Channel Setting with Grooved Walls and Offset Prongs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional channel settings for jewelry are labor-intensive and require skilled jewelers due to the need for precise notch alignment and cutting, limiting their ease of manufacture and the secure placement of gemstones.
Innovation Solution
A ring apparatus with a channel setting featuring grooved walls and offset soldering prongs that securely hold gemstones, allowing for easier assembly and enhanced stability during placement, with the grooves and prongs designed to accommodate the shape of the gemstones and prevent them from falling out during loading.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional channel settings are used with hand-cut notches, then the gemstones can be held securely in position, but the manufacturing process becomes labor-intensive and requires skilled jewelers
Solution Approach 1:
The channel setting is divided into modular components: a channel member with pre-formed notches and a separate ring member. The notches are segmented as distinct structural features within the channel member, allowing them to be manufactured separately and precisely positioned without requiring skilled hand-cutting during final assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The notches are pre-formed in the channel member during manufacturing, rather than being cut on-site by a jeweler. This preliminary action ensures precise alignment and shape matching with the gem girdle before the channel is assembled into the final jewelry piece, eliminating the need for skilled hand-cutting during assembly.
2Manufacturing precision
If traditional channel settings require precise notch alignment, then the gemstones are securely positioned, but the assembly process becomes time-consuming and difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The setting system is segmented into a channel member containing the notches and a separate ring member. This segmentation allows the notches to be precisely manufactured in the channel member independently, then the entire channel member is assembled as a unit to the ring, eliminating complex alignment operations during final assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The channel member acts as an intermediary component that bridges the ring structure and the gemstone. It pre-integrates the notches with precise geometry matching the gem girdle, serving as a mediator that transfers the gemstone securely to the ring without requiring the jeweler to perform precise alignment and cutting operations.
3Manufacturing precision
If hand tools are used to cut notches, then the notch shape can match the gem girdle, but the process requires skilled jewelers and increases labor intensity
Solution Approach 1:
The notches are pre-formed in the channel member during the manufacturing process with precise shapes matched to the gem girdle. This preliminary action transfers the skill requirement from the final assembly stage to the manufacturing stage, allowing standardization and reducing the need for skilled jewelers during assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The notches in the channel member are designed as precise copies or templates of the gem girdle shape. By creating the notches as predetermined geometric features that replicate the required shape, the system eliminates the need for skilled jewelers to manually craft custom notches during assembly.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution simplifies the manufacturing and assembly process, making it accessible to less skilled jewelers and provides a secure, stable setting that allows light to pass through, enhancing the sparkle of the gemstones while preventing them from falling out during the loading process.
Implementation Method 1
four soldering prongs (e.g. 56, 58, 60 and 62) attached to the proximal first wall end (18), the distal first wall end (20), the proximal second wall end (38) and the distal second wall end (40); a ring portion (64) with a ring portion first end (66) and a ring portion second end (68), wherein the ring portion first end (66) is soldered to the proximal first wall end (18) and the proximal second wall end (38) and the ring portion second end (68) is soldered to the distal first wall end (20) and the distal second wall end (40)
Data Source
AI summary
A gem setting comprising a first wall with a first groove and a second wall with a second groove, the first wall and the second wall having a channel between them and the first groove facing towards the second groove such that when the plurality of gems are set into the channel the crown of the gems extends above the first wall top and the second wall top; four soldering prongs attached to the ends of the walls and a ring portion, wherein the ring portion is soldered to the four soldering prongs to enclose the plurality of gems in the channel.