JEWEL PROVIDED WITH ONE OR MORE ACCESSORY ELEMENTS REVERSIBLY COUPLABLE THERETO

Abstract

A jewel includes a bracelet and a pendant reversibly attachable to the bracelet at an end. The pendant includes an ornamental element connected to a pin at a first end, and an elongated coupling transversally connected to the pin at a second end. An O-ring is on the pin between the coupling and the ornamental element. The bracelet is integrally connected to a block, including a cavity accommodating the coupling, and an opening crossable by the coupling by inserting it into the cavity. The O-ring is compressed between the block and the ornamental element when the coupling is inserted into the cavity. One inserts the coupling into the cavity and rotates the pendant so the coupling is arranged transversally to the opening of the block. The O-ring keeps the coupling against the portion of block delimiting the opening, preventing relative rotation between the pendant and the block.

Claims

1-10. (canceled)

11. A jewel (1) comprising: at least a first element (2) attachable to a part of a person's body; at least a second element (5) attachable to said first element (2) through reversible connection means (6, 11, 14, 15, 20, 21), said connection means (6, 11, 14, 15, 20, 21) comprising: a pin (11) integrally connected to said second element (5) at a first end (12); an elongated coupling (14) connected transversely to said pin (11) at a second end (13) opposite to said first end (12), said coupling (14) including at least two arms (14A, 14B) opposite each other with respect to said pin (11); at least one block (6), for fitting said coupling (14), connected to said first element (2), said block (6) including: a seat (16) for accommodating said coupling (14); an opening (17) through which said coupling (14) can be inserted into said seat (16), said seat (16) being sufficiently wide to allow a rotation of said coupling (14) around a longitudinal axis (19) of said pin (11) when said coupling (14) is accommodated into said seat (16), said opening (17) being elongated in shape so as not to be crossable by said coupling (14) when the latter is arranged transversely to said opening (17), wherein said connection means (6, 11, 14, 15, 20, 21) comprise also: an elastomeric ring (15) fitted on said pin (11) and compressed between said block (6) and said second element (5) when said coupling (14) is accommodated into said seat (16) so as to exert a force tending to cause said coupling (14) to escape from said seat (16).

12. A jewel (1) according to claim 11, wherein said arms (14A, 14B) are arranged orthogonally to said pin (11).

13. A jewel (1) according to claim 12, wherein said arms (14A, 14B) are aligned with each other.

14. A jewel (1) according to claim 11, wherein the thickness of said arms (14A, 14B) is smaller than the height of said seat (16), said thickness and said height being measured in the direction of the longitudinal axis (19) of said pin (11).

15. A jewel (1) according to claim 11, wherein said connection means (6, 11, 14, 15, 20, 21) further comprise: means (20) for stopping a rotation of said coupling (14) around the longitudinal axis (19) of said pin (11) when said coupling (14) accommodated into said seat (17) is arranged transversely to said opening (17).

16. A jewel according to claim 15, wherein said stopping means (20, 21) comprise at least one tooth (20, 21) associated to a portion (18) of said block (6) that delimits said seat (16), said tooth (20, 21) being protruding within said seat (16) so as to intercept one of said arms (14A, 14B) during a rotation of said coupling (14) around the longitudinal axis (19) of said pin (11).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0049] Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of an exemplary embodiment thereof and from the accompanying drawings, given by way of non-limiting example, in which:

[0050] FIG. 1 shows a front plan view of a jewel according to the present invention;

[0051] FIG. 2 shows a front plan view of a first element of the jewel in FIG. 1;

[0052] FIGS. 3A, 3B and 3C show respective plan views of a second element of the jewel in FIG. 1 which is attachable to the element in FIG. 2;

[0053] FIG. 4 shows a front plan view of a component of the element in FIG. 2;

[0054] FIGS. 5A, 5B and 5C show, in sequence, the operations needed to connect the element in FIGS. 3A, 3B and 3C to the element in FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SOME PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0055] In the present description, for ease of presentation, reference will be made to only one exemplary embodiment of the invention, where the jewel comprises a bracelet, as a main element, and a pendant including an alphabet letter, as an accessory element. However, the jewel of the invention is not limited to the above-mentioned example. It may comprise any main element which is attachable to a part of a person's body, and any accessory element which is reversibly attachable to the main element, provided that said elements are provided with reversible connection means according to the above.

[0056] Below, in the present description, a figure may also be shown with reference to elements not explicitly indicated in that figure but in other figures. The scale and proportions of the various depicted elements do not necessarily correspond to the real ones.

[0057] FIG. 1 shows a jewel 1 of the invention comprising a bracelet 2 which is preferably circumference arc-shaped, and a pendant 3 connected to bracelet 2 at an end 4 thereof. More precisely, pendant 3 comprises an ornamental element 5 (better seen in FIG. 3A) shaped, by way of example, as the letter A and engaged in a block 6 integrally connected to the end 4 of bracelet 2. The latter was previously referred to as a main element of jewel 1, i.e., as an element which is attachable to a person's body part. The ornamental element 5 was previously referred to as an accessory element of jewel 1, i.e., as an element which is reversibly attachable to the main element 1. As it will be better described below in the present description, pendant 3 is reversibly engaged in block 6, i.e., it is unattachable from the latter. This makes the jewel 1 a customizable accessorized jewel.

[0058] FIG. 2 shows jewel 1 without pendant 3, i.e., the bracelet 2 along with the block 6. The latter is preferably cubic or rectangular parallelepiped-shaped and is integrally connected to bracelet 2 preferably orthogonally to the latter. Block 6 is hollow, so as to allow to at least partially accommodate pendant 3 therein.

[0059] FIGS. 3A, 3B and 3C show, in detail, pendant 3. The latter comprises a disc 10 of small size with respect to the ornamental element 5 and integrally connected to the latter at the vertex of the A. Disc 10 is preferably arranged orthogonally to the plane where element 5 lies. Pendant 3 also comprises a pin 11 integrally connected to disc 10 (and, by means of this, to element 5) at a first end 12. The pin 11 is preferably cylindrical and is connected to disc 10 preferably orthogonally to the latter and more preferably so that disc 10 and pin 11 are coaxial. The pin 11 has a height preferably greater than the thickness of disc 10 but clearly smaller than the height of element 5. The pin 11, at a second end 13 opposite to end 12, is integrally connected to a short bar 14 preferably arranged parallel to disc 10 and therefore orthogonally to pin 11. The bar 14 is connected to the end 13 of pin 11 preferably centrally, so as to impart a substantially T shape to the assembly consisting of pin 11 and bar 14. Therefore, the bar 14 comprises two arms 14A and 14B opposite to each other with respect to pin 11 and corresponding to the two top arms of the T, respectively. The arms 14A and 14B are preferably aligned to each other, are preferably arranged orthogonally to pin 11, and are preferably rounded at the ends thereof opposite to pin 11. The bar 14 has a length preferably smaller than the diameter of disc 10. As will be shown below in the present description, bar 14 acts as a coupling, having an elongated shape, by means of which pendant 3 can be engaged in block 6.

[0060] With reference to FIGS. 3A, 3B and 3C, it may be noted that pendant 3 also comprises a ring 15 threaded onto pin 11 so as to be interposed between disc 10 and coupling 14. More precisely, ring 15 has a through hole in which pin 11 crosses the ring 15. Said through hole has a diameter both smaller than the diameter of disc 10 and smaller than the length of bar 14, so that the ring 15 cannot be removed from pin 11 (and is thus connected to the latter). The ring 15 is preferably made of an elastically deformable material, more preferably of elastomeric material. Even more preferably, ring 15 is a ring generally referred to as an o-ring. The ring 15 has a thickness preferably smaller than the length of pin 11 so that a portion of the latter protrudes from ring 15.

[0061] FIG. 4 shows a side plan view of block 6, i.e., from the side at which the connection with pendant 3 occurs. Block 6 includes a cavity 16, preferably cubic or rectangular parallelepiped in shape, at which the coupling 14 can be accommodated. The cavity 16 is accessible through an opening 17 obtained at a wall 18 of block 6 facing the pendant 3 in FIG. 1. The opening 17 preferably has the same shape as the coupling 14 but is slightly larger in size, so that the latter may be inserted into cavity 16 though the opening 17. The cavity 16 has a volume greater than the overall dimensions of coupling 14. More precisely, cavity 16 is sufficiently wide to allow a rotation of coupling 14 about a longitudinal axis 19 of pin 11 (shown in FIG. 3B) when the coupling 14 is accommodated into said cavity 16. Since opening 17 has the same shape as coupling 14, it is elongated like the latter. As a result, when the coupling 14 is arranged transversally to opening 17, the latter cannot be crossed by coupling 14. Therefore, when the coupling 14 is accommodated into the cavity 16, if the coupling 14 is arranged transversally to the opening 17, the coupling 14 cannot be removed from block 6. In other words, when the coupling 14 is accommodated into the cavity 16 and is arranged transversally to the opening 17, pendant 3 is connected to block 6 and, through the latter, to bracelet 2.

[0062] Preferably, the cavity 16 has a height (measured in the direction of axis 19) greater than the thickness of the arms 14A and 14B (also measured in the direction of axis 19). Therefore, coupling 14 can be inserted into the cavity 16 so that the arms 14A and 14B are raised with respect to the wall portion 18 which delimits the opening 17. As it will be described hereafter, this is an advantage during the operations of connecting and disconnecting pendant 3 from block 6. The ring 15 of pendant 3 has a thickness greater than the distance between wall 18 and disc 10 when the coupling 14 is inserted into the cavity 16. As a result, ring 15 is compressed between wall 18 and disc 10 when the coupling 14 is accommodated into the block 6. Advantageously, when the coupling 14 is inserted into the cavity 16 and is arranged transversally to the opening 17, ring 15 exerts a force tending to cause the coupling 14 to escape from block 6. Therefore, the arms 14A and 14B of coupling 14 are in abutment against the wall portion 18 which delimits opening 17. This creates a friction such as to prevent a between coupling 14 and wall 18, so as to integrally connect pendant 3 to block 6.

[0063] The block 6 preferably includes a pair of teeth 20 and 21 which protrude into the cavity 16 from the wall portion 18 which delimits the opening 17. The teeth 20 and 21 are placed so as to intercept the arms 14A and 14B during a rotation of coupling 14, accommodated into the cavity 16, about axis 19. More precisely, the teeth 20 and 21 stop a rotation of coupling 14 when the latter, being accommodated into the cavity 16, is arranged transversally to the opening 17. Although two teeth 20 and 21 are shown in FIG. 4, the jewel of the invention could also comprise a single tooth positioned so as to intercept arm 14A or arm 14B when the coupling 14, rotating about axis 19 within the cavity 16, is arranged transversally to the opening 17.

[0064] FIGS. 5A, 5B and 5C show the operations needed to connect pendant 3 to bracelet 2. More precisely, in order to obtain said connection, the following steps are required: [0065] a) orienting the pendant 3 so that coupling 14 is arranged parallel to the opening 17, and inserting coupling 14 into the cavity 16 of block 6 (as shown in FIG. 5A), compressing the ring 15 between wall 18 and disc 10. Coupling 14 is preferably inserted into the cavity 16 so that the arms 14A and 14B are raised with respect to the wall portion 8 which delimits the opening 17; [0066] b) rotating pendant 3 about axis 19 (as shown in FIG. 5B) until coupling 14, in abutment against the teeth 20 and 21, is arranged transversally to the opening 17 (as shown in FIG. 5C).

[0067] The ring 15, tending to decompress, sends the arms 14A and 14B of coupling 14 in abutment against the wall portion 18 which delimits the opening 17. This creates a friction such as to prevent an undesired rotation between coupling 14 and wall 18, so as to integrally connect pendant 3 to block 6.

[0068] Advantageously, during step b), since the arms 14A and 14B are raised from the wall portion 18 which delimits the opening 17, there is no friction between coupling 14 and block 6 which opposes the rotation of pendant 3.

[0069] In contrast, in order to disconnect pendant 3 from bracelet 2, the following steps are needed: [0070] a) pushing pendant 3 towards block 6 so as to further cause the coupling 14 to penetrate the cavity 16 (compressing ring 15 even more). Thereby, the arms 14A and 14B are raised from the wall portion 18 of block 6 which delimits the opening 17; [0071] b) rotating the pendant 3 so that the coupling 14 is aligned to the opening 17, so as to be able to cross it; [0072] c) removing coupling 14 from block 6.

[0073] In light of the above, pin 11, coupling 14, ring 15 and block 16 act as reversible connection means between the ornamental element 5 and the bracelet 2.

[0074] In the exemplary embodiment of the invention shown above, block 6 is connected to bracelet 2 at an end thereof (indicated, in the figures, by reference numeral 4). However, block 6 may be in any position along bracelet 2. The latter may also comprise a plurality of blocks 6.

[0075] According to a variation of the jewel of the invention, the connection between coupling 14 and pin 11 comprises a hinge or small ring, so that the ornamental element 5, instead of being integrally connected to coupling 14, is oscillating with respect to the latter (and thus with respect to bracelet 2).

[0076] Similar to jewel 1, both pendant 3 (comprising the ornamental element 5, the pin 11, the coupling 14 and the ring 15) and the assembly consisting of bracelet 2 and block 6 (the latter including cavity 16, opening 17 and optionally one or both of the teeth 20 and 21) form the subject of the invention.

[0077] Based on the description provided for a preferred exemplary embodiment, it is obvious that some changes may be introduced by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.