WO2001028379A1

WO2001028379A1 - Article of jewellery comprising two tubular elements side by side and a chain or links between them

Info

Publication number: WO2001028379A1
Application number: PCT/IT2000/000416
Authority: WO
Inventors: Paolo Piotto
Original assignee: Tecnigold Spa
Priority date: 1999-10-20
Filing date: 2000-10-17
Publication date: 2001-04-26
Also published as: ITVR990086A1; IT1308163B1; AU1299201A

Abstract

An article of jewellery (10), for example a bracelet, earring, ring or similar comprising two tubular elements (1, 2) alongside and parallel to each other, and a chain or links (3) between them, where each of said two tubular elements (1, 2) is provided with a longitudinal slot (4, 5) which receives and holds an edge (6, 7) of said chain or links (3).

Description

"ARTICLE OF JEWELLERY COMPRISING TWO TUBULAR ELEMENTS SIDE BY SIDE AND A CHAIN OR LINKS BETWEEN THEM"

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TECHNICAL FIELD This invention refers to an article of jewellery, in particular to a piece of jewellery to wear around a wrist or ankle, or also to use as an earring or ring, technically defined "slave" bangle, which is compact and particularly versatile in that it can be decorated with particularly complex motifs, without this impairing the stability of its structure, thus being suitable to be worn even in particularly dynamic circumstances such as a journey or during an evening of dancing.

BACKGROUND ART Various types of pieces of jewellery included in the slave bangle category are known in the industry and on the market, which are however afflicted by a series of limitations and problems that the slave bangle as per this invention intends to resolve and overcome. A first type of slave bangle available on the market consists simply of a fairly thick tubular element in the form of a circle, suitable above all for example for the wrist and the forearm, which in this case is worn simply by putting the hand through it, holding the fingers tightly together, until the tubular structure slips over the knuckle of the thumb which, with the hand in this unbent position, is its broadest part. It is therefore the knuckle itself which prevents the slave bangle from slipping off and being lost. One drawback of this slave bangle, whatever its application, is that it consists merely of a circular tubular element, which can bear a limited amount of decorations. Such slave bangles are in fact mostly worn in their simple conformation, or, if decorated, have modest engravings and/or filigrees, in any case without settings of any kind, thus per se simple and with an extremely limited relative intrinsic value.

Slave bangles have been made from a pair of tubular structures with a flat intermediate structure between them and attached to them by electric welding. One drawback is that they are particularly fragile, since repeated vibrations can occur which seriously impair the compactness of the assembly, the intermediate structure present between the tubular structures not being attached to them mechanically. A further drawback of such articles is that the welded joints remain visible and as a consequence the articles lose some of their intrinsic value.

Another disadvantage of these slave bangles is that they cannot carry links or a chain, be it lightweight or heavy, or fitted with settings, since the consequent increase in weight would lead to a greater strain which the electric welding points of the chain to the tubular structures would have to withstand, with the consequent danger of the entire article giving way. DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The aim of this invention is to overcome the drawbacks and limitations and to solve the problems posed by the known state of the art, proposing an article of jewellery generally circular in shape, to be used as an earring, wrist or ankle bracelet, as a ring or as part of these, consisting of a pair of tubular elements between which an intermediate structure consisting of links or a chain is fixed.

The aforesaid aim is achieved thanks to an article of jewellery whose main features are given in the independent claim.

The dependent claims describe particularly advantageous embodiments of the invention.

In accordance with this invention, an article of jewellery is proposed, preferably a slave bangle, consisting of at least one pair of parallel tubular structures essentially circular in shape, both with juxtaposed longitudinal slots designed to receive the opposite ends of a chain which also carries ornaments which can also include settings. The chain or links present between the two tubular structures is attached to them by means of embedding, or by electric welding, preferably laser.

ILLUSTRATION OF DRAWINGS Other features and advantages of the invention will become evident on reading the following description, given as a non-binding example, with the help of the enclosed drawings, in which: figure 1 shows a detail of a preferred embodiment of a slave bangle in accordance with this invention, comprising a hinge element; figure 2 shows a further detail of the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 1, comprising a closing element; figure 3 shows an exploded view of the hinge element as per Fig. 1; - figure 4 shows an exploded view of the closing element as per figure 2. DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED FORM OF EMBODIMENT

With particular reference to Figure 1, the slave bangle as per this invention comprises two tubular structures (1, 2) essentially circular in shape and parallel to each other, which are obtained by rolling up sheets of the material from which they are made, for example but not limited to gold, silver, platinum, copper, and/or alloys of the same and/or of and/or with other metals . In accordance with the invention, each structure 1,2 is provided with a longitudinal slot 4,5, the two slots being juxtaposed and, preferably, having a constant thickness .

These slots are designed to receive the side edges 6 and 7 of a chain 3 which is thus contained between the two tubular structures 1 and 2. This chain 3 can consist of thick or fine links, in the first case having a certain weight, and may also carry any type of ornament, such as for example settings also with stones of a certain weight and value. The chain is attached to the tubular structures by means of electric welding, preferably laser electric welding, carried out from the top to the bottom of the tubular structures 1, 2 along the contact lines of the same with the chain. In accordance with one embodiment of this invention, the double tubular structure is closed on itself in a continuous way, thus forming a double circle.

According to another embodiment the slave bangle as per this invention as described above is provided with at least one hinge element 200 and one closing element 300, so that it can be worn as a bracelet without holding the fingers tightly together, securing the article of jewellery with a snap closure.

In accordance with this embodiment therefore, with particular reference to figure 3, the hinge 200 consists of a first flat element 210 with rounded edges and corners, known herein as a cap. This first "cap" 210 has two longitudinal and parallel slots 215 and 216, which are designed to receive respectively an upper horizontal plate

221 and a lower horizontal plate 222 of a first hinge pivot 220, the plates 221 and 222 being integral in their central part with a further open tubular element 223 which is shorter than said plates 221 and 222 and which therefore leaves two sections 2232 and 2242 close to the ends of plates uncovered. This open tubular element 223 makes the first hinge pivot 220 rigid and compact.

Once inserted in the longitudinal slots 215 and 216 of the cap 210, the plates 221 and 222 of the first hinge pivot 220 are electrically welded to the chain 3.

Complementary to the first hinge pivot 220 is a second hinge pivot 230, which also consists of two horizontal plates 231 and 232 integral with two open tubular elements 2331 and 2332 in the sections 233 and 234 close to the right and left ends of the plates 231 and 232, therefore complementary to the open tubular element 223 of the first hinge pivot 220.

In its assembled form, the open tubular elements 223, 2331 and 2332 respectively of the first hinge pivot 220 and of the second hinge pivot 230 being complementary, a continuous tubular structure is obtained inside which a pin 250 is inserted thanks to which the entire hinge pivot unit 200 can carry out its function as a hinge. The plates 231 and 232 of the second hinge pivot 230 are attached to the chain 3 by electric welding, after being inserted in the slots 265 and 266 of a second cap 260. With particular reference to figures 2 and 4, for example in an antipodal position with respect to the hinge, i.e. at 180° to it, is a closing element 300, which consists of a "cap-tab" 350, comprising a vertical cap wall 351, with rounded edges and two parallel slots 352 and 353.

The cap wall 351 is integral with and above a lower portion 354 also vertical, which is narrower and at is base is integral with and perpendicular to a plate 355.

This horizontal plate 355 is integral in an elastic way with another oblique plate 344 with which it forms an angle 345.

This oblique plate consists of a lower portion with constant thickness and the same width as the plate 355, and an upper narrower portion 349. Said upper portion 349, at its distal end with respect to the angle 345 and mobile in an almost parallel way to the cap 351 at a short distance from the latter, presents a tab 341 which, due to the elasticity of the oblique plate 344, with respect to the base 355, can move more or less vertically.

Two parallel plates 325 and 327, forming part of a first clip 320 also comprising a spine 326 integral with said two parallel plates 325 and 327, are inserted in the parallel slots 352 and 353. In use, after electric welding of the chain, these plates fix the cap-tab 350 to the chain 3 of the slave bangle as per this invention in the same way as described above for the corresponding pieces of the hinge 200.

Complementary to the cap-tab 350 is a second cap 380 with rounded edges and with a pair of parallel and close together slots 381 and 382.

These slots receive the parallel plates 361 and 362 belonging to a second clip 360 and both integral with a spine 365.

The second cap 380, in addition to said openings 381 and 382, has another lower opening 383 in the shape of an inverted T.

The width at the base of the opening 383 in the shape of an inverted T corresponds to the width of the lower portion of the oblique plate 344, while above its intermediate horizontal sides the width is the same as that of the upper portion 349 of the plate 344.

This conformation allows the insertion of the tab 350 in the second cap 380, by sliding the horizontal plate 355 and the oblique plate 344 respectively into the base 386 and the intermediate horizontal sides of the opening 383 until the cap-tab 350 is fully inserted in the cap 380.

This inverted T shape of the slot 383 allows the cap- tab 350 to engage in the second cap 380, thus closing the slave bangle. Pressing downwards on the vertical tab 341 to push the upper portion 349 just below the walls 3834 and 3832 of the slot 383 and the oblique plate 344 to slide through the slot will disengage the cap-tab 350 from the second cap 380 of the closing unit 300 thus opening said unit and the entire slave bangle. The invention is described above with reference to some embodiments . It is however clear that the invention is not limited to such embodiments, but that it includes all the modifications and variations that can be considered and which do not require the application of any inventive effort, thus without going beyond the framework of the invention as claimed herein.

It also seems evident that other types of hinges and closures can easily be used, without going beyond the aims of the invention herein.

Claims

1. An article of jewellery (10), for example a bracelet, earring, ring or similar comprising two tubular elements (1, 2) alongside and parallel to each other, and an intermediate element (3) between them, characterised in that each of said two tubular elements (1,2) is provided with a longitudinal slot (4,5) designed to receive and hold an edge (6,7) of said intermediate element (3) , and where said intermediate element (3) consists of links or a chain .

2. An article of jewellery (10) according to claim 1, characterised in that said tubular elements (1,2) are essentially circular in shape.

3. An article of jewellery (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that each of said tubular elements (1,2) also comprises at least two portions, at least one hinge (200) and at least one closure (300) .

4. An article of jewellery (10) according to claim 3, characterised in that said at least one hinge (200) comprises a first cap (210), a first hinge pivot (220) , a second cap (260) and a second hinge pivot (230) , and a pin (250) .

5. An article of jewellery (10) according to claim 4, characterised in that said first (220) and said second (230) hinge pivots each comprise two parallel plates (221,222,231,232) and at least one spine (223,232,233) integral with said plates.

6. An article of jewellery (10) according to claim 5, characterised in that each cap (210,260) has two parallel slots (215,216,265,266), said plates (221,222,231,232) of each of said hinge pivots (220,230) being designed to be inserted in said slots (215,216,265,266) .

7. An article of jewellery (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said closure (300) comprises a cap-tab (350), a cap (380) and a first (320) and a second (360) clip, and where said cap-tab (350) is provided with two parallel slots (352,353), a horizontal element (355) integral with it and an oblique plate (344) integral in an elastic way with said horizontal element (355) and forming an angle (345) with the latter, and also provided with an element (349) narrower than said oblique plate (344) , and a vertical plate (341) integral to said oblique plate (344), said cap (380) being provided with two parallel slots (381,382) and an additional slot (383) in the shape of an inverted T, said first

(320) and second (360) clips comprising two parallel plates (325,327,361,362) and a spine (326,365) integral with them, said two plates (325,327,361,362) being designed to be inserted respectively in the parallel slots (352,353,381,382) of the cap-tab (350) and of the cap (380) .

8. An article of jewellery (10) according to claim 7, characterised in that said horizontal plate (355) and said vertical plate (354) of said cap-tab (350) are designed to snap into said inverted T shape opening (383) of said cap (380) .

9. An article of jewellery (10) according to anyone of the preceding claims, characterised in that said tubular elements (1,2) and said chain (3) are decorated with engravings and/or settings.