Self sizing ring

Abstract: A self sizing adjustable jewelry ring includes a shank member configured to encircle a substantial portion of the finger and to be open on one side. A bridge member is permanently connected to the shank member but permits a movement relative to the shank member as it extends across the open side. One of the shank member and the bridge member has a pair of slots for respectively receiving a portion of the other member to prevent their separation. The shank member and the bridge member are dimensioned to provide a spring force between them wherein the bridge member can be moved relative to the shank member to adjust for the size of the user's finger.

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention is directed to an improvement in jewelry and more specifically an improvement in an adjustable self sizing ring. 2. Description of Related Art Numerous attempts have been made in the prior art to provide adjustable finger rings to accommodate or fit fingers of various sizes. Traditionally, making a ring larger or smaller has been an ordeal for the jeweler, primarily because the resizing process has required removing the gemstone. Additionally, stretching or cutting down the band may introduce imperfections into the metal or weaken the overall ring structure. Some of the early approaches to this problem have been to provide ring protectors that assist in adjusting the opening of a finger ring with a flexible band, such as shown in U.S. Patent No. 803,273. It is well known that a ring can frequently require an adjustment even if initially sized to a particular finger due to physiological changes that can occur such as the wearer's weight and changes in the weather. U.S. Patent No. 2,966,048 discloses a ring guard for a diamond engagement ring that also purportedly prevents any twisting through the particular structure of a ring guard formed from a plastic material. U.S. Patent No. 322,435 discloses an ability to adjust a flexible open circular band with pivoted cams. U.S. Patent No. 1,558,418 discloses a ring that is bifurcated so that hooks on upper edges of a shank can be mounted within keeper openings on a head of the ring. U.S. Patent No. 2,146,272 discloses procedure for adjusting a bifurcated ring arrangement wherein hooks are provided on a head of the ring for interfacing with indents on a shank. The specification of FR-A-2722070 discloses a ring comprising an upper section of fixed dimensions which is designed to receive the decorative element and covers between a quarter and a third of the circumference of the finger. A lower section surrounds the remaining three-quarters to two thirds of the finger and is joined to the upper section by its two ends, using adjustable connectors. Each of the connectors is in the form of a tongue on each end of the lower section of the ring which is inserted through a slot in a lug on each end of the upper section and then turned over to lock it in place. Variants of the design can have threaded ends on the lower section which engage with the ends of a threaded sleeve forming part of the upper section, or have an expandable or compressible section in the ring, which can then be made in one piece. Finally, the British Patent No.802 (1884) .and U.S. Patent No. 3,959,989 are of general interest. Although the prior art has attempted, for a considerable period of time, to resolve the problem of adjusting a size of a ring for jewelry applications there is still a demand in the commercial jewelry field to provide an efficient and secure adjustment of ring for use in fine jewelry. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to a two-part adjustable jewelry ring assembly that can provide a high degree of security so that it can be utilized in an attractive manner in fine jewelry accessories. The adjustable jewelry ring includes a band or shank member that is configured to encircle a substantial portion of the user's finger and to be open on one side. A bridge member is permanently connected to the shank member but is movable relative to the shank member to extend across the open side of the shank member. The bridge member can be decorated or adorned with fine jewels that can be safely and permanently secured to the shank member. One of the shank member and the bridge member includes a pair of elongated slots for respectively receiving a portion of the other member to prevent their separation. The shank member or bridge member are further dimensioned to provide a spring force between the shank member and the bridge member wherein the bridge member can be moved relative to the shank member to adjust for the size of the user's finger and held at that position while being permanently secured to the shank member. The spring force is sufficient to maintain a snug fit on the user's finger while at the same time permitting the bridge member to be moved to assist in an ease of removal across the joint of the user's knuckle. The shank member includes a lower base portion from which cantilevered side members extend upward to provide a natural rectangular shape complimentarily to the shape of a human finger. The cantilevered side members can have a slot with a relatively planar exterior side configuration and can include upper ends on the respective side members which can be bent inward to extend across a portion of the bridge member. The present invention can accommodate slots placed either in the bridge or slots placed in the shank with the other member of the two-pieced ring assembly extending through the slots to permit a relative movement of the bridge member. The shank member can be made of a relatively flexible metal such as sheet gold, platinum, silver or other material that is traditionally used in jewelry. Flexibility in the material permits a sufficient spring force to be exerted as a result of the dimensioning of both the shank and the bridge portion of the ring assembly whereby a frictional contact can maintain the adjusted position of the bridge on an individual user's finger. As a result of this arrangement, the bridge member can be snugly fit on the individual user's ring finger to a greater extent than would occur in a normally static ring configuration while at the same time permitting an adjustment of the bridge to ensure an ease in removal of the ring. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The objects and features of the present invention, which are believed to be novel, are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings: this is one of the general paragraphs and the next is another. Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the present invention with the bridge member elevated to permit the user's finger to be inserted; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the ring assembly of the present invention with the bridge member fitted to the user's finger; Figure 3 is a partial side cross-sectional view of the first embodiment of the present invention with the bridge member in the enlarged position; Figure 4 is a partial side cross-sectional view with the bridge member retracted; Figure 5 is a partial side cross-sectional view of the ring assembly; Figure 6 is a prospective view of a second embodiment of the present invention; and Figure 7 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the present invention: DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The following description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention and sets forth the best modes contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention. Various modifications, however, will remain readily apparent to those skilled in the art, since the general principals of the present invention have been defined herein specifically to provide a self sizing ring assembly. In referring to Figure 1, the adjustable jewelry ring assembly 2 of the present invention includes a bridge member 4 and a shank member 6. The adjustable ring of the present invention is particularly applicable to fine jewelry that may contain expensive gemstones, such as a diamond which can be mounted in a setting 10 that can be firmly attached to the bridge member 4. As can be seen in Figure 3, the bridge member 4 can have an arcuate shape to appropriately conform to the upper surface of the user's finger. This arcuate portion 12 can be attached to respective extension members 14, 16 that are appropriately dimensioned to accommodate elongated slots or apertures, to be discussed subsequently, with regards to the shank member 6. Mounted on each of the extension members 14, 16 is a securement member 18, 20 that will provide a load bearing surface to frictionally engage the exterior surface of the shank member 6 and to permanently secure the bridge member 4 to the shank member 6. As can be readily appreciated, the bridge member 4 as disclosed in the first embodiment can be formed from five separate individual component parts. However, it is also possible to integrally form the bridge member 4 from at least one or two pieces of metal components. For example, the securement member 18, extension member 14, arcuate portion 12 and extension member 16 can be intricately cast or formed as an integral unitary component and then the plate member 20 could be installed after the integral member is mounted within the shank member 6. Various other configurations of the bridge member can be utilized while still achieving the purposes of the present invention. The setting 10 also can be subjectively configured within the creative ability of the jeweler and accordingly the particular setting 10 shown in the present embodiment should not be construed as being limiting. As shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2, the setting is proportioned to compliment the upper arcuate edge of the shank member 6 in both the uppermost and lowermost size adjustments, thus assuring an attractive presentation regardless of the adjustment. Referring to Figure 1, the bridge member 4 is moved to its upper position so that the extension members 14, 16 are approximately at the upper end of the elongated slots or apertures 28, 30. In this position, the ring can easily pass over the knuckle joint of the illustrated user's finger. Figure 2 discloses the position of the bridge member 4 when it has been pressed downward to snugly fit on the user's finger. As can be seen in Figure 4, the side members 24, 26 of the shank member 6 are biased outward to create a frictional force between the respective side members 24, 26 and the respective load bearing securement members 18, 20. The relative movement or displacement, d, can be approximately in the range of .3 millimeters on each side. This total displacement however can maintain a sufficient frictional force regardless of whether the bridge member 4 is in its uppermost position or in its lowermost position. Additionally, the vertical height, h, of the respective securement members 18, 20 are sufficient to prevent any tilt of the bridge member 4 so that it maintains a substantially constant horizontal position as it is vertically adjusted. If the vertical height of the securement members 18, 20 are narrowed sufficient to provide simply a pivot point, the bridge member 4 could then be positioned askew relative to its shank member 6 to create a flaw in the symmetry of the two part adjustable ring assembly 2 between its range of movement. While the securement members 18, 20 are shown as plate members, other configurations could be used, including a set gemstone. The shank member 6 can be appropriately heat treated to provide a spring force of an appropriate amount depending on the metals used. The shank member 6 can be biased outward or inward relative to the bridge member 4. When the shank member 6 is biased outward the securement members 18, 20 can force the shank member 6 inward during adjustment as seen in Figures 3 and 4. However, it is also possible to have the bridge member 4 force the shank member 6 outward as it moves vertically upward, that is the shank member 6 can be designed to be biased inward relative to the dimension of the bridge member 4. In this case, the edges 12a of the arcuate portion 12 will press against the interior surfaces of the shank member 6 adjacent the respective slots 28, 30 and the load plate number 18, 20 are only used for a locking purpose. One advantage of the biasing inward of the shank member 6 is that any possible wear or scouring of the surface of the shank member 6 by a large number of bridge member 4 adjustments will be on the interior of the ring 2 and therefore not seen by the user. The disclosure of Figures 3 and 4 represents a range of adjustment wherein Figure 3 will accommodate a size 8 ring measurement, so that the vertical internal opening height will be approximately 18.2 millimeters, while the internal opening width will be 16.3 millimeters. The actual exterior width of the shank member 6 displacement will be 19.2 millimeters when it is a size 8. In Figure 4, the same ring assembly 2 is now adjusted to a size 4.5 with the exterior width of the shank member being 19.5 millimeters, its internal opening height being 13 millimeters and its internal opening width being 16.4 millimeters. To give a perspective as to the dimensions of the shank member 6 relative to the bridge member 4, the shank member 6 had a open width of 22 millimeters before the bridge member 4 was permanently installed through the respective elongated apertures. Thus, a relatively constant spring force is maintained on the bridge member 4 in view of the dimensions of the shank member 6 and the bridge member 4 as depicted in Figures 3 and 4. As a result, the user of the ring when moving the ring 2 as shown in Figure 1 and 2 will experience a relative constant force during the securement of the bridge member 4 during the mounting of the ring onto the finger and an adjustment to a secure fit. Figure 5 discloses a cross-sectional view of the combination of the bridge member 4 and the shank member 6 to disclose the relative displacements that can be achieved. Figure 6 discloses an alternative embodiment of the present invention and includes a shank member 36 with a bridge member 38 permanently attached in a movable manner to the shank member 36. The bridge member 38 includes elongated apertures 40,42 that are dimensioned to closely fit the side members 44,46 of the shank member 36. In this embodiment, the ends 48, 50 of the respective side members 44,46 are bent a sufficient angle to ensure that the bridge member 38 cannot be removed from the shank member 36. The outer surfaces of the respective apertures 40, 42 serve the purpose of providing a frictional bearing load between the spring force of the side members 44, 46 relative to the bridge member 38. Thus, the same principles of having a permanent bridge member that can be frictionally positioned for an adjustment is provided in this embodiment of the present invention. Needless to say, an appropriate setting can be provided for the bridge member 38. Additionally, the shank member 36 itself can also carry additional jewels to complement any setting. It would also be possible to dimension the exterior width of the shank member 36 in an unstressed state that would be smaller than the distance between the slots 40, 42 so that the bridge member 38 provides a spring force by pushing the side members 44 and 46 apart. A third embodiment of the present invention, which is similar in operation to that of the second embodiment, is shown in Figure 7. In the third embodiment the bridge member 52 has a reduced width and is complemented with an appropriate prong setting 54 that is mounted on the bridge member 52. Respective ends of the bridge member 52 have enlarged portions 56, 58 with appropriate slots or elongated apertures 60 for providing a frictional force to side members 62, 64 of the shank member 66. The present invention is particularly useful on jewelry rings where the user must first be assured of the safety of securing an expensive jewel or semi-precious stone on the bridge member to the shank member. However, the same principles of this invention can be applied to a bracelet for securing it to a wrist or an appendage of a user. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various adaptations and modifications of the just-described preferred embodiments can be configured without departing from the scope of the invention. Therefore, it is to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described herein.

Claims: An adjustable jewelry device comprising: a shank member (6, 36, 66, 70, 90) configured to encircle a substantial portion of an appendage, the shank member (6) includes a first side member (24, 44, 62, 72, 92) with a first end (32,48) and a second side member (26,46,64,74,94) with a second end (34,50), the first end and the second end are spaced from each other to provide an opening between the side members; and a bridge member (4, 38, 52, 80, 100) extending across the open side of the shank member, one of the shank member and the bridge member having a pair of elongated slots (28, 30,40,42,76,78,96,98,60) spaced from each other, each elongated slot receives a portion (14, 16, 44, 46, 82, 84, 102, 104) of the other of the shank member and the bridge member for movably securing the shank member and the bridge member together in a permanent manner, the shank member and the bridge member are dimensioned to provide a spring force between the shank member and the bridge member wherein the movement of the bridge member will vary a distance between the first end and the second end of the shank member to adjust for the size of a user's appendage, characterized in that the shank member (6) includes a pair of side members (24, 26), cantilevered from a lower base portion (22) of the shank member (6) and bent inward above the bridge member at their respective ends (32, 34). The jewelry device of Claim 1 characterized in that the pair of side members (24, 26) are approximately planar adjacent the slots (28, 30). The jewelry device of Claim 1 characterized in that the bridge member (4) includes a setting assembly (10) extending upward from the bridge member and the inwardly bent ends (32,34) of the side members (24, 26) are positioned adjacent the setting assembly in both opposite end positions of movement of the bridge member (6) along the elongated slots (28,30). The jewelry device of Claim 1 characterized in that the bridge member has two ends (74, 16) and includes a load securement member (18, 20) at each end to frictionally press against the respective side members (24, 26). The jewelry device of Claim 1 characterized in that the shank ends (32, 34) are bent inward by the bridge member (6) as it moves away from the shank ends. The jewelry device of Claim 1 characterized in that the shank ends (32, 34) are bent outward by the bridge member as it is movably adjusted away from the shank ends. The jewelry device of Claim 1 characterized in that shank member (6) has a pair of elongated slots (28, 30) and the bridge member (4) extends completely through said slots from one external surface to an opposite external surface. The jewelry device of Claim 4 characterized in that securement members (18, 20) are attached respectively at opposite ends of the bridge member (4). The jewelry device of Claim 4 characterized in that the securement members (18,20) have sufficient height to prevent a tilting of the bridge member (4) as it moves along the shank member (6). The jewelry device of Claim 9 characterized in that the side members (24, 26) are bent inward by the bridge member (6) as it moves toward a lower base portion (22).

Inventors: ERB JEAN-FRANCOIS ALBERT, ERB, JEAN-FRANCOIS ALBERT, Erb, Jean-François Albert
Applicants: ERB JEAN-FRANCOIS ALBERT, ERB, JEAN-FRANCOIS ALBERT
Application year: 1999
Main classification: A44C9
IPC codes: A44C9