CN117130254A - Device comprising decorations with limited freedom of movement and suspension in a fluid - Google Patents

Abstract

A decorative wearable system comprising at least one decorative element mechanically and movably suspended in a liquid by a mechanical fixation element. The liquid has substantially the same refractive index as the at least one mechanical fixation element.

Description

Device comprising decorations with limited freedom of movement and suspension in a fluid

Filing and applying for separate cases

The present patent application is a divisional application of PCT-in-china patent application with the prior patent application No. 202080038480.4 and application date 2020, 3 and 30, entitled "device comprising ornaments with limited freedom of movement and suspension in fluid". The international application corresponding to the application is PCT/IB2020/053025.

Cross Reference to Related Applications

The present application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application 62/828,672 filed on 3 4 months 2019 and international patent application No. pct/IB2019/058379 filed on 2 months 10 2019, the entire contents of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference, and by reference to that application, determine the features that may be sought to be protected herein, as it is believed that the entire contents thereof contribute to the resolution of the underlying technical problems of the present application, some features that may be mentioned hereinafter being of particular importance.

Copyright and legal statement

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The applicant is not interested in any facsimile reproduction of the patent document or patent disclosure by anyone as it appears in the patent and trademark office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. Moreover, any reference herein to third party patents or articles should not be construed as an admission that the present invention is not entitled to antedate such material by virtue of prior invention.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to wearable accessories such as jewelry.

Background

Most accessories are objects having a permanent shape and decoration.

What is needed is a new way to make the accessory more vivid by changing its appearance.

Disclosure of Invention

A system and method/apparatus are provided that provide a means to create a seemingly vivid decoration for personal accessories. The system is a decorative wearable device comprising at least one decorative element mechanically and movably suspended in a fluid by a mechanical fixation element. The fluid has a refractive index substantially the same as at least one of the mechanically fixed or movable elements.

It is an object of the present invention to animate, tilt or move ornaments.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a device that changes its appearance when animations, tilts or moves are generated.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a fixation that is invisible and partially tiltable or movable for objects, thereby providing a magic effect.

Drawings

The accompanying drawings show, by way of illustration, different embodiments of the inventive subject matter.

Fig. 1A is a cross-sectional view of the fixture of the present invention with decorative elements.

Fig. 1B is a cross-sectional view of a first alternative fixation device of the present invention.

FIG. 1C is a cross-sectional view of the fixture of FIG. 1A with a decorative element in another position.

FIG. 1D is a cross-sectional view of the first alternative fixture of FIG. 1C with a decorative element in another position.

Fig. 1E is a cross-sectional view of a second alternative series of fixtures of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a dial using the elements of the present invention.

Fig. 3A is a top view of an animated face decoration according to the present invention.

Fig. 3B is a cross-sectional view of the decoration of fig. 3A.

Fig. 4A is a top view of another animated face decoration according to the present invention.

Fig. 4B is a cross-sectional view of the decor of fig. 4A.

Fig. 5A is a schematic top view of yet another animated face decoration according to the present invention.

Fig. 5B is a cross-sectional view of the decor of fig. 5A.

Fig. 5C is another cross-sectional view of the decor of fig. 5A.

Fig. 5D is a schematic top view of another animated face decoration according to the present invention.

Fig. 5E is a schematic top view of yet another animated face decoration according to the present invention.

Fig. 6A is a top view of yet another animated face decoration according to the present invention.

Fig. 6B is a top view of the view of fig. 6A rotated 180 degrees.

Fig. 6C is a right side view of the decoration of fig. 6A.

Fig. 6D is a top view of the view of fig. 6A. Wherein the fixation means are not visible.

Fig. 6E is a top view of the trim suspended within the device of fig. 6A-6D.

Fig. 7A is a cross-sectional view of yet another animated face decoration according to the present invention.

Fig. 7B is a view of the decorative element of fig. 7A moved to the left.

Fig. 8A is a side view of an alternative fixture on a swivel joint.

Fig. 8B is a side view of the alternative mount of fig. 8A showing the mount tilted.

Fig. 9 is a top view of yet another alternative fixture of the present invention.

Fig. 10 is a top view of yet another alternative fixture of the present invention.

Fig. 11A and 11B are schematic diagrams of the fixture of the present invention conveying different information.

Fig. 12A, 12B, and 12C are schematic views of another embodiment.

Fig. 13A and 13B are schematic views of another embodiment.

Fig. 14A, 14B, and 14C are schematic views of another embodiment.

Fig. 15A and 15B are schematic views of another embodiment.

Fig. 16A, 16B, and 16C are schematic views of another embodiment.

Fig. 17A, 17B, and 17C are schematic views of another embodiment.

Fig. 18 is a schematic view of another embodiment.

Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, dimensions may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of the present invention and embodiments thereof. Furthermore, when the terms "first," "second," and the like, are used herein, they are used in order to distinguish between similar elements and not necessarily to describe a sequential or chronological order. Furthermore, relative terms such as "front," "rear," "top," "bottom," and the like in the description and/or in the claims are not necessarily used to describe an exclusive relative position. Thus, those skilled in the art will understand that these terms may be interchanged with other terms and that embodiments described herein may operate in other orientations than those explicitly stated or otherwise described.

Detailed Description

The following description is not intended to limit the scope of the application in any way, as it is exemplary, for purposes of describing the best mode of the application known to the inventors until the date of the application. Accordingly, changes may be made in the arrangement and/or function of any of the elements described in the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the application.

The system according to the application comprises at least one decorative element mechanically and movably suspended in the fluid by means of a mechanical fixing element. The fluid has a refractive index substantially the same as at least one of the mechanically fixed or movable elements.

Referring now to fig. 1A-1E, a system 100 has one or more floating decorative elements 102 that are limited in their freedom of movement or tilting. The floating decorative element 102 may include a movable post or abutment 104 (either machined from a block of material to be mechanically held in place or individually assembled into a recess 106). Movement is limited by the geometry of the end 110 in the groove 106 (e.g., in a dovetail interconnection that allows sufficient clearance for movement), e.g., at an angle in all planar directions. These posts 104 may have a larger top portion 112, which top portion 112 may be coated with, for example, gold 114, which when juxtaposed with other such floating decorative elements 102 may obtain a spangle or sparkling effect from light reflection. The post 104 may also be coated with other types of metals, as described herein. A protective layer (not shown, but covering the surface to be isolated) may also be applied to avoid reaction between the struts and the surrounding fluid 116. Combinations of different types of layers are possible. In addition, various precious components or decorations may be placed on the posts 104 or on the tops 112 thereof.

Referring specifically to fig. 1B and 1E, tilting of the floating decorative element 102 can be enhanced or facilitated by geometric features (e.g., the sloped surfaces 120, 120', 120 ") below the posts 104. Furthermore, a combination of post/groove shapes may alternatively be used or combined to predetermine the tilt direction.

Referring specifically to fig. 1E, the floating decorative element 102 may also be held between the bottom plate 130 and the top plate 132. The bottom plate 130 and top plate 132 are advantageously made of a material having the same refractive index as the surrounding fluid 116 so as to be substantially invisible to the wearer.

The pillars and support material made of glass material can find index matching liquids.

Referring now to FIG. 2, a system 200 of glass strand webs 202 fabricated from bulk glass material can find an index matching fluid 206. Glass strand 202 includes links 222 connected to knots 224 and frame 212. The frame bridge 214 circumscribes a dial 216 having a pointer or another indicator such as temperature.

The mesh 202 is suspended in a frame made of the same bulk material. The mesh links 222 are configured in such a way that the mesh-interconnected junctions 224 can move in a limited manner in a plane. These knots 224 may be configured to contain a larger surface upon which a coating may be applied or upon which other items may be mounted. Decorative element 204 may be mounted on a link or a knot to form a drawing.

Referring now to fig. 3A-3B, a system 300 is shown in which a decorative moving member 302 is guided by a guide slot 312. The substrate 310 is made of a transparent material, wherein the guide grooves 312 may be etched, for example, by laser. Alternative processes for creating the channels 312 in the substrate 310 may use chemical etching, spark-assisted chemical etching, machining, injection molding, thermal compression, or any combination of these processes. The ornamental motion component 302 is comprised of a support 304, the support 304 being made of any material capable of sliding in a channel 312. Any precious element 306 may be mounted on the support 304.

The fluid 326 fills the cavity 314 matching the refractive index of the substrate 310 to make the channel 312 invisible. For example, crystal 316 encloses lumen 314 and is a transparent material. Further, the fluid 326 may be a liquid and act as a lubricant for the system. The liquid may be transparent or coloured.

Gravity is the driving factor. However, gravity may be replaced with any other actuation factor that produces an acceleration or deceleration force.

The geometry of the moving part 302 and its sliding path formed by the guide slots 312 are chosen to avoid the system getting stuck in a certain position.

Support 304 of decorative movement member 302 may be circular such that the movement member may itself rotate within channel 312 to change the orientation of valuable element 306. On the other hand, the support 304 may be shaped so as to limit the rotation of the ornamental moving part 302.

Referring now to fig. 4A-4B, a system 400 in which a decorative moving member 402 is guided for rotation about a post 412. The substrate 410 is a transparent material in which the pillars 412 can be etched, for example, by a laser. Alternative processes for forming pillars 412 in substrate 410 may use chemical etching, spark-assisted chemical etching, machining, injection molding, thermal compression, or any combination of these processes. Decorative moving part 402 may include a support 404 on which any precious element 406 may be mounted. The support 404 may be made of the same transparent material. Support 404 may be hidden by valuable element 406.

Fluid 426 fills the index-matching cavity 414 of transparent material to make the struts 412 and supports 404 invisible. Further, the fluid 426 may be a liquid and may serve as a lubricant for the system. The liquid 426 may be transparent or colored.

Gravity is the driving factor. Gravity may be replaced with any other acceleration or deceleration force.

The geometry of the rotating parts is designed to avoid that the system is stuck in a certain position. Movement of the support 404 of the rotating member may be limited by the etched structure of the substrate 410.

As shown in nose 416 of fig. 4A, when the rotating component has a greater mass on the other side of the axis of rotation defined by post 412, a reverse intuitive motion is possible.

Referring now to fig. 5A-5E, a system 500 wherein a solid decorative element 502 is secured to a fine fiber 506 surrounded by a fluid 510. The fibers 506 have the same refractive index as the surrounding fluid 510, thereby making them invisible. The fluid may be a liquid. The fluid may be transparent or colored. Due to the torque of the fiber 506, the solid decorative element 502 may twist slightly around the fiber, thereby creating a movement effect.

In one embodiment, the flow 512 of the fluid 510 is created by compression of the first flexible chamber 514. The fluid 510 displaced by the compression of the first flexible chamber 514 fills the second flexible chamber 516 and when the pressure on the first flexible chamber 514 is released, the fluid 510 moves back to its original state, creating a flow in the opposite direction. Actuation of the first flexible chamber 514 may be actuated manually or by a mechanical system 520. Of course, the positioning of the flexible chambers 514 and 516 shown herein is shown by way of example and may be positioned differently.

Referring now to fig. 6A-6E, a system 600 includes a chamber having one or more fibers 606 attached to a sidewall of the chamber and spaced apart or spaced apart from each other, all of which are surrounded by a fluid 610. The fibers 606 have the same refractive index as the fluid 610 such that they are not visible. The fluid may be transparent or colored. The movable solid decorative element 602 may move along the fibers 606 under the guidance of the holes 620, through the holes 620, and they are connected to the fibers 606. Optionally, some stop elements 622 having the same refractive index as the fluid are fixed in specific locations of the fibers 606 and limit the displacement of the movable decorative element 602 along the fibers 606. The movable decorative element 602 may be arranged in a predetermined manner depending on the orientation of the device and the position of the stop element. For example, they may be aligned horizontally when the device is vertical, and they may be randomly distributed when the device is upside down. In one embodiment, one or more of the movable decorative elements 602 may be made of the precious element 630, or the precious element may be mounted on one or more of the movable elements. The movable decorative element may be guided by two fibres in order to ensure a defined direction.

Referring now to fig. 7A-7B and 8A and 8B, system 700 is integrated into a wearable accessory, the system 700 including a decorative element 702. The system may be movable in one or more directions when biased by: the guiding element 706 is moved by gravity, or by a user wearing the accessory, or by an external force, or by a user triggering the movement of the surrounding fluid 726, or by a mechanical transmission; such a mechanical transmission may be activated by the user or by a clock system which is electrically or mechanically powered and may be electronically controlled. The decorative element 702 is connected to the guiding element 706 by an attachment 704. Such an attachment 704 may be entirely rigid or allow some freedom of movement (loosening in one or more directions). The steering element 706 may have the same refractive index as the surrounding fluid 726 and thus be invisible. The guide element 706 is connected via guide features 724 to a support 722, which is connected to, for example, a decorative image background. The support 722 may have the same refractive index as the surrounding fluid 726 and thus be invisible. The surrounding fluid 726 may be a liquid. The surrounding fluid 726 may be transparent or colored. The guide features 724 for the guide element 706 may allow one or more directions of free movement. The decorative element 702 may move by gravity, by movement of the surrounding fluid 726, or by mechanical action on the guiding element 706, or any combination thereof.

Fig. 7A-7B illustrate examples of limited free linear movement of the decorative element 702 relative to the support 724. Fig. 8A-8B illustrate examples of limited free rotational movement of the decorative element 702 relative to its support 724.

Referring now to fig. 9 and 10, the decorative element 802 is guided by the guide slot 804 and moved by a transfer element 806, which transfer element 806 transfers motion generated by a user via a pulley 820, a slider 822, or any other suitable mechanism (not shown herein). In addition to being generated by the user, the movement may also be generated by a clock system that is electrically or mechanically powered and electronically controllable. The guiding of the decorative element 802 in the guide slot 804 may allow a degree of freedom in multiple directions to give the decorative element 802 more vivid behavior when the system 800 moves relative to gravity, or when the system 800 is accelerated by its wearer in any direction. The components of the transfer mechanism in the visible region of the accessory 810 may be made of a material having a refractive index close to that of the surrounding fluid so as to be substantially invisible. For example, the transfer element 806 may advantageously be made of fiberglass. The surrounding fluid may be a liquid. The surrounding fluid may be transparent or colored. The components of the transfer mechanism in the invisible area of the accessory 812 may be made of any material suitable for their function.

Not only can the system provide a "lively" impression of a given image that remains unchanged, but its components move in a random manner, but it can also be arranged in such a way that: in the case of triggering by different orientations of the system or by activation of an animation, different predefined images are generated depending on the position of the movable element. An example is shown in fig. 11A and 11B, where the orientation of the mouth changes the image.

Referring now to fig. 12A-12C, decorative element 1202 may be a fiber, wire, on which weight 1204 is assembled. Wire 1202 may be attached at one or both ends within fluid vessel 1200. The material of weight 1204 may be selected to have a refractive index that is not much different from the refractive index of one or more fluids 1206 contained within vessel 1200 so as to be substantially invisible to the wearer. The effect of gravity on weight 1204 is combined with one or more physical properties of fluid 1206 (e.g., viscosity and volumetric mass) and movement of the wearer to produce movement of wire 1202 and weight 1204. If the volume of fluid 1206 surrounding weight 1204 is higher than the volume of weight, the weight tends to float. If the opposite is true, the weight tends to sink. In this way, thread 1202 gives the impression of being a living organism or an animated decorative structure. Other visible decorative elements may be added to the thread, for example representing leaves or flowers on plants, or limbs of living organisms, or simply as additional shaped or non-shaped decorative elements.

Referring now to fig. 13A-13B, the decorative element may be a fixed image 1302 having a regular or irregular shape that is seen by the wearer through an optical lens 1304. The optical lens 1304 has a certain degree of freedom of movement allowed by its shape in combination with the internal shape of the fluid container 1300. The combination of the wearer's motion with the effects of gravity on the mass of the optical lens 1304, and with one or more physical properties (e.g., viscosity and volumetric mass) of the surrounding fluid 1306, creates the motion of the optical lens relative to the fixed image 1302, which creates the illusion of animation of the fixed image 1302.

Referring now to fig. 14A-14C, the decorative element is a fixed image 1402 that the wearer sees through a decorative transparent panel 1404, which decoration may be a regular pattern such as grids 1412, 1414. The decorative transparent plate 1404 has a certain degree of freedom of movement allowed by its shape in combination with the internal shape of the fluid container 1300. The combination of the wearer's motion and the effect of gravity on the mass of decorative transparent plate 1404, as well as the further combination of one or more physical properties (e.g., viscosity and volumetric mass) of ambient fluid 1306, produces movement of the optical lens relative to fixed image 1402. This motion creates the illusion of animation of the fixed image 1402. When carefully selected, the pattern of the fixed image 1402 and the pattern of the decorative transparent plate 1404 can produce a moire (moire) effect. Moire patterns or moire fringes are large interference patterns that can be produced when an opaque regular pattern with transparent gaps is overlapped with another similar pattern. In order for moire interference patterns to occur, the two patterns must not be identical, but, for example, be shifted, rotated or have slightly different pitches. Moire patterns appear in many different situations. In printing, the printed pattern of dots may interfere with the image. In television and digital photography, the pattern on the object being photographed can interfere with the shape of the optical sensor to create unwanted artifacts. They are sometimes also formed finely, in micrometers, and they are used to amplify very small effects of motion.

Referring now to fig. 15A-15B, the decorative element may be a combination of a plurality of movable elements 1502 that are free to move within an interior cavity 1510, the interior cavity 1510 being formed within the fluid container 1500 by one or more transparent flexible films 1504. The division of the fluid container 1500 into multiple internal chambers 1510 allows the movable element 1502 to freely collide/move freely. Flexible film 1504 has high flexibility and may present one or more holes or openings to allow fluid 1506 to circulate between cavities 1510. The flexible membrane may be attached only in a limited number of places within the fluid container to allow more freedom of movement. The refractive index of thin film 1504 may be selected to approximate the refractive index of surrounding fluid 1506. The film may include visual elements attached thereto or printed decorations that have a vivid effect when the film is moved.

Referring now to fig. 16A-16C, the decorative element 1602 may be formed from a chain of articulating elements 1610 having a limited degree of freedom of movement. The chain 1602 may be connected at one end to the fluid container 1600 and free to move at the other end. Some of the articulating elements 1610 may be formed from a material having the same refractive index as the surrounding fluid 1606 so as to be substantially invisible, while some other articulating elements 1610 may be formed from decorative elements that are optionally formed from precious materials. The union 1612 between the elements 1610 is used to allow limited degrees of freedom of movement or to allow full degrees of freedom of movement. When the union 1612 limits the freedom of movement to a plane, several chains 1602 may be mounted adjacent to each other, and several layers of chains 1602 may be mounted one in front of the other, forming a 3D landscape.

Referring now to fig. 17A-16C, the decorative element 1702 may be formed from any of the forms described above, and the fluid container 1700 may include at least one freely movable element 1704 driven by a combination of its own density relative to the fluid 1706 and the orientation of the container 1700 relative to gravity. Some of the at least one movable element 1704 may have substantially the same refractive index as the fluid 1706 contained in the container 1700 so as to be substantially invisible to an observer. The movement of the movable element 1704 may cause a collision with the decorative element 1702, increasing the movement of the movable element and thus increasing the animation effect. Decorative element 1702 may include protrusions 1710 to facilitate collision with movable element 1704. The protrusions 1710 may have substantially the same refractive index as the fluid 1706 contained in the container 1700 so as to be substantially invisible to an observer.

Referring now to fig. 18, the decorative element 1802 may be formed of at least one rigid or flexible element such as described above that is coupled to the fluid container 1800 via a union 1804, driven by a combination of its own weight and the orientation of the container 1800 relative to gravity. The components of the at least one rigid or flexible element 1802 and the union 1804 may have substantially the same refractive index as the fluid 1806 contained in the container 1800 so as to be substantially invisible to an observer.

Together, the decorative elements form one or more images, which throughout their application will be understood to be either shaped or non-shaped representations. The decorative element may be of various sizes and shapes and may be formed of a polymer, metal, precious metal, the decorative element may be a crystal, diamond, closed fluid or gel, or any suitable decorative element for forming one or more images.

The fluid containers 1200, 1300, 1400, 1500, 1600, 1700, 1800 are formed from a floor, sidewalls, and see-through window formed from sapphire, glass, plastic, or any other suitable transparent material, and are filled with one or more fluids 1206, 1306, 1406, 1506, 1606, 1706, 1806 having a viscosity, refractive index, and volumetric mass selected to interact with the decorative movable element and for various visibility angles to the user. The bottom panel of the fluid container 1200, 1300, 1400, 1500, 1600, 1700, 1800 may be formed of a transparent material to enable a wearer to see through the fluid container the elements placed underneath the fluid container.

Some movable elements may be hidden in the invisible part of the system and appear when the animation is triggered.

Some movable elements may be hidden from each other at certain locations of the system, and when an animation is triggered, the hidden movable elements may appear as an image.

Some elements may change color when overlapping each other, for example, a translucent yellow portion on top of a translucent blue portion will appear green.

It should be understood that the particular embodiments shown and described herein represent the invention and its best mode and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way.

One advantage is that the system and method/apparatus creates a seemingly vivid decoration for personal accessories.

In another advantage, the present invention animations ornaments.

In another advantage, the present invention changes its appearance when moved.

In a further advantage, the invention provides an invisible and partially movable fixation of an object, thus providing a magic effect.

As will be appreciated by one of skill in the art, the present invention may be embodied as a system, apparatus or method.

Further, the system contemplates the use, sale, and/or distribution of any goods, services, or information having similar functionality as described herein.

The specification and figures are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention as claimed. The scope of the invention should, therefore, be determined by the appended claims (either presently existing or later to be modified or added, and their legal equivalents), rather than by the examples described above. The steps recited in any method or process claims, unless explicitly stated otherwise, may be performed in any order and are not limited to the specific order presented in any claim. Furthermore, the elements and/or components recited in the apparatus claims may be assembled or otherwise functionally configured in various combinations and permutations of the invention to produce substantially the same result as the invention. Therefore, the present invention should not be construed as limited to the particular configurations recited in the claims.

The benefits, other advantages, and solutions to problems that may be described herein should not be construed as critical, required, or essential features or elements of any or all of the claims.

The terms "comprises," "comprising," or any other variation thereof, as used herein, are intended to refer to a non-exclusive list of elements, such that any apparatus, process, method, article, or composition of the invention that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements recited, but may include other elements, such as those elements described in the specification. The use of the terms "comprising" or "including" or "consisting essentially of" unless explicitly stated otherwise is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the elements listed thereafter unless otherwise stated. Other combinations and/or modifications of the above-described elements, materials or structures used in the practice of the invention may be made or modified by those skilled in the art to other designs without departing from the general principles of the invention.

Unless otherwise indicated, the above-mentioned patents and articles are incorporated herein by reference to the extent they do not contradict the present disclosure.

The invention can be summarized by the following feature set.

1. A system (100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 1200, 1300, 1400, 1500, 1600, 1700, 1800) comprising at least one decorative element (102, 204, 302, 402, 502, 602, 702, 802, 1202, 1302, 1304, 1402, 1404, 1502, 1602, 1702, 1704, 1802) mechanically and movably suspended in a fluid (116, 206, 326, 426, 510, 610, 726, 826, 1206, 1306, 1406, 1506, 1606, 1706, 1806) by a mechanically fixed element, wherein a combination of (a) a density of the decorative element, (b) a density of the fluid, (c) a viscosity of the fluid, and/or (d) a change in orientation of the system relative to gravity produces movement of the at least one decorative element.

2. The system of feature set 1, wherein the at least one decorative element (102, 204, 302, 402, 502, 602, 702, 802, 1202, 1302, 1304, 1402, 1404, 1502, 1602, 1702, 1704, 1802) includes at least one floating element to locally change its density to enhance movement, wherein the floating element tends to float and tilt up the decorative element when the density of the floating element is below the fluid density, and tends to sink and tilt down the decorative element when the density of the floating element is greater than the fluid density.

3. The system of feature set 2, wherein the at least one floating element has substantially the same refractive index as the fluid so as to be invisible to an observer.

4. The system according to feature set 1, 2 or 3, wherein the at least one decorative element is a flexible thread.

5. The system of feature set 1, 2, or 3, wherein the at least one decorative element is an articulated chain (202, 1602).

6. The system of feature set 1, 2, or 3, wherein the at least one decorative element is rigid and the mechanical fixation is a union (1610, 1804).

7. The system according to the above feature set, comprising a freely moving movable element, and the element is actuated by a combination of its own density with respect to the density of the fluid and a change in the orientation of the system with respect to gravity.

8. The system of feature set 7, wherein the movable element collides with the at least one decorative element, increasing the animation effect.

9. The system of feature set 8, wherein the at least one movable element has substantially the same refractive index as the surrounding fluid so as to be invisible to an observer.

10. The system according to feature set 9, wherein the at least one decorative element has at least one protrusion (1710) to facilitate collision with the at least one movable element.

11. The system of feature set 1, wherein the system is a wristwatch having a case sealed with a crystal, and the fluid is contained within the case, visible to the wearer through the crystal.

12. The system according to any one of the above feature sets, wherein the decorative element (102, 204, 302, 402, 502, 602, 702, 802, 1202, 1302, 1304, 1402, 1404, 1502, 1602, 1702, 1704, 1802) is selected from one of a group of decorative elements comprising fibers optionally connected at one or both ends within a fluid container; optionally a wire on which the weight is selectively mounted so as to have a refractive index that is matable with one or more fluids (116, 206, 326, 426, 510, 610, 726, 826, 1206, 1306, 1406, 1506, 1606, 1706, 1806) contained in the fluid container so as to be substantially invisible to a wearer; a fixed image having a regular or irregular shape that is visible to the wearer through the optical lens; a fixed image visible to the wearer through a decorated transparent plate, such decoration being a combination of a regular pattern such as a grid and a plurality of movable elements free to move within a cavity formed by one or more transparent flexible films within the fluid container; and chains of hinge elements with limited freedom of movement.

13. A system according to any of the above feature sets, wherein the effect of gravity on the weight combined with the physical properties of the one or more fluids and the movement of the wearer produces movement of the fibre or wire.

14. The system of the above feature set, wherein the physical property of the one or more fluids is viscosity or volumetric mass.

15. The system of the above feature set, wherein if the volumetric mass of the fluid (116, 206, 326, 426, 510, 610, 726, 826, 1206, 1306, 1406, 1506, 1606, 1706, 1806) surrounding the weight is greater than the volumetric mass of the weight, the weight tends to float, and if the other way around, the weight tends to sink, giving the impression that the wire is a living organism or that the ornamental structure is animated.

16. The system according to the above feature set, wherein other visible decorative elements (114, 204, 306, 502, 602, 702, 802, 1204, 1304, 1404) are attached to the thread, for example representing leaves or flowers on plants, or limbs of living organisms, or just additional shaped or non-shaped decorative elements.

17. The system of feature set 3, the optical lens connected to the system 1300, 1400 has a degree of freedom of movement that is allowed by its shape in combination with the internal shape of the fluid container such that the combination of the wearer's movement with the influence of gravity on the optical lens quality and the combination of the physical properties of one or more surrounding fluids (116, 206, 326, 426, 510, 610, 726, 826, 1206, 1306, 1406, 1506, 1606, 1706, 1806) creates the illusion of motion of the optical lens (1304) relative to the fixed image, thus creating an animation of the fixed image.

18. The system according to the above feature set, wherein the physical property of the one or more fluids (116, 206, 326, 426, 510, 610, 726, 826, 1206, 1306, 1406, 1506, 1606, 1706, 1806) is viscosity or volumetric mass.

19. The system of feature set 12, wherein the system includes a grating (1412, 1414), the grating (1412, 1414) producing moire effects with the pattern of the fixed image and the pattern of the decorated transparent plate.

20. A method for animating ornaments, such as personal wear, watches, jewelry, leather products, garments, accessories, using the system of feature set 1.

21. A system according to any of the preceding feature sets, comprising a thermal compensation system, such as disclosed in PCT application No. PCT/IB 2015/000448.

22. A system according to any of the preceding feature sets comprising an electrically powered special effect element and an electrical generating system, such as disclosed in PCT application No. PCT/IB 2016/000249.

23. As in the present specification, a system and/or method described in the subordinate feature set, abstract (incorporated herein by reference) and/or drawings.

Other features and embodiments of the invention are described in the appended claims.

The materials used to implement the present invention are selected to be suitable and to be in accordance with the operating temperature range of the present invention. Such materials are, for example, metals, polymers or glasses, in particular sapphire glass. Also, the structures used to implement the present invention (such as bellows, chips, or intrinsic films) are configured to fit and conform to the operating temperature ranges of the present invention.

The system may comprise a thermal compensation system comprising means to accommodate thermal expansion and/or contraction of the liquid, avoiding the creation of unacceptably high pressures that would cause the liquid to leak out of the system in the event of elevated temperatures, or the creation of unsightly bubbles in the liquid in the event of low temperatures. Such thermal compensation may be partially or completely invisible to the wearer. Such a system is disclosed in PCT application No. PCT/IB2015/000448 filed by the same applicant at 7, 4, 2015, entitled "system and method for absorbing/expanding/contracting/moving liquid in a transparent cavity" (systemsfrond function/EXPANSION/contaction/MOVEMENTOF A LIQUID IN ATRANSPARENT CAVITY), the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Furthermore, the present invention may be adapted and employed with miniature user-powered portable devices for triggering the operation of power-consuming components, preferably wearable, employing mechanical energy storage in combination with miniature special-effect components that may be activated as needed for backlighting, illumination or other special purposes in a limited time without the need for batteries or other electro-chemical storage devices. The device comprises a manual spring-loaded mechanism, a coil spring, a manual trigger mechanism, a transmission for increasing the rotational speed, a micro-generator and at least one power consuming element, such as an emitter or a light source, preferably a light emitting diode. Such devices are disclosed in PCT application number PCT/IB2016/000249 entitled "MINIATURE USER POWERED lighting devices, systems, and methods of use thereof (mini USER-POWERED LIGHTING DEVICE, SYSTEM AND METHOD OF USING SAME)" filed by the same applicant at day 3 and day 7 of 2016. The contents of which are incorporated herein by reference and are hereby dependent thereon.

Furthermore, the application should be considered to include all possible combinations of each of the features described in the present description, the appended claims and/or the accompanying drawings, which may be regarded as novel, inventive and industrially applicable.

Applicant(s) or their assignee have copyrights and, with respect to the explicit license of a third party for rights defined in one or more claims herein, no implied license is granted herein to use the application as defined in the remaining claims. Further, relative to the public or a third party, explicit or implicit permission is not granted to prepare derivative works based on this patent specification including any computer software contained herein in the appendix.

Additional features and functions of the present application are described in the claims and/or abstract appended to this specification. Such claims and/or abstract are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety into this specification, and should be considered part of the filed application.

Many variations and modifications are possible in the embodiments of the application described herein. Although certain exemplary embodiments of the present application have been shown and described herein, a wide variety of changes, modifications, and substitutions are contemplated in the foregoing disclosure. While the above description contains many specifics, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the application, but rather as exemplifications of one or other preferred embodiments thereof. In some cases, certain features of the present application may be employed without a corresponding use of the other features. Accordingly, the foregoing description is to be construed broadly and understood as being merely illustrative, and the spirit and scope of the present application being limited only by the claims which ultimately issue therein.

Claims (20)

1. A portable fluid animation container (100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 1200, 1300, 1400, 1500, 1600, 1700, 1800) comprising at least one decorative element (102, 204, 302, 402, 502, 602, 702, 802, 1202, 1302, 1304, 1402, 1404, 1502, 1602, 1702, 1704, 1802) filled with a fluid having a selected viscosity, refractive index or volumetric mass capable of interacting with the at least one decorative element such that the decorative element is fixed or a fixed element restricting movement of the decorative element is substantially invisible, said at least one decorative element being mechanically and movably suspended in said fluid (116, 206, 326, 426, 510, 610, 726, 826, 1206, 1306, 1406, 1506, 1706) by the fixed element, wherein a combination of (a) the density of the decorative element, (b) the density of the fluid, (c) the viscosity of the fluid, and/or (d) the change in the orientation of the fluid container with respect to gravity produces an animation or movement of the at least one decorative element, wherein the at least one decorative element (102, 204, 302, 402, 502, 602, 702, 802, 1202, 1302, 1304, 1402, 1404, 1502, 1602, 1702, 1704, 1802) is affixed with at least one floating element that adaptively locally changes the density of the decorative element so as to enhance the movement of the decorative element, wherein when the density of the floating element is adaptively lower than the density of the fluid, the floating element tends to float and tilt the decorative element upward, and when the density of the floating element is adaptively greater than the density of the fluid, the floating element tends to sink and tilt the decorative element downward.

2. The container according to claim 1, wherein the at least one floating element has substantially the same refractive index as the fluid so as to be invisible to an observer.

3. The container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one decorative element is a flexible thread.

4. A container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one decorative element is a hinged chain (202, 1602).

5. Container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one decorative element is rigid and the mechanical fixation is a union (1610, 1804).

6. A container according to claim 1 or 2, comprising a freely movable element, and the element is actuated by a combination of its own density relative to the density of the fluid and a change in the orientation of the container relative to gravity.

7. The container of claim 6, wherein the movable element collides with the at least one decorative element to increase the animation effect.

8. The container of claim 7, wherein the at least one movable element has substantially the same refractive index as the surrounding fluid so as to be invisible to an observer.

9. The container according to claim 8, wherein the at least one decorative element has at least one protrusion (1710) to facilitate collision with the at least one movable element.

10. A container according to claim 1, wherein the container is a wristwatch having a case sealed with a crystal and the fluid is contained within the case, visible to the wearer through the crystal.

11. The container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the decorative element (102, 204, 302, 402, 502, 602, 702, 802, 1202, 1302, 1304, 1402, 1404, 1502, 1602, 1702, 1704, 1802) is selected from one of a group of decorative elements comprising fibers optionally connected at one or both ends within the fluid container; optionally a wire on which the weight is selectively mounted so as to have an index of refraction that is compatible with the index of refraction of the one or more fluids (116, 206, 326, 426, 510, 610, 726, 826, 1206, 1306, 1406, 1506, 1606, 1706, 1806) contained in the container so as to be substantially invisible to the wearer; a fixed image having a regular or irregular shape that is visible to the wearer through the optical lens; a fixed image visible to the wearer through a decorated transparent plate, such decoration may be a combination of a regular pattern such as a grid and a plurality of movable elements free to move within a cavity formed by one or more transparent flexible films within the fluid container, as well as a chain of hinged elements with limited freedom of movement.

12. A container according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the effect of gravity on the weight combined with the physical properties of the one or more fluids and the movement of the wearer produces movement of the fibre or wire.

13. The container according to claim 12, wherein the physical property of the one or more fluids is viscosity or volumetric mass.

14. A container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the weight tends to float if the volume mass of the fluid (116, 206, 326, 426, 510, 610, 726, 826, 1206, 1306, 1406, 1506, 1606, 1706, 1806) surrounding the weight is greater than the volume mass of the weight, and if the opposite, the weight tends to sink, giving the impression that the wire is a living organism or that the ornamental structure is animated.

15. Container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein other visible decorative elements are attached to the thread, for example representing leaves or flowers on plants, or limbs of living organisms, or just additional shaped or non-shaped decorative elements.

16. The container of claim 2, the optical lens connected to the container 1300, 1400 having a degree of freedom of movement that is permitted by both its shape and the internal shape of the fluid container such that the combination of the wearer's movement with the influence of gravity on the optical lens quality and the combination of the physical properties of one or more surrounding fluids (116, 206, 326, 426, 510, 610, 726, 826, 1206, 1306, 1406, 1506, 1606, 1706, 1806) creates the illusion of movement of the optical lens (1304) relative to the fixed image, thereby creating an animation of the fixed image.

17. The container of claim 16, wherein the physical property of the one or more fluids (116, 206, 326, 426, 510, 610, 726, 826, 1206, 1306, 1406, 1506, 1606, 1706, 1806) is viscosity or volumetric mass.

18. The container of claim 11, wherein the container includes a grating (1412, 1414), the grating (1412, 1414) producing moire effects with the pattern of the fixed image and the pattern of the decorated transparent plate.

19. A method of animating a decoration using the container of any one of claims 1 to 18.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the ornament is a personal wear, watch, jewelry, leather, garment, accessory.