TECHNICAL FIELD
Present disclosure generally relates to the field of mechanical fixtures. Particularly, but not
exclusively, the present disclosure relates to a fixture used for soldering/manufacturing intricate
jewellery components with reduced time and effort.
5 BACKGROUND OF DISCLOSURE
Soldering is one of the most common processes used in making or joining jewellery and
ornamental products having different complex designs or shapes. Soldering is a process where a
metal alloy, referred to as a solder, is heated to its melting point. The solder is then used to form a
bond between two pieces of material. In jewellery industry, soldering is used to fix broken
10 jewellery parts like clasps, clips and cuffs. Further, soldering is also used to produce certain
jewellery parts such as dangling balls that are joined with or supported in an O-ring. The dangling
balls are assembled to a jewellery product such as a necklace, ear-rings, bracelets and the like.
Conventionally, a plurality of balls are randomly positioned on a glass wool. The solder is cut in
a required amount in form of a strip and is placed manually over each ball or sphere of the plurality
15 of balls or plurality of spheres. Later, each O-ring is placed near to each ball that is soldered to
join the O-ring and the ball together to form the dangling ball. The solder is heated by a heating
torch to melt the strip and form a joint between the ball and the O-ring. However, the soldering
must be done manually by positioning each ball in an exact position to join with the O-ring. As
these dangling balls are usually tiny having intricate contours and delicate structures, a skilled
20 artisan is required to select each ball and soldering the O-rings to form the dangling balls. Also,
frequently the ball may get displaced due to its contour if not positioned on the glass wool or soft
cushioning means. Consequently, this also takes a lot of time for soldering to manufacture each
dangling ball which in turn increases a cycle time. Further, the dangling balls made using
conventionally, will have defects due to improper positioning of the ball during soldering. This
25 decreases the quality of the jewellery product and may have to be modified or re- made, thereby
increasing the cost of manufacture of the dangling balls and wastage of material and time.
The present disclosure is intended to overcome one or more above stated limitations.
One or more shortcomings of conventional soldering setup and process for joining or producing
jewellery products are overcome by a fixture for manufacturing jewellery products and a
method as disclosed in the present disclosure. Additional features and advantages are realized
through the constructional aspects of the fixture. Other embodiments and aspects of the
5 disclosure are described in detail herein and are considered a part of the claimed disclosure.
In one non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, a fixture for manufacturing a
plurality of jewellery. The fixture comprises a base and a wall defined to the base. The wall
surrounds the base at its periphery, and encloses a plurality of spheres on the base. Further, a
10 plurality of provisions are defined on a surface of the base. The plurality of provisions are
configured to securely accommodate the plurality of balls for manufacturing the plurality of
jewellery.
In an embodiment, the fixture comprises at least one slot defined on at least one portion of the
15 wall to receive the plurality of spheres.
In an embodiment, the plurality of provisions are lesser proximate to the wall in comparison
with the plurality of provisions defined at a central portion of the base.
20 In an embodiment, the plurality of provisions are configured to receive and secure a portion of
the plurality of spheres.
In an embodiment, the plurality of provisions are in a range of 350-500 in number to
accommodate the plurality of spheres.
25
In an embodiment the fixture is manufactured by at least one of a stainless steel and alloys of
the stainless steel having higher thermal conductivity.
In an embodiment, the plurality of spheres are held in position within the plurality of provisions
30 for soldering the plurality of spheres with a hook to manufacture the plurality of jewellery.
The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. In
addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above, further aspects,
4
embodiments, and features will become apparent by reference to the drawings and the following
description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS
5
The novel features and characteristics of the disclosure are set forth in the appended description.
The disclosure itself, however, as well as a preferred mode of use, further objectives, and
advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following description of an
illustrative embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. One or
10 more embodiments are now described, by way of example only, with reference to the
accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals represent like elements and in which:
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a fixture for manufacturing jewellery products, in accordance
with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
15
Fig. 2 is a schematic view of the fixture with a plurality of spheres being soldered, in accordance
with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
Fig. 3 is a flow diagram of a method for manufacturing the plurality of dangling balls using the
20 fixture of Fig. 1. and
Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the plurality of dangling balls formed by soldering on the fixture
of Fig 1, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
25 The figures depict embodiments of the disclosure for purposes of illustration only. One skilled
in the art will readily recognize from the following description that alternative embodiments of
the structures and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the
principles of the disclosure described herein.
30 DETAILED DESCRIPTION
While the embodiments of the disclosure are subject to various modifications and alternative
forms, specific embodiments thereof has been shown by way of example in the figures and will
be described below. It should be understood, however, that it is not intended to limit the
5
disclosure to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the disclosure is to cover all
modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the disclosure.
It is to be noted that a person skilled in the art would be motivated from the present disclosure
5 and modify the fixture for the purpose of producing the dangling balls. However, such
modification should be construed within the scope of the instant disclosure. Accordingly, the
drawings show only those specific details that are pertinent to understand the embodiments of
the present disclosure so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily
apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having benefit of the description herein.
10
The terms “comprises”, “comprising”, or any other variations thereof used in the disclosure, are
intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a system, an apparatus or a device, that
comprises a list of components does not include only those components but may include other
components not expressly listed or inherent to such system, apparatus or the device. In other
15 words, one or more elements in the system or the apparatus preceded by “comprises… a” does
not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of other elements or additional elements
in the system or the apparatus.
In the following description of the embodiments of the disclosure, reference is made to the
20 accompanying figures that form a part hereof, and in which are shown, by way of illustration,
specific embodiments in which the disclosure may be practiced. These embodiments are
described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the disclosure, and it
is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that, changes may be made
without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The following description is,
25 therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense.
Embodiments of the present disclosure discloses a fixture for soldering of jewellery products.
Conventionally, to manufacture dangling balls, a plurality of balls or spheres are randomly
positioned on a glass wool. The solder is cut in a required amount in form of a strip and is placed
manually over each ball of the plurality of balls. Later, the O-ring is placed near each ball and is
30 soldered to join the O-ring to form the dangling ball. The solder is heated by a heating torch to
melt the strip and form a joint between the ball and the O-ring. However, as these dangling balls
are usually tiny having intricate contours and delicate structures, a skilled artisan is required to
6
select each ball and soldering the O-rings to these balls to form the dangling balls. Also, frequently
the ball may get displaced due its contour if not positioned on the glass wool or soft cushioning
means. Consequently, this also takes a lot of time for soldering to manufacture each dangling ball
which in turn increases a cycle time. Further, the dangling balls made using conventional methods,
5 will have defects due to improper positioning of the ball during soldering. This decreases the
quality of the jewellery product and may get have to be modified or re- made, thereby increasing
the cost of manufacture of the dangling balls and wastage of material.
In view of the above, a fixture for manufacturing jewellery or jewellery products by a soldering
process is disclosed. Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the fixture (100) may be defined with a base
10 (101) to support a plurality of components or jewellery parts which may be soldered on the
fixture (100). A plurality of provisions (102) are defined on a surface of the fixture (100) to
receive and accommodate a plurality of spheres (106) therewithin. In an embodiment, the
plurality of provisions (102) are configured to accommodate a portion of the plurality of spheres
(106). The plurality of provisions (102) are defined in a decreasing order from a central portion
15 of the fixture (100) towards either ends of the fixture (100). In an embodiment, the plurality of
provisions (102) may be structured as a hole, opening, to accommodate the plurality of spheres
(106). The plurality of provisions (102) may be structured in a suitable shape corresponding to
a shape of the plurality of spheres (106). The plurality of spheres (106) are held in place within
the plurality of provisions (102). In an embodiment, the size of the plurality of provisions (102)
20 may be smaller than the plurality of spheres (106) to accommodate the portion of the plurality
of spheres (106) and hold the plurality of spheres (106) in place. In an embodiment, the plurality
of spheres (106) may be made of precious metals such as but not limited to gold, platinum,
silver etc. In an embodiment, the plurality of balls (106) may be in hollow configuration or in
a solid shape based on the requirement. In an embodiment, a thickness of a hollow sphere (106)
25 is in a range of 80-120 microns.
Further, the fixture (100) may be structured in a circular shape. In an embodiment the fixture
(100) may be defined in a rectangle, square or any polygonal shape. A wall (104) extends away
from a periphery of the fixture (100). In an embodiment, the wall (104) may extend
perpendicularly or by an angle from and with respect to the base (101) of the fixture (100). The
30 wall (104) is defined around a circumference of the fixture (100). The wall (104) is configured
7
to position and retain the plurality of spheres (106) on the outer surface of the fixture (100). The
fixture (100) is further defined with at least one slot (105) on the at least one flange (104). The
at least one slot (105) is configured to feed or introduce the plurality of spheres (106) into the
fixture.
5
In an embodiment, the plurality of spheres (106) are soldered on the fixture to form a plurality
of dangling balls (300). Each dangling ball (30) comprises a hook shaped structure (110) such
as an O-shaped ring (110) or simply referred as an O-ring. The O-ring (110) is hooked to each
of the plurality of spheres (106). In an embodiment, the O-ring (110) may be joined to the
10 surface of each of the plurality of spheres (106). In another embodiments, the hook structure
may be shaped in a C-shape, a U-shape, an S-shape or any structure which may improve
aesthetic appeal of the dangling balls (300).
Referring to Fig. 3, a flow diagram of a method (200) of manufacturing the plurality of spheres
15 (106) on the fixture (100) by soldering to form a plurality of dangling balls (300). The method
(200) comprises of initially introducing a plurality of spheres (106) on to the surface of the
fixture (100) through the at least one slot (105) at step 201. In an embodiment, the plurality of
spheres (106) are introduced either manually or by a feeding container based on the required
quantity of the plurality of dangling balls (300) to be manufactured. At step 202, the plurality
20 of spheres (106) are positioned within the plurality of provisions (102) such that the plurality of
spheres (106) are secured in the plurality of provisions (102). In an embodiment, a bottom
portion of each sphere (106) is housed within a corresponding provision (102) of the plurality
of provisions (102). After positioning the plurality of spheres (106), the solder is prepared at
step 203 in which, a solder strip (not shown in Figs.) is cut from the solder and is positioned
25 over one ball of the plurality of spheres (106). At step 204, an O-ring (110) is positioned over
the one sphere (106). In an embodiment, the O-ring (110) may be made of same metal such as
the plurality of spheres (106). At step 205, soldering operation is performed by heating the
solder strip using a heating torch (not shown in Figs.) to melt the solder strip between the one
sphere (106) and the O-ring (110) to form a joint. In an embodiment, the solder strip is heated
30 in a range of 700-800 °C. Lastly at step 206, the one sphere (106) and the O-ring (110) are
quenched in water to cool the joint. After cooling of the joint, the dangling ball (300) is formed
which may be used in the jewellery product. After soldering of one sphere (106), the method
8
(200) is continued for the remaining balls (106) of the plurality of spheres (106) to produce the
plurality of dangling balls (300) (as shown in Fig. 3).
In an embodiment, the solder strip is cut by soldering tools (108) such as pincers, pliers etc
5 which are also used for soldering the plurality of spheres (106) with the O-ring on the fixture
(100).
In an embodiment, the fixture (100) is manufactured of a material with higher thermal
conductivity such as stainless steel and its alloys.
10
In an embodiment, the dimensions of the fixture (100) ranges from 100-120 mm in diameter
and a thickness of the fixture (100) may be in a range of 3-10 mm.
In an embodiment, the plurality of provisions (102) on the fixture (100) are provided in a range
15 of 350-500 in number.
In an embodiment, a diameter of the plurality of provisions (102) may be in a range of 2-2.6
mm to accommodate the plurality of spheres (106) of the diameter 1.8-2.5mm.
20 In an embodiment, the method of soldering on the fixture (100) may be performed to
manufacture a variety of jewellery parts which may include but not limited to the plurality of
dangling balls (300).
The fixture (100) of the present disclosure allows to solder a plurality of spheres (106) with the
25 O-ring (110) to form a plurality of dangling balls (300) in a single setup. This makes the fixture
(100) suitable for mass production of the dangling balls (300).
The fixture of the present disclosure can be used by a normal person to carryout the soldering
process accurately thereby reduces dependency on a skilled person.
30
The plurality of spheres (106) are secured in position within the plurality of provisions (102) of
the fixture. This allows soldering of the plurality of balls (106) consistently without any
deviation from a final shape. Advantageously, this reduces cycle time of the process and
decreases the amount of rejections of the dangling balls (300).
9
EQUIVALENTS
With respect to the use of substantially any plural and/or singular terms herein, those having
5 skill in the art can translate from the plural to the singular and/or from the singular to the plural
as is appropriate to the context and/or application. The various singular/plural permutations may
be expressly set forth herein for sake of clarity.
While various aspects and embodiments have been disclosed herein, other aspects and
10 embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The various aspects and embodiments
disclosed herein are for purposes of illustration and are not intended to be limiting.
We Claim:
1. A fixture (100) for manufacturing a plurality of jewellery (300), the fixture (100)
comprising:
a base (101);
5 a wall (104) defined to the base (101) and the wall surrounds the base at its
periphery, wherein the wall (104) encloses a plurality of spheres (106) on the base (101);
and
a plurality of provisions (102) defined on a surface of the base (101), wherein the
plurality of provisions (102) are configured to securely accommodate the plurality of
10 spheres (106) for manufacturing the plurality of jewellery (300).
2. The fixture (100) as claimed in claim 1, comprises at least one slot (105) defined on at least
one portion of the wall (104) to receive the plurality of spheres (106).
15 3. The fixture (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of provisions (102) are lesser
proximate to the wall (104) in comparison with the plurality of provisions (102) defined at
a central portion of the base (101).
4. The fixture (100) as claimed in claim 3, wherein the plurality of provisions (102) are
20 configured to receive and secure a portion of the plurality of spheres (106).
5. The fixture (100) as claimed in claim 3, wherein the plurality of provisions (102) are in a
range of 350-500 in number to accommodate the plurality of spheres (106).
25 6. The fixture (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fixture (100) is manufactured by at
least one of a stainless steel and alloys of the stainless steel having higher thermal
conductivity.
7. The fixture (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of spheres (106) are held in
30 position within the plurality of provisions (102) for soldering the plurality of spheres (106)
with a hook (110) to manufacture the plurality of jewellery.