EP0895732B1 - Method for manufacturing of earring - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to earrings, consisting of two parts, one of these parts being a body whose general shape is similar to an arc, and closed by a second part consisting of a hook, this hook being pivoted around one end of this arc and coming to be inserted, during the installation of the jewel, in an excavation or depression located on the other end of the arc.

Patent GB 1383021 proposes a fork-shaped clasp receiving the end of the hook. However this realization presents, in addition to its aspect unsightly, the downside that accidental pulling on the buckle can open. Furthermore, the end of the hook protruding from the fork can injure the region of the ear, and the shape of the relatively complex clasp makes it quite expensive to manufacture.

The applicant has created and marketed a type of earrings in which the seat at the end of the hook is an excavation made, using a tool, in the end of the body not provided with a hinge. This process eliminates aforementioned drawbacks. However, the person closing the jewel on his ear does not always have a mirror. So she has to show some empowered during the operation of the hook, especially during installation, to engage the end of the hook in the excavation.

Documents DE-A-19643273 and GB 1297451 relate to loops ear to overcome this drawback. They have a body in arc-shaped, constituting the decorative part of the earring and a hook mounted on the body by means of a hinge disposed at one end of the arch, the other end being provided with an excavation to receive the end free of the hook and thus ensure a clasp function. In order to facilitate the closure of the clasp, the body has, in the vicinity of the excavation, a groove forming a primer to guide the hook during its engagement. The machining of body to form the excavation, the groove and the hinge involves operations which increase the cost of the loop.

The invention provides a method of manufacturing the own excavation to be eliminated this disadvantage, by the means described in the characterizing part of the claim 1.

The development of a groove leading to the excavation provides a routing at the free end of the loop hook.

The other end of the hook ensures its pivoting, during installation or removal of the buckle, by means of a hinge.

The reduced clearance at the hinge spontaneously brings the free end of the hook towards the start of the throat on the outside of the loop.

Once the hook is threaded over the ear hole, the user just has to fold the hook against the body of the buckle. Its free end finding the beginning of the throat, a pressure exerted towards the body of the buckle elastically deforms the hook, which allows the free end to advance into the groove and take its place in the excavation.

The advantage provided by the invention is that the force exerted on the hook does not aim than to deform it, without having to guide its end to the excavation.

In a particular embodiment of the invention, the tool for removing material, for example a drill, carrying out the excavation in one of the ends of the body of the loop is also used, in the same pass, to dig the throat. In the case where this tool has a generally finished cylindrical shape by a cone, it is the conical part which excavates the tool in advance Firstly. The tool then moves back partially along its axis of second rotation; then in a third step the tool performs a displacement essentially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the tool, at during which the groove is hollowed out by the tool on one side of the excavation.

In a particular embodiment of the invention, the tool for removing material is a shouldered drill, which has advantages from the point of view of the rigidity.

Given the previous explanations, this side of the excavation will be preferably the one that best facilitates the closing of the hook.

However, the hook being elastic, embodiments may provide any orientation of the throat relative to the excavation.

The retraction of the tool during the aforementioned second time is not essential, provided that the arrangement and shape of the groove, in relation to the trajectory of the hook, do not make opening the buckle too easy. This recoil of the tool is preferred because it allows the hook to snap, with noise easily identifiable, when its end finds its place in the excavation during the pose.

The body constituting the decorative part of this earring can naturally present an appearance and various forms, insofar as its rigidity is sufficient to allow the hook to fulfill its role of elastic part of clasp.

It has been found that a satisfactory result is obtained when the body is in brass and that the hook consists of a bronze alloy wire of a section circular with a diameter of 0.9 mm, the diameter of the excavation being 1 mm and the width of the groove also 1 mm.

• la fig. 1 représente une vue de face d'une boucle d'oreille selon l'art antérieur;
• la fig. 2 montre une vue de face d'une boucle d'oreille selon l'invention, crochet ouvert ;
• une fig. 3 montre le crochet engagé dans l'entrée de la gorge;
• une fig. 4 montre le crochet en compression dans la gorge;
• une fig. 5 montre le crochet verrouillé (analogue à la fig. 1, mais avec une gorge en pointillé)
• une figure 6 montre :
• en 6 a, la vue de face de la boucle d'oreille sans crochet;
• en 6 b, la vue de dessus de la même boucle d'oreille;
• en 6c, la vue de gauche de la même boucle d'oreille.

The invention will be better understood on reading the detailed description which follows with reference to the appended drawings in which:

• fig. 1 shows a front view of an earring according to the prior art;
• fig. 2 shows a front view of an earring according to the invention, hook open;
• a fig. 3 shows the hook engaged in the entry of the groove;
• a fig. 4 shows the hook in compression in the groove;
• a fig. 5 shows the locked hook (similar to fig. 1, but with a dotted groove)
• Figure 6 shows:
• in 6 a, the front view of the earring without hook;
• in 6 b, the top view of the same earring;
• in 6c, the left view of the same earring.

The loop of Figure 1 represents the prior art.

The body 1 here has the approximate shape of an arc of a circle; one end 2 of this arc is provided with a hinge 3.

The other end 4 of the body 1 comprises an excavation 5.

Figure 2 shows the earring according to the invention.

The hook 6 pivots around the hinge 3. Its end 7 is engaged by the user in the ear hole (not shown), then comes close in excavation 5.

According to the invention, a groove 9 facilitates closure (Figure 6c).

FIG. 3 shows the end 7 engaged in abutment in the entry of the groove 9.

Figure 4 shows the end 7 crossing the hard point 8 (Figure 2) achieved by the recoil of the tool, as explained above. The hook is then in compression.

In FIG. 5, the end 7 has just crossed the hard point and finds its place in excavation 5.

Figures 6a, 6b and 6c show three views of the hookless loop.

The drill (not shown) used to arrange the excavation 5 and the groove 9 arrives horizontally from left to right in end 4 of body 1. In first, it drills the excavation 5, as in figure 1.

Then the tool is moved back so as to form the hard point 8 (FIG. 2); finally the tool, always rotating, going upwards (figure 6c) so as to clear the entry of the groove 9 for the end 7 of the hook.

It is clear that one can also envisage a release of the tool in any which direction perpendicular to its axis of rotation. Once the excavation 5 performed, the tool can also follow a translational movement as described above, this movement being simultaneous with the movement of recoil, and no longer after the movement of decline.

Claims (5)

1. Method of manufacturing an earring of the type comprising a body (1), the general shape of which is similar to an arc of circle and has two ends (2, 4), and a hook (6), wherein one (2) of said ends is arranged to allow said hook (6) to pivot and the other end (4) is provided with a recess (5), forming a seat for said hook (6), and a groove (8) opening into the recess, wherein said recess (5) is made by means of a stock removal machining tool, characterised in that the same tool also machines said groove (8).
2. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that said groove (8) is formed so as to define a path to facilitate the positioning of said hook (6).
3. Method according to claims 1 and 2, characterised in that said tool is a drill.
4. Method according to claim 3, characterised in that said drill first of all machines said recess (5), it is then moved back and moved laterally to form said groove (8).
5. Method according to claims 3 and 4, characterised in that machining of the groove (8) and the recess (5) is performed by means of a step drill.

Images