Patent Application
20230057563
Embodiments relate to a watch and, more particularly, to an apparatus to provide an ornament attached to the watch.
People enjoy adding wearable accessories as a style choice. For example, CROC® shoes include opening on a surface through which wearers can attach pins or ornaments to personalize these shoes. Adding ornaments to bracelets, anklets and necklaces are also well-known accessories that can be personalized.
However, when considering watches, the current practice is to personalize a watch by selecting a particular watch, based in part on the watch casing, or selecting a preferred watch band.
Wearers of watches would benefit from being able to further personalize a watch by adding an accessory that is not permanent to the watch or will damage either the watch face, casing or band when removing the personalized ornament.
Embodiments relate to an apparatus used to attach an ornament to a watch. The apparatus comprises a first end attachable to a spring bar of a watchband and a second end extending away from the first end with an opening to receive an attachment for an ornament.
Another apparatus comprises a sleeve component that fits around a watch band spring bar and within an opening in the watch band that fits over the spring bar. The apparatus also comprises an ornament attachment component that extends from the sleeve component, watchband spring and watchband to provide for an ornament to dangle unobstructed by a watchband and watch casing.
A more particular description briefly stated above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof that are illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments and are not therefore to be considered to be limiting of its scope, the embodiments will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:
Embodiments are described herein with reference to the attached figures wherein like reference numerals are used throughout the figures to designate similar or equivalent elements. The figures are not drawn to scale and they are provided merely to illustrate aspects disclosed herein. Several disclosed aspects are described below with reference to non-limiting example applications for illustration. It should be understood that numerous specific details, relationships, and methods are set forth to provide a full understanding of the embodiments disclosed herein. One having ordinary skill in the relevant art, however, will readily recognize that the disclosed embodiments can be practiced without one or more of the specific details or with other methods. In other instances, well-known structures or operations are not shown in detail to avoid obscuring aspects disclosed herein. The embodiments are not limited by the illustrated ordering of acts or events, as some acts may occur in different orders and/or concurrently with other acts or events. Furthermore, not all illustrated acts or events are required to implement a methodology in accordance with the embodiments.
The apparatus 310 may be made of a hardened plastic or metal. When made from metal, the cylindrical tube 320 may have an opening through a center 330. This center opening 330 may be pre-formed or machined out when forming the apparatus 310 is performed. The attachment component 150 may be a continuous part of the same cylindrical tube 320, but is bent such as, but not limited to, perpendicular to the length of the unbent tube. Thus, by having a continual piece of material forming both the cylindrical tube 320 and the attachment component 150, having the bent location as a single point of failure is minimized.
In another embodiment, when a plastic is used, the apparatus may be constructed with an additive manufacturing process that layers material on top of each previous layer. Similarly, an additive manufacturing process may also be used such as, but not limited to, sintering, when metal is used. Yet another additive manufacturing process may provide for each component of the apparatus, namely, the attachment component and the cylindrical tube being made of different materials such as, but not limited to, a resin, plastic, metal, etc.
A length of the cylindrical tube 320 is non-limiting. Therefore, the length may extend from a first end of the spring bar to a second end of the spring bar, or it may extend any shorter difference between an opening between the spring bar and the watch band. Thus, this length may be less than a millimeter.
In another embodiment, the second hole may not be provided. Instead, an end of the wire or a single wire of the strand may extend from the second end to provide a connector for the ornament. Also, though the ornament is discussed herein as having a clasp, the clasp, or any other connector fixed to the ornament, may be a unitary part of the ornament.
If braided, the braided strand of wire may provide additional durability as it can be flexed or bent numerous times without any permanent deformation or loss of strength.
As used herein, the first end attachable to the spring bar 810 or sleeve component 320 may be recognized as the part of the apparatus that engages the spring bar. Whereas the second end extending away from the first end or ornament attachment component is recognized as the part of the apparatus where the ornament is attached.
Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which embodiments belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.
In particular, unless specifically stated otherwise as apparent from the discussion, it is appreciated that throughout the description, discussions utilizing terms such as “processing” or “computing” or “calculating” or “determining” or “displaying” or the like, refer to the action and processes of a computer system, or similar electronic computing device, that manipulates and transforms data represented as physical (electronic) quantities within the computer system's registers and memories into other data similarly represented as physical quantities within the computer system memories or registers or other such data storage, transmission or display devices.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms “including,” “includes,” “having,” “has,” “with,” or variants thereof are used in either the detailed description and/or the claims, such terms are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising.” Moreover, unless specifically stated, any use of the terms first, second, etc., does not denote any order or importance, but rather the terms first, second, etc., are used to distinguish one element from another. As used herein the expression “at least one of A and B,” will be understood to mean only A, only B, or both A and B.
While various disclosed embodiments have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only, and not limitation. Numerous changes, omissions and/or additions to the subject matter disclosed herein can be made in accordance with the embodiments disclosed herein without departing from the spirit or scope of the embodiments. Also, equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the spirit and scope of the embodiments. In addition, while a particular feature may have been disclosed with respect to only one of several implementations, such feature may be combined with one or more other features of the other implementations as may be desired and advantageous for any given or particular application. Furthermore, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the embodiments without departing from the scope thereof.
Further, the purpose of the foregoing Abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the relevant art(s) who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of this technical disclosure. The Abstract is not intended to be limiting as to the scope of the present disclosure in any way.
Therefore, the breadth and scope of the subject matter provided herein should not be limited by any of the above explicitly described embodiments. Rather, the scope of the embodiments should be defined in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.
