DESCRIPTION

PROCESS FOR MANUFACTURING ORNAMENTAL ARTICLES Field of the invention The present invention relates to a process for manufacturing ornamental articles, such as jewels, costume jewellery articles, and the like. Background of the Art

The shapes, materials and compositions of jewels and costume jewellery articles are currently very varied and in continuous growth. In many cases, these ornamental articles are no longer only the result of craft skills, but they are also manufactured in an attempt of integrating artistic novelties with industrial processing, the latter having become very complicated from the technical point of view.

Furthermore, photography has a long, well established importance, both in the artistic and merely private and affective fields . The possibility of providing an ornamental article which can contain, as the decorative item, a realistic image such as a photographic image of a landscape or a person of interest for the user, results to be very appealing to the industry operators. The methods used until now have not allowed a

satisfactory integration of the photographic technique with the common techniques for manufacturing ornamental articles.

Summary of the Invention The object of the present invention is to provide a process for manufacturing an ornamental article which leads to integrating the two above-mentioned technologies, thereby reaching satisfactory results in terms of quality and without excessive process complexity.

The object of the present invention is achieved by means of a process as described in claim 1, and the preferred embodiments thereof, such as defined in the dependent claims 2 to 21. The object of the present invention is also an ornamental article that can be obtained by means of a manufacturing process as described in claim 22. Brief Description of the Figures

The advantages and further aspects of the invention will become more apparent from the description below of preferred embodiments thereof, which is given as a non- limiting example, with reference to the annexed drawings, in which:

Pig. 1 shows an example of a support module to be used in a particular embodiment of the process for

manufacturing an ornamental article in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 shows an example of a photographic paper sheet to be used in said process; Fig. 3, 4 and 5 show sections of said module in which said sheet is inserted, in accordance with respective steps of the process;

Fig. 5 shows said module and the photographic paper sheet as resulting from said process; Fig. 6 shows an example of an ornamental article comprising basic modules obtained from said process.

Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments

With reference to the annexed figures, there is described an example of a process for manufacturing an ornamental article, such as particularly a jewel, a costume jewellery article, and the like.

Fig. 1 shows a support module 100 being provided with an application wall 1 and at least one stop member 2 such as one or more side walls or edges 2 (four edges are shown in Fig. 1) , which are joined to the application wall 1.

The four side edges 2 and the application wall 1 define a housing region 3. The support module 100 can be made of any material, and for example is made of a metal material, such as preferably silver or gold.

Fig. 2 shows an exemplary photographic paper sheet 50 (such as of the known type) on which one or more images have been printed by means of conventional processes. In greater detail, the photographic paper sheet 50 has a lower face or wall 4 (not shown in Fig. 2) and a counter-posed upper face or wall 5, at least one photographic image 6 being printed thereon.

The photographic paper sheet 50 may be, for example, a conventional vivid white film, a polyester sheet or a vinyl sheet. This sheet 50 is suitable for printing photographic images both from negatives and obtained by means of analogue cameras, and for directly printing images obtained by means of digital cameras . Particularly, this sheet 50 is of the type on which there may be reproduced top-quality photographic images.

The sheet 50 has such a size that can be arranged in the housing region 3 of the support module 100, and can be obtained by cutting, preferably in the automated mode, which is carried out starting from a matrix (not shown) of the same photographic paper on which there are printed more photographic images. Preferably, the lower face 6 (Fig. 3) of said sheet 50 comprises an adhesive layer 7 such as, for example, a film made of adhesive material.

The method provides a step of arranging (section in Fig. 4) the sheet 50 in the housing region 3, such that

the lower face 6 faces the application wall 1 and the upper face 5 faces upwards thus allowing the image 6 to be displayed.

It should be observed that the adhesive layer 7 (not shown in Fig. 3) adheres to the application wall 5 thus reducing the possibility that air bubbles may be left interposed between the sheet 50 and the support module

100.

Subsequently, as illustrated in Fig. 5, in the housing region 3, and above the upper face 5, there is arranged a fixative compound 9 having such a density as to be of pasty or semi-liquid consistency. In greater

^• detail, this fixative compound 9 fills the housing region

3 by covering the sheet 50, and remaining confined within the edges 2.

Advantageously, the fixative compound 9 is a polyurethane resin. Particularly, according to a first example, this compound is formed by mixing a first component A containing isocyanate groups and a second component B containing hydroxyl groups. In accordance with a preferred example, the mixing is carried out according to an A/B ratio of 1:1. Advantageously, said fixative compound is solvent-free, thus being non- corrosive and non-damaging for the sheet 50 and, particularly, for the image 6.

In accordance with a second example, the fixative compound is a polyurethane resin obtained by curing BENZOTRIAZOLYL POLYOXYTHYLENE (which is an example of the first hydroxyl polymer component A) and using the PIPERIDINIL SEBACATE additive as the second component B. For example, the polyurethane resin having both the above-mentioned components is marketed by S.E. Special Engines S.r.l. of Turin (IT) with the serial number LCR075SD. According to a particular embodiment, the above-mentioned components are also in a ratio of about 1:1.

Furthermore, mixing the above-mentioned components A and B can preferably occur in the presence of a curing catalyst, such as for example the ISOFRONDI ISOCYANATE substance, preferably to be used less than 0,5%. This catalyst is marketed by S.E. Special Engines S.r.l. of Turin (IT) with the serial number DKlOOSD.

Furthermore, advantageously, mixing the first component A with the second component B (in each of the examples that have been made) is carried out in the absence of oxygen. The absence of oxygen while mixing prevents subsequent emissions of oxygen which may favour an oxidation of the support module 100, when the latter is made of a metal material. The mixture on which the compound 9 is based can be

provided with commercially available equipment, and for example by means of the resin equipment sold by DEMAK.

A step of drying the compound 9 is then carried out in a de-humidified atmosphere by bringing the same to a temperature comprised between the room temperature and 4O ⁰ C such as to cause the hardening thereof. By means of this drying a transparent coating can be obtained on the sheet 50, i.e. a coating allowing the underlying image 6 to be viewed (Fig. 5) . Furthermore, the dried compound 9 performs an action of fixing the sheet 50 to the module 100 as well as protecting the same from external agents (such as salt, humidity or mechanical actions) .

It should be observed that, advantageously, the drying step is carried out at a sufficiently low temperature at which it is ensured that the photographic paper sheet 50 will not be damaged. Particularly, the temperature values as indicated can be reached without using drying ovens .

Particularly, the drying step can be carried out at room temperature in a suitable curing time.

According to a preferred exemplary embodiment, the drying can be carried out by arranging the support module 100 provided with the sheet 50 in a container (not shown) at purified atmosphere, i.e. being substantially dust- free.

Furthermore, for example, the drying can be favoured by ensuring a recycling of purified air within the container. This recycling air can be brought to values ranging between the room temperature and 40 ⁰ C or, preferably, between 28°C and 38°C. An exemplary value for the air temperature is 35 ⁰ C.

The drying time, for example, exceeds 12 hours and, for the temperature values as indicated above, this time can be of 24 hours, particularly, with reference to a recycle air at 35°C.

When the drying has been completed, the support module 100 and the sheet 50 are integrally coupled to each other and the module 100 may be either an ornamental article itself or an element to be used for making this article. For example, the module 100 is an earring, or a base ornamental module for providing a bracelet, a necklace, a cuff-link, a medal or a money clip.

Fig. 7 shows, by way of example, a bracelet 200 as obtained by mechanically coupling (such as by using two threads 10 and 11 passing through suitable holes) the module 100 and modules 110 and 120, which can be made similarly to the module 100.

The method of the invention is particularly advantageous since it allows using a common photographic

paper (which ensures image quality) while avoiding the same to be damaged, and is not excessively expensive.

Particularly, by selecting the exemplary compound as indicated above, the use of drying ovens can be avoided, a suitable fixing of the photographic paper sheet to the module being ensured.

By means of the preferred use of a mixture obtained in a substantially oxygen-free atmosphere, the possibility of oxidation is reduced and different types of metal materials can thus be used. The product as obtained in accordance with the invention has a high ornamental value, as the image has the definition of a real photograph and the transparency of the fixative compound is ensured.