METHOD OF DECORATING AN ARTICLE

Abstract

A method of decorating an article of manufacture, e.g. a jewelry item, watch casing or a mobile phone, including the steps of (a) providing the article with a substrate made of a metal or metal alloy and having a number of recesses; (b) providing a number of engagement members made of the same metal or metal alloy; (c) positioning at least part of the engagement member within the recess; (d) fixedly engaging the engagement members with the substrate by laser beam welding or cold welding; and (e) fixedly engaging a decorative element with the engagement member in a snap-fit manner.

Description

This invention relates to a method of decorating an article, in particular a method in which decorative elements, e.g. precious stones, semi-precious stones or the like, are fixedly engaged with an article, and an article decorated by such a method.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many methods have been devised and are being practiced for decorating various articles, e.g. jewelry items, watch casings or mobile phones, with decorative items. It is found that in practicing some such methods, in particular in cases where the decorative items are very small in size, it is not easy to securely fix the decorative items to the articles. The decorative items may become loose and fall off from the articles.

It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a method of decorating an article of manufacture and an article of manufacture in which the aforesaid shortcomings are mitigated, or at least to provide a useful alternative to the public.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of decorating an article of manufacture, including the steps of (a) providing an article of manufacture with a substrate made of a metal or metal alloy and having at least a recess; (b) providing at least an engagement member made of said metal or metal alloy; (c) positioning at least part of said engagement member within said recess; (d) fixedly engaging said engagement member with said substrate by laser beam welding or cold welding; and (e) fixedly engaging a decorative element with said engagement member in a snap-fit manner.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an article of manufacture including a substrate made of a metal or metal alloy and having at least a recess, at least an engagement member made of said metal or metal alloy, and at least a decorative element, wherein at least part of said engagement member is positioned within said recess, wherein said engagement member is fixedly engaged with said substrate by laser beam welding or cold welding, and wherein said decorative element is fixedly engaged with said engagement member in a snap-fit manner.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of examples only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a pendant, being an article of manufacture to be decorated by a method according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows a decorative item and an engagement member used in the method according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 shows a side view of the decorative item and a sectional view of the engagement member shown in FIG. 2, with the engagement member fixedly secured with the pendant in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 shows the decorative item fixedly engaged with the engagement member shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 shows the pendant of FIG. 1 fixedly engaged with a number of engagement members and decorative items for decorative purposes;

FIG. 6 shows a watch casing, being another article of manufacture to be decorated by a method according to the present invention;

FIG. 7 shows the watch casing of FIG. 6 fixedly engaged with a number of engagement members and decorative items for decorative purposes;

FIG. 8 shows a mobile phone being a further article of manufacture to be decorated by a method according to the present invention; and

FIG. 9 shows the mobile phone of FIG. 8 fixedly engaged with a number of engagement members and decorative items for decorative purposes.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 shows a pendant 10, being a jewelry article, to be decorated by a method according to this invention. The pendant 10 has a body 11 made of a metal or metal alloy, such as stainless steel, titanium, aluminium, karat gold or gold. A number of generally cylindrical recesses 12 are formed in the body 11 of the pendant 10.

An engagement component 14 and a decorative item 16 used in this method are shown in FIG. 2. The engagement component 14 is made of the same metal or metal alloy of which the body 11 of the pendant 10 is made. The engagement component 14 is cylindrical in shape and has a circular wall 18. The engagement component 14 is sized and configured to be receivable within the recess 12. Three claws 20 extend from an upper open end of the engagement component 14. These claws 20 extend generally towards one another and a central longitudinal axis of the component 14. As the engagement component 14 is made of a metal or metal alloy, the claws 20 possess a certain degree of flexibility.

The decorative item 16 is a diamond, a precious stone, a semi-precious stone, a synthetic precious stone, a piece of glass or a piece of zircon (i.e. zirconium silicate, ZrSiO₄). In this example, a diamond is illustrated. The diamond 16 may be of a diameter of up to 1.5 mm.

To decorate the pendant 10, an engagement component 14 is positioned within one of the recesses 12, such that only the claws 20 extend above the recess 12. In particular, as can be seen in FIG. 3, when the engagement component 14 is positioned within the recess 12, the claws 20 extend away from the recess 12.

The engagement component 14 is then fixedly secured to the recess 12 of the body 11 of the pendant by laser beam welding or cold welding. Simply stated, laser beam welding is a welding technique used for joining pieces of metal or metal alloys through the use of a laser. The laser beam provides a concentrated heat source, allowing for narrow, deep welds and high welding rates. As to cold welding, such is devised upon the discovery that two clean, flat surfaces of similar metal would strongly adhere if brought into contact under vacuum. It is known in practice that the force of adhesion following first contact can be increased by pressing the workpieces tightly together, increasing the duration of contact, raising the temperature, or any combination of the above.

Upon fixedly securing the engagement component 14 with the body 11 of the pendant 10, the diamond 16 is then pressed into a cavity 22 within the circular wall 18 of the engagement component 14. As the distance between the free ends of the claws 20 is smaller than the diameter of the diamond 16, once the diamond 16 is pressed past the claws 20 and into the cavity 22, it is snap-fitted with the component 14 and can no longer be retrieved from it, thanks to the resilience of the claws 20. The diamond 16 is thereby fixed engaged with the engagement component 14, as shown in FIG. 4.

Upon fixed engagement of an engagement component 14 within each respective recess 12 of the pendant 10, and subsequent fixed engagement of a decorative item 16 within each respective engagement component 14, the pendant 10 is decorated as shown in FIG. 5.

By using the same process, a watch casing 30, as shown in FIG. 6, with a body 34 made of stainless steel, titanium, aluminium, karat gold or gold and formed with a number of circular recesses 36 may be decorated by various decorative elements 38, such as diamonds, precious stones, semi-precious stones, synthetic precious stones, pieces of glass or pieces of zircon, as shown in FIG. 7.

Similarly, a mobile phone 40, as shown in FIG. 8, with a body 42 made of stainless steel, titanium, aluminium, karat gold or gold and formed with a number of circular recesses 44 may be decorated by a number of decorative elements 46, such as diamonds, precious stones, semi-precious stones, synthetic precious stones, pieces of glass or pieces of zircon, as shown in FIG. 9.

It should be understood that the above only illustrates examples whereby the present invention may be carried out, and that various modifications and/or alterations may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention.

It should also be understood that certain features of the invention, which are, for clarity, described in the context of separate embodiments, may be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features of the invention which are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in any appropriate sub-combinations.

Claims

1. A method of decorating an article of manufacture, including the steps of:

(a) providing an article of manufacture with a substrate made of a metal or metal alloy and having at least a recess;

(b) providing at least an engagement member made of said metal or metal alloy;

(c) positioning at least part of said engagement member within said recess;

(d) fixedly engaging said engagement member with said substrate by laser beam welding or cold welding; and

(e) fixedly engaging a decorative element with said engagement member in a snap-fit manner.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein said article is a jewelry item, a watch casing or a mobile phone.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein said metal or metal alloy is stainless steel, titanium, aluminium, karat gold or gold.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein said decorative element is a diamond, precious stone, semi-precious stone, synthetic precious stone, glass or zircon.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein said engagement member has a plurality of claw members adapted to fixedly engage with said decorative element in a snap-fit manner.

6. A method according to claim 5 wherein, when said engagement member is positioned at least partly within said recess, said claw members extend generally away from said recess.

7. A method according to claim 1 wherein said engagement member is generally cylindrical in shape.

8. An article of manufacture including:

a substrate made of a metal or metal alloy and having at least a recess,

at least an engagement member made of said metal or metal alloy, and

at least a decorative element,

wherein at least part of said engagement member is positioned within said recess,

wherein said engagement member is fixedly engaged with said substrate by laser beam welding or cold welding, and

wherein said decorative element is fixedly engaged with said engagement member in a snap-fit manner.

9. An article according to claim 8 wherein said article is a jewelry item, a watch casing or a mobile phone.

10. An article according to claim 8 wherein said metal or metal alloy is stainless steel, titanium, aluminium, karat gold or gold.

11. An article according to claim 8 wherein said decorative element is a diamond, precious stone, semi-precious stone, synthetic precious stone, glass or zircon.

12. An article according to claim 8 wherein said engagement member has a plurality of claw members adapted to fixedly engage with said decorative element in a snap-fit manner.

13. An article according to claim 8 wherein said engagement member is generally cylindrical in shape.