EP1878354A1

EP1878354A1 - Pendant

Info

Publication number: EP1878354A1
Application number: EP07011372A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Alessandra Stagni
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-06-21
Filing date: 2007-06-11
Publication date: 2008-01-16
Also published as: ITBO20060480A1

Abstract

A pendant comprises at least a body (2) fit to be connected to a flexible support (3) consisting in a chain, thread or the like.
The pendant (1) comprises at least two passing through holes (4,5) carried out in the body (2) and fit to the insertion of the flexible support (3) for the link between this latter and the same pendant.

Description

The present invention relates to the field concerning the personal ornaments and in particular it refers to a pendant with link to chains, threads and the like.
There are known pendants provided in their upper portion of an eyelet for a ring for connecting it with a chains, threads or other wiry and flexible supports for the neck, the wrist or other human body portions.
A drawback of said known pendants consists in that they freely slide along the respective chain or thread, and they locate themselves in the lowest point of the curve formed by the chain or thread storing up themselves in such position, covering themselves and damaging each other.
Further drawback consists in that also a single pendant necessarily reach the lowest position in the chain or thread avoiding the user to choose various positions along the chain.
Other drawback of said known pendants consists in that their link is provided by a small ring subject to opening and breaking risks which can cause the loss of the pendant.
Further drawback of such known pendants consists in that, having a single point of connection with the chain, it can rotate hiding its side to be seen.
Other drawback of the known pendants consists in that their chains do not cooperate with their positioning allowing the free sliding thereof.
An object of the present invention is to propose a pendant with a link that can be positioned along a descendant portion of any kind of chain, thread or the like.
Other object is to apply to a chain or the like more pendants with link keeping them separated from each other and avoiding their storing up in the lowest part of the chain.
Further object is to propose a pendant whose link is almost without the risk to be loosed or to be opened or to be broken and to be disconnected from the chain or the like.
Other object is to propose pendant whose link prevents the rotation thereof, orienting a predetermined face of said pendant in the opposite direction in respect to the user who wears it.
Further object is to propose a pendant whose chain cooperates with it for positioning it, contrasting the free sliding thereof.
The characteristics of the invention are highlighted in the following with particular reference to the enclosed drawings in which:

Figure 1 illustrates a front view of the pendant with link of the present invention;
Figure 2 illustrates a sectional view according to line II - II of figure 1;
Figure 3 illustrates a front view of a first variant of the pendant of figure 1;
Figure 4 illustrates a sectional view according to line IV - IV of figure 3;
Figure 5 illustrates a front view of a second variant of the pendant of figure 1 associated to a respective chain;
Figure 6 illustrates a top view of the pendant and of the chain of figure 5;
Figure 7 illustrates a front view of a third variant of the pendant of figure 1;
Figure 8 illustrates a sectional view according to the line VIII - VIII of figure 7;
Figure 9 illustrates a front view of a forth variant of the pendant of figure 1;
Figure 10 illustrates a sectional view according to the line X - X of figure 9.

With reference to figures 1 and 2, numeral 1 indicates the pendant with link of the present invention.
The profile of the pendant, lavalier or fob 1 and the like, can have any shape, for instance it can be regular or irregular shaped, or its shape can reproduce objects, things, animals or symbols. The pendant can be made of any kind of natural and artificial material, or combinations thereof. For instance the pendant can be made of gold, silver, single or combined metals and in general can be made or can comprise precious or semiprecious stones and also, glass, wood, synthetic resin, composite material and so on.
The body 2 is flat or nearly flat, a face 6 turned towards user and the other face 7 in sight.
The body 2 of the pendant with link is fit to be connected to a flexible support 3 consisting of a chain, a thread or the like. Eventually the pendant can comprise optional elements rigidly or articulated fixed to the body 2.
The body 2 of the pendant has two passing holes 4, 5 fit for inserting the chain 3, for instance in the first hole 4 from the in sight face to the opposite face, and into the second hole 5 from the face toward the user to the in sight face, in order to carry out the safe and stable link between the chain, that is the flexible support, and the pendant.
The double "S" way of the chain through the holes acts against the sliding of the pendant along the same chain, for instance worn around the neck, allowing to position and to keep the pendant in a lateral position and allowing the easy modification of said positioning of the pendant along the chain.
The straight line jointing the centres of the two holes 4, 5 is distanced from the barycentre B of the body 2. Such arrangement contributes to avoid the undesired sliding towards the bottom of the pendant along the chain.
The body 2 of figure 1 is almost symmetrical in respect to a longitudinal median straight line and the holes 4, 5 are symmetrically placed in respect to said symmetry straight line of the body.
In the variant of figures 3 and 4, the holes 4, 5 are placed asymmetrically in respect the symmetry axis of the body 2.
In general the invention provides that, when a body 2 has a preferential orientation in respect to the vertical direction and when the portion of the flexible support 3 for the link of the pendant is in a predetermined disposition, the holes 4, 5 are arranged so that the straight line R that links the centres thereof, is approximately parallel to said portion of the flexible support 3 when the body is in said preferential orientation.
The preferential orientation of the heart-shaped body corresponds to the vertical orientation of the symmetry axis thereof, as shown in figure 3, and it is provided that the pendant is positioned at the right side of the user by means of the corresponding link to the chain.
The asymmetric disposition of the holes, with the consequent inclination of straight line R that links said holes as illustrated in figure 3, confers to the worn and maintained at the right of the user pendant, an orientation equal or like to the preferential orientation.
The in sight face 6 of the body 2 has two frame means 8, 9, protruding in respect to such face of the body, and each of them surrounds a respective outlet of one of the holes 4, 5.
Such frame means are circular shaped but, in alternative, the invention provides that they can be shaped in oval, elliptic, polygonal, regular, irregular manner or they can be shaped as profile of objects, of things, animals or symbols.
In the variant of figures 5 and 6, the flexible support 3 for the body 2 is a chain made of a plurality of almost linear segments 13 whose ends are mutually articulated and having a predetermined length L.
The length L is approximately equal to the distance P between two opposed points of the edges of a hole 4, 5 or its integer submultiples.
The distance D between holes 4, 5 is approximately equal to an entire multiple of the predetermined length L of the segments 13. In such variant the involuntary movement of the pendant 1 along the worn chain is nearly impossible; in fact the movement of the pendant along the chain requires opportune manual operations.
The variant of figures 7 and 8 differs from the variant of figures 3 and 4 in that the face 6 turned towards the user has a concavity 12 comprised between the holes 4, 5 and fit to house the portion of the flexible support 3 between such holes 4, 5. The concavity 12 avoids frictions of the chain against the skin or the dresses of the user.
In the variant of figures 9 and 10 both the in sight face 6 and the opposed face 7 of the body 2 have respective frame means 8, 9, 10, 11 protruding from the respective face and disposed around the respective outlet of the holes 4, 5.
The invention provides that the frame means 8, 9, 10, 11 are made integral with the body 2 or that said frame means 8, 9, 10, 11 are fixed to it. The frame means 8, 9, 10, 11 are made of the same material of the body or of different material or comprise more various materials.
The operation of the pendant with link provides that the user manually positions one or more pendants 1 along the flexible support 3 consisting of a chain, thread or the like and wears such support with one or more pendants.
An advantage of the present invention is to provide a pendant with link can be positioned along a descendant portion of any kind of chain, thread or the like.
Other advantage is to apply to one chain or the like more pendants with link keeping them separated and without that they are stored up in the lowest part of said chain.
Further advantage is to provide a pendant whose link is almost free from risk to be loosed, opened or to be broken and to be disconnected from the chain or the like.
Other advantage is to supply a pendant whose link prevents some rotation orientating a predetermined face thereof in opposite direction of the user who wears it.
Further advantage is to provide a pendant whose chain cooperates with it for positioning it, opposing to the free sliding of said pendant.

Claims

Pendant with link, comprising at least a body (2) fit to be connected to a flexible support (3) consisting of a chain, of thread or the like; said pendant (1) being characterized in that it comprises at least two passing holes (4, 5), made through the body (2) and fit for inserting the flexible support (3) for the link between this latter and the pendant.
Pendant according to claim 1 characterized in that the straight line (R) linking the centres of the two holes (4, 5) is spaced apart from the barycentre (B) of the body (2).
Pendant according to claim 1 characterized in that when the body (2) is regular or symmetric, the holes (4, 5) are symmetrically positioned in respect to a symmetry axis of the body.
Pendant according to claim 1 characterized in that when the body (2) is regular or symmetric, the holes (4, 5) are positioned asymmetrically.
Pendant according to claim 1 characterized in that when the body (2) has a preferential orientation in respect to the vertical direction and when the portion of the flexible support (3) for the link of pendant has a predetermined disposition, the holes (4, 5) are positioned so that the straight line (R) that links their centres is approximately parallel to said portion of the flexible support (3) when the body is in said preferential orientation.
Pendant according to claim 1 characterized in that the body (2) is at least approximately flat with a face (6) turned towards the user and the other face in sight (7) and it has regular or irregular shape, or it reproduces the shape of objects or of things, of animals or of symbols.
Pendant according to claim 1 characterized in that at least a face of the body (2) has at least one frame means (8, 9, 10, 11) protruding in respect to said face of the body and arranged around to a corresponding outlet of one of the holes (4, 5).
Pendant according to claims 6 and 7 characterized in that it comprises at least two frame means (8, 9) placed to the outlets of holes (4, 5) on the face (6) facing the user.
Pendant according to claims 6 and 7 or to claim 8 characterized in that it comprises at lest two frame means (10, 11) placed at the outlets of the holes (4, 5) on the face in sight (7).
Pendant according to any one of the claims 7 - 9 characterized in that the frame means (8, 9, 10, 11) are circular, oval, elliptic, polygonal, regular or irregular shaped, or they are shaped like objects, things, animals or symbols.
Pendant according to claim 10 characterized in that the frame means (8, 9, 10, 11) are integral with the body (2) or they are fixed to the body and they are made of the same material of the body or of different material or they comprise more various materials.
Pendant according to anyone of claims 6 - 9 characterized in that that the face (6) turned towards the user has a concavity (12) comprised between the holes (4, 5) and fit for housing the portion of the flexible support (3) between such holes (4, 5).
Pendant according to claim 1 characterized in that the flexible support (3) for the body (2) is a chain made of a plurality of almost linear segments (13), mutually articulated and having a predetermined length (L).
Pendant according to claim 13 characterized in that the length (L) is approximately equal to the distance (P) between two opposed points of the edges of a hole (4, 5) or its integer submultiples
Pendant according to claim 13 characterized in that the distance (D) between the holes (4, 5) is approximately equal to an entire multiple of the predetermined length (L) of the segments (13).