Ornamental fasteners and ornaments

Abstract

To perform connection and opening of a mating member with respect to a fastener with good operability.SOLUTION: A fastener 100 can transit between an open state where a part 211 to be fixed of a mating member 200 can be received in a cavity 11 of a housing 10, and a fixed state where the part 211 to be fixed inserted in the cavity 11 is fixed. In the open state, movement of a cylindrical member 20 in the direction toward the cavity 11 is restricted by a locking end part 26a of the cylindrical member 20 being engaged with a step part 34 of a rotary member 30. In the open state, when the rotary member 30 is rotated in the direction of an arrow C by the part 211 to be fixed inserted in the cavity 11, according to the rotation, engagement between the locking end part 26a and the step part 34 is released, and by an energization force of a spring 40, the cylindrical member 20 moves in the direction toward the cavity 11, and by fixing the part 211 to be fixed between the cylindrical member 20 and an inner surface of the cavity 11, shift is made into the fixed state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a fastener for an ornament and an ornament. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, fasteners for decorative articles are known, for example, as described in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2. Patent Document 1 discloses a fastener for an ornament such as a brooch, in which a fastener can fix and release a fastening pin 22 to a cylindrical pin fastener 30. According to Patent Document 1, in this fastener, the pin fastener 30 is biased by a spring 35 and is fixed to a fixed part 40 so that it can move toward the retaining pin 22 and rotate around a spring locking axis 46, and when the retaining pin 22 is removed, the side into which the retaining pin 22 is inserted can be locked to the locking end 48 in a tilted state so that it faces diagonally upward toward the retaining pin 22.

[0003] Furthermore, in this state, when the fastening pin 22 is lowered relative to the pin fastener 30 and a force is applied in this direction, the pin fastener 30 rotates accordingly, releasing the lock on the locking end 48, and the biasing force of the spring 35 causes the pin fastener 30 to move toward the fastening pin 22, gripping and fixing the fastening pin 22. Conversely, when the pin fastener 30 is moved from this gripping and fixing state toward the opposite side of the fastening pin 22, the pin fastener 30 rotates and is locked by the locking end 48, and faces diagonally upward, allowing the fastening pin 22 to be removed.

[0004] Patent Document 2 discloses a fastener for an ornament such as a brooch, which comprises an outer tube 4, an inner tube 5, a coil spring 7 that biases the inner tube 5 toward the outlet side of the outer tube 4 (the position where the pointer 1 is fastened), and a sensor arm 10 provided on the outside of the outer tube 4. In its natural state, the sensor arm 10 is held substantially parallel to the axial direction of the outer tube 4, and locks the inner tube 5 in a retracted position by a locking claw 11 that fits into the inner tube 5. The fastener also comprises a sensor member 14 that protrudes into the inner tube 5 and receives the pointer 1 when the pointer 1 is rotated toward the fastener.

[0005] According to Patent Document 2, in such a fastener, when the pointer 1 is rotated toward the fastener, the sensor member 14 receives the pointer 1 and elastically displaces, releasing the locking claw 11, and the inner tube 5 moves to the fastening position due to the biasing force of the coil spring 7, storing and restraining the pointer 1 within its inner periphery. Furthermore, when the knob 8 provided on the inner tube 5 is pressed from this restrained state to move the inner tube 5 to the retracted position, the pointer 1 is released from the inner tube 5. When the sensor member 14 returns to its original position in response to this release, the locking claw 11 once again locks the inner tube 5 in the retracted position. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-167090 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-43442 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] The fasteners described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 can be considered to be a type of fastener that, depending on the placement of an object at a predetermined fixing position, moves the fixing device from a predetermined standby position toward the object using the biasing force of a spring, thereby restraining and fixing the object, and that can release the restraint and return the fixing device to the standby position by moving the fixing device away from the object against the biasing force of the spring.

[0008] However, both of the fasteners described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are intended for use in situations where the positional relationship between the fastener and the mating member to be fixed by the fastener (a pin in the examples of both documents) is fixed, such as in a brooch, and the mating member moves only along a predetermined path. For this reason, they are not applicable to connecting members where the relative positional relationship and arrangement angle between the fastener and the mating member can be freely changed, such as the ends of a necklace chain.

[0009] This invention was made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to make it possible to easily connect and disconnect a mating member to a fastener, even when the relative positional relationship and arrangement angle between the fastener and the mating member can be freely changed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In order to solve the above problems, the fastener for a decorative article of the present invention comprises a housing having an internal cavity and an opening for inserting a mating member, and a fastener for a decorative article including the above-mentioned fastener, the fastener being provided with a housing having an internal cavity and an opening for inserting a mating member, the above-mentioned ... chassis a rotating member that is fixed to the housing so as to be rotatable about a predetermined rotation axis, a portion of which is inserted into the interior of the cylindrical member through the opening, and that has a step portion on the side of the portion of the rotating member that faces the cylindrical member, and a biasing member that is arranged inside the cylindrical member along the axial direction of the cylindrical member and that abuts against a first abutment portion formed on the portion of the rotating member and a second abutment portion formed inside the cylindrical member at a position closer to the one end than the first abutment portion. The fastener is capable of transitioning between an open state in which the mating member can be received in the cavity and a fixed state in which the mating member inserted in the cavity is fixed. In the open state, the one end of the cylindrical member is engaged with the step portion of the rotating member, thereby restricting movement of the cylindrical member in a direction toward the cavity. When the rotating member is rotated in a first direction by the mating member inserted into the cavity in the open state, the engagement between the one end of the cylindrical member and the step portion of the rotating member is released in response to the rotation, and the cylindrical member moves in a direction toward the cavity due to the biasing force of the biasing member, thereby reconnecting the cylindrical member and the chassis The mating member is fixed between the inner surface of the mating member and the mating member, thereby transitioning to the fixed state.

[0011] Furthermore, the cylindrical member chassis and an operating portion exposed to the outside, and when an operation is performed on the operating portion to pull the tubular member out of the housing in the fixed state, the rotating member is rotated in a second direction opposite to the first direction in response to the operation, and the opposing member is pushed out of the cavity in response to the rotation. Furthermore, in the fixed state, one end of the cylindrical member is located above the step portion of the rotating member. chassis When the operating portion is released after being pulled out to a position close to the surface of the cylindrical member, the cylindrical member moves in a direction toward the cavity due to the biasing force of the biasing member, and the one end engages with the step portion of the rotating member, thereby transitioning to the open state.

[0012] Furthermore, the tubular member may have a tapered portion near the one end of the outer surface on the side where the opposing member is inserted, the tapered portion increasing in height as it moves away from the one end, and when the opposing member is inserted into the cavity with the one end of the tubular member and the step portion of the rotating member not engaged, the opposing member will abut against the tapered portion, causing the tubular member to move in the direction of coming out of the housing as the opposing member is inserted. Preferably, the first contact portion has a substantially hemispherical portion, and the substantially hemispherical portion is capable of contacting the biasing member.

[0013] Furthermore, it is preferable that the fastener is provided with any of the above-mentioned fasteners and the opposing member, and that a recess is formed on the end face of the cavity opposite the side on which the tubular member is provided, and that one end of the portion of the opposing member that is inserted into the cavity is accommodated in the recess in the fixed state. Alternatively, it is preferable that the fastener is any one of the above and the mating member, and the inner surface of the cavity that contacts the mating member in the fixed state is formed in an approximately hemispherical shape, and the end of the mating member that contacts the hemispherical inner surface in the fixed state is formed in an approximately hemispherical shape.

[0014] The decorative article of the present invention is an article equipped with any of the above-mentioned decorative fasteners. The present invention can be implemented not only as an invention of a product, such as the above-mentioned decorative fastener or decorative article, but also as an invention of a method or other aspects. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the present invention as described above, even if the relative positional relationship and arrangement angle between the fastener and the mating member can be freely changed, the fastener can be easily connected to and disconnected from the mating member. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a fastener for a decorative item according to one embodiment of the present invention, with the fastener and a mating member separated from each other. [Figure 2] 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a fastener for a decorative item according to one embodiment of the present invention, in a state in which the fastener and a mating member are connected. [Figure 3] 2 is a cross-sectional view of the fastener and the mating member in the state (open state) shown in FIG. 1, as viewed from the arrow A side on the plane shown by the imaginary line in FIG. [Figure 4] 6 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIGS. 3 and 5 of the fastener and the mating member in the middle of transition from an open state to a fixed state. FIG. [Figure 5]3 is a cross-sectional view of the fastener and the mating member in the state (fixed state) shown in FIG. 2, as viewed from the arrow B side on the plane shown by the imaginary line in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 6] 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a tubular member 20 and a rotating member 30 in the fastener 100. FIG. [Figure 7] 5 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 4, illustrating the function of a tapered portion 27. FIG. [Figure 8] 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an ornament equipped with the fastener shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. First, the appearance of the fastener for a decorative item according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described. 1 and 2 are perspective views showing the structure of a fastener for a decorative item according to one embodiment of the present invention, with the fastener and a mating member separated and connected, respectively.

[0018] The fastener 100 of this embodiment has an external configuration that includes a housing 10 having an elongated, approximately elliptical cylindrical shape as shown in Figure 1, a tubular member 20 that can be inserted and removed from the housing 10 along its axial direction, and a plurality of rings 50 fixed to the housing 10. The housing 10 is hollow at the bottom, forming a cavity 11, and has an opening 12 formed on its side for receiving a mating member 200 to be connected to the fastener 100. A tapered guide surface 17 is formed around the opening 12 to guide the mating member 200 into the cavity 11. Above the cavity 11, a first slit 13, a through-hole 14, and a second slit 15 (see FIGS. 3 to 5) are formed to receive the tubular member 20 and to accommodate a pivoting member 30 (described later). These slits extend to the upper surface in the figure, but the remaining portions are solid. The second slit 15 need only be provided within the movable range of a tapered portion 27 (described later), but extends to the upper surface in the figure so that the tubular member 20 can be inserted from the upper surface in the figure when assembling the fastener 100. The housing 10 also has a pivot shaft 31 that supports the pivoting member 30. These components will be described in detail later.

[0019] The cylindrical member 20 includes an operating portion 21 that the user pinches and operates, and a cylindrical portion 22 that is inserted into the housing 10. The operating portion 21 has a larger cross-sectional area in a plane perpendicular to the axis than the cylindrical portion 22 and the through-hole portion 14, and is not inserted into the housing 10 but is always exposed to the outside. The cylindrical portion 22 is a generally elliptical cylinder with a hollow portion 23 therein, and can be inserted into the through-hole portion 14 of the housing 10 from the axial end opposite the operating portion 21, and can be inserted into and removed from the housing 10 along the axial direction. The hollow portion 23 is formed to penetrate not only the inside of the cylindrical portion 22 but also the operating portion 21. In addition, a slit 21a that is continuous with the hollow portion 23 is formed in the operating portion 21. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 32 denotes the top of a rotating member 30, which will be described later, located in the hollow portion 23. The ring 50 is an attachment portion used to attach an ornament to the housing 10.

[0020] On the other hand, counterpart member 200 is a part that can be connected to fastener 100. This counterpart member 200 includes exterior portion 210 that is integrated with housing 10 to form the outer shape of the fastener when connected to fastener 100 as shown in FIG. 2, rod-shaped fixed portion 211 that is inserted into and fixed in cavity 11, connecting portion 213 that connects fixed portion 211 and exterior portion 210, and multiple rings 220. In this embodiment, these portions are integrally formed from the same material, but they may also be formed separately and then integrated.

[0021] The fixed portion 211 is a rod-shaped member with a step formed in the center, and has a substantially spherical portion 212 at the lower portion in the drawing that abuts against the inner surface of the cavity 11 when fixed. The step of the fixed portion 211 is provided in accordance with the positional relationship between the accommodation recess 25 and the hemispherical surface 11a, which will be described later, so that both ends of the fixed portion 211 can be inserted into these recesses (see FIG. 5). For stable fixation, it is preferable that the longitudinal direction of fixed portion 211 coincides with the direction of movement of tubular member 20 at the position where fixed portion 211 abuts against accommodating recess 25 and hemispherical surface 11a, so a step is provided between them to adjust the position. Depending on the arrangement of accommodating recess 25 and hemispherical surface 11a, the step may not be necessary. 1, the lower end surface 213a of the connecting portion 213 is located slightly above the lower ends of the spherical portion 212 and the exterior portion 210, and together with the spherical portion 212 and the exterior portion 210 forms a concave shape.

[0022] The user can insert the fixed portion 211 of the counter member 200 into the cavity 11 of the fastener 100, thereby holding the fixed portion 211 in the fastener 100 and connecting the counter member 200 and the fastener 100. In this state, the fastener 100 and the counter member 200 are integrated to form a combined body having a substantially elliptical cylindrical shape, as shown in FIG. Furthermore, the user can remove the counterpart member 200 from the fastener 100 by pulling out the operating portion 21 located at the end of this combined body from the housing 10 .

[0023] Such fastener 100 and mating member 200 can each be made of metal, but are not limited to this and can of course also be made of other materials such as resin, ceramic, wood, etc. The fastener 100 and the mating member 200 may be made of different materials, or the components making up the fastener 100 and the mating member 200 may each be made of different materials.

[0024] Next, the internal structure and operation of the fastener 100 and the mating member 200, which perform the functions of joining and detaching, will be described with reference to FIGS. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the fastener 100 and the mating member 200 in the state shown in Fig. 1 (open state), as seen from the side indicated by arrow A on the plane indicated by the imaginary line in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to Figs. 3 and 5, of the fastener 100 and the mating member 200 in the process of transitioning from the open state to the fixed state. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the fastener 100 and the mating member 200 in the state shown in Fig. 2 (fixed state), as seen from the side indicated by arrow B on the plane indicated by the imaginary line in Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the tubular member 20 and the rotating member 30 in the fastener 100. Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to Fig. 4, for explaining the function of the tapered portion 27.

[0025] 1 and 2 are planes that pass through the major axis of the ellipse on both end faces of the housing 10, are parallel to the longitudinal direction of the housing 10, and cut the housing 10 at the same position. Also, Fig. 6 shows the cylindrical member 20 and the rotating member 30 in the state shown in Fig. 5 as viewed from the back side of the paper on which Fig. 5 is drawn. Also, in Figs. 3 to 5 and 7, the dashed lines shown in the cross section of the mating member 200 indicate the boundaries between the fixed portion 211, the connecting portion 213, and the exterior portion 210 shown in Fig. 1 in order to make it easier to understand the positional relationship between these parts.

[0026] As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the fastener 100 includes a rotating member 30 inside the housing 10 in addition to the housing 10 and the cylindrical member 20 shown in FIGS. The rotating member 30 is fixed to the housing 10 so as to be rotatable around a rotation axis 31 formed inside the housing 10. The rotation axis 31 penetrates the housing 10 and is fixed to the housing 10, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. Furthermore, a top portion 32 formed on the upper side of the rotating member 30 in the figure is inserted into the hollow portion 23 through a slit 22a formed in the side surface of the cylindrical portion 22 of the cylindrical member 20. A hemisphere 33 is formed on the lower side of the top portion 32, i.e., on the surface on the tip side in the insertion direction of the cylindrical portion 22, forming a hemispherical portion.

[0027] In addition, a step portion 34 is formed in the portion of the rotating member 30 that is outside the cylindrical portion 22 and faces the cylindrical portion 22, and a protrusion portion 35 that extends toward the opening 12 of the housing 10 is formed at the end opposite the top portion 32. As shown in Fig. 6, the rotating member 30 is formed in a flat plate shape except for the top portion 32 and the hemisphere 33. Note that the rotating shaft 31 is not shown in Fig. 6, and a through hole 31a provided in the rotating member 30 for the rotating shaft 31 to pass through is shown.

[0028] Furthermore, a step 22b with a slightly narrower inner diameter is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 22 of the cylindrical member 20, at a position slightly before the tip in the insertion direction. A spring 40, which is a biasing member, is disposed in the hollow portion 23 so that both ends of the spring 40 abut against the step 22b and the hemisphere 33 of the rotating member 30. The hemisphere 33 corresponds to the first abutment, and the surface of the step 22b on the spring 40 side (the upper side in the figure) corresponds to the second abutment.

[0029] 3 to 5, the orientation of the rotating member 30 changes depending on the state of the fastener 100, but by making the portion that abuts against the spring 40 spherical, stable abutment can be achieved even if the orientation of the rotating member 30 changes. However, providing the hemisphere 33 is not essential, and the spring 40 may abut against the apex 32. Furthermore, even if the hemisphere 33 is provided, it is not essential that the spring 40 always abut against the hemisphere 33, and the spring 40 may abut against either the hemisphere 33 or the apex 32 depending on the orientation of the rotating member 30. There may also be cases where the spring 40 abuts against both the hemisphere 33 and the apex 32 simultaneously. Further, the step portion 22b may be formed so as to completely close the hollow portion .

[0030] Although spring 40 is shown as a helical spring in the figure, any biasing member can be used regardless of shape or material as long as it can apply a biasing force to the first abutment portion and the second abutment portion in a direction that widens the gap between the two abutment portions. In addition, in the cylindrical portion 22, the portion of the hollow portion 23 that is closer to the tip end in the insertion direction than the step portion 22b serves as an accommodating recess 25 that accommodates one end of the fixed portion 211 in the fixed state shown in Fig. 5. Therefore, the inner diameter of the cylindrical portion 22 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the fixed portion 211.

[0031] On the side of the cylindrical portion 22 facing the rotating member 30, in addition to the slit 22a described above, a thin portion 22c, a notch 26, and a locking end portion 26a are formed. Slit 22a is continuous with slit 21a formed in operating portion 21, and is formed with a width roughly the same as the thickness of the flat portion of rotating member 30 to allow rotating member 30 to pass therethrough as described above. Cylindrical portion 22 is pulled out as shown in Fig. 3 in the open state, and is pushed into housing 10 as shown in Fig. 5 in the fixed state, and the orientation of rotating member 30 differs slightly between these two states, but slit 22a and slit 21a are formed with a length such that the portion of rotating member 30 on the top 32 side does not interfere with cylindrical portion 22 in either the state shown in Fig. 3 or Fig. 5.

[0032] 6, thin-walled portion 22c is a groove having the same width as slit 21a and formed in the outer surface of tubular portion 22, thinning tubular portion 22. During the transition from the fixed state to the open state, tubular member 20 moves while step portion 34 of rotating member 30 abuts against thin-walled portion 22c, and thin-walled portion 22c serves to guide step portion 34. The locking end 26a is a portion that engages with the step portion 34 in the open state. Due to this engagement, in the open state, the cylindrical member 20 stops at a position where it is pulled out to a certain extent from the housing 10 as shown in FIG.

[0033] Cutout 26 is provided so that the portion of rotating member 30 closer to protrusion 35 than step 34 can pass through the side surface of tubular portion 22 and enter accommodating recess 25. By providing cutout 26 and locating locking end 26a within cutout 26, tubular member 20 in the open state can be positioned further inside housing 10 than when step 34 engages with the end of tubular portion 22 in the insertion direction, and tubular member 20 can be made less bulky in the open state. Furthermore, compared to when cutout 26 is not provided, rotating member 30 can be rotated counterclockwise to a greater extent, and protrusion 35 can be positioned closer to opening 12 of housing 10. However, it is also possible to configure the structure such that the notch 26 is not provided and the end of the cylindrical portion 22 in the insertion direction is engaged with the step portion 34 in the open state.

[0034] A tapered portion 27 is formed on the opening 12 side near the end in the insertion direction of the cylindrical portion 22. The tapered portion 27 has a tapered surface that rises toward the opening 12 as it moves away from the end in the insertion direction of the cylindrical portion 22, and the height in this direction increases. The function of the tapered portion 27 will be described later using Figure 7.

[0035] Inside the housing 10 on the side where the cylindrical member 20 is inserted, a first slit 13, a through hole portion 14, and a second slit 15 are formed to receive the cylindrical member 20 and the rotating member 30. The first slit 13, the through hole portion 14, and the second slit 15 form one continuous space.

[0036] The first slit 13 has a width corresponding to the thickness of the flat portion of the rotating member 30 and is formed in a range that allows the rotating member 30 to pass through, so as not to interfere with the rotation of the rotating member 30 and to guide the rotating member 30 so that it does not deviate from a predetermined plane perpendicular to the rotation axis 31. The first slit 13 has the same width as the slit 21a of the operating unit 21. When the operating unit 21 is in contact with the housing 10 as shown in FIG. 5, the first slit 13 is continuous with the slit 21a formed in the operating unit 21. Although the upper end of the rotating member 30 in the drawing slightly protrudes from the housing 10, when the operating unit 21 is in contact with the housing 10, this protruding portion is accommodated in the slit 21a.

[0037] The through-hole portion 14 is provided to allow the tubular portion 22 of the tubular member 20 to pass through and to guide the tubular portion 22 to move along the axis of the housing 10, and is provided with a diameter corresponding to the outer diameter of the tubular portion 22. The second slit 15 is provided to allow the tapered portion 27 protruding from the cylindrical portion 22 to pass through and to guide the tapered portion 27 so that it moves along the axis of the housing 10, and is provided with a width corresponding to that of the tapered portion 27 at the point where it connects to the through-hole portion 14. By passing the tapered portion 27 through the second slit 15, it is possible to restrict the rotational movement of the cylindrical portion 22 about its axis. In addition, the second slit 15 has a tapered surface 16 that gradually widens in width near the opening 12, making it easier to accept the insertion of the fixed portion 211 toward the protrusion 35. An introduction tapered surface 17 is further formed on the outside of the tapered surface 16 over approximately the entire length of the housing 10 in the longitudinal direction.

[0038] The lower portion of the interior of the housing 10 in the drawing is a cavity 11, and a hemispherical surface 11a, which is a substantially hemispherical recess slightly recessed from the surrounding end surface 11b, is formed at the longitudinal end of the cavity 11. This hemispherical surface 11a is a portion that accommodates roughly the end half of the spherical portion 212 of the counterpart member 200, and has a diameter slightly larger than that of the spherical portion 212.

[0039] When attempting to fasten a mating member 200 to the fastener 100 described above, in a typical case, the user inserts the fastening portion 211 of the mating member 200 into the cavity 11 of the fastener 100 from the open state shown in Figure 3. At this time, as shown in Figure 4, first insert the spherical portion 212 into the cavity 11 and fit it into the hemispherical surface 11a, then abut the end of the fixed portion 211 near the cylindrical member 20 side against the protrusion 35 of the rotating member 30, and then push it in as shown by arrow C.

[0040] This pushing causes the rotating member 30 to rotate clockwise (first direction), thereby releasing the engagement between the locking end 26a and the stepped portion 34. Furthermore, since both the spherical portion 212 and the hemispherical surface 11a have hemispherical surfaces, the operation of pushing in the cylindrical member 20 side of the fixed portion 211 can be performed smoothly, centered on the contact point between the spherical portion 212 and the hemispherical surface 11a. The lower end surface 213a of the connecting portion 213 is shaped so as not to interfere with the end surface 11b when the fixed portion 211 is inserted.

[0041] 3, spring 40 applies a biasing force to rotating rotating member 30 counterclockwise, and applies a biasing force to cylindrical member 20 in a direction to insert deeper into housing 10. However, because locking end 26a and step portion 34 are engaged, rotating member 30 and cylindrical member 20 are stopped at the positions shown in FIG. When the engagement between locking end 26a and step 34 is released from this state, tubular member 20 moves by the biasing force of spring 40 in a direction that penetrates deeper into housing 10, i.e., in a direction toward cavity 11. This movement stops when operating portion 21 abuts against the end of housing 10 or the bottom surface of accommodating recess 25 (the surface of step 22b opposite to the side that abuts spring 40) abuts against fixed portion 211. In the example of FIG. 5, it stops at a position where both of these events occur simultaneously.

[0042] In this position, the end of the fixed portion 211 on the cylindrical member 20 side is housed in the housing recess 25 and cannot move freely. On the lower side in the figure, the spherical portion 212 is housed in the hemispherical surface 11a and cannot move freely either. That is, in the fixed state shown in FIG. 5, both ends of the fixed portion 211 are restrained and the fixed portion 211 is fixed within the cavity 11. This connects the mating member 200 to the fastener 100 so that it does not fall off from the fastener 100.

[0043] Although not shown in FIG. 1, a recess 210a is provided on the surface of exterior part 210 facing tapered part 27, the recess 210a having a width slightly larger than that of tapered part 27 and a depth sufficient to accommodate tapered part 27 in the fixed state as shown in FIG. 5, over the entire movable range of tapered part 27 between the open state and the fixed state, so that exterior part 210 and tapered part 27 do not interfere with each other.

[0044] In the state shown in Figure 5, when the spring 40 is still compressed more than its natural state and exerts a downward force on the tubular member 20, and the operating part 21 is not in contact with the end of the housing 10, the force causes the tubular member 20 to press the fixed part 211 against the hemispherical surface 11a, thereby fixing the fixed part 211 even more firmly.

[0045] In this case, the spring force of spring 40 also acts in a direction to rotate rotating member 30 counterclockwise, but since counterclockwise rotation is prevented by fixed portion 211, top portion 32 (and hemisphere 33) essentially becomes the fixed end of spring 40. In this way, by using fastener 100, the user can fix and connect counterpart member 200 to fastener 100 with a simple operation. In this case, before connection, counterpart member 200 is in a state where it can move freely relative to fastener 100, and there is no problem at all.

[0046] Note that even if a recess of a different shape is formed on the inner surface of cavity 11 opposite cylindrical member 20 instead of hemispherical surface 11a, it is still possible to fix fixed portion 211 in the same way as long as it can stably accommodate the end of fixed portion 211. The surface of the recess does not need to be smooth, and the recess may have corners. Furthermore, whether the recess is a hemispherical surface 11a or a recess of another shape, by forming a recess on the inner surface of the cavity 11 opposite the cylindrical member 20 and accommodating one end of the fixed portion 211 (in this embodiment, the spherical portion 212) in the recess when in the fixed state, it is possible to prevent erroneous operation and accidental detachment of the mating member 200.

[0047] In other words, if there is a recess, when the user presses one end of the fixed part 211 against the end face 11b of the cavity 11 to search for a fixing position, the fixed part 211 can be easily guided to the correct fixing position, making it less likely that an erroneous operation will occur, and it is less likely that the user will accidentally release the mating member 200 because he or she is unable to find an appropriate fixing position.

[0048] Furthermore, if there is a recess, the position of lower end surface 213a of connecting portion 213 is made concave so that connecting portion 213 does not interfere with end surface 11b. Therefore, if fixed portion 211 moves unintentionally after one end of fixed portion 211 is accommodated in the recess, for example if the user accidentally lets go of it, the above-mentioned concave shape will catch on end surface 11b, and the effect of preventing counterpart member 200 from falling off fastener 100 can be obtained to a certain extent.

[0049] This effect of preventing detachment is also obtained when the connection is unintentionally released after the mating member 200 and the fastener 100 are connected. The effect of preventing erroneous detachment is further increased when the lower end surface 213a is close to the end surface 11b in the fixed state or when the exterior part 210 extends below the end surface 11b in the figure (toward the end of the housing 10).

[0050] On the other hand, when removing the counterpart member 200 fixed to the fastener 100 from the fastener 100, the user operates the operating unit 21 in a direction (indicated by arrow D) to pull the tubular member 20 out of the housing 10 from the fixed state shown in Figure 5. When this operation is performed, the cylindrical member 20 is gradually pulled out from the housing 10 while resisting the biasing force of the spring 40. At this time, a biasing force is continuously applied to the rotating member 30 to rotate it counterclockwise.

[0051] When the tubular member 20 is pulled out to the extent that the fixed portion 211 is completely outside the accommodation recess 25, the fixed portion 211 is released from its fixed state. As a result, the fixed portion 211 no longer obstructs the rotation of the rotating member 30 (unless the user is pressing it down with their hand), and the rotating member 30 rotates counterclockwise (in the second direction) due to the biasing force of the spring 40, causing the protrusion 35 to push the end of the fixed portion 211 toward the tubular member 20 toward the right in the figure. This causes the fixed portion 211 to rotate clockwise around the spherical portion 212, transitioning to the state shown in FIG. 4. In this state, the mating member 200 can be easily pulled out of the fastener 100, and when the mating member 200 is pulled out (or even when the fastener 100 remains in the state shown in FIG. 4), the fastener 100 transitions to the open state shown in FIG. 3.

[0052] To properly transition to the open state, the user pulls out the tubular member 20 until the locking end 26a of the tubular member 20 is higher (closer to the surface of the housing 10) than the stepped portion 34 of the rotating member 30. The tubular member 20 can only be pulled out to the position where the spring 40 is maximally compressed, so pulling it out to this position is sufficient. When the tubular member 20 is pulled out to this position, if the mating member 200 has been removed from the fastener 100, the rotating member 30 is urged counterclockwise, and the step portion 34 and the portion closer to the protrusion 35 than that are inserted into the cutout portion 26.

[0053] When the user releases the operating portion 21 in this state, the tubular member 20 moves in the direction toward the cavity 11 due to the biasing force of the spring 40, and the engaging end portion 26a abuts against and engages the step portion 34, returning to the state shown in Figure 3. In this way, when fastener 100 is used, the user can, with a simple operation, detach the counter member 200 from fastener 100 and return fastener 100 to a state where it can fix the counter member 200. In this case, the counter member 200 detached from fastener 100 is in a state where it can move freely relative to fastener 100, with no problem whatsoever.

[0054] Incidentally, when removing the mating member 200 from the fastener 100, if the user releases the operating portion 21 without pulling the tubular member 20 out sufficiently, or if an unexpected impact is applied to the fastener 100, the locking end portion 26a may not be locked with the stepped portion 34. In this case, the tubular member 20 moves in the direction toward the cavity 11 until the operating portion 21 abuts against the end of the housing 10, roughly the same as in FIG. 5 (see FIG. 7).

[0055] Even in the state shown in FIG. 7, if the user pulls out operating portion 21 sufficiently again and releases it, locking end portion 26a will be locked with step portion 34, and fastener 100 can be returned to the state shown in FIG. 3, just as when removing counterpart member 200. However, whether fastener 100 has returned to the open state properly or has reached the state shown in FIG. 7 cannot be determined without carefully checking how far tubular member 20 is inserted into housing 10. Furthermore, it is troublesome for the user to check the state of fastener 100 every time they attempt to connect counterpart member 200 and fastener 100. This is all the more problematic when attempting to connect them in a position that is not visible behind the body, such as a necklace.

[0056] Therefore, in fastener 100, a tapered portion 27 is provided on tubular member 20, so that fastener 100 and counterpart member 200 can be connected simply by inserting fixed portion 211 into cavity 11 using an operation substantially the same as in the case of FIG. 4, even from the state shown in FIG. 7. 7, when fixed portion 211 is pushed into cavity 11 in the same manner as in the case of FIG. 4, the vicinity of the end of fixed portion 211 on the cylindrical member 20 side is guided by tapered surface 16 and comes into contact with tapered portion 27. Then, in accordance with the operation of pushing fixed portion 211 while dropping spherical portion 212 into hemispherical surface 11a, an upward force in the figure is applied to tapered portion 27, and cylindrical member 20 can be pushed up.

[0057] Then, when the fixed portion 211 climbs over the end of the cylindrical portion 22 on the cavity 11 side, the urging force of the spring 40 moves the cylindrical member 20 toward the cavity 11. At this time, the fixed portion 211 abuts against the protrusion 35, causing the rotating member 30 to rotate clockwise. As a result, the positional relationship of the various portions becomes the same as in FIG. 5, and the fixed portion 211 can be fixed in the same manner as in FIG. 5.

[0058] In this way, by providing tapered portion 27, even if engagement between locking end portion 26a and step portion 34 is not properly achieved when removing counterpart member 200 from fastener 100, counterpart member 200 can be reconnected to fastener 100 by performing operations generally similar to those performed properly. Therefore, even if the engagement between locking end portion 26a and step portion 34 is not sufficiently accurate, operability can be maintained.

[0059] Next, the use of the fastener 100 described above will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the structure of an ornament equipped with the fastener 100. As shown in FIG. The fastener 100 described above can be used, for example, as shown in FIG. 8, to attach the fastener 100 to one end of a string-like portion 300 of an ornament such as a necklace 1, and to attach a mating member 200 to the other end, thereby connecting and disconnecting both ends of the string-like portion 300. In this case, the combination of the fastener 100 and the mating member 200 can also be considered as one set of fasteners. The necklace 1 is one embodiment of the ornament of the present invention. The ring 50 of the fastener 100 and the ring 220 of the mating member 200 are attachment portions used to attach the string-like portion 300.

[0060] The fastener 100 provides a similar feel when connecting and disconnecting the mating member 200, even if the axial length of the housing 10 changes. Furthermore, this operation does not interfere with the string-like portion 300 attached to the ring 50, 220. For this reason, the fastener 100 is suitable for use as a necklace fastener having multiple string-like portions 300 along the axial direction of the housing 10 (and the mating member 200), as shown in FIG. 8. While each string-like portion 300 is shown in FIG. 8 as a string of pearls strung on a thread, it may also be a chain, or may include a pendant top. The shape and material are optional.

[0061] However, it is of course possible to apply the string-like portion 300 to a necklace with only one string, or to use it to connect and disconnect appropriate portions of other decorative items. Furthermore, the fastener 100 is particularly suitable for use with decorative items of a size that can be worn by a person, but is not limited to this. It is also not prevented from being used to connect and disconnect objects other than decorative items.

[0062] [Modification] This concludes the description of the embodiments, but in this invention, the specific configurations and uses of the fastener 100 and the mating member 200, the specific operating procedures, the specific shapes, materials, and arrangement of the parts, etc. are not limited to those described in the above embodiments.

[0063] For example, it is not necessary for the housing 10 and the exterior part 210 to appear as a single unit when the fastener 100 and the mating member 200 are joined together. The external shapes of the housing 10 and the exterior part 210 can be determined arbitrarily based on design requirements, etc. Regarding the cylindrical member 20, the cylindrical portion 22 does not need to be an elliptical cylindrical shape, and may be another shape such as a rectangular cylindrical shape. As long as it can be inserted into and removed from the housing 10 along the axial direction as in the above-described embodiment, the cross-sectional area of ​​the plane perpendicular to the axis may vary depending on the position in the axial direction.

[0064] The operating unit 21 may also have any shape as long as it allows the operation of pulling out the cylindrical member 20 from the housing 10. For example, an operating unit may be provided that rises from the side surface of the cylindrical portion 22 and penetrates the side surface of the housing 10, so that the user can operate the operating unit located on the side surface of the housing 10 along the side surface of the housing 10. Furthermore, the configurations of the above-described embodiments and modified examples can be implemented in any combination as long as they are not mutually contradictory, and only some of them can be taken out and implemented. [Explanation of symbols]

[0065] 1...necklace, 10...casing, 11...cavity, 11a...hemispherical surface, 11b...end surface of cavity, 12...opening, 13...first slit, 14...through hole portion, 15...second slit, 16...tapered surface, 17...introducing tapered surface, 20...cylindrical member, 21...operation portion, 21a...slit, 22...cylindrical portion, 22a...slit, 22b...step portion, 22c...thin-walled portion, 23...hollow portion, 25...accommodating recess, 26...notch portion, 26a...engaging end portion, 27...tapered portion, 30...rotating member, 31...rotating shaft, 31a...through hole, 32...top portion, 33...semisphere, 34...step portion, 35...projection portion, 40...spring, 50...ring, 100...fastener, 200...counterpart, 210...exterior portion, 210a...recess, 211...fixed portion, 212...spherical portion, 213...connecting portion, 213a...lower end surface of connecting portion, 220...ring, 300...string-like portion

Claims

1. a housing having an internal cavity and an opening for inserting a mating member; a cylindrical member that can be inserted into and removed from the housing along the axial direction from one end side of the axial direction and has an opening formed on a side surface; a rotating member fixed to the housing so as to be rotatable about a predetermined rotation axis, a portion of which is inserted into the cylindrical member through the opening, and a step portion on a side of the portion of the rotating member that is outside the cylindrical member and faces the cylindrical member; a biasing member disposed inside the cylindrical member along the axial direction of the cylindrical member, the biasing member abutting against a first abutment portion formed on the part of the rotating member and a second abutment portion formed inside the cylindrical member at a position closer to the one end than the first abutment portion, The cavity can transition between an open state in which the mating member can be received in the cavity and a fixed state in which the mating member inserted in the cavity is fixed, In the open state, the one end of the cylindrical member is engaged with the stepped portion of the rotating member, thereby restricting movement of the cylindrical member in a direction toward the cavity, A fastener for an ornament, characterized in that when the rotating member is rotated in a first direction by the opposing member inserted into the cavity in the open state, the engagement between the one end of the tubular member and the step portion of the rotating member is released in response to the rotation, and the tubular member moves in a direction toward the cavity due to the biasing force of the biasing member, fixing the opposing member between the tubular member and the inner surface of the housing, thereby transitioning to the fixed state.

2. The fastener for an ornament according to claim 1, the cylindrical member includes an operation portion exposed to the outside of the housing, A fastener for an ornament, characterized in that when, in the fixed state, an operation is performed on the operating part to pull the tubular member out of the housing, the rotating member is rotated in a second direction opposite to the first direction in response to the operation, and the opposing member is pushed out of the cavity in response to the rotation.

3. The fastener for an ornament according to claim 2, A fastener for an ornament, characterized in that when, in the fixed state, one end of the tubular member is pulled out to a position closer to the surface of the housing than the step portion of the rotating member and then the operating portion is released, the tubular member moves in a direction toward the cavity due to the biasing force of the biasing member, and the one end engages with the step portion of the rotating member, thereby transitioning to the open state.

4. The fastener for an ornament according to claim 1, the cylindrical member has a tapered portion near the one end of an outer circumferential surface on the side where the mating member is inserted, the tapered portion having a height that increases with increasing distance from the one end, A fastener for an ornament, characterized in that when the opposing member is inserted into the cavity while one end of the tubular member and the step portion of the rotating member are not engaged, the opposing member abuts against the tapered portion, causing the tubular member to move in the direction of coming out of the housing as the opposing member is inserted.

5. The fastener for an ornament according to claim 1, A fastener for an ornament, wherein the first contact portion has a substantially hemispherical portion, and the substantially hemispherical portion is capable of contacting the biasing member.

6. A fastener for a decorative item comprising the fastener for a decorative item according to claim 1 and the mating member, a recess is formed in an end surface of the cavity opposite to the side where the cylindrical member is provided, A fastener for an ornament, wherein one end of the portion of the mating member that is inserted into the cavity is housed in the recess in the fixed state.

7. A fastener for a decorative item comprising the fastener for a decorative item according to claim 1 and the mating member, the inner surface of the cavity, which comes into contact with the counterpart member in the fixed state, is formed in a substantially hemispherical shape, A fastener for an ornament, characterized in that the end of the mating member that abuts against the hemispherical inner surface in the fixed state is formed in a substantially hemispherical shape.

8. An ornament comprising the fastener for an ornament according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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