WO2008122876A2

WO2008122876A2 - Modular piece of jewellery

Info

Publication number: WO2008122876A2
Application number: PCT/IB2008/000853
Authority: WO
Inventors: Riccardo Borghesi
Original assignee: 7 Ar S.R.L.
Priority date: 2007-04-10
Filing date: 2008-04-03
Publication date: 2008-10-16
Also published as: ITBO20070032U1; WO2008122876A3

Abstract

The modular piece of jewellery (1) comprises a first length (2) of chain and a second length (3) of chain.

Description

Modular piece of jewellery

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a modular piece of jewellery.

In particular, the present invention relates to a modular piece of jewellery, such as a necklace, which has two or more components that can be combined in different ways.

Background Art

Jewellery products, like clothing and accessories, are now exposed to fashion and current trends. Given that jewellery products are usually of high value, the fact that a product rapidly goes out of fashion or even becomes obsolete is certainly a significant problem.

Moreover, worsening the situation, this movement of jewellery products towards the sector of clothing accessories, means that even a piece of jewellery is worn with a certain irregularity because the wearer now feels the need to change them often almost as if they were items of clothing.

To improve the use of pieces of jewellery by the wearer, modular pieces of jewellery have been made which allow different assembly possibilities, allowing more intense use of the pieces of jewellery and providing a better justification for the wearer to purchase them.

In other words, a possible jewellery purchaser is more interested in the purchase if he or she understands that the piece of jewellery can be used in different configurations, thus giving the impression of purchasing two or more pieces of jewellery for the price of one. Prior art modular pieces of jewellery only partly solve the above-mentioned problem, since they are not without disadvantages.

In particular, a disadvantage linked to the use of prior art modular pieces of jewellery is that they substantially comprise a set of elements which can be put together in alternative ways to form a piece of jewellery, the consequence being that whilst one element is mounted on the piece of jewellery, other elements are removed from it.

Obviously, whilst one element is used the others are not and the purchaser has basically purchased a plurality of objects which cannot be used separately.

Disclosure of the Invention

The present invention therefore has for an aim to overcome the above- mentioned disadvantage by providing a modular piece of jewellery which is versatile and practical to use.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The technical features of the invention, with reference to the above aims, are clearly described in the claims below and its advantages are more apparent from the detailed description which follows, with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention provided merely by way of example without restricting the scope of the inventive concept, and in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic exploded view of a modular piece of jewellery made in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view of a component of the modular piece of jewellery of Figure 1, in an open configuration; Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view of the component of Figure 2, in a closed configuration.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments of the Invention

With reference to the accompanying drawings, the numeral 1 denotes a modular piece of jewellery, made in accordance with the present invention. The modular piece of jewellery 1, as Figure 1 clearly shows, as a whole basically constitutes a necklace.

The piece of jewellery 1 comprises a first length 2 of chain and a second length 3 of chain. For clarity, in Figure 1, to better identify the first and second lengths 2, 3 of chain, they are placed alongside two dashed and dotted lines which indicate the extent of each length 2, 3.

The first length 2 has a first end 2a and a second end 2b. The second length 3 has a first end 3a and a second end 3b. The piece of jewellery 1 comprises a first connecting element 4 and a second connecting element 5 for the lengths 2, 3 of chain.

The first connecting element 4 is removably connected to a link of the first length 2 of chain and to a link of the second length 3 of chain. In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 1, the link of the first length 2 of chain coincides with the end 2b of the first length 2 whilst the link of the second length 3 is an intermediate link. According to different configurations for use of the piece of jewellery 1, not illustrated, the first connecting element 4 joins any link of the first length 2 to any link of the first or second length 2, 3 of chain, irrespective of the position of the link along the respective length.

With reference to Figure 1, stably connected to the first end 3 a of the second length 3 there is a second connecting element 5, of the spring catch type, designed to connect the first end 3a to a link of the first length 2 of chain. In the case shown in

Figure 1, the second connecting element 5 is hooked to a link located at the end 2a of the first length 2.

As illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, the first connecting element 4 is ring-shaped and comprises a main body 6 and a hooking element 7 pivoting on the main body 6 about an axis A. The main body 6 is "C"-shaped, whilst the hooking element 7 has a curved shape, complementing the main body 6 so as to form the ring shape with the connecting element 4 in the closed configuration. The first connecting element 4 in the closed configuration is shown in Figure 3 and, in use, in Figure 1. A needle spring 8, only partly visible in Figure 2, is inserted between the hooking element 7 and the main body 6 to facilitate connecting element 4 opening. The first connecting element 4 also comprises a hooking element 7 lock/release button 9, the button 9, oscillating about an axis B, being designed to disengage the hooking element 7 from respective engagement means not illustrated. Therefore, advantageously, as Figure 3 clearly shows, the first connecting element 4 is substantially without parts projecting from its round outer edge.

In this way, when connecting any two chain links, the connecting element 4 imitates and substantially reproduces a normal chain link, even as regards its mobility. The first connecting element 4 can therefore be removably connected to any two links, irrespective of whether they belong to the first or second lengths 2, 3 of chain. This functional feature of the first connecting element 4 derives from the fact that it is not stably connected to a predetermined link but, in contrast, can easily and rapidly be separated. In practice, as illustrated by way of example and without limiting the scope of the invention in Figure 1, the modular piece of jewellery 1 has the two lengths 2 and

3 of chain connected to each other by the first and second connecting elements 4, 5. In the configuration illustrated in Figure 1, the piece of jewellery 1 forms a necklace having a closed portion 10, designed to go around the wearer's neck, and an open, pendant portion 11 , extending from the closed portion 10.

The pendant portion 11 of the piece of jewellery 1 consists of a first part of the second length 3 of chain, whilst the closed portion 10 consists of the first length 2 of chain and a second part of the second length 3 of chain, complementing the first part. In particular, using the first, removable connecting element 4, the closed portion 10 of the necklace can be significantly varied in size. The first connecting element 4 can be moved to connect both different links of the first length 2 of chain and different links of the second length 3 of chain.

Moreover, the modular piece of jewellery 1 can easily be disassembled into two different pieces of jewellery: a first piece of jewellery consisting of the first length 2 of chain and the first connecting element 4, and a second piece of jewellery consisting of the second length 3 of chain to which the second connecting element 5 is fixed.

The two separate pieces of jewellery obtained by disassembling the piece of jewellery 1 can therefore be used independently of one another by the wearer, without any part being left unused.

For example, the first piece of jewellery, consisting of the first length 2 of chain, being longer, can be used as a necklace (with the first connecting element 4 as the fastener). The second piece of jewellery, consisting of the second length 3 of chain, is shorter and can therefore be used as a bracelet (with the second connecting element 5 as the fastener).

Alternatively, instead of being used as a bracelet, the second piece of jewellery may be used as a pendant, for an earring, necklace or bracelet.

Instead, if it is long enough, the second piece of jewellery may also be used as a necklace or even as a bracelet with two or more turns.

Advantageously, the modular piece of jewellery 1 disclosed achieves the preset aims because it is very versatile and allows even more obvious modification of the appearance of the piece of jewellery according to the wearer's requirements, without parts of the piece of jewellery 1 being left unused. The invention described above is susceptible of industrial application and may be modified and adapted in several ways without thereby departing from the scope of the inventive concept. Moreover, all details of the invention may be substituted by technically equivalent elements.

Claims

1. A modular piece of jewellery comprising a first length (2) of chain, at least a second length (3) of chain and at least two separate connecting elements (4, 5) for the first and second lengths (2, 3) of chain.

2. The piece of jewellery according to claim 1, characterised in that at least a first (4) connecting element of the connecting elements (4, 5) is removable.

3. The piece of jewellery according to claim 2, characterised in that the removable first connecting element (4) is substantially ring-shaped.

4. The piece of jewellery according to claim 3, characterised in that the first connecting element (4) is substantially without parts projecting from its round outer edge.

5. The piece of jewellery according to any of the claims from 1 to 4, characterised in that the first length (2) of chain is designed to be used as a necklace and the second length (3) of chain is designed to be used as a bracelet.

6. The piece of jewellery according to any of the claims from 1 to 4, characterised in that the first length (2) of chain is designed to be used as a necklace and the second length (3) of chain is designed to be used as a pendant.

7. A connecting element for chain links, characterised in that it is ring-shaped and is substantially without projections.

8. The connecting element according to claim 7, characterised in that it comprises a main body (6) and a curved hooking element (7) pivoting on the main body (6) so that it rotates relative to the latter.

9. The connecting element according to claim 8, characterised in that it comprises a needle spring (8) for facilitating hooking element (7) opening relative to the main body (6).

10. The connecting element according to any of the claims from 7 to 9, characterised in that it is mounted on a modular piece of jewellery according to any of the claims from 1 to 6.