APPLICANT ANDASSIGNEE OF THE ENTIRE INTEREST: Preciflex SA of Neuchatel, Switzerland INVENTORS:

Johann Rohner, Swiss citizen

Chemin de la Rochette 12

1405 Pomy

SWITZERLAND

Jean Gubelmann, Swiss citizen

Route des Clos 114B

2012 Auvernier

SWITZERLAND

Alain Jaccard, Swiss citizen

Chemin des Addreys 3

1450 Ste-Croix

SWITZERLAND

ANIMATION WITH MOBILE ELEMENTS FOR WEARABLE ITEMS

Cross Reference to Related Applications

This is a PCT application which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application 62/533,437, filed July 17, 2017, the content of the entirety of which is explicitly incorporated herein by reference and relied upon to define features for which protection may be sought hereby as it is believed that the entirety thereof contributes to solving the technical problem underlying the invention, some features that may be mentioned hereunder being of particular importance. Copyright & Legal Notice

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The Applicant has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. Further, no references to third party patents or articles made herein is to be construed as an admission that the present invention is not entitled to antedate such material by virtue of prior invention.

Background of the Invention

The invention relates to methods and devices for the industrial and artistically manufacture of products, particularly decorative items like watches and other jewelry comprising activate mobile elements, for example, as an aesthetic feature.

Jewelry exists with activated mobile elements, typically activated by gravity.

What is needed is an item such as jewelry or watches with active light elements that provide an indication when activated, particularly an indication of motion or an aesthetic indication. Summary of the Invention

A device is provided for generating a visual animation in a wearable item such as a jewelry item (bracelet, anklet, necklace or piercing item) or a time piece by activating powerable elements (activatable elements, such as a lamp) relative to their position. The mobile elements contain a light refractive and/or reflective element (LRR element) that can be transparent plastic, glass, crystal, precious stone, diamond or gemstone. The LRR elements change their appearance through the effect of an activatable component (e.g., light emitting diode) powered by electricity. The effect can be an illumination of the LRR element. The illumination thereof can be in various colors. The activatable component is powered via a plurality of electrodes arranged in an array or via inductive coupling with various configurations as described in the instant description and/or the drawings herein. The geometry of the plurality is defined according to the desired effect.

The mobile elements move in a closed or open container. The movement of the mobile elements is caused by gravity, by an external force, by a magnetic attraction force, or by an electrostatic force. The external force can be generated by the user or by an external mechanism. Further, the mobile elements may be set in motion by interactions between themselves such as collisions and/or transmission of electrical power and/or electrostatic charge. The container is filled by a gas or by a liquid. In a variant, the motion of the mobile elements is controlled by their immersion in the presence of one or more fluids, in particular by the viscosity of those fluids. The shape and materials of the activatable element can be adapted to optimize the transmission of the electrical current and the displacement. The components (in particular the surfaces) of the container may be treated with a coating.

It is an object of the invention to provide a visible indication of relative movement with respect to the gravity vector.

It is another object of the invention to provide an interesting and aesthetically appealing wearable item.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The attached drawings represent, by way of example, different embodiments of the subject of the invention. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 A is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2B is a top view of the embodiment of FIG. 2A.

FIG. 3 A is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3B is a top view of the embodiment of FIG. 3 A.

FIG. 3C is a schematic view of the embodiment of FIG. 3 A.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, dimensions may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help improve understanding of the invention and its embodiments. Furthermore, when the terms 'first', "second ¹ , and the like are used herein, their use is intended for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a sequential or chronological order. Moreover, relative terms like "front ^" , "back", "top" and "bottom", and the like in the Description and/or in the claims are not necessarily used for describing exclusive relative position. Those skilled in the art will therefore understand that such terms may be interchangeable with other terms, and that the embodiments described herein are capable of operating in other orientations than those explicitly illustrated or otherwise described. Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment

The following description is not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way as it is exemplary in nature, serving to describe the best mode of the invention known to the inventors as of the filing date hereof. Consequently, changes may be made in the arrangement and/or function of any of the elements described in the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Referring to the embodiment in FIG. 1, the mobile element 101 is composed of two conductive parts 1 10, 1 12 separated by an insulation part 102 and containing an LRR element 103. An electrically activatable component 104 is connected to each conductive part 1 10, 112 of the mobile element 101. A container is composed of a top 105 and a bottom 106, in which at least the top 105 is transparent, partially transparent, or semi-transparent. The mobile elements 101 can move freely inside the container. The top 105 and bottom 106 of the container are covered by conductive layers 107 and 108. The plurality of conductive layers 107 and 108 provide a pattern, such as a decorative pattern or an indicative pattern. The conductive layers are connected to respective terminals of an electrical power source 109. At least the conductive layer 107 is substantially transparent. When the mobile element 101 is tilt so that each conductive part 1 10, 112 touches one of the conductive layer 107, 108, the activatable component 104 is powered by the current delivered by the power source 109. The movement of the mobile elements 101 can be generated by gravity, by an external force, or by an external displacement. The activatable component or lamp 104 may be a Light Emitting Diode which changes the color of the LRR element 103 or simply makes it glowing. In the configuration of FIG. 1, the LRR element 103 is a transparent plastic, glass, precious stone, a diamond, or a gem stone.

Referring to the embodiment in FIG. 2 A and 2B, the mobile element 201 is composed of two conductive parts 210, 212 separated by an insulation part 202 and containing a LRR element 203. The LRR element 203 may be a transparent plastic, glass, crystal, precious stone, a diamond, or a gemstone. An electrically activatable component (activatable component) 204 is connected to each conductive part 210, 212 of the mobile element 201. A container is composed of a top 205, a bottom 206, and a side or sides (not shown), of which at least the top 205 is transparent, partially transparent, or semi-transparent. The mobile elements 201 can move freely inside the container. The movement of the mobile elements 201 can be initiated by gravity (via a change in the device's orientation with respect thereto), by an external force, or by an external displacement. In the configuration of FIG. 2A and 2B, the bottom 206 of the container contains a plurality of conductive components which are positive charged electrodes 207 and negative charged electrodes 208. The electrodes are connected to the power source 209 so that they form successively positive and negative electrodes. The plurality of electrodes can be in a shape of a chessboard or any configuration adapted to the geometry of the mobile elements 201.

The mobile elements 201 can move freely in the container. When two mobile elements 201 touch each other, they can create a direct electrical contact 214. If the two mobile elements 201 are positioned on different charged electrodes (positive, negative), the current delivered by the power source 209 can flow through the conductive parts 210, 212 and power the activatable components 204 of the mobile elements 201 in contact. The activatable component 204 can be composed of one Light Emitting Diode or two Light Emitting Diodes that are mounted in a head to tail configuration. These diodes changes the color of the LRR element 203 or simply makes it glow.

Referring to the embodiment in FIG. 3 A and 3B, the mobile element 302 contains a LRR element 308. The LRR element 308 may be a transparent plastic, glass, crystal, precious stone, a diamond, or a gemstone. The electricity to power the activatable component 301 is transmitted electromagnetically or via an inductive coupling through induction coils 303, 305. The mobile elements 302 move freely inside a container. The container is composed of a top 306, a bottom 304, and a side or sides (now shown) of which at least the top 306 is transparent, partially transparent, or semi-transparent. The movement of the mobile elements 302 is generated by gravity (via changes in orientation with respect to the gravity vector), by an external force, or by an external displacement. Each mobile element 302 contains an induction coil 303 disposed in its bottom region. The bottom region 304 of the container includes a plurality/an array of induction coils 305. The induction coils 305 are electro-conductive and connected to a power source. When a mobile element 302, which can move freely between the top 306 and the bottom 304 of the container, passes over an induction coil 305, the activatable component 301 is powered by the current transmitted through the induction coils 305 and 303. The array of induction coils 305 may be positioned in a large variety of manners so that various areas of the container are activatable.

Referring now to FIG. 3C, the functioning of the induction coils system is shown in more detail. The power source 310 generates an alternative current in the emitting coil 305, producing a magnetic field. A magnetic field concentrator 312, for example a ferrite bar, may be used to increase the concentration of the magnetic field. The receiving coil 303 may include a magnetic field concentrator 31 1, for example a ferrite bar. The part of the magnetic field produced by the emitting coil 305 that passes through the receiving coil 303 generates an electrical current, which powers the activatable element 301. The resonance frequencies of the emitting coil 305 and of the receiving coil 303 may be adapted so as to optimize the power transmission. Methods for adjusting the resonance frequency of such coils may include the addition of electronic elements in the electrical circuit between the power source 310 and the emitting coil 305, or between the receiving coil 303 and the activatable element 301. Such electronic elements may be resistors, capacitors, inductors, self-inductors, or any combination thereof. Of course, the induction system can also work without the ferrite bar, although less efficiently.

The invention may be summarized as having the following feature sets:

1. A device for generating a visual animation comprising a container, the container having a plurality of conductive components powered by electricity, and one or more mobile elements (101, 201, 302), the mobile elements (101 , 201 , 302) containing an electrically activatable component (104, 204, 301), wherein the electrically activatable components (104, 204, 301) are powered as function of their position relative to the plurality of conductive components.

2. The device of feature set 1 , wherein the mobile elements (101, 201 , 302) further comprising two conductive parts (110, 112, 210, 212) separated by an insulating portion

(102, 202), the electrically activatable component (104, 204, 301) being connected to each conductive part (1 10, 1 12, 210, 212), and wherein the electrically activatable component (104, 204, 301) is powered via the two conductive parts (1 10, 112, 210, 212) when the two conductive parts (1 10, 112, 210, 212) move into direct contact with the conductive components.

3. The device of feature set 1, wherein the conductive components are electrodes (107, 108, 207, 208), the electrodes (107, 108, 207, 208) are disposed at the top (105, 205) and at the bottom (106, 206) of the container, and wherein the electrically activatable components (104, 204) are powered when the mobile elements (101 , 201) are tilted and make contact with the top (105, 205) and the bottom (106, 206) of the container simultaneously.

4. The device of feature set 2, wherein the electrically activatable component (204) is powered when at least two mobile (201) elements are in direct contact (214).

5. The device of feature set 1 , wherein the conductive components include induction coils (305), the mobile elements contain further induction coils (303), and the power is transmitted via inductive coupling. 6. The device of any of the preceding feature sets, wherein the mobile elements (101, 201, 302) are set in moti on by a force selected from one of the group of forces consisting of gravity, an external force, a magnetic attraction force, and an electrostatic force.

7. The device of any of the feature sets 1 to 5, wherein the mobile elements (101 , 201, 302) are set in motion by interactions between themselves such as collision and/or transmission of electrical power and/or electrostatic charge.

8. The device of any of the preceding feature sets, wherein the electrically activatable element (104, 204, 301) is a lamp.

9. The device of the above feature set, wherein the lamp is one or several LEDs.

10. The device of any of the preceding feature sets, wherein the motion of the mobile elements (101, 201 , 302) is controlled by their immersion in one or more fluids having an associated viscosity..

11. The device of feature set 5, wherein:

a power source (310) generates and alternative current in an emitting coil (305), producing a magnetic field;

part of the magnetic field produced by the emitting coil (305) that passes through the receiving coil (303) generates an electrical current which powers the activatable element 301 ; and

resonance frequencies of the emitting coil (305) and of the receiving coil (303) are adapted so as to optimize the power transmission.

12. The device of feature set 11, wherein a magnetic field concentrator (312), for example a ferrite bar, increases the concentration of the magnetic field.

13. The device of feature set 1 1, wherein a receiving coil (303) includes a magnetic field concentrator (31 1). 14. The system(s) and/or method(s) as described in the instant specification, dependent feature sets, abstract and/or drawing figures.

In an advantage, the invention provides a visible indication of relative movement with respect to the gravity vector.

In another advantage, the invention provides an interesting and aesthetically appealing wearable item

It should be appreciated that the particular implementations shown and herein described are representative of the invention and its best mode and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention in any way. For example, a method of the invention involves (1) moving the device with respect to the gravity vector to activate the activatable element, (2) considering the action of the activatable elements, (3) using this activation as an indication of a change in state of the device of the invention, and (4) optionally, triggering a response thereto, such as activation of a further element or elements. As will be appreciated by skilled artisans, the present invention may be embodied as a system, a device, or a method.

Moreover, the system contemplates the use, sale and/or distribution of any goods, services or information having similar functionality described herein.

The specification and figures should be considered in an illustrative manner, rather than a restrictive one and all modifications described herein are intended to be included within the scope of the invention claimed. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims (as they currently exist or as later amended or added, and their legal equivalents) rather than by merely the examples described above. Steps recited in any method or process claims, unless otherwise expressly stated, may be executed in any order and are not limited to the specific order presented in any claim. Further, the elements and/or components recited in apparatus claims may be assembled or otherwise functionally configured in a variety of permutations to produce substantially the same result as the present invention. Consequently, the invention should not be interpreted as being limited to the specific configuration recited in the claims.

Benefits, other advantages and solutions mentioned herein are not to be construed as critical, required or essential features or components of any or all the claims. As used herein, the terms "comprises", "comprising", or variations thereof, are intended to refer to a non-exclusive listing of elements, such that any apparatus, process, method, article, or composition of the invention that comprises a list of elements, that does not include only those elements recited, but may also include other elements such as those described in the instant specification. Unless otherwise explicitly stated, the use of the term "consisting" or "consisting of or "consisting essentially of is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the enumerated elements named thereafter, unless otherwise indicated. Other combinations and/or modifications of the above-described elements, materials or structures used in the practice of the present invention may be varied or adapted by the skilled artisan to other designs without departing from the general principles of the invention. The patents and articles mentioned above are hereby incorporated by reference herein, unless otherwise noted, to the extent that the same are not inconsistent with this disclosure.

Further, the invention should be considered as comprising all possible combinations of every feature described in the instant specification, appended claims, and/or drawing figures which may be considered new, inventive and industrially applicable.

This application may be subject to copyright. With respect to express Licensees to third parties of the rights defined in one or more claims herein, no implied license is granted herein to use the invention as defined in the remaining claims. Further, vis-a-vis the public or third parties, no express or implied license is granted to prepare derivative works based on this patent specification, inclusive of the appendix hereto and any computer program comprised therein.

Additional features and functionality of the invention are described in the claims appended hereto and/or in the abstract. Such claims and/or abstract are hereby incorporated in their entirety by reference thereto in this specification and should be considered as part of the application as filed.

Multiple variations and modifications are possible in the embodiments of the invention described here. Although certain illustrative embodiments of the invention have been shown and described here, a wide range of changes, modifications, and substitutions is contemplated in the foregoing disclosure. While the above description contains many specific details, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention, but rather exemplify one or another preferred embodiment thereof. In some instances, some features of the present invention may be employed without a corresponding use of the other features. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the foregoing description be construed broadly and understood as being illustrative only, the spirit and scope of the invention being limited only by the claims which ultimately issue in this application.