Abstract:
The present invention is a jewelry device comprising a base unit which may be affixed to clothing or otherwise adapted to be worn on a person and a front unit which concentrically fits inside base unit and either serves as an enclosure for an ornamented object or itself bears ornamentation. Base unit contains a ring or radial magnet which is of a shape to fit inside the inner perimeter of base unit. Front unit contains a ring or radial magnet which is of a shape to fit around the outside perimeter of front unit. Both front unit and base unit magnets are of a similar circumference allowing magnetic forces to secure front unit to base unit. Front unit, or ornamented objects enclosed by front unit, are interchangeable with other like elements bearing different ornamentation.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/433,320, filed Jan. 17, 2011. 
     
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Not Applicable 
       REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISK APPENDIX 
       [0003]    Not Applicable 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    The present invention is in the technical field of jewelry. More particularly it relates to jewelry which utilizes ornamented interchangeable components held by magnetic attraction to a base element. 
         [0005]    U.S. Pat. No. 2,752,764 issued Jul. 3, 1956 discloses an earring which utilizes interchangeable ornaments via fixture of flat magnets. 
         [0006]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,913,944 issued Apr. 3, 1990 discloses a jewelry article comprising a base element which supports an ornamented substrate element thereon by magnetic attraction, both the base element and substrate element having magnetically attractable properties and at least one of them having the properties of a permanent magnet, whereby the substrate element is interchangeable with other like elements bearing different ornamentation. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    The present invention is an article of jewelry composed of a base unit and front unit which may itself be ornamented on one or both sides or in an alternate configuration may serve as an enclosure for an additional non-magnetic interchangeable insert. Both base unit and front unit utilize ring or radial magnets to create attractive forces between the two allowing for interchangeability of like base units, front units, and or non-magnetic inserts. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is an exploded side view of a device of the present invention; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of a device of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a device of  FIGS. 1 &amp; 2  with front and base units separated; 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a device of  FIGS. 1 ,  2 , and  3  with front and base units assembled together. 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is an exploded perspective view of a device of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0013]    Referring now to the invention in more detail, in  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 4  there is shown a jewelry device  100  comprised of a base unit  101 , and front unit  104 . 
         [0014]    The base unit  101  includes a magnet  103  and a receptacle piece  102  which may be referred to as a female member. Base unit  101  may be adapted to be worn on the person by affixing base unit  101  to a mounting such as a ring or a pendant bail. In  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 4  base unit  101  is not shown with such adaptation but it may, within the purview of the invention take on any number of forms such as for example a ring, a pendant, a cufflink, a bracelet, a bangle, a brooch, a tie clip, or an earring. The magnet  103  is of a shape as to fit inside the inner perimeter of the receptacle piece  102  and is secured in place via an adhesive (not shown). The magnet  103  has a North Pole and a South Pole which are displayed in  FIG. 1  with the North Pole depicted as facing outward towards the front unit  104 . The back face  102 A of the receptacle piece  102  may have an opening  102 A as depicted in  FIGS. 2 &amp; 3 . The front unit  104  includes a magnet  105  and an insert  106  which may be referred to as a male member. Insert  106  may be ornamented on the back face  106 A, the front face  106 B, both faces  106 A and  106 B, or neither face. Insert  106  is of sufficient size and shape to fit inside base unit  101 . Insert  106  may have a raised ridge  106 C positioned behind magnet  105 . The magnet  105  is of a shape as to fit around the outside perimeter of insert  106  and is secured in place via an adhesive (not shown). The magnet  105  has a North Pole and a South Pole which are displayed in  FIG. 1  with the South Pole depicted as facing towards the base unit  101 . 
         [0015]    In more detail, still referring to the invention of  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 4  the front unit  104  may be fitted together with the base unit  101  by force of magnetic attraction between magnet  103  on base unit  101  and magnet  105  on front unit  104 . Magnet  103  and magnet  105  must be assembled on their respective bodies so that opposite poles are facing each other so that they attract each other. Base unit  101  and front unit  104  may be assembled together as illustrated in  FIG. 4 . Once assembled together, side of insert  106 A is visible on one side of jewelry device  100  and side of insert  106 B is visible on other side of jewelry device  100  through opening  102 A as depicted in  FIG. 4 . Front unit  104  may be detached from base unit  101  by pressing through base unit opening  102 A whilst holding base unit  101  in place and pushing on insert side  106 A. The force from pressing on insert side  106 A will overcome the magnetic attraction holding together base unit  101  and front unit  104  causing the base unit  101  and front unit  104  to separate. Alternatively Front unit  104  may be detached from base unit  101  by holding base unit  101  and pulling on insert ridge  106 C. In these ways front unit  104  may be detached and interchanged with similarly constructed front units bearing different ornamentation. 
         [0016]    The construction details of the invention as shown in  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 4  are that the receptacle piece  102  may be made of metal, wood, plastic, or of any other sufficiently rigid material. Magnet  103  and magnet  105  may be made of any permanently magnetized substance such as neodymium or other rare earth minerals, ferrous materials such as steel and other iron alloys, or as synthetic resins impregnated with particles of magnetic material. Magnet  101  and magnet  105  may be of a similar or identical circumference. Insert  106  may be made of metal, wood, plastic, glass, or any other sufficiently rigid material or combination thereof. Insert  106  may be hollow or full and may be composed of multiple parts, or it may be molded, cast, or otherwise created as a single piece. Although the present invention has previously been illustrated in terms of a circular shaped jewelry mechanism (circular shaped base unit  101  and front unit  104 ), any concentric shapes may be used for the construction of base unit  101  and front unit  104 . Receptacle piece  102  is illustrated as having an opening  102 A so side  106 A of insert  106  may be visible, however receptacle  102  may also be constructed without opening  102 A which may be particularly useful in allowing additional space for affixing base unit  101  to an article or component of jewelry such as a ring or bangle where it may not be necessary for the user to be able to see both sides of insert  106  and only one visible side may be sufficient. 
         [0017]    Referring now to  FIG. 5  there is shown a modular jewelry device  200  comprised of a base unit  201 , an insert  204 , and a front unit  205 . 
         [0018]    The base unit  201  includes a magnet  203  and a back receptacle piece  202 . Base unit  201  may be adapted to be worn on the person by affixing base unit  201  to a mounting such as a ring or a pendant bail. In  FIG. 5 . base unit  201  is not shown with such adaptation but it may, within the purview of the invention take on any number of forms such as for example a ring, a pendant, a cufflink, a bracelet, a bangle, a brooch, a tie clip, or an earring. The magnet  203  is of a shape as to fit inside the inner perimeter of the receptacle piece  202  and is secured in place via an adhesive (not shown). The back face of the back receptacle piece  202  may have an opening  202 A as depicted in  FIG. 5 . Insert  204  is designed to fit inside front unit  205  and may be ornamented on the back face  204 A, the front face  204 B, both faces  204 A and  204 B, or neither face. The front unit  205  includes a magnet  206  and a front receptacle piece  207 . Front receptacle piece  207  is of sufficient size and shape to fit inside base unit  201  and to fit around insert  204 . Front receptacle piece  207  may have an external raised ridge  207 C positioned behind magnet  206 . Front receptacle piece  207  may also have an internal raised ridge positioned close to opening  207 A. The magnet  206  is of a shape as to fit around the outside perimeter of front receptacle piece  207  and is secured in place via an adhesive (not shown). 
         [0019]    In more detail, still referring to the invention of  FIG. 5 , insert  204  may be fitted inside the front unit  205  so that ornamented insert side  204 B is visible through opening in front unit  207 A. Combined front unit  205  and insert  204  are then inserted into base unit  201  so that ornamented insert side  204 A is visible through base unit opening  202 A. Front unit  205  and base unit  201  are held in place by force of magnetic attraction from magnet  203  on base unit  201  and magnet  206  on front unit  205  effectively locking in place insert  204 . Magnet  203  and magnet  206  must be assembled on their respective bodies so that opposite poles are facing each other so that they attract each other. 
         [0020]    Front unit  205  may be detached from base unit  201  by pressing through base unit opening  202 A whilst holding base unit  201  in place and pushing on insert side  204 A. The force from pressing on insert side  204 A will overcome the magnetic attraction holding together base unit  201  and front unit  205  causing the base unit  201  and front unit  205  to separate. Insert  204 A may then be removed from front unit  205  as it is no longer held in place by base unit  201 . Alternatively Front unit  205  may be detached from base unit  201  by holding base unit  201  and pulling on insert ridge  207 C. In this way insert  204  may be detached and interchanged with inserts of a similar size bearing different ornamentation. 
         [0021]    The construction details of the invention as shown in  FIG. 5  are that the back receptacle piece  202  and front receptacle piece  207  may be made of metal, wood, plastic, or of any other sufficiently rigid material. Magnet  201  and magnet  206  may be made of any permanently magnetized substance such as neodymium or other rare earth minerals, ferrous materials such as steel and other iron alloys, or as synthetic resins impregnated with particles of magnetic material. Magnets  203  and magnet  206  may be of a similar or identical circumference. Insert  204  may be made of metal, wood, plastic, glass, gemstone, or any other sufficiently rigid material or combination thereof. Front receptacle piece  207  may be composed of multiple parts, or it may be molded, cast, or otherwise created as a single piece. Although the present invention has previously been illustrated in terms of a circular shaped jewelry mechanism (circular shaped base unit  201 , circular shaped insert  204  and circular shaped front unit  205 ), any concentric shapes may be used for the construction of base unit  201 , insert  204 , and front unit  205 . Back receptacle piece  202  is illustrated as having an opening  202 A so side  204 A of insert  204  may be visible, however receptacle  202  may also be constructed without opening  202 A which may be particularly useful in allowing additional space for affixing base unit  201  to an article or component of jewelry such as a ring or bangle where it may not be necessary for the user to be able to see both sides of insert  204  and only one visible side may be sufficient. 
         [0022]    The advantages of the present invention include, without limitation, that it allows for interchangeability between like jewelry items, locking mechanism is secure and subject to reduced wear and tear as it does not involve moving components. A common configuration for magnetic jewelry uses a flat magnet affixed to a side of an interchangeable component with a second flat magnet fixed to a base unit. This configuration has the disadvantage of allowing only one side of the interchangeable unit to be displayed by the wearer. It has an additional disadvantage in that the interchangeable unit itself must be affixed to the magnet or must be itself made of a magnetic material as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,912,944 whereas in certain configurations the present invention allows for an interchangeable insert to be used that is not magnetic or affixed to a magnet. 
         [0023]    In broad embodiment, the present invention is a device with two or more components whereby one fits inside the other and utilizes a magnetic locking system created by surrounding the outer circumference of the male component with a magnet or magnets and surrounding the inner circumference of the female component with a magnet or magnets in such a way that when the two components are fitted together the magnets are likewise fitted together. 
         [0024]    While the foregoing written description of the invention enables one of ordinary skill to make and use what is considered presently to be the best mode thereof, those of ordinary skill will understand and appreciate the existence of variations, combinations, and equivalents of the specific embodiment, method, and examples herein. The invention should therefore not be limited by the above described embodiment, method, and examples, but by all embodiments and methods within the scope and spirit of the invention.