Devices for Depositing and Applying of Decorative Elements

Abstract

A device for use in depositing, applying, and affixing decorative, namely fashion jewellery, elements to clothing or other items and a method for using the same are disclosed. The device for applying decorative elements includes a hollow body for containing a plurality of decorative elements, the hollow body having a mouth located at one open end with openable jaws, the hollow body also having an ending element located at an opposite open end with openable jaws. The hollow body may be installed into a head with its mouth extending from an end of the head, an operating body being mounted onto an opposite end of the head. A dispensing mechanism located in the operating body dispenses decorative elements from the hollow body one at a time.

Claims

1. A device for depositing and sequentially applying decorative elements, comprising: a hollow body for containing a plurality of decorative elements, the hollow body having an inner cross-section which is configured to accommodate the shape of the decorative elements, the hollow body having opposite first and second ends; a mouth located at the first end of the hollow body from which decorative elements stored in the hollow body may be dispensed, the mouth having at least two openable jaws; and an ending element located at the second end of the hollow body into which decorative elements to be stored in the hollow body may be loaded, the ending element having at least two openable jaws.

2. A device as defined in claim 1, additionally comprising: a stop located in the mouth a short distance from the opening therein, the stop being arranged to facilitate dispensing the decorative elements one at a time.

3. A device as defined in claim 2, wherein the size of the stop corresponds to the maximum height of the decorative element, and wherein the stop has the same diameter or outer configuration as or a slightly smaller diameter or outer configuration than the decorative elements.

4. A device as defined in claim 1, additionally comprising: a bevel located in the ending element at the second end of the hollow body.

5. A device as defined in claim 4, wherein the bevel is arranged to facilitate loading the decorative elements into the hollow body.

6. A device as defined in claim 1, additionally comprising: a technological ring located on an exterior surface of the hollow body and extending outwardly therefrom.

7. A device for applying decorative elements onto a surface to be decorated from the device for depositing and sequentially applying decorative elements defined in claim 1, comprising: a head having a space located therein which is open on a first end of the body into which space the hollow body may be installed with its first end extending from the first end of the body; an operating body having a first end mounted onto a second end of the head opposite the first end of the head; and a dispensing mechanism mounted in the operating body for dispensing decorative elements from the hollow body, the dispensing mechanism comprising a pushing plunger having a distal end extending into the hollow body to push on the decorative elements located in the hollow body to dispense them one at a time.

8. A device as defined in claim 7, wherein the dispensing mechanism comprises: a stepping mechanism for causing the pushing plunger to advance within the hollow body to push a decorative element out of the mouth of the hollow body; and a back stop for selectively preventing the pushing plunger from being retracted unless the back stop is actuated to allow the pushing plunger to be retracted to facilitate the installation of a new hollow body of decorative elements.

9. A device as defined in claim 7, wherein the head and the body are connected together with a threaded connection.

10. A device as defined in claim 7, wherein the head and the body are connected together with a bayonet stop.

11. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein the decorative elements to be dispensed have a particular configuration, and wherein the hollow body is arranged and configured to having an inner cross-section which accommodates the shape of the decorative elements.

12. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein the decorative elements to be dispensed are rhinestones or the like.

13. A device for applying decorative elements onto a surface to be decorated, comprising: a hollow body for containing a plurality of decorative elements, the hollow body having a mouth located at one open end of the hollow body from which decorative elements will be dispensed, the hollow body also having an ending element located at an opposite open end of the hollow body into which decorative elements may be loaded; a head having a space located therein into which space the hollow body may be installed with a portion of the hollow body including its mouth extending from an end of the head; an operating body mounted onto an opposite end of the head; and a dispensing mechanism mounted in the operating body for dispensing decorative elements from the hollow body, the dispensing mechanism comprising a pushing plunger extending into the hollow body to push on the decorative elements located in the hollow body to dispense them one at a time.

14. A device as defined in claim 13, additionally comprising: a stop located in the mouth of the hollow body, the stop being arranged to facilitate dispensing the decorative elements one at a time; wherein the size of the stop corresponds to the maximum height of the decorative element, and wherein the stop has the same diameter or outer configuration as or a slightly smaller diameter or outer configuration than the decorative elements.

15. A device as defined in claim 13, additionally comprising: a bevel located in the ending element; wherein the bevel is arranged to facilitate loading the decorative elements into the hollow body.

16. A device as defined in claim 13, additionally comprising: a technological ring located on an exterior surface of the hollow body and extending outwardly therefrom; wherein the technological ring is arranged to limit the extent to which the hollow body may be installed into the head.

17. A device as defined in claim 13, wherein the dispensing mechanism further comprises: a stepping mechanism for causing the pushing plunger to advance within the hollow body to push a decorative element out of the mouth of the hollow body.

18. A device as defined in claim 17, wherein the dispensing mechanism further comprises: a back stop for selectively preventing the pushing plunger from being retracted unless the back stop is actuated to allow the pushing plunger to be retracted to facilitate the installation of a new hollow body of decorative elements.

19. A device as defined in claim 13, wherein the hollow body is arranged to have an inner cross-section that is configured to accommodate the shape of the decorative elements.

20. A method of applying decorative elements onto a surface to be decorated, comprising: storing a plurality of decorative elements in a hollow body, the hollow body having a mouth located at one end of the hollow body from which decorative elements will be dispensed, the hollow body also having an ending element located at an opposite end of the hollow body into which decorative elements may be loaded; installing the hollow body into a space located in a head with a portion of the hollow body including its mouth extending from an end of the body; mounting an operating body onto an opposite end of the head; and operating a dispensing mechanism mounted in the operating body to push the decorative elements located in the hollow body to dispense them one at a time from the hollow body.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] These and other advantages of the present invention are best understood with reference to the drawings, in which:

[0039] FIG. 1 is a side plan view of a first embodiment of the device for depositing of decorative elements of the present invention showing openable jaws at first and second opposite ends of the device;

[0040] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional side view of device for depositing of decorative elements shown in FIG. 1 showing a mouth at the first end of the device and an ending element at the second end of the device;

[0041] FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional side view of the mouth of the device for depositing of decorative elements shown in FIG. 2 showing a stop located at the end of the mouth;

[0042] FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional side view of the ending portion of the device for depositing of decorative elements shown in FIG. 2 showing a bevel located at the end of the ending element;

[0043] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of a device for depositing of decorative elements having a technological ring;

[0044] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional side view of a third embodiment of a device for applying decorative elements onto a surface to be decorated, the device having a body and a head having a space contained therein inside which a container of decorative elements is placed, with a plunger operated by a drive mechanism and a back stop serving to push on the decorative elements to dispense them; and

[0045] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional side view of a fourth embodiment of a device for applying decorative elements onto a surface to be decorated, the device having a body and a head having a space contained therein inside which a container of decorative elements is placed, with a plunger operated by a drive mechanism and a back stop serving to push on the decorative elements to dispense them.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

[0046] A number of exemplary embodiments are illustrated herein.

Example 1

[0047] Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2, a device 1 for depositing and sequentially applying decorative elements is formed by a monolithic hollow body 2, provided on a first one of its ends with a mouth 3 with at least two openable jaws 4A, which are formed by making lateral incisions in the sides of the mouth 3. It will be appreciated from FIGS. 1 and 2 that the hollow body may be constructed in two pieces, preferably from a plastic material, with the two pieces being joined by screwing them together or by any other suitable attachment mechanism. It may be seen that a plurality of the decorative elements may be stored inside the hollow body 2 with their flat sides with an adhesive surface being oriented toward the first end of the body 2 to be dispensed flat side first from the mouth of the device 1.

[0048] Referring to FIG. 3 in addition to FIGS. 1 and 2, at a short distance from the opening of the mouth 3, corresponding to the height of the decorative element (and having the same diameter or outer configuration as or a slightly smaller diameter or outer configuration than the decorative elements), a stop 7 is located, the stop facilitating the separation and dispensing of only one decorative element at a time for dispending. Referring again to FIGS. 1 and 2, on a second one of the ends of the hollow body 2 is an ending element 5 also having at least two openable jaws 4B, which are formed by making lateral incisions in the sides of the ending element 5. Referring now to FIG. 4 in addition to FIGS. 1 and 2, a bevel 6 is located in the ending element 5 at the second end of the hollow body to facilitate loading the decorative elements into the hollow body 2.

[0049] Additionally, it should be appreciated that the hollow body 2 may have other configurations than only circular, to thereby accommodate decorative elements of various shapes. For example, round, square, triangular, or any other geometric configuration decorative elements may be accommodated by hollow bodies 2 of different configurations.

[0050] Referring now to FIG. 5, device 1 for depositing and sequentially applying decorative elements similar to the device shown in FIGS. 1 through 4 is shown, which differs in two regards. First, the device shown in FIG. 7 has a body which is made in three segments, with a central segment being located intermediate a mouth segment and an ending element section. Second, the body of the device shown in FIG. 5 has an annular technological ring 8 located on its exterior and extending outwardly therefrom. The technological ring 8 may be used to place the device shown in FIG. 5 inside a device for dispensing decorative elements from the body.

Example 2

[0051] Referring now to FIG. 6, a device 11 for applying decorative elements onto a surface to be decorated has a head 12 which will contain a container 15 containing a plurality of decorative elements therein for dispensing therefrom and a body 13 which contains the apparatus for operating the dispensing mechanism. The head 12 and the body 13 of the device 11 are formed as two separate and removable parts, which may be connected with a threaded connection to allow them to be assembled and screwed together, or by any other suitable connection mechanism.

[0052] A space 14 into which the container 15 of decorative elements may be placed is located inside the head 12. The container 15 of decorative elements may be constructed as detailed in FIGS. 1 through 5, and the related discussion thereof above. The container 15 shown in FIG. 6 is of the two-piece construction shown in FIGS. 1 through 4 (alternately, it could be of three-piece construction as shown in FIG. 5, or it may have multiple central segments instead of the single central segment shown in FIG. 5). The container 15 of decorative elements is installed into the head 12 by inserting it into the distal end of the head 12, where it will be retained while decorative elements are being dispensed since the mouth 3 (shown in FIG. 3) of the container 15 will be pressed against a surface to be decorated as decorative elements are dispensed, thereby retaining the container 15 inside the head 12 of the device 11.

[0053] A pushing plunger 18 extends through the body 13 of the device 11, with the distal end of the plunger 18 pressing on the array of decorative elements deposited in the container 15. The pushing plunger 18 is driven to press on the array of decorative elements in the container 15 and press the distal-most decorative element at the distal end of the container 15 against a surface to be decorated, thereby driving the decorative element by the stop 7 (shown in FIG. 3) and out of the device 11. The pushing plunger 18 is driven to do so by means of a stepping mechanism 16 mounted in the body 13 of the device 11 which is pushed toward the distal end of the device 11 (toward the right in FIG. 6) by an operator. The stepping mechanism 16 is spring biased toward the proximal end of the device 11 (toward the left in FIG. 6) by a spring located in the body 13 and surrounding the pushing plunger 18.

[0054] The pushing plunger 18 is prevented from moving backwards (toward the left in FIG. 6) by a back stop 17 mounted in the body 13 of the device 11 and also biased by the spring in the body 13 of the device 11. When all of the decorative elements located in the container 15 have been dispensed, the back stop 17 may be pushed toward the distal end of the device 11 (toward the right in FIG. 6) by an operator to allow the dispensing plunger 18 to be withdrawn from the container 15, at which time the empty container 15 may be removed from the head 12 of the device 11 and another container 15 that is full of decorative elements to be dispensed may be installed into the head 12 of the device 11.

Example 3

[0055] Referring now to FIG. 7, a device 111 for applying decorative elements onto a surface to be decorated has a head 112 which will contain a container 115 containing a plurality of decorative elements therein for dispensing therefrom and a body 113 which contains the apparatus for operating the dispensing mechanism. The head 112 and the body 113 of the device 111 are formed as two separate and removable parts, with the head 112 being inserted into the distal end of the body 113 and biased toward the right in FIG. 7 by a spring located inside the body 113.

[0056] A space 114 into which the container 115 of decorative elements may be placed is located inside the head 112. The container 115 of decorative elements may be constructed as detailed in FIGS. 1 through 5, and the related discussion thereof above. The container 115 shown in FIG. 7 is of the three-piece construction shown in FIG. 5. The container 115 of decorative elements is installed into the head 112 by inserting it into the distal end of the head 112, with the technological ring 8 being used to limit the extent to which the container 115 is inserted into the head 112. The container 115 will be retained in place in the head 112 while decorative elements are being dispensed since the mouth 3 (shown in FIG. 3) of the container 115 will be pressed against a surface to be decorated as decorative elements are dispensed, thereby retaining the container 115 inside the head 112 of the device 111.

[0057] A pushing plunger 118 extends through the body 113 of the device 111, with the distal end of the plunger 118 pressing on the array of decorative elements deposited in the container 115. The pushing plunger 118 is driven to press on the array of decorative elements in the container 115 and press the distal-most decorative element at the distal end of the container 115 against a surface to be decorated, thereby driving the decorative element by the stop 7 (shown in FIG. 3) and out of the device 111. The pushing plunger 118 is driven to do so by means of pushing the proximal end 116 of the body 113 of the device 111 toward the distal end of the device 111 (toward the right in FIG. 7) by an operator, which urges the body 112 and the container 115 to the left within the body 113 as shown in FIG. 7 while the pushing plunger is prevented from moving leftward by a back stop 117, thereby dispensing a decorative element. The spring in the body 113 of the device 111 is used to exert pressure against movement of the head 112 and the container to move left in the body 113.

[0058] As stated, the pushing plunger 118 is prevented from moving backwards (toward the left in FIG. 7) by the back stop 117 which is mounted in the body 113 of the device 111. The pushing plunger 118 may be advanced a bit by pressing on the knob located at its proximal end to advance it a bit between dispending of the decorative elements. When all of the decorative elements located in the container 115 have been dispensed, the back stop 117 may be pushed toward the distal end of the device 111 (toward the right in FIG. 7) by an operator to allow the dispensing plunger 118 to be withdrawn from the container 115, at which time the empty container 115 may be removed from the head 112 of the device 111 and another container 115 that is full of decorative elements to be dispensed may be installed into the head 112 of the device 111.

Example 4

[0059] A container 15 or 115 may, for example, contain 50 rhinestones (such as, for example, self-adhesive Chaton Rose rhinestones from PRECIOSA Crystal Components), each with a final layer of pressure-sensitive adhesive located on the flat side thereof. The container 15 or 115 may be placed into the space 14 or 115, respectively, in the head 12 or 112, respectively, of the device 11 or 111, respectively, and the rhinestones may be sequentially applied to a surface to be decorated to create a predetermined pattern.

Example 5

[0060] A decorative motif consisting of more types of decorative elements (rhinestones of different sizes and colors, squares, etc.) may be formed by the sequential inserting of containers which contain the required decorative elements into the device and applying the decorative elements into the final positions in the motif.

Example 6

[0061] A container 15 containing 50 rhinestones may be placed into the space 14 or 114 in the head 12 or 112, respectively, of the device 11 or 111, respectively, and the rhinestones may be sequentially applied to a surface to be decorated which is provided with a layer of adhesive in a predetermined pattern.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

[0062] The device according to the present invention will find its use in applying decorative elements on clothing or other items, with this device enabling easier manipulation of decorative elements. The device is suitable for use in the private sector by individuals whereby the use of the device is less demanding on the experience of the user, as well as for industrial production of decorated items where it enables a smaller number of workers to reach a better level of performance.

[0063] It may therefore be appreciated from the above detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the device for depositing and sequentially applying decorative elements of the present invention that it provides a device and a method of operating the device to enable the storage and the sequential application of decorative elements onto a prepared base in an efficient manner. The device for depositing and sequentially applying decorative elements of the present invention achieves its advantages without incurring any substantial relative disadvantage.

[0064] Although the foregoing description of the present invention has been shown and described with reference to particular embodiments and applications thereof, it has been presented for purposes of illustration and description and is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the particular embodiments and applications disclosed. It will be apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art that a number of changes, modifications, variations, or alterations to the invention as described herein may be made, none of which depart from the spirit or scope of the present invention. The particular embodiments and applications were chosen and described to provide the best illustration of the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. All such changes, modifications, variations, and alterations should therefore be seen as being within the scope of the present invention as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly, legally, and equitably entitled.

[0065] While the current application recites particular combinations of features in the claims appended hereto, various embodiments of the invention relate to any combination of any of the features described herein whether or not such combination is currently claimed, and any such combination of features may be claimed in this or future applications. Any of the features, elements, or components of any of the exemplary embodiments discussed above may be claimed alone or in combination with any of the features, elements, or components of any of the other embodiments discussed above.