Technical Field

The present invention relates to a kit to plait flexible loops and obtain plaited articles, particularly necklaces, bracelets and rings.

Background Art

Kits are known which permit plaiting flexible loops consisting of elastics of different colors to obtain a variegated plait usable as a necklace, bracelet or ring. A kit of this type is shown in patent document WO 2012/060906 and consists in a plurality of pin-holder bars, each of which includes a plurality of pins parallel to one another, and a series of support bases on which the pin-holder bars are mountable by interlocking.

Once the pin-holder bars have been mounted on the support bases, the kit takes the shape of a horizontal bedplate from which the pins protrude in a vertical direction, which can be used to wrap the colored elastics and enable the user to easily plait them.

This kit does however have a number of drawbacks.

The manufacturing of the pin-holder bars and the support bases of the kit shown in WO 2012/060906, in fact, calls for the use of different forming molds which are particularly complex and expensive, and this determines a consequent increase in production costs which, inevitably, affect the retail prices with the risk of making the product less attractive for customers.

It should also be considered that the assembly and disassembly operations of the kit are often awkward and laborious for the end user who has to combine and assemble several pieces between them.

Moreover, even once assembled, the various pieces are not always stable.

Description of the Invention

The main aim of the present invention is to provide a kit to plait flexible loops and obtain plaited articles, particularly necklaces, bracelets and rings, which is at the same time particularly inexpensive to make, practical to transport, easy to assemble, convenient to use and which is very stable once assembled. Another object of the present invention is to provide a kit to plait flexible loops and obtain plaited articles, particularly necklaces, bracelets and rings which allows to overcome the mentioned drawbacks of the prior art within the ambit of a simple, rational, easy and effective to use as well as affordable solution. The above mentioned objects are achieved by the present kit to plait flexible loops and obtain plaited articles, particularly necklaces, bracelets and rings, having the characteristics of claim 1.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become better evident from the description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of a kit to plait flexible loops and obtain plaited articles, particularly necklaces, bracelets and rings, illustrated by way of an indicative, but not limitative, example in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is an exploded view of the kit according to the invention;

Figure 2 is an axonometric view of the kit according to the invention;

Figure 3 is an axonometric view of a detail of the kit according to the invention;

Figure 4 is an axonometric view of another detail of the kit according to the invention.

Embodiments of the Invention

With particular reference to such figures, globally indicated by 1 is a kit to plait flexible loops and obtain plaited articles, particularly necklaces, bracelets and rings.

The kit 1 comprises a plurality of pin-holder bars 2, 3 having an elongated base 2, which extend along a substantially horizontal longitudinal direction L, and a plurality of shaped pins 3, which extend vertically from the elongated base 2. In this respect, it is specified that in the present treatise the terms "horizontal" and "vertical" are to be understood with reference to the end using position of the kit 1 wherein, precisely, the elongated bases 2 are arranged horizontal and the shaped pins 3 are vertical.

Each elongated base 2 has an upper face 4, a lower face, two lateral longitudinal faces 5, 6 opposite one another (of which a first lateral longitudinal face 5 and a second lateral longitudinal face 6), and two longitudinal extremities 7, 8 opposite one another (of which a first longitudinal extremity 7 and a second longitudinal extremity 8).

The upper face 4 is substantially horizontal.

The lateral longitudinal faces 5, 6 are substantially vertical.

The longitudinal extremities 7, 8 are defined by respective portions of the elongated base 2, having a smaller thickness than the rest of the base itself. In particular, in correspondence to the first longitudinal extremity 7 the portion of smaller thickness defines an extension of the second lateral longitudinal face 6, while in correspondence to the second longitudinal extremity 8 the portion of smaller thickness defines an extension of the first lateral longitudinal face 5 and is substantially complementary to the portion of smaller thickness of the first longitudinal extremity 7.

In this way, when two elongated bases 2 are aligned along the longitudinal direction L one after the other, the first longitudinal extremity 7 of a pin-holder bar 2, 3 is placed substantially mating the second longitudinal extremity 8 of the other pin-holder bar 2, 3.

The shaped pins 3 are able to retain a plurality of flexible loops, preferably of the elastic type, to make plaited articles, such as necklaces, bracelets and rings; by means of the kit 1 the flexible loops can be plaited and interlocked in a way known in itself and, consequently, these are not shown in detail in the illustrations.

The shaped pins 3 are aligned in a row along the longitudinal direction L and are distributed substantially equidistant at a predetermined reciprocal distance Dl.

On each elongated base 2 there is a single row of shaped pins 3.

The shaped pins 3 substantially have the shape of a straight cylinder with circular cross section and vertical axis, and comprise:

a lower extremity 9, in correspondence to which the shaped pins 3 are joined to the elongated base 2;

- an upper extremity 10; and

at least a flat surface 11 obtained on the lateral surface of the cylinder, i.e. a vertical flat surface which extends substantially along the entire length of the cylinder except in correspondence to the lower extremity 9 and to the upper extremity 10, in correspondence to the upper extremity 10 the flat surface 11 determining the formation of a step defining a retention edge 12 which allows to retain at least part of the flexible loops and protrudes from the cylinder.

The flat surfaces 11 and the relative retention edges 12 are all oriented in the same direction and, in particular, they are facing towards the first longitudinal extremity 7.

The shaped pins 3 also comprise a vertical groove 13, which extends substantially over the entire height of the cylinder on the diametrically opposite side with respect to the flat surface 11, with a lightening function.

The kit 1 also comprises at least a union system 14, 15 of the pin-holder bars 2, 3 which allows to arrange them in an operating configuration wherein the elongated bases 2 are arranged substantially parallel and approached to one another to form a worktop.

The union system 14, 15 comprises at least an interlocking protrusion 14 and at least an interlocking seat 15 present on each elongated base 2, the interlocking protrusion 14 of a pin-holder bar 2, 3 being coupled by interlocking to the interlocking seat 15 of another adjacent pin-holder bar 2, 3.

In each pin-holder bar 2, 3, the elongated base 2, the shaped pins 3, the interlocking protrusion 14 and the interlocking seat 15 are made in a single body piece.

For this purpose, it is underlined that the pin-holder bars 2, 3 according to the invention can usefully be manufactured by injection molding of plastic material; it is underlined that the pin-holder bars 2, 3 are all the same and can be assembled in a modular manner and, with a single mold, it is possible to manufacture all the pin-holder bars 2, 3 and, consequently, the whole kit 1. Conveniently, the interlocking protrusion 14 is obtained on the first lateral longitudinal face 5 while the interlocking seat 15 is obtained on the second lateral longitudinal face 6.

Advantageously, the union system 14, 15 comprises a plurality of interlocking protrusions 14 obtained on the first lateral longitudinal face 5 and a plurality of interlocking seats 15 obtained on the second lateral longitudinal face 6.

The interlocking protrusions 14 and the interlocking seats 15 are aligned in a row along the longitudinal direction L.

On each elongated base 2 there is a single row of interlocking protrusions 14 and a single row of interlocking seats 15.

The interlocking protrusions 14 extend in cantilever fashion from the first lateral longitudinal face 5 along a horizontal direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction L.

The interlocking protrusions 14 consist, e.g., in a series of cylindrical bodies, which have a circular cross section and a central axis A horizontal and orthogonal to the longitudinal direction L.

The cylindrical bodies 14 are distributed along the longitudinal direction L in a discontinuous manner, with greater frequency in the proximity of the longitudinal extremities 7, 8.

In particular, it is underlined that:

in the proximity of the first longitudinal extremity 7 there are three cylindrical bodies 14 arranged at a reciprocal distance equal to the half of the reciprocal distance Dl between the shaped pins 3;

in the proximity of the second longitudinal extremity 8 there are four cylindrical bodies 14 arranged at a reciprocal distance equal to the half of the reciprocal distance Dl between the shaped pins 3;

between the cylindrical bodies 14 in the proximity of the first longitudinal extremity 7 and the cylindrical bodies 14 in the proximity of the second longitudinal extremity 8 there are other cylindrical bodies 14 arranged at a reciprocal distance equal to one and a half of the reciprocal distance Dl between the shaped pins 3.

Alternative embodiments cannot however be ruled out wherein the cylindrical bodies 14 are present in a different number and/or distributed in a different manner.

The interlocking seats 15, on the other hand, consist e.g. in a series of cavities obtained on the second lateral longitudinal face 6.

The cavities 15 are substantially complementary to the cylindrical bodies 14 and, therefore, have a substantially cylindrical conformation with a circular cross section, with a central axis A horizontal and orthogonal to the longitudinal direction L.

The cylindrical bodies 14 are insertable within the cavities 15 with interference, thus realizing the reciprocal interlocking coupling.

At least one of the interlocking seats 15 has a spacing edge 16 that is raised with respect to the second lateral longitudinal face 6.

The spacing edge 16, in practice, consists of a tubular length which extends in cantilever fashion from the second lateral longitudinal face 6 and which, in practice, increases the depth of the relative interlocking seat 15 and, with the pin-holder bars 2, 3 in the operating configuration, keeps the first lateral longitudinal face 5 of a pin-holder bar 2, 3 slightly spaced from the second lateral longitudinal face 6 of the other adjacent pin-holder bar 2, 3.

In the embodiment shown in the figures, the interlocking seats 15 with their spacing edge 16 are more than one and, in particular, they are alternated to one another by interposition of an interlocking seat 15 without its spacing edge 16. Alternative embodiments cannot however be ruled out wherein the interlocking seats 15 with their spacing edge 16 and the interlocking seats 15 without their spacing edge 16 are present in a different number and/or distributed in a different manner.

The interlocking seats 15 are substantially equidistant distributed from one another, at a reciprocal distance D2 substantially equal to the half of the reciprocal distance Dl between the shaped pins 3.

In this way two pin-holder bars 2, 3 can be associated with one another so that the shaped pins 3 of a pin-holder bar 2, 3 are staggered with respect to the shaped pins 3 of the other pin-holder bar 2, 3, as shown e.g. in the solution of Figure 2; it is easy to understand, however, that alternatively, the pin-holder bars 2, 3 can be associated with one another in a different position wherein an elongated base 2 is made to slide with respect to the other by a distance equal to the reciprocal distance D2 between the interlocking seats 15 and wherein the shaped pins 3 of a pin-holder bar 2, 3 are substantially side by side in twos to the shaped pins 3 of the other pin-holder bar 2, 3. Usefully, the first longitudinal extremities 7 of the elongated bases 2 have an auxiliary interlocking protrusion 17 while the second longitudinal extremities 8 of the elongated bases 2 have an auxiliary interlocking seat 18, the auxiliary interlocking protrusion 17 of a pin-holder bar 2, 3 being coupled by interlocking to the auxiliary interlocking seat 18 of another pin-holder bar 2, 3 in a working configuration wherein the pin-holder bars 2, 3 are longitudinally aligned.

Thanks to the interlocking protrusions 14 and to the interlocking seats 15, therefore, the pin-holder bars 2, 3 are joinable to one another side by side, while, thanks to the auxiliary interlocking protrusions 17 and to the auxiliary interlocking seats 18, the pin-holder bars 2, 3 are joinable to one another head to head, to form an assembled kit 1 having the desired width and length.