Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A44—HABERDASHERY; JEWELLERY
  • A44C—PERSONAL ADORNMENTS, e.g. JEWELLERY; COINS
  • A44C17/00—Gems or the like
  • A44C17/04—Setting gems in jewellery; Setting-tools

Definitions

• the present invention relates to flexible metal bands used in jewelry or jewelry to make bracelets or necklaces, for example bracelets or necklaces which have on their visible face a plurality of gems of hexagonal section arranged side by side, and embedded in kittens by invisible settings.
• a flexible metal strip formed of a plurality of identical elements, of hexagonal section, arranged side by side and connected together by connecting devices.
• each element may have on its upper face a kitten in which a gem is embedded, but the invention is not limited to a metal strip of this type.
• the strip is characterized by the fact that each element consists of a lower part, and of an upper part arranged above the lower part and linked to the latter by crimping, the upper part being annular and surrounding a sleeve which extends axially from the upper face of the lower part and which is used for crimping the upper part and by the fact that each connection device is constituted by a ring of triangular shape which links three elements together adjacent, said ring accommodating in grooves formed in the upper faces of the lower parts of said three elements.
• the lower part is annular and has a through hole in the axis of the sleeve; the grooves extend radially from said through hole and the sleeve has axial slots in line with the grooves.
• the lower part has six grooves perpendicular respectively to the six lateral faces of the lower part.
• FIG. 1 is a top view of a portion of bracelet produced from the flexible metal strip according to the invention and which comprises on its upper face a plurality of gems of hexagonal section arranged side by side;
• Figure 2 is a sectional view along line II II of the figure
• Figure 3 is a top view of a lower part of a strip member
• Figure 4 is a sectional view of the lower part, this section being taken along line IV IV of Figure 3
• Figure 5 is a side view of the lower part of Figure 3, this view being taken in the direction of arrow V in Figure 3
• Figure 6 is a top view of the upper part of a strip member
• Figure 7 is a section of the upper part of Figure 6, this section being taken along line VII VII of Figure 6
• Figure 8 is a side view of the upper part of Figure 6, this view being taken in the direction of arrow VIII of Figure 6
• Figure 9 shows the mounting of the connecting devices on lower parts arranged side by side
• Figure 10 shows in perspective the upper face of a strip with its kittens.
• the drawing shows a flexible metal strip 1 which is equipped on its upper face 2 with a plurality of gems 3, of hexagonal section, arranged side by side and whose edges 4 touch two by two.
• the cylinder head 5 of each gem 3 has horizontal grooves 6 into which claws 7 integral with the metal strip 1 penetrate.
• the flexible metal strip 1 is produced by a plurality of strip elements 10, of hexagonal section, connected to each other by fixing devices 11.
• Each band element 10 has a hexagonal section slightly smaller than the hexagonal section of a gem 3, and is placed under a gem 3, which provides flexibility to the band 1.
• Each band element 10 consists of a lower part 12 shown in Figures 3 to 5 and an upper part 14 shown in Figures 6 to 8, both of hexagonal section.
• the upper part 14 is disposed above the lower part 12, its upper face 15 being in contact with the upper face 16 of the lower part 12.
• the upper part 14 is annular and it surrounds a sleeve 17 which extends axially from the upper face 16 of the lower part 12.
• the height of the sleeve 17 is greater than the thickness of the upper part 14, in order to allow the upper part 14 to be fixed on the lower part 12 by crimping, by deforming plastically the end 18 of the sleeve 17 towards the outside, as shown in FIG. 2.
• the lower part 12 is also annular and has a through hole 20 which extends the internal cavity of the sleeve 17.
• Six axial grooves 21 perpendicular to the six lateral faces 22 of the lower part 12 are formed in the upper face 16 of the lower part 12. These grooves 21 extend between the through hole 20 and the lateral faces 22.
• the sleeve 17 has 6 slots 23 in line with the grooves 21.
• the fastening devices 1 1 consist of closed rings, of generally triangular shape with rounded tops 25, which are housed in grooves 21 of three adjacent lower parts 12.
• the length of each side of this ring 1 1 is adapted so that the rounded tops 25 are housed in the through holes 20 of the lower parts 12 adjacent.
• the mounting of the strip 1 is done as follows: lower pieces 12 are arranged side by side on a work surface, as shown in FIG. 9; then we have the rings 1 1 in the grooves 21 by passing them through the slots 23 of the sleeves 17; then we place the upper pieces 14 on the lower parts 12 and the ends 18 of the sleeves 17 are deformed by crimping.
• the upper part 14 has on its upper face 26 three strips 27 which extend axially from three alternating edges 28 and which comprise at their upper ends the claws 7 intended to penetrate the grooves 6 formed in the cylinder head 5 d ' a gem 3.
• the upper parts 14 are arranged for mounting on the lower parts 12, such that any strip 27 of an upper part 14 is placed between strips of the adjacent upper parts.
• the metal strip 1 is thus produced from three different parts. All the lower parts 12 are identical. It is the same for the upper parts 14 and and the connecting rings (1 1). The upper parts 14 and the lower parts 12 are produced in known manner using numerically controlled machine tools which make it possible to obtain the desired machining precision.

Landscapes

• Adornments (AREA)
• Laminated Bodies (AREA)
• Braiding, Manufacturing Of Bobbin-Net Or Lace, And Manufacturing Of Nets By Knotting (AREA)
• Artificial Filaments (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=9492643

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (7)

Families Citing this family (15)

Family Cites Families (10)

• 1996
  • 1996-06-03 FR FR9606793A patent/FR2749138B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 1997
  • 1997-06-02 EP EP97926070A patent/EP0906041B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1997-06-02 DE DE69718314T patent/DE69718314D1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1997-06-02 AT AT97926070T patent/ATE230571T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1997-06-02 AU AU30974/97A patent/AU3097497A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1997-06-02 US US09/194,769 patent/US6065308A/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1997-06-02 WO PCT/FR1997/000954 patent/WO1997046131A1/fr not_active Ceased

Non-Patent Citations (1)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events