Item comprising a mounting and a decorative design element embedded in the mounting and visible

Abstract

The invention relates to an item comprising a mounting and at least one design element, such as a decorative element, embedded in the mounting, the mounting including at least one free surface portion, at least one first and one second body of material underlying the surface portion, a recess for the design element being made in the first and second bodies of the mounting and said design element being arranged in the recess, characterized in that the design element includes a first portion, which is visible from the free surface portion of the mounting, and a lateral extension relative to the first portion, said extension being covered by the first body of material so as to prevent any movement of the design element out of the recess.

Claims

1. Item comprising a mounting and at least one design element, said at least one design element being a decorative element, embedded in the mounting, the mounting comprising at least one free surface portion, at least a first and a second body of material below the free surface portion, a recess for the design element being made in the first and the second body of the mounting and said design element being arranged within the recess, wherein the design element comprises a first portion, which is visible from the free surface portion of the mounting, and a lateral extension relative to first portion, said lateral extension being covered by the first body of material to secure the at least one design element in the recess, and wherein said design element is a setting comprising a body provided with said lateral extension, and said body containing a stone.

2. Item according to claim 1, wherein the mounting comprises at least one flexible material.

3. Item according to claim 2, wherein said at least one flexible material is a skin, synthetic resin, rubber, textile product, leather, or a combination thereof.

4. Item according to claim 1, wherein the mounting comprises at least one material that is a plant-based, mineral-based, or synthetic material that is rigid or semi-rigid.

5. Item according to claim 4, wherein the at least one material is selected from wood, tiles, metal, glass, a rigid synthetic resin, a cement-based, stone-based or plaster-based material, or a combination thereof.

6. Item according to claim 1, wherein said setting body comprises a peg on a side of the body opposite that containing the stone.

7. Item according to claim 1, wherein at least part of the lateral extension of the design element forms a flange around said first portion.

8. Item according to claim 1, wherein the recess in the mounting comprises a first recess portion for the first portion of the design element and a second recess portion for the lateral extension of the design element, the opening in the first portion of the recess forming a neck for the recess.

9. Item according to claim 1, wherein the mounting comprises at least two interconnected layers of material forming said first and second bodies.

10. Item according to claim 9, wherein the layers are interconnected by bonding or by a mechanical connection.

11. Item according to claim 10, wherein the mechanical connection is a stitching thread.

12. Method for producing an item according to claim 1, comprising the following steps: a. providing a mounting, having a free surface portion and a first body of material below the surface portion, and a design element having a first, visible portion and a second portion forming a lateral extension; b. making a recess for the design element in the mounting, wherein the recess is open on the free surface portion, the recess comprising a first portion in the first body of material for the first portion of the design element and a second portion in the second body for the lateral extension; c. placing the design element in the recess such that the first body of the mounting covers the second portion in the form of a lateral extension to the design element.

13. Method according to claim 12, wherein the mounting comprising at least two layers, a first layer forming the first body and a second layer forming the second body, wherein the two layers are interconnected in order to lock the design element in its recess.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Other features, elements and advantages of the invention will become clear upon reading the following detailed yet non-limiting description of several embodiments, given with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

(2) FIG. 1 is a schematic cross section of an item according to the invention in accordance with a first embodiment;

(3) FIG. 2 is a schematic cross section of an item according to the invention in accordance with a second embodiment;

(4) FIG. 3 is a schematic cross section of an item according to the invention in accordance with a third embodiment;

(5) FIG. 4 is a schematic cross section of an item according to the invention in accordance with a fourth embodiment;

(6) FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view of the item having various types of decorative design element.

(7) FIG. 6 shows embodiments having a rigid upper layer.

(8) FIG. 7 shows an embodiment of a setting of a design element according to the invention.

(9) FIG. 8 shows an alternative embodiment of FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF VARIOUS EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

(10) With reference first to FIG. 1, according to a first embodiment of the invention, the figure shows a detail of an item comprising a mounting 10 and a decorative design element 110. In this case, the mounting consists of three layers 11, 12, 13 of material, for example a flexible material such as leather, in which the decorative element 110 is embedded, for example a setting that in turn contains a stone. The element 110 is embedded by being housed and held in a recess made in the body of the mounting 10.

(11) The mounting has a surface portion that has a visible outer face 11a.

(12) The design element 110 is shaped so as to have a first portion 111 and a second portion 112. The first portion 111 is visible on the side of the surface portion 10a of the mounting. Here, said first portion protrudes slightly and creates a raised portion in relation to said face 10a. The second portion 112 forms a lateral extension with respect to the first portion 111 and is not visible from the face 10a; it is covered by a body of material of the mounting 10. The recess 10b in the mounting 10 thus comprises a first portion corresponding to the first portion 111 of the element 110. The recess 10b in the mounting comprises a second portion in which the element is placed by its lateral extension 112. The mounting comprises a second body covering the opposite side of the element. In this case, this second body is formed by the layer 13 opposite the face 10a. By covering the lateral extension on both sides, the element in locked in position and cannot be detached from the mounting. In other words, the recess 10b is defined by a space for the first portion 111 of the design element 110, said space being formed by the first body of material, defined in this case by the two material layers 11, 12, said recess 10b further being formed by the second body of material, defined in this case by the single material layer 13, which closes said space facing said lateral extension 112.

(13) Advantageously, the layers 11, 12, 13 forming the bodies of the mounting are glued together. They can also be connected in a different manner.

(14) FIG. 2 shows another embodiment of the invention. In this case, the design element 120 is a cut stone. The stone is formed by a first, visible portion 121, and by a second portion 122 at its periphery, which forms the lateral extension. In this case, the stone is frustoconical on the visible-face side and conical on the opposite side. The frustoconical face of the upper portion forms the lateral extension 122 of the top side, and the surface at the bottom of the conical portion forms the lateral extension of the opposite side.

(15) The mounting 20 comprises a stack of six layers 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 interconnected by gluing, for example having a cavity forming an exact-fitting recess containing the stone 120. In this case, it is possible to see the upper layer 21, the free face of which is the surface portion 20a. The upper layer 21 covers the lateral extension 122 of the design element 120. In this way, on the one hand the upper layer 21 partially covers the design element 120 and on the other hand the layers 22 to 25 below hold the element 120 in the body of the mounting.

(16) FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of the invention. The mounting 30 is formed of three layers 31, 32 and 33 placed one on top of the other and interconnected, having a visible surface portion 30a corresponding to the free face 31a of the upper layer 31.

(17) In this case, the design element 130 is discoid having a first, visible portion 131 in the centre, and a second, peripheral portion forming the lateral extension 132. The recess 30b in the mounting contains the element 130 and the upper layers 31 and 32 cover the lateral extension 132 on the visible-face side 30a. The opposite side of the lateral extension 132 is covered by the layer 33. The element 130 is thus held in place by the layers of the mounting engaging with the lateral extension 132.

(18) FIG. 4 shows a fourth embodiment comprising a mounting 40 formed of three layers 41, 42, 43 and a design element 140 in the recess 40b, which element can for example be a setting as in example 1. The element comprises a first portion 141 that is visible through the face 40a of the mounting that corresponds to the visible face 41a of the upper layer 41. The first portion 141 is raised in relation to the face 40a. However, the element 140 is held captively by the lateral extension 142 between the layers 41 and 42. Here, the opposite face has a central opening in relation to the element 140.

(19) FIG. 5 shows plan views of different types of design element. These can be round, square or another shape.

(20) FIG. 6 shows two embodiments having a rigid upper layer. The upper layer can be wood, for example. The decorative design element 150 rests on a layer 52 that can be rigid or flexible and in which a recess has been cut. Said element is held in place and locked by the upper layer 51, which has a hole to allow the visible portion 151 of the element 150 to pass through. The lateral extension 152 of the element 150 is sandwiched between the two layers 51 and 52. The same figure shows another, discoid element 160.

(21) FIG. 7 shows an example of a design element 110 in the form of a setting. Said setting comprises a body 113, here in the form of a collet, in which a stone 114, in particular a precious or semi-precious stone, is secured, in particular set. Said body 113 comprises said lateral extension 112 and, together with said stone 114, forms said first portion 111 of the design element.

(22) In FIG. 8, said body 113 is provided with a peg 200 located on a side 202 of said body 113 opposite that containing the stone 114 (not shown). In other words, said extension 112 is located between said peg 200 and the portion of the body 113 containing the stone 114. Said peg allows the design element to be held in the mounting in a more secure manner, in particular when said peg is rigid.

(23) Assembling these elements firstly involves cutting, for example die-cutting, all or some of the different layers that will form the mounting, so as to have the recesses shaped to match the design element that will be received therein.

(24) For the element 110 for example, the recess 10b is cut into the two layers 11 and 12, and then the two layers are glued together to form a body of material. The element 110 is slid into the recess by its face opposite the free face 11a of the layer 11. Once the element 110 is in place, the assembly is covered by the layer 13 that is glued on. At the periphery of the first portion 11 of the element 110, the lateral extension 112 is engaged by its two faces with the two bodies of material.

(25) To produce FIG. 2, for example, the layers 22 to 25 can be joined, and a cavity can be made for housing the cone tip of the element 120, preferably in an exact fit. Then, having previously been suitably cut, the upper layer 21 is put in place so as to cover the peripheral region 122.