Patent Application
20180352914
This application claims priority from European Patent Application No. 17174800.7 filed on Jun. 7, 2017, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
The invention relates to a clasp for a bracelet or wristband, and in particular for watch wristbands.
There is known from EP Patent No 1464245 a clasp with a deployant buckle comprising two arched arms—one lower and one upper—each provided with a concave face and a convex face, the concave face of the upper arm being adjacent to the convex face of the lower arm in the closed position of the clasp, the upper arm being elastically bendable, locking means comprising two parts, each associated with one of the arms, the first part comprising at least two cutout portions and the second part a head arranged to snap fit inside one or other cutout portion, by elastic deformation of the upper arm, connecting means which connect the arms to each other in an articulated manner at one of their ends, about an arbor substantially parallel to the faces of the arms, and allow the upper arm to occupy at least two positions in which the head can be engaged in one or other of the cutout portions, and means for attaching wristband portions disposed at the other end of the arms.
Such a mechanism is not easy for a user to operate since the arbor is movable with the arm, which means that the arbor may, depending on clearance, be in a cantilever or an unstable position and lock in the arm in an undesired position. Further, position locking is not completely reliable—there is a risk that, when opened in the short position, the clasp will move into the long position against the user's will.
It is an object of the invention to overcome the various drawbacks of these known techniques.
More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide a clasp that allows a simple, fast and reliable comfort extension adjustment of a watch band clasp.
Another object of the invention is to provide a clasp that can be easily dismantled for cleaning and replacing parts if necessary.
It is also an object of the invention, at least in a particular embodiment, to provide a clasp that is simple to implement and inexpensive.
These objects, in addition to others which will appear more clearly hereinafter, are achieved by the invention by means of a wristband clasp comprising at least first and second blades, the first blade being articulated to the second blade by a first end, between a closed position, called the wearing position, in which the second blade is folded onto the first blade, and an open position, in which the second blade is released from the first blade, the first blade being articulated at a second end to a member for attaching a first wristband portion, a second wristband portion being at least indirectly connected to the second blade, the clasp comprising first means for locking the first blade in a closed position on the second blade.
According to the invention, the clasp comprises adjustment means arranged to adjust the position of the second blade with respect to the first blade in an open position, the adjustment means including a groove machined in the second blade, an arbor integral with the first blade and passing through the groove, the groove having at least two recesses to define a short position and a long position, the arbor receiving a pusher for releasing and/or locking it in order to move the second blade from one recess to another.
In accordance with other advantageous variants of the invention:
The invention also concerns a wristwatch including a bracelet or wristband provided with a clasp according to the invention.
Thus, by means of the various functional and structural aspects described above, the present invention makes it possible to obtain a clasp wherein it is particularly easy and quick to adjust the length of a wristband portion.
Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly upon reading the following description of a specific embodiment of the invention, given simply by way of illustrative and non-limiting example, and the annexed Figures, among which:
A clasp for an adjustable wristband according to a first example embodiment will now be described below with reference jointly to
The invention concerns a clasp 1 for a bracelet or wristband, of the deployant buckle type, comprising at least first and second blades, the first blade 2 being articulated to the second blade 3 by a first end, between a closed position, called the wearing position, in which second blade 3 is folded into first blade 2, and an open position in which second blade 3 is released from first blade 2.
At a second end, first blade 2 carries means for attaching a first wristband portion, a second wristband portion being at least indirectly connected to first blade 2 by means of an attaching link 5, for example, second blade 3 including first locking means capable of holding second blade 3 in its closed position. The means for attaching the first wristband portion or the first link may take the form of a third blade 4, as illustrated in the Figures, or the portion or link could simply be directly attached to first blade 2, or indirectly attached to first blade 2 via an intermediate articulated element.
The wristband portions may be made from materials such as leather, fabric, canvas, or any other material known to those skilled in the art for producing wristbands or belts.
Bracelet links could also be attached thereto, whether they are made of metal, ceramic, composite material or any other material known to those skilled in the art of manufacturing links.
First blade 2 may, for example, have a through orifice at its centre, called central orifice 10, the central orifice being configured to receive a post 11 so that the post cooperates with pushers or any other clasp locking means known to those skilled in the art within the scope of the present invention. Fixed hooks, configured to cooperate with other hooks disposed on pushers for example, could also be placed on first blade 2.
The clasp includes means for adjusting the position of second blade 3 with respect to first blade 2 in the open position. The adjustment means include, on the one hand a groove 30 machined in second blade 3, visible in
As can be observed in
Arbor 20 receives a pusher 21 at one of its ends for releasing and/or locking it in order to move second blade 3 from one recess 31, 32 to another, the other end of the arbor being secured to the first blade via a screw 28, for example.
In order to limit the space required for the adjustment means, pusher 21 is partly housed inside first blade 2, in proximity to the articulation at its first end. To this end, first blade 2 has a housing 23 of complementary shape to the shape of pusher 21, housing 23 including the first through hole 24 to allow arbor 20 to pass through first blade 2.
As illustrated in the Figures, pusher 21 takes the form of a body with an oblong section and rests partly inside housing 23, so that pusher 21 projects slightly and thereby facilitates actuation. Other forms can obviously be envisaged for the pusher, such as a circular or rectangular section. Those skilled in the art could also envisage inserting a pusher 21 flush with first blade 2 for the sake of design, but this would make it more difficult to activate the pusher.
According to a particular embodiment of the invention, arbor 20 and pusher 21 form a one-piece element. They may, of course, also be two distinct elements; pusher 21 could, for example, be screwed in or driven onto arbor 20.
As illustrated in
Arbor 20 is arranged to traverse groove 30, which has a height H similar to diameter D2 of the reduced portion of arbor 20. Recesses 31 and 32 have a diameter D3 similar to arbor diameter D1, height H being less than diameter D3 of the recesses to avoid inadvertent misadjustment of the clasp.
Advantageously, pusher 21 includes at least one spring 27 to hold it in its rest position inside one of recesses 31 or 32, the reduced portion of diameter D2 being offset longitudinally with respect to groove 30 in its rest position. To obtain a simple structure, spring 22 can be placed inside housing 23, between pusher 21 and first blade 2.
As illustrated in
Depending on the needs of the wearer, groove 30 may include at least a third recess, called the intermediate recess, disposed between first and second recesses 31 and 32, to define an intermediate position between the long position and the short position. Those skilled in the art could add the number of recesses necessary, however, it is not desirable to have too many possible adjustments for simplicity of implementation and ease of operation of clasp 1 by the user.
Advantageously, first blade 2 is arranged to be slightly longer so that there is no space between first blade 2 and second blade 3, at the end of the two blades 2 and 3 in proximity to the articulation, when the latter is positioned in the long position.
The first locking means may be formed, for example, by at least one ball ratchet 25 configured to cooperate with an orifice formed in first blade 2, so as to hold first blade 2 in its closed position against second blade 3 and thus prevent any misadjustment of second blade 3 once the latter has been folded onto first blade 2.
Thus, to adjust the clasp, the user first unfolds second blade 3 from first blade 2. Then, the user presses pusher 21 to shift arbor 20 from its rest position, as in
According to the embodiment illustrated in the Figures, the clasp includes a third blade 4 articulated to the second end of first blade 2, a base plate 41 is pivotably articulated to the third blade 4, and a cover 42 is mounted on base plate 41, the first wristband portion or link being held by means of holding means 44.
Second blade 3 and third blade 4 can move from a closed position, called the wearing position, in which second blade 3 and third blade 4 are folded onto first blade 2, to an open position, in which second blade 3 and third blade 4 are released from first blade 2.
As can be observed in
Thus, second blade 3 and third blade 4 rest at least partially inside longitudinal housings 12 and 13, so that the second end of second blade 3 and of third blade 4 rest in immediate proximity to central orifice 10.
As illustrated in
Cover 42 includes second means for locking the cover in a closed position on first blade 2, the second locking means including a hole through the base of cover 42, arranged to cooperate with post 11 integral with first blade 2, and two pushers 43 arranged to be moved in a direction perpendicular to clasp 1, in response to pressure by the user, between a first, rest position in which cover 42 is locked in a closed position on first blade 2, and a second, pushed-in position in which cover 42 is released from first blade 2.
Pushers 43 are formed by a body, of greater length than the width of cover 42, so as to project from either side of the cover. Pushers 43 are slidably mounted inside guide slots formed in the lateral edges of cover 42 and abuttingly engage with a spring to hold them apart. As can be observed in the Figures, each pusher has a passage and a hook to allow post 11 to pass and to hold it when pushers 43 are biased by the spring.
The invention also concerns a wristwatch including a bracelet or wristband provided with a clasp as previously described.
As a result of these different aspects of the invention, there is provided a clasp of simple design allowing adjustment of the length of a portion of a wristband or belt.
Of course, the present invention is not limited to the illustrated example and is capable of various variants and modifications that will appear to those skilled in the art.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17174800.7 | Jun 2017 | EP | regional |
