STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable.

NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

Not Applicable.

REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, TABLE OR COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING

Not Applicable.

STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR

Not Applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present disclosure relates to jewelry, and more particularly to jewelry pieces or settings that allow for removable and interchangeable ornaments.

Description of the Background

It is often desirable to be able to change or replace an ornament in a piece of jewelry. For example, a wearer may tire of a piece of jewelry that has only a single, unchangeable ornament, or the ornament in the jewelry piece may become damaged, rendering the entire jewelry piece unusable. In addition, the wearer may want the ability to coordinate jewelry with clothing or accessories without having to purchase multiple jewelry pieces. Further, jewelry is often expensive and the ability to have one jewelry piece with multiple ornaments is cost-effective. The ability to use an expensive ornament in more than one jewelry piece or setting is similarly cost-effective.

Jewelry pieces with replaceable ornaments are known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,484,537, “Replaceable Gem Stone Setting for a Jewelry Piece,” discloses a jewelry piece in which the replaceable gem is held in place by “a plurality of radially extending convergent and cantilevered spring blades.” U.S. Pat. No. 6,742,359, “Jewelry Piece with a Changeable Decorative Article Setting,” discloses the use of “a pivoted spring element . . . having bendable segments” to secure the decorative article. U.S. Pat. No. 7,201,021, “Jewelry Article Having Magnetic Elements and Interchangeable Settings,” discloses “magnetically coupling body portions” where “at least one of the body portions is rotatable to tangentially break the magnetic coupling between the body portions to interchange the setting.”

Prior art mechanisms for securing the ornaments to or into the jewelry piece or setting, however, may wear down over time. As a result, the ornament may be only loosely retained in the jewelry piece, and may tend to rattle, become misaligned, or even come out of the jewelry piece. The rattling may also damage the ornament. Prior art mechanisms that rely solely on magnets may not be reliable, in that the wearer's movements may cause the pieces that are coupled together by the magnets to separate, or the magnets may demagnetize. As a result, the ornament may be lost or damaged.

In addition, prior art mechanisms that secure the ornament may be difficult to use. In some cases, the user must open the securing mechanism by pushing or pulling on a very small tab or protrusion and pry the mechanism open. Since these tabs or protrusions are small, the user may try to open the mechanism with their fingernails, which may chip or break the fingernails. Also, if the user is struggling to open the mechanism, the user may lose their grip on the jewelry piece or the ornament, either of which may fall to the floor and get lost or damaged. Some mechanisms require an additional tool to open and/or close the securing mechanism, and those tools may be difficult to use and may get lost. In some cases, the securing mechanism may be bulky or not aesthetically appealing, which detracts from the attractiveness of the jewelry piece.

There is a need in the art for jewelry pieces in which the ornament may be quickly and easily changed and yet is firmly secured, does not rattle, and does not accidentally fall out or become dislodged. In addition, the jewelry piece should be particularly adapted to being held in a closed position while being worn to prevent accidental loss of the ornament.

Further, the jewelry piece should be easy to open and close, with a mechanism that is simple to operate and reliable, and does not require additional tools or excessive force. In addition, the securing mechanism should minimize exterior evidence of the interchangeability of the ornament.

There is also a need in the art for a collection of such jewelry pieces, such that multiple jewelry pieces, with matching or complementary, and interchangeable, ornaments may be worn at the same time. In addition, there is a need in the art for a collection of jewelry pieces where multiple pieces accept the same interchangeable ornaments.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a jewelry piece or setting for an interchangeable ornament.

According to the present invention, a jewelry piece provides a body or housing, and a cover or back, that are coupled together. The jewelry piece also provides a locking mechanism housed within the body, where the locking mechanism includes a spring-loaded lever or arm mounted on a pivoting post. The body defines a cavity or recess for removably receiving an ornament. The cover includes a first mating element, and the locking mechanism includes a second mating element. When the jewelry piece is in a closed position, the first mating element and the second mating element mechanically engage.

In an embodiment, a jewelry piece for an interchangeable ornament includes a body that defines a cavity for removably receiving the ornament, and a cover having a first mating element, where the cover that is coupled to the body. The jewelry piece also provides a locking mechanism that is housed within the body. The locking mechanism has a second mating element and a spring-loaded lever mounted on a pivoting post. The first mating element and the second mating element mechanically engage when the jewelry piece is in a closed position.

In another embodiment, a jewelry piece for an ornament provides a housing defining a first cavity for receiving the ornament, where the housing is open at opposing ends, and where the housing has an open top end with a portion that abuts an upper portion of the ornament. When the ornament is received in the housing, a crown of the ornament is displayed in the open top of the housing. The jewelry piece also provides a cover having a first mating element, where the cover is coupled to an open bottom end of the housing so as to be moveable to a closed position, thus overlying at least a portion of the bottom end of the housing. The jewelry piece also provides a locking mechanism that is substantially contained in the housing and includes a lever mounted on a post. The lever includes a second mating element proximate a first opposing end of the lever, and a second opposing end of the lever is coupled to a spring. The first mating element and the second mating element disengage when the spring is compressed and the lever pivots on the post. The ornament is held in abutment against the housing top end when the first mating element and the second mating element are engaged and the cover is in the closed position.

In an aspect, the lever is mounted on the post proximate the center of the lever. The spring is compressed and the lever pivots on the post when the lever is depressed proximate the second opposing end of the lever.

In another aspect, the housing further includes a sidewall connecting the opposing ends of the housing, and the locking mechanism is substantially contained within a second cavity defined in the sidewall.

In an additional aspect, the spring is compressed and the lever pivots on the post when a portion of the lever extending beyond the second cavity is depressed.

In another aspect, the first cavity of the housing is sized and shaped to substantially conform to the size and the shape of the ornament.

In still another aspect, the bottom end of the body defines an opening sized and shaped to accept the cover first mating element when the cover is in the closed position.

In another aspect, the bottom end of the body defines a notch, and the cover defines a tab that overlays the notch when the cover is in the closed position.

In yet another aspect, the cover is open at opposing ends, and has an open top end with a portion that abuts a lower portion of the ornament when the ornament is received in the housing, so as to display a bottom of the ornament in the open bottom of the housing.

In an additional aspect, the housing and the cover are substantially annular, and the circumference of the bottom end of the housing is greater than the circumference of the cover.

In another aspect, the housing is coupled to the cover by a hinge, and the length of the hinge is less than the length of the housing and the width of the hinge is less than the width of the housing.

In still another aspect, a portion of the cover abuts a lower portion of the ornament when the cover is in the closed position.

In another aspect, the jewelry piece also includes a support member that is substantially contained in a channel defined in the cover, and a portion of the support member abuts a lower portion of the ornament when the cover is in the closed position.

In an additional aspect, the first mating element and the second mating element each include a hook.

In another aspect, the jewelry piece includes a bail.

In an additional embodiment, a setting for an ornament includes a body that defines a first void for removably receiving the ornament and includes a top, a bottom, and a perimeter wall connecting the top and the bottom. In addition, the top defines an opening. The setting also provides a back that is hingedly connected to the body and includes a back coupling member. The setting also provides a locking element that is substantially housed in a second void defined in the body perimeter wall, where the locking element includes an arm. A first end of the arm includes an arm coupling member, and a second end of the arm is connected to a spring. The setting is in a locked position when the back coupling member and the arm coupling member are coupled. The setting is moveable to an unlocked position when the spring is compressed and the arm pivots to decouple the back coupling member and the arm coupling member. A portion of the ornament is visible through the opening in the top of the body when the ornament is received in the body and the setting is in a locked position.

In an aspect, the arm pivots about an axis proximate the center of the arm.

In another aspect, at least a portion of the second end of the arm extends through an exterior surface of the perimeter wall when the setting is in a locked position.

In an additional aspect, the back coupling member is not visible from the exterior of the setting when the setting is in a locked position.

In another aspect, a portion of a crown of the ornament is in contact with a portion of the body, and a portion of a bottom of the ornament is in contact with a portion of the back, when the setting is in a locked position.

In an additional embodiment, a setting for an interchangeable ornament provides a housing that defines a first cavity for receiving the ornament. The housing is open at opposing ends, and has an open top end with a portion that abuts an upper portion of the ornament. When the ornament is received in the housing, a crown of the ornament is displayed in the open top of the housing. The setting also provides a cover that includes a cover mating element. The cover is hingedly coupled to an open bottom end of the housing so as to be moveable to a closed position overlying at least a portion of the bottom end of the housing. The setting also provides a locking mechanism that is substantially contained in a second cavity defined in a sidewall of the housing. The sidewall connects the top end and the bottom end of the housing. The locking member includes a lever that has a lever mating element proximate a first end of the lever. A second end of the lever is coupled to a spring, and at least a portion of the lever extends through an exterior surface of the sidewall when the cover is in the closed position. The cover mating element and the lever mating element disengage when the spring is compressed and the lever pivots about an axis proximate the center of the lever. The ornament is held in abutment against the housing top end when the cover mating element and the lever mating element are engaged.

Although the present invention is described and illustrated herein as being implemented with a pendant, the embodiments described herein are provided as examples and are not limitations. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, the present invention may be applied with a variety of different types of jewelry pieces and with different types of ornaments.

