WO1980002495A1

WO1980002495A1 - Bracelet or similar corporal ornamenting article for the identification of a child by a third party

Info

Publication number: WO1980002495A1
Application number: PCT/FR1980/000076
Authority: WO
Inventors: Veyrac Paulhan B De
Original assignee: Veyrac Paulhan B De
Priority date: 1979-05-14
Filing date: 1980-05-14
Publication date: 1980-11-27
Also published as: EP0028614A1; FR2456983A1

Abstract

Corporal ornamenting article enabling the identification of the wearer and his needs in case of distress, as well as the transmission of instructions concerning the wearer. The article, intended for a young child, comprises a bracelet (10) adjustable but locked in such a way that it cannot be opened by the child, and a casing (20) of which the upper face and the sides are transparent so that a photograph (PHOTO) or any other object of affective value to the child, and indications (MY NAME) or very concise instructions concerning the wearer, may be seen. A housing opening under the casing allows the insertion of messages (M) of temporary interest.

Description

Bracelet or other item of body adornment for the identification of a child by a third party

The invention relates generally to the problem that poses to any helpful third party the identification of a person in distress and incapable of expressing himself in an understandable manner, for example an adult or the shock of an accident or discomfort, a weak old man or a retarded adolescent, or finally and especially a young lost child - as it too often happens - in a shopping center, on a beach or in any other public place.

This problem is commonly considered to be resolved by the simple wearing of a civil or medical identity card specifying in particular the name and address and / or the recommended or contraindicated treatments. This solution has the double disadvantage that on the one hand, such a card cannot be worn on oneself in all circumstances - for example - during a swim - and on the other hand, can only carry a limited number of information of permanent value - such as the address or blood group of the person concerned.

The object of the invention is to solve this double problem by designing an article of body adornment capable of being worn in all circumstances and of forming support for information which can be modified at will.

Another subject of the invention is the production of such an article designed so that its attraction makes it permanent bearable and that its arrangement makes it possible to modify at least any of the

WIPO Λ, WIPO information concerning the person wearing it, and that its presentation inevitably attracts the attention of any third party who is a priori unmotivated, if not out of a spirit of charity. This article will be defined below by reference to the case of a young child, already able to move around but still unable to express himself, and for example between two and five years of age; however, it is understood that this privileged employment is in no way exclusive of other uses justified by the infantile behavior - permanent or temporary - of people of another age.

That said, the invention as it is characterized in the reven¬ dications particularly relates to a bracelet or other article of body adornment for young children, carrying personal information intended in particular for its identification, this article being essentially characterized in that that it is provided with attachment means inviolable by the child, means forming a support for written information, some permanent but the others modifiable at will - such as the identity of the child and instructions concerning him registered by a person in charge - and in addition means to receive and reveal an attractive object, to which the child attaches a personal emotional value - such as a photograph of his mother - and whose presentation is likely to signal to any third party requested the informative value of the article.

This article is also remarkable in that the means forming an information medium comprise at least one removable element such as a sheet or card, at least one area of which can receive modifiable inscriptions.

In addition, those of removable permanent information media - such as name, first name (possibly nickname) date and place of birth, blood group ... - are advantageously placed in inaccessible housing without dismantling the article, while information carriers of temporary value - such as a holiday address or a travel destination, a provisional diet are preferably received in accommodation which becomes easily accessible as soon as the article is detached by release of its means of attachment by an intrigued third party. The housing or the information carriers ¹ themselves can be protected against moisture penetration if required - in inclement weather, bath or swimming - either by means of seals of well-placed sealing, either by means of individual or collective sealed envelopes, preferably made of a heat-sealable plastic trans¬ parent material.

The attractive object inserted in the article may benefit from similar precautions, although they may prove superfluous in certain cases, for example if the photograph of the mother of the child is taken on a synthetic support as it is now. current, or if it is an engraved stone such as a cameo insensitive to humidity, or even a "toy" for example of the ball and labyrinth genre, personalized by the sequence of letters the child's first name or a word such as "Mom".

In all cases, it is advantageous for at least some of the walls delimiting the housings of the information carriers to be transparent so as to allow said media to be seen from the outside, or at least to suggest their presence in the case of a message. of limited interest or targeting an informed recipient.

The material production of an article of the specified type can be the subject of numerous variants, both for its use and for its conforma¬ tion. Such an article could be presented as a necklace or an ankle ring, or even an earring. It is however very obvious that for the convenience and the interest of the wearer as to more easily attract the attention of third parties, this article is preferably in the form of a bracelet worn on the wrist, like a plaque military identity or a baptism or communion curb chain.

In this case, the article advantageously consists of the bracelet proper - the rest arranged so as to guarantee inviolability by the child - and a case containing the various information carriers mentioned. Such a box can advantageously be produced by fitting two transparent pieces on either side of a plate metallic forming an armature, the visible faces of these parts can be shaped like a magnifying glass.

In what follows, the invention is explained in more detail by the description of a nonlimiting exemplary embodiment illustrated by the appended drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a simplified perspective view of a bracelet for young children comprising application of essential aspects of the invention;

Figure 2 shows an exploded perspective view with partial cutaway the three elements of the case of this bracelet; and

Figures 4 and 5 are orthogonal half-sections of this housing according to the planes respectively indicated.

The article illustrated by the drawing is specifically intended to be worn permanently by a young child already able to move by himself and therefore likely to escape the supervision of the person who takes charge, but still unable to speak clearly if he has lost his way. This article essentially comprises the bracelet 10 proper, arranged to maintain around the child's wrist - in a tamper-resistant manner by the latter - a case 20 containing various pieces of information intended, some to make it more supportable. the child wearing the article permanently, the others to facilitate the identification of the child by a third party if necessary.

The strap 10 is constituted by a continuous strip of flexible but inextensible material such as leather, one end of which 10 A forming a single attachment strand is fixed to one of the loops 21 of the housing 20, the middle part of which passes through a loop. stop 10 B then is extended by a continuous strand 10 C and - after having freely crossed the other passing 21 of the boxtier - by a double return strand 10 D whose end is attached to the stop loop. In more detail, this loop 10 B is constituted as usual by a metal frame comprising a central crosspiece to which is attached the double strand 10 D and on which is articulated a barb engaging one of the holes drilled in strands 10 A and 10 C to allow adjustment of the length of the bracelet

WIPO - 5 -

or its release from the child's wrist.

It will be noted that this operation cannot be carried out by the child himself, since it involves the use of two hands to bring the strands 10 A and 10 C of the bracelet together in order to form under the central crosspiece. loop 10 B a handle wide enough to allow the release of the barb. The bracelet thus arranged therefore constitutes a means of attachment inviolable by the child, who can neither part with it, nor have access to the information carriers incorporated in the housing 20, for the reasons which will appear below.

As symbolically shown in Figure 1, these information carriers are advantageously a photograph and inscriptions respectively visible on the top and on the sides of the housing 20, and a message M which is inserted therein.

The photograph "PHOTO" or other image visible on the top of the case has the triple function of making the child bearable the permanent wearing of the article, of encouraging him to present it spontaneously in the event of distress, and d '' draw the attention of any person so requested to the informative value of the article.

In this triple aim, it is quite indicated that this photograph represents the mother of the child or any other person taking the place of it, to which he has a particular affection and on which he feels specially "very dependent," he will gladly contemplate the representation in his moments of loneliness or in a foreign environment, whose presence he will request in priority if he experiences a feeling of distress and which he will therefore be inclined in such a case to present the portrait to any person s worrying about this distress and that this spontaneous gesture could only intrigue.

Of course, any other subject or object could be used for these same purposes, provided that it has the same emotional value for the child, and that its spontaneous presentation surprises and awakens the attention of the requested third party, due to an obvious relationship with the child's familiar surroundings expressed in a surprising way for his age - like the wearing by a toddler of photography a young woman, in this case her mother, of a pet, of the family house and even of the family arms.

The inscriptions such as "MY NAME" visible on the sides of the box are by nature of permanent value and intended for any third party. They may relate to the identity of the child - his usual surname, first name and nickname - his nationality and language, his permanent address and / or summary instructions for the use of third parties, to encourage them to search in the box of more precise or circumstantial information, such as the inscription "SEE MESSAGE".

Such a message M can be written on a removable medium - for example at least one folded card or sheet - inserted in the housing 20 so that it cannot be extracted by the child, and for example in a housing opening out under the bracelet 10 that he cannot detach by himself without help. This support can be divided into zones or elements intended to receive respectively information of semi-permanent value - such as the address and telephone number of the child's family or of an educational or other establishment having the expense - and information of local and / or temporary interest - such as a chosen meeting point in a shopping center or a travel destination - or even medical directives - for example relating to a regime to be observed during meals taken in the school canteen. For this purpose and for convenience, the message medium M advantageously comprises interchangeable elements or erasable zones, capable of receiving handwritten inscriptions, modified according to the circumstances by any person having the care of the child.

To allow a more concrete understanding of these provisions and of the object of the invention, a description will now be given with reference to FIGS. 2 to 5 of an advantageous embodiment of the housing 20:

As shown in the perspective view of FIG. 2, this box is constituted by the assembly of three parts, namely a metallic, and therefore opaque, frame, designated 20 A, a basic part 20 B and a cou¬ 20 C circle in transparent material. The frame 20 A is a generally rectangular plate in stamped sheet metal so as to form at each end a passage 21 already mentioned, and on each of its sides raised raised edges 22 and longitudinal 23 of the same height. It will be noted that this plate can be cut practically without loss from a rectangular section of strip, in particular if its longitudinal edges 23 are extended by a curved tab joining its two transverse edges 22, as will be described below.

The base part or bottom 20 B is a simple section of a profile obtained by extrusion or extrusion of a rigid and transparent plastic material, comprising two lateral wings 24 on either side of a flat bottom. The external face of these wings 24 is advantageously convex and in particular cylindrical, to form a magnifying glass. Their free edge forms a step or a hook 25 intended to elastically engage the longitudinal edges of the plate 20 A, or at least their rectilinear part if necessary, the length of the section of section being chosen accordingly.

Under these hooks, the otherwise flat bottom of the base piece 20 B has two ribs or projections 26 intended to elastically engage the bottom of the metal plate 20 A, to confirm the correct attachment of the two pieces and to separate a lower housing. two lateral housings. It will be noted that the part 20 B thus shaped can be pulled by simple sectioning without losses from a profile manufactured by means of a simple die.

The part 20 C forming the cover, on the other hand, is preferably molded, for example by pressure injection of a thermoplastic resin, but is shaped so that its manufacture requires only a mold of the simplest type, with two elements without undercut or core, machinable by milling. This part 20 C in fact comprises a plano-convex plate forming a magnifying glass, the planar face of which carries an inner projection of rectangular outline intended to fit between the raised edges 22-23 of the. metal plate 20 A and the side hooks 25 of the bottom 20 B, and comprises on the one hand two lateral cutouts 28 for receiving the wings 24 of the latter, and on the other hand two end flaps 29 s ^"1 fitting onto the passers-by 21 of the 20 A plate.

WIPO

Λ, IPO - The three pieces 20 ABC thus shaped are assembled very simply by mutual interlocking to form a case 20 in the form of a flat pebble and with no other protrusion than the passers-by 21, moreover wrapped by the bracelet 10, and which therefore does not create any risk of hooking or injury to the child.

Figures 3 to 5 show in more detail the arrangement of this box 20 and in particular that of the housings intended to receive the various information carriers mentioned:

Thus, between the upper face of the metal plate 20 A and the inner belt 27 of the transparent cover 20 C, it is easy to insert either a photograph P as already indicated, or any object 0 having the same affective values for the child and informative for a third party, taking advantage of the optical magnification provided by the plano-convex shape of the cover 20 C, and the framing effect provided by its inner belt 27 as by the edges 22-23 even contiguous to the 20 A metal plate. This photograph or this object is thus not only clearly visible, but also is pleasantly highlighted.

Likewise, the magnifying glass effect provided by the wings 24 of the base part 20 B * makes it possible to clearly read the inscriptions carried either by engraving on the external face of the longitudinal edges 23 of the plate 20 A, or on strips or tabs inserted in the lateral housings L formed between these wings or flanges.

It will be noted that the housings hitherto mentioned are not accessible without dismantling the housing 20, and therefore are rather intended to receive permanent or rarely modifiable information carriers, having a value more suggestive than precise, d 'as far as they are most obviously apparent, at least when the bracelet is worn by the child. This information can also be better preserved, in particular against dust and humidity, by interposing between the parts 20 B and 20 C - as shown in FIG. 5 - elastic profiles 30 forming locking clips and seals sealing, for example made of folded strip sections.

__ O On the other hand, the housing located between the underside of the metal plate 20 A and the flat bottom of the base piece 20 B, intended to receive only messages M which can be modified or exchanged depending on the circumstances, must be easily accessible to any third party having detected the presence and interest of the content, but must however remain like the others normally inaccessible to the child. To this end and as shown in particular in Figure 4, this housing M opens advantageously at each end of the housing 20 under the loops 21 and the strap 10, the flaps 29 of the cover 20 C being shaped to facilitate 1 * insertion like extracting messages, the length of the support for which is at least equal to that of the box. ___

This perfectly functional arrangement of the housing 20 also makes it possible = to give it, as already indicated, a shape of a flattened roller not creating any physical danger. In addition, each of its parts like the bracelet 10 can be made of a material chemically without action on the skin - and in particular non-allergic - and insensitive to fresh or salt water like soaps and other detergents.

On this last point, if the box 20 is not waterproof enough to prevent any penetration of water in bad weather such as bathing or swimming, and if the information media it contains fear humidity, it it is still possible to enclose them individually in waterproof and transparent pockets, for example plastic. In fact, the photographic supports commonly used as a number of graphic supports available - for example with two-color two-layer and writing by pressure, or else with treated surface and writing with a special pencil - make it possible to overcome this precaution.

In the embodiment illustrated by Figures 2 to 5, moreover, the photo P or the object 0 could benefit from the protection of a seal pressed between the upper face of the wafer 20 A and the end of the belt 27 of the cover 20 C. The lateral housings L could be sealed by interposing a compressible sheet between the ends of the wings 24 of the base profile 20 B and the external por¬ tions of the flaps 29 of the cover 20 C, as shown on the right in Figure 5 B.

___OMPI_ On the other hand, the housing intended to receive the message M being in principle open, this message must either be written on a special moisture-tolerant medium and erasable at will, or else be enclosed in a pocket, which moreover could be brightly colored to draw attention to its presence in the case.

Of course, the invention is not limited either to the example ¹ application nor to the embodiment described and illustrated as preferred.

OM

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS

1. Bracelet or other object of body adornment especially for young children, carrying personal information intended in particular for its identification by a third party, characterized in that it is provided with means of attachment inviolable by the child, of means forming medium of written information, some permanent but others changeable at will - such as the identity of the child and instructions concerning it written by a person in charge - and in addition means for receiving and letting see an attractive object, to which the child attaches a personal emotional value - such as a photograph of his mother - and the presentation of which is likely to draw the informative value of the article to the attention of any third party sought.

2. Article according to claim 1, wherein the information carrier means comprises at least one removable element such as a sheet or card, at least one area of which can receive inscriptions which can be erased for modification.

3. Article according to claim 2, wherein the aforementioned removable element is received in an accessible housing when said article is detached by releasing its attachment means.

4. Article according to any one of claims 1 to 3, containing other means forming a permanent information carrier enclosed in inaccessible housing without dismantling said article.

5. Article according to claim 3 or 4, wherein each of the housing mentioned is delimited by at least one transparent external wall revealing from the outside the information carrier included.

6. Article according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein at least some of the housings mentioned are provided if necessary is sealing accessories protecting the information carriers included.

r WIPÔ ^~ ~

7. Article according to any one of the preceding claims, which comprises a case provided with a strap, one end of which is fixed to said case, the middle part of which passes through a closure loop and then a loop arranged on the opposite side. of said case, and the other end of which forms a double strand in return anchored to the buckle, equipped with a pin engaged in one of several holes drilled in the middle part of the bracelet.

8. Article according to claim 7, wherein the aforementioned housing is formed by fitting on either side of a metal plate for reinforcing a base part and a cover made of transparent material.

9. Article according to claim 8, wherein the cited base part is a section of profile clipped onto the armature plate.

10. Article according to claim 9, wherein the cited cover is a molded part enveloping the frame plate and the section of section, with possible interposition of seals.

11. Article according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the wings of the profile and / or the upper face of the cover cover respective housings and are shaped like a magnifying glass.

OM