DECORATIVE ELEMENT MADE BY A SETTING TECHNIQUE

Abstract

A setting including an open elastic ring carrying elements for setting a decorative element, the setting being arranged to be placed in a radially compressed state inside a hollow provided in a substrate of an article to be decorated.

Claims

1. A setting comprising an open elastic ring carrying elements for setting a decorative element, said setting being arranged to be placed in a radially compressed state inside a hollow provided in a substrate of an article to be decorated.

2. The setting according to claim 1 wherein the setting elements are plastically deformable.

3. A decorative element comprising a setting including an open elastic ring carrying elements for setting a decorative element, said setting being arranged to be placed in a radially compressed state inside a hollow provided in a substrate of an article to be decorated according to claim 1, said decorative assembly further comprising a support inside a hollow of which the setting is placed in a radially compressed state.

4. The decorative element according to claim 3, wherein the support is made from a material that does not have sufficient plastic deformation to allow setting of the decorative element.

5. The decorative element according to claim 3, wherein the setting comprises holding elements cooperating with corresponding holding elements in the hollow.

6. The decorative element according to claim 5, wherein the holding elements comprise at least one recess arranged in the lateral wall of the hollow or in the lateral wall of the setting and a protrusion in the complementary wall.

7. The decorative element according to claim 3, wherein the setting or the hollow comprises at least one oblique surface, said oblique surface being arranged such that the setting is compressed when the setting is pressed into the hollow.

8. The decorative element according to claim 3, comprising at least two hollows and two settings wherein one of the settings fits into a housing of the preceding setting.

9. The decorative element according to claim 8, wherein the housing is in the extension of the opening of the preceding setting.

10. The decorative element according to claim 3, wherein the setting comprises at least one precious metal selected from the group consisting of gold, platinum, palladium, rhenium, ruthenium, rhodium, silver, iridium, osmium, and their alloys.

11. The decorative element according to claim 3, wherein the hollow is a blind hole.

12. A decorated article comprising a decorative element comprising a setting including an open elastic ring carrying elements for setting a decorative element, said setting being arranged to be placed in a radially compressed state inside a hollow provided in a substrate of an article to be decorated according to claim 1, said decorative assembly further comprising a support inside a hollow of which the setting is placed in a radially compressed state.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] FIG. 1 represents an example of a setting according to the invention.

[0020] FIGS. 2 to 6 represent schematic cross-sections of the sequence for inserting a setting of the invention into a decorative assembly.

[0021] FIGS. 7 and 8 represents cross-sections of other examples of settings/hollows according to the invention.

[0022] FIG. 9 represents a decorated article comprising a decorative assembly including several settings.

[0023] FIG. 10 represents a detail of the decorated article of FIG. 9 before the decorative elements are set.

[0024] FIG. 11 represents another detail wherein one of the decorative elements is visible in cross section.

[0025] FIG. 12 represents an exploded view of a support, a setting and a decorative assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0026] The present invention concerns a setting 1 for holding a decorative element, such as a gemstone 10, in a substrate 9 that does not have sufficient plastic deformation for a conventional setting technique. This generally concerns hard and brittle materials such as ceramic, silicon, sapphire, intermetallic alloys, or metal, natural or polymer matrix composites.

[0027] According to the invention, an intermediate setting 1 is inserted into a hollow 6 made in substrate 9. As represented in FIG. 1, this setting 1 is essentially formed of a ring comprising an opening 2 allowing elastic deformation of setting 1. The elastic compression of the open ring allows setting 1 to be inserted into a hollow 6. Springback after insertion into hollow 6 then secures setting 1 free of play in substrate 9.

[0028] The central portion of setting 1 includes a cavity able to accommodate a decorative element such as a gemstone.

[0029] The upper portion of setting 1 includes plastically deformable setting elements 4 for setting decorative element 10.

[0030] The elastic ring can be compressed, prior to insertion, by means of a suitable tool, such as retaining ring pliers or Seeger ring pliers.

[0031] However, when the setting is of small dimensions, as is often the case for gemstones, the setting, and/or hollow 6 preferably includes an inclined surface 5, 15, 16, 19 for compressing setting 1 when setting 1 is pressed into hollow 6.

[0032] The walls of the hollow are preferably perpendicular to the surface of support 9, forming a straight cylinder of any cross-section. In that case, setting 1 is held by the friction forces generated by the pressure applied by the prestressed setting on the walls of the hollow.

[0033] In an advantageous alternative, hollow 6 has a slight taper, the surface of a cross section of the hollow increasing slightly with depth, to allow efficient mechanical anchoring of a setting 1 with the same taper.

[0034] In addition to the friction forces and aforementioned mechanical anchoring, setting 1 and the hollow may include additional anchoring means, such as a groove interlocking with a corresponding protrusion.

[0035] The material that forms setting 1 must be both sufficiently ductile to allow the plastic deformation required to set decorative element 10 and simultaneously have sufficient reversible elastic deformation to allow the mechanical anchoring of setting 1 in the hollow.

[0036] Advantageously, this material includes gold, platinum, palladium, rhenium, ruthenium, rhodium, silver, iridium, osmium, or an alloy containing at least one of these elements.

[0037] FIG. 2 represents a setting 1 ready for insertion into a hollow 6 of a substrate 9. This setting includes a protruding surface 3, cooperating, when the setting is secured, with an inclined surface 7 forming a recess in the hollow. The lower portion of the setting has a conical surface 5 whose lower diameter is slightly smaller than the diameter of the upper orifice of the hollow.

[0038] FIG. 3 represents the step of inserting the setting into the hollow. The user pushes the setting into the hollow, which has the effect of pushing conical surface 5 of the lower portion of the setting onto the upper edges of the hollow. This vertical pressure on conical surface 5 has the effect of compressing the setting (elastic ring) which can then enter hollow 6.

[0039] In FIG. 4 the setting has been pushed to the bottom of the hollow. In this position, the diameter of the setting increases again by springback, and lateral protruding surface 5 of the setting occupies the groove formed by inclined surface 7 of hollow 6. This elastic expansion of the setting provides excellent quality mechanical anchoring.

[0040] FIG. 5 shows the setting of FIG. 4 in which a decorative element 10 has been placed. This decorative element 10 is then set by plastic deformation of setting elements 12 using a suitable setting tool 11 as represented in FIG. 6.

[0041] FIG. 7 represents another example of a setting according to the invention, wherein mechanical anchoring is obtained by the presence of a protrusion 14 on the inner surface of the hollow, cooperating with a groove 17 provided in the setting. In this example, the setting is compressed by means of a conical surface 15 at the base of the setting, assisted, at the moment when the setting is snapped in, by a second conical surface 16 on the upper portion of protrusion 14.

[0042] FIG. 8 represents another example of a setting, wherein mechanical anchoring is obtained by a protrusion 20 projecting from the lateral surface of the setting and cooperating with a recess 18 in the lateral wall of the hollow. Again, a conical surface 19 at the bottom of protrusion 20 compresses the setting when the latter is inserted into the hollow.

[0043] Be it a protrusion or a groove, the holding means may either be present over the entire contour of the setting and of the hollow, or discontinuous. In this latter case, the holding means can be arranged to ensure suitable angular positioning of the setting.

[0044] FIG. 9 shows a decorative part in the form of a watch case comprising a plurality of settings inserted into a plurality of adjacent hollows. It is seen in FIG. 10 that the successive settings fit together at their respective openings (2). These openings, in particular, are adjacent to a recess (13) having exactly the same profile as the next setting. This interlocking arrangement has numerous advantages.

[0045] A first advantage is that it forces the setting to have a precise angular positioning, which orients the visible setting prongs 4, 12 in a regular manner. A second advantage is that it locks the settings in an open position, improving the mechanical anchoring thereof in the support.

[0046] The substrate hollow can be made by any suitable means, such as machining, milling, laser ablation, or straight in the mould of the support. For example, in the case of a ceramic support, the hollow can be obtained by machining or laser ablation of the raw ceramic, the hollowed support being then fired and densified.

[0047] As seen in FIGS. 11 and 12, the setting of the invention is particularly well suited for securing gemstones in blind holes and does not require access through the back of the support when the decorative element is secured. This feature is particularly advantageous when the decorative element is intended to be inserted into a solid or sealed device such as a watch case.

NUMERICAL REFERENCES OF THE FIGURES

[0048] 1: setting [0049] 2: setting opening [0050] 3: holding surface of the setting [0051] 4: setting element [0052] 5: insertion surface of the setting [0053] 6: hollow [0054] 7: holding surface inside the support [0055] 8: insertion surface of the support [0056] 9: support [0057] 10: decorative element [0058] 11: setting tool [0059] 12: closed setting element [0060] 13: interlocking area of the settings [0061] 14: retaining protrusion in the hollow wall [0062] 15, 16: conical compression surface of the setting [0063] 17: holding groove arranged in the setting wall [0064] 18: holding groove arranged in the hollow wall [0065] 19: compression surface of the setting [0066] 20: retaining protrusion of the setting [0067] 21: decorated article