Patent Application
20160316868
A ring is a round band, made typically of metal, worn as ornamental jewelry around the finger. In addition to metal, rings can be made from almost any material, such as plastic, stone, wood, bone, glass, or even gemstone. A ring may be set with a gem of some sort, which is often a precious or semi-precious gemstone, such as a diamond, a ruby, a sapphire, or an emerald, but it can also be almost any material. Once set, the gem is affixed to the ring and is not easily removable. It would be useful if there were technology that enables one ring to interchangeably house different gems.
This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This summary is not intended to identify key features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.
One aspect of the subject matter includes an apparatus form which recites a ring comprising a loop having two termini; two shoulders, each shoulder resting on a terminus of the loop; a bezel resting on the shoulders that is configured to contain an open-worked chamber; a diadem that is configured to be housed in the open-worked chamber; and a key that is configured to be inserted through a front of the bezel to lock the diadem in the open-worked chamber of the bezel.
The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will become more readily appreciated as the same become better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
A bezel 104 lies on top of the shoulders 102A, 102B of the ring 100. The bezel 104 of the ring 100 is a wider and thicker section that bridges the two termini of the loop 102, which suitably contains an open-worked chamber, usually with the top of the chamber defining a void. The ring 100 is normally worn to display the bezel 104 on the upper or outer side of the finger. The word “bezel” means the exclusion of a setting for a gem 108 but inclusion of the open-worked chamber into which a diadem 106 holds the gem 108 in place using a raised surrounding for the gem with sides encircling and overlapping the edges of the gem 108 and diadem phalanxes 106a-106d to fasten the corners of the gem 108, thus holding it in place. The bezel 104 is disassociated with the diadem 106, which is a band of metal to hold the gem 108 in its setting. Any suitable bezel can be used, such as swivel bezels (the bezel formed of a gem with a metal rod through it, so it can rotate) or box bezels (in which a box or cage forms the bezel, often sitting on the main ring hoop, and perhaps open at the top where there is a stone), as long as such a bezel includes an open-worked chamber into which a diadem 106 holding a gem 108 can be housed.
The bezel 104 includes a bezel rim 104A. The bezel 104, in two dimensions, from a top plan view, is suitably ellipsoid in shape in one embodiment. In another embodiment, which is illustrated, the bezel 104, in two dimensions, from a top plan view, is quadrilateral in shape. The bezel rim 104A in such an embodiment has four sides and four corners. Each of the sides has multiple recesses into which small gemstones can be set to provide further design of the ring 100. At each corner of the bezel rim 104A, in the inside, is a C-shaped abutting piece 104D-104G. Also in the inside of the bezel 104 below the bezel rim 104A, on the two sides orthogonal to the shoulders 102A, 102B, are bezel troughs 104H, 104I. Each of the bezel troughs 104H, 104I defines a void that is a convex polyhedron in shape. Suitable convex polyhedrons include a rectangular parallelepiped. The remaining sides of the bezel 104, in all embodiments, include a bezel front 104B and a bezel back 104C. The bezel front 104B defines a void that is substantially a convex polyhedron in shape. The bezel back 104C defines a void that is substantially a convex polyhedron in shape.
The diadem 106 is a piece of the interchangeable gem mechanism that is separable from the bezel 104. In one embodiment, the diadem 106, in a top plan view, in two dimensions, has an ellipsoid shape if the bezel 104, in a top plan view in two dimension, also has an ellipsoid shape. Suitably, such a correspondence of shapes facilitates insertion of the diadem 106 to be inserted into the bezel rim 104A of the bezel 104. In the illustrative embodiment, the diadem 106, in the two-dimensional top plan view, has a quadrilateral shape which includes four sides and four corners. At each corner, on the outside, is the diadem phalanx 106A-106D. Each of the diadem phalanxes 106A-106D is configured to have a distal end and a proximal end. Each distal end, when the diadem 106 is inserted into the open-worked chamber of the bezel 104, passes through a respective C-shaped abutting piece 104D-104G. In one embodiment, each distal end abuts against the top of either the bezel trough 104H or the bezel trough 104I so as to allow the diadem 106 to be housed inside the open-worked chamber of the bezel 104. In another embodiment, each distal end passes through a respective C-shaped abutting piece 104D-104G and comes to rest when an area of a horizontal, virtual slice of a diadem 106 is too large to allow the diadem 106 to continue to enter into the open-worked chamber of the bezel 104. In this embodiment, the diadem 106 has graduated areas, with the smallest area at the bottom of the diadem 106 and the largest area at the top of the diadem 106. Two of the sides of the diadem 106 include diadem sliders 106H, 106G. Each of the diadem sliders 106H, 106G defines a void that is a convex polyhedron in shape. Suitable convex polyhedrons include a rectangular parallelepiped. The remaining two sides of the diadem 106 include diadem bores 106E, 106F.
When the gem 108 is inserted into the diadem 106 and is secured by it, and the diadem 106 is then inserted into the bezel 104, the distal ends of the diadem phalanxes 106A-106D enter through the C-shaped abutting pieces 104D-104G to permit the diadem 106 to rest inside the bezel 104. Specifically, the diadem phalanx 106A suitably mates with the C-shaped abutting piece 104D; the diadem phalanx 106B suitably mates with the C-shaped abutting piece 104E; the diadem phalanx 106AC suitably mates with the C-shaped abutting piece 104F; and the diadem phalanx 106D suitably mates with the C-shaped abutting piece 104G. The bezel trough 104H longitudinally aligns in parallel with the diadem slider 106G. The bezel trough 104I longitudinally aligns in parallel with the diadem slider 106H. The bezel trough 104H together with the diadem slider 106G defines a void that is a convex polyhedron in shape. One suitable shape includes a quadrilateral-faced hexahedron. The bezel trough 104I together with the diadem slider 106H defines a void that is a convex polyhedron in shape. One suitable shape includes a quadrilateral-faced hexahedron. At the same time, the diadem bore 106E is coaxially aligned with the bezel front 104B.
Once the diadem 106 holding the gem 108 rests in the open-worked chamber of the bezel 104, the diadem 106 can be locked in the bezel 104. A male key 110A and its counterpart female key 110B are introduced. The male key 110A includes a bow 112 projecting from which are cuts 116A, 116B. The bow has an area substantially just less than equal to the void defined by the bezel front 104B so that the bow fits inside the void when the male key 110A enters the bezel 104 through the bezel front 104B. The cuts 116A, 116B are suitably convex polyhedrons, such as a rectangular hexahedron. At the end of the cuts 116A, 116B extend tips 118A, 118C, respectively. At the center of the inside of the bow 112 is a tip 118B. A female key 110B has a stern whose area is substantially just less than equal to the void defined by the bezel back 104C so that the stern fits inside the void defined by the bezel back 104 when the female key 110B enters the bezel 104 through the bezel back 104C. The female key 110B's stern's orifices 114A, 114B mate, respectively, with the tips 118A, 118B of the male key 110A when it is inserted into the bezel front 104B, causing the cuts 116A, 116B to longitudinally traverse through the quadrilateral-faced hexahedron-shaped voids created by the bezel troughs 104H, 104I together with the diadem sliders 106H, 106G. The male key 110A continues to enter through the bezel 104 until its tips 118A, 118C contact orifices 114A, 114B of the female key 110B's stern. A final push causes the tips 118A, 118C to lock into the orifices 114A, 114B and the tip 118B to enter through the diadem bore 106E.
While illustrative embodiments have been illustrated and described, it will be appreciated that various changes can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
