Device comprising decorative object having restrained freedom to move and suspended in fluid

Abstract

To provide a device that changes outward appearance in animating, tilting, or moving.SOLUTION: A device is a wearable article, and comprises: an image surface which has a visible image; a sealed fluid capsule which includes a transparent fluid; and a solid optical lens element which is dipped completely in the fluid, and has a freedom to move in the capsule, wherein the capsule comprises at least one transparent wall through which the image surface is visible, the optical lens element moves in a direction crossing the image surface with gravitational force and / or inertial force, and a certain region of the image surface is therefore temporarily enlarged, thereby producing animated visual effect.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 13A

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This invention claims the benefit of, incorporates by reference and relies on U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 828,672, filed April 3, 2019, and International Patent Application No. PCT / IB2019 / 058379, filed October 2, 2019, the contents of which are all understood to contribute to solving the technical problem underlying the invention in order to define the features sought to be protected, and certain features are deemed to be of particular importance as referred to herein. COPYRIGHT AND LEGAL NOTICES

[0002] Portions of the disclosure of this patent document contain material that is subject to copyright protection. Applicant has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent records, but otherwise reserves all copyrights. Furthermore, the disclosure of any third party patent or article in this application should not be construed as an admission that the present invention is not entitled to antedate such material by virtue of prior art. [Background technology]

[0003] The present invention relates to wearable accessories such as jewelry.

[0004] Most jewelry is an object with semi-permanent shape and decoration.

[0005] New methods are needed to allow jewelry to change appearance, making them more lifelike. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

[0006] A system and method / apparatus is provided that provides a means for creating visually lifelike decoration for personal jewelry. The system is a decorative wearable device that includes at least one decorative element mechanically and movably suspended in a fluid by a mechanical fixation element. The fluid shares approximately the same refractive index as at least one of the mechanical fixation or movable elements.

[0007] The object of the present invention is to animate, tilt or move decorations.

[0008] Another object of the present invention is to provide a device that changes appearance when animated, tilted, or moved.

[0009] It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an invisible, partially tiltable or movable fixation to an object and the resulting attractive effect. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] The accompanying drawings illustrate different embodiments of the present subject matter. [Figure 1A] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a fastening device of the present invention having a decorative element. [Figure 1B] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a first alternative fixation device of the present invention. [Figure 1C] 1B is a cross-sectional view of the fastening device of FIG. 1A with a decorative element in another position. [Figure 1D] 1D is a cross-sectional view of the first alternative fastening device of FIG. 1C with the decorative element in another position. [Figure 1E] 10A-10C are a series of cross-sectional views of a second alternative fixation device of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a plan view schematic diagram of a watch face using elements of the present invention. [Figure 3A] 1 is a schematic plan view of an animated facial ornament according to the present invention; [Figure 3B] FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view of the decoration of FIG. 3A. [Figure 4A] 10 is a schematic plan view of another animated facial ornament according to the present invention; FIG. [Figure 4B] FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view of the decoration of FIG. 4A. [Figure 5A] 10 is a schematic plan view of another animated facial decoration according to the present invention; FIG. [Figure 5B] FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view of the decoration of FIG. 5A. [Figure 5C] FIG. 5B is another cross-sectional view of the decoration of FIG. 5A. [Figure 5D] 10 is a schematic plan view of another animated facial ornament according to the present invention; FIG. [Figure 5E] 10 is a schematic plan view of another animated facial decoration according to the present invention; FIG. [Figure 6A] FIG. 10 is a plan view of another animated facial decoration according to the present invention. [Figure 6B] FIG. 6B is a plan view of the ornament of FIG. 6A rotated 180 degrees. [Figure 6C] FIG. 6B is a right side view of the ornament of FIG. 6A. [Figure 6D] FIG. 6B is a plan view of the view of FIG. 6A in which the fixation is not visible. [Figure 6E] FIG. 6B is a plan view of the decoration suspended within the device of FIGS. 6A-6D. [Figure 7A] 10 is a cross-sectional view of another animated facial ornament according to the present invention. FIG. [Figure 7B] FIG. 7B shows the decorative element of FIG. 7A moving to the left. [Figure 8A] FIG. 10 is a side view of another fixation on the table. [Figure 8B] FIG. 8B is a side view of another fixation, showing the fixation of FIG. 8A tilted. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a plan view of another fixation device of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a plan view of another fixation device of the present invention. [Figure 11A] 1 is a schematic diagram of a fixation device of the present invention conveying different messages. [Figure 11B] 1 is a schematic diagram of a fixation device of the present invention conveying different messages. [Figure 12A] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a further embodiment. [Figure 12B] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a further embodiment. [Figure 12C] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a further embodiment. [Figure 13A] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a further embodiment. [Figure 13B] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a further embodiment. [Figure 14A] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a further embodiment. [Figure 14B] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a further embodiment. [Figure 14C] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a further embodiment. [Figure 15A] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a further embodiment. [Figure 15B] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a further embodiment. [Figure 16A] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a further embodiment. [Figure 16B] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a further embodiment. [Figure 16C] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a further embodiment. [Figure 17A] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a further embodiment. [Figure 17B] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a further embodiment. [Figure 17C] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a further embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a further embodiment.

[0011] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that elements illustrated in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to facilitate a better understanding of various embodiments of the present invention. Furthermore, as used herein, terms such as "first," "second," and the like are used to distinguish between similar elements, among other things, and do not necessarily denote a sequential or chronological order. Furthermore, terms such as "front," "back," "planar," "bottom," and the like in the specification and / or claims are used for convenience only and do not necessarily collectively denote definitive relative positions. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that such terms may be substituted under appropriate circumstances, for example, when the various embodiments disclosed herein are operable in orientations other than those explicitly illustrated or described. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] The following description is exemplary in nature and describes the best mode of the invention known to the inventors at the time of filing, and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way. Consequently, the arrangement and / or function of any element in the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein may be changed without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

[0013] The system according to the present invention includes at least one decorative element mechanically and movably suspended in a fluid by a mechanical fixation element, the fluid sharing approximately the same refractive index as at least one of the mechanical fixation or movable elements.

[0014] 1A to 1E, a system 100 includes one or more floating decorative elements 102, each of which has limited freedom of movement or tilt. The floating decorative elements 102 may include movable posts or standoffs 104 (machined from bulk material and mechanically held in place, or individually assembled into recesses 106). Movement is limited, for example, to a certain angle in all planar directions, by the geometry of the edges 110 of the recesses 106 (e.g., in loose dovetail interconnections that allow sufficient permeability for movement). The posts 104 may have larger tops 112, which may be coated with gold 114 to achieve a paillette or glitter effect from light reflection, for example, when juxtaposed with other floating decorative elements 102. The posts 104 may also be coated with other metals as described herein. A protective layer (not disclosed, but covering the surface to provide isolation) may also be applied to prevent reactions between the posts and the ambient fluid 116. Combinations of different types of layers are possible. Individual precious gold pieces or decorations may also be placed on the pillar 104 or its upper portion 112 .

[0015] 1B and 1E, the tilt of the floating decorative element 102 can be enhanced or facilitated by geometric features (such as sloping surfaces 120, 120', 120'', etc.) under the posts 104. Additionally, a combination of post / recess shapes can alternatively be used or combined to predetermine the tilt direction.

[0016] 1E, the floating decorative element 102 may be held between a bottom plate 130 and a top plate 132. The bottom plate 130 and the top plate 132 are advantageously made of a material having a refractive index similar to that of the surrounding fluid 116 so as to be substantially invisible to the wearer.

[0017] The material of the posts and supports is made of a glass material in which an index matching liquid can be found.

[0018] 2, a system 200 of glass chain mesh 202 is machined from a bulk glass material in which an index-matching liquid 206 can be found. The glass chain mesh 202 includes links 222 that connect to knots 224 and a frame 212. A frame bridge 214 defines a watch face 216 that may include hands or another indicator such as temperature.

[0019] The mesh 202 is suspended within a frame of the same bulk material. By configuring the mesh links 222 in this manner, the mesh interlocking knots 224 are allowed limited movement in a plane. The knots 224 may be configured to include a larger surface, which may be coated or otherwise attached. Decorative elements 204 may be attached to the links or knots to form images.

[0020] 3A-3B, in system 300, decorative moving part 302 is guided by channel 312. Substrate 310 is made of a transparent material, and channel 312 may be etched, for example, by a laser. Alternative processes for creating channel 312 in substrate 310 may include chemical etching, spark-assisted chemical etching, mechanical etching, injection molding, hot embossing, or any combination of these processes. Decorative moving part 302 may be comprised of a support 304 made of any material that can slide in channel 312. An optional precious gold element 306 may be attached to support 304.

[0021] Fluid 326 fills cavity 314 matching the refractive index of substrate 310, making channel 312 invisible. For example, crystal 316 blocks cavity 314 and is made of a transparent material. Fluid 326 may also be a liquid and may act as a lubricant on the system. The liquid may be clear or colored.

[0022] Gravity is the actuating principle, but gravity can be replaced by any other actuating principle that produces acceleration and deceleration forces.

[0023] The geometry of these slideways, consisting of moving portions 302 and channels 312, is selected to prevent the system from getting stuck in a position.

[0024] The support 304 of the decorative moving part 302 may be rounded so that the moving part can rotate within the channel 312, thereby changing the orientation of the precious gold element 306. On the other hand, the shape of the support 304 may be designed to limit the rotation of the decorative moving part 302.

[0025] 4A-4B, in system 400, decorative transfer part 402 is guided in rotation about posts 412. Substrate 410 is made of a transparent material, and posts 412 may be etched, for example, by a laser. Alternative processes for creating posts 412 in substrate 410 may include chemical etching, spark-assisted chemical etching, mechanical etching, injection molding, hot embossing, or any combination of these processes. Decorative transfer part 402 may be comprised of a support 404, to which an optional precious gold element 406 may be attached. Support 404 may be made of the same transparent material. Support 404 may be concealed by precious gold element 406.

[0026] Fluid 426 fills cavity 414 matching the refractive index of the transmissive material, making posts 412 and supports 404 invisible. Fluid 426 may also be a liquid and may act as a lubricant on the system. Liquid 426 may be clear or colored.

[0027] Gravity is the operating principle, but gravity can be replaced by any other accelerating and decelerating force.

[0028] The geometry of the rotating part is chosen to prevent the system from getting stuck in a position: the support 404 of the rotating part may be constrained in its movement by etched structures in the substrate 410.

[0029] Counterintuitive motion can be created when the rotating part has more mass on the opposite side of the axis of rotation defined by post 412, as shown by nose 416 in FIG. 4A.

[0030] 5A to 5E, in system 500, solid decorative elements 502 are fixed to fine fibers 506 and surrounded by a fluid 510. The fibers 506 have the same refractive index as the surrounding fluid 510 and are therefore invisible. The fluid may be a liquid. The fluid may be clear or colored. The twisting of the fibers 506 causes the solid decorative elements 502 to twist slightly around the fibers, creating the effect of movement.

[0031] In one embodiment, flow 512 of fluid 510 is caused by contraction of first flexible chamber 514. The contraction of first flexible chamber 514 displaces fluid 510, filling second flexible chamber 516, and when pressure in first flexible chamber 514 is released, fibers 506 return to their original state, causing flow in the opposite direction. First flexible chamber 514 can be actuated manually or by mechanical system 520. Of course, the positioning of flexible chambers 514, 516 disclosed herein is by way of example only and may be arranged differently.

[0032] Referring now to Figures 6A to 6E, a system 600 includes a chamber with one or more fibers 606 attached to the sidewall of the chamber, spaced apart from each other or at predetermined intervals, all surrounded by a fluid 610. The fibers 606 have the same refractive index as the fluid 610 so as to be invisible. The fluid may be transparent or colored. A movable solid decorative element 602 can move along the fiber 606 and is guided by and connected to the fiber 606 through holes 620. Optionally, several stop elements 622, made with a refractive index similar to that of the fluid, are fixed at specific locations on the fiber 606 to limit the displacement of the movable decorative element 602 along the fiber 606. Depending on the orientation of the device and the position of the stop elements, the movable decorative element 602 is arranged in a predetermined pattern. For example, horizontally when the device is vertical, or randomly when the device is upside down. In one embodiment, the one or more movable decorative elements 602 may be composed of precious gold elements 630, or precious gold elements may be attached to one or more movable elements. The movable decorative element 602 may be guided by two fibers to ensure a defined orientation.

[0033] Referring now to FIGS. 7A-7B and 8A-8B, a system 700 can be integrated into wearable jewelry and includes a decorative element 702. The system may move in one or more directions driven by gravity, the movement of a user wearing the jewelry, an external force, the user actuating the movement of an ambient fluid 726, or a mechanical transmission that moves a guide element 706. The mechanical transmission may be activated by the user or a clock system, which may be electrically or mechanically powered and / or electronically controlled. The decorative element 702 is attached to the guide element 706 by an attachment 704. The attachment 704 may be completely rigid, allowing some freedom of movement (flexibility in one or more directions). The guide element 706 may have the same refractive index as the ambient fluid 726 so as to be invisible. The guide element 706 is attached to a support 722 by a guide feature 724, which in turn may be attached to a decorative image background, for example. The support 722 may have the same refractive index as the surrounding fluid 726 so as to be invisible. The surrounding fluid 726 may be liquid. The surrounding fluid 726 may be clear or colored. The guide features 724 for the guide element 706 provide one or more directions of freedom of movement. The decorative element 702 may move due to gravity, movement of the surrounding fluid 726, mechanical action on the guide element 706, or any combination thereof.

[0034] 7A-7B show an example of limited free linear movement of decorative element 702 relative to support 724. Figures 8A-8B show an example of limited free rotational movement of decorative element 702 relative to support 724.

[0035] 9 and 10, decorative element 802 is guided by a channel 804 and moved by a transmission element 806 that transmits the movement generated by the user using a pulley 820, a slider 822, or any other suitable mechanism (not disclosed herein). Alternatively, the movement may be generated by a clock system, which may be electrically or mechanically powered and electronically controlled. Guiding decorative element 802 within channel 804 allows the system 800 some freedom in multiple directions, giving it a more lifelike behavior as it moves against gravity or is accelerated in any direction by its wearer. The parts of the transmission mechanism present in the visible area of ​​jewelry 810 may be made of a material with a refractive index similar to that of the surrounding fluid, so as to be invisible. For example, transmission element 806 may advantageously be made of glass fiber. The surrounding fluid may be a liquid, which may be transparent or colored. The portions of the transmission mechanism that reside in the non-visible area of ​​the jewelry 812 may be made of any material suitable for its function.

[0036] The system may be configured to provide a "lifelike" impression for a given image, i.e., the image remains the same while its parts move randomly, but also to generate different predefined images depending on different orientations of the system or the position of the moving elements actuated by the activation of animations. Figures 11A and 11B show an example where the orientation of the mouth changes the image.

[0037] 12A-12C, the decorative element 1202 may be a thread with a fiber, weight 1204, attached to it. The thread 1202 may be attached to one or both ends of the interior of the fluid capsule 1200. The material of the weight 1204 may be selected to have a refractive index similar to that of one or more fluids 1206 contained in the capsule 1200, making it essentially invisible to the wearer. The effect of gravity on the weight 1204, combined with the physical properties of the fluid(s) 1206, such as viscosity and specific gravity, and the wearer's movements, result in movement of the thread 1202 and weight 1204. If the specific gravity of the fluid 1206 surrounding the weight 1204 is greater than the specific gravity of the weight, the weight will tend to float. If the opposite is true, the weight will tend to sink. In this way, the thread 1202 gives the impression of a living organism or animated decorative structure. For example, decorative elements visible to the eye of others can be added to the thread to represent the leaves or flowers of a plant, the limbs of an animal, or simply as additional figurative or non-figurative decorative elements.

[0038] 13A-13B, the decorative element may be a fixed image 1302 that the wearer views through a regularly or irregularly shaped optical lens 1304. The optical lens 1304 has some freedom of movement allowed by its shape in combination with the internal shape of the fluid capsule 1300. The wearer's movement, combined with the effects of gravity on the mass of the optical lens 1304 and the physical properties (such as viscosity and specific gravity) of one or more surrounding fluids 1306, produces movement of the optical lens relative to the fixed image 1302. Such movement creates the illusion of animation for the fixed image 1302.

[0039] 14A-14C, the decorative element is a fixed image 1402 that the wearer sees through a decorated transparent plate 1404, and such decoration may be a regular pattern such as a grid 1412, 1414. The decorated transparent plate 1404 has some freedom of movement, permitted by its shape in combination with the internal shape of the fluid capsule 1400. The wearer's movement, combined with the effect of gravity on the mass of the decorated transparent plate 1404, further combines with the physical properties (such as viscosity and specific gravity) of one or more surrounding fluids 1406 to produce optical lens movement relative to the fixed image 1402. Such movement creates the illusion of animation in the fixed image 1402. If carefully selected, the patterns of the fixed image 1402 and the decorated transparent plate 1404 can produce a moiré effect. A moiré pattern, or moiré fringes, is a large-scale interference pattern that can result when a transparent, gapped, opaque ruled pattern is superimposed on another similar pattern. For Moiré interference fringes to appear, the two patterns must not be perfectly identical, but rather must be shifted, rotated, or have a slightly different pitch. Moiré patterns appear in a variety of contexts: in printing, where patterns of printed dots interfere with the image; in television and digital photography, where the pattern of the object being photographed interferes with the shape of the light sensor, causing unwanted artifacts; and they can also be created intentionally. They are used to amplify the effects of very small movements, measured in micrometers.

[0040] Referring to FIGS. 15A-15B, the decorative element may be a combination of moving elements 1502 that move freely within cavities 1510 separated by one or more transparent flexible films 1504 within a fluid capsule 1500. Separating the fluid capsule 1500 into cavities 1510 allows the moving elements 1502 to collide and move freely. The flexible films 1504 may be highly flexible and have one or more holes or openings to allow circulation of the fluid 1506 between the cavities 1510. The flexible films may be attached only to limited locations within the fluid capsule to increase freedom of movement. The refractive index of the films 1504 may be selected to be close to the refractive index of the surrounding fluid 1506. The films may have visible components attached to them or may be printed with decorations that appear to come alive as the films move.

[0041] Referring to Figures 16A-16C, decorative elements 1602 may be made of chains of articulated elements 1610 with limited degrees of freedom of movement. The chains 1602 may be attached to the fluid capsule 1600 at one end and free to move at the other end. Some of the articulated elements 1610 may be made of a material with the same refractive index as the surrounding fluid 1606 to make them substantially invisible, while others may be made of decorative elements made of an optional rare material. The joints 1612 between the elements 1610 may allow limited or complete degrees of freedom of movement. If the joints 1612 limit the degrees of freedom of movement to a plane, several chains 1602 may be placed alongside each other, or several layers of chains 1602 may be placed in front of each other to create a 3D landscape.

[0042] 17A-17C, the decorative element 1702 may be formed in any of the forms described above, and the fluid capsule 1700 may include at least one freely movable moving element 1704 that is actuated by a combination of its density relative to the density of the fluid 1706 and the orientation of the capsule 1700 relative to gravity. Some of the at least one moving element 1704 may share a refractive index substantially similar to that of the fluid 1706 contained in the capsule 1700 so as to be invisible to a viewer. The movement of the moving element 1704 may result in a collision with the decorative element 1702, increasing the movement of the moving element and thereby increasing the animation effect. The decorative element 1702 may include a protrusion 1710 to facilitate the occurrence of a collision with the moving element 1704. The protrusion 1710 may share a refractive index substantially similar to that of the fluid 1706 contained in the capsule 1700 so as to be invisible to a viewer.

[0043] 18, decorative element 1802 may be formed from at least one rigid or flexible element as described above and attached to fluid capsule 1800 via a joint 1804 that is actuated by a combination of its own weight and the orientation of capsule 1800 relative to gravity. Portions of at least one rigid or flexible element 1802 and joint 1804 may share a refractive index substantially similar to the refractive index of fluid 1806 contained in capsule 1800 so as to be invisible to an observer.

[0044] The decorative elements together form one or more images. It is understood throughout this application that the images may be representational or non-representational. The decorative elements may be of various sizes and shapes, may be made of polymers, metals, precious metals, crystals, diamonds, encapsulated fluids or gels, or any other decorative element suitable for the purpose of creating the image or images.

[0045] The fluid capsules 1200, 1300, 1400, 1500, 1600, 1700, 1800 are comprised of a base plate, side walls, and a transparent window, which may be formed of sapphire, glass, plastic, or other suitable transparent material, and filled with one or more fluids 1206, 1306, 1406, 1506, 1606, 1706, 1806, which have a viscosity, refractive index, and specific gravity selected to interact with the decorative moving elements and to provide a variable degree of visibility to the user. The base plates of the fluid capsules 1200, 1300, 1400, 1500, 1600, 1700, 1800 may be formed of a transparent material to allow the wearer to see elements placed below the fluid capsule through the fluid capsule.

[0046] Some moving elements may be hidden in the invisible parts of the system and revealed when animation is activated.

[0047] Several moving elements may hide each other at any position in the system, and when an animation is activated the hidden moving elements suddenly appear.

[0048] Some elements may change color when they overlap each other, for example a translucent yellow area over a translucent blue area will appear green.

[0049] It should be understood that the particular embodiments disclosed and described herein are exemplary and illustrate the best mode of the invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way.

[0050] Advantageously, the present system and method / apparatus creates visually vibrant decorations for personal accessories.

[0051] Another advantage is that the present invention provides movement to the decoration.

[0052] Another advantage is that the present invention changes its appearance when in motion.

[0053] As a further advantage, the present invention provides an invisible and partially movable fixation to an object, thereby providing an attractive effect.

[0054] As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, the present invention may be embodied as a system, device or method.

[0055] The system of the present application is also intended for use, sale and / or distribution of any goods, services or information having similar functionality to the present application.

[0056] The present specification and drawings should be understood as illustrative rather than limiting, and all modifications described herein are intended to be encompassed within the scope of the invention as claimed herein. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention should be determined by the appended claims (whether existing, or as subsequently amended or added, or their legal equivalents), and not by the mere illustrative examples described above. The steps recited in all method or process claims may be performed in any order unless otherwise specified, and are not limited to the specific order recited in the claims. Furthermore, the elements and / or components recited in apparatus claims may be assembled or operatively configured in various permutations to achieve essentially the same results. In general, the present invention is not limited to the specific configurations recited in the claims.

[0057] The benefits, advantages, or solutions described herein should not be construed as essential, critical, or essential features or elements of any claim.

[0058] As used herein, the terms "consisting of," "composed of," and similar phrases are used to express a non-limiting list of elements, and the device, process, method, article, or composition of the present invention comprising that list of elements may include not only the listed elements, but also other elements described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "comprising," or "essentially comprising" are not intended to limit the scope of the invention to only the listed elements, unless otherwise specified. The combinations and / or modifications of the above-described elements, materials, or structures used in practicing the present invention may be modified or adapted to other designs by those skilled in the art without departing from the general principles of the present invention.

[0059] The above-cited patents and articles are incorporated herein by reference to the extent they do not contradict this disclosure, unless otherwise stated.

[0060] The invention can be summarized as having the following set of features: 1. At least one decorative element (102, 204, 302, 402, 502, 602, 702, 802, 1202, 1302, 1304, 1402, 1404, 1502, 1602, 1702, 1706, 1806) mechanically and movably suspended in a fluid (116, 206, 326, 426, 510, 610, 726, 826, 1206, 1306, 1406, 1506, 1606, 1706, 1806) by a mechanical fixing element. 04, 1802), wherein a combination of changes in (a) density of a decorative element, (b) density of a fluid, (c) viscosity of the fluid, and / or (d) orientation of the system relative to gravity causes movement of the at least one decorative element. 2. The system of Feature Set 1, wherein the at least one decorative element (102, 204, 302, 402, 502, 602, 702, 802, 1202, 1302, 1304, 1402, 14040, 1502, 1602, 1702, 1704, 1802) includes at least one floating element, the movement being accentuated by locally varying the density of the floating element, such that when the density of the floating element is less than the density of the fluid, the floating element tends to float and tilt the decorative element upward, and when the density of the floating element is greater than the density of the fluid, the floating element tends to sink and tilt the decorative element downward. 3. The system of feature set 2, wherein said at least one floating element shares a refractive index similar to that of said fluid so as to be invisible to an observer. 4. The system of any one of features sets 1 to 3, wherein the at least one decorative element is a flexible thread. 5. The system of any one of feature sets 1 to 3, wherein the at least one decorative element is a linked chain (202, 1602). 6. The system of any one of feature sets 1 to 3, wherein the at least one decorative element is rigid and the mechanical fixing element is a joint (1610, 1804). 7. A system of the preceding feature set including a moving element that moves freely and operates due to a combination of its own density relative to the density of the fluid and a change in the orientation of the system relative to gravity. 8. The system of Feature Set 7, wherein the moving element collides with the at least one decorative element to enhance the animation effect. 9. The system of feature set 8, wherein at least one of said moving elements shares a refractive index comparable to that of said fluid so as to be invisible to an observer. 10. The system of feature set 9, wherein at least one of the decorative elements has at least one protrusion (1710) to make it more likely that a collision will occur with at least one of the moving elements. 11. The system of feature set 1, wherein the system is a wristwatch having a casing sealed with a crystal, the fluid being enclosed within the casing visible to the wearer through the crystal. 12. The decorative element (102, 204, 302, 402, 502, 602, 702, 802, 1202, 1302, 1304, 1402, 1404, 1502, 1602, 1702, 1704, 1802) comprises a fiber attached at one or both ends within a fluid capsule, the fiber absorbing one or more fluids (116, 206, 326, 426, 510, 610, 726, 826, 1206, 1306, 1406, 1506, 1606, 1706, 1806) contained in the fluid capsule in a manner that is essentially invisible to the wearer. a fixed image seen by the wearer through a decorated transparent plate, said decorative element being selected from the group consisting of: a thread with weights attached thereto, selected to have a refractive index equivalent to the refractive index of the wearer; a fixed image seen by the wearer through an optical lens of regular or irregular shape; and a fixed image seen by the wearer through a decorated transparent plate, said decorative element optionally being a combination of a regular pattern such as a grid, a movable element that moves freely within a cavity separated by one or more transparent flexible films within a fluid capsule, and a chain of articulated elements with limited degrees of freedom of movement. 13. A system of any of the preceding feature sets in which the effect of gravity on the weight, combined with the physical properties of one or more fluids and the movement of the wearer, produces movement of the fibers or yarns. 14. The system of said characteristic set wherein one or more physical properties of the fluid are viscosity or specific gravity. 15. A system of said set of characteristics wherein when the specific gravity of the fluid (116, 206, 326, 426, 510, 610, 726, 826, 1206, 1306, 1406, 1506, 1606, 1706, 1806) surrounding the sinker is greater than the specific gravity of the sinker, the sinker tends to float, and when the opposite is true, the sinker tends to sink, giving the thread the impression of a living organism or an animated decorative structure. 16. A system of said feature set in which other visible decorative elements (114, 204, 306, 502, 602, 702, 802, 1204, 1304, 1404) are added to the thread, for example to represent the leaves or flowers of a plant, the limbs of an organism, or simply as additional figurative or non-figurative decorative elements. 17. The optical lens connected to system 1300, 1400 has a degree of freedom of movement allowed by its shape in combination with the internal shape of the fluid capsule, and the effects of gravity on the mass of the optical lens combined with the movement of the wearer and the physical properties of one or more surrounding fluids (116, 206, 326, 426, 510, 610, 726, 826, 1206, 1306, 1406, 1506, 1606, 1706, 1806) produce movement of the optical lens (1304) relative to a fixed image, thereby creating the illusion of animation in the fixed image. 18. The system of any one of the preceding feature sets, wherein a physical property of one or more of the fluids (116, 206, 326, 426, 510, 610, 726, 826, 1206, 1306, 1406, 1506, 1606, 1706, 1806) is viscosity or specific gravity. 19. The system of feature set 12, comprising a grid (1412, 1414), the grid (1412, 1414) optically interfering with a fixed image pattern and a decorated transparent plate producing a moire effect. 20. A method comprising: using the system of Feature Set 1 to animate decorative objects, such as personal wearable devices, watches, jewelry, leather goods, apparel, accessories, and the like. 21. The system of any preceding feature set including the thermal compensation system disclosed in PCT Application No. PCT / IB2015 / 000448. 22. The system of any of the preceding feature sets including a motorized special effects element and power generation system as disclosed in PCT Application No. PCT / IB2016 / 000249. 23. The systems and / or methods described in the specification, dependent feature sets, abstract (incorporated herein by reference), and / or drawings.

[0061] Other features and embodiments of the invention are set forth in the appended claims.

[0062] The materials used to implement the present invention are selected to be suitable and compatible with the operating temperature range of the present invention, such as metal, polymer or glass, in particular sapphire glass, and likewise, in the case of structures used to implement the present invention, such as bellows, chips or intrinsic membranes, are selected to be suitable and compatible with the operating temperature range of the present invention.

[0063] The present system may also include a thermal compensation system, which includes a mechanism for accommodating the thermal expansion and / or contraction of the liquid, to avoid the development of unacceptable high pressures in the event of elevated temperatures that could cause the liquid to leak out of the system, and the development of unattractive bubbles in the liquid in the event of low temperatures. Such thermal compensation may be partially or completely invisible to the wearer. Such a system is disclosed in commonly assigned PCT Application No. PCT / IB2015 / 000448, entitled "System and Method for Absorption / Expansion / Contraction / Movement of Liquid in a Transparent Cavity," filed April 7, 2015, the contents of which are incorporated by reference and relied upon herein.

[0064] The present invention may also accommodate and utilize a small, portable, user-powered device, preferably wearable, that utilizes mechanical energy storage to activate power-consuming elements, incorporating small, special-effect elements that are activated on demand for limited-time backlighting, illumination, or other special-effect purposes without the need for batteries or other electrochemical storage devices. The device includes a manual spring-loaded mechanism, a spiral spring, a manual trigger mechanism, a transmission for increasing rotational speed, a small generator, and at least one power-consuming element, such as a transmitter or light source, preferably a light-emitting diode. Such a device is disclosed in commonly-owned PCT Application No. PCT / IB2016 / 000249, entitled "User-Powered Miniature Lighting Devices, Systems, and Methods for Use Thereof," filed March 7, 2016, the contents of which are incorporated by reference.

[0065] Furthermore, the invention is considered to consist of all possible combinations of all features described in this specification, the appended claims and / or drawings that are considered to be novel, inventive and industrially applicable.

[0066] Copyright is held by the applicant or its assignees, and the express licensing of the rights defined in one or more claims to third parties does not grant any implied license to use the invention as defined in the remaining claims. Furthermore, no express or implied license is granted to the public or to any third party to create derivative works based on this application, including any computer programs contained in this appendix and herein.

[0067] Additional features and functionality of the present invention are set forth in the accompanying claims and / or abstract, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety and are considered part of the filed application.

[0068] Various modifications and improvements can be made to the above-described embodiments of the invention. While certain specific embodiments of the invention have been disclosed and described, a wide range of changes, modifications, and substitutions are contemplated in the above-described embodiments. While the above description contains many specific details, these should not be considered as limitations on the scope of the invention, but rather as an exemplification of one or more preferred embodiments. In some cases, some features of the invention are employed without the corresponding use of other features. Therefore, the above description should be construed broadly and understood as merely exemplary, with the spirit and scope of the invention being limited only by the claims ultimately issued on this application.

Claims

1. A wearable article comprising: (a) an image surface having a visible image thereon; (b) a sealed fluid capsule containing a transparent fluid; (c) a solid optical lens element fully immersed in the fluid and having freedom of movement within the capsule; Equipped with the capsule has at least one transparent wall through which the image surface is visible; A wearable article, characterized in that movement of the wearable article causes the optical lens elements to move across the image surface under gravity and / or inertial forces, thereby temporarily magnifying certain areas of the image surface and creating an animated visual effect.

2. 10. The article of claim 1, wherein the interior shape of the capsule cooperates with the exterior shape of the optical lens element to limit the optical lens element's range of movement across the image plane.

3. 10. The article of claim 1, wherein the transparent wall of the capsule has a refractive index substantially the same as that of the fluid so as to be substantially invisible.

4. 10. The article of claim 1, further comprising at least one flexible chamber that is contracted to cause fluid within the fluid capsule to flow and move the lens element.

5. The article of claim 1 , wherein the fluid capsule includes a thermal compensation system configured to accommodate thermal expansion or contraction of the fluid.

6. 10. The article of claim 1, wherein the transparent fluid is colored to provide a decorative effect.

7. 10. The article of claim 1, wherein relative movement between a transparent element having a regular pattern and the image surface is configured to produce Moire fringes or optical interference effects.

8. The wearable article is selected from personal wearable devices, watches, jewelry, leather goods, apparel, and accessories.

9. The wearable article of claim 1 , wherein the fluid is a liquid.

10. A wearable article comprising: (a) an image surface having a visible image thereon; (b) a sealed fluid capsule positioned so that the image surface is visible, the fluid capsule containing a colored liquid that is not completely transparent to visible light; (c) a solid optical lens element completely immersed in the colored liquid and movable within the capsule; Equipped with A wearable article, wherein movement of the wearable article causes movement of the lens elements across the image surface, thereby temporarily magnifying or optically altering a region of the image surface.

11. A method of operating a wearable article according to any one of claims 1 to 10, comprising: moving the article such that the optical lens element immersed in the fluid moves across a region of the image plane, temporarily magnifying or optically altering the region to a viewer.

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