Patent Publication Number: US-2019166962-A1

Title: Breakable Finger Ring

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
     Catherine Stephens 
     REFERENCE TO A “SEQUENCE LISTING,” A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING APPENDIX SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC AND AN INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF THE MATERIAL ON THE COMPACT DISC. THE TOTAL NUMBER OF COMPACT DISC INCLUDING DUPLICATES AND THE FILES ON EACH COMPACT DISC SHALL BE SPECIFIED 
     Not Applicable 
     STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR A JOINT INVENTOR 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (1) Field of the Invention 
     The Breakable Ring (“invention”) pertains to a finger ring in the jewelry category equipped with links that allows the ring to break apart when a force is applied. This field comprises engagement rings, wedding bands, and all types of finger rings. This invention can release the finger when the ring is caught in a moving machinery or heavy object, which often results in ring avulsion or finger amputation. 
     (2) Description of the Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98 
     It is known that there are existing finger rings that break when a significant load is applied. The high ultimate tensile strength of metals restrict their use in these products. Most breakable rings are made of polymers comprising plastics and rubbers. For example, SafeRingz is a company that sells silicone wedding rings. The company claims that their silicone rings break when a 20 pound force is applied. While it is known that the tensile strength of silicone is much lower than precious metals currently used in wedding bands like gold, silver, or platinum, most people prefer precious metal wedding rings because they are more durable and they can last generations. Wedding rings made of precious metals are also easily customized with gemstones and are easily engraved. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention pertains to a finger ring with link(s) that break when a force is applied. These links strategically placed to permit easy release of finger(s) when caught in moving machinery or heavy objects. These links serve as weakest links, which allow the ring to fail gracefully. The ring can be made of any polymer, precious metals, or any metal alloys. The key is the shaft made of a much weaker material with tensile strengths much less than that of the primary ring. When the shaft is subjected to tensile and shear forces, the shaft fails, allowing the disintegration of the ring members. Desirable materials to be used in the shaft construction can range from plastic to metals like tin or silver. 
     Depending on the cross-sectional area of the said shaft, the ring failure can occur with as little as one pound force to as much as fifty pound force. For the sake of relieving the finger from any pain, a force of less than ten pounds is desired. A ring may have one or more links, which also contributes to the amount of force required to break the shaft. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
       Different views of the invention are presented in the Drawings section of this application. These illustrations are non-limitative thereof, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the ring; and 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the invention with the separate ring members exploded for clarity; and 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the link containing the shaft; and 
         FIG. 4  shows non-limitative elevation views of the invention; and 
         FIG. 5  shows non-limitative top views of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference to the drawings, one or more links are strategically placed around the ring to allow the invention to break apart when load is applied. These links can be placed at locations shown in  FIG. 5  or any variations deemed appropriate by the manufacturer or designer. 
     The shaft, denoted as  3  in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , can be melted in place using any polymer, tin-silver solder alloys or any metal alloys. Alternately, the shaft can be any metals with low tensile strength like silver. In most cases, the said shaft can be molded separately before it is inserted in the designated slot. The cross-sectional area and shape of the shaft can be adjusted based on the desired design and load resisting capacity. 
     Because the failure mechanism depends on the low tensile and shear strengths of the shaft, the ring members denoted as  1  in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , can be made of any material including, but not limited to, natural and man-made stones and minerals, metal and metal alloys, or polymers. The versatility of this invention makes it more desirable than existing rubber rings intended to relieve the users from the danger of ring avulsion. 
     Another way to execute the invention is by combining materials of different strengths. For example, during the production of the ring, the ring members can be connected using silver or tin alloy solders or any weaker material. This will allow the ring to break apart without the interlocking members and shaft described above. The invention can be carried out not only in new rings, but also in existing rings. This can be done by cutting the ring in separate members and connecting them back using the variations of weak links described in this report. 
     Although the invention has been described above using specific design and processes, it should be understood that various modifications, additions and alterations may be made to the invention without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the affixed claims.