CH718116B1 - Device and method for fixing a decorative element to a substrate. - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for fixing a decorative element (3), the device (1) comprising a base (2) on which said decorative element (3) is set, and a substrate (4) for example a substrate of a timepiece or jewelry piece, comprising a housing (8) in which said base (2) comprising said decorative element (3) is securely fixed, the base (2) being made of a ductile material having sufficient ductility to set said decorative element (3), the substrate (4) being made of a non-ductile material unsuitable for setting said decorative element (3). The invention also relates to a timepiece or jewelry piece comprising a device according to the invention. The invention finally relates to a method for fixing a decorative element (3) on a substrate (4).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The invention relates to a device for fixing a decorative element on a substrate, for example a substrate of a timepiece or piece of jewelry, as well as a timepiece or piece of jewelry comprising said device.

[0002] The invention also relates to a method for fixing a decorative element on a substrate, for example a substrate of a timepiece or piece of jewelry.

STATE OF THE ART

[0003] In watchmaking and jewelry, we know techniques for setting a precious stone, for example a diamond, on a metal support, particularly gold.

[0004] Among the known and most used techniques in these fields, we can cite the grain or four-grain setting, and the invisible setting.

[0005] To set a stone, it is essential that the material used for setting has a certain ductility to be able to stretch it without breaking and partially cover the stone to immobilize it in the setting.

[0006] Ductility can be defined as the ability of a material to deform plastically without breaking. Materials that can be deformed without breaking are called ductile and those that cannot are called non-ductile or brittle. For example, ductile materials are metals such as gold, aluminum or mild steels.

[0007] Materials known as non-ductile or slightly ductile are not compatible with conventional setting techniques such as grain setting because their ductility does not allow sufficient deformation to produce the grains for holding the stones. Materials known as non-ductile or slightly ductile, particularly used in jewelry, jewelry or watchmaking, are for example carbon, wood or rubber.

[0008] The demand for these non-ductile or slightly ductile materials, particularly for watchmaking or jewelry, is constantly growing. There is a need to provide a solution that allows decorative elements, for example precious stones, to be fixed in pieces, for example for watchmaking or jewelry, made of a non-ductile material that is incompatible with known setting techniques.

SUBJECT OF THE INVENTION

[0009] An object of the present invention is therefore to resolve, or at least to minimize the drawbacks of the existing conventional crimping solutions described above.

[0010] In particular, the aim of the present invention is to enable a decorative element, for example a diamond, to be fixed on a substrate made of a non-ductile material. The substrate is for example a portion of a timepiece or piece of jewelry.

[0011] These objects are at least partially achieved by the present invention.

[0012] The present invention relates to a device for fixing a decorative element, the device comprising a base on which said decorative element is set, and a substrate, for example a substrate of a timepiece or piece of jewelry, comprising a housing in which said base comprising said decorative element is securely fixed, the base being made of a ductile material having sufficient ductility to set said decorative element, the substrate being made of a non-ductile material unsuitable for setting said decorative element.

[0013] In other words, the present invention advantageously makes it possible to dress, garnish or decorate a substrate in the manner of a setting or to give this illusion, even if the material of the substrate is incompatible with existing setting techniques. The final appearance of the device makes it possible to make it appear to be a standard setting (full random setting for example).

[0014] The present invention makes it possible to decorate by crimping a brittle, fragile or non-ductile substrate which cannot be crimped by conventional crimping.

[0015] The solution of the present invention uses an intermediate part called a base which is made of a ductile material during crimping, which is fixed to a substrate which is itself made of a non-ductile material.

[0016] The present invention thus associates two elements, respectively a base and a substrate, made of two different types of material, respectively a base made of ductile material and a substrate made of non-ductile or slightly ductile material, to decorate by setting for example a timepiece or piece of jewelry. The base and the substrate are preferably two separate parts. The base is capable of being associated or fixed integrally with at least one decorative element. The substrate is capable of receiving at least one base on which at least one decorative element is mounted.

[0017] The base is intended to be coupled to the substrate by inserting the base into a housing provided in the substrate. The base and the housing of the substrate preferably have a complementary shape which allows a reversible or irreversible coupling, preferably irreversible. Preferably, the housing has a depth sufficient to receive the base such that the base is at the same level or flush with the surface of the substrate.

[0018] The substrate is for example a portion of a timepiece or piece of jewelry.

[0019] The non-ductile material of the substrate is for example chosen from carbon, sapphire, wood, plastic, polymers or elastomers such as rubber. The invention is not limited to these materials and also relates to any non-ductile material unsuitable for setting said decorative element.

[0020] The base is for example a bezel, a socket, a pivot, a base, or any other base allowing a decorative element to be set, for example a precious stone.

[0021] The ductile material of the base is for example a metal or a metal alloy, for example brass, stainless steel, nickel silver, gold, titanium, palladium, platinum. The invention is not limited to these materials and also relates to any ductile material having sufficient ductility to set the decorative element.

[0022] The decorative element is set on the base by a preferably invisible setting. Then, the set base is securely mounted in the substrate, for example made of carbon.

[0023] In the present invention, the decorative element is crimped onto the base, and then the base is inserted into the housing of the substrate.

[0024] Preferably, the decorative element is mounted on the base, and the base is then fixed in the substrate. In other words, the decorative element is coupled to the substrate via the base. Advantageously, the decorative element is not directly fixed to the substrate.

[0025] The crimping of the decorative element is invisible when the crimped base is mounted in the substrate, so that the user has the illusion that the decorative element is crimped directly into the substrate. Thus, the present invention makes it possible to decorate by crimping non-ductile substrates which cannot be crimped by conventional crimping methods.

[0026] Preferably, said decorative element is for example a precious stone, in particular a diamond, a sapphire, ruby, emerald, a semi-precious stone.

[0027] Preferably, the substrate further comprises ornaments, for example decorative grains or any other decorative ornament on the substrate.

[0028] The base, after crimping, is mounted in the substrate, in other words the crimped base is assembled securely in the substrate. The substrate serves as a support to hold the crimped base.

[0029] Preferably, the base comprises at least one protrusion configured to fit into a complementary groove provided in the decorative element for crimping the decorative element onto the base by invisible crimping.

[0030] Preferably, the timepiece is chosen from a bezel, a case middle, a bracelet link, a dial, a watch case, or any other movement or exterior component of said timepiece.

[0031] Preferably, the piece of jewelry is chosen from a ring, bracelet, necklace or any other piece of jewelry or costume jewelry.

[0032] According to one aspect of the invention, the invention relates to a timepiece comprising a device according to the invention.

[0033] According to one aspect of the invention, the invention relates to a piece of jewelry comprising a device according to the invention.

[0034] The invention also relates to a method for fixing a decorative element on a substrate, for example a substrate of a timepiece or piece of jewelry, the method comprising i) setting a decorative element in a base, the base being made of a ductile material having sufficient ductility to set said decorative element, ii) securely fixing said base comprising said decorative element in a housing provided in a substrate, the substrate being made of a non-ductile material unsuitable for setting said decorative element.

[0035] Advantageously, it is possible to work on the base independently of the substrate and vice versa since initially the base and the substrate are dissociated. This makes it possible to facilitate the assembly of the part comprising the decorative element, for example the timepiece or jewelry piece, in particular the work of the fitter.

[0036] Preferably, said base is assembled or fixed or mounted securely in the housing of the substrate, for example by driving, gluing, or screwing.

[0037] Preferably, the base comprises at least one protrusion (for example a claw) configured to fit into a complementary groove provided in the decorative element for crimping the decorative element onto the base by invisible crimping.

[0038] The decorative element is for example a precious stone, for example a diamond, or any other decorative or ornamental element used to adorn a timepiece or piece of jewelry.

[0039] The decorative element is intended to be mounted on the base. Advantageously, the dimensions of the base can be chosen according to those of the decorative element. Thus, the decorative element has a shape complementary to that of the base on which it is mounted, preferably to that of the surface of the base on which it is mounted.

[0040] The stone (precious or semi-precious) can be of any shape, for example any, be round, rectangular or polygonal, for example a baguette.

[0041] The present invention relates to stone (precious or semi-precious) of any size, for example 2 mm in diameter.

[0042] Alternatively, the decorative element may be replaced by an element having a technical functionality or function, such as an electronic or mechanical part, for example a component of a watch movement.

[0043] The embodiments described for the device according to the present invention also apply to the device according to the invention, to the timepiece according to the invention mutatis mutandis and vice versa.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0044] Other advantages, aims and particular characteristics of the invention will emerge from the following non-limiting description of at least one particular embodiment of the device and method which are the subject of the present invention, with reference to the appended drawings, in which – Figures 1 to 7 represent an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLES OF EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

[0045] The present description is given without limitation, each characteristic of an embodiment being able to be combined with any other characteristic of any other embodiment in an advantageous manner. It should be noted from now on that the figures are not to scale.

[0046] Figures 1 to 7 represent an exemplary embodiment of the invention but the invention is not limited to this example.

[0047] The device 1 according to the invention is shown in FIG. 1 and comprises a setting 5 which is an example of a base 2, a diamond 6 as a decorative element 3, and a carbon substrate 4 as an example of a non-ductile material, here a portion 7 of a timepiece dial.

[0048] The substrate 4 comprises a housing 8 intended to receive the crimped base 2. The housing 8 preferably has a shape complementary to that of the base 2.

[0049] In this example, the base 2 is mounted in the substrate 4 by bonding the interface C between the base 2 and the substrate 4.

[0050] Figure 2 illustrates the setting of the diamond 6 in the base 2. The base 2 comprises three protrusions 9, here claws 10, which extend from the seat of the base 2. It would also be possible to have a single ring which would act as the protrusion 9 (not shown in the figures).

[0051] The diamond 6 comprises one or more (here three) complementary grooves or grooves 11, as shown in FIGS. 4 to 7. The setter assembles the diamond 6 in the protrusions 11 of the base 2 to obtain an invisible setting.

[0052] Base 2 is made of brass which is an example of a ductile material.

[0053] After crimping, here invisible crimping, the crimped base 2 is mounted or fixed in the carbon substrate 4 so as to securely fix the crimped base 2 in the substrate 4.

[0054] The substrate 4 may further comprise other decorative elements or ornaments as shown in FIG. 3.

[0055] The decorative elements are for example: – A decorative grain 12; – A rounded or non-rounded decorative grain 13; (grain without decoration 14)

REFERENCE NUMBER

[0056] 1 Device 2 Base 3 Decorative element 4 Substrate 5 Bezel 6 Diamond 7 Portion of a timepiece or piece of jewelry 8 Housing 9 Protrusion 10 Claw 11 Groove 12 Decorative grain 13 Rounded or non-rounded decorative grain 14 Grain without decoration

Claims (10)

1. Device (1) for fixing a decorative element (3) the device (1) comprising a base (2) on which said decorative element (3) is set, and a substrate (4) for example a substrate of a timepiece or jewelry piece, comprising a housing (8) in which said base (2) comprising said decorative element (3) is securely fixed, the base (2) being made of a ductile material having sufficient ductility to set said decorative element (3), the substrate (4) being made of a non-ductile material unsuitable for setting said decorative element (3). 2. Device (1) according to claim 1, in which the ductile material is a metal or a metal alloy, for example brass, stainless steel, nickel silver, gold, titanium, palladium, platinum. 3. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, in which the non-ductile material is chosen from carbon, sapphire, wood, plastic, polymers or elastomers such as rubber. 4. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, in which the base (2) is chosen from a setting (5), a socket, a pivot, or a base, allowing a decorative element (3), for example a precious stone, to be set. 5. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, in which the base (2) comprises at least one protrusion (9) configured to fit into a complementary groove (11) provided in a decorative element (3) for crimping the decorative element (3) onto the base (2) by invisible crimping. 6. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, in which the substrate (4) is a portion of a timepiece or piece of jewelry. 7. Timepiece or piece of jewelry comprising a device (1) according to one of the preceding claims. 8. Method for fixing a decorative element (3) on a substrate (4), for example a substrate (4) of a timepiece or piece of jewelry, the method comprising – i) Setting a decorative element (3) in a base (2), the base (2) being made of a ductile material having sufficient ductility to set said decorative element (3), – ii) Securely fixing said base (2) comprising said decorative element (3) in a housing (8) arranged in a substrate (4), the substrate (4) being made of a non-ductile material unsuitable for setting said decorative element (3). 9. Method according to the preceding claim, in which said base (2) is assembled securely in the housing (8) of the substrate (4) by driving, gluing, or screwing. 10. Method according to claim 8 or 9, in which the base (2) comprises at least one protrusion (9) housed in a complementary groove (11) arranged in the decorative element (3) for crimping the decorative element (3) onto the base (2) by invisible crimping.