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Patent Abstract
The invention relates to an item of jewelry comprising a support
bezel (3) for stones or other decorative motif, characterised in
that said support bezel (3) is overlapped by an ornamental piece
(4) arranged to hide only certain parts (5) of the stones and/or
decorative motif on the bezel. The above is provided with a means
for pivoting about a vertical axis with respect to the support face
of the bezel (3) and for the automatic locking thereof with each
rotation of the piece (4). The above finds application in rings
or similar.
Patent Claims
1. The piece of jewelry consists of a supporting setting (3) of
stones and or any other decorative designs, characterized in that
the supporting setting (3) is surmounted by an ornament (4) shaped
so that it hides only certain parts (5) of the stones and/or of
the decorative design of the setting (3) and fitted with a mechanism
which allows it to pivot about the axis perpendicular to the face
of the setting (3) as well as to lock automatically at each stage
of the piece's rotation (4).
2. The piece of jewelry, in particular the ring, according to claim
1, is characterized in that the supporting setting (3) is fitted
with stones and/or design so that the size and shape of each sector
is similar to each of the protruding parts (6) of a central ring
(7) which composes the ornament (4).
3. The piece of jewelry, according to claim 2, is characterized
in that the ornament (4) is fitted with at least one protruding
part (6) so as to hide at least one of the sectors (5) that are
arranged in a regular way about the setting (3).
4. The piece of jewelry, according to claims 2 or 3, is characterized
in that the protruding parts (6) of the ornament (4) are fitted
with stones and/or ornamental designs.
5. The piece of jewelry, according to any of the proceeding claims,
is characterized in that the mechanism of pivoting and automatic
locking is advantageously composed of an axis formed, for example,
of a notch (8) situated at the center of the ornament (4), of a
bolt (9), of an elastic element (10) intended to fasten the ornament
(4) to the setting (3), and of a locking system to stop the rotation
at each sector composed of a notch (11) and of juxtaposed slopes
(12) arranged on the setting (3) and work using "V"-shaped
ridges of the ornament (4) that are able to seat themselves into
a notch (11), and, under the force of the elastic element (10),
stop rotation.
6. The piece of jewelry, according to claims 1 through 4, is characterized
in that the pivoting and locking mechanism of the ornament (4) consists
of two cylindrical pieces (13) and (14) mounted coaxially, one of
which (13) is attached to the setting (3), the other (14) attached
to the ornament (4), and both axially fixed by a clip (15) such
that the free rotation of one (14) of the cylindrical portions relative
to the other (13) is resisted by the presence of an elastic element
(16) protruding from the body of the cylindrical portion (14) of
the ornament (4) so that it is seated (17) onto each sector (5)
of precious stones and/or design of the setting (3).
Patent Description
[0001] The present invention concerns a piece of jewelry with a
transformable design.
[0002] It relates more particularly to jewelry in the form of a
ring, broach, earring or like items, carrying decorative elements
whose color can be modified to be harmonized with an outfit or the
desires of the person wearing the jewelry.
[0003] There is an already established technique, as described
in patent FR 1 381 490, a ring or similar item fitted with a setting
carrying at least two decorative elements that is mounted so that
it pivots between the two edges of the opening of the ring's body
in the shape of a split ring so that it provides users with the
option of two or more displays.
[0004] Such a piece of jewelry, although satisfying, is inconvenient
in that it necessitates its removal from the finger so as to position
another decorative design.
[0005] The purpose of the invention is to propose a piece of jewelry
with a transformable design which remedies the above inconvenience
and to provide new appeal for transformable jewelry.
[0006] In order to do so, the present invention concerns a piece
of jewelry consisting of a ring setting supporting precious stones
and/or any other decorative design, characterized in that the supporting
setting is surmounted by an ornament shaped so that it hides only
certain parts of the stones and/or of the decorative design of the
setting and fitted with a mechanism which allows it to pivot about
the axis perpendicular to the face of the setting as well as to
lock automatically at each stage of the piece's rotation.
[0007] As one of the design's advantageous characteristics, the
supporting setting is fitted with different sectors of precious
stones and/or designs so that the size and shape of each sector
is similar to each of the protruding parts of a central ring which
composes the ornament.
[0008] Another feature is that the ornament is fitted with at least
one protruding part so as to hide at least one of the sectors that
are arranged in a regular way about the setting.
[0009] Yet another advantageous characteristic, the protruding
parts of the ornament are fitted with precious stones and/or decorative
designs.
[0010] In this invention, the mechanism responsible for pivoting
and automatic locking is composed of an axis, made of a nut located
at the center of the ornament, of a bolt, of an elastic element
intended to fasten the ornament to the setting, and of a locking
system to stop the rotation at each sector. The locking system is
composed of a notch and of juxtaposed slopes arranged on the setting
and work using "V"-shaped ridges of the ornament that
are able to seat themselves into a notch, and, under the force of
the elastic element stop rotation.
[0011] In another variant of the design, the mechanism responsible
for pivoting and automatic locking of the ornament consists of two
cylindrical pieces mounted coaxially, one of which is attached to
the setting, the other attached to the ornament, and both axially
fixed by a clip such that the free rotation of one of the cylindrical
portions relative to the other is resisted by the presence of an
elastic element protruding from the body of the cylindrical portion
of the ornament so that it is seated onto each sector of precious
stones and/or design of the setting.
[0012] The above mentioned characteristics of the invention, as
well as others, will appear more clearly upon reading the following
description of a sample assembly, by referring to the attached figures,
on which:
[0013] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a transformable ring constructed
according to this invention.
[0014] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the ring in FIG.
1.
[0015] FIGS. 3a and 3b are top-down views of rings illustrating
different variants of the invention's assembly, and
[0016] FIG. 4 is a cut-away partial view of a ring showing an assembly
variant of the invention.
[0017] FIGS. 1 and 2 show a ring 1 made out of a body 2 and in
the shape of a ring, and a setting 3 carrying precious stones and/or
any other decorative design.
[0018] In this invention, this supporting setting 3 is surmounted
by an ornament 4 shaped so as to hide only certain parts of the
precious stones and/or of the decorative design of the setting 3
and fitted with a mechanism responsible for pivoting about the axis
perpendicular to the face of the setting and automatic locking at
each stage of the rotation of the piece 4.
[0019] In the preferred mode of assembly, the supporting setting
3 has different sectors 5 of precious stones and/or of design so
that the size and shape of each sector is similar to each of the
protruding parts 6 of a central ring 7 which composes the ornament
4.
[0020] This ornament 4 has at least one protruding part 6 intended
to hide at least one of the sectors 5 that are arranged in a regular
fashion on the setting 3. So, as an example, the ring 1 represented
on FIGS. 1 and 2 has three protruding parts 6 on the ornament 4
and nine sectors 5 of precious stones.
[0021] One will note that protruding parts 6 of the ornament 4
can also be fitted with precious stones and/or ornamental designs
so as to create, with the different colors of stones forming the
setting 3, a ring that can be changed to accommodate with one's
outfit, for example.
[0022] As shown on FIGS. 3a and 3b, the shape of the protruding
parts 6 of the ornament 4 can be of very diverse shape and size.
[0023] As illustrated in FIG. 2, the mechanism of pivoting and
automatic locking is advantageously composed of an axis formed,
for example, of a notch 8 situated at the center of the ornament
4, of a bolt 9, of an elastic element 10 intended to fasten the
ornament 4 to the setting 3, and of a locking system to stop the
rotation at each sector. The locking system is composed of notches
11 and of juxtaposed slopes 12 arranged on the setting 3 and work
using "V"-shaped ridges of the ornament 4 that are able
to seat themselves into a notch 11, and, under the force of the
elastic element 10, stop rotation.
[0024] Each sector 5 of the setting 3 has a notch 11 and a pair
of slopes 12 placed close to notch 11, forming, therefore, a notch
locking system when the ornament 4 is rotating.
[0025] One can then understand that in order to change the appearance
of the ring 1 by hiding certain designs and/or stones, it is sufficient
to press gently clockwise or counter-clockwise on the ornament 4
so as to make it rotate until the hidden designs appear and those
situated next, according to the direction of rotation, disappear,
engaging at the same time the ridges of the ornament 4 in the notches
11 of the sectors 5 of the setting 3 now hidden.
[0026] Such a change in the design can be made at will, that is
to say, at any moment and, without even removing the ring from the
finger. This will result in a rapid modification of the aesthetic
appearance of the ring. Moreover, it is possible to fit on the setting
a design of precious stones on certain sectors only, so as to enable
one to hide them with the ornament, sheltering them from the interest
of potentially ill-intentioned individuals.
[0027] Note that the mechanism responsible for pivoting and locking
is entirely hidden by the central part of the ornament.
[0028] Shown in FIG. 4, is a variant of assembly of the pivoting
and locking mechanism of the ornament 4 that consists of two cylindrical
pieces 13 and 14 mounted coaxially, one of which 13 is attached
to the setting 3, the other 14 attached to the ornament 4, and both
axially fixed by a clip 15 such that the free rotation of one 14
of the cylindrical portions relative to the other 13 is resisted
by the presence of an elastic element 16 protruding from the body
of the cylindrical portion 14 of the ornament 4 so that it is seated
17 onto each sector 5 of precious stones and/or design of the setting
3.
[0029] Notice that the elastic element 16 is concealed in the body
14 of the ornament 4 by compression when it is pulled by the rotation
until it meets an element 17 corresponding to a design that will
be hidden by the ornament.
[0030] Understand then that the piece of jewelry described by this
invention is relatively simple to produce and enables the simple
creation of at least two difference pieces of jewelry with only
one base.
[0031] Even though the invention has been described with two modes
of assembly of a ring in particular, it provides for all the equivalent
techniques of the described instructions. This is why the piece
of jewelry described by this invention can apply to a ring, a broach,
earrings, or similar items.
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