Patent Application
20170340074
The invention relates to a piece of jewelry having an outer part and an inner part, which is movably received in the interior of the outer part, wherein the outer part comprises at least one rotational bearing for the inner part, by which the inner part is rotationally mounted in the outer part, so that a relative movement between the inner part and the outer part running in a direction of movement is facilitated, wherein the outer part surrounding the inner part comprises at least one opening, through which at least a partial area of the surface of the inner part is visible, wherein the inner part can be fixed in a first index position, in which a first partial area of the inner part is visible through the opening, and in at least one second index position, in which a second partial area of the inner part is visible through this opening, relatively to the outer part.
Such a piece of jewelry is known from WO 2011/088827 A1 of the applicant. In this document a piece of jewelry having an outer part and an inner part, which is turnably received in the outer part, is described, and which has an attachment which is movable relative to the outer part. Between the attachment and the inner part an engagement means is provided for turning the inner part by a certain movement in a defined direction. The engagement means comprises a sleeve, a sleeve insert, a compression spring as well two plate rings having mutually facing gearings, and two further plate rings, which have mutually facing gearings too. The sleeve comprises a central opening directed towards the attachment, through which the upper side of the sleeve insert can enter through an opening so far that a traverse bore in the sleeve insert can protrude a traverse bore of the attachment, so that the sleeve insert can be secured by a pin passing through the traverse bores. The sleeve insert has around its circumference a collar-shaped widening, from which a circular segment is recessed, so that two stop shoulders are formed. In the interior of the sleeve a projection structure is provided, on which in a rotational position the first stop shoulder and in an opposite rotational direction the second stop shoulder abuts. In this way, a reciprocating movement of the attachment, which is rotationally fixed with the sleeve insert, is limited relative to the sleeve and two index positions are formed, in which the inner part is fixed relatively to the outer part in two defined rotational positions.
One of the first plate rings comprises recesses, through which fingers projecting from the inner part enter. During a rotational movement of the attachment in one direction, e.g. in a clockwise-direction, the torque is transmitted from the attachment via the sleeve insert and its finger to the plate ring and this plate ring moves the plate ring by form-fitting, so that the inner part being connected with said plate ring is turned. As soon as the stop shoulder is in abutment with the projecting structure in the interior of the sleeve, a further rotation of the attachment is restrained. When turning back, the first ring plate will slide onto the second ring plate. In this rotational direction, a movement is only possible by frictional engagement between the gearings of the plate rings, not by form-fitting. The turning-back is therefore only possible until the plate rings have brought their gearings in engagement, which yields an exact and correct positioning of the inner part relative to the outer part in a defined position. After that, a turning-back of the attachment shall be without a further engagement of the inner part or other parts, since a further movement of the other part is blocked. The turning back of the attachment shall be only possible in so far until the second gearing between the ring plates engages. The attachment then is once more in its none-turned starting position. In this way a precise movement of the inner part by a reciprocating movement of the attachment can be achieved, wherein defined abutment points defining index positions are provided, which facilitate an exact positioning of the inner part being arranged movably in the outer part relative to the outer part.
High quality jewelry, as e.g. the piece of jewelry described in the afore-mentioned publication of the applicant, is characterized not only by the use of particularly expensive materials, but by a high quality manufacturing thereof. A preferred possibility to demonstrate this is providing movable parts in the piece of jewelry, which can be moved—as described before—by a sophisticated mechanism such as the one described before. Such pieces of jewelry in particular address jewelry lovers attaching a great importance to such a complicated mechanism. The mechanism described before allows it to change the optical appearance of such a piece of jewelry by providing an opening in the outer part of the piece of jewelry, through which an area of the inner part, which preferably has got a first pattern, is visible. If the inner part is turned as described before, a second area, having a second pattern, shall become visible. A piece of jewelry designed in this way therefore has got two different appearances, depending on the rotational position of the inner part, and hence is variable in its optical appearance. The mechanical design with two abutment shoulders effects that in each of these two defined index positions the inner part is in a fixed position relative to the outer part.
There is, however, an emerging desire to use simpler mechanisms for high quality jewelry too, while maintaining the functionality, which can be achieved by mechanisms as the one described before. The movement and/or the fixing of the inner part being received in the outer part shall be “playful simple”, but “refined”. In particular the fixing of the inner part relative to the outer part in certain index positions should be achieved in a simple way.
From WO 2010/108297 A1 an ornamental item is known, which comprises an outer part, in which an inner part is received partially visible. The outer part is formed ring-like and the inner part is formed disc-like. The outer part is hinged via a hinge on a mounting unit, which allows the fastening of the ornamental item on an external object. After a pivoting of the outer part including the inner part received in it, it is possible to move the inner part out of the outer part. When the outer part is moved in its closed position, a member of the afore-mentioned hinge forms an abutment, which blocks a pivoting movement of the inner part. By means of a hinged connection of the outer part on a mounting unit, the outer part can be moved in a number of positions between a first end position, in which the outer part is perpendicular to the abutment of the hinge, to a second end position, in which the outer part is parallel to the abutment part, whereby—as already mentioned—in said second end position the member of the hinge engaging the mounting part locks the inner part in the outer part. For securely fixing the inner part in the outer part during its pivotal movement, the outer part comprises two magnet elements and the inner part comprises two complementary magnet elements. By means of such a magnetic bearing the inner part is fixed in the outer part.
According to a second variant described in the afore-mentioned document the outer part consists of two circular plates, which are arranged distant from each other by means of spacers, so that a free space is provided, in which the inner part being formed plate-like is received rotationally. Each of these two plates of the outer part comprises two magnet elements and the plate-like inner part comprises on each of its front face sides complementary magnet elements, so that the inner part is held in the outer part by such a magnetic bearing.
From DE 10 2006 002 671 A1 a method for the mounting of objects in pieces of jewelry is known, in which point-like sharp conical pins are used, which fix the jewelry in such a way that it can turn around an axis defined by these pins. An insert of the known piece of jewelry acting as an ornamental element hence is mounted movably, point-like in such a way that a rotation of the insert up to 360 degrees is possible by an arbitrary influence of a wearer of this jewelry item. By the movement of the insert around the rotational axis each surface/facet of the ornamental element is exposed to incident light in a plurality of different incident angles, so that the reflection area changes, the reflection is increased and the perception of the jewelry insert changes without a change of the position of the viewer. The rotational movement provided in the known piece of jewelry therefore allows the greatest possible view on the surface and the form of the ornamental insert, so that the wearer and the viewer of the jewelry have got, according to the indications given in the afore-mentioned document, an exceptional good insight in the properties of the ornamental elements. In order to facilitate the rotation and the fixing of the ornamental insert in a defined position, a permanent magnet is provided, which cooperates with a permanent magnet in a ring rail.
DE 10 2009 008 409 A1 of the applicant discloses a piece of jewelry with an inner part and at least two outer parts being movable around said inner part. The inner part is traversed by an axis on which the two outer parts are pivotably mounted. A multistable swivel position stabilizer is provided in order to stabilize the outer parts in more than one swivel position. The edges of the two outer parts are designed in such a way that in stable swivel positions edges of two outer parts facing each other abut and the other edges of the outer parts are spaced distant to each other so that an opening is defined, through which the inner part of the afore-described, at least three-part piece of jewelry is visible. According to a variant of the piece of jewelry described in this document it is provided that in the edges of the outer parts pairs of magnets are incorporated. In the first outer part a first magnet is provided in a first edge and a second magnet in second edge. In the edges of the outer part corresponding magnets are provided. When the outer parts are moved around the pivot axis towards each other, co-acting magnets of the two outer parts get in cooperation and effect that in this pivotal position two outer parts are held together by magnetic force. The same applies by a swiveling of the outer parts in a second rotational position. Since the magnets only act between the outer parts, a fixation of the inner part relative to the two outer parts is not possible.
U.S. Pat. No. 922,212 describes a piece of jewelry which is mounted in a fork-like attachment rotably around an axis. For fixing the piece of jewelry in the fork-like mounting, mechanical fastening elements are provided.
It is the object of the present invention to further develop a piece of jewelry of the type mentioned at the beginning so that in a simple way a precise positioning of the inner part relative to the outer part in at least two defined index positions becomes possible.
This object is solved by the piece of jewelry according to the invention in that the inner part is mounted in such a way in the outer part and/or the one or at least one of the openings is dimensioned in such a way that the inner part protrudes the at least one opening or can at least be impacted by the wearer of the piece of jewelry through it, so that the afore-mentioned relative movement of the inner part received in the outer part around said at least one bearing element can be effected, such that by means of said relative movement between the inner part and the outer part the inner part can be moved at least from said first index position, in which said first area of the inner part is visible through the opening, in said second index position, in which said second partial area of the inner part is visible through said opening, that the outer part comprises at least one magnet element and the inner part comprises at least one complementary magnet element, that the magnet element or the magnet elements of the outer part are arranged in it in a defined position, that the magnet element or at least one magnet element of the inner part is provided in or on the inner part in such a way that the magnet element or at least one magnet element can be moved by a relative movement of the inner part towards at least one magnet element of the outer part and through a further relative movement away from it, so that in a first index position and at least in the second index position at least one magnet element of the outer part is in magnetic engagement with at least one magnet element of the inner part.
By means of the measures according to the invention a piece of jewelry is created, which is characterized in that its inner part being movable to the outer part can be moved in two or more defined index positions and can be held in said index positions by means of the magnet elements provided according to the invention. The use of magnet elements according to the invention has got the advantage that in a simple, but refined way a precise positioning of the inner part relative to the outer part of the piece of jewelry is accomplished. The functionality described at the beginning, which up to now in general only can be achieved by a sophisticating mechanical mechanic, can be achieved by the inventive piece of jewelry by the use of magnetic elements which are easy to produce and to handle. By means of a movement, in particular a rotational movement of the inner part of the inventive piece of jewelry relative to the outer part is achieved that different areas of the inner part become visible through the opening of the outer part. If two areas are now designed differently, a variation of the optical appearance of the inventive piece of jewelry can be achieved in a simple way, while it is maintained that the inner part is held in defined index positions by means of the magnet elements provided according to the invention.
A further advantageous development of the invention provides that the outer part comprises at least two magnet elements, which are, in the direction of movement of the inner part, arranged distant from each other, preferably displaced by 180 degrees. Such a measure has got the advantage that, in a basic version of the invention, it is sufficient that the inner part of the piece of jewelry according to the invention only comprises one magnet element, in order to hold the inner part relative to the outer part in two defined index positions.
A further advantageous embodiment of the invention provides that the inner part comprises at least two magnet elements being arranged distant from each other in the direction of movement. For holding the inner part in two different index positions, according to a further basic version of the invention, in advantageous way only one magnet element of the outer part is necessary.
A further advantageous embodiment of the invention provides that the inner part as well as the outer part each comprise at least two magnet elements, so that in the first index position and preferably at least in the second index position the inner part is held by at least two pairs of magnets formed by cooperating magnet elements. Such a measure has got the advantage that in a simple way a reliable holding of the inner part in the respective index position can be achieved.
According to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention the inner part is mounted in the outer part in such a way and/or its opening is dimensioned in such a way that the inner part can be impacted from the outside of the outer part by the wearer of the piece of jewelry. Such a measurement has got the advantage that in this way no further means for moving the inner part in the outer part are necessary. It is, of course, possible, that the inner part is only visible but not operable through the opening of the outer part. In such a case, according to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, an operating element is provided, by which the movement of the inner part in the outer part can be effected.
Further advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject matter of the dependent claims.
Further details and advantages of the invention are disclosed in the preferred embodiments, which are described in the following with reference to the Figures. The Figures show:
In
Preferably, the inner part 20 can be impacted by the wearer of the piece of jewelry 1 with its finger through the opening 13 and/or the opening 13′, so that in this way a rotational movement of the inner part 20 being received in the outer part 10 can be effected. The arrangement of the inner part 20 in the outer part 10 and/or the dimensioning of the opening 13 and/or of the opening 13′ of the outer part 10 is then such that the wearer of the piece of jewelry 1 can impact the inner part 20 through the opening 13 and/or the opening 13′ of the outer part 10 and thus can move. Such a measure has got the advantage that in this way for a movement, in particular for a rotational movement, of the inner part 20 relative to the outer part 10 no further means are required. But it is possible, too, that (not shown in the Figures) an operating element is provided, through which the inner part 20 can be moved relative to the outer part 10.
It is evident for the person skilled in the art from the following description that the design of the half members 11a and 11b forming the outer part 10 described here is not mandatory. Contrary, a variety of designs of the outer part 10 and hence of the half members 11a and 11b is possible, as long as the inner part 20 is received movably, preferably rotationally movable, in the outer part 10.
The outer part 10 comprises a rotation bearing for the inner part 20. In the embodiment described here this bearing has got two bearing elements 14a and 14b, which are provided in the first half member 11a, and two cooperating bearing elements 15a and 15b, whereby in
If—as explained before—the movement of the inner part 20 relative to the outer part 10 is not to be effected by an impact thereof through the opening 13, it is preferably provided that one or both axis elements 21a and/or 21b can protrude the outer part 10 and hence can be impacted from the outside of the outer part 10 for effecting the rotational movement of the inner part 20.
In respect to the design of the inner part 20 is has got to be mentioned that its design as a sphere or sphere-like is not mandatory. Preferred is a design which is rotationally symmetric in respect to the axis of the inner part 20 defined by the axis elements 21a and 21b. As an example for such a rotationally symmetric design, besides the afore-mentioned sphere shapes, the form of an ellipsoid is to be mentioned. Apart from the afore-mentioned spherical forms of the inner part 20, e.g. flat shapes, in particular a plate shape, are possible. It is then preferred that—as described—the second half member 11b is formed plate-like and one or more openings 13 are arranged along its circumference. The rotational axis of the inner part 20 is then preferably perpendicular to the plate and—in the representation of
The inner part 20 comprises, in the embodiment described, a recess 23, which serves for receiving an ornamental element as e.g. a precious stone, a color stone or an ornamental insert, preferably made of precious metal or plated therewith. An ornamental pattern on the surface 20′ of the inner part 20 is possible too.
As it too can be seen from
In the case described it is assumed that the outer part 10 and the inner part 20 each have two magnet elements 18a, 18b and 28a, 28b respectively, which are formed as permanent magnets, so that in the two afore-mentioned index positions oppositely arranged magnet elements 18a, 18b and 28a, 28b attract each other. It is apparent for the person skilled in the art that this is not mandatory. It is possible too that the inner part 20 comprises two magnet elements 28a, 28b, but the outer part 10 only has one magnet element, e.g. the magnet element 18a. Then the “magnetic locking” or “magnetic indexing” formed by cooperating magnet elements is weaker than in the case, in which there are provided two cooperating pairs of magnet elements 18a, 18b and 28a, 28b. But this can be sufficient for a number of applications.
Furthermore, it is possible that the inner part 20 only has got one magnet element, e.g. the magnet element 28a. In this case it is still true that the magnetic fixation of the inner part 20 in the outer part 10, which in this case is only accomplished by one pair of magnet elements formed by two cooperating magnet elements, is weaker than in the case first described, in which two cooperating pairs of magnet elements are provided.
The afore description assumes that the two magnet elements 28a, 28b of the inner part 20 are arranged spaced apart in the circumferential direction, i.e. in the direction of movement of the inner part 20 relative to the outer part 10, by 180°. This is not mandatory too. It is possible too that another angular distance between the two magnet elements 28a and 28b is provided.
Furthermore it is possible that—as it will be described below for a third and a fourth embodiment—the inner part 20 has got more than two magnet elements being disposed along its circumference. In this case more than two index positions are formed.
It is not mandatory that the magnet elements 18a, 18b and 28a, 28b are formed as permanent magnets. A magnetic attraction can be achieved in such a way that only one element of a cooperating magnet element pair is formed as a magnet element and that the other is formed as a magnetizable element, i.e. is formed by a ferromagnetic material or at least comprises a ferromagnetic material. It is e.g. possible, that the magnet elements 18a, 18b of the outer part 10 are formed as permanent magnets and the magnet elements 28a, 28b of the inner part 20 comprises at least in part a ferromagnetic material. The inverse arrangement, namely, that the magnet elements 28a, 28b are formed as permanent magnets and the magnet elements 18a, 18b are ferromagnetic, is possible too. A combination of these measures is possible too.
For the sake of completeness it should be noted in respect to the first embodiment that the connection between the first half member 11a and the second half member 11b is achieved in that the second half member 11b has got projections 19a and 19b, which are formed, in the embodiment described, as parts of the mountings 17a and 17b for the magnet elements 18a and 18b. The first half member 11a has got through openings 19c, 19d, from which in
The piece of jewelry 1 furthermore comprises a mounting element 30, which is fixed by means of a bolt 31 on the outer part 10 of the piece of jewelry 1.
The measures described are in particular of advantage if a piece of jewelry 1 having a variable optical appearance is to be created. In the first index position the inner part 20 is fixed in the outer part 10 in such a way that through the opening 13 of the outer part 10 a first area of the inner part 20 is visible. In the embodiment described the recess 23 of the inner part 20 or a precious stone or an ornamental stone received in the recess 23 is visible. If the inner part 20, starting form said first index position, is turned by 180° then a second area of the surface 20′, which is arranged oppositely to the first area, shall become visible and the inner part 20 is then fixed by cooperating pairs of magnet elements in said second index position.
If, e.g. in the recess 23 of the inner part 20 a precious stone like a diamond or the like is inserted, then this precious stone can be positioned by a movement of the inner part 20 by 180° in a hidden position and can be moved back by a further rotation into its visible position. It is possible too, that the second area being provided opposite to the first area is designed optical different, so that in this way two different optical appearances of the piece of jewelry 1 can be created by a rotation of the inner part 20.
In
In the second embodiment it is exemplarily provided that the connection between the outer part 10 and the inner part 20 as well as the connection with the base body 40 is achieved by screw bolts 19e and 19f, which pass through openings (not shown) of the ring body 40 and the afore-described through openings 19c and 19d of the outer part 10 and engage the projections 19a and 19b of the inner part 20 and assemble the three afore-mentioned parts, as it shown in
In
Of more importance is that it is now provided that the inner part 20 comprises three magnet elements 28a, 28b and 28c, but only one magnet element 18a or 18b is provided in the outer part 10. The magnet elements 28a and 28b being received in recesses 27a and 27b are arranged in a circumferential direction displaced by 90° to each other and are provided on a common turning circle. The second and the third magnet element 28b and 28c are each displaced to the first magnet element 28a by 90° and hence by 180° to each other. In this way, the inner part 20 is provided with three magnet elements 28a-28c, which are displaced by 90° to each other, so that they extend over a circumferential area of 270°. This has got the effect that the third embodiment now has got three index positions, in which a “magnetic locking” or a “magnetic indexing” of the inner part 20 relative to the outer part 10 is possible.
In
Summarizing, it is to be stated that by the described measures, namely by the cooperation of at least one magnet element 18a and/or 18b of the outer part 10 and at least one magnet element 28a-28d of the inner part 20 an indexed positioning of the inner part 20 relative to the outer part 10 in at least two index positions can be achieved. A piece of jewelry 1 is created in which in a simple way the inner part 20 being movably received in the outer part 10 can be held in two, preferably in several index positions in a defined place, so that then different areas of the inner part 20 are visible through the openings 13 and 13′ respectively.
The use of magnet elements 18a, 18b as well as 28a-28d has got the advantage that a precise positioning of the inner part 20 in defined index positions can be achieved without requiring complicated mechanical constructions therefore.
In summary, a piece of jewelry has an outer part and an inner part movably received in the interior of the outer part so as to allow a relative movement between the inner part and the outer part in a direction of movement. The outer part surrounding the inner part has at least one opening through which at least one sub-region of the surface of the inner part is visible. The inner part can be fixed in a first index position, in which a first sub-region of the inner part is visible through the opening, and in at least one second index exposition, in which a second sub-region of the inner part is visible through the opening, relative to the outer part. The outer part has at least one magnet element, and the inner part has at least one complementary magnet element. The magnet element or the magnet elements of the outer part is/are arranged in the outer part in a defined position. The magnet element or at least one magnet element of the inner part is arranged on or in the inner part such that the magnet element or at least one magnet element can be moved closer to the at least one magnet element of the outer part by means of the relative movement of the inner part and can be moved away from the at least one magnet element by means of another relative movement of the inner part so that in the first index position and at least in the second index position, at least one respective magnet element of the outer part interacts magnetically with at least one magnet element of the inner part.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2015 001 849.3 | Feb 2015 | DE | national |
| 20 2015 001 151.9 | Feb 2015 | DE | national |
This continuation application claims priority to PCT/EP2016/000265 filed on Feb. 17, 2016 which has published as WO 2016/131540 A1 and also the German application numbers 10 2015 001 849.3 filed on Feb. 17, 2015 and 20 2015 001 151.9 filed on Feb. 17, 2015, the entire contents of which are fully incorporated herein with these references.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | PCT/EP2016/000265 | Feb 2016 | US |
| Child | 15677285 | US |
