The present invention relates to a decorative insert, and, in detail, relates to a decorative insert for manufactured articles in the form of sheet or layer. These manufactured articles in the form of sheet or layer may be, by way of example but not limited to, at least partially made of leather, fabric or other material used or usable in the industry of footwear, furniture or more.

Decorative inserts in the form of studs for clothing or leather goods are known.

These decorative inserts consists of a base portion which in use is disposed in the front part of the stud itself, .e.exposed on the outside, and facing the outside of the clothing or leather article.

This portion may be provided with a decorative element, such as a stone or other element having a particular aesthetic effect, inserted in a housing formed within the base portion itself.

In this situation, the decorative element is anchored to the base portion by means of a plurality of retaining elements, configured to define a mechanical interlock with the decorative element.

A typical example of this configuration is represented by metal arms holding decorative stones, which are configured to attach to and retain the decorative stone so that they substantially surmount it.

The drawback of this configuration is, first of all, the time needed to mount the decorative element on the supporting body, thus making the production process of the stud particularly long.

Moreover, the manufacturing cost of the arms is high, and in case of objects such as studs may significantly affect the final retail price.

The arms are complex to manufacture and hardly suited to be handled in industrial processes, e.g. by assembly machines: such arms are actually adapted from jewellery, and are therefore more likely to be hand-operated by a specialised operator, who is required to learn a rather complex mounting sequence, anyway.

Therefore, the large-scale production using the arms as known in the art turns out to be complicated. In addition, from an aesthetic point of view, the arms as known in the art negatively affect the quality of the final product, since they must extend over the decorative element to retain it at the base portion.

In this configuration, the possibility for the decorative element of significantly protruding from the respective base portion is limited.

A further embodiment of the known art is mounting the decorative element on the base portion by gluing. Also this solution, however, has its drawbacks. Actually, the chemical gluing is hardly stable over time, since the gluing material is per se subject to structural changes likely to reduce the cohesive force that sticks together the base portion and the decorative element.

Moreover, the gluing of decorative elements often depends on temperature conditions and needs time to allow the glue to dry, ensuring a stable adhesion between the decorative element and the base portion.

The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a decorative insert able to overcome the drawbacks of the known art described above.

According to the present invention it is provided a decorative insert for manufactured articles in the form of a sheet or layer, comprising a supporting element which may be associated with a manufactured article at the respective base; at least one decorative element, disposed within a containment compartment formed in said supporting element on the opposite side of said base, said decorative element having at least one decorative portion exposed on the outside; a pin for firmly associating the decorative insert itself to said manufactured article; the decorative element comprises a hooking portion opposite to the decorative portion and having a blind hole for the mechanical interlock of the pin; the pin having a head configured to press on the base of the supporting element and said decorative element having a contrasting surface to press on a surface of the supporting element on the opposite side with respect to the head of the pin.

Advantageously, the decorative portion protrudes outwards from said containment compartment of the supporting element.

Alternatively, the decorative portion is housed within said containment compartment of the supporting element. Advantageously, the base of the supporting element comprises a surface in contact with the said manufactured article, and a through cavity for housing a stem of said pin; said through cavity putting in communication the contact surface with the housing compartment.

The contrast surface of the decorative element herein presses on an inner surface of the compartment.

Alternatively, the contrasting surface of the decorative element presses on an outer ring-shaped edge of the supporting element.

Advantageously, the decorative portion of the decorative element presents a conical conformation, and the hooking portion protrudes from the base of said conical conformation.

Alternatively, the decorative portion of the decorative element has a discshaped conformation, and the hooking portion protrudes from the base of said disc-shaped conformation.

In these cases, the supporting element has a frusto-conical conformation. The hooking portion may also comprise at least one concave surface defining said decorative portion. In this case, the supporting element has a spherical conformation.

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will be hereinafter described in further detail in preferred, yet not exclusive, embodiments and with reference to the appended figures, wherein:

Figures 1 a, 1 b and 1 c show perspective views of decorative inserts in the respective alternative embodiments according to the present invention;

Figures 2a, 2b and 2c show elevational side and longitudinal section views of the inserts in the respective embodiments of Figure 1 a, 1 b and 1 c; and

Figures 3a, 3b and 3c show perspective and exploded views of the inserts in the respective embodiments of Figure 1a, 1 b and 1c.

With reference to the above Figures, and in detail with reference to Figure 1a, 2a and 3a, the reference number 1 indicates an entire insert for manufactured articles in sheet or layer.

This insert 1 comprises a supporting element 2 which can be placed in use on a manufactured article (not illustrated, since it is not part of the present invention) at least partially made in the form of a single sheet or flexible layer comprising, for example and not limited to, cotton, wool or acrylic fabrics, combinations thereof, non-woven fabrics, leather, or the like.

The supporting element 2 is configured to retain a decorative element 3.

In great detail, the supporting element 2 has a base 4 suitable to be associated with the aforementioned manufactured article.

In addition, the supporting element 2 is internally provided with a compartment 5 for containing said decorative element 3, formed on the side opposed to the base 4.

In this situation, it should be noted that the shape and size of the compartment 5 is defined as a function of the shape and size of the respective decorative element.

The decorative element 3 has at least one decorative portion 3a exposed on the outside and designed to give a particular aesthetic effect to the entire insert 1.

The insert 1 also has a pin 6 firmly associating the insert 1 itself to the manufactured article. Preferably, the pin is provided with a stem 7 and a head 8 placed at one end of the stem 7.

With particular reference to the sectional Figures 1 b, 2b, 3b and the exploded views 1 c, 2c, 3c, it should be noted that the decorative element 3 comprises a hooking portion 3b opposite to the decorative portion 3a and having a blind hole 9 for the mechanical interlock with the stem 7 of the pin 6.

The head 8 of the pin 6 is thus configured to press on the base 4 of the supporting element 2, while the decorative element 3 has a contrast surface 10 suitable to press on a surface 1 1 of the supporting element 2, which is on the opposite side with respect to the head 8 of the pin 6.

In other words, in this configuration, the supporting element 2 is pressed and held in position by the effect of the crushing action of the decorative element 3 and of the head 8 of the pin 6.

In this situation, the mechanical interlock of the stem 7 of the pin 6 inside the blind hole 9 formed on the hooking portion 3b allows to hold in position the supporting element 2 and therefore the entire insert 1.

It should also be noted that the base 4 of the supporting element 2 comprises a surface in contact with the manufactured article and a through cavity 12 to house the stem 7.

The through cavity 12 allows the passage of the stem until reaching the blind hole 9 formed on the decorative element 3.

In great detail, with reference to the embodiments of Figures 1 a - 1 c and 2a - 2c, the decorative portion 3a of the decorative element 3 protrudes outwards from the aforesaid compartment 5.

In this situation, the decorative element protrudes above the supporting element 2.

On the contrary, in the embodiment of Figures 3a - 3c, the decorative portion 3a is disposed inside the compartment 5 of the supporting element 2.

As a result, in this situation, the decorative element 3, albeit exposed on the outside, is included within the overall volumetric outline defined by the supporting element 2.

In particular, in the embodiment of Figures 1 a - 1 c, the decorative portion 3a of the decorative element 3 has a conical conformation and the hooking portion 3b, which has a substantially cylindrical conformation, protrudes from the base of said conical conformation.

In this embodiment, the supporting element 2 has a frusto-conical conformation to confer on the entire insert a conical shape (Figure 1 a) in which the vertex of the cone is defined by the decorative element 3 and the portion near the base is defined by the supporting portion 2.

In the embodiment of Figures 2a - 2c, the decorative portion 3a of the decorative element 3 has a disc-shaped conformation and the hooking portion 3b, which has a substantially cylindrical conformation, protrudes from the base of said disc-shaped conformation.

In this embodiment, the supporting element 2 has a frusto-conical and ring- shaped conformation to confer to the entire insert a substantially frusto- conical development (Figure 2a).

In this situation, the upper base of the cone frustum is rounded, and defined by the disc-shaped decorative portion 3a .

In the embodiment of Figures 3a - 3c, the hooking portion 3b comprises at least one concave surface defining the decorative portion 3a.

In this situation, the supporting element 2 has a spherical conformation, including a zone which is interrupted by the presence of the decorative portion 3a.

Advantageously, the supporting element 2 and the decorative element 3 can be made of different material having respective decorative characteristics in terms of shape and colour.

For example, the decorative portion 3a of the decorative element 3 can have a different colour from the supporting element in order to confer a special and original aesthetic effect.

In addition, the insert 1 proves to be extremely versatile since, by replacing only the decorative element, it is possible to modify the colour/aesthetic effect of the insert 1 to meet the various needs related to its use.

It should also be noted that, in the embodiments of Figures 1 a - 1 c and 2a - 2c, the contrast surface 10 of the decorative element 3 presses on an inner surface 1 1 of the compartment 5.

In the embodiment of Figures 3a - 3c, the contrast surface 10 of the decorative element 3 presses on an outer ring-shaped edge 1 1 of the supporting element 2.

The advantages of the invention as described hitherto are evident in the light of the foregoing description.

Advantageously, the decorative insert 1 object of the present invention allows to reduce the times needed to assemble the decorative element 3 on the supporting element 2, since there are no edges or arms to be bent or pushed against it.

The hooking of the decorative element 3 and the supporting element 2 takes place entirely by inserting the stem 7 of the pin 6, which is stuck in the blind hole 9, thus retaining the supporting element 2.

It should also be noted that the contact surface defined by the cavity 5 of the supporting element 2 and the decorative element 3 is the largest, thus allowing to have a safer interlock, without using chemical adhesives.

Advantageously, therefore, the interlock may ensure durability over time, and does not depend on temperature or solidification of the glue.

In addition, the easier interlocking of the decorative element 3 and the supporting element 2 makes the mass production of the object of the present invention easier.

The absence of retention arms of the decorative element allows to realize a high quality product and allows you to cancel the space on the supporting element intended, in origin, to the arms themselves.

Advantageously, the supporting element 2, having no arms, is less delicate to handle and there are therefore less risks of breaking it, no matter how limited its size can be.

It is finally evident that to the decorative insert 3 as described hitherto can be applied variants, modifications or additions, which are obvious to a person skilled in the art, without departing from the scope of protection provided by the appended claims.