EP0663157A1 - Setting for a removable ornament - Google Patents

Abstract

The fixing consists of a shaped recess in the holder (1), which is e.g. ornamental or decorative, made to receive a sphere (6) of an appropriate decorative material, such as glass or porcelain. The sphere is held in place by an elastomer ring (4) which fits into a groove (3) around the inside of the holder recess, and is sufficiently flexible to allow the ball to be pushed through while retaining the ball in place when there is no pressure. The diameter of the recess (2) is larger than that of the sphere on the elastomer ring side, and smaller on the opposite side, where stops (7,8) prevent the sphere from passing through.

Description

The present invention relates to a structure comprising a removable crimped element, such as a decorative element made of precious or semi-precious stone, porcelain, glass or any other decorative material, or a functional element such as a watch case, in a medium that may belong to the field of luxury or costume jewelry, that of fashion accessories, that of clothing, and arts and crafts in general.

More specifically, the invention relates to a structure of the type which comprises a rigid part having a passage open at its two ends and defining a receiving cavity for such an element, said passage being furnished with a pair of stops, called respectively upstream stop and downstream stop with reference to the direction of introduction of the element into the passage, which stops cooperate to immobilize said element in said passage.

The objective pursued by the invention is to make it possible to personalize such a structure by modifying its appearance, its value, its quality, etc., by rapid replacement of its decorative or functional element (s), without the person carrying out the handling needs any tool or any kind of know-how.

• en ce que la butée amont est constituée par un joint torique élastomère logé dans une gorge ménagée dans la paroi dudit passage, ledit joint ayant un diamètre interne minimal au repos et un diamètre interne maximal lorsqu'il subit une compression radiale maximale dirigée vers l'extérieur, et
• en ce que l'élément a une géométrie telle qu'il comporte de son extrémité amont à son extrémité aval :

• . une première partie dont aucune section parallèle au plan de ladite gorge n'a de dimension supérieure au diamètre interne maximal du joint torique,
• . une deuxième partie de section sensiblement circulaire dont le diamètre est supérieur au diamètre intérieur minimal mais inférieur au diamètre intérieur maximal du joint torique, et

   au moins une troisième partie de section sensiblement circulaire dont le diamètre est inférieur à celui de la deuxième partie,
   grâce à quoi l'élément est adapté à venir en butée par une zone de sa première partie contre la butée aval et par sa troisième partie contre le joint torique.This object is achieved in the sense that the invention proposes a crimping structure which is characterized:

• in that the upstream stop is constituted by an elastomeric O-ring housed in a groove formed in the wall of said passage, said seal having a minimum internal diameter at rest and a maximum internal diameter when it undergoes maximum radial compression directed towards the outside, and
• in that the element has a geometry such that it comprises from its upstream end to its downstream end:

• . a first part of which no section parallel to the plane of said groove has a dimension greater than the maximum internal diameter of the O-ring,
• . a second part of substantially circular section whose diameter is greater than the diameter minimum interior but less than the maximum internal diameter of the O-ring, and

at least a third part of substantially circular section whose diameter is less than that of the second part,
whereby the element is adapted to come into abutment by a zone of its first part against the downstream stop and by its third part against the O-ring.

Thanks to this structure, the element can be very easily crimped because, to do this, it suffices to place said seal in said groove - which will be done once and for all - and forcefully insert the element to be crimped into the passage through said seal by exerting on said element a pressure directed towards the downstream stop until said second part of the element has crossed the plane of the groove.

If one wishes to extract the element thus crimped to replace it with another, it suffices to release it from said seal by exerting on said element a pressure directed from downstream to upstream, the seal not being dislodged from the groove by this simple operation.

So that the joint remains well centered in the groove when it is not subjected to any compression, the structure preferably has, at the bottom of the groove, stops adapted to wedge it.

In the simplest embodiment, the element to be crimped is spherical. It may thus be for example a ball of any material, having sufficient rigidity and an appropriate diameter. This material may be a metal, a mineral, wood, a resin, vegetable ivory, a plastic, etc. The spherical element may advantageously be a commercial glass or porcelain ball, because the choice of colors, the regularity of the diameters, the solidity and the low price make such balls very attractive decorative elements.

Instead of being spherical, the element to be crimped could for example be ovoid.

The rigid part could for example be a jewel mount, or a similar article, that is to say that the groove will be formed directly in the substrate to be filled with the element. If, on the other hand, the substrate is flexible or semi-rigid, the rigid part will take the form of an eyelet adapted to be secured to said substrate.

In either case, the downstream stop may be constituted by at least one contentive form projecting into said passage or into its imaginary extension.

• la figure 1 est une coupe partielle d'une monture de bague formant pièce rigide selon l'invention,
• la figure 2 illustre le sertissage d'une sphère en un matériau précieux, semi-précieux ou simplement décoratif dans la monture de la figure 1,
• la figure 3 montre la sphère telle que sertie à l'issue de l'opération de la figure 2,
• la figure 4 illustre l'extraction de la sphère précédemment sertie,
• la figure 5 montre en coupe partielle un oeillet de l'art antérieur en cours de serrage sur un substrat souple, par exemple un vêtement,
• la figure 6 est une vue similaire à la figure 5 mais montrant un oeillet adapté à former l'élément rigide selon l'invention,
• la figure 7 illustre l'oeillet de la figure 6 après serrage sur le substrat souple, et
• la figure 8 est une vue similaire à la figure 7 mais après sertissage d'une sphère décorative.

The invention will be described below in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

• FIG. 1 is a partial section of a ring mount forming a rigid part according to the invention,
• FIG. 2 illustrates the setting of a sphere in a precious, semi-precious or simply decorative material in the frame of FIG. 1,
• FIG. 3 shows the sphere as set after the operation of FIG. 2,
• FIG. 4 illustrates the extraction of the previously crimped sphere,
• FIG. 5 shows in partial section an eyelet of the prior art during tightening on a flexible substrate, for example a garment,
• FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 but showing an eyelet adapted to form the rigid element according to the invention,
• FIG. 7 illustrates the eyelet of FIG. 6 after tightening on the flexible substrate, and
• Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 7 but after crimping a decorative sphere.

If we examine FIG. 1, we see an asymmetrical ring frame part 1 which determines a passage 2 whose cross section is at least cylindrical in a PP plane. In this PP plane, the wall of the passage is hollowed out with a groove 3 in which is housed with clearance an O-ring 4. Stops 5, for example four in number, regularly distributed in the groove, wedge the seal 4 in place.

As seen in Figure 2, a sphere 6, constituting a removable decorative element, is manually pushed into the passage 2, according to the arrow F1 (from upstream to downstream), against the joint 4, the geometry is deformed by filling the groove 3. The progression of the sphere is stopped (FIG. 3) by the contention reliefs 7 and 8 of the frame, reliefs which, as can be seen better in FIG. 3, consist of the material of the frame which overflows, along d1 and d2, inside the imaginary cylinder having the diameter of that of passage 2 and whose axis is perpendicular to the plane P.

As also appears from FIG. 3, the plane of the diameter D of the sphere parallel to the plane PP is located above said plane PP, so that after having undergone maximum compression the O-ring slightly relaxes while resisting displacement spontaneous sphere in the direction of arrow F2, that is to say from downstream to upstream (Figure 4). It follows that the sphere is blocked between the reliefs 7 and 8 and the seal 4, which is invisible, once the crimping has been carried out. This seal is not subject to wear, but it can easily be replaced if necessary.

To extract the sphere 6, simply push on it as shown in Figure 4.

FIG. 5 shows a conventional eyelet in the process of being laid, for example on a leather substrate 15. This eyelet is defined by a main part 9 having tongues 13 which together define a substantially cylindrical part 10 provided with a flange 11 at one of its ends, and by a secondary part 12 in the form of a washer threaded onto the cylindrical part 10. The washer 12 and the flange 11 have complementary reliefs which come fit when the tabs 13 are folded against the washer 12.

FIG. 6 shows an eyelet according to the invention: it differs from the previous one by the fact that it has, between its flange 11 and its cylindrical part 10, a content form 14 and, in its cylindrical part, a groove 3 'which, as in the case of Figures 1 to 4, receives an O-ring 4.

FIG. 7 shows the eyelet according to the invention, the laying of which on the flexible substrate is complete (tabs 13 folded over the substrate with the interposition of the washer 12).

FIG. 8 shows a decorative sphere immobilized between the O-ring 4 and the content form 14.

Claims (8)

1 - Structure comprising a removable crimped element (6), of the type comprising a rigid part (1; 9) having a passage (2) open at its two ends and defining a receiving cavity for such an element, said passage being lined with a pair of stops, called upstream stop and downstream stop respectively by reference to the direction of introduction of the element into the passage, which stops cooperate to immobilize said element in said passage, characterized: - in that the upstream stop consists of an elastomeric O-ring (4) housed in a groove (3; 3 ') formed in the wall of said passage (2), said seal having a minimum internal diameter at rest and an internal diameter maximum when subjected to maximum outward directed radial compression, and - in that the element has a geometry such that it comprises from its upstream end to its downstream end: . a first part of which no section parallel to the plane (PP) of said groove has a dimension greater than the maximum internal diameter of the O-ring (4), . a second part of substantially circular section whose diameter is greater than the minimum internal diameter but less than the maximum internal diameter of the O-ring (4), and at least a third part of substantially circular section whose diameter is less than that of the second part,
whereby the element (6) is adapted to abut by a region of its first part against the downstream stop (7,8) and by its third part against the O-ring (4). 2 - Structure according to claim 1, characterized in that it has, at the bottom of the groove (3; 3 '), stops (5) adapted to wedge said seal (4) when it is not subjected to any compression . 3 - Structure according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the crimping element (6) is spherical. 4 - Structure according to claim 2, characterized in that the crimping element is ovoid. 5 - Structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the rigid part is a jewelry frame or similar article. 6 - Structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the rigid part takes the form of an eyelet adapted to be secured to a flexible or semi-rigid support (15). 7 - Structure according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the downstream stop (7,8; 14) is constituted by at least one contentive form projecting into said passage (2) or in its imaginary extension. 8 - Crimping method using the structure according to any one of claims 1 to 7, which consists in placing said seal (4) in said groove (3; 3 ') and forcibly inserting the element to be crimped ( 6) in said passage (2) through said seal (4) by exerting on said element a pressure directed towards the downstream stop until said second part of the element has crossed the plane (PP) of the throat (3; 3 ').

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