Patent Description:
<CIT>, <CIT> and <CIT>, by the same applicant as the present application, describe personal accessories using liquid animations.

What is needed is a system/apparatus and/or method that compensates for thermal variations without a visible bubble.

What is needed is a system/apparatus and/or method that allows the creation of accessories and/or fashion items containing fluidic animations while ensuring the integrity of the fluidic animation over a given range of temperatures.

What is needed is a system/apparatus and/or method that does not generate leaks or breakages in case of nominal temperature increase.

What is needed is a system/apparatus and/or method that avoids the appearance of unsightly gas bubbles in case of temperature decrease.

What is needed is a new way to make accessories more alive by allowing their appearance to change, using liquid animations.

A system, apparatus and method is provided which provides means to create an apparently living decoration for personal accessories. The system is made up of a capsule containing at least one liquid in which decorative elements are allowed to move to provide an animation. Generally the thermal expansion/compression rate of liquids is significantly higher than the thermal expansion/compression rate of solids. The system provides the ability to completely fill the visible part of the capsule with liquid while avoiding undesirable and unsightly gas bubbles and/or system degradation or destruction when the ambient temperature changes.

Such a system, according to the claimed invention, is a personal accessory as defined in claims <NUM>-<NUM>. A method of animating such an accessory is defined in independent claim <NUM>.

The attached drawings represent, by way of example, different embodiments of the subject of the invention.

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', 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.

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 scope of the claims.

The system according to this invention includes at least one fluidic capsule containing at least one liquid and is destined to be worn by a wearer/user as an accessory, an item of jewelry, a wristwatch, or any other fashion item.

Referring now to <FIG>the fluidic capsule <NUM> consists of a top plate <NUM> attached to a bottom plate <NUM> by a semi-flexible wall <NUM>, and contains at least one liquid <NUM>. Even though the figures may show the top plate <NUM> having the same diameter as the bottom plate <NUM>, the fluidic capsule <NUM> may also be constructed with the top plate <NUM> of a different diameter from the bottom plate <NUM>. For example, the semi-flexible wall <NUM> may have a global conical shape instead of cylindrical. The liquid <NUM> is chosen to exhibit specific properties of viscosity, density, thermal expansion index, color, transparency, or light refraction index, etc. The capsule may also contain decorative elements <NUM> or structures (not shown) able to generate a visual animation actuated by gravity when the user/wearer changes the orientation of the fluidic capsule relative to a gravitational force, by an acceleration provided by the movement of the user/wearer, or by a manual or automatic actuation mechanism, such as described in US Provisional Application <CIT> or in <CIT>, contained in the accessory, item of jewelry, wristwatch, or any other fashion item where the fluidic capsule <NUM> is integrated. This feature of comprising decorative elements <NUM> may not be expressly shown in any of the other embodiments disclosed in the instant description. Nevertheless, this feature is or may be comprised in any of the embodiments shown in <FIG>, <FIG><FIG><FIG>, <FIG>and <FIG> as disclosed in the instant description. The decorative elements <NUM> or structures (not shown) may be chosen so that at least a part of at least one of the decorative elements exhibits specific properties of density, visible light properties such as transparency, color, reflectivity, filtration capabilities, and/or refraction index. The refraction index of the fluid <NUM> and the refraction index of at least one portion of the decorative elements <NUM> may be chosen to be substantially identical, such as less than <NUM>% different, preferably less than <NUM>%, ideally less than <NUM>% different than the liquid <NUM>, so that any selected part of the decorative elements can be made invisible for the user/observer/wearer. The decorative elements <NUM> may be actuated by gravity when the user/wearer changes the orientation of the fluidic capsule <NUM> relative to a gravitational force, by an acceleration provided by the movement of the capsule by the user/wearer, or by activating a manual or automatic actuation mechanism, such as described in US Provisional Application <CIT>, for example, on page <NUM>, lines <NUM> to <NUM> or in <CIT>, for example, on page <NUM>, lines <NUM> to <NUM>. <FIG> shows the fluidic capsule <NUM> at a given temperature while <FIG> shows the same fluidic capsule <NUM> at a lower temperature, where the top plate <NUM> and the bottom plate <NUM> are free to move relative to each other, and where the contraction of the capsule <NUM> is evident. Generally, the thermal expansion/compression rate of liquids is significantly higher than the thermal expansion/compression rate of solids. As the top plate <NUM> and the bottom plate <NUM> have nearly no thermal compression compared to the compression of the at least one liquid <NUM>, the volume difference due to the thermal compression of the at least one liquid <NUM> is compensated for by a deformation of the semi-flexible wall <NUM>, so that the fluidic capsule <NUM> remains full of liquid, without the creation of undesirable or unsightly gas bubbles in the at least one liquid <NUM>.

Referring now to <FIG>, the behavior of the semi-flexible wall <NUM> is shown when the top plate <NUM> and bottom plate <NUM> are fixed relative to each other and the temperature varies. In such case, at a higher temperature, the semi-flexible wall is extended towards the exterior of the fluidic capsule as shown by arrow <NUM>, and when the temperature decreases, the semi-flexible wall retracts towards the inside of the fluidic capsule, such as indicated by arrow <NUM>. Of course, a combination of relative movement of the top plate <NUM> and the bottom plate <NUM> and flexion of the semi-flexible wall <NUM> towards the inside or outside of the fluidic capsule may be used to enhance the capacity/volume <NUM> of the fluidic capsule <NUM> to adapt to ambient temperature variations while avoiding undesirable and unsightly gas bubbles and/or system degradation or destruction. Relative freedom of movement between top plate <NUM> and bottom plate <NUM> may also be used to facilitate the buckling of the semi-flexible wall <NUM>. The semi-flexible wall <NUM> can be made of a polymer, a composite, an organic material, or a metal, or any combination thereof, and it can be the accessory's casing itself where areas to which components are affixed are simply reinforced with additional material, the material where flexing is to occur being made thinner. The inflection point (or plane) near where the arrowhead to element <NUM> in <FIG> is located can be sharp and not rounded, and extend outwardly much further than shown in the drawing. It may as well extend inwardly. The top plate <NUM> may be made of a single material or an assembly of different materials, and it may have at least one transparent portion <NUM> through which the user/wearer can see inside the capsule. This feature of comprising top plate may be made of a single material or an assembly of different materials, and it may have at least one transparent portion through which the user/wearer can see inside the capsule may not be expressly shown in any of the other embodiments disclosed in the instant description. Nevertheless, this feature is or may be comprised in any of the embodiments shown in <FIG>, <FIG><FIG><FIG>, <FIG>and <FIG> as disclosed in the instant description. Typical materials for the top plate <NUM> include sapphire, glass, transparent plastics, etc. The top plate <NUM> may present additional geometrical features (shown exemplarly in <FIG> by reference no. <NUM>) allowing the capsule to be attached in an accessory's structure (shown exemplarly in <FIG> by reference no. <NUM>) as well known in the industry. The bottom plate <NUM> may be made of a single material or an assembly of different materials, and may be opaque or may have at least one transparent portion <NUM> through which the user/wearer can see through the capsule. This feature of comprising the bottom plate may be made of a single material or an assembly of different materials, and may be opaque or may have at least one transparent portion <NUM> through which the user/wearer can see through the capsule may not be expressly shown in any of the other embodiments disclosed in the instant description. Nevertheless, this feature is or may be comprised in any of the embodiments shown in <FIG>1C, <FIG><FIG><FIG>, <FIG>and <FIG> as disclosed in the instant description. In one embodiment (shown in <FIG>), the semi-flexible wall <NUM> is made of a semi-flexible ribbon formed as a closed loop to enable closing of the capsule <NUM>. The semi-flexible wall <NUM> may essentially be made of polymer, rubber, metal, or any other flexible material and may contain structures <NUM> made of rigid or semi-rigid materials such as a ring, a metallic cable, glass fibers, carbon fibers, etc. and preferably is overmolded. The semi-flexible wall may have pre-shaped bends to ensure that the top plate <NUM> and the bottom plate <NUM> remain substantially parallel, independent of the volume <NUM> of the at least one liquid <NUM> contained in the capsule <NUM>. The semi-flexible wall <NUM> may be surface treated in order to improve its liquid-tightness and/or its resistance to temperatures, to ultraviolet radiation, etc. The top plate <NUM> and the bottom plate <NUM> have at least one feature in which the structures <NUM> of the semi-flexible wall <NUM> can be fixed, so that the assembly is liquid-tight. For example, the top plate <NUM> and the bottom plate <NUM> have at least one groove in which the structures <NUM> of the semi-flexible wall <NUM> can snap, so that the assembly is liquid-tight.

In another embodiment (shown in <FIG>), the structures <NUM> are made of a thicker zone of the semi-flexible wall <NUM>, and held in place squeazed between the top plate <NUM> and the accessory's structure <NUM>, respectively between the bottom plate <NUM> and the accessory's structure <NUM>, similarly to the installation of an O-ring as well known in the industry. Further sealing processes like gluing may be applied after assembly. Such assembly may take place immersed in the at least one liquid <NUM> so that no air bubble remains inside the capsule <NUM>. At assembly, the ambient temperature must be taken into account to not overfill the capsule <NUM>, allowing a temperature range in which the semi-flexible wall <NUM> can extend to accommodate the thermal expansion of the at least one liquid <NUM>. Conversely, when the temperature decreases, the semi-flexible wall may bend to decrease the internal volume of the capsule, avoiding the creation of depression which may trigger the appearance of gas bubbles in the at least one liquid <NUM>.

Referring now to <FIG>, the fluidic capsule <NUM> includes a top plate <NUM> attached to a bottom plate <NUM> through a gasket <NUM>, and contains at least one liquid <NUM>. The gasket <NUM> is attached to the accessory's structure <NUM>. The thermal expansion/compression rate of the gasket is significantly higher than the thermal expansion/compression rate of solids such as the top plate <NUM>, the bottom plate <NUM> or the structure <NUM>. As shown in <FIG> vs <FIG>, an increase of ambient temperature generates an expansion of the gasket <NUM> which increases the internal volume <NUM> of the capsule <NUM>, allowing the thermal expansion of the at least one liquid <NUM> without damaging the integrity of the capsule <NUM>.

Referring now to <FIG>, the fluidic capsule <NUM> includes a top plate <NUM> attached to the accessory structure <NUM> by a top gasket <NUM> and a bottom plate <NUM> attached to the accessory structure <NUM> by a bottom gasket <NUM>, and contains at least one liquid <NUM>. The thermal expansion/compression rate of the gaskets <NUM> and <NUM> is significantly higher than the thermal expansion/compression rate of solids such as the top plate <NUM>, the bottom plate <NUM> or the structure <NUM>. An increase of ambient temperature generates an expansion of the gaskets <NUM> and <NUM> which increases the internal volume <NUM> of the capsule <NUM>, allowing the thermal expansion of the at least one liquid <NUM> without damaging the integrity of the fluidic capsule <NUM>. In one embodiment, one of the plates <NUM> or <NUM> may be fixed to the structure <NUM>. The expansion of the inner chamber takes place then in only one direction.

Referring now to <FIG>, the fluidic capsule <NUM> includes a top plate <NUM> attached to a bottom plate <NUM> by a rigid structure <NUM>, forming a rigid main chamber <NUM> and contains at least one liquid <NUM>. The bottom plate <NUM> contains an expansion chamber <NUM> filled with gas <NUM> and connected to the rigid main chamber <NUM> via a small channel <NUM>. The dimensions of the channel <NUM> are defined so that the capillarity forces create a meniscus between the at least one liquid <NUM> and the gas <NUM>. In order to prevent the gas <NUM> from dissolving in the at least one liquid <NUM> or the at least one liquid <NUM> from evaporation in the gas <NUM>, an additional liquid <NUM> separates the gas <NUM> from the at least one liquid <NUM>. The additional liquid <NUM> is non-miscible with the at least one liquid <NUM>, and doesn't absorb gas <NUM> so that gas <NUM> cannot pass the barrier constituted by the additional liquid <NUM>. A functionality similar to that of the additional liquid <NUM> may also be realized using a gel <NUM>' with the same properties of non-miscibility with the at least one liquid <NUM> and non-absorption of gas <NUM>, or even with a mobile solid plug <NUM>" or piston. When the system is subjected to temperature variation, for example a temperature increase, the liquid <NUM> expands, reducing the volume of the gas <NUM>. The length of the channel <NUM> is defined so that the meniscus between the at least one liquid <NUM> and the gas <NUM>, and in the case of an additional liquid <NUM> between the two liquids, remains inside the channel over a defined temperature range. The channel <NUM> may be surface treated in order to help the displacement of the meniscus. As shown in <FIG>, the channel <NUM> can be installed in the periphery of the bottom plate <NUM> in the event that the bottom plate is transparent and the channel needs to be out of the view of an observer looking through the fluidic capsule <NUM>, or even in the structure <NUM>.

Referring now to <FIG>, the fluidic capsule <NUM> includes a top plate <NUM> attached to a bottom plate <NUM> by a rigid structure <NUM>, forming a rigid main chamber <NUM> and contains at least one liquid <NUM>. The bottom plate <NUM> contains an expansion chamber <NUM> filled with gas <NUM> and is connected to the rigid main chamber <NUM> via a channel <NUM>. A rolling membrane <NUM> creates the separation between the at least one liquid <NUM> and the gas <NUM>. When the at least one liquid <NUM> expands or contracts due to variation of temperature, the rolling membrane <NUM> rolls or unrolls to adapt to the volume variation of the at least one liquid <NUM>. An additional guiding slider (not represented) may be used to ensure a correct displacement of the rolling membrane.

Referring now to the embodiments shown in <FIG>, the fluidic capsule <NUM> includes a top plate <NUM> attached to a bottom plate <NUM> by a rigid structure <NUM>, forming a rigid main chamber <NUM> and containing at least one liquid <NUM>. The bottom plate <NUM> contains a channel <NUM> connecting to a flexible expansion chamber <NUM> formed by a membrane <NUM>, so that the volume <NUM> of the fluidic capsule can adapt to the thermal expansion of the fluid <NUM> as the ambient temperature changes. Alternatively, the membrane <NUM> may also be built in the form of a combination of rigid parts <NUM> and flexible parts <NUM>.

Referring now to <FIG>, the fluidic capsule <NUM> includes a top plate <NUM> attached to a rigid structure <NUM>, and a bottom plate <NUM> attached to the rigid structure <NUM> via a flexible membrane <NUM>, and contains at least one liquid <NUM>. The flexible membrane <NUM> allows for movement of the bottom plate <NUM> relative to the top plate <NUM>, so that the volume <NUM> of the fluidic capsule can adapt following the thermal expansion of the fluid <NUM> as the ambient temperature changes.

The fluidic capsule may be used for other purposes than in decorative accessories. It may also be used for the storage and transport of fluid(s) in other personal accessories in order to avoid any leakage or breakdown when the ambient temperature varies, for example such as inhalors, e-vaping devices, perfume diffusers, and the like and in such case the capsule may not contain any transparent part.

In an advantage, the system and method/apparatus of the present invention allows the creation of accessories and/or fashion items containing fluidic animations and ensuring the integrity of the fluidic animation over a given range of temperatures.

In another advantage, the system/apparatus and/or method of the present invention does not generate leaks or breakages in case of nominal temperature increase.

In another advantage, the system/apparatus and/or method of the present invention avoids the appearance of unsightly gas bubbles in case of temperature decrease.

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.

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 manner, 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 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.

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.

Other characteristics and modes of execution of the invention are described in the appended claims.

Materials used for the realization of the present invention are chosen to be suitable and in compliance to the operating temperature range of the invention. Such materials are e.g. metals, polymers or glass, and in particular sapphire glass. The same goes for structures used for the realization of the present invention, such as e.g. bellows, chips, or intrinsic membranes, are configured to be suitable and in compliance to the operating temperature range of the invention.

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 that may be considered new, inventive and industrially applicable.

Claim 1:
A personal accessory comprising a capsule (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) having at least one transparent section (<NUM>) through which a user/wearer can see inside the capsule, the capsule containing at least one liquid (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>), the capsule containing at least one decorative element immersed in the liquid, wherein at least one part of one of the decorative elements (<NUM>) immersed in the liquid (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) has a light refraction index which is substantially identical to that of the liquid (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>), such as less than <NUM>% different from that of the liquid, preferably less than <NUM>%, ideally less than <NUM>% different, so that said part of one of the decorative elements (<NUM>) is made essentially invisible to an observer, wherein the liquid is enclosed in said capsule by a plurality of physical boundaries (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) which are liquid-tight wherein at least one physical boundary (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>', <NUM>", <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) is moveable so as to accommodate thermal expansion or contraction of the liquid caused by temperature variations over a given temperature range thereby preventing leaking, bursting, and the generation of bubbles, thus adapting the liquid containing chamber volume to the ambient temperature.