EP3267831B1

EP3267831B1 - A novel modular element for jewellery or costume jewellery articles

Info

Publication number: EP3267831B1
Application number: EP16715893.0A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Leonardo PINZAUTI
Original assignee: Leo France Srl
Current assignee: Leo France Srl
Priority date: 2015-03-10
Filing date: 2016-03-09
Publication date: 2019-01-23
Anticipated expiration: 2036-03-09
Also published as: WO2016142869A1; HK1247793B; EP3267831A1

Description

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to the field of costume jewellery or jewellery articles, and more specifically it refers to modular elements that can be easily connected to one another so as to obtain necklaces, bracelets and the like, with an assembling method that is extremely simple which is also part of the invention.

State of the art

Various types of chains are known consisting of repeating elements, generally called "beads", for creating necklaces and bracelets; e.g. from US 3,066,501 or
GB 851,834 ; they consist of elements, which are generally the same as one another, connected to one another or, in any case, held together so as to form a chain. The different types of these chains known to this day can be substantially divided into the following systems: "central thread" systems, "rosary" systems and "military type" systems. In the first type, the central thread system, the element which repeats itself has a through hole, inside which a thread, which can be made of nylon, steel, silver, etc., runs, and keeps the various elements together so as to form the chain; between one element and another the thread can be knotted so as to space apart the elements and give greater stability to the chain, which is, however, generally quite fragile, and subject to breaking of the thread, repairing which necessarily involves the replacement thereof with consequent complete reconstruction of the chain.
Even in the rosary system the individual repeating elements of the chain have a through hole, inside which passes a metal thread, generally made from copper or German silver, that is rotated and cut so as to create a loop emerging from one side of the hole of the element itself, whereas the free ends of the thread come out on the other side of the hole. The interconnection between the elements is achieved in this case by making the free ends of the thread which come out from a first element pass inside the loop that comes out from the adjacent element, so as to create the chain. In this system, which is quite laborious to make, the metal loops remain well visible in the chain, furthermore giving it limited resistance to traction and twisting.
Finally, in the military type system, a chain of typically sphere-shaped elements is made starting from a sheet that is moulded and folded linking the elements with one another. Such a system is not exactly modular, in the sense that it is not possible to assemble elements that are different from one another, or replace single broken or damaged elements.
As far as the Applicant is aware of, there is to date no system available for manufacturing necklaces, bracelets or similar products of costume jewellery or jewellery, which allows to obtain a resistant product in a simple manner, obtaining a pleasing appearance, in which between the individual elements that form it there is an actual interchangeability. On the other hand, the demand for customised products that are highly personalised, has grown even in the fields of jewellery and costume jewellery, where over the last few years necklaces and bracelets which can be personalised with pendants and charms of different kinds, with the name of the person, and the like have been put on the market.
There is thus a strong need of having a chain that is indeed modular, and with which it is possible to make bracelets and necklaces in a relatively simple manner when required by a client, according to personal tastes and moods.

Summary of the invention

Scope of the present invention is therefore to provide a modular element and a related mounting system that overcomes the drawbacks outlined above, and in particular that is simple to make, is resistant to traction and twisting, and allows to obtain a chain that is really modular, in which the single elements are interchangeable and can be easily replaced by other elements that are the same or different in terms of the colour, shape, finishing, etc..
A further scope of the invention is that of providing a costume jewellery or jewellery article comprising several modular elements that are connected between each other so as to form a customised chain which can be assembled in a different manner according to the requirement of the client, and a kit for the manufacture of such a chain, which is particularly simple to use so that the chain can be assembled, based upon the taste and requirements of the client at that moment, directly by the retailer.
These and other scopes are achieved with the modular element according to the invention, the characteristics of which are described in the first and the following of the attached claims.
The invention shall now be illustrated in greater detail with the following description of an embodiment thereof, given as an example and not for limiting purposes, with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

figure 1 is a section view of a spherical body of a modular element according to the invention;
figure 2a is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of an insert of a modular element of the invention, whereas figure 2b is a top view of the same insert;
figures 3a, 3b and 3c show a sequence of assembling the spherical body of figure 1 and of the insert of figure 2a and 2b to form a modular element according to the invention;
figure 4 is a perspective view of a modular element of the invention connected to a spherical body of an analogous adjacent modular element.

With reference to the above mentioned figures, a modular element of the invention comprises a body 10, for example a spherical body, provided with a hole 11 and, on the side opposite to the hole, with a connection element 13 extending integrally from the spherical body 10 and ending with a rounded head 14. In particular figure 1 shows a section view of a first component 1 of the modular element, just consisting of the spherical body 10 having the hole 11 and the "male" connection element 13. In such a figure 1 it is visible in greater detail the structure of such a connection element 13, consisting of the rounded head 14, which rests on a neck with reduced diameter 15, smaller than the diameter of the head.
The present modular element further comprises an insert 2, which is visible in particular in figures 2a and 2b, and constitutes a second component of the modular element of the invention. Such an insert 2 comprises a base of substantially cylindrical shape 21 from which emerges a frusto-conical portion 22 that, starting from having the same diameter of the base 21, it enlarges then in the diameter; this frusto-conical portion 22 is moreover provided, on the upper side opposite to said base 21, with a central hole 23, extending inside the insert, and with at least two grooves 24 that form through slits in the walls of said frusto-conical portion, putting the above said hole 23 in communication with the outside. The walls of the frusto-conical portion 22 are so divided by the grooves 24, to form lugs 25. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the insert 2 is provided with four grooves 24, symmetrical and equidistant among each other, to form four lugs 25.
Thanks to its structure described above, the insert 2 is suitable for receiving the connection element 13 and thus acts as a "female" connection element, snap-receiving the "male" element 13 inside the central hole 23, forming the modular element of the invention completed with the two components 1 and 2.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention the insert 2 is hollow inside, so that it is more manageable and light, and does not weigh too much on the final chain. Furthermore the insert 2 is preferably made, in its entirety or at least in the frusto-conical portion 22, of a flexible material, so as to increase the flexibility of the lugs 25 and facilitate the insertion of the head 14 of the connection element.
Figures 3a, 3b and 3c show the sequence for assembling the two components 1 and 2 of the modular element according to the invention, in three separate steps: in the initial step illustrated in figure 3a the rounded head 14 of the connection element 13 in the component 1 is arranged in correspondence of the central hole 23 wherein the head 14 is axially inserted taking advantage of the aperture of the lugs 25 that open in radial direction as a result of the pressure of the rounded head 14, allowing its passage, and then closing immediately after the insertion, as shown in figure 3b; the connection element 13 is snap-locked with the rounded head 14 inside the central hole 23 with the neck 15 that partially emerges from the insert 2, allowing the spherical body 10 to have a wide freedom of movement with respect to the insert 2.
As illustrated in particular in figure 3c, the insert 2 of the modular element according to the present invention is moreover suitable to snap-insert inside a hole 11' of another analogous modular element according to the invention, which, as the hole 11 provided with a groove 12, and as any other holes of the modular element of the invention, is provided with a groove 12' suitable for snap-receiving inside the hole 11' the insert 2, having in a particularly preferred embodiment a projecting edge 26 formed at the connection between two parts of the frusto-conical portion 22 having different diameter. The projecting edge 26 is indeed such as to allow the insertion of the insert 2 in the hole 11' exerting a light pressure, and to maintain then blocked in position the insert, which will be anyway easily removed by means of tweezers or other similar tool. The insert 2 axially fits into the component 1' from the side of the cylindrical base 21, opposed to the frusto-conical portion 22 where the lugs 25 are. In correspondence of the latter, the elastic section of the insert activates again in compression until the snap of the projecting edge 26 inside the hole 11'.
The present invention also provides a kit for the manufacture of a modular chain with n modular elements for costume jewellery and jewellery articles, comprising at least n modular elements, and possibly further elements to be used as spare parts in the case of breaking or wearing, and tools to facilitate the connection and disconnection operations between said modular elements, like for example tweezers with suitable shapes and sizes for extracting the insert 2 from the hole 11'.
The present invention also provides a method for the manufacture of a chain for costume jewellery or jewellery articles comprising n modular elements of the invention, comprising the following steps:

selection of a number n of components 1 with which said chain is to be manufactured, and insertion of their respective connection elements 13 in a number n of inserts 2, in order to form n modular elements;
connection between the so formed n modular elements according to a predetermined sequence according to the taste of the user/client, by means of insertion of each insert 2 of a modular element in the hole 11' of a component 1' of another modular element, until connection of the last element n, and closure of the chain.

Figure 4 shows a portion of chain made with the connection of two modular elements according to the invention. Chains of any length can be composed in this way. In figure 4 it is moreover possible to see how a portion of grooves 24 is uncovered in the hole 11' when the two elements are connected, so as to constitute a good grip of the insert from the outside and the disconnection of the adjacent modular element from the spherical body.
Advantageously, the presence of an insert that is separated from the spherical body ensures that the connection between adjacent elements is stable and effective but at the same time the spherical body 10 can move freely thanks to the rounded head 14 that is free to rotate in the central hole 23 of the insert 2. Furthermore, when the system is subjected to tensile loads, the connection element 13 exerts a radial pressure on the lugs 25 of the insert 2, and it tends to make them expand, thus increasing the pressure in between the projecting edge 26 and the hole 11 of the component 1 that is the inner housing of the insert.
The present modular element therefore, in addition to achieving the purpose of making modular chains in a simple manner, is also useful for obtaining chains that are very flexible, in which between each element and the adjacent modular elements there is complete freedom of movement, despite having at the same time high stability and strength in the connection; the traction and twisting resistance and consequently the risk of breaking is minimal, contrarily to known modular chain systems illustrated above.
The effect in terms of its appearance is moreover very pleasing, in fact the visual impact of the connection is minimal, contrarily to known modular chain systems, such as the "rosary" system in which the loops which are used as connection elements for the connection between the beads can be clearly seen in the finished article.
The chain made with the modular elements of the invention is moreover extremely versatile: the complete modularity of the present system ensures that elements with a different colour, finishing, shape and size, can be assembled, and that they can be easily replaced with others in a chain that has already been made, both in the cases in which single elements are worn out or broken or simply to change the appearance of the chain. Even these characteristics are particularly advantageous with respect to known systems, in which there is no real modularity since the elements cannot be individually replaced if not by making the whole chain again, like what occurs for example in the system with central thread, in which the breaking of an element of the chain causes the loss or detachment of all the elements.
The chain of the invention, in addition to the ease of replacement of the modular elements already assembled in the chain, also presents a particular ease of assembly, upon initial assembly of the chain, which shortens the processing time and therefore involves advantages in terms of costs of the industrial production.
Finally, with respect to known systems like those of the military type, in which the beads of the chain are formed during moulding and do not make it possible to assemble elements that are different from one another, the present system allows to assemble different elements without any limitation.
It is finally worth noting that, in the present description, by the term costume jewellery or jewellery article is meant not only products that are made from non-precious or precious metal respectively, but also to products that are made from different materials, like for example plastic, and any other material used in the field, possibly set with precious stones or glasses, enamelled, painted, decorated, clad in fabric, hide, leather, etc.
Costume jewellery or jewellery articles according to the invention, as well as the kit for making them according to the invention, can moreover comprise pendants, trinkets, charms or other decorations, for being hooked, for example, at the neck 15 of the connection element, between the spherical body of an element and that of the adjacent element.
The invention is not limited to the embodiment described and illustrated above, but it comprises any variant embodiments. In particular, the component 1 of the present modular element can have, instead of the spherical body 10 illustrated in the attached figures, a body having a different shape, for instance oval, square, etc.

Claims

A modular element for the manufacture of chains for jewellery and costume jewellery articles, said modular element comprising a component (1) having a body (10) with a hole (11) and a connection element (13) extending integrally from said body (10) on the side opposite to said hole (11), said connection element (13) having a rounded head (14) placed on a neck of reduced diameter (15), said modular element further comprising an insert (2) consisting of a substantially cylindrical base (21) from which emerges a frusto-conical portion (22) provided, on the side opposite to said base (21), with a central hole (23), extending inside the insert, and with at least two grooves (24) that form through slits in the walls of said frusto-conical portion (22) and divide said walls in as many lugs (25), said insert (2) being adapted to snap receive said connection element (13) so that said rounded head (14) may be locked inside said central hole (23) letting said body (10) free to rotate around said neck (15), said insert (2) being further adapted to be snap inserted inside a hole (11') of another analogous modular element.
The modular element according to claim 1, wherein said frusto-conical portion (22) of said insert (2) has a body having two portions of different diameter with a projecting edge (26) where said portions are connected, said edge being such that it allows the insertion of the insert (2) in a hole (11') of another modular element applying a light pressure, keeping then locked in position said insert (2) thanks to the presence of a groove (12') inside said hole (11') in which said projecting edge (26) remains locked.
The modular element according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said frusto-conical portion (22) of said insert (2) has four grooves (24) symmetrical and equidistant to each other, that form four lugs (25).
The modular element according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said insert (2) is hollow inside.
The modular element according to claims 1-4, wherein said element is made of a material selected from between metal and rigid plastic materials, possibly clad with precious stones, glasses, decorations, enamel, colour and similar.
The modular element according to claims 1-4, wherein said insert (2) is made, entirely or at least in said frusto-conical portion (22), of a flexible material, so as to increase the flexibility of said lugs (25) and to facilitate the insertion inside of said head (14) of the connection element.
A jewellery or costume jewellery article comprising more modular elements as defined in claims 1-6, equal or different, connected between each other so as to form a chain.
A kit for the manufacture of a modular chain for jewellery or costume jewellery articles, said kit comprising at least n modular elements as defined in claims 1-6, and possible tools to facilitate the operations of connection and disconnection between said modular elements.
A method for the manufacture of a chain for jewellery or costume jewellery articles comprising n modular elements as defined in claims 1-6, said method comprising the following steps:
- selection of a number n of components (1) with which said chain is to be manufactured, and insertion of their respective connection elements (13) in a number n of inserts (2), in order to form n modular elements;

- connection between the so formed n modular elements according to a predetermined sequence, by means of insertion of each insert (2) of a modular element in a hole (11') of a component (1') of another modular element, until connection of the last element n, and closure of the chain.