RING SYSTEM WITH INTERCHANGEABLE PIECES
A ring assembly, including: a circumferential component including a protruding member; and a decorative component, having decorative indicia disposed on an upper surface, and a socket opening disposed in a lower surface having dimensions corresponding to the protruding member, the ring assembly being movable from an initially disassembled state to a fully assembled state in which the protruding member is inserted in the socket opening, and engages the decorative component.
The present invention relates to a modifiable jewelry and, more particularly, to a ring system where each piece of the ring can be interchanged.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThere exist various systems for replacing a gem of a ring with one or more other gems. There also exist systems for providing different ring configurations.
By and large the interchangeable ring systems have a cup or holder that fits into the ring assembly such that the holder includes a male connector piece and the band component is the female connector/receptacle. Other assemblies include a clasp configuration comprised of moveable sections that open and close, such that the gem can be removed and replaced with another gem. Reversible ring systems are also known in the art. These systems can be locked in one of two configurations, but the gem cannot be removed and replaced.
No ring systems exist where the band(s) of the ring system is/are hooked inside the ‘gem section’ in order to secure the gem section to the band(s).
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention discloses an innovative ring band which can be personalized or changed at will. The system is made up of three parts in a disassembled state: a first ring band with a protrusion (curved rod) jutting perpendicular to the plane of the band, a second ring band similar to the first ring band and a central piece which has one or more jewels embedded thereon.
One method for assembling the ring is where the bands are laid flush on a level surface with the flanges abutting and pointing upwards. The central piece is lowered over the upturned flanges and then the bands are rotated towards each other, locking the flanges into an internal socket inside the central piece. A second method is to place the central piece upside down with the socket opening facing up. The flanges of the left and right bands are inserted so that the plane of the bands is parallel to the surface and then the bands are rotated towards each other until the bands meet and the flanges lock inside the socket.
In the assembled state the bands lie parallel and the flanges lock the decorative, central piece (e.g. having a jewel embedded thereon), in place, in an unmoving manner. The flanges of the bands hook inside the central piece, holding all the pieces together by lever tension. As such, the flanges of the bands form the male-type connectors and the central piece includes a socket which is the female-type receptacle. Any of the three elements can be interchanged with a similar element having a different design or decoration. In an assembled state, the three parts interconnect and are held in place appearing as a single decorative, double banded, ring with the central decorative piece.
According to the present invention there is provided a ring assembly, including: a circumferential component including a protruding member; and a decorative component, having decorative indicia disposed on an upper surface, and a socket opening disposed in a lower surface having dimensions corresponding to the protruding member, the ring assembly being movable from an initially disassembled state to a fully assembled state in which the protruding member is inserted in the socket opening, and engages the decorative component.
According to further features in preferred embodiments of the invention described below the circumferential component includes a first member and a second member; the protruding member includes a first curved rod extending from the first member and a second curved rod extending from the second member, the first and second curved rods abutting to define the protruding member; and wherein assembly of the ring assembly involves moving the first and second members in relation to each other moving into proximity with each other such that the curved rods engage the decorative member and lock the band component and the decorative component together when the first member is located axially adjacent to the second member.
According to still further features the first and second members are of a shape selected from the group including: circular, toroidal, square, oval, pentagonal, hexagonal, octagonal.
According to further features the first and second members include mating surfaces that abut in the fully assembled state, and wherein the first and second curved rods extend perpendicular to the mating surfaces.
According to further features the first and second curved rods are in sliding engagement with each other via a mating arrangement.
According to further features the mating arrangement is a tongue and groove arrangement.
According to further features the mating surfaces include a coupling arrangement.
According to further features the coupling arrangement is a ball and socket arrangement.
According to further features, in the disassembled state the decorative component, the first member and the second member are dissociated from each other.
According to further features in a first partially assembled state the first curved rod abuts the second curved rod, such that terminal ends of the curved rods define the protruding member.
According to further features in a second partially assembled state, the protruding member is inserted into the socket of the decorative component.
According to further features in a third partially assembled state, the curved rods are pivoted against shelf edges that define a socket opening of the socket, such that the first and second members are moved in relation to each other.
According to further features in the fully assembled state the first member is located axially adjacent to the second member so as to present an outer surface providing a unitary appearance and the curved rods lock the decorative component onto the circumferential component.
According to another embodiment there is provided a method of assembling a ring assembly, including: providing a first circumferential member and a second circumferential member each circumferential member having a planar, mating surface and a curved rod extending perpendicular to the mating surface; abutting the curved rod of the first circumferential member with the curved rod of the second circumferential member such that terminal surfaces of the abutting curved rods define a protruding member; inserting the protruding member through a socket opening into a cavity defined in an underside of a decorative component, the decorative component having decorative indicia disposed on a topside thereof; moving the first and second circumferential members proximally in relation to each other until the first circumferential member is located axially adjacent to the second circumferential member providing a unitary appearance and the curved rods lock the decorative component onto the first and second circumferential members.
According to further features the curved rod of the first circumferential member and the curved rod of the second circumferential member are in sliding engagement with each other via a mating arrangement.
According to further features the mating arrangement is a tongue and groove arrangement. According to further features the mating surfaces include a coupling arrangement.
An embodiment is herein described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
The principles and operation of a ring system with interchangeable elements, according to the present invention, may be better understood with reference to the drawings and the accompanying description.
As can be seen, for example, in
In a preferred embodiment, a ring assembly 100 includes a circumferential component 10 and a decorative component 15. The circumferential component 10 includes a protruding member 102 (e.g. see
In
In the exemplary embodiment, the first and second members 110, 120 are circular in shape, with flat inside and outside surfaces and flat sides. The circumferential members respectively having circular inner surfaces 116, 126 (best seen in
First member 110 includes a first, innovative, curved rod 130 extending from outer surface 114. The protruding member 102 is constructed/formed, when first and second curved rods lie adjacent to each other, as is described in further detail below.
Reference is now made to the embodiment depicted in
In preferred embodiments, the loop section/circumferential component/band portion, includes a first circumferential member 110 and a second circumferential member 120 that are configured to be arranged adjacent to one another, such that the extension pieces 134, 144 of curved rods 130, 140 abut, so as to defined a [substantially square] protrusion 102, as seen in
While the aforementioned embodiments depicted in
After describing the elements which make up the circumferential component and briefly describing the decorative component, there follows a description of the assembly process for ring assembly 100. As discussed above, the circumferential members are positioned adjacent to each other (shown in
Even though some of the assembly process has been detailed above, the entire procedure is detailed below with reference to
Referring briefly to
The internal movement of the curved rods within the socket cavity are discussed below in further detail.
The internal volume of socket 152 is most clearly visible in
As can be seen in
The first configuration depicted in
The second distinctive variation, is clearly visible in
In one embodiment, ring assembly 100 includes the mating arrangement 136, 146. In another embodiment, ring assembly 100 includes the coupling arrangement 119, 129. In a third embodiment, ring assembly 100 includes both the mating arrangement and the coupling arrangement. In a fourth embodiment, ring assembly 100 has neither a coupling arrangement nor a mating arrangement.
In the aforementioned, fourth embodiment (e.g.
The present innovative ring assembly is an interchangeable ring assembly wherein each of the decorative component, first circumferential member and second circumferential member can be interchanged with similar members (and with each other, in some embodiments, as discussed heretofore).
In some embodiments, the outer surface 114 of first member 110, on either side of first curved rod 130, are unadorned. In other embodiments, the sides, referred to herein as shoulders, are adorned with decorations that may be mounted on, or set in, the shoulders. Alternatively or additionally, shoulders may be stylized with curves or decorations formed from the material of the shoulders. Similarly, the shoulders, on either side of curved rod 140 of second member 120, may or may not be decorated, as with first member 110. Having different colored gems on different members increases the number of variations that can be made by interchanging the circumferential members with each other and/or with other similar members, as well as interchanging the decorative pieces such as decorative piece 150A, depicted in
While the invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, it will be appreciated that many variations, modifications and other applications of the invention may be made.
Claims
1. A ring assembly, comprising:
- a circumferential component including a protruding member; and
- a decorative component, having decorative indicia disposed on an upper surface, and a socket opening disposed in a lower surface having dimensions corresponding to said protruding member, the ring assembly being movable from an initially disassembled state to a fully assembled state in which said protruding member is inserted in said socket opening, and engages said decorative component.
2. The ring assembly of claim 1, wherein said circumferential component includes a first member and a second member;
- said protruding member includes a first curved rod extending from said first member and a second curved rod extending from said second member, said first and second curved rods abutting to define said protruding member; and
- wherein assembly of the ring assembly involves moving said first and second members in relation to each other moving into proximity with each other such that said curved rods engage said decorative member and lock said band component and said decorative component together when said first member is located axially adjacent to said second member.
3. The ring assembly of claim 2, wherein said first and second members are of a shape selected from the group including: circular, toroidal, square, oval, pentagonal, hexagonal, octagonal.
4. The ring assembly of claim 2, wherein said first and second members include mating surfaces that abut in said fully assembled state, and
- wherein said first and second curved rods extend perpendicular to said mating surfaces.
5. The ring assembly of claim 2, wherein said first and second curved rods are in sliding engagement with each other via a mating arrangement.
6. The ring assembly of claim 5, wherein said mating arrangement is a tongue and groove arrangement.
7. The ring assembly of claim 4, wherein said mating surfaces include a coupling arrangement.
8. The ring assembly of claim 7, wherein said coupling arrangement is a ball and socket arrangement.
9. The ring assembly of claim 2, wherein in said disassembled state said decorative component, said first member and said second member are dissociated from each other.
10. The ring assembly of claim 2, wherein in a first partially assembled state said first curved rod abuts said second curved rod, such that terminal ends of said curved rods define said protruding member.
11. The ring assembly of claim 2, wherein in a second partially assembled state, said protruding member is inserted into said socket of said decorative component.
12. The ring assembly of claim 2, wherein in a third partially assembled state, said curved rods are pivoted against shelf edges that define a socket opening of said socket, such that said first and second members are moved in relation to each other.
13. The ring assembly of claim 2, wherein in said fully assembled state said first member is located axially adjacent to said second member so as to present an outer surface providing a unitary appearance and said curved rods lock said decorative component onto said circumferential component.
14. A method of assembling a ring assembly, comprising:
- providing a first circumferential member and a second circumferential member each circumferential member having a planar, mating surface and a curved rod extending perpendicular to said mating surface;
- abutting said curved rod of said first circumferential member with said curved rod of said second circumferential member such that terminal surfaces of said abutting curved rods define a protruding member;
- inserting said protruding member through a socket opening into a cavity defined in an underside of a decorative component, said decorative component having decorative indicia disposed on a topside thereof;
- moving said first and second circumferential members proximally in relation to each other until said first circumferential member is located axially adjacent to said second circumferential member providing a unitary appearance and said curved rods lock said decorative component onto said first and second circumferential members.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein said curved rod of said first circumferential member and said curved rod of said second circumferential member are in sliding engagement with each other via a mating arrangement.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein said mating arrangement is a tongue and groove arrangement.
17. The method of claim 14, wherein said mating surfaces include a coupling arrangement.
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 25, 2016
Publication Date: Oct 4, 2018
Inventors: Ronen BERKA (Ramat Hasharon), Tal MAN (Ramat Hasharon)
Application Number: 15/767,694