Ornament

Abstract

To provide an ornament capable of maintaining, over a long period of time, a function of holding an arbitrary relative position during a relative rotation process of first and second members connected via a crimped shaft member.SOLUTION: A base portion 5 of a second member 2 made of a precious metal is inserted between a pair of leg portions 3, 4 of a first member 1 made of a precious metal, and first and second plate members 9-12 each made of a non-precious metal are interposed between the base portion 5 and the leg portions 3, 4. These are connected by a shaft member 8 made of a precious metal. In the first and second plate members 9-12, contact surfaces on sides that contact the first and second members 1, 2 are rough surfaces 9b, 10b, 11b, 12b, and opposite surfaces are smooth surfaces 9a, 10a, 11a, 12a. The smooth surfaces are actively slid against each other, while sliding on the contact surface sides is made less likely to occur, thereby preventing wear of the precious metal.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to jewelry such as earrings and rings, in which a pair of members are connected so as to be rotatable relative to one another. [Background technology]

[0002] Earrings have been worn by pinching the earlobe between a pair of members connected so as to be rotatable relative to one another. For example, the earring described in Patent Document 1 has a first member 1 and a second member 2 made of a precious metal that pinch the earlobe and are connected so as to be rotatable relative to one another, as shown in Figure 5, and the connected portion is as shown in Figure 6. The first member 1 has a pair of legs 3 and 4 arranged at a distance from one another, and the second member 2 has a base 5 that is inserted between the legs 3 and 4.

[0003] Three plate members 6, 7 made of a non-precious metal such as stainless steel are interposed between each of the legs 3, 4 and the base 5. A shaft member 8 passes through shaft holes 3b, 4b, 5c, 6a, 7a of the legs 3, 4, base 5, and plate members 6, 7 to connect the first and second members 1, 2 so that they can rotate relative to each other. Furthermore, by applying pressure to the shaft member 8 in its axial direction and caulking it, the first and second members 1, 2 can be fixed at any relative position during the relative rotation process. As a result, when the earlobe is pinched between the tip 1a of the first member 1 and the tip 2a of the second member 2, the pinching force is maintained. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-276810 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, repeated relative rotation between the first and second members 1 and 2 causes wear on the sliding surfaces between the legs 3 and 4 and the base 5, where a crimping force is applied. While the first and second members 1 and 2 are made of a precious metal, the plate members 6 and 7 are made of a relatively hard non-precious metal. Therefore, the sides 3a and 4a of the legs 3 and 4 and the sides 5a and 5b of the base 5, which are made of precious metal, are prone to wear at the locations where the sides 3a and 4a of the legs 3 and 4 and the sides 5a and 5b of the base 5 slide against the surfaces of the plate members 6 and 7. If the legs 3 and 4 and the base 5 wear in this way, the crimping force weakens, and the relative position of the first and second members 1 and 2 may no longer be maintained. As a result, for example, the earrings may no longer be able to maintain their clamping state around the earlobe, rendering them unusable as earrings.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a personal accessory that can maintain a first member and a second member in any relative position even after repeated use over a long period of time. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The first invention includes a first member made of a precious metal having a pair of legs at its end, a second member made of a precious metal having a base disposed between the pair of legs, a flat first plate member made of a non-precious metal interposed between each of the legs and the base and having a contact surface that comes into contact with a side surface of the leg facing the base, a flat second plate member made of a non-precious metal interposed between each of the legs and the base and having a contact surface that comes into contact with a side surface of the base facing the leg, and a connector extending from one of the legs to the other of the legs, the first plate member, and the second plate member. The shaft member is disposed through two plate members and the base and connects the first member and the second member so as to be capable of relative rotation, and at least a portion of the contact surface of the first plate member and at least a portion of the contact surface of the second plate member are roughened, and the surfaces of the first plate member and the second plate member opposite the roughened surfaces are smooth surfaces that are smoother than the roughened surfaces.The shaft member is crimped from both ends and attached to the pair of legs, and the crimping force allows the first member and the second member to be held in any position during the relative rotation process.

[0008] The second invention comprises one or more flat intermediate plate members made of a non-precious metal interposed between the first plate member and the second plate member, both surfaces of the intermediate plate member being smoother than the rough surfaces, and the shaft member being arranged from one of the leg portions to the other of the leg portions, penetrating the leg portions, the first plate member, the intermediate plate member, the second plate member and the base, connecting the first member and the second member so that they can rotate relative to each other, and enabling the first member and the second member to be held at any position during the relative rotation process.

[0009] In a third aspect of the present invention, the area of ​​the contact surface between the intermediate plate member and the first and second plate members is set smaller than the area of ​​the contact surface between the first and second plate members and the first and second members. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the first aspect of the present invention, at least a portion of the contact surface of the first plate member that comes into contact with the first member and at least a portion of the contact surface of the second plate member that comes into contact with the second member are roughened, and the surface opposite the roughened surface is smoothed. This increases the frictional force of the roughened surface when the first member and the second member are rotated relative to each other, thereby increasing the force required to rotate the first and second members relative to each other. Therefore, the force maintaining the relative position of the first and second members is strengthened. Furthermore, during the relative rotation of the first and second members, the roughened surface, which has a higher frictional force, is less likely to slide than the smooth surface, which has a lower frictional force.Since the contact surfaces that make up the roughened surfaces of the first and second non-precious metal plate members do not slide on the surfaces of the first and second members made of precious metal, wear of the first and second members is suppressed. Therefore, even after repeated use over a long period of time, the crimping force can be maintained and the first and second members can be held in any relative position.

[0011] According to the second aspect of the present invention, the interposition of an intermediate plate member increases the number of sliding surfaces where smooth surfaces come into contact with each other. Therefore, the relative rotation angle of the first and second members can be shared by multiple sliding surfaces. In other words, the amount of sliding at each sliding surface can be reduced. This reduces the rotational force acting on the first and second plate members, further reducing the amount of movement of the contact surfaces with rough surfaces, and preventing wear on the first and second members made of precious metal.

[0012] According to the third aspect of the present invention, sliding friction is reduced in accordance with the contact area between the first and second plate members and the intermediate plate member, allowing the plate members to slide relatively smoothly against each other, making it less likely that sliding will occur between the legs of the first member and the contact surface of the first plate member, or between the base of the second member and the contact surface of the second plate member. As a result, wear on the legs of the first member and the base of the second member is further reduced, and the function of holding the first and second members in any relative position can be maintained for a long period of time. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a partially enlarged view of the first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the plate member of the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged view of the second embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged view of the third embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an external view of a conventional accessory. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] [First embodiment] (composition) The first embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is a partially enlarged view of the first embodiment, and Figure 2 is a plan view of the plate member. The following embodiment is a ring-shaped earring as shown in Figure 5. Like the conventional example shown in Figures 5 and 6, the first embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2 is an earring constructed by connecting a first member 1 and a second member 2 made of precious metal via a shaft member 8 made of precious metal so that they can rotate relative to each other. The first member 1 has a pair of legs 3 and 4, and the base 5 of the second member 2 is positioned between these legs 3 and 4. The legs 3 and 4 and the base 5 are formed with shaft holes 3b, 4b, and 5c, respectively, for passing the shaft member 8 through.

[0015] Additionally, flat first and second plate members 9 and 10 and first and second plate members 11 and 12 are interposed between the legs 3 and 4 of the first member 1 and the base 5 of the second member 2, respectively. As shown in Fig. 2, these plate members 9, 10, 11, and 12 are all circular plates of the same diameter and thickness of 0.05 mm to 0.2 mm, and are made of a non-precious metal such as stainless steel. One side of each of these plate members 9, 10, 11, and 12 is a polished smooth surface 9a, 10a, 11a, and 12a, and the other side is a rough surface 9b, 10b, 11b, and 12b with minute scratches, and a shaft hole 9c, 10c, 11c, and 12c is formed in the center.

[0016] In Figure 1, the rough surfaces 9b, 10b, 11b, and 12b are shown schematically with wavy lines, but these wavy lines do not represent the actual surface roughness. For example, the surface roughness of the smooth surfaces 9a, 10a, 11a, and 12a is approximately 0.03 μm, while the surface roughness of the rough surfaces 9b, 10b, 11b, and 12b is approximately 0.66 μm. The surfaces are finished to have different surface roughnesses and friction coefficients. Note that the surface roughness values ​​shown above are measured values ​​of the centerline average roughness.

[0017] The first and second plate members 9, 10, 11, and 12 are arranged between the legs 3 and 4 and the base 5 as follows. First and second plate members 9, 10 are arranged between one leg 3 and the base 5 so that smooth surfaces 9a and 10a are in contact with each other and rough surfaces 9b and 10b are in contact with the leg 3 and the base 5, respectively. In addition, first and second plate members 11 and 12 are arranged between the other leg 4 and base 5 so that smooth surfaces 11a and 12a are in contact with each other and rough surfaces 11b and 12b are in contact with the leg 4 and base 5.

[0018] That is, the rough surfaces 9b, 11b of the first plate members 9, 11 are contact surfaces that come into contact with the side surfaces 3a, 4a of the legs 3, 4 that face the base 5. Similarly, the rough surfaces 10b, 12b of the second plate members 10, 12 are contact surfaces that come into contact with the side surfaces 5a, 5b of the base 5 that face the legs 3, 4.

[0019] The first and second plate members 9, 10, 11, and 12 are arranged as described above, and the shaft member 8 made of a precious metal is inserted into all of the shaft holes 3b, 9c, 10c, 5c, 12c, 11c, and 4b, and a crimping force is applied in the axial direction from both ends of the shaft member 8 to crimp the shaft member 8. Furthermore, both ends of the crimped shaft member 8 may be fixed to the leg portions 3 and 4 by welding.

[0020] (Actions, effects, etc.) In this first embodiment, the shaft member 8 made of a precious metal is crimped, so that the first member 1 and the second member 2 can be held at any position during the relative rotation process. 1, the side surfaces 3a, 4a, 5a, 5b of the precious metal leg portions 3, 4 and base portion 5 are in contact with the rough surfaces 9b, 10b, 11b, 12b of the first and second non-precious metal plate members 9, 10, 11, 12, respectively, so frictional force is large at these contact surfaces, making sliding difficult. This is thought to be because the rough surfaces 9b, 10b, 11b, 12b of the non-precious metal first and second plate members 9, 10, 11, 12 and the side surfaces 3a, 4a, 5a, 5b of the precious metal leg portions 3, 4 and base portion 5 are microscopically interlocked with each other, resulting in large frictional force at the contact surfaces. In contrast, the first and second plate members 9, 10 and the first and second plate members 11, 12 made of non-precious metals have smooth surfaces in contact with each other, such as the smooth surfaces 9a, 10a and the smooth surfaces 11a, 12a, and therefore slide easily with low friction.

[0021] Therefore, when the first member 1 and the second member 2 are rotated relative to each other, the smooth surfaces made of non-precious metals slide preferentially between them. The side surfaces 3a, 4a, 5a, and 5b of the legs 3 and 4 and base 5 of the first and second members 1 and 2, made of precious metals, move integrally with the rough surfaces 9b, 10b, 11b, and 12b of the first and second plate members 9, 10, 11, and 12. Thus, sliding is less likely to occur on the side surfaces 3a, 4a, 5a, and 5b of the legs 3 and 4 and base 5, made of precious metals, and wear is suppressed. As a result, the crimped state between the legs 3 and 4 and base 5 is maintained for a long period of time, allowing any relative position to be maintained during the relative rotation of the first and second members 1 and 2. This also allows for the clamping force required for jewelry such as earrings to be maintained.

[0022] In this first embodiment, one entire surface of each of the first plate members 9, 11 and the second plate members 10, 12 is a uniform smooth surface 9a, 10a, 11a, 12a, and the other entire surface is a roughened surface 9b, 10b, 11b, 12b. However, the roughened surface may be formed only on a part of the smooth surface as long as it is set to increase the overall frictional force relative to the smooth surface.

[0023] [Second embodiment] (composition) Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 3, which is a partially enlarged view of the second embodiment. In this second embodiment, flat intermediate plate members 13 and 14 are interposed between the first plate member 9 and the second plate member 10, and between the first plate member 11 and the second plate member 12, respectively, of the first embodiment, but the other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment. In the second embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals as in FIGS. 1 and 2, and detailed description of the same configurations as those in the first embodiment will be omitted. In the following description, reference will also be made to FIG. 2.

[0024] The intermediate plate members 13 and 14 are circular plates made of non-precious metal, and the opening shapes of the shaft holes 13c and 14c formed in the centers thereof are circular, with the outer diameter and shaft hole diameter being the same as those of the first and second plate members 9, 10, 11 and 12. Furthermore, both surfaces of these intermediate plate members 13 and 14 are smooth surfaces 13a and 13b and smooth surfaces 14a and 14b, and the surface roughness of these smooth surfaces 13a and 13b and smooth surfaces 14a and 14b is the same as that of the smooth surfaces 9a, 10a, 11a and 12a of the first and second plate members 9, 10, 11 and 12. In the second embodiment, the shaft member 8 is inserted into all of the shaft holes 3b, 9c, 13c, 10c, 5c, 12c, 14c, 11c, and 4b, and then the shaft member 8 is crimped. In addition, both ends of the crimped shaft member 8 may be welded to the leg portions 3 and 4.

[0025] (Actions, effects, etc.) In the second embodiment, the rough surfaces 9b, 10b, 11b, 12b of the first and second plate members 9, 10, 11, 12 contact the side surfaces 3a, 4a of the legs 3, 4 and the side surfaces 5a, 5b of the base 5, and the smooth surfaces 9a, 10a, 11a, 12a contact the smooth surfaces 13a, 13b, 14a, 14b of the intermediate plate members 13, 14. In this way, the rough surfaces 9b, 10b, 11b, 12b of the first and second plate members 9, 10, 11, 12 contact the side surfaces 3a, 4a of the precious metal legs 3, 4 and the side surfaces 5a, 5b of the base 5, so sliding is unlikely to occur.

[0026] On the other hand, the contact areas between the first and second plate members 9, 10 and the intermediate plate member 13 are smooth surfaces 9a and 13a, and smooth surfaces 10a and 13b, and the contact areas between the first and second plate members 11, 12 and the intermediate plate member 14 are smooth surfaces 11a and 14a, and smooth surfaces 12a and 14b. These smooth surfaces slide easily against each other. Furthermore, because these sliding parts are made of smooth surfaces made of non-precious metals, they are less likely to wear out even when sliding.

[0027] Furthermore, in this second embodiment, the intermediate plate members 13 and 14 are provided, so the number of sliding surfaces is greater than in the first embodiment. This distributes the sliding resistance, reducing wear between the sliding plate members. Therefore, the crimped state between the first member 1 and the second member 2 is maintained for a longer period, and it can be expected that the function of maintaining any relative position during the relative rotation of the first and second members 1 and 2 will also be maintained for a long period.

[0028] [Third embodiment] (composition) 4 is an example in which the intermediate plate members 13 and 14 of the second embodiment are replaced with intermediate plate members 15 and 16 having smaller outer diameters than the first and second plate members 9, 10, 11, and 12. The other configurations are the same as those of the second embodiment. Therefore, the smooth surfaces 9a, 10a of the first and second plate members 9, 10 on one leg 3 side come into contact with the smooth surfaces 15a, 15b of the intermediate plate member 15, and the smooth surfaces 11a, 12a of the first and second plate members 11, 12 on the other leg 4 side come into contact with the smooth surfaces 16a, 16b of the intermediate plate member 16.

[0029] (Actions, effects, etc.) In the third embodiment, the contact area between the smooth surfaces of the first and second plate members 9, 10, 11, 12 and the intermediate plate members 15, 16 is reduced, thereby reducing the sliding resistance between the plate members. This makes it possible to more actively induce sliding between the non-precious metal plate members, and more reliably suppress sliding on the side surfaces 3a, 4a, 5a, 5b of the precious metal leg portions 3, 4 and base portion 5, thereby preventing wear of the precious metal.

[0030] [Confirmation test] A test for confirming the effect of the present invention will be described. Specifically, earrings having the structure of the second embodiment shown in Figure 3 were used as the invention and compared with the conventional product shown in Figure 6. Both were ring-shaped earrings as shown in Figure 5, with the inner diameter of the circle formed by the first and second members 1 and 2 being approximately 17 mm and the outer diameter being approximately 22 mm. When the first and second members 1 and 2 were closed, i.e., when the first member 1 was in the position shown by the two-dot chain line in Figure 5, the center of the first member 1 was pulled and the pulling force when it began to open was measured as the position holding force.

[0031] As a result, the conventional product had a weight of 189.21 g, while the invented product had a weight of 348.78 g. As described above, there was a large difference in the position-retaining force between the two in the initial state. The invention product had a stronger ability to maintain the relative positions of the first and second members 1 and 2 in the initial state. Furthermore, as mentioned above, the inventive product experiences little wear on the precious metal surface even when repeatedly opened and closed. Therefore, the jewelry of the above embodiment has a high ability to maintain any position during the relative rotation of the first and second members 1 and 2 from the beginning, and can maintain this ability even after repeated use.

[0032] It should be noted that the intermediate plate members provided between the first plate member 9 and the second plate member 10, and between the first plate member 11 and the second plate member 12, do not necessarily have to be provided, and the number of intermediate plate members does not have to be one. The more intermediate plate members there are, the more the sliding resistance can be dispersed. If the sliding resistance can be dispersed, it is thought that wear on the sliding surfaces can be suppressed accordingly. However, considering the number of parts and ease of assembly, it is not desirable to have too many intermediate plate members.

[0033] Furthermore, in the first to third embodiments, all the plate members are disks, but the plate members are not limited to disks. Furthermore, while the above example uses earrings that pinch the earlobe with the ends of the first and second members 1 and 2, the jewelry of this invention is not limited to earrings. Jewelry of this invention also includes bracelets and rings that do not pinch the body, as long as they can be worn or removed by the user by opening and closing the first and second members 1 and 2.

[0034] Even in the case of accessories that do not require clamping force, such as bracelets and rings, the initial crimped state is maintained, so that the relative positions of the first and second members 1 and 2 when worn are maintained, and the accessory can be prevented from accidentally falling off. Furthermore, when used in a ring, the first and second members 1, 2 can be spread apart when passing through the joint part, which is thicker than other parts, and after inserting it up to the base of the finger, the first and second members 1, 2 can be closed to fit the finger. [Industrial Applicability]

[0035] If this invention is applied to earrings, bracelets, etc., it can prevent accidental dropping for a long period of time. [Explanation of symbols]

[0036] 1 First member 2 Second member 3,4 legs 5 base 3a,4a,5a,5b Side 8 Shaft member 3b,4b,5c,9c,10c,11c,12c,13c,14c,15c,16c shaft hole 9,11 1st plate member 10,12 2nd plate member 9a,10a,11a,12a,13a,13b,14a,14b,15a,15b,16a,16b smooth surface 9b, 10b, 11b, 12b (contact surface) rough surface 13, 14, 15, 16 Intermediate plate members

Claims

1. a first member made of a precious metal and having a pair of legs at its end; a second member made of a precious metal and having a base portion disposed between the pair of legs; a first plate member made of a non-precious metal and having a flat plate shape, the first plate member being interposed between each of the legs and the base and having a contact surface that comes into contact with a side surface of each of the legs facing the base; a second plate member made of a non-precious metal and having a flat plate shape, interposed between each of the legs and the base, and having a contact surface that contacts a side surface of the base facing the legs; a shaft member that is disposed from one of the legs to the other of the legs, penetrating the legs, the first plate member, the second plate member, and the base, and that connects the first member and the second member so as to be relatively rotatable; Equipped with At least a portion of the contact surface of the first plate member and at least a portion of the contact surface of the second plate member are roughened, The surfaces of the first plate member and the second plate member opposite to the rough surfaces are smooth surfaces that are smoother than the rough surfaces, The shaft member is crimped from both ends and attached to the pair of legs, and the crimping force allows the first and second members to be held at any position during the relative rotation process.

2. one or more flat intermediate plate members made of a non-precious metal interposed between the first plate member and the second plate member; Both surfaces of the intermediate plate member are smooth surfaces that are smoother than the rough surfaces, The shaft member is disposed from one of the legs to the other of the legs, penetrating the legs, the first plate member, the intermediate plate member, the second plate member, and the base, connecting the first member and the second member so as to be relatively rotatable, and enabling the first member and the second member to be held at any position during the relative rotation process. The accessory according to claim 1.

3. 3. The accessory according to claim 1, wherein the area of ​​the contact surface between the intermediate plate member and the first and second plate members is set smaller than the area of ​​the contact surface between the first and second plate members and the first and second members.

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