Granted Patent B2

US 12,440,006 · App. 17/946,233 · Granted Oct 14, 2025

Inventor: Susanne Louise Jawson (Glendale, WI)

A44C9/0084

Abstract

Claims (42)

1. An item of jewelry to display a decorative item, comprising:

a first band having a shank, an offset extending from the first band, at least a first notch, and a dimple, the offset comprising a first arm and a second arm extending from the first band and meeting at a connection point to define a first opening, the dimple extending into the offset of the first band at the connection point; and

a second band having a shank, an offset extending from the second band, at least a first notch, and a protrusion including a ball tip at an end of the protrusion, the offset comprising a first arm and a second arm extending from the second band and meeting at a connection point to define a second opening, the protrusion coupled with the offset of the second band at the connection point and extending into the second opening, wherein the protrusion receives a portion of the decorative item to removably couple the decorative item to the second band;

wherein in response to the protrusion receiving the portion of the decorative item, the first band is configured to move relative to the second band such that the shank of the first band is adjacent the shank of the second band and movable along the shank of the second band in a first vertical direction;

wherein as the shank of the first band slides along the shank of the second band in the first vertical direction the first notch of the first band receives a portion of the second band proximate the first notch of the second band, and the first notch of the second band receives a portion of the first band proximate the first notch of the second band so as to removably couple the first band and the second band;

wherein as the first notch of the first band receives the portion of the second band and the first notch of the second band receives the portion of the first band the dimple of the first band receives the ball tip of the protrusion to form an engagement between the ball tip and the dimple to couple the first band and the second band;

wherein the engagement between the ball tip and the dimple is configured to restrict translational movement of the first band relative to the second band in a plurality of directions including the first vertical direction and a first horizontal direction perpendicular to the first vertical direction; and

wherein the engagement between the ball tip and the dimple is configured to couple the first band and the second band such that (i) the protrusion extends between the second band and the first band in the second opening formed by the offset of the second band and the first opening formed by the offset in the first band and (ii) the decorative item is freely movable along the protrusion within space provided by the first opening and the second opening.

2. The item of jewelry of claim 1 , wherein the first band includes a second notch, and the first notch and the second notch of the first band extend into an interior surface of the first band.

3. The item of jewelry of claim 2 , wherein the second band includes a second notch, and the first notch and the second notch of the second band extend into an exterior surface of the second band.

4. The item of jewelry of claim 3 , wherein the first notch and the second notch of the second band extend a distance of half a thickness of the second band into the exterior surface of the second band.

5. The item of jewelry of claim 3 , wherein the second notch of the first band receives a portion of the second band proximate the second notch of the second band.

6. The item of jewelry of claim 3 , wherein the first notch of the first band receives a portion of the second band proximate the first notch of the second band, and the second notch of the first band receives a portion of the second band proximate the second notch of the second band, so as to limit translational movement of the first band relative to the second band and permit vertical movement of the first band relative to the second band.

7. The item of jewelry of claim 1 , wherein the protrusion includes a hook including the ball tip configured to engage the dimple of the first band to couple the first band and the second band.

8. The item of jewelry of claim 7 , wherein the hook extends from the second band in a direction perpendicular to a plane defined by the second band.

9. The item of jewelry of claim 1 , wherein the offset of the first band extends from the first band in a direction misaligned from a plane defined by the shank of the first band, and wherein the first arm of the first band extends from the first band along a first axis and the second arm of the first band extends from the first band along a second axis.

10. The item of jewelry of claim 9 , wherein the first axis and the second axis are perpendicular, and the first axis and the second axis are misaligned from a central axis of the shank of the first band.

11. A method of providing an item of jewelry, the method comprising:

providing a first band having a shank, an offset extending from the first band, at least a first notch, and a dimple, the offset comprising a first arm and a second arm extending from the first band and meeting at a connection point to define a first opening, the dimple extending into the offset of the first band at the connection point; and

providing a second band having a shank, an offset extending from the second band, at least a first notch, and a protrusion including a ball tip at an end of the protrusion, the offset comprising a first arm and a second arm extending from the second band and meeting at a connection point to define a second opening, the protrusion coupled with the offset of the second band at the connection point and extending into the second opening, wherein the protrusion receives a portion of the decorative item to removably couple the decorative item to the second band;

in response to the protrusion receiving the portion of the decorative item, moving the first band relative to the second band such that the shank of the first band is adjacent the shank of the second band and movable along the shank of the second band in a first vertical direction;

wherein as the shank of the first band slides along the shank of the second band in the first vertical direction the first notch of the first band receives a portion of the second band proximate the first notch of the second band, and the first notch of the second band receives a portion of the first band proximate the first notch of the second band so as to removably couple the first band and the second band;

wherein as the first notch of the first band receives the portion of the second band and the first notch of the second band receives the portion of the first band the dimple of the first band receives the ball tip of the protrusion to form an engagement between the ball tip and the dimple to couple the first band and the second band;

wherein the engagement between the ball tip and the dimple is configured to restrict translational movement of the first band relative to the second band in a plurality of directions including the first vertical direction and a first horizontal direction perpendicular to the first vertical direction; and

wherein the engagement between the ball tip and the dimple is configured to couple the first band and the second band such that (i) the protrusion extends between the second band and the first band in the second opening formed by the offset of the second band and the first opening formed by the offset in the first band and (ii) the decorative item is freely movable along the protrusion within space provided by the first opening and the second opening.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

providing the first band including a second notch; and

providing the second band including a second notch, wherein the second notch of the first band receives a portion of the second band proximate the second notch of the second band, so as to limit translational movement of the first band relative to the second band and permit vertical movement of the first band relative to the second band.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising providing the protrusion including a hook having the ball tip configured to engage the dimple of the first band to couple the first band and the second band, the hook extending from the second band in a direction perpendicular to a plane defined by the second band.

14. A jewelry system, comprising:

a decorative item;

a first band having a shank, an offset extending from the first band, at least a first notch, and a dimple, the offset comprising a first arm and a second arm extending from the first band and meeting at a connection point to define a first opening, the dimple extending into the offset of the first band at the connection point; and

a second band having a shank, an offset extending from the second band, at least a first notch, and a protrusion including a ball tip at an end of the protrusion, the offset comprising a first arm and a second arm extending from the second band and meeting at a connection point to define a second opening, the protrusion coupled with the offset of the second band at the connection point and extending into the second opening, wherein the protrusion receives a portion of the decorative item to removably couple the decorative item to the second band;

wherein in response to the protrusion receiving the portion of the decorative item, the first band is configured to move relative to the second band such that the shank of the first band is adjacent the shank of the second band and movable along the shank of the second band in a first vertical direction;

wherein as the shank of the first band slides along the shank of the second band in the first vertical direction the first notch of the first band receives a portion of the second band proximate the first notch of the second band, and the first notch of the second band receives a portion of the first band proximate the first notch of the second band so as to removably couple the first band and the second band;

wherein as the first notch of the first band receives the portion of the second band and the first notch of the second band receives the portion of the first band the dimple of the first band receives the ball tip of the protrusion to form an engagement between the ball tip and the dimple to couple the first band and the second band;

wherein the engagement between the ball tip and the dimple is configured to restrict translational movement of the first band relative to the second band in a plurality of directions including the first vertical direction and a first horizontal direction perpendicular to the first vertical direction; and

wherein the engagement between the ball tip and the dimple is configured to couple the first band and the second band such that (i) the protrusion extends between the second band and the first band in the second opening formed by the offset of the second band and the first opening formed by the offset in the first band and (ii) the decorative item is freely movable along the protrusion within space provided by the first opening and the second opening.

15. The jewelry system of claim 14 , the first band including a second notch and the second band including a second notch, wherein the second notch of the first band receives a portion of the second band proximate the second notch of the second band, so as to limit translational movement of the first band relative to the second band and permit vertical movement of the first band relative to the second band.

16. The jewelry system of claim 14 , the protrusion including a hook having the ball tip configured engage the dimple of the first band to couple the first band and the second band, the hook extending from the second band in a direction perpendicular to a plane defined by the second band.

17. The jewelry system of claim 14 , the offset of the first band extends from the first band in a first direction misaligned from a plane defined by the shank of the first band, the offset of the second band extends from the second band in a second direction misaligned from a plane defined by the shank second band, wherein the first offset and the second offset are planar and extend in opposing directions.

18. The jewelry system of claim 1 , wherein an engagement between the first notch of the first band and the portion of the second band and an engagement between the first notch of the second band and the portion of the first band are configured to restrict translational movement of the first band relative to the second band in the first horizontal direction and a second horizontal direction, the second horizontal direction perpendicular to the first vertical direction and opposite the first horizontal direction.

Continuity (2)

References Cited (65)