Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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TITLE OF THE INVENTION
COMPOSABLE ARTICLE FOR USE IN GLODSMITHERY AND COSTUME
JEWELLERY
DESCRIPTION
Field of the Invention
The present invention generally refers to the field
of goldsmithery and costume jewellery and, more
particularly, relates to a composable article that can be
used to manufacture goldsmithery or costume jewellery
products like a necklace, a bracelet or a pendant.
Background Art
Known composable articles of the above-mentioned type
are assembled mainly to form bracelets and other chain-
like items. In a first type of bracelet of this kind, a
band of metal fabric forms the support for a plurality of
tubular attachments with a square cross-section, arranged
coaxially to the metal band. These attachments can carry
alphanumerical characters so as to enable the composition
of words or, more in general, they may carry all sorts of
decorative motifs. Another type of bracelet of this kind
is formed by unit elements or modules comprising two
plates connected slidingly and elastically to each other.
These modules can be reversibly connected to each other in
a linear sequence. As in the previously-described type,
one of the two plates carries alphanumerical characters
and/or decorative designs, so that by suitably joining the
modules together, words or decorative sequences can be
composed at will.
With the above-described conventional systems, the
composition of the bracelets is somewhat laborious and
often demands the use of specific tools. Moreover,
because of the limited thickness of the plates, the
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alphanumerical characters and decorations can only be
applied to them using welding or enamelling techniques.
Objects and Summary of the Invention
The object of the present invention is to provide a
composable article of goldsmithery and costume jewellery
formed by modular elements and usable to manufacture
complex, chain-linked items such as bracelets.
Another object of the present invention is to provide
an article of goldsmithery and costume jewellery of the
above-mentioned type in which the use of a wider variety
of metal materials (including precious metals) and non-
metal materials than is currently achievable with the
known systems is allowed.
These objects are achieved with the composable
article of goldsmithery and costume jewellery according to
the present invention, which comprises at least one
substantially annular element with a central window and at
least one insert suitable for being contained within said
window, and snap-on connection means for reversibly
locking the insert inside the window. The insert can thus
be made of the desired thickness and of any, sufficiently
stiff material.
Brief description of the drawings
The invention will be illustrated in further detail
in the following description of one of its embodiments,
made as a non-limiting example with reference to the
enclosed drawings, wherein:
- figure 1 is a plan view of a modular element
for an article according to the present
invention;
- figures 2 and 3 show a side view and a plan
view of the insert for the modular element of
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figure 1;
- figure 4 shows a possible means of reversible
snap-on connection for the modular element of
figure 1;
- figure 5 is a schematic plan view of a
composable article having a chain-like
structure that can be made with the modular
element of figure 1.
Detailed description of the Invention
Ref erring to the f figures f rom 1 to 4 , the numeral 1
is used to indicate a generally annular element defining a
window 2 therein. From opposite sides of annular element 1
there extend a central projection la and, respectively,
two side projections lb, lying substantially coplanar to
the annular element 1, or in any case extending therefrom
in the same direction and without any significant
discontinuity. The width of the central projection 1a, is
substantially equal to the gap between the two side
projections lb, so that the central projection la of one
element 1 can be inserted between the two side projections
lb of another identical element 1 in order to create an
articulated connection by means of a pin, or pair of pins
(not shown), the position of which is indicated by an axis
X in figure 1.
The window 2 may be of any shape, though in general a
quadrilateral shape is preferred. An insert 3 fits inside
the window 2 and has the same shape as the window 2,
though it may not be of the same thickness, so it can also
be made to project from the plane of the annular element
1 .
The insert 3 is provided with snap-on connection
means suitable for securing it reversibly inside the
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window 2.
In a preferred embodiment, the snap-on connection
means comprise a pair of elements 4 projecting elastically
from opposite sides of the insert 3, and engaging within
through holes 5 correspondingly formed in the inner wall
of annular element 1 delimiting the window 2. The elements
4 are elastically forced outwardly relative to the annular
element 1, so that a pressure can be exerted thereon to
make them withdraw inside their seats and thus enable the
insert 3 to be fitted inside the window 2. Once the
elements 4 are aligned with the holes 5, they are free to
extend outwardly again and thus engage within the holes 5,
whereby the insert 3 is secured to the annular element 1.
Advantageously, the elements 4 have a rounded profile to
facilitate the engagement of the insert 3 in the window 2.
To separate the insert 3 from the annular element 1,
it is necessary to use a pincers tool with two opposite
pointed tips suitable for engaging in the through holes 5
from the outside in order to push the elements 4 inside
2o the insert 3 and thus disengage them from the through
holes 5.
In an embodiment particularly preferred for its
simplicity of construction, as illustrated in figure 4,
the means of connection comprise a tubular member 6, with
two cursors 7 projecting from the ends thereof, and are
elastically pushed in opposite directions by a spring 8
placed inside the tubular member 6. The tubular member 6
has a structure typical of those used in metal watchband
spring bars and is positioned and locked in any known
3o manner inside a hole 9 passing transversally through the
insert 3, as shown in figure 3.
If the insert is of considerable size, and
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particularly in the case of significantly long inserts, it
may be necessary to provide for two or more equally spaced
apart spring bars along the insert length.
Figure 5 shows a length of bracelet achievable with
the modular element of figure 1. In particular, to make
the bracelet more comfortable to wear, the modular
elements may have a curved shape. It is clear from the
above description that the bracelet is very quick and easy
to assemble and disassemble in order to compose words or
create decorations.
The annular element 1 can also be made so as to
contain several inserts arranged side by side. To this end
it is sufficient to have a window 2 of a length
corresponding to the total length of the inserts and a
number of pairs of holes 5 corresponding to the number of
inserts the window 2 is designed to contain. This variant
is particularly useful for making charms and pendants in a
single module with several inserts engaged therein, or
also for making relatively wide bracelets, in which the
inserts are also aligned orthogonally to the longitudinal
axis of the bracelet and the modular elements forming the
bracelet are articulated along the longer sides of the
annular elements 1.
The structure of the article according to the present
invention is particularly advantageous because it enables
metal and other materials, even very different from each
other, to be combined. In fact, the annular element 1 and
the insert 3 can be made in the same precious or non
precious metal or in metals that' may differ both in nature
and in chromatic features, e.g. gold and silver, or yellow
gold and white gold. Likewise the annular element 1 can be
made of a precious or non-precious metal, while the insert
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3 can be made of wood, leather, glass, semiprecious
stones, or plastic. In addition, since it is possible the
use of inserts of considerable thickness, the inserts can
also be studded with diamonds.
The article according to the present invention can
be used not only for the manufacture of bracelets, but
also to make ear-rings and pendants in general.
