Patent Publication Number: US-2023145584-A1

Title: Hybrid ring

Description:
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the reproduction of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the U.S. Pat. and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. 
     CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable 
    
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable 
    
    
     REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING OR COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING APPENDIX 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to vented rings and methods of forming the same. More particularly, this invention pertains to vented rigid rings. 
     Traditional rings are typically made of titanium, stainless steel, carbon fiber, gold, platinum, silver, or other precious metals. These materials are often chosen due to both appearance and durability. However, due to their inherent strength, metal rings (and carbon fiber rings) are the source of many injuries. More specifically, in the unfortunate event that a user catches their metal ring on something, it can cause bruising, avulsion, or even amputation of the associated digit. This problem is particularly prevalent for machinists, construction workers, athletes, and other physically active individuals. 
     In an attempt to avoid injury, it has been suggested that the individual wear their ring on a chain around their neck. While this would protect the individual’s finger or toe, most people are not interested in permanently converting their ring into a necklace. Further, it is not practical to remove one’s ring every time the wearer is switching from an activity that will not result in injury to an activity that could result in injury and replace the ring when the dangerous activity ends. Silicone rings have become an alternative to metal rings for wearers who routinely engage in activities that could result in injury if the user is wearing a ring. Silicone rings are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 10,383,412 entitled “VENTED RING AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME”, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. Although silicone rings have the potential to reduce injury, they do not have the same aesthetic as the metals and other rigid materials that they replace. Silicone rings have become common for athletes and industrial or construction workers, but most office workers still wear metal rings (or other rigid material rings) even though many of these people will occasionally engage in activities dangerous to people wearing rings. A safer ring with the look of rigid materials is therefore desirable. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Aspects of the present invention provide a ring including a rigid outer annular body and a flexible inner annular body. In one embodiment, the outer annular body is a rigid material formed form a process other than injection molding, and the inner annular body is flexible and formed form an injection molded process. The outer annular body is attached to the inner annular body. The inner annular body may be machined to curve from longitudinal ends of the inner annular body to an inner surface of the inner annular body after the inner annular body is joined to the outer annular body in order to provide a comfort fit. Alternatively, the inner annular body may be molded with the comfort fit curvature. In one embodiment, the outer annular body has at least one strain relief recess in an inner surface thereof, and the inner annular body fills said strain relief recess. 
     In one aspect, a ring configured to be worn by a user includes an outer annular body and an inner annular body. The inner annular body is formed via an injection molding process. The outer surface of the inner annular body is attached to an inner surface of the outer annular body. The inner surface of the inner annular body is configured to contact the user when the ring is worn by the user. 
     In another aspect, a ring configured to be worn by a user includes an outer annular body and an inner annular body. The inner annular body is formed via an injection molding process. The outer surface of the inner annular body is attached to an inner surface of the outer annular body. The inner surface of the inner annular body is configured to contact the user when the ring is worn by the user. The outer annular body is not formed via an injection molding process. 
     In another aspect, a ring configured to be worn by a user includes an outer annular body and an inner annular body. The inner annular body is formed via an injection molding process. The outer surface of the inner annular body is attached to an inner surface of the outer annular body. The inner surface of the inner annular body is configured to contact the user when the ring is worn by the user. The outer annular body includes at least one strain relief recess in an inner surface of the outer annular body. The inner annular body extends into the strain relief recess in the outer annular body. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is an isometric view of a ring according to one embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG.  2    is a rear perspective view of the ring of  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  3    is a cutaway view of the ring of  FIG.  2    shown along plane A in  FIG.  2   . 
         FIG.  4    is an isometric view of a ring according to one embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     Reference will now be made in detail to optional embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in accompanying drawings. Whenever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawing and in the description referring to the same or like parts. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     While the making and using of various embodiments of the present invention are discussed in detail below, it should be appreciated that the present invention provides many applicable inventive concepts that can be embodied in a wide variety of specific contexts. The specific embodiments discussed herein are merely illustrative of specific ways to make and use the invention and do not delimit the scope of the invention. 
     To facilitate the understanding of the embodiments described herein, a number of terms are defined below. The terms defined herein have meanings as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the areas relevant to the present invention. Terms such as “a,” “an,” and “the” are not intended to refer to only a singular entity, but rather include the general class of which a specific example may be used for illustration. The terminology herein is used to describe specific embodiments of the invention, but their usage does not delimit the invention, except as set forth in the claims. 
     As described herein, an upright position is considered to be the position of apparatus components while in proper operation or in a natural resting position as described herein. Vertical, horizontal, above, below, side, top, bottom and other orientation terms are described with respect to this upright position during operation unless otherwise specified. As used herein, the upright position of a ring is when worn on the finger of a user and the finger is generally horizontal such that the ring is annular about a horizontally extending longitudinal axis. The term “when” is used to specify orientation for relative positions of components, not as a temporal limitation of the claims or apparatus described and claimed herein unless otherwise specified. The terms “above”, “below”, “over”, and “under” mean “having an elevation or vertical height greater or lesser than” and are not intended to imply that one object or component is directly over or under another object or component. 
     The phrase “in one embodiment,” as used herein does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, although it may. Conditional language used herein, such as, among others, “can,” “might,” “may,” “e.g.,” and the like, unless specifically stated otherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intended to convey that certain embodiments include, while other embodiments do not include, certain features, elements and/or states. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that features, elements and/or states are in any way required for one or more embodiments. 
     Referring to  FIGS.  1 - 4   , a ring  100  is configured to be worn about a finger of a user. The ring  100  includes an outer annular body  102  and an inner annular body  104 . The inner annular body  104  is formed via an injection molding process. An outer surface  106  of the inner annular body  104  is attached to an inner surface  108  of the outer annular body  102 . An inner surface  110  of the inner annular body  104  is configured to contact the finger of the user when the ring  100  is worn by the user. 
     The outer annular body  102  may be formed via a number of different processes depending on the material of the outer annular body  102 . In one embodiment, the outer annular body  102  is formed of a material from the group of materials consisting of gold, titanium, carbon fiber, and stainless steel. It is contemplated within the scope of the claims that the material of the outer annular body  102  may be other than these materials. In one embodiment, the outer annular body  102  is not formed via an injection molding process. In one embodiment, the outer annular body  102  is not flexible, and instead, the outer annular body  102  is rigid. 
     The inner annular body  104  is formed via an injection molding process. In one embodiment, the material of the inner annular body  104  is flexible. In one embodiment, the inner annular body  104  is formed from silicon. In another embodiment, the inner annular body includes at least one of polyvinyl chloride, thermoplastic polyurethane, or silicone. 
     In one embodiment, the outer annular body  102  is placed into the mold which forms the inner annular body  104  during the injection molding process in order to bind the inner annular body  104  to outer annular body  102  and such that the inner annular body  104  fills any recesses or strain relief areas in the outer annular body  102 . In one embodiment, the inner annular body  104  is machined after the injection molding process forming the inner annular body  104  to remove material from the inner annular body  104  such that longitudinal ends  120  of the inner annular body  104  do not extend beyond corresponding longitudinal ends  122   of the outer annular body  102 . In one embodiment, the machining further rounds the inner annular body  104  such that the interannual body  104  is rounded from the outer surface  106  of the inner annular body  104  to the inner surface  110  of the inner annular body  104 . The machining may also remove material from the outer annular body  102  at the longitudinal ends  122  of the outer annular body  102  to better align the ends  120  of the inner annular body  104  with the longitudinal ends  122  of the outer annular body  102 . In another embodiment, curvature of the inner annular body  104  from the outer surface  106  of the inner annular body to the inner surface  110  of the inner annular body  104  is accomplished during the injection molding process forming the inner annular body  104 . 
     In one embodiment, the outer annular body  102  includes at least one strain relief recess  130  in the inner surface  108  of the outer annular body  102 . The inner annular body  104  extends into the strain relief recess  130  in the outer annular body  102 . In one embodiment, the strain relief recess  130  extends through the outer annular body  102  such that the outer annular body  102  is not continuous. In one embodiment, the inner annular body  104  includes a groove  132  corresponding to the strain relief recess  130  in the outer annular body  102 . The groove  132  corresponding to the strain relief recess  130  may be angularly aligned with the strain relief recess  130 , or may be slightly offset from the strain relief recess  130 . That is, the groove  132  corresponding to the strain relief recess  130  may be angularly aligned at an edge  131  of the strain relief recess  130  or offset from the strain relief recess  130  by a small amount (e.g., less than 15°). In one embodiment, the outer annular body includes a plurality of strain relief recesses  130 . The first strain relief recess  130  and a second strain relief recess  133  are opposite one another with respect to an angular location of each of the strain relief recesses such that the angle between the first strain relief recess  130  and the second strain relief recess  133  relative to a longitudinal axis through the center of the ring  100  is 180°. These strain relief recesses  130  and the corresponding grooves  132  are configured to create a weak point in the ring  100  such that if a user catches the ring on an object, the inner annular body  104  will tear through, removing the ring  100  from the user instead of injuring the user’s finger. 
     In one embodiment, the outer annular body  102  has a fastening channel  140  defined therein. The fastening channel  140  is recessed from the inner surface  108  of the outer annular body  102 , and the inner annular body  104  extends into the fastening channel  140  (see e.g.,  FIG.  2   ). In one embodiment, the inner annular body  104  substantially fills the fastening channel  140 . The outer annular body  102  has a larger diameter in the fastening channel  140  than at the inner surface  108  of the outer annular body  102 . 
     In one embodiment, the inner annular body  104  includes a plurality of slots  150  defined in the inner surface  110  of the inner annular body  104 . Each of the slots  150  extends longitudinally from a first side of the ring  102  a second side of the ring  100  (e.g., between the opposing longitudinal ends  120  of the inner annular body  104 ). In one embodiment, the slots  150  do not extend directly from one side of the ring  100  to the opposing side of the ring  100 , but instead are curved and interlinked with one another. 
     This written description uses examples to disclose the invention and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims. 
     It will be understood that the particular embodiments described herein are shown by way of illustration and not as limitations of the invention. The principal features of this invention may be employed in various embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize numerous equivalents to the specific procedures described herein. Such equivalents are considered to be within the scope of this invention and are covered by the claims. 
     All of the compositions and/or methods disclosed and claimed herein may be made and/or executed without undue experimentation in light of the present disclosure. While the compositions and methods of this invention have been described in terms of the embodiments included herein, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that variations may be applied to the compositions and/or methods and in the steps or in the sequence of steps of the method described herein without departing from the concept, spirit, and scope of the invention. All such similar substitutes and modifications apparent to those skilled in the art are deemed to be within the spirit, scope, and concept of the invention as defined by the appended claims. 
     Thus, although there have been described particular embodiments of the present invention of a new and useful HYBRID RING it is not intended that such references be construed as limitations upon the scope of this invention except as set forth in the following claims.