GB2174589A

GB2174589A - Article of personal decoration

Info

Publication number: GB2174589A
Application number: GB08610982A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Toit Antonie Petrus Du; Johannes Joubert
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1985-05-07
Filing date: 1986-05-06
Publication date: 1986-11-12
Also published as: FR2581521A1; DE3615359A1; JPS6216702A; IT8647987A0; GB8610982D0

Abstract

There is provided an article of personal decoration, such as an earring, for use at night which comprises a base-part (2) having a shape and colour suitable for personal decoration with disposed over at least part of said base-part (2) a layer (3) comprising luminescent material capable of radiating light energy previously absorbed from a light source. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Article of personal decoration FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an article of personal decoration, and in particular to an article of personal decoration for use in the dark, such as for example a trinket for use at night.

In this specification the term "article of personal decoration" also includes in addition any article of clothing having a functional nature, such as for example a button, or tie-pin or the like, and the invention therefore further relates to a functional article of clothing of use in the dark, such as for example a shirt button for use at night.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION It is well-known and understood to provide an article having luminescent material on at least a part of the body of the article for radiating light energy. It is known for instance, to provide a clock, such as for example a personal alarm clock, having luminescent material on the hands and figures and/or figure positions for use at night. It is also known, in another instance, to provide a light switch, for use for example in a home, the light switch having luminescent material on the switch means to enable a person to locate the said means with ease in the dark. In another instance, in South African Patent 83/9518, it is taught to provide a luminescent sign for use for example in displaying the number of a house at night.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention applies luminescent material in a new field. It is an object of the present invention to provide an article of personal decoration, the article being luminescent at least in part.

According to the invention there is provided a method of making an article of personal decoration, the article being luminescent at least in part, which method comprises the steps of providing a body for use as a basepart of the article; and superposing an operative layer including a luminescent material on at least a part of the body for radiating light energy previously absorbed from a light source.

Preferably the working part of the body, ie that part on which the operative layer is disposed, includes a plastics material.

Preferably the step of superposing includes the steps of providing a mixture including the luminescent material and a plastics material; and contacting the mixture and the working part so that the operative layer is formed on the working part.

Preferably also the step of contacting includes the step of controlling the thickness of the layer to less than about 300 micron thickness.

Preferably also the luminescent material includes a pigment selected from the group consisting of ZnS:Cu; ZnS:Cu,Co; SrS:Bi; (Zn,Cd)S:Cu; CaS:Bi; and (Ca,Sr)S:Bi.

In a preferred method the pigment and the plastics material of the mixture are mixed in a ratio in the region of 1:2.

In another preferred method the plastics material of the working part and the plastics material of the mixture are the same and the step of contacting includes forming the operative layer into an integral whole with the working part.

Still further according to the invention an article of personal decoration is provided which comprises a body for use as a basepart of the article the body having a shape and colour suitable for personal decoration; and an operative layer including a luminescent material, the layer being present on at least a part of the body for radiating light energy previously absorbed from a light source.

Preferably the working part of the body includes a plastics material.

Preferably the layer includes a mixture of the luminescent material and a plastics material.

Preferably also the layer is less than about 300 micron thickness.

Preferably also the luminescent material includes a pigment selected from the group consisting of ZnS:Cu, ZnS:Cu,Co; SrS:Bi; (Zn,Cd)S:Cu; CaS:Bi; and (Ca,Sr)S:Bi.

In one form of the invention the pigment and the plastics material of the mixture are mixed in a ratio in the region of 1:2.

In another form of the invention the plastics material of the working part and the plastics material of the mixture are the same and the layer forms an integral whole with the working part.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the operative layer is disposed so as to cover substantially all of a major surface of the body of the article, whereby for example the article can be seen in the dark at a distance.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRA WINGS The above and other features of the present invention will be more clearly understood from a consideration of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure l is a schematic plan view of a luminescent article of personal decoration according to the invention, the article being a trinket ear-ring; Figure 2 is a schematic sectional elevational view of the ear-ring of Fig. 1 as seen along line A:A.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In this embodiment of the invention reference notation 1 identifies an ear-ring in sche matic form which includes a body 2 of a white plastics material, such as a polyester plastics material. Body 2 has the form of a disc and acts as the base-part of ear-ring 1.

Ear-ring 1 further includes a operative layer 3 about 250 microns thick which includes a mixture of a luminescent material, such as ZnS:Cu, and a plastics material, such as for example the plastics material as used for body 2. The luminescent material and plastics material of the mixture are in the proportion of about 1:2. Layer 3 covers substantially one face of body 2 and forms an integral whole therewith.

It will be appreciated that ear-ring 1 is only shown in schematic form and that there will necessarily be connected to ear-ring 1 means for attaching it to the ear, such as for example means connected to the unlayered face for clipping the ear-ring to the ear lobe.

Such attachment means is well-known and is not illustrated.

The disc form of body 2 is a form wellknown to be suitable for personal decoration: in acting as a base-part body 2 sets the shape of ear-ring 1.

In use, two ear-rings 1 are attached to the two ear lobes after the normal fashion with the layered face of each ear-ring 1 facing to the front and the means for attaching the earrings to the lobes to the rear.

Further in use, respective layers 3 of earrings 1 will, in the dark, such as for example at night, radiate light energy previously absorbed by the luminescent material, such as for example light energy previously absorbed from the light of an electically illuminated room.

It will readily be appreciated that in use earrings 1 in being luminescent will be decorative to the wearer in the dark or semi-dark.

In the embodiment of the invention described ear-rings 1 will in use appear in different colours. The white plastic of body 2 and of layer 3 will in use provide a coloured or white background and environment for enhancing the luminescent effect.

It will be appreciated that many decorative shapes, such as for example pyrimidal, diamond like, star like and so on, could be used for body 2; and further that many colours could be used for the plastic of body 2 and the plastic of layer 3. The invention is not to be thought of as limited to the form and colour of article described.

Further, it has been found that for the luminescent material any of the following pigments could be used: ZnS:Cu, ZnS:Cu,Co; SrS:Bi; (Zn,Cd)S:Cu; CaS:Bi; and (Ca,Sr)S:Bi.

Ear-ring 1 is made in the following way a) body 2 is provided by moulding, such as for example by plastics injection moulding, the means for attaching ear-ring 1 to the lobe being suitably incorporated in the mould; and b) layer 3, consisting of the mixture of ZnS:Cu pigment and white plastics material in the proportion of about 1:2, is then superposed on the face of body 2 opposed to that incorporating the means for attaching ear-ring 1 to the lobe.

The step of superposing may be performed by any convenient contacting method: such as for example by hot dipping or spraying, where the mixture is in liquid form; or, in another instance, by injection moulding. Layer 3 is controlled in any convenient manner to about 250 microns in thickness. The steps of contacting and controlling mentioned are not novel and they will be well understood by those skilled in the art. It has been found in practice that the best results for operation are obtained if layer 3 is controlled between 200 and 300 microns in thickness.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that many other embodiments for an article of personal decoration according to the invention are possible without departing from the spirit and/or scope of the attached claims.

The essence of the invention lies in the provision of a decorative or functional article to be worn on the body or as part of clothing, the article being luminescent at least in part for radiating light energy previously absorbed from a light source.

Claims

1. A method of making an article of personal decoration, the article being luminescent at least in part, which method comprises the steps of providing a body for use as a basepart of the article; and superposing an operative layer including a luminescent material on at least a part of the body for radiating light energy previously absorbed from a light source.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the working part of the body includes a plastics material.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of superposing includes the steps of providing a mixture including the luminescent material and a plastics material; and contacting the mixture and the working part so that the operative layer is formed on the working part.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of contacting includes the step of controlling the thickness of the layer to less than about 300 micron thickness.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the luminescent material includes a pigment selected from the group consisting of ZnS:Cu, ZnS:Cu,Co; SrS:Bi; (Zn,Cd)S:Cu; CaS:Bi; and (Ca,Sr)S: Bi.

6. The material of claim 5 wherein the pigment and the plastics material of the mixture are mixed in a ratio in the region of 1:2.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the plastics material of the working part and the plastics material of the mixture are the same and the step of contacting includes forming the operative layer into an integral whole with the working part.

8. The method of any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein said operative layer is superposed over substantially all of a major surface of said body.

9. An article of personal decoration which comprises a body for use as a base-part of the article, the body having a shape and colour suitable for personal decoration; and an operative layer including a luminescent material, the layer being present on at least a part of the body for radiating light energy previously absorbed from a light source.

10. The article of claim 9 wherein the working part of the body includes a plastics material.

11. The article of claim 10 wherein the layer includes a mixture of the luminescent material and a plastics material.

12. The article of claim 11 wherein the layer is less than about 300 micron thickness.

13. The article of claim 12 wherein the luminescent material includes a pigment selected from the group consisting of ZnS:Cu, ZnS:Cu,Co; SrS:Bi; (Zn,Cd)S:Cu; CaS:Bi; and (Ca,Sr)S: Bi.

14. The article of claim 13 wherein the pigment and the plastics material of the mixture are mixed in a ratio in the region of 1:2.

15. The article of claim 14 wherein the plastics material of the working part and the plastics material of the mixture are the same and the layer forms an integral whole with the working part.

16. The article of any one of claims 9 to 15 wherein said operative layer extends over substantially all of a major surface of said body.