Interchangeable jewelry setting system

Abstract

An interchangeable jewelry setting system that allows for the insertion, removal and replacement of ornamental elements onto a jewelry piece is provided. The jewelry piece may comprise any type of or piece of jewelry onto which an ornamental setting may be fitted such as, for example, a ring, necklace, earring, bracelet, broach, pin, etc. Likewise, any ornamental element may be disposed on the interchangeable setting of the invention, such as, for example, a metallic engraving, ornamental design element, etc.

Description

INTERCHANGEABLE JEWELRY SETTING SYSTEMFIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] Interchangeable jewelry settings, and specifically jewelry settings incorporating mechanisms allowing the ornamental portion of the ring attached to the setting to be interchanged are provided.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Although there are a large variety of jewelry designs, most include some sort of a central ornamental piece, such as a gemstone, disposed in a setting, possibly including another aesthetic design element (e.g. engraving, finish, etc.). In most cases, the setting, including the gemstone or whatever other ornamental element is included with or on the setting are fashioned in such a way that they form a single unchangeable piece. In other words, ornamental element is permanently attached to the setting and the setting, in turn, is permanently attached to the rest of the jewelry piece.

[0003] Various enhancements to this type of permanent jewelry settings have been proposed previously. These include examples of jewelry in which the ornamental elements, such as the gemstone, are engage by a clasping mechanism. Examples of such designs may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,375,434 Wertheimer (1994), U.S. Pat. No.4,794,766 Schunk et al. (1989), and U.S. Pat. No. 4,742,696 Jenkins (1988). However, these designs typically include a separate hinged gemstone holder that puts a number of constraints on the ornamental appearance of the jewelry piece. Other prior art focuses on the interchangeability of larger sections of the ring, such as the setting itself. Examples of these types of designs may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,933,011 DiGillio et al. (1976), U.S. Pat. No. 5,456,095 Tawil et al. (1995), U.S. Pat. No. 4,905,482 Gheblikian (1990) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,228,317 Hendricks (1993). These all provide variations on either a keyed or directly grasping mechanism in which the setting may be replaced. However, all have a tendency to require a number of intricate mechanisms that makes these jewelry pieces difficult to manufacture. In addition, many of these designs can add substantial bulk to the jewelry piece, thus the limiting the design flexibility of these pieces.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] The current application describes embodiments of an interchangeable jewelry setting system that allows for the insertion, removal and replacement of ornamental elements onto a jewelry piece.

[0005] Many embodiments are directed to a ring having an interchangeable setting system including:• a ring body portion comprising at least a passage through which a wearer’s finger may be inserted, the ring body comprising a channel disposed at least partially along an inner surface of the ring body facing the passage;• at least one independent ring portion rotatably interconnected with the ring body portion and disposed such that the independent ring portion rotates into and out of the channel of the ring body;• an anchor mechanism for securing an ornamental element to said ring comprising a plurality of armatures, wherein at least one armature is disposed on each of said ring body portion and at least one independent ring portion; and• wherein the plurality of armatures are configured such that where the at least one independent ring portion is rotated into the channel of the ring body portion the ornamental element is secured to said ring by the anchor mechanism, and where the at least one independent ring portion is rotated out of the channel the anchor mechanism releases the ornamental element such that it may be removed from the ring.

[0006] In many such embodiments the ring body portion has at least one armature disposed thereon and at least one rotatably interconnected independent ring portion, having at least one armature disposed thereon.

[0007] In still many such embodiments the ring body portion has at least two armatures disposed thereon and at least one rotatably interconnected independent ring portion, having at least two armatures disposed thereon.

[0008] In yet many such embodiments the at least one independent ring portion moves within a plane orthogonal to the axis of rotation.

[0009] In still yet many such embodiments the ornamental element is selected from the group consisting of a loose gem, a set gem, a plurality of gems, a plurality of set gems, a metallic engraving, and an ornamental design element.

[0010] In yet still many such embodiments the ring further includes a locking mechanism for securing the independent ring portions against rotation.

[0011] In still yet many such embodiments the locking mechanism comprises a clasp configured to secure the at least one independent ring portion within the channel of the ring body.

[0012] Additional embodiments and features are set forth in part in the description that follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the specification or may be learned by the practice of the disclosure. A further understanding of the nature and advantages of the present disclosure may be realized by reference to the remaining portions of the specification and the drawings, which forms a part of this disclosure.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] The description and claims of the current invention will be more fully understood with reference to the following figures, which are presented as exemplary embodiments of the invention and should not be construed as a complete recitation of the scope of the invention, wherein:

[0014] FIG. 1 provides a perspective view of an interchangeable jewelry setting system in accordance with various embodiments of the invention;

[0015] FIG. 2 provides a side-view of the interchangeable jewelry setting system shown in FIG. 1 in accordance with various embodiments of the invention;

[0016] FIG. 3 provides a side-view of the interchangeable jewelry setting system shown in FIG. 2 in an open position in accordance with various embodiments of the invention;

[0017] FIG. 4 provides a close-up view of the latch mechanism of an interchangeable jewelry setting system in accordance with various embodiments of the invention;

[0018] FIG. 5 provides a close-up exploded view of the latch mechanism of an interchangeable jewelry setting system in accordance with various embodiments of the invention; and

[0019] FIG. 6 provides a cross-sectional view of the interchangeable jewelry setting system shown in FIG. 1 in accordance with various embodiments of the invention.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] In accordance with the figures and descriptions, embodiments of an interchangeable jewelry setting system that allows for the insertion, removal and replacement of ornamental elements onto a jewelry piece are provided. With respect to the following detailed description, although only a ring is shown, it will be understood that the jewelry piece may comprise any type of or piece of jewelry onto which an ornamental setting may be fitted such as, for example, a ring, necklace, earring, bracelet, broach, pin, etc. Likewise, although the ornamental element in the following description is shown to be a gemstone, it will be understood that any ornamental element may be disposed on the interchangeable setting of the invention, such as, for example, a metallic engraving, ornamental design element, etc.

[0021] Turning now to the diagrams, FIGs. 1 to 6 show an interchangeable jewelry setting system (10) according to certain embodiments of the invention. As shown, in these embodiments the system includes an ornamental anchor mechanism that comprises a plurality of armatures (12) for directly grasping either the setting or, as shown in the figures, the ornamental element (14). The anchor mechanism, in the form of the armatures in such embodiments, is disposed across the independent portions or portions (16) of the jewelry piece (13), which themselves are interconnected through a rotatable interconnection (17) that defines a rotational axis (17’). The rotation of the may be described by how the rotational axis is arranged in relation to a plane (18) formed by the face of the jewelry piece (13) and each of the independent portions. In the embodiments shown in FIGs. 1 to 3 the plane is orthogonal to the rotational axis (17’) such that the independent portions (16) are rotatable relative to each other about said interconnection (as shown in FIG. 3) within said orthogonal plane.

[0022] Although the anchor mechanism may take many forms, as will be described in detail by reference to the various embodiments, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the armatures (12) are cooperatively arranged on said independent portions (16) such that during operation, when the independent portions are rotated one set of the armatures (12’) move relative to the other (12), thereby releasing and allowing the interchange of the ornamental element (14). In particular in one embodiment the rotation can be defined in relation to the alignment of the passage formed between the ring body (13) and the independent portion (16) for the wearer’s finger, wherein when the independent portion (16) is nested within a channel (20) disposed within the inner surface (21) of the ring body (13) (as shown in cross-section in FIG. 6) the armatures (12) of the anchoring mechanism are positioned to secure the ornamental element (14) in the ring as shown in FIGs. 1, 2 and 4, and wherein when the independent portion moves inwardly into the passage (18) of the ring body (13) (as shown in FIG. 3) the armatures of the anchoring mechanism open to allow removal of the ornamental element from the ring (as shown in FIG. 3).

[0023] To avoid the inadvertent rotation of the elements a securing mechanism may be provided, such as a hinged clasp (19)(as shown in FIGs. 4 and 5), which can be swiveled into position to secure the independent portion (16) into place within the ring body (13) such that the independent portion is prevented from moving relative to the ring body. Although the jewelry piece in these embodiments is shown to be a ring, it should be understood that a similar independently rotating mechanism may be used in any type of jewelry piece. However, where the jewelry piece is a ring, it should be understood that the independent portions of the ring could take the form of separate cross-sections of the ring of any suitable number that when combined form full body of the ring. In any case, a secondary securing mechanism would be the wearer’s finger, which when inserted through the aligned sections of the ring would prevent the sections from rotating apart. Likewise, although the ring is shown to have a circular design in the figure, it should be understood that any shaped ring may be used in association with the invention, including square, tapered, or irregular. In addition, the independent portions may each take a different shape where desired.

[0024] Although the FIGs. 1 to 6 present embodiments having four rotating armatures, it should be understood that the anchoring mechanism in such examples might include fewer armatures (such as 3) or additional armatures (such as 5 or 6). Apart from the number of armatures, such a mechanism would function as described above, and could also include all the possible variations and securing mechanisms described above.

[0025] In the embodiments shown in FIGs. 1 to 6, the rotatable interconnection (17), about which the independent portion(s) (16) of the jewelry piece (10) rotate, is oriented and arranged such that the individual portions of the jewelry piece each rotate radially about the interconnection within a vertical plane that is orthogonal to axis (17’) the interconnection. However, in some embodiments of the invention the rotatable interconnection may be oriented such that the axis of rotation about which the independent elements or portions of the ring rotate is parallel to the plane that the face of the jewelry piece and each of the independent portions define such that the individual portions and interconnected armatures (which in this embodiment collectively form the anchoring mechanism) pivot out and upward. This type of arrangement would result in a pincer movement such as would be obtained with a pair of pliers.

[0026] It should be generally understood throughout this patent and the above description that all items are attached to relevant adjacent items by some means commensurate with the materials of which they are made (e.g. metalworking if items are made from metal). While the above description contains many specificities, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention, but rather as an exemplification of one preferred embodiment thereof. For example:• The interchangeable ornament element may or may not contain gemstones;if not, they may consist entirely of different materials (gold, silver, etc.) possibly with some other kind of design element present, for example the interchangeable element (14) might include a setting that itself has a plurality of gems or other ornamental elements disposed thereon;• Gemstones which optionally reside in the interchangeable ring shank / ornament assemblies may be set or held in place in any fashion (e.g. prong-set, bezel-set, etc.);• Interlocking clasp and slot do not have to be of any particular shape. Rather they can be of any shape (e.g. cylindrical, hexagonal, etc.), and there can be more than one interlock / slot combination in any embodiment;• There can be more than one interchangeable setting connected to a single jewelry piece; and• The securing mechanism can be replaced by any mechanism which secures the independent portions of the jewelry piece, including, for example, magnets, buttons, snaps, or latch closures.

[0027] Having described several embodiments, it will be recognized by those skilled in the art that various modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents may be used without departing from the spirit of the invention. Additionally, a number of well-known processes and elements have not been described in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present invention. Accordingly, the above description should not be taken as limiting the scope of the invention.

[0028] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the presently disclosed embodiments teach by way of example and not by limitation. Therefore, the matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings should be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. The following claims are intended to cover all generic and specific features described herein, as well as all statements of the scope of the present method and system, which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A ring having an interchangeable setting system comprising:a ring body portion comprising at least a passage through which a wearer’s finger may be inserted, the ring body comprising a channel disposed at least partially along an inner surface of the ring body facing the passage;at least one independent ring portion rotatably interconnected with the ring body portion and disposed such that the independent ring portion rotates into and out of the channel of the ring body;an anchor mechanism for securing an ornamental element to said ring comprising a plurality of armatures, wherein at least one armature is disposed on each of said ring body portion and at least one independent ring portion; andwherein the plurality of armatures are configured such that where the at least one independent ring portion is rotated into the channel of the ring body portion the ornamental element is secured to said ring by the anchor mechanism, and where the at least one independent ring portion is rotated out of the channel the anchor mechanism releases the ornamental element such that it may be removed from the ring.

2. The ring of claim 1, comprising a ring body portion having at least one armature disposed thereon and at least one rotatably interconnected independent ring portion, having at least one armature disposed thereon.

3. The ring of claim 1, comprising a ring body portion having at least two armatures disposed thereon and at least one rotatably interconnected independent ring portion, having at least two armatures disposed thereon.

4. The ring of claim 1, wherein of the at least one independent ring portion moves within a plane orthogonal to the axis of rotation.

5. The ring of claim 1 , wherein the ornamental element is selected from the group consisting of a loose gem, a set gem, a plurality of gems, a plurality of set gems, a metallic engraving, and an ornamental design element.

6. The ring of claim 1 , further comprising a locking mechanism for securing the independent ring portions against rotation.

7. The ring of claim 6, wherein the locking mechanism comprises a clasp configured to secure the at least one independent ring portion within the channel of the ring body.

Images