Personal Adornment

Abstract

Freestanding films which have a luxurious metallic feel are used decorate and make personal adornments luxurious.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/719,598, filed on 29 Oct. 2012, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/705,726, filed on 26 Sep. 2012. The current application incorporates herein, by reference, in its entirety both U.S. Provisional Patent Applications Nos. 61/719,598 and 61/705,726.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

The current invention relates to personal adornments such as luxury watches, pendants, ear rings, or other jewelry in which at least one freestanding film is used as decorative part.

Freestanding films provide a luxurious metallic feel in hues that are difficult to otherwise achieve. Further, it is luxurious to wear a watch or other jewelry having metals that are fabricated so precisely that NASA uses them in satellites.

Freestanding films were first developed in the 1970's to act as band pass filters for extreme ultraviolet and soft x-ray wavelengths. Their function was to filter out some wavelengths of light while allowing others to pass. One of the first applications of freestanding films was for space-based astronomy; more specifically for, telescopes stationed above the Earth's atmosphere. Since that time, freestanding films have been routinely used on space missions.

A freestanding film is a metal that is fabricated so thin that it is measured in nanometers and, not supported by a continuous substrate. A typical freestanding film is about 200 times thinner than common kitchen foil. Some freestanding films are 3,000 times thinner than a piece of office paper. Known freestanding films can be made from over 70 materials, including zirconium, titanium, gold, silver, palladium, for example. However, it is conceivable that freestanding films can be made from any known material.

Referring to FIGS. 1a-1b, freestanding films may be supported by mesh or may be self-supported (without mesh). Referring to FIG. 1a, the type of mesh most commonly used is orthogonal or hexagonal in shape. A person having ordinary skill in the art will know that the mesh can be of any shape or design. FIG. 1b shows an unsupported, freestanding film.

The freestanding films shown in FIGS. 1a-1b are shown in a circular frame for exemplary purposes only. As a practical matter, these frames are used to handle the free standing films. However, it should be noted that freestanding films may be produced with a frame having any conceivable shape or without a frame.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION

It is an objective of the present invention to provide personal adornment where freestanding film is disposed on the adornment, or freestanding film is used to, at least partially, form the adornment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed descriptions of the preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

FIG. 1a is a top view of an exemplary freestanding film supported by a hexagonal mesh;

FIG. 1b is a top view of an exemplary unsupported, freestanding film;

FIG. 2a is a top, perspective view of a watch having freestanding film disposed on or near the face;

FIG. 2b is a side, cutaway view of section A-A where A-A is shown in FIG. 2a;

FIG. 3a is a top view of an exemplary frame having a self-supported, freestanding film;

FIG. 3b is a top view of an exemplary frame having a freestanding film supported by a rectangular mesh;

FIG. 4a is a top view of a digital watch where freestanding film is disposed on or near the face;

FIG. 4b is a side, perspective view of a digital watch where freestanding film is disposed on the case;

FIG. 4c is a side, perspective view of a digital watch where freestanding film is disposed on both the watch face and case;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a cuff-link comprising freestanding film;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an earring comprising freestanding film;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a ring comprising freestanding film;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a pendent comprising freestanding film.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is related to personal adornment where freestanding film is disposed on the adornment, or freestanding film is used to, at least partially, form the adornment. Multiple embodiments of the invention are described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.

Referring FIGS. 2a-2b, one type of personal adornment is a luxury watch (10). In one embodiment, the watch (10) is shown as an analog watch having a round face. However, the watch can be of any shape and may have any kind of conventional movement.

The watch (10) comprises a watch movement (14) where a vertical projection (26) connects the watch movement (14) to minute and second hands (12). The watch movement (14) is mounted in a watch case (16). The watch movement (14), for exemplary purposes, is shown in a circular configuration, and is of standard design available from a wide variety of watch manufacturers. The portion of the watch case (16) located above the surface of the watch movement (14) defines a shoulder (18). Freestanding film (20) may be disposed between the watch movement (14) and the watch hands (12), and secured onto the shoulder (18) of the watch case. It should be noted here that other methods of disposing freestanding film (20) into the watch (10) may be used.

Referring to FIGS. 3a -3b, a frame (22) may surround the freestanding film (20).

Referring to FIGS. 2b, 3a-3b, freestanding film can be supported by mesh, where the mesh can take any shape or size, or can be self-supporting. The vertical projection (26) extends from the watch movement (14) through the frame (22) of the freestanding film (20). In another embodiment, at least a portion of the watch (10) is formed using a freestanding film (20). A person having ordinary skill in the art will understand that the location of the freestanding film (20) can be placed in any number of locations on the watch (10), and in a plurality of configurations.

Referring to FIG. 4a, in another embodiment, the watch (10) is a digital watch, and freestanding film (20) is disposed onto the face of the watch. Referring to FIG. 4b, the watch (10) is a digital watch, and freestanding film (20) is disposed on the watch case (16). Referring to FIG. 4c, the watch (10) is a digital watch, and freestanding film (20) is disposed on the watch face and case (16). In another embodiment, at least some portion of the watch (10) is formed using a freestanding film.

Referring to FIG. 5, in another preferred embodiment, freestanding film (20) is disposed on, at least a portion, of a cuff-link (30). In another embodiment, at least some portion of a cuff-link (30) is formed using freestanding film (20).

Referring to FIG. 6, in another preferred embodiment, freestanding film (20) is disposed on, at least a portion, at least one earring (40). In another embodiment, at least some portion of an earring (40) is formed using freestanding film (20).

Referring to FIG. 7, in another preferred embodiment, freestanding film (20) is disposed on, at least a portion, of a ring (50) sized to fit a human finger. In another embodiment, at least a portion of a ring (50) is formed using freestanding film (20). Referring to FIG. 8, in another preferred embodiment, freestanding film (20) is disposed on, at least a portion of a pendant (60). In another embodiment, at least a portion of the pendant (60) is formed using freestanding film.

The freestanding film (20) disposed on the above listed luxury items may be attached by any known means used to work freestanding films. Similarly, freestanding films listed above may form, at least a portion, of any of the luxury items described, using any known metal forming means used to work freestanding films.

Although a number of luxury items are listed here, a person having ordinary skill in the art will understand that freestanding film (20) can be attached to any number of other items to make those items more luxurious.

Claims

1. Personal adornment where a freestanding film is disposed on the personal adornment.

2. The personal adornment of claim 1 is a watch.

3. The watch of claim 2 is an analog watch comprising:

watch movement having a vertical projection which connects the watch movement to minute and second hands;

where the watch movement is mounted in a watch case;

where a portion of the watch case defines a shoulder.

4. The watch of claim 3 where the freestanding film is disposed between the watch movement and the watch hands.

5. The watch of claim 2 where the freestanding film is placed on the watch hands.

6. The watch of claim 2 where freestanding film is disposed on numbers.

7. The watch of claim 2 where the freestanding film is disposed on the case.

8. The watch of claim 2 is a digital watch.

9. The personal adornment of claim 1 is a pendant.

10. The personal adornment of claim 1 is a cuff link.

11. The personnel adornment of claim 1 is an ear ring.

12. The personal adornment of claim 1 is a ring sized to fit a human finger.

13. A personal adornment where at least a portion of the adornment is formed by a freestanding film.

14. The personal adornment of claim 13 is an analog watch.

15. The personal adornment of claim 13 is a digital watch.

16. The personal adornment of claim 13 is a pendant.

17. The personal adornment of claim 13 is a cuff link.

18. The personal adornment of claim 12 is a ring sized to fit a human finger.