Patent Application
20240398075
The present disclosure relates generally to ring protectors. In particular, ring protectors that are adjustable with a comfortable exterior that doesn't obscure a user's ring are described.
Known ring protectors are not entirely satisfactory for the range of applications in which they are employed. For example, existing ring protectors are not adjustable and come in set sizes. These set sizes may not fit securely on the user's finger, increasing the chance the existing ring protector will not prevent loss of the user's ring. Moreover, with these set sizes, existing ring protectors require the user to use multiple protectors for each ring and for each finger or toe the user may wear a ring. In addition, conventional ring protectors cover, obscure, or interfere with the ring the user is trying to protect.
Thus, there exists a need for ring protectors that improve upon and advance the design of known ring protectors. Examples of new and useful ring protectors relevant to the needs existing in the field are discussed below.
The present disclosure is directed to adjustable ring protectors to be worn on a digit of a user that include a first ring shape, an interior comprising at least one interior material, an exterior comprising at least one exterior material encasing the at least one interior material, and the exterior comprising an exterior surface including a texture. The first ring shape includes a first end, a second end, and a first open space between the first end and the second end. The least one exterior material includes a soft material. The at least one interior material includes a deformable material. The at least one interior material and the at least one exterior material are configured to minimally deform producing a second ring shape configured to securely fit the adjustable ring protector on the digit of the user. The second ring shape includes the first end, the second end, and a second open space. In some examples, the adjustable ring protector includes a first end cap coupled to the first end and a second end cap coupled to the second end. In some further examples, the exterior of the adjustable ring protector includes an inner surface comprising a inner surface texture and an outer surface comprising an outer surface texture, wherein the inner surface texture is different from the outer surface texture.
The disclosed adjustable ring protectors will become better understood through review of the following detailed description in conjunction with the figures. The detailed description and figures provide merely examples of the various inventions described herein. Those skilled in the art will understand that the disclosed examples may be varied, modified, and altered without departing from the scope of the inventions described herein. Many variations are contemplated for different applications and design considerations; however, for the sake of brevity, each and every contemplated variation is not individually described in the following detailed description.
Throughout the following detailed description, examples of various adjustable ring protectors are provided. Related features in the examples may be identical, similar, or dissimilar in different examples. For the sake of brevity, related features will not be redundantly explained in each example. Instead, the use of related feature names will cue the reader that the feature with a related feature name may be similar to the related feature in an example explained previously. Features specific to a given example will be described in that particular example. The reader should understand that a given feature need not be the same or similar to the specific portrayal of a related feature in any given figure or example.
The following definitions apply herein, unless otherwise indicated.
“Substantially” means to be more-or-less conforming to the particular dimension, range, shape, concept, or other aspect modified by the term, such that a feature or component need not conform exactly. For example, a “substantially cylindrical” object means that the object resembles a cylinder, but may have one or more deviations from a true cylinder.
“Comprising,” “including,” and “having” (and conjugations thereof) are used interchangeably to mean including but not necessarily limited to, and are open-ended terms not intended to exclude additional elements or method steps not expressly recited.
Terms such as “first”, “second”, and “third” are used to distinguish or identify various members of a group, or the like, and are not intended to denote a serial, chronological, or numerical limitation.
“Coupled” means connected, either permanently or releasably, whether directly or indirectly through intervening components.
“Communicatively coupled” means that an electronic device exchanges information with another electronic device, either wirelessly or with a wire-based connector, whether directly or indirectly through a communication network.
“Controllably coupled” means that an electronic device controls operation of another electronic device.
With reference to the figures, adjustable ring protectors will now be described. The adjustable ring protectors discussed herein function to prevent loss of a ring while worn on a digit of a user. The adjustable ring protectors discussed below further function to protect the ring while worn on the user's digit.
The reader will appreciate from the figures and description below that the presently disclosed adjustable ring protectors address many of the shortcomings of conventional ring protectors. For example, the adjustable ring protectors disclosed herein include a deformable material inside the adjustable ring protector allowing for the user to adjust the adjustable ring protector to more precisely, securely, and/or snuggly fit their digit to address the problems associated with standard ring sizes of conventional ring protectors. As a result, the adjustable ring protectors significantly reduce the likelihood of loss of the ring that result from set ring sizes of conventional ring protectors as these set ring sizes may not fit securely to the user's digit.
The adjustability and resulting secure fit of the adjustable ring protectors allows the user to engage in more activities where use of conventional ring protectors may result in loss of the ring. For example, such activities include, but are not limited to, water activities, such as swimming, surfing, snorkeling, and the like, strenuous activities, such as biking, tennis, skiing, and the like, and leisure activities, such as gardening. The user may also tighten or loosen the adjustable ring protector as required by the activity they are engaging in or as the day progresses and their digits swell or shrink.
Additionally, the adjustability of adjustable ring protectors reduces cost for the user. Conventional ring protectors are fixed in their size; thus, users must acquire multiple conventional ring protectors to fit each digit on which they wear their rings. With the disclosed adjustable ring protectors, the user can adjust the adjustable ring protector to fit each digit thus saving the user the expense of purchasing multiple conventional ring protectors.
The adjustable ring protectors also improve comfort by being clad in a comfortable, flexible, and/or soft material. As a result, even with a snug fit to the user's digit, the adjustable ring protector feels comfortable and won't dig into or irritate the user's digit. Conventional adjustable rings are made of metal and when adjusted for a snug fit on the user's digit may dig into the user's digit causing discomfort. Furthermore, the metal of conventional adjustable rings may adversely react with the user's ring, causing damage to the user's ring.
In addition, the adjustable ring protector's soft exterior material encases and protects the interior, deformable material. This allows for the entire adjustable ring protector to be heat and water resistance. The soft exterior material is pliable enough to allow the deformability of the interior material while maintaining the general, overall shape of a ring to be worn on the digit of the user. Thus, the interior, deformable material may be easier to deform as the exterior material will assist in maintaining the adjustable ring protector's shape. In contrast, conventional adjustable rings have stiffer metals to retain their ring shapes before and after adjusting resulting in the metal being more difficult to deform to get an appropriate fit to the user's digit. The metal may also sustain more damage from water, such as salt water and chlorinated water, and from impact strikes while worn on the user's digit. The combination of the soft exterior material and a deformable interior material of the adjustable ring protector provides improvements the on the adjustability, fit, comfort, longevity, and appearance over conventional adjustable ring and conventional ring protectors.
The soft material of the adjustable ring protector's exterior may be composed of a silicone-type material, which provides additional benefits, such as being hypoallergenic, heat and water resistant, having a reduced or no smell, and environmentally friendly. Additionally, the silicone-type material provides an improved grip, further securing the adjustable ring protector to the user's digit. A texture of the silicone-type material also may aid to secure the adjustable ring protector to the user's digit. The texture may provide additional grip, adding to the other features which allow for the adjustable ring protector's snug fit to the user's digit. In addition, the texture may compliment the design of the user's ring, making the adjustable ring protector more desirable for a user that does not want a ring protector that distracts from or obscures the ring.
Another improvement over conventional ring protectors is that the adjustable ring protectors function to protect the user's ring from damage. For example, the adjustable ring protector may have a thicker profile and thus protrudes past the user's ring while worn on the user's digit. This additional height of the adjustable ring protector protects the user's ring, as anything striking the user's digit would impact the adjustable ring protector first. The soft exterior material of the adjustable ring protector may also act as a shock absorber, further protecting the user's ring.
With reference to
In some examples, the adjustable ring protector does not include one or more features included in adjustable ring protector 100. For example, some adjustable ring protector examples do not include the first end cap 110 and the second end cap 112. In other examples, the adjustable ring protector includes additional or alternative components than depicted in the figures.
As shown in
The profile 128 of the adjustable ring 100 is circular, as depicted in
As shown in
The end caps 110, 112 may be comprised of the same material as the exterior 114. In one example, the end caps 110, 112 and at least one exterior material 122, discussed below, form a continuous unit. In another example, the end caps 110, 112 are removably coupled from the ends 104, 106. These and other examples are discussed in more detail with reference to
As shown in
The exterior 114 includes at least one exterior material 122. In one example, the at least one exterior material 122 is comprised of silicone material currently known or later developed type of silicone. Silicone is used for its many benefits, including, but not necessarily limited to, being hypoallergenic, heat and water resistant, no or reduced odor, and environmentally friendly. Additional benefits of silicone, in particular, include flexibility for the adjustability of the adjustable ring protector 100, high friction gripping surface, softness and lightweight for comfort of the user and protection of the user's ring, and shape retention of the profile 128 of adjustable ring protector 100. Examples of the silicone material include, but not necessarily limited to, food grade silicone material, which is FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approved and/or LFGB (Lebensmittel, Bedarfsgegenstände und Futtermittelgesetzbuch, or “Foods, Consumer Goods and Feedstuffs Code”) approved, and liquid silicone rubber or gel as used in injection molding. In other examples, the at least one exterior material 122 is comprised of a non-silicone type of material, or combination of materials, but has similar benefits and properties as the silicone.
As shown in the cross-section 120 of
To accommodate a variety of ring shapes, one or both of the materials 122, 126 include properties which allow flexibility, but only produce minimal deformation. As defined herein, minimal deformation, and minimally deform, is a property of one or both of the at least one exterior material 122 and/or the at least one interior material 126 such that the two materials 122, 126 are configured such that the adjustable ring protector 100 cannot be adjusted into a shape which cannot be worn on a digit 134 of the user. For example, the adjustable ring protector 100 cannot be straightened or otherwise adjusted into shapes that do not conform to the digit 134 of the user.
The exterior and interior materials 122, 126 may include additional materials such as, but not necessarily limited to, adhesion materials and/or materials to enhance the properties of one or both the exterior and interior materials 122, 126, silicone and metal, as discussed above.
The exterior 114 and the interior 124 of the adjustable ring protector 100 as discussed above are configured to maintain the first ring shape 102 and support adjusting the adjustable ring protector 100 into a second ring shape 130. The reader can see in
The reader can see in
Not shown is a scenario where the user's digit 134 is too large for the adjustable ring protector 100 configured with the first ring shape 102 and the first open space 108. The user first adjusts the adjustable ring protector 100 to widen the first open space 108 to be placed on the user's digit 134. In this scenario, the first adjustment to allow the adjustable ring protector 100 to be placed on the user's digit 134 becomes the first ring shape 102 with the first open space 108. The user then proceeds to adjust the adjustable ring protector 100 for a snug fit to the user's digit 134 as discussed above.
In other examples, the second ring shape 130 differs from the first ring shape 102. As shown in
In other examples, the wrap configuration of the second ring shape 130 may be worn such that the end caps 110, 112 do not buttress the at least one main stone 142. In those examples, the end caps 110, 112 (or ends 104, 106 if no end caps 110, 112 are present) may be situated anywhere on either side of the ring, such that the end caps 110, 112 remain catty-corner from one another, but across a different portion of the ring 140. This example may also be used for rings without the at least one stone 142.
In yet other examples, the second ring shape 130 forms a helix shape. For this example, the first ring shape 102 is as described above with reference to
The reader can see in
The texture 118 may not extend through the exterior 114 to the interior 124. As shown in
With reference to the figures not yet discussed, the discussion will now focus on additional adjustable ring protector embodiments. The additional embodiments include many similar or identical features to adjustable ring protector 100. Thus, for the sake of brevity, each feature of the additional embodiments below will not be redundantly explained. Rather, key distinctions between the additional embodiments and adjustable ring protector 100 will be described in detail and the reader should reference the discussion above for features substantially similar between the different adjustable ring protector examples.
Turning attention to
A distinction between adjustable ring protector 520, as shown in
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In other examples, the end caps couple to each other after adjusting to securely fit to the user's digit 134. The first end cap shape interlocks with the second end cap shape in a similar fashion as a puzzle piece. The interlocking function of the end cap shapes provides an additional way to securely fit the adjustable ring protector 600 to the user's digit 134. In another example, the end caps are magnetized and couple together when brought close enough together while adjusting the adjustable ring protector 600.
In other examples, the end caps are interchangeable. The first end cap 614 with the star shape 618 may be removed and replaced with the first end cap 622 with the flower shape 626. Numerous configurations may be realized from mixing and matching end caps. The end caps may also compliment the ring 140. For example, the color of the end caps may accentuate the color of the at least one stone 142. In another example, the shapes of the end caps may cradle or otherwise interact with a feature of the ring 140, such as the at least one main stone 142.
Turning attention to
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In other examples, the charms may not match the end cap shapes. The end cap shapes 930, 932 disclosed in
As shown in
The disclosure above encompasses multiple distinct inventions with independent utility. While each of these inventions has been disclosed in a particular form, the specific embodiments disclosed and illustrated above are not to be considered in a limiting sense as numerous variations are possible. The subject matter of the inventions includes all novel and non-obvious combinations and subcombinations of the various elements, features, functions and/or properties disclosed above and inherent to those skilled in the art pertaining to such inventions. Where the disclosure or subsequently filed claims recite “a” element, “a first” element, or any such equivalent term, the disclosure or claims should be understood to incorporate one or more such elements, neither requiring nor excluding two or more such elements.
Applicant(s) reserves the right to submit claims directed to combinations and subcombinations of the disclosed inventions that are believed to be novel and non-obvious. Inventions embodied in other combinations and subcombinations of features, functions, elements and/or properties may be claimed through amendment of those claims or presentation of new claims in the present application or in a related application. Such amended or new claims, whether they are directed to the same invention or a different invention and whether they are different, broader, narrower or equal in scope to the original claims, are to be considered within the subject matter of the inventions described herein.
