|
Patent Abstract
There is disclosed a fastener for clips to be applied to jewelry
and costume jewelry products and to clothing accessories, bags and
the like. The fastener utilizes a mechanical device actuated through
the action of magnets. According to one arrangement, the mobile
components of the clip, shaped substantially in the form of small
pins that carry out the mechanical fastening, consist of magnets,
for which, in each pair of said permanent magnets, there is mutual
attraction and therefore closing of the fastening device when they
are arranged with the poles opposite, i.e. when one is arranged
in such a way that its positive pole faces towards the negative
pole of the other.
Patent Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A fastening clip for jewelry, costume jewelry and clothing accessories,
comprising: a male clip member; a female clip member; a mechanical
means for fastening together said male and female clip members;
and magnetic means for acting on said mechanical means for mechanically
fastening and mechanically unfastening said male and female clip
members.
2. The fastening clip as defined in claim 1, wherein the mechanical
means for fastening together said male and female clip members comprises
small pins wherein said small pins are magnetic so that when a pair
of said pins are arranged so that their magnetic poles are opposite
there is a magnetic attraction and mechanical fastening of said
male and female clip members.
3. The fastening clip as defined in claim 2, wherein when the pair
of said pins are arranged so that their magnetic poles are the same
there is a magnetic repulsion and mechanical unfastening of said
male and female clip members.
4. The fastening clip as defined in claim 3, wherein one of said
pair of pins is 180.degree. rotatable so that when rotated so that
the magnetic poles of the pair of pins facing each other is the
same, a mutual repulsion and therefore moving apart of the two pins
and mechanical unfastening of said male and female clip members.
5. The fastening clip as defined in claim 4, wherein a first magnetic
pin (4) and a second magnetic pin (5) are arranged opposite each
other in said female clip member (1) for axial movement, and wherein
said male clip member (2) includes holes (6) for axially accepting
said first and second magnetic pins for mechanical fastening of
said male and female clip members, and wherein a magnet (7) is disposed
between said first and second magnetic pins, said magnet being mounted
on a rotatable support (8), whereby axial movement of said first
and second magnetic pins is caused by said magnet.
6. The fastening clip as defined in claim 3, wherein a magnetic
pin (9) is arranged for axial movement in said female clip member
(1) and a magnet (10) is arranged for 180.degree. rotation in said
male clip member (2).
7. The fastening clip as defined in claim 3, wherein an axially
movable pin (12) is arranged in said female clip member (1) and
an oppositely disposed fixed pin (11) is arranged in said female
clip member (1).
8. The fastening clip as defined in claim 7, wherein said male
clip member (2) includes a hole (6) for acceptance of said axially
movable pin (12) when said male clip member is joined to said female
clip member by insertion into a recess (3) in said female clip member,
and the polarity of said axially movable pin (12) is opposite to
the polarity of said fixed pin (11), and wherein a magnet (14) is
insertable between the opposing axially movable pin (12) and fixed
pin (11) having the same polarity as opposing axially movable pin
(12) so as to mechanically unfasten said male and female clip members.
Patent Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a fastening device for
use in jewelry products, such as necklaces, bracelets and other
ornamental products and in clothing accessories, bags, belts and
the like.
[0002] In the current state of the art, fastening clips applied
to necklaces and bracelets, in the field of jewelry and costume
jewelry in general, are of the mechanical type and generally consist
of small cylinders that, in certain positions, take care of closing
mini-locks. Also, in the current state of the art, the use of so-called
"magnetic" clips is widespread, where fastening is obtained
through the attraction of two opposing magnets.
[0003] All of these prior art types of fastening clips have some
drawbacks that limit their use. Specifically, mechanical clips,
defined with the generic term "spring clips," have a constructive
drawback, since they require special processing, both for making
the individual components and for their assembly. Such clips also
have a drawback in use, consisting of difficulty for the user to
act on the opening device and unfasten the clip. Magnetic clips,
even though they have a simpler construction as compared to mechanical
clips, also have a drawback in use due to the fact that the two
opposing magnetic bodies, so as to be able to make a stable fastening,
must have a fairly strong force of attraction. Thus, a magnetic
field is generated around the clip that interacts with the surrounding
area, creating awkward situations for the user. For example, the
drawback encountered by a person who wears a watchstrap equipped
with a conventional magnetic clip finds that metal parts, such as
staples, pins or other metallic elements present on his work table,
are attracted to and stick to the watchstrap clip due to the effect
of the external magnetic field generated by the two opposing magnets.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The object of the present invention is to provide a fastening
clip to be used, in particular, in the field comprising ornamental
objects and clothing accessories, which does not have the drawbacks
suffered by similar known fastening clips.
[0005] The above object is accomplished with a fastening clip in
which fastening is carried out through a mechanical device actuated
through the action of magnets. In such a clip, the mobile components
are shaped substantially in the form of small pins that carry out
the mechanical fastening. These pins consist of magnets, for which,
in each pair of said permanent magnets, there is mutual attraction
and therefore closing of the fastening device when they are arranged
with their poles opposite, i.e. when one is arranged in such a way
that its positive pole faces towards the negative pole of the other.
[0006] The unfastening of the clip is carried out through a mechanical/magnetic
operation wherein the two magnetic pins move apart, thus allowing
the fastening mechanism to open. This moving apart of the two magnetic
pins can be carried out by inserting a third magnetic element between
them arranged so that its magnetic poles (positive and negative)
oppose the magnetic poles of the two fastening pins, for which reason
the latter pins are moved apart and therefore the opening of the
mechanism and finally the unfastening of the clip is carried out.
[0007] Such moving apart of the two magnetic pins can also be carried
out with a mechanical operation wherein one of the aforementioned
two pins is rotated by 180.degree., in such a way that the two poles
of the same sign face one another, with the consequence of generating
a mutual repulsion and therefore the moving apart of the aforementioned
two pins and finally the opening of the mechanism and the unfastening
of the clip.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] The present invention will be better defined with the description
of some of its possible embodiments, given only as a non-limiting
example, with the help of the attached drawings, wherein:
[0009] FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 represent the successive operating steps
of a first type of fastener, according to the present invention;
[0010] FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 represent the successive operating steps
of a second type of fastener, according to the present invention;
and
[0011] FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 represent the successive operating steps
of a third type of fastener, according to the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0012] As can be seen in FIGS. 1 to 3, in a first embodiment of
the invention, fastening of the clip is obtained through magnetic
pins 4 and 5, arranged opposing each other and contained in the
body 1. Pins 4 and 5 are inserted into the corresponding holes 6,
formed on the anchor 2. The axial sliding of the two magnetic pins
4 and 5 is caused by a magnet 7 arranged between the aforementioned
pins and mounted on a support 8, rotatable about its axis.
[0013] As can easily be seen from FIGS. 1 to 3, the axial movement
of the two pins 4 and 5 is a consequence of the fact that the magnetic
poles of the aforementioned pins are of the same sign or of opposite
sign with respect to the corresponding magnetic poles of the central
magnet 7.
[0014] In operation, with the fastener open (see FIG. 1), the magnetic
poles of pins 4 and 5 are of the same sign as the opposing magnetic
poles of the central magnet 7 for which reason, due to the repulsive
force, they remain inside their seats in body 1. Thereafter, the
anchor 2 is inserted manually into the recess 3 and the central
magnet 7 is rotated by 180.degree. (see FIG. 2). With such rotation,
the polarities of the central magnet 7 are thus inverted, for which
reason a magnetic attraction force is applied and which attracts
pins 4 and 5, which, sliding, are inserted into the holes 6 of anchor
2, thus carrying out the desired fastening (see FIG. 3).
[0015] As can be seen in FIGS. 4 to 6, in a second embodiment of
the invention the fastening between the body 1 and the anchor 2
is carried out with the use of a magnetic pin 9 and a magnet 10.
Pin 9 is inserted in body 1 and is adapted to slide axially whereas
magnet 10 is inserted in anchor 2 and is adapted to rotate 180.degree..
As can easily be seen from FIGS. 4 to 6, the axial sliding of pin
9 is a consequence of the fact that the magnetic poles of the pin
9 and of the magnet 10 are of the same sign or of opposite signs.
[0016] In operation, in the open state of the fastener (see FIG.
5), the opposing poles of the pin 9 and of the magnet 10 are of
the same sign for which reason, due to the repulsive force, the
slidable pin 9 remains inside its seat in the body 1. With the rotation
by 180.degree. of magnet 10, the polarities of the pin 9 and the
magnet 10 are thus inverted, for which reason a magnetic attraction
force is applied to pin 9, which, sliding, inserts into the hole
6, carrying out the desired fastening (see FIG. 6).
[0017] As can be seen in FIGS. 7 to 9, in a third embodiment of
the invention, the fastening between the body 1 and the anchor 2
is carried out with the use of two magnetic pins 11 and 12, arranged
opposite one another and both inserted in the aforementioned body
1, wherein one is fixed and the other is adapted to slide axially.
The fastening operation takes place with the manual insertion of
the anchor 2 in the recess 3 (FIG. 7), which is locked by the mobile
pin 12 which, having the magnetic pole with the opposite sign to
the magnetic pole of the fixed pin 10, is attracted and thus inserted
into the hole 6 (FIG. 8), carrying out the desired fastening. As
can be seen in FIG. 9, the unfastening operation is carried out
by inserting a magnet 14, orientated so as to have a magnetic pole
of opposite sign to the magnetic pole of the mobile pin 12, into
the intermediate recess 13, which brings about a repulsive force
that takes the aforementioned pin back into its seat and thus frees
the anchor 2, which can thus be unfastened from the recess 3 of
body 1.
[0018] Of course, embodiments different to those described are
possible, according to the type of fastening clip to be made, however,
without the characteristics of the following claims being affected.
|