US20050268650A1

US20050268650A1 - Jewellery structure with high flexibility of use

Info

Publication number: US20050268650A1
Application number: US10/526,250
Authority: US
Inventors: Giorgio Armani
Original assignee: Giorgio Armani SpA
Current assignee: Giorgio Armani SpA
Priority date: 2002-08-27
Filing date: 2003-07-18
Publication date: 2005-12-08
Also published as: WO2004019720A3; BR0306222A; EP1569535A2; TWM248287U; AU2003258522A8; NO20050533L; ITMI20020404U1; CN2680069Y; AU2003258522A1; JP2005536301A; CN1684600A; WO2004019720A2

Abstract

The jewellery structure with high flexibility of use comprises a member slidably associated with two cords having, at one end, stop elements for the member and, at the opposite end, connection elements for the removable joining together of the cords to form a closed ring the size of which can be changed through the translation of the member along the cords.

Description

The present finding refers to a jewellery structure with high flexibility of use.
As is known jewellery, taken in the general sense of the term, have had the main aim of making the person wearing it look more beautiful since ancient times.
Amongst the various types of jewellery, jewels and the like, therefore, despite the very numerous different structures, their only use is, indeed, that mentioned above.
Indeed, besides making a person look more beautiful, jewellery, jewels and the like currently available on the market have no other function.
Indeed, the possible function as a paper knife, clip, key ring, etc., remains totally distinct since, in this case, it has just one use and it is the tool which is made to look nicer, but it is impossible, for example, to use a paperweight for its main function and to wear it.
The task proposed of the present finding is that of eliminating the aforementioned drawbacks of the prior art.
In this task an important purpose of the finding is to realise a jewellery structure with high flexibility of use which can be used just as effectively as an element for example for locking cases or to be worn or even as an element for supporting other precious items such as stones, coins, precious metals and the like.
Yet another purpose of the finding is to realise a jewellery structure with high flexibility of use which can easily replace any holding element such as a key ring as well as carrying out the functions described above.
The last but not least purpose of the finding is to realise a jewellery structure with high flexibility of use which can be used in its primary function and appearance progressively enriched and made to look more beautiful with further precious or aesthetically pleasing elements according to the requirements and possibilities of the user.
This task as well as these and other purposes are accomplished by a jewellery structure with high flexibility of use, characterised in that it comprises a member slidably associated with two cords having, at one end, stop elements for said member and, at the opposite end, connection elements for the removable joining together of said cords to form a closed ring the size of which can be changed through the translation of said member along said cords.
Further characteristics and advantages shall become clearer from the detailed description of a jewellery structure according to the finding, illustrated for indicating purposes in the attached drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a plan view of the jewellery structure according to the finding the slidable member of which is arranged at an end of the cords;
FIG. 2 shows the jewellery structure in which the slidable member, as an example, is arranged at ⅔ the length of the cords according to the finding;
FIG. 3 is a schematic view which shows the jewellery structure in which the slidable member acts as a support, for example, for a precious item;
FIGS. 4 and 5 show the jewellery structure in which the slidable member supports, for example, one or more decorative precious stones;
FIGS. 6 and 7 show the slidable member enlarged and sectioned; and
FIG. 8 shows the finding used, for example, for closing a box.
With particular reference to the figures described above, the jewellery structure with high flexibility of use, wholly indicated with reference numeral 1, comprises a member, wholly indicated with 2, which is slidably associated with two cords, each indicated with 3, which have, at a first end thereof, stop elements which, for example, may be two small balls 4 of the member 2.
At the opposite end to the balls, the cords have connection elements, generically indicated with 5, which can be any clip, and in particular in this case defined by two small cylinders 18 with a male and female threading so as to be able to be screwed together.
The closing of the connection elements 18 allows the removable joining of the cords 3 so that they can form a ring 6 which is closed and the size of which can be varied through translation of the member 2 along the cords, as can be seen, for example, in FIGS. 1 and 2.
Advantageously, the member 2 is formed from three discs 7, 8 and 9 having a decreasing diameter from disc 7 to disc 9 and which are arranged coaxially to each other and forming a single body.
The three discs 7, 8 and 9 have two holes 10 which cross them.
Advantageously, the distance between the holes 10 on the disc 7 with the greatest diameter is greater than the distance between the holes on the disc 9 with the smallest diameter so that the two holes slightly converge with each other.
The convergence of the holes has the dual advantage of determining, at the exit from the upper disc 7, an inclination of the cords such as to decrease the possibility of accidental sliding of the member 2 along them.
Moreover, in this way the possible forces which are created at the top of the three discs 7, 8 and 9 discharge onto the two balls 4 in a reduced form.
Advantageously, the cords have, along their extension, at least one zone 11 suitable for generating friction inside the holes 10 so as to allow the member 2 to be held in the predetermined position.
Clearly, the cords can have many zones 11, or even be along their entire extension, realised so as to create substantial friction inside the holes 10 and thus to allow the positioning of the member 2 in whatever part of their length.
Indeed, in zone 11 or along all of the cords or in many zones 11, the diameter of these is equal to or slightly greater than that of the holes so as to generate the friction required for holding the member 2 in the desired position. Instead of the zone(s) 11, the cords can have stops 16 suitable for holding other precious elements in the desired position.
It is also possible, as can be seen in FIG. 2, that the portions of the cords coming out from the member 2 can have different lengths so as to change the aesthetic configuration of the jewellery as desired.
Moreover, as can be seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, the member 2 can act as a support for other precious and/or ornamental elements, such as stones 15 or many stones associated with each other or spaced apart.
Also in this case, the possibility of positioning the stones is in any area of the cords, thanks to the sliding of the member 2, allows the aesthetic form of the jewellery and its function to be varied as desired.
Indeed, the jewellery, as represented in FIGS. 1 and 2, can also advantageously be used as a closing element for boxes (FIG. 8) or eyeglass cases or similar and can even be used as a key ring, a paper weight, a hairclip, a bracelet, a belt, etc.
Advantageously, it should also be specified that the member defined by the three discs 7, 8 and 9, if seen from a top side view, represents a stylised eagle.
The operation of the jewellery structure with high flexibility of use according to the finding is clear from that which has been described and illustrated.
In particular, as already highlighted, the slidable member 2 can be positioned in any position along the length of the cords 3 so as to make the jewellery take up different configurations for different uses.
In the case in which stones or other precious and/or ornamental elements are inserted in the cords 3, the member 2 will act as a support and positioning element for them according to the requirements in any part along the cords 3.
In practice it has been noted how the jewellery structure according to the finding is particularly advantageous for being able to be worn as an element to make a person look more beautiful, it's configuration and use can be varied by varying its appearance, it can be used as a hairclip, as a bracelet, as a key ring, as an element for closing boxes, packages and cases and last but not least also as a support element for skirts and trousers or as an element to make a person look more appealing to be worn on ankles, swimsuits and the like.
In practice, the materials used as well as the sizes can be whatever according to the requirements and the state of the art.

Claims

1. Jewellery structure with high flexibility of use, characterised in that it comprises a member slidably associated with two cords having, at one end, stop elements for said member and, at the opposite end, connection elements for the removable joining together of said cords to form a closed ring the size of which can be changed through the translation of said member along said cords.

2. Structure according to claim 1, characterised in that said member is formed from three discs with decreasing diameters associated together coaxially and from two holes passing through said discs.

3. Structure according to claim 1, characterised in that the distance between said holes on the disc with the greatest diameter is greater than the distance between said holes on the disc with the smallest diameter so that said holes slightly converge with each other.

4. Structure according to claim 1, characterised in that said cords have, along their length, at least one zone suitable for generating friction inside said holes, said friction being sufficient to hold said member in said zone.

5. Structure according to claim 1, characterised in that said cords in said at least one zone have a diameter equal to or slightly greater than that of said holes.

6. Structure according to claim 1, characterised in that said member, when positioned against said stop elements, acts as a support for one or more precious and/or ornamental elements.

7. Structure according to claim 1, characterised in that said stop elements comprise two balls with a diameter greater than that of said holes.

8. Structure according to claim 1, characterised in that it comprises stops for holding said slidable member and/or said precious and/or ornamental elements.

9. Structure according to claim 1, characterised in that said member exhibits the configuration of a stylised eagle, in section.