Ornamental Component With Gripping Element

Abstract

In one embodiment, an ornamental component is provided for use with a jewelry item (i.e., a bracelet or a necklace). The ornamental component includes a self-supporting housing and an insert assembly. The self-supporting housing has a through hole allowing the ornamental component to be strung on an elongated member of the jewelry item, and the through hole defines a through hole axis and has a first opening at a first side of the self-supporting housing and a second opening at a second side of the self-supporting housing. The insert assembly is inserted in the through hole of the self-supporting housing, and the insert assembly is assembled from a first tubular element having a through hole that forms a gripping element for frictionally gripping a part of the jewelry item. The first tubular element is configured to secure the gripping element inside the through hole of the self-supporting housing.

1 . An ornamental component for use with at least one jewelry item selected from the group consisting of a bracelet and a necklace; the ornamental component comprising:
 a self-supporting housing having a through hole allowing the ornamental component to be strung on an elongated member of the jewelry item, the through hole defining a through hole axis and comprising a first opening at a first side of the self-supporting housing and a second opening at a second side of the self-supporting housing; and   an insert assembly inserted in the through hole of the self-supporting housing;   wherein the insert assembly is assembled from a first tubular element having a through hole that forms a gripping element for frictionally gripping a part of the jewelry item, the first tubular element being configured to secure the gripping element inside the through hole of the self-supporting housing.   
     
     
         2 . An ornamental component for use with at least one jewelry item selected from the group consisting of a bracelet and a necklace; the ornamental component comprising:
 a self-supporting housing having a through hole allowing the ornamental component to be strung on an elongated member of the jewelry item, the through hole defining a through hole axis and comprising a first opening at a first side of the self-supporting housing and a second opening at a second side of the self-supporting housing; and   an insert assembly inserted in the through hole of the self-supporting housing;   wherein the insert assembly is assembled from a first tubular element having a through hole that forms a gripping element for frictionally gripping a part of the jewelry item, the first tubular element being configured to secure the gripping element inside the through hole of the self-supporting housing;   wherein the insert assembly is inserted into the through hole of the self-supporting housing through the first opening of the self-supporting housing.   
     
     
         3 . An ornamental component according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first tubular element comprises a first circumferential opening extending along the through hole axis;   the gripping element comprises a first gripping portion for frictionally gripping the elongated member of the jewelry item; and   the first gripping portion extends through the first circumferential opening.   
     
     
         4 . An ornamental component according to  claim 3 , wherein the gripping element comprises a tubular portion, the first gripping portion protrudes from an interior surface of the tubular portion, and the tubular portion of the gripping element surrounds a part of the first tubular element. 
     
     
         5 . An ornamental component according to  claim 4 , wherein the first tubular element comprises a second circumferential opening extending along the through hole axis, the gripping element comprises a second gripping portion protruding from an interior surface of the tubular portion of the gripping element, and the second gripping portion extends through the second circumferential opening. 
     
     
         6 . An ornamental component according to  claim 5 , wherein the first tubular element comprises a third circumferential opening extending along the through hole axis, the gripping element comprises a third gripping portion protruding from an interior surface of the tubular portion of the gripping element, and the third gripping portion extends through the third circumferential opening. 
     
     
         7 . An ornamental component according to  claim 4 , wherein:
 the first tubular element comprises a first portion and a second portion;   the second portion has a lower widest width than the widest width of the first portion; and   the tubular portion of the gripping element is arranged to fit snugly around the second portion of the first tubular element and to abut the first portion of the first tubular element, whereby the gripping element is prevented from moving in a first direction along the through hole axis relative to the first tubular element.   
     
     
         8 . An ornamental component according to  claim 7 , wherein:
 the first tubular element further comprises a third portion;   the second portion has a lower widest width than the widest width of the first portion and the third portion; and   the tubular portion of the gripping element further abuts the third portion of the first tubular element thereby preventing the gripping element from moving in any direction along the through hole axis relative to the first tubular element.   
     
     
         9 . An ornamental component according to  claim 1 , wherein the ornamental component further comprises a second tubular element, and wherein the first tubular element is positioned inside the second tubular element. 
     
     
         10 . An ornamental component according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first tubular element of the insert assembly at a first end further comprises a collar; and   the collar is positioned outside the self-supporting housing at the first opening of the self-supporting housing and comprises a surface abutting an outer surface of the self-supporting housing thereby preventing the first tubular element of the insert assembly from moving in a first direction along the through hole axis relative to the ornamental component.   
     
     
         11 . An ornamental component according to  claim 1 , wherein the ornamental component further comprises a locking element having a through hole wherein the locking element comprises an engagement portion positioned inside the self-supporting housing and a collar positioned outside the self-supporting housing at the second opening of the self-supporting housing, the engagement portion being attached to the first tubular element and the collar comprising a surface abutting an outer surface of the self-supporting housing thereby preventing the first tubular element of the insert assembly from moving in a second direction along the through hole axis relative to the ornamental component. 
     
     
         12 . An ornamental component according to  claim 11 , wherein the engagement portion is attached to the first tubular element by a male/female locking mechanism, and wherein the male part comprises a protruding portion and the female part comprises a recess. 
     
     
         13 . A jewelry item selected from the group consisting of a bracelet and a necklace, the jewelry item comprising:
 an elongated member; and   a first ornamental component strung on the elongated member, the ornamental component comprising:
 (a) a self-supporting housing having a through hole allowing the ornamental component to be strung on the elongated member of the jewelry item, the through hole defining a through hole axis and comprising a first opening at a first side of the self-supporting housing and a second opening at a second side of the self-supporting housing; and 
 (b) an insert assembly inserted in the through hole of the self-supporting housing; the insert assembly being assembled from a first tubular element having a through hole that forms a gripping element for frictionally gripping a part of the jewelry item, the first tubular element being configured to secure the gripping element inside the through hole of the self-supporting housing; 
   wherein the first ornamental component is configured so that the gripping element resiliently grips the elongated member to fix the first ornamental component along the elongated member until a particular force is acting on the first ornamental component, whereby the first ornamental component can be moved along the elongated member.   
     
     
         14 . A method for manufacturing an ornamental component, the ornamental component having a through hole allowing the ornamental component to be strung on an elongated member of a jewelry item selected from the group consisting of a bracelet and a necklace, the through hole defining a through hole axis, the method comprising the steps:
 providing a self-supporting housing having a through hole, wherein the self-supporting housing through hole comprises a first opening at a first side of the self-supporting housing and a second opening at a second side of the self-supporting housing;   assembling an insert assembly comprising a first tubular element, the first tubular element having a through hole that at least partly forms the through hole of the ornamental component, the first tubular element having a gripping element for frictionally gripping the elongated member of the jewelry item; and   inserting the insert assembly in the through hole of the self-supporting housing.   
     
     
         15 . A method according to  claim 14 , wherein the insert assembly is inserted in the through hole of the self-supporting housing through the first opening of the self-supporting housing. 
     
     
         16 . A method according to  claim 14 , wherein:
 the first tubular element comprises a first circumferential opening extending along the through hole axis;   the gripping element comprises a first gripping portion for frictionally gripping the elongated member of the jewelry item;   the gripping element comprises a tubular portion;   the first gripping portion protrudes from an inner surface of the tubular portion; and   the step of assembling the insert assembly comprises pulling the gripping element around the first tubular element until the first gripping portion is aligned with the first circumferential opening, whereby the first gripping portion extends through the first circumferential opening and a part of the inner surface of the tubular portion rests upon a part of the outer surface of the first tubular element thereby securing the gripping element to the first tubular element.   
     
     
         17 . An ornamental component for a jewelry item, the jewelry item being selected from the group consisting of a bracelet and a necklace, the ornamental component having a through hole allowing the ornamental component to be strung on an elongated member of the jewelry item, the ornamental component through hole defining a through hole axis; the ornamental component comprising:
 a self-supporting housing having a through hole comprising a first opening at a first side of the self-supporting housing and a second opening at a second side of the self-supporting housing; and   an insert assembly inserted in the through hole of the self-supporting housing;   wherein the insert assembly is assembled from a first tubular element having a through hole that forms at least a part of the through hole of the ornamental component, the first tubular element having a gripping element for frictionally gripping a part of the jewelry item, the first tubular element being configured to secure the gripping element inside the through hole of the ornamental component, the first tubular element having a first circumferential opening extending along the through hole axis, the gripping element having a first gripping portion for frictionally gripping the elongated member of the jewelry item, the first gripping portion extending through the first circumferential opening.