Patent Application
20160081439
The invention relates to a clasp for a bracelet with an adjustable strand, and in particular for watch bracelets or straps.
There is known from EP Patent No 0607726 a bracelet clasp having a mechanism including a base plate hinged to the end of a strip, and a cap in the form of an inverted U projecting over the base plate and the two free edges of which are respectively extended on the same side by a lateral arm, the end of which is rotatably mounted on the corresponding lateral face of the base plate. The free edges of the cap can be locked by lateral locking means, the adjustable strand passes between the base plate and the cap, and is retained by a stud protruding from the inner face of the base plate or of the cap.
It is not easy for a user to operate such a mechanism since it is necessary to unlock the mechanism using a nail in order to adjust the length of the strand, and to hold the base plate when it is desired to change the length of the bracelet strand. Furthermore, the locking of the mechanism is not entirely secure, since the cap may be unlocked if it becomes caught or if there is a shock when the bracelet is worn.
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 permitting the length of a bracelet strand to be adjusted simply and quickly.
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 that will appear more clearly below, are achieved by the invention with the aid of a bracelet clasp of the type with a deployment buckle, including at least first and second strips, the first strip being hinged to the second strip by a first end, between a closed position, called the wearing position, in which the first strip is folded onto the second strip, and an open position in which the first strip is distant from the second strip, the first strip carrying, at a second end, a member for securing a first bracelet strand, a second bracelet strand being connected at least indirectly to the second strip, the first strip including first locking means able to hold the first strip in the closed position.
The securing member includes means for adjusting the useful length of the bracelet, these adjustment means including:
According to the invention, the second locking means include a push-piece arranged to be moved in a longitudinal direction of the bracelet, in response to an action of the user, between a first rest position in which the cap is locked in a closed position on the base plate, and a second pushed-in position in which the cap is unlocked from the base plate.
In accordance with other advantageous variants of the invention:
The invention also concerns a wristwatch including a bracelet provided with a clasp according to the invention.
The invention also concerns a module for securing a strand to a fastener including a securing member provided with means for adjusting the useful length of the strand, these adjustment means including:
Thus, by means of the various functional and structural aspects described above, the present invention makes it possible to obtain a clasp wherein the useful length of a strand can be adjusted in a particularly easy and rapid manner.
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 is a top view of the second clasp locking means according to the invention.
b is a cross-sectional view along the line AA of
A bracelet clasp with an adjustable strand according to a first example embodiment will now be described below with reference jointly to
According to a first embodiment, the invention concerns a bracelet clasp, of the type with a deployant buckle, including at least first and second strips, the first strip 1 being hinged to the second strip 2 by a first end, between a closed position, called the wearing position, in which the first strip 1 is folded onto the second strip 2, and an open position, in which the first strip 1 is distant from the second strip 2.
First strip 1 carries, at a second end, a member 20 for securing a first bracelet strand 100, a second bracelet strand 101 being at least indirectly connected to second strip 2 by means of an attachment link 11 for example, first strip 1 including first locking means capable of holding first strip 1 in its closed position.
Strands 100, 101 may be manufactured in materials such as leather, fabric, canvas, or any other material known to those skilled in the art for producing bracelets or belts.
The first locking means may be formed, for example, by at least one spring catch 32 configured to hold and/or release a stud, called the lower stud 31, so as to hold first strip 1 in its closed position against second strip 2 or to release first strip 1 into its distant position.
Second strip 2 may, for example, have a through orifice at the centre thereof, called the central orifice 25, the central orifice being configured to receive lower stud 31 so that lower stud 31 cooperates with the spring catch. Of course, other locking means could have been envisaged by those skilled in the art within the scope of the present invention.
As can be observed in
This arrangement of base plate 21 and cap 22 makes it possible for first strand 100 to pass between base plate 11 and cap 22. Advantageously, first strand 100 passes through the adjustment means, where the cap is hinged to the base plate. As can be observed in the Figures, first strand 100 is held in its position via holding means such as a stud, called upper stud 30, intended to be inserted into a suitable hole of first strand 100 to define a point of anchoring of the latter to the clasp. Of course, other holding means could have been envisaged by those skilled in the art within the scope of the present invention.
The adjustment means also include second locking means for holding cap 22 in the closed position on base plate 21.
Advantageously, the second locking means are formed by a push-piece 24 arranged to be moved in a longitudinal direction of first strand 100, in response to an action of the user, between a first rest position in which cap 22 is locked in the closed position on base plate 21, and a second pushed-in position in which cap 22 is unlocked from base plate 21.
As shown in
Base plate 21 includes guide means for push-piece 24 and springs 230, the guide means respectively taking the form of a guide slot 210 on either side of base plate 21 for push-piece 24 and of a guide cylinder 211 for each spring 230, springs 230 thus being laterally held in guide cylinder 211.
Advantageously, guide slots 210 are arranged to be through slots, so that push-piece 24 can cooperate with the lateral walls of cap 21.
Push-piece 24 is formed by a body, 240, of equivalent width to the width of base plate 21, and has an arm 241 arranged at each of end thereof, arms 241 being configured to slide inside guide slots 210 and to cooperate in abutment with springs 230. As can be observed in the Figures, each arm 241 of push-piece 24 includes a slug 242 oriented towards the exterior of guide slot 210 to cooperate with one of lateral walls 220 of cap 22.
The push-piece also has a through hole 243 in each arm 241, each of through holes 243 being configured to allow a screw 212, fixed to base plate 21, to pass through and thus to hold push-piece 24 in place when it is stressed by springs 230. Through holes 243 have a large diameter than those of screws 212, the difference between the diameters of hole 243 and of screw 212 defining the length of travel of push-piece 24.
According to the invention, cap 22 has an L-shaped groove 221 on the inner face of each of its lateral walls 220, preferably disposed in proximity to an end thereof, each L-shaped groove 221 being configured to cooperate with a respective slug 241 of push-piece 24.
According to a variant embodiment that is not shown in the Figures, cap 22 includes a slug on the inner face of each of its lateral walls 220, and each arm 241 of push-piece 24 includes a groove configured to cooperate with a respective slug of cap 22. Thus, when a user presses push-piece 24, the grooves move and release the slugs present on lateral walls 220 of cap 22.
As can be observed in
According to a particularly advantageous aspect of the invention, the user can use the same finger to press push-piece 24 and raise cap 22, with the finger coming into immediate proximity to cap 22 once the push-piece is in the pushed-in position.
According to a second embodiment of the invention, the bracelet clasp, of the deployment buckle type, includes first, second and third strips, the first strip 1 being hinged to the second strip 2 by a first end, and the third strip 3 being hinged to second strip 2 by the second end, opposite the first end.
First strip 1 and third strip 3 can change from a closed position, called the wearing position, in which first strip 1 and third strip 3 are folded onto second strip 2, to an open position in which first strip 1 and third strip 3 are distant from second strip 2.
First strip 1 carries, at a second end, a member 20 for securing a first bracelet strand 100, a second bracelet strand 101 being at least indirectly connected to second strip 2, first strip 1 including first locking means 10 capable of holding first strip 1 in its closed position.
As can be observed in
As can be observed in
Thus, first strip 1 and third strip 3 rest at least partially in longitudinal housings 26 and 27, so that the second end of first strip 1 and of third strip 3 rests on second strip 2 in immediate proximity to central orifice 25.
As illustrated in
According to this particular embodiment of the invention, securing member 20 has a receptacle 200 in which body 240 of push-piece 24 is housed when first strip 1 and third strip 3 are folded onto second strip 2 in the closed position.
To close the clasp, the user first folds third strip 3 onto second strip 2 in the corresponding longitudinal recess 27, so that the second end of third strip 3 is positioned above central orifice 25. Next, the user folds first strip 1 onto second strip 2 in the corresponding longitudinal recess 26, so that the second end of first strip 1 is positioned above central orifice 25, and so that the second end of third strip 3 rests in hollow 213. Finally, strips 1 and 3, are locked once the user positions lower stud 31 in central orifice 25 and locks the stud by means of the first locking means.
The invention also concerns a wristwatch including a bracelet provided with a clasp as previously described.
The invention also concerns a module for securing a strand to a fastener, such as a belt fastener for example, the securing module being provided with means for adjusting the length of the strand, these adjustment means including:
According to the invention, the second locking means include a push-piece 24 arranged to be moved in a longitudinal direction of the strand, in response to an action of the user, between a first rest position in which cap 22 is locked in a closed position on base plate 21, and a second pushed-in position in which cap 22 is unlocked from base plate 21.
As a result of these different aspects of the invention, there is provided a clasp of simple design for adjusting the length of a bracelet strand 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14185629.4 | Sep 2014 | EP | regional |
