Abstract:
A flexible jewelry tether for a finger ring or bracelet, prevents the ring or bracelet from turning upon the finger or wrist and enables the ring or bracelet to fit upon fingers or wrists of different circumferential sizes, securely and comfortably; keeping the ring or bracelet not only securely tethered to the finger or wrist, but in such a way that the ring or bracelet can move with the movement or the wearer&#39;s body and return to the desired orientation. The device is made of a flexible material such as 20 durometer medical grade silicone.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    This invention relates to finger rings and bracelets worn as items of ornamental jewelry. More particularly, it concerns improvements in the manner in which such rings and bracelets fit upon the wearer&#39;s body, with improvements to aesthetics, comfort and security. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    The aspect of the anatomy of a finger which is involved in the wearing of finger rings comprises the first and second phalanx bones, ligaments, tendons, flesh and the articular surfaces of these bones. Rings are normally worn encircling the shaft of the first phalanx. The proximal end of the second phalanx and the distal end of the first phalanx comprise the bone structure of the knuckle. The ends of the phalanges are enlarged to form the articular surfaces and constitute the prominence of the knuckle. The dorsal side of the first phalanx is convex and is tightly covered by skin with little compressive yield. The palmar side of the first phalanx has a yielding fleshy pad and flexion tendons more loosely covered by the skin. Thus, the portion of the finger where a ring is usually worn is an unyielding convex surface on the dorsal side and a fleshy pad on the planar side. The greatest transverse dimension of the finger is the unyielding lateral or width dimension of the knuckle of the first and second phalanges. This dimension is greater than the dimensions of the shaft of the first phalanx and the flesh encircled by a ring. 
         [0003]    Turning now to bracelets, worn about the wrist and most particularly the non-flexible type known as bangles, which are never a perfect fit unless custom made for the wearer, need to be “oversized” in order to avoid painful pressure points. However, this requirement creates a further problem, as the bracelet spins about the wearers wrist causing both abrasion and laceration injury. In addition, the wearer is constantly frustrated by the fact that no more than ⅓ of the time, will he or she be able to see the bracelet in its most pleasing and desirable orientation. 
         [0004]    Nearly all finger rings employ a circular or substantially circular finger aperture having an interior diameter dictated by the size of the wearer&#39;s most distal finger joint. The ring must be large enough in diameter to slip past this joint. Since this interior diameter is larger than the width or depth of the shaft of the first row phalanx bones and flesh of the finger, where rings are normally worn, the fit is loose and allows the ring to turn easily, causing both discomfort and mechanical radial narrowing of the finger as the motion of the jewelry flattens tissue over time. 
         [0005]    Turning of rings about the finger is an annoyance as well, since the gem or artwork carried by the finger fails to remain centered on the dorsal surface of the finger, its intended position and orientation, which produces the most visually appealing and enjoyable display of the art piece. The gem or metalwork may rub against and injure adjacent fingers, and a ring or bracelet can spin 180 degrees, where they can interfere with the wearer&#39;s grip or use of the hand and/or arm, leading to damage of the jewelry, other objects or individuals. 
         [0006]    The inherent looseness of circular finger rings may result in accidental loss by slipping over the wearer&#39;s knuckle during rapid hand movement or when the skin of the wearer&#39;s hand is cold, wet or lubricated with materials such as oil or soap. Valuable rings can be lost, or even stolen from the hand of the wearer. 
         [0007]    Among the various expedients, earlier proposed, for preventing the turning of a ring upon the finger, include non-circular ring shapes, rings and bracelets comprised of interactive moving parts and attachment devices. Non-circular ring shapes and the irregular cross-sectional geometry of bangle type bracelets, pose challenges for mass production methods and present certain inventory problems for the jeweler who must stock many different styles and sizes of rings. The presence of moving parts on the ring or bracelet, or separate attachments, present opportunities for eventual damage or malfunction. 
         [0008]    Attachment devices are often difficult to install onto a ring, usually scratch the ring and prematurely wear any surface plating, such as Rhodium, thereby exposing any base metal and causing discoloration of both the ring and wearer&#39;s finger. When installed, these add-on devices give birth to several new problems including discomfort, physical damage to the wearer&#39;s body, outside objects and expensive clothing. And furthermore, the wearer can enjoy the ring on only one specific finger. In most instances, where an attachment device is employed to prevent turning of the ring on the finger, the ring size must be made larger in order to accommodate the device which is usually disposed upon the interior of the ring. It is also well known that a person&#39;s finger diameter changes periodically in view of minor fluctuations in skin moisture and temperature. Therefore, a ring which fits perfectly on one day may not fit properly on another day. 
         [0009]    What is needed is a device to hold a ring on a finger securely even when the ring is significantly larger than the finger which it encircles. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0010]    One embodiment of a flexible jewelry tether comprises two flexible loops coupled by a flexible bar. A wearer may wrap the flexible bar around a ring, and then put their finger through the first flexible loop, then the ring, and then the second flexible loop. Some embodiments of a flexible jewelry tether comprise a flexible loop and a smaller top loop. The small top loop wraps around a protrusion on the ring such as a gem stone setting. Some embodiments of a flexible jewelry tether have a flexible flap coupled to one of the flexible loops. The flexible flap folds over to fill space at the underside of the ring and the wearer&#39;s finger. 
         [0011]    The flexible jewelry tether device adds security when wearing jewelry and does not require customized fitting to the wearer&#39;s finger. The flexible jewelry tether enables the wearer to wear the ring on any finger securely and without the ring turning. The flexible jewelry tether is self-adjusting, thereby accommodating periodic changes in finger diameter. The flexible jewelry tether is portable and easily moved from one ring or bracelet to another. When attached to a bracelet, it allows the wearer to display several bracelets on the forearm in a stacked configuration, all with comfort and security, while maintaining the most desirable intended orientation of each bracelet. The flexible jewelry tether can tether together more than one ring or bracelet, so that the jewelry pieces stay not only securely anchored to the wearer&#39;s body but oriented in the most ideal and desired way relative to each other and to the body collectively. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]    The present invention will be described by way of exemplary embodiments, but not limitations, illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like references denote similar elements, and in which: 
           [0013]    The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated into and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate one or more embodiments of the invention and, together with the detailed description, serve to explain the principles and implementations of the invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 1  is a plan view of the first exemplary embodiment of a flexible jewelry tether in its simplest form. 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  shows a wearer putting the first embodiment flexible jewelry tether on a ring. 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  shows the first embodiment flexible jewelry tether wrapped around a ring on a wearer&#39;s finger. 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  is a plan view of a second exemplary embodiment of a flexible jewelry tether, which may be more suitable for use with very narrow rings or bracelets. 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  is a plan view of a third exemplary embodiment of a flexible jewelry tether which is suitable for use with very large, heavy jewelry pieces or for binding together several rings or bracelets when worn together. 
           [0019]      FIG. 6  is a plan view of a fourth exemplary embodiment of a flexible jewelry tether with a small top loop coupled to a flexible loop. 
           [0020]      FIG. 7  shows a plan view of a fifth exemplary embodiment of a flexible jewelry tether with a flexible flap on the inside of one of the flexible loops. 
           [0021]      FIG. 8  shows a plan view of a sixth exemplary embodiment of a flexible jewelry tether with a flexible flap on the outside of one of the flexible loops. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0022]    Before beginning a detailed description of the subject invention, mention of the following is in order. When appropriate, like reference materials and characters are used to designate identical, corresponding, or similar components in different figures. The figures associated with this disclosure typically are not drawn with dimensional accuracy to scale, i.e., such drawings have been drafted with a focus on clarity of viewing and understanding rather than dimensional accuracy. 
         [0023]    In the interest of clarity, not all of the routine features of the implementations described herein are shown and described. It will, of course, be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made in order to achieve the developer&#39;s specific goals, such as compliance with application and business related constraints, and that these specific goals will vary from one implementation to another and from one developer to another. Moreover, it will be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time-consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of engineering for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure. 
         [0024]    Use of directional terms such as “upper,” “lower,” “above,” “below”, “in front of,” “behind,” etc. are intended to describe the positions and/or orientations of various components of the invention relative to one another as shown in the various Figures and are not intended to impose limitations on any position and/or orientation of any embodiment of the invention relative to any reference point external to the reference. 
         [0025]    Those skilled in the art will recognize that numerous modifications and changes may be made to the exemplary embodiment(s) without departing from the scope of the claimed invention. It will, of course, be understood that modifications of the invention, in its various aspects, will be apparent to those skilled in the art, some being apparent only after study, others being matters of routine mechanical, chemical and electronic design. No single feature, function or property of the exemplary embodiment(s) is essential. Other embodiments are possible, their specific designs depending upon the particular application. As such, the scope of the invention should not be limited by the particular embodiments herein described but should be defined only by the appended claims and equivalents thereof. 
       First Exemplary Embodiment 
       [0026]    In the first exemplary embodiment, shown in  FIG. 1 , a flexible jewelry tether  1  comprises a first flexible loop  2  and a second flexible loop  3 , connected by a flexible bar  4 . As shown in  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 , a wearer may wrap the flexible bar  4  around a ring, and then put their finger  6  through the first flexible loop  2 , the ring, and the second flexible loop  3 . Using a larger version of the first embodiment flexible jewelry tether  1 , a wearer may wrap the flexible bar  4  around a bangle, and then put their hand through the first flexible loop  2 , the bangle, and the second flexible loop  3 . 
         [0027]    The flexible jewelry tether  1  is constructed from a soft, flexible, and elastic hypoallergenic material, which is suited to be in direct contact with the human body for an extended period of time. In the first exemplary embodiment, the flexible jewelry tether  1  comprises medical grade 20 durometer silicone rubber, but in other embodiments may comprise some other suitable material or combination of materials. 
         [0028]    The first flexible loop  2  and the second flexible loop  3  are generally circular in the first exemplary embodiment as this facilitates conforming to a human finger or wrist, but in other embodiments may be oval or some other suitable shape. The first flexible loop  2  and second flexible loop  3  may be made in a variety of diameters to fit a variety of finger sizes. The width of the flexible bar  4  is about ¼ inch in the first exemplary embodiment, which corresponds to the width of many typical rings. In other embodiments, the flexible bar  4  may have other widths. The first flexible loop  2 , the second flexible loop  3  and the flexible bar  4  may each be round in cross-section, rectangular or some other suitable cross-section. 
       Second Exemplary Embodiment 
       [0029]      FIG. 4  is a plan view of a second exemplary embodiment of a flexible jewelry tether  21 , which is suitable for use with very narrow rings or bracelets. The second embodiment flexible jewelry tether  21  is substantially similar to the first embodiment flexible jewelry tether  1 , the major exception being that the flexible bar  4  is omitted and the first flexible loop  2  and second flexible loop  3  are directly coupled together at a center junction  22 . A wearer may wrap the center junction  22  around a ring, and then put their finger  6  through the first flexible loop  2 , the ring, and the second flexible loop  3 . Using a larger version of the second embodiment flexible jewelry tether  21  for a bangle would work in a similar fashion. 
       Third Exemplary Embodiment 
       [0030]      FIG. 5  is a plan view of a third exemplary embodiment of a flexible jewelry tether  31  which is suitable for use with very large, heavy jewelry pieces or for binding together several rings or bracelets when worn together. The third embodiment flexible jewelry tether  31  is substantially similar to the second embodiment flexible jewelry tether  21 , but with the addition of a third flexible loop  32  coupled to the first flexible loop  2  at a left junction  34  on the opposite side from the second flexible loop  3  and with the addition of a fourth flexible loop  33  coupled to the second flexible loop  3  at a right junction  35  on the opposite side from the first flexible loop  2 . 
         [0031]    The third embodiment flexible jewelry tether  31  is suitable for wearing a wider ring flanked by two narrow rings. A wearer may wrap the left junction  34  over the top of a first of the narrow rings, put their finger  6  through the third flexible loop  32 , the first narrow ring and the first flexible loop  2 , then put their finger  6  through the wider ring, then wrap the flexible bar  4  around a bottom of the wider ring, put their finger  6  through the second flexible loop and then through the second of the narrower rings, then wrap the right junction  35  over the top of the second of the narrower rings, then put their finger  6  through the fourth flexible loop  33 . Using a larger version of the third embodiment flexible jewelry tether  31  for multiple bangles would work in a similar fashion. 
       Fourth Exemplary Embodiment 
       [0032]      FIG. 6  is a plan view of a fourth exemplary embodiment of a flexible jewelry tether  41  with a small top loop  42  coupled to a first flexible loop  2 . The first flexible loop  2  in the fourth embodiment flexible jewelry tether  41  has similar shapes and materials as it does in the first embodiment flexible jewelry tether  1 . A wearer may place their finger  6  inside the first flexible loop  2 , then place their finger in a ring, then wrap small top loop  42  over a protrusion on the ring, such as a gem stone setting. The fourth embodiment flexible jewelry tether  41  allows for more freedom of movement than the first embodiment flexible jewelry tether  1 . 
       Fifth Exemplary Embodiment 
       [0033]      FIG. 7  shows a plan view of a fifth exemplary embodiment of a flexible jewelry tether  51 . The fifth embodiment flexible jewelry tether  51  is similar to the first embodiment flexible jewelry tether  1 , but additionally has a flexible flap  52  on the inside of the second flexible loop  3 . Since the first flexible loop  2  is substantially similar, the flexible flap  52  may alternatively be coupled to the inside of the first flexible loop  2 . When a wearer inserts their finger  6  (or hand for bracelet versions) into the second flexible loop  3 , the flexible flap  52  folds over to fill space at the underside of the ring or bracelet providing additional stability, comfort and security when very oversized rings or bracelets are worn. 
       Sixth Exemplary Embodiment 
       [0034]      FIG. 8  shows a plan view of a sixth exemplary embodiment of a flexible jewelry tether  61  with a flexible flap  52  on the outside of one of the flexible loops. In a variation of the fifth embodiment flexible jewelry tether  51 , the sixth embodiment flexible jewelry tether  61  also has a flexible flap  52  or extension, but coupled to the outside of the second flexible loop  3 . The flexible flap  52  is for the purpose of filling empty space, for use in situations such as where an extra-large ring or bracelet is required in order to fit over the wearer&#39;s arthritic finger joint or wrist. The flexible flap  52  can be employed to fill empty space, by folding over and fitting between the wearer&#39;s body and the jewelry piece, providing comfort, security and desired orientation of the jewelry piece.