FRIENDSHIP BRACELET

Abstract

Friendship bracelets (10A, 10B, 10C) are provided with undulating edges allowing to them to interlock and create an assemblage (60). The assemblage (60) accommodates bracelet accumulation by an individual and also facilitates bracelet exchange among friends. When an individual is wearing the assemblage (60), a bracelet can be easily removed therefrom for gifting and/or a bracelet can be easily added thereto upon receipt.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/555,478 filed on Nov. 4, 2011. The entire disclosure of this provisional patent application is hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

[0002] Friendship bracelets, and particularly those in the form of wristbands, have become quite the trend in recent years. While it is of course possible to own and enjoy a single bracelet, the more popular practice is to accumulate pluralities so that they can be gifted, traded, exchanged, or otherwise conveyed to friends.

SUMMARY

[0003] A friendship bracelet is provided which has undulating edge features for mating with one or more complementary bracelet. A plurality of the bracelets can be interlocked at their edges to create a wearable assemblage. A bracelet can be easily removed from the assemblage for conveyance to a friend, and/or a bracelet can be easily added thereto upon receipt.

DRAWINGS

[0004] FIG. 1 shows a friendship bracelet.

[0005] FIGS. 2-3 each show an assemblage of friendship bracelets with lob-like undulating features, depression-dependent perimeter patterns, and smooth surface topology.

[0006] FIGS. 4-15 show friendship-bracelet assemblages with other practicable adaptations of undulating features, perimeter patterns, and/or surface topology.

DESCRIPTION

[0007] Referring now to the drawings, and initially to FIG. 1, a friendship band 10 is shown. The band 10 has a generally circular shape and it can be shaped and sized to surround a certain portion of a wearer's body. For example, the band 10 can be dimensioned to encircle a wearer's wrist and can be referred to as a bracelet.

[0008] The bracelet 10 comprises an interior cylindrical surface 20 and an exterior surface 30. An inboard edge 40 extends between the inboard side of the interior surface 20 and the inboard side of the exterior surface 30. And an outboard edge 50 extends between the outboard side of the interior surface 20 and the outboard side of the exterior surface 30.

[0009] The inboard edge 40 and the outboard edge 50 of the friendship band 10 can either or both have undulating features. More particularly, the inboard edge 40 can have undulating features comprising a series of protrusions 41 and a series of depressions 42. Additionally or alternatively, the outboard edge 50 can have undulating features comprising a series of protrusions 51 and a series of depressions 52.

[0010] The protrusions 41/51 can comprise jigsaw-puzzle-lobs and the depressions 42/52 can comprise reverse cutout versions of such lobs. More specifically, each protrusion can have bulb-shaped distal portion which transitions into a stem-shaped proximal portion. The cutouts have a reverse geometry with a bulb-shaped proximal portion and a stem-shaped distal portion. The bulb portions and/or the stem portions can be substantially symmetrical about a line perpendicular to the inboard-outboard direction.

[0011] As shown in FIG. 2, an assemblage 60 can be created which comprises a pair of bracelets 10A-10B having complimentary edge contours for inboard-outboard mating. In the illustrated assemblage 60, the outboard edge 50A of the first bracelet 10A mates with the inboard edge 40B of the second bracelet 10B. More specifically, the outboard protrusions 51A of the first bracelet 10A are received within the inboard depressions 42B of the second bracelet 10B, and the inboard protrusions 41B of the second bracelet 10B are received within the outboard protrusions 52A of the first bracelet 10A.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 3, the friendship assemblage 60 can comprise more than two friendship bracelets. For example, a third bracelet 10C can be added, and its inboard edge 40C can mate with the outboard edge 50B of the second bracelet 10B. Each bracelet's protrusions 51B/41B are received within the other bracelet's depressions 42B/52B.

[0013] In the illustrated assemblage 60, the inboard edge 40A of the first bracelet 10A has the potential to mate with outboard edge of another bracelet, and/or the outboard edge 50B of the second bracelet 10B has the potential to mate with another bracelet's inboard edge. Thus, more bracelets could be added to either or both sides of the assemblage 60.

[0014] In the edges 40/50 shown in FIGS. 1-3, adjacent inboard protrusions 41 define a depression 42 therebetween and adjacent outboard protrusions 51 define a depression 52 therebetween. However, as is shown in FIG. 4, this need not be the case, as other edge patterns are conceivable and contemplated. For example, the inboard edge 40 and/or the outboard edge 50 can have protrusions 41/51 and depressions 42/52 spaced therealong. Alternatively, the edge 40/50 can have only protrusions 41/51, or it can have only depressions 42/52. A keyed arrangement of the protrusions 41/51 and/or the depressions 42/52 is yet another edge-pattern option.

[0015] The undulating features of the edges 40/50 can be lob-like in geometry as shown in FIGS. 1-4, or they can instead adopt other complimentary contours. As is shown in FIGS. 5-10, individual feature shapes can be, for example, semi-circular (FIG. 5), rectangular (FIG. 6), triangular (FIG. 7), non-polygonal (FIG. 8), and/or random (FIG. 9). As is also shown in FIGS. 5-10, their perimeter patterns can comprise spaced protrusions and depressions, can consist of only protrusions or only depressions, and/or can be keyed in a certain sequence.

[0016] Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 10-12, the assemblage 60 can include bracelets wherein the edges 40/50 have unalike undulating features and/or different perimeter patterns.

[0017] The band's interior surface 20 can be smooth so as to not irritate the wearer's skin or clothing, and its exterior surface 30 can likewise be smooth. Or alternatively, as shown in FIG. 13, raised platforms 31 can reside on the bands' exterior surfaces 30, for the purposes of rigidity and/or veneer. As shown in FIG. 14, indicia 32 can occupy the platforms 31. And as shown in FIG. 15, the placement of indicia 32 on a platformless surface 30 is also viable and envisioned.

[0018] The bands 10 can be made from a stretchable and/or elastic material such as rubber (e.g., natural or synthetic) or silicone. If the band material is suitably resilient, it can be extended during installation on the wearer (e.g., stretched over his/her hand to arrive at the wrist). When the extending force is removed, the band surfaces 20 and 30 should contract to their original radial reach. The protrusions 41/51 and the depressions 42/52 should not suffer any deformation that would prevent them from mating with each.

[0019] The bands 10 can instead be made from non-stretchable material and closure means (e.g., snaps, clasps, hooks-and-loops, buckles, tines, buttons, etc.) employed for wearer installation. A further option is to include a small stretchable and/or elastic circumference section that can be temporarily expanded when putting the band on. This small section could or could not include undulating features.

[0020] The bands 10 can be injection molded from thermoplastic materials or they can be reaction molded from thermoset materials. For example, a cylindrical sleeve can be molded, and the sleeve can be separated into a plurality of the bands 10. The projections 41/51 and/or the depressions 42/52 can be formed simultaneously with the sleeve-separation steps or thereafter.

[0021] Alternatively, circular bands can separately molded with or without protrusions 41/51 and depressions 42/52. If the undulating features are fully formed during the molding stage, further fabrication may not be required. Otherwise, the undulating features can be created or refined during post-molding steps (e.g., die-cutting).

[0022] As was indicated above, the band 10 can be a bracelet dimensioned to encircle a wearer's wrist. If so sized, the band 10 can have a circumference of between about five inches and about ten inches, between about six inches and about nine inches, and/or between about seven inches and about eight inches. Additionally or alternatively, the band 10 can have a diameter of between about one inch and about four inches, and/or between about two inches and about three inches. Its width (i.e., its span in the inboard-outboard direction) can be less than about three inches, less than about two inches, less than about one inch, and/or greater than about half an inch. As for the band's thickness, it will depend upon material selection, but generally this dimension will be less than one-tenth inch.

[0023] Although the bracelet 10, the surfaces 20/30, the edges 40/50, the projections 41/51, the depressions 42/52, and the assemblages 60 are shown and described as having certain forms and fabrications, such portrayals are not quintessential and represent only some of the possible of adaptations of the claimed characteristics. Other obvious, equivalent, and/or otherwise akin embodiments could instead be created using the same or analogous attributes. For example, although a bracelet has been the focus of the description, drawings, and dimensions, other types of bands (e.g., necklaces, a finger rings, anklets, toe rings, belts, key rings, purse straps, headbands, hair holders, etc.) are feasible and foreseeable.

[0024] Also, the positional parameters in this description are for point-of-reference purposes to facilitate ease in explanation, and they are not limited to any particular orientation. Particularly and for example, the terms "inboard" and "outboard" can be assigned locations corresponding to their relative stance on a wearer's body. More particularly and again for example, when the band 10 is a bracelet, the inboard edge 40 can correspond to the side closest to the wearer's wrist and the outboard edge 50 can correspond to the opposite side more remote therefrom. Reverse or alternate allocations of such reference terms would be likewise apposite.

[0025] Furthermore, a designation linked to any of the above-elucidated elements (e.g., means, components, assemblies, systems, devices, compositions, etc.) is intended to embrace anything which performs a corresponding function, regardless of structural equivalency. And, unless otherwise noted, corresponding characteristics of such elements can be interchanged, combined, or otherwise incorporated, even if such integration is not specifically depicted and/or discussed.

Claims

1. A friendship band comprising: an interior cylindrical surface, an exterior cylindrical surface concentric with the interior surface, an inboard edge connecting inboard sides of the surfaces, and an outboard edge connecting outboard sides of the surfaces; wherein the inboard edge and/or the outboard edge has undulating features for mating with another band having an edge with complimentary undulating features.

2. A friendship band as set forth in claim 1, wherein the inboard edge has undulating features comprising a series of protrusions and a series of depressions.

3. A friendship band as set forth in claim 2, wherein the outboard edge has undulating features comprising a series of protrusions and a series of depressions.

4. A friendship band as set forth in claim 3, wherein the protrusions and the depressions have complimentary contours.

5. A friendship band as set forth in claim 4, wherein the protrusions comprise jigsaw-puzzle-lobs and the depressions comprise reverse cutout versions of such lobs.

6. A friendship band as set forth in claim 4, wherein the protrusions are nonpolygonal and the depressions are reverse cutout versions of such nonpolygons.

7. A friendship band as set forth in claim 1, wherein the inboard edge and the outboard edge have similar undulating features.

8. A friendship band as set forth in claim 1, wherein the inboard edge and the outboard edge have differing undulating features.

9. A friendship band as set forth in claim 1, wherein raised platforms reside on the exterior surface and wherein indicia occupies the platforms.

10. A friendship band as set forth in claim 1, wherein indicia occupies the exterior surface.

11. A friendship band as set forth in claim 1, made of a stretchable and/or elastic material.

12. A friendship band as set forth in claim 1, having a circumference of between about five inches and about ten inches and/or a diameter between about one inch and about four inches.

13. A friendship band as set forth in claim 1, dimensioned to encircle a wearer's wrist as a bracelet.

14. A friendship band as set forth in claim 13, wherein the inboard edge has undulating features comprising a series of protrusions and a series of depressions, wherein the outboard edge has undulating features comprising a series of protrusions and a series of depressions, and wherein the protrusions and the depressions have complimentary contours.

15. A friendship band as set forth in claim 14, wherein the protrusions comprise jigsaw-puzzle-lobs and the depressions comprise reverse cutout versions of such lobs.

16. A friendship band as set forth in claim 15, made of a stretchable and/or elastic material.

17. A friendship band as set forth in claim 16, wherein the inboard edge and the outboard edge have similar undulating features.

18. An assemblage comprising a plurality of the friendship bands set forth in claim 1, wherein the outboard edge of a first friendship band mates with the inboard edge of a second friendship band.

19. An assemblage as set forth in claim 18, wherein protrusions on the outboard edge of the first band are received within depressions of the inboard edge of the second band; and wherein protrusions on the inboard edge of the second band are received within depressions of the outboard edge of the first band.

20. An assemblage as set forth in claim 18, wherein an inboard edge of a third band mates with the outboard edge of the second band.

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