[0001] The present invention relates to a ring assembly allowing a fast and accurate assembly
providing a ring, particularly a solitaire ring.
[0002] The solitaire ring, tipically a diamond, is by far the most widespread type of ring
in the world. In fact, it is the traditional engagement gift and, in some cases, is
given more than once in a lifetime, on the occasion of particularly important anniversaries.
[0003] Therefore, it is understood that ring manufacturers should always keep in stock a
number of solitaire rings. In fact, rings of various sizes are required to be available
in order to fit the customers' fingers. Furthermore, the carat weight range of the
diamond should be a quite assorted one in order to meet different requirements. There
are ten sizes commonly used with rings, while the most in demand diamond carat weights
are five. This means that a manufacturer of such type of rings should always keep
fifty rings in stock, i.e. rings of the ten above-mentioned sizes per each diamond
carat weight. One may easily imagine what a considerable cost a manufacturer has to
bear to keep such a stock, in consideration of the high value of the rings (either
of gold or platinum) and above all of diamonds.
[0004] A first problem to which the the present invention is addressed is thus to allow
a ring manufacturer to abate the stocks while being able to meet its customers' requirements.
[0005] Such a problem is solved by a ring assembly such as described in the independent
claim annexed herein and by a method for manufacturing rings such as described in
claim 12.
[0006] The inventive ring assembly consists of only two parts, i.e. the ring body and the
bezel holding the gem. As will be better described below, thanks to the particular
construction of the assembly according to the invention, a manufacturer in this field
will be able to keep in stock only ten ring bodies of various sizes and five bezels
with the gems of relative carat weight, according to a normal assortment. Obviously,
this means a considerable saving in costs.
[0007] A further problem to which the present invention is addressed is to achieve a fast
and accurate assembly of the bezel to the ring body.
[0008] This problem is solved in accordance with an embodiment of the invention such as
described in the dependent claims.
[0009] Further characteristics and advantages of the ring assembly forming the object of
the present invention will be made more apparent from the description of a preferred
embodiment, which is provided herewith below by way of a non limiting example, with
reference to the following figures:
Figure 1 shows an exploded plan view of the ring assembly according to the invention;
Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the bezel of the assembly from figure 1;
Figure 3 shows a view of the bezel from figure 2 according to direction A from figure
1;
Figure 4 shows a view of the bezel from figure 2 according to direction B from figure
3;
Figure 5 shows a perspective view of the ring body of the assembly from figure 1;
Figure 6 shows a view of the ring assembly of the invention, in an assembled condition,
according to direction A from figure 1;
Figure 7 shows a perspective view of the ring assembly from figure 1, wherein the
gem is outlined;
Figure 8 shows a plan view of the ring assembly in an assembled condition, wherein
several possible sizes both of the bezel and the ring body are depicted.
[0010] With reference to the figures, the ring assembly forming the object of the present
invention will be now described.
[0011] The ring assembly, being indicated as a whole with numeral 1, consists of a bezel
2 and a ring body 3.
[0012] As shown in figures 1 and 5, the ring body 3 has a substantially rectangular section,
with substantially flat sides, (outer) convex upper face and concave lower face (in
contact with the finger). The ring body 3 comprises a seat 4 for the bezel 2 and has
a greater thickness at said seat 4 and a diminishing thickness as moving away from
the seat 4.
[0013] The seat 4 for the bezel 2 has a substantially V-shaped notch and comprises a bridge
portion 5 joining both flaps of the notch. The bridge portion 5 continues in two ribs
6, 6', the contour of which comprises a first portion departing from said bridge portion
5 forming a right angle and a second portion developing, substantially parallel to
the V-shaped contour of the notch, until the outer edge of the ring body 3. The element
formed by bridge portion 5 - ribs 6, 6' has a smaller width than the width of the
ring body 3, thereby a shoulder 7 is formed on both sides of said element, on both
flaps of the notch (only one shoulder 7 can be seen in fig. 5).
[0014] The bezel 2 comprises anchorage means for the gem. Said anchorage means 8, in the
embodiment illustrated in figures 2, 3 and 4, comprise two anchorage elements 8 which
are substantially V-shaped and of a complementary shape to the contour of the notch
of seat 4 on the ring body 5. In the particularly preferred embodiment as shown in
the figures, these anchorage means 8 comprise two arms 9 which, by originating from
a vertex in common, develop outwardly with a concave contour by approximatively half
the length thereof and with a convex contour by the remaining part of the length thereof.
The notch of seat 4 will obviously have a matching contour. This shape allows the
bezel 2 to be properly abutted against the ring body 3 and precisely against the shoulders
7.
[0015] Both anchorage elements 8 are joined to each other by means of a rod 10, which in
the example has a substantially rhomboid section, which is fixed within the groove
between both arms 9. The rod 10 holds both anchorage elements 8 apart by a distance
substantially corresponding to the width of bridge portion 5 and ribs 6, 6' of seat
4.
[0016] The rod 10 has, in the centre thereof, a concave depression 11 provided with a hole
12. The assembly of said depression 11 and said hole 12 forms an anchorage means for
the gem, particularly to house the lower cusp thereof.
[0017] As shown in fig. 8, the bezel 2 comprises a fixing portion 9a to the ring body 3,
which is complementary to said seat 4 provided on the ring body, and an anchorage
portion 9b, 9b', 9b" for the gem. The anchorage portion 9b, 9b', 9b" has a number
of different sizes according to the size of the gem to be mounted, whereas the fixing
portion 9a has a predetermined size such as dictated by the size of seat 4. Particularly,
the arms 9 of the anchorage elements 8 comprise said first fixing portion 9a intended
to match the contour of the shoulder 7 of seat 4 and said second anchorage portion
9b, 9b', 9b'' of the gem where the distance between the arms 9 of a same anchorage
means 8 is a function of the gem diameter.
[0018] The ring assembly according to the present invention is assembled by placing the
bezel 2, which is selected depending on the gem to be matched to the ring, astride
the bridge portion 5 and the ribs 6, 6' of the ring body 3 - which is in turn selected
depending on the customer's finger size - and by fixing the whole, preferably by laser
welding. The gem can be fixed on the bezel 2 either before or after being assembled
with the ring body 3.
[0019] Ring body 3 and bezel 2 are normally made of gold, preferably 24 kt gold, or platinum.
[0020] The advantages of the present invention are promptly understood from the description
above.
[0021] Both the diameter of the ring body 3 and the size of the anchorage portion 9b of
bezel 2 change according to a customer's requirements, whereas the seat 4 provided
on said ring body 3 and the fixing portion 9a of bezel 2 have in any case the same
size. This allows a ring body 3 of a desired size to be matched with a gem of a desired
carat weight, which is mounted on the corresponding bezel 2. Thus, the ring manufacturer
should keep in stock only ten sizes of the ring body 3 and five sizes of the bezel
2 (corresponding to the most in demand five carat weights), rather than fifty rings
as would result from said combinations.
[0022] Furthermore, the assembly of both parts of the inventive ring assembly is fast, solid
and accurate, thanks to the particular structure of seat 4 and the corresponding fixing
portion 9a of bezel 2. The shape and width of the abutment surface on seat 4 for the
bezel 2 is such to ensure an extremely solid and accurate positioning of the latter.
[0023] It is understood that what has been described is only a particular embodiment of
the ring assembly forming the object of the present invention, to which those skilled
in the art will be able to bring about all those modifications required to adapt it
to particular conditions, without thereby departing from the scope of protection as
claimed.
[0024] For example, it may be possible to configure the seat 4 of the ring body 3 and the
corresponding anchorage portion 8 of bezel 2 other than what has been shown above,
such as with an exact V-shaped, inverted trapezium or semi-cylindrical configuration.
[0025] The rod 10 may have shapes other than those shown above, such as a rounded, square
or polygonal section, and also may not protrude from the ring side, thereby meeting
the most various aesthetic requirements without imparing the functionality of the
assembly.
1. A ring assembly (1), to be assembled in order to provide a ring, comprising a bezel
(2) and a ring body (3) having a seat (4) for said bezel (2), characterized in that said bezel (2) comprises a fixing portion (9a) complementary to the seat (4) of said
ring body (3) and an anchorage portion (9b, 9b', 9b'') of a gem, wherein said anchorage
portion (9b, 9b', 9b'') changes according to the gem size, whereas said fixing portion
(9a) and said seat (4) have a complementary configuration, which is predetermined
and invariable regardless of the size of said ring body (3) or said gem.
2. The ring assembly (1) according to claim 1, wherein said seat (4) for the bezel (2)
has a substantially V-shaped notch and comprises a bridge portion (5) joining both
notch flaps.
3. The ring assembly (1) according to claim 2, wherein said bridge portion (5) comprises
two ribs (6, 6'), the contour comprises a first portion departing from said bridge
portion (5) forming a right angle and a second portion developing, substantially parallel
to the notch V-shaped contour, until the outer edge of the ring body (3).
4. The ring assembly (1) according to claim 3, wherein the element formed by bridge portion
(5) - ribs (6, 6') has a smaller width than the width of the ring body (3), thereby
forming a shoulder (7) on both sides of said element, on both notch flaps.
5. The ring assembly (1) according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein said bezel (2) comprises
anchorage means for the gem comprising two substantially V-shaped anchorage means
(8) of a shape complementary to the contour of the notch of seat (4) on the ring body
(3).
6. The ring assembly (1) according to claim 5, wherein said anchorage means (8) comprise
two arms (9) which, by originating from a vertex in common, develop outwardly with
a concave profile approximatively by half the length thereof and with a convex profile
by the remaining part of the length thereof, said arms (9) comprising a fixing portion
(9a) to the seat (4) of the ring body (3) and an anchorage portion (9b, 9b', 9b'')
for said gem.
7. The ring assembly according to claim 5 or 6, wherein said anchorage elements (8) are
joined by a rod (10) which is fixed within the groove between both arms (9) and which
holds said anchorage elements (8) apart by a distance substantially corresponding
to the width of the bridge portion (5) and the ribs (6, 6') of seat (4).
8. The ring assembly (1) according to claim 7, wherein said rod (10) comprises anchorage
means for the gem.
9. The ring assembly (1) according to claim 8, wherein said anchorage means for the gem
comprise, in the middle of said rod (10), a concave depression (11) being provided
with a hole (12).
10. The ring assembly (1) according to any of claims 1 to 9, wherein said ring body (3)
and said bezel (2) are made either of 24 kt gold or platinum.
11. The ring obtained from the ring assembly (1) according to any of claims 1 to 10, wherein
said bezel (2) and said ring body (3) are assembled by laser welding.
12. A method for manufacturing rings from ring assemblies (1) such as claimed in any of
claims 1 to 10, comprising the steps of:
- providing a series of ring bodies (3) of various sizes;
- providing a series of bezels (2) for stones of various carat weights;
- selecting a ring body (3) from said series of ring bodies (3) and a bezel (2) from
said series of bezels (2);
- assemblying said selected ring body (3) and said bezel (2) by laser welding.