This patent application claims priority of Czech Republic Patent Application No. 2015-739, which was filed on Oct. 20, 2015, and Czech Republic Patent Application No. 2015-808, which was filed on Nov. 12, 2015, both of which Czech Republic patent applications are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates generally to the field of decorative, namely fashion jewellery, elements which are intended to be affixed to clothing or other items, and more particular to devices for depositing and applying of these decorative elements.
Decorative flat back elements provided with pressure-sensitive adhesive on the plane according to the current practice are applied on the non-adhesive underlay in a grid (e.g. square or hexagonal) or in a motif. The grid (pattern) prepared in this way is covered by an adhesive or non-adhesive covering foil, and the elements are subsequently applied by means of tweezers or by means of an adhesive foil.
In case the decorative elements are not pre-arranged to a final pattern (motif) which is to be applied onto the decorated item by manually pushing by the fingers of a worker after removing the covering foil, the current state of the art has many disadvantages.
The disadvantage of the current state of the art is that when manually manipulating stones provided with the final layer of pressure-sensitive adhesive, particularly with stones of smaller sizes, they can be applied imprecisely to the destined place, which results in the requirement to relocate them, which in turn leads to damaging and degrading the layer of pressure-sensitive adhesive.
Transporting individual decorative elements by means of tweezers is demanding on the dexterity and experience of the worker and also on the quality and suitability of the tools (tweezers), and it is thus not suitable for amateur use in the so called hobby sector. Moreover, after applying the element to the appropriate position, the element has to be pressed so that sufficient contact occurs between the decorated surface and the whole contact area of the decorative element where pressure-sensitive adhesive is placed, so that a sufficiently firm connection between the element and the decorated item is formed. This has the risk of shifting the element from the correct position and thus deteriorating the appearance of the pattern formed.
Another disadvantage of the current state of the art is the placing of stones with their whole plane on a non-adhesive underlay. This storing method may lead to harming the compactness of the layer of pressure-sensitive adhesive.
Transporting individual decorative elements by means of an adhesive-carrying underlay practically does not enable the application of individual elements precisely to their predetermined positions which really complicates forming a more complex pattern, namely in those situations in which the individual elements are to be placed on the decorated surface closely next to each other.
It will thus be appreciated that there is a need for devices which would enable the storage and then the sequential application of decorative elements onto a prepared base in an efficient manner.
The subject matter discussed in this background of the invention section should not be assumed to be prior art merely as a result of its mention in the background of the invention section. Similarly, a problem mentioned in the background of the invention section or associated with the subject matter of the background of the invention section should not be assumed to have been previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matter in the background of the invention section merely represents different approaches, which in and of themselves may also be inventions.
The disadvantages of the current state of the art are eliminated to a considerable extent by the solution according to the present invention.
The subject matter of the present invention is a device enabling a new method of storing, transporting, and applying decorative elements (components of fashion jewelry), most preferably of glass, metal, or polymeric materials (plastics) to the decorated surface, which makes their subsequent application to the designated place easier.
The invention relates to a device for depositing and sequentially applying of decorative elements, consisting of a hollow body, the inner cross-section of which is determined by the shape of the decorative elements, with the body being provided on one end with a mouth with at least two openable jaws, and also being provided on its second end with an ending element with openable jaws.
The device may be manufactured from any material, and is preferably manufactured from polymeric materials (plastics) having the optimum firmness and the flexibility necessary for the application (the operation of the device).
The hollow body may be made from one monolithic piece, and it may be filled with decorative elements corresponding to its inner cross-section. In another embodiment, the hollow body may be formed of two parts which can be connected and the body may be filled with decorative elements corresponding to its inner cross-section. In yet another embodiment, the hollow body may be composed of at least three parts, the first part being a mouth part, the last part being an ending element, and a trunk being composed of the required number of central parts. In this embodiment, it is possible to influence the length of a container inside the hollow body by the number of central parts, and it may be filled with decorative elements corresponding to the inner cross-section of the hollow body.
On one end of the hollow body, there is a mouth which has at least two openable jaws. The mouth serves for applying decorative elements on a desired item.
On the second end of the hollow body, there is an ending element which also has at least two openable jaws. The ending element serves to allow decorative elements to be inserted into the device.
The openable jaws are formed by making an incision in the mouth of the ending element, in one or more planes. This creates either two or more jaws.
Preferably, the device is further provided with a stop placed a distance from the mouth, corresponding to the maximum height of the decorative element. This stop facilitates separation of only one decorative element.
Preferably, the ending element is provided with a bevel which facilitates inserting decorative elements into the design.
The device according to the invention may contain decorative elements provided with a final layer of pressure-sensitive adhesive, arranged into a column so that the table (the upper part of a stone) is in contact with the plane of the following decorative element, while the perimeter of the decorative element touches the wall of the container, so that the position of the decorative element is stable. By pushing to the designated place, the adhesion of the plane to the designated place will overcome the adhesion to the following stone, and only the first decorative element will be separated. The separation is preferably facilitated by the stop placed in the mouth part of the container.
During storing and transporting, the decorative elements placed inside the container (inside the device) are protected against mechanical damage by the walls of the container and the considerable difference between the respective areas of the upper and lower parts of the decorative element minimize the risk of damaging the layer of pressure-sensitive adhesive.
The outer surface of the device may bear technical information on the content, and it may also be provided with a logo of the manufacturer, and/or it may serve as an advertising area.
This device can be used as a container for decorative elements for further use and application.
In one embodiment, the invention relates to a device for applying decorative elements onto a surface to decorate it, the device consisting of a head of the device, inside which there is a space for depositing the container of decorative elements, of a body of the device which is provided with a stepping mechanism and a back stop, and a pushing plunger which goes through the body and pushes on the decorative elements deposited in the container.
The stepping mechanism serves for a smooth shifting of the pushing plunger, and thus for sequentially releasing decorative elements from the container, and is placed in the space situated in the head of the device.
The back stop serves to prevent the movement of the pushing plunger back.
All individual components may be made from any material. The preferable materials are a combination of aluminium and plastics.
The head of the device and the body of the device may be formed either in one piece, or from two separable parts.
In one embodiment, the head of the device and the body of the device are made in two pieces which are connected together with a threaded connection.
In another embodiment, the head of the device and the body of the device are made in two pieces which are connected together with a bayonet stop.
The decorative element is placed on the required place on the surface to be decorated in the following way: the head of the device with a visible decorative element is placed perpendicularly to the required location on the surface to be decorated and by pressing on the stepping mechanism to operate the pushing plunger, the decorative element is released from the container and at the same time is pressed onto the surface to be decorated which leads to forming a connection between the decorative element and the decorated surface. The connection between the decorative element and the decorated surface is formed in one step, both precisely placing the decorative element in the desired location and pressing it onto the surface to be decorated. The precise application of the decorative element to the required location is facilitated by the construction of the device in that during application of the decorative element in the desired location and its release from the container the decorative element is visible.
In an apparatus embodiment, a device for depositing and sequentially applying decorative elements includes: 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.
In an additional implementation of this apparatus embodiment, the device for depositing and sequentially applying decorative elements further includes: 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.
In another apparatus embodiment, a device for applying decorative elements onto a surface to be decorated includes: 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.
In a method embodiment, a method of applying decorative elements onto a surface to be decorated includes: 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.
The device for depositing and sequentially applying decorative elements of the present invention 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.
These and other advantages of the present invention are best understood with reference to the drawings, in which:
A number of exemplary embodiments are illustrated herein.
Referring first to
Referring to
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.
Referring now to
Referring now to
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
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
The pushing plunger 18 is prevented from moving backwards (toward the left in
Referring now to
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
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
As stated, the pushing plunger 118 is prevented from moving backwards (toward the left in
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2015-739 | Oct 2015 | CZ | national |
2015-808 | Nov 2015 | CZ | national |