding a gemstone and in the open positions being
incapable of securely holding the same gemstone.
[0006] Another aspect of the invention is a ring comprising: a loop
made of spring wire, the loop comprising first and second end
portions that are movable relative to each when the loop is flexed;
and a setting for a gemstone comprising first and second sets of
prongs, the first prong set being mounted on the first end portion
of the loop, and the second prong set being mounted on the second
end portion of the loop, wherein the first and second sets of
prongs have a first state when the loop is flexed due to
application of pressure on both sides thereof to overcome
resistance to bending of the spring wire and a second state when no
pressure is applied to either side of the loop, the first and
second sets of prongs being capable of securely holding a gemstone
in the second state but not in the first state.
[0007] A further aspect of the invention is a kit comprising a ring
and first and second gemstones, wherein the first and second
gemstones have the same maximum width, and the ring comprises: a
loop made of spring wire, the loop comprising first and second end
portions that are movable relative to each when the loop is flexed;
and a setting comprising first and second sets of prongs, the first
prong set being mounted on the first end portion of the loop, and
the second prong set being mounted on the second end portion of the
loop, wherein the first and second sets of prongs have a first
state when the loop is flexed due to application of pressure on
both sides thereof to overcome resistance to bending of the spring
wire and a second state when no pressure is applied to either side
of the loop, the first and second sets of prongs being capable of
securely holding either of the first and second gemstones in the
second state but being incapable of securely holding either of the
first and second gemstones in the first state.
[0008] Other aspects of the invention are disclosed and claimed
below.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] FIG. 1 is a drawing showing a top view of a finger ring in
accordance with one embodiment of the invention. This finger ring
has an easily removable large colored gemstone surrounded by
smaller colorless gemstones.
[0010] FIG. 2 is a drawing showing a view of the finger ring shown
in FIG. 1, the viewpoint being such that the setting is visible
from below.
[0011] FIG. 3 is a drawing showing another view of the finger ring
of FIG. 1 with the large gemstone removed. In this view, separable
halves of the setting (hereinafter "half-settings") have been moved
apart by a person holding the ring loop between his thumb and
forefinger and then squeezing.
[0012] FIG. 4 is a drawing showing another view of the finger ring
of FIG. 1 with the large gemstone removed and with the separable
half-settings restored to their closed positions due to the spring
bias of the loop when the loop is not being squeezed.
[0013] FIG. 5 is a drawing showing a view of a finger ring in
accordance with another embodiment of the invention.
[0014] Reference will now be made to the drawings in which similar
elements in different drawings bear the same reference
numerals.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0015] FIGS. 1-4 are different views of a finger ring in accordance
with one embodiment of the invention. FIG. 5 shows a different
embodiment. The difference between the two disclosed embodiments
lies in the number of individual loops of spring wire that make up
the ring loop. In the first embodiment, three loops of spring wire
have been soldered together to form the ring loop 2 (the soldering
is not shown in the drawings). In the other embodiment shown in
FIG. 5, the ring loop 2' consists of a single loop of spring wire.
In other embodiments (not shown in the drawings), the number of
loops of spring wire making up the ring loop can be different than
one or three, e.g., two, four or more.
[0016] Although the embodiments disclosed herein are finger rings,
the structure and principle of operation of the invention also has
application in pendants and earrings.
[0017] As used herein, the word "spring" should be given its
ordinary meaning as understood by persons skilled in the art of
mechanics, such as "the quality of a material that will cause it to
return quickly to its original position after being moved" [taken
from Academic Press Dictionary of Science and Technology, Harcourt
Brace Jovanovich, 1992]. Therefore, the term "spring wire" refers
to wire that has the foregoing property. In particular, when a loop
of such spring wire is squeezed with sufficient force, the end
portions of the loop move away from each other while the portions
on opposite sides of the loop, where the forces are being applied,
move toward each other; and when the compressive force is removed,
the loop will spring back to its original state.
[0018] FIG. 1 shows a cluster ring comprising a loop 2 made of
spring wire, and a pair of separable half-settings 4 and 6 which
form a setting for a large gemstone 8 surrounded by a multiplicity
of small gemstones 10. To simplify the drawings, the facets on the
gemstones are not shown since they are not germane to this
description of embodiments of the invention.
[0019] The half-settings 4 and 6 comprise respective sets of prongs
12a-12c and 14a-14c, which hold the large gemstone securely in
place when the half-settings are in their respective closed
positions. This state is referred to herein as "the setting is
closed". It should be appreciated, however, that the half-settings
may be separated at opposite ends thereof by small gaps when the
setting is closed. These gaps become larger when the ring loop is
squeezed together. The setting is held in the closed position by
the spring bias of the ring loop 2.
[0020] The half-settings further comprise multiple claws 16 which
hold the small gemstones 10 securely in place in a well-known
manner.
[0021] To separate the half-settings 4 and 6 so that the gemstone 8
will be released, the resistance to bending of the spring wire must
be overcome. This is accomplished by applying sufficient
compressive force or pressure on the sides of the ring, e.g., by
squeezing the sides of the ring using a thumb and a forefinger, as
shown in FIG. 3. As the half-settings separate, the distance
between the opposing sets of prongs 12a-12c and 14a-14c increases,
thereby releasing the large gemstone 8. This state is referred to
herein as "the setting is open". This operation should be performed
while the ring is being held upside-down so that the large gemstone
will simply drop out of the setting under the force of gravity.
[0022] FIG. 3 shows large gaps 22a and 22b separating the opposing
ends of the half settings 4 and 6. When the setting is open, these
gaps are enlarged as compared to the small gaps which can
optionally be present when the setting is closed.
[0023] Referring back to FIG. 2, the ring loop 2 is made of three
loops 2a-2c of spring wire soldered (not shown) together. The ring
loop 2 is shaped to fit around a human finger. As seen in FIG. 2,
the loop comprises first and second end portions 18 and 20 that are
movable relative to each other when the loop 2 is flexed by
squeezing its sides. The half-setting 6 is soldered to the first
end portion 18; the half-setting 4 is soldered to the second end
portion 20. The half-settings 4 and 6 are movable between open and
closed positions during flexure of the loop 2. The half-settings in
their closed positions form a closed setting capable of securely
holding the large gemstone and in their open positions form an open
setting which is incapable of securely holding the same gemstone.
The half-settings 4 and 6 in their open positions are urged toward
their closed positions by a spring bias of the loop 2 when the
external force being exerted on the loop is released. The spring
bias may be such that the opposing ends of the half-settings are in
contact or are separated by a slight gap when the setting is
closed. In the latter case, the spring is in its equilibrium state
with no spring force being exerted until the ring loop is
squeezed.
[0024] FIG. 4 shows the half-settings 4 and 6 with the large
gemstone removed and no external force being applied to the ring
loop 2. As seen in FIG. 4, the end portions (e.g., item 18) of the
loop 2 (to which the half-settings are soldered) may extend beyond
the half-settings. As used herein and in the claims, the term "end
portion" of the loop includes the portion to which the half-setting
is soldered and any terminal portion extending beyond the soldered
portion.
[0025] FIG. 5 shows another embodiment having half-settings 4 and 6
identical to the half-settings previously described, with a cluster
of small gemstones 10 held in place by claws 16. The small
gemstones surround a large gemstone 8' in a manner similar to what
is depicted in FIG. 1. The only substantive difference between the
rings depicted in FIGS. 2 and 5 is that the ring shown in FIG. 5
has a loop 2' consisting of a single spring wire instead of three
spring wires soldered together.
[0026] When the sides of the single spring wire of loop 2' are
squeezed together with sufficient force, the half-settings 4 and 6
will separate to release the gemstone 8'. After the gemstone 8' has
been released, a gemstone similar in size and shape but different
in color may be installed. The fact that the ring loop 2' is not a
closed circular band and is made of spring wire makes it possible
to open the gemstone setting at will. One ring (with the large
gemstone removed) and two or more interchangeable large gemstones
can be sold as a kit.
[0027] The spring wire material used to form the ring loop may be
any suitable metal alloy, such as silver alloy.
[0028] While the invention has been described with reference to
various embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the
art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be
substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope
of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to
adapt a particular situation to the teachings of the invention
without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore it is
intended that the invention not be limited to the particular
embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out
this invention. In particular, the structure claimed hereinafter is
not limited to use in finger rings, but can also be incorporated in
pendants or earrings.
* * * * *