Abstract:
Friendship bracelets ( 10 A,  10 B,  10 C) are provided with undulating edges allowing to them to interlock and create an assemblage ( 60 ). The assemblage ( 60 ) accommodates bracelet accumulation by an individual and also facilitates bracelet exchange among friends. When an individual is wearing the assemblage ( 60 ), a bracelet can be easily removed therefrom for gifting and/or a bracelet can be easily added thereto upon receipt.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/555,478 filed on Nov.  4, 2011. The entire disclosure of this provisional patent application is hereby incorporated by reference.    
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Friendship bracelets, and particularly those in the form of wristbands, have become quite the trend in recent years. While it is of course possible to own and enjoy a single bracelet, the more popular practice is to accumulate pluralities so that they can be gifted, traded, exchanged, or otherwise conveyed to friends. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0003]    A friendship bracelet is provided which has undulating edge features for mating with one or more complementary bracelet. A plurality of the bracelets can be interlocked at their edges to create a wearable assemblage. A bracelet can be easily removed from the assemblage for conveyance to a friend, and/or a bracelet can be easily added thereto upon receipt. 
     
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
         [0004]      FIG. 1  shows a friendship bracelet. 
           [0005]      FIGS. 2-3  each show an assemblage of friendship bracelets with lob-like undulating features, depression-dependent perimeter patterns, and smooth surface topology. 
           [0006]      FIGS. 4-15  show friendship-bracelet assemblages with other practicable adaptations of undulating features, perimeter patterns, and/or surface topology. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
       [0007]    Referring now to the drawings, and initially to  FIG. 1 , a friendship band  10  is shown. The band  10  has a generally circular shape and it can be shaped and sized to surround a certain portion of a wearer&#39;s body. For example, the band  10  can be dimensioned to encircle a wearer&#39;s wrist and can be referred to as a bracelet. 
         [0008]    The bracelet  10  comprises an interior cylindrical surface  20  and an exterior surface  30 . An inboard edge  40  extends between the inboard side of the interior surface  20  and the inboard side of the exterior surface  30 . And an outboard edge  50  extends between the outboard side of the interior surface  20  and the outboard side of the exterior surface  30 . 
         [0009]    The inboard edge  40  and the outboard edge  50  of the friendship band  10  can either or both have undulating features. More particularly, the inboard edge  40  can have undulating features comprising a series of protrusions  41  and a series of depressions  42 . Additionally or alternatively, the outboard edge  50  can have undulating features comprising a series of protrusions  51  and a series of depressions  52 . 
         [0010]    The protrusions  41 / 51  can comprise jigsaw-puzzle-lobs and the depressions  42 / 52  can comprise reverse cutout versions of such lobs. More specifically, each protrusion can have bulb-shaped distal portion which transitions into a stem-shaped proximal portion. The cutouts have a reverse geometry with a bulb-shaped proximal portion and a stem-shaped distal portion. The bulb portions and/or the stem portions can be substantially symmetrical about a line perpendicular to the inboard-outboard direction. 
         [0011]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , an assemblage  60  can be created which comprises a pair of bracelets  10 A- 10 B having complimentary edge contours for inboard-outboard mating. In the illustrated assemblage  60 , the outboard edge  50 A of the first bracelet  10 A mates with the inboard edge  40 B of the second bracelet  10 B. More specifically, the outboard protrusions  51 A of the first bracelet  10 A are received within the inboard depressions  42 B of the second bracelet  10 B, and the inboard protrusions  41 B of the second bracelet  10 B are received within the outboard protrusions  52 A of the first bracelet  10 A. 
         [0012]    As shown in  FIG. 3 , the friendship assemblage  60  can comprise more than two friendship bracelets. For example, a third bracelet  10 C can be added, and its inboard edge  40 C can mate with the outboard edge  50 B of the second bracelet  10 B. Each bracelet&#39;s protrusions  51 B/ 41 B are received within the other bracelet&#39;s depressions  42 B/ 52 B. 
         [0013]    In the illustrated assemblage  60 , the inboard edge  40 A of the first bracelet  10 A has the potential to mate with outboard edge of another bracelet, and/or the outboard edge  50 B of the second bracelet  10 B has the potential to mate with another bracelet&#39;s inboard edge. Thus, more bracelets could be added to either or both sides of the assemblage  60 . 
         [0014]    In the edges  40 / 50  shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , adjacent inboard protrusions  41  define a depression  42  therebetween and adjacent outboard protrusions  51  define a depression  52  therebetween. However, as is shown in  FIG. 4 , this need not be the case, as other edge patterns are conceivable and contemplated. For example, the inboard edge  40  and/or the outboard edge  50  can have protrusions  41 / 51  and depressions  42 / 52  spaced therealong. Alternatively, the edge  40 / 50  can have only protrusions  41 / 51 , or it can have only depressions  42 / 52 . A keyed arrangement of the protrusions  41 / 51  and/or the depressions  42 / 52  is yet another edge-pattern option. 
         [0015]    The undulating features of the edges  40 / 50  can be lob-like in geometry as shown in  FIGS. 1-4 , or they can instead adopt other complimentary contours. As is shown in  FIGS. 5-10 , individual feature shapes can be, for example, semi-circular ( FIG. 5 ), rectangular ( FIG. 6 ), triangular ( FIG. 7 ), non-polygonal ( FIG. 8 ), and/or random ( FIG. 9 ). As is also shown in  FIGS. 5-10 , their perimeter patterns can comprise spaced protrusions and depressions, can consist of only protrusions or only depressions, and/or can be keyed in a certain sequence. 
         [0016]    Furthermore, as shown in  FIGS. 10-12 , the assemblage  60  can include bracelets wherein the edges  40 / 50  have unalike undulating features and/or different perimeter patterns. 
         [0017]    The band&#39;s interior surface  20  can be smooth so as to not irritate the wearer&#39;s skin or clothing, and its exterior surface  30  can likewise be smooth. Or alternatively, as shown in  FIG. 13 , raised platforms  31  can reside on the bands&#39; exterior surfaces  30 , for the purposes of rigidity and/or veneer. As shown in  FIG. 14 , indicia  32  can occupy the platforms  31 . And as shown in  FIG. 15 , the placement of indicia  32  on a platformless surface  30  is also viable and envisioned. 
         [0018]    The bands  10  can be made from a stretchable and/or elastic material such as rubber (e.g., natural or synthetic) or silicone. If the band material is suitably resilient, it can be extended during installation on the wearer (e.g., stretched over his/her hand to arrive at the wrist). When the extending force is removed, the band surfaces  20  and  30  should contract to their original radial reach. The protrusions  41 / 51  and the depressions  42 / 52  should not suffer any deformation that would prevent them from mating with each. 
         [0019]    The bands  10  can instead be made from non-stretchable material and closure means (e.g., snaps, clasps, hooks-and-loops, buckles, tines, buttons, etc.) employed for wearer installation. A further option is to include a small stretchable and/or elastic circumference section that can be temporarily expanded when putting the band on. This small section could or could not include undulating features. 
         [0020]    The bands  10  can be injection molded from thermoplastic materials or they can be reaction molded from thermoset materials. For example, a cylindrical sleeve can be molded, and the sleeve can be separated into a plurality of the bands  10 . The projections  41 / 51  and/or the depressions  42 / 52  can be formed simultaneously with the sleeve-separation steps or thereafter. 
         [0021]    Alternatively, circular bands can separately molded with or without protrusions  41 / 51  and depressions  42 / 52 . If the undulating features are fully formed during the molding stage, further fabrication may not be required. Otherwise, the undulating features can be created or refined during post-molding steps (e.g., die-cutting). 
         [0022]    As was indicated above, the band  10  can be a bracelet dimensioned to encircle a wearer&#39;s wrist. If so sized, the band  10  can have a circumference of between about five inches and about ten inches, between about six inches and about nine inches, and/or between about seven inches and about eight inches. Additionally or alternatively, the band  10  can have a diameter of between about one inch and about four inches, and/or between about two inches and about three inches. Its width (i.e., its span in the inboard-outboard direction) can be less than about three inches, less than about two inches, less than about one inch, and/or greater than about half an inch. As for the band&#39;s thickness, it will depend upon material selection, but generally this dimension will be less than one-tenth inch. 
         [0023]    Although the bracelet  10 , the surfaces  20 / 30 , the edges  40 / 50 , the projections  41 / 51 , the depressions  42 / 52 , and the assemblages  60  are shown and described as having certain forms and fabrications, such portrayals are not quintessential and represent only some of the possible of adaptations of the claimed characteristics. Other obvious, equivalent, and/or otherwise akin embodiments could instead be created using the same or analogous attributes. For example, although a bracelet has been the focus of the description, drawings, and dimensions, other types of bands (e.g., necklaces, a finger rings, anklets, toe rings, belts, key rings, purse straps, headbands, hair holders, etc.) are feasible and foreseeable. 
         [0024]    Also, the positional parameters in this description are for point-of-reference purposes to facilitate ease in explanation, and they are not limited to any particular orientation. Particularly and for example, the terms “inboard” and “outboard” can be assigned locations corresponding to their relative stance on a wearer&#39;s body. More particularly and again for example, when the band  10  is a bracelet, the inboard edge  40  can correspond to the side closest to the wearer&#39;s wrist and the outboard edge  50  can correspond to the opposite side more remote therefrom. Reverse or alternate allocations of such reference terms would be likewise apposite. 
         [0025]    Furthermore, a designation linked to any of the above-elucidated elements (e.g., means, components, assemblies, systems, devices, compositions, etc.) is intended to embrace anything which performs a corresponding function, regardless of structural equivalency. And, unless otherwise noted, corresponding characteristics of such elements can be interchanged, combined, or otherwise incorporated, even if such integration is not specifically depicted and/or discussed.