Metal treatment – Stock – Noble metal base
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-07
2003-01-14
King, Roy (Department: 1742)
Metal treatment
Stock
Noble metal base
C420S501000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06506267
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to an accessory mainly composed of silver, and a silver alloy for the accessory.
BACKGROUND ART
As silver alloys mainly composed of silver, those for electric contacts, those for accessories, and the like have conventionally been known; whereas publications such as Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. SHO 53-43620, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. SHO 57-114631, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. SHO 58-104146, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. SHO 60-258439, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. SHO 61-6238, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. SHO 62-20850, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. SHO 63-14830, and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. HEI 7-166269, for example, have been known to disclose these silver alloys.
First, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. SHO 53-43620 discloses a silver alloy for use in wristwatch belts and the like, which comprises silver as a base material and contains palladium, tin, zinc, aluminum, and the like in addition to germanium and indium.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. SHO 57-114631 discloses a silver alloy for dental use, which comprises silver as a base material and contains palladium, copper, and the like in addition to germanium or indium.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. SHO 58-104146 discloses a silver alloy for use in sliding contacts of commutators, which comprises silver as a base material and contains indium, or comprises silver as a base material and contains bismuth and the like in addition to indium.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. SHO 60-258439 discloses a silver alloy for dental use, which comprises silver as a base material and contains palladium, copper, zinc, and the like in addition to germanium and indium.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. SHO 61-6238 discloses a silver alloy for use in sliding contacts of commutators, which comprises silver as a base material and contains cadmium and the like in addition to indium and germanium.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. SHO 62-20850 discloses a silver alloy for use in art and craft products, accessories, and the like, which comprises silver as a base material and contains zinc, boron, and the like in addition to germanium. It also discloses one which comprises silver as a base material and contains tin, zinc, and the like in addition to indium.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. SHO 63-14830 discloses a silver alloy for use in wristwatches, rings, pendants, tableware, and the like, which comprises silver as a base material and contains platinum, tin, zinc, and the like in addition to germanium and indium.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. HEI 7-166269 discloses a silver alloy for use in sliding contacts of commutators, which comprises silver as a base material and contains copper, palladium, bismuth, and the like in addition to indium and germanium.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
Each of the above-mentioned conventional techniques comprises silver as a base material, contains germanium or indium, and has a suitability for dental use, electric contacts, or common accessories.
Apart from the silver alloys for dental use and electric contacts, those for common accessories disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. SHO 53-43620, No. SHO 62-20850, and No. SHO 63-14830 have problems as follows. Namely, the silver alloy of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. SHO 53-43620 is likely to be oxidized since it contains aluminum, the silver alloy of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. SHO 62-20850 is materially unstable since boron is used therein, and the silver alloy of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. SHO 63-14830 is expensive since platinum is used therein.
Meanwhile, known as accessories are not only those such as rings and pierced earrings mainly aimed at aesthetically decorating bodies and those such as wristwatch belts mainly aimed at attaching an article (the main part of a watch) having a specific function to a body, but also health-oriented type accessories secondarily or mainly aimed at the improvement of health and predetermined curing/healing effects.
However, such conventional accessories in which health, cure, and the like are taken into consideration contain germanium as their main ingredient and are different from those mentioned above that are aimed at decoration. For example, the one described in Japanese Patent Publication No. SHO 58-48186 is configured such that a solid piece of N-type, intrinsic, or P-type germanium comes into contact with a skin with the aid of a member such as tape, and is assumed to be capable of killing pains and sedating inflammations due an electric action.
Though various studies have been made in addition to the above-mentioned conventional techniques, no silver alloys have yet been provided which are suitable for accessories expected to be effective in the improvement of health and the like while being used in contact with a skin. Namely, no silver alloys have been provided which takes account of the far-infrared effect inherent in germanium, i.e., the fact that germanium can exhibit a health-improving and curing effect for curing/healing stiff shoulders and the like.
Therefore, the inventor has repeated diligent studies and, as a result, has invented a novel silver alloy for accessories which is suitable for a constituent material for an accessory having both of a decorating function and a health-improving or curing/healing function.
Considering that a silver alloy suitable for a constituent material for an accessory having both of a decorating function and a health-improving or curing/healing function needs to satisfy the following first to fifth demands, the inventor has repeated various studies.
The first of demands is that it has a brightness and luster sufficient as a material of an accessory attached to a body; the second is that it is excellent in processibility as an accessory, i.e., it has appropriate degrees of hardness, ductility, and malleability; the third is that it is excellent in resistance to oxidation and other resistances to corrosion; the fourth is that it is a safe material to be used in contact with a body without needing excessively expensive components; and the fifth is that it fully exhibits the far-infrared effect inherent in germanium, i.e., the health-improving and curing effect for curing/healing stiff shoulders and the like.
According to the inventor's studies, the silver alloy for accessories satisfying such demands comprises 1% to 9% by weight of germanium, 2% to 20% of indium in terms of weight ratio with respect to germanium, and the rest constituted by silver.
First, the silver alloy for accessories in accordance with the present invention can realize a brightness and luster suitable for an accessory attached to a body since it contains an appropriate amount of germanium. Namely, though it will have a silver-gray tint if germanium is less than 1% by weight, a brightness and luster similar to those of platinum can be obtained if the germanium content is 1% by weight or greater.
Second, it can improve the processibility as an accessory since it contains an appropriate amount of indium with respect to germanium. Namely, though an alloy of silver and germanium is likely to be brittle even if the amount of germanium is small, appropriate hardness, ductility, and malleability can be attained until the germanium content reaches approximately 9% by weight if an appropriate amount (2% to 20% in terms of weight ratio with respect to germanium) of indium is added thereto.
Third, while an alloy of silver and germanium is superior to pure silver in resistances to corrosion such as resistance to sulfurization, the resistance to oxidization and other resistances to corrosion can further be improved if indium is further added to this alloy. For example, while an accessory is exposed to sweat containing moisture, salts, and the like when used in contact with a body for a long period of time, it is less likely to yield corrosion
Fujiyasu Hiroshi
Ishigaki Shinichiro
Nishizawa Hiroyasu
King Roy
Nippon Germanium Laboratory Co., Ltd.
Rosenthal & Osha L.L.P.
Wilkins, III Harry D.
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