Patent Application
20230255327
This application claims priority of EP patent application No. EP22156512.0 filed Feb. 14, 2022, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
The present invention relates to a device for adjusting the length of a bracelet, particularly suited to a bracelet for a wristwatch provided with a deployant clasp disposed between two ends of the bracelet. It also relates to a clasp and a bracelet as such, incorporating such a device for adjusting the length of a bracelet, and to a timepiece such as a wristwatch as such comprising such an adjustment device.
A deployant clasp of the state of the art, provided to attach the two lengths of a watch bracelet around the wrist of its wearer, comprises several articulated blades, which can occupy a first position of closure in which the blades are attached, and a second position of opening in which the blades are no longer attached and allow the insertion or the removal of the bracelet. Such a clasp is generally provided with a first adjustment of its positioning relative to the bracelet, called conventional adjustment. However, the final length obtained is often not optimal.
For that, existing clasps are provided with a solution allowing a second adjustment of the length of bracelet, which can also be called comfort adjustment, complementing the first, conventional adjustment. The document EP0819391 describes such a solution, which relies on an adjustment link which pivots and can occupy two stable positions inducing two different lengths of the bracelet. The short position is maintained by a notch of the end link of the bracelet which comes to be attached and blocked elastically against the adjustment link in its short position. The document EP1908366 describes another solution in which an adjustment link of the bracelet can be displaced opposite a clasp cover of said bracelet, the adjustment link being fixed to the cover by notching. These existing solutions require careful manipulation on the part of a user when adjusting the length of the bracelet. This manipulation should notably allow a suitable positioning of movable elements relative to a notching, in order to obtain the desired length of the bracelet.
The document WO2019158471 describes another solution for adjusting the length of a bracelet, which reuses the principles of the solution set out in the document EP1908366 while adding an indexing device, which renders the application of the bracelet length adjustment more user-friendly.
One general objective of the invention is to further enhance the appeal of the adjustment of the length of a bracelet.
More particularly, the invention proposes a solution for adjusting the length of a bracelet, the operation of which is reliable and the manipulation of which is intuitive and user-friendly.
To this end, the invention relies on a device for adjusting the length of a bracelet, comprising an indexing device distinct from a guiding device of an adjustment link. In particular, elastic functional elements of, respectively, the indexing device and the guiding device are distinct.
In addition, the indexing device is also functionally distinct from a fixing device, and structurally wholly or partly distinct.
According to one embodiment, the device for adjusting the length of a bracelet comprises at least one adjustment assembly that is movable relative to a clasp cover, the adjustment assembly and the cover being respectively provided with a first and a second fixing element for their respective fixing according to several positions capable of inducing different bracelet lengths, the adjustment assembly and the cover being further provided respectively with a first and a second indexing element for their temporary respective positioning according to one of said several positions, the adjustment assembly comprising also a guiding device comprising a first guiding element cooperating with a second guiding element of the cover to guide the displacement of the adjustment assembly relative to the cover, wherein the first indexing element is independent of and/or distinct from the first guiding element and/or wherein the second indexing element is independent of and/or distinct from the second guiding element.
The invention is more particularly defined by the claims.
These objects, features and advantages of the invention will be explained in detail in the following description of particular embodiments given in a nonlimiting manner in relation to the attached figures in which:
A device for adjusting the length of a bracelet in a clasp according to embodiments of the invention will now be described. This clasp and the bracelet are designed to fit the outline of a wrist of a wearer. In a reference frame defined relative to a wrist, the adjectives “inner” and “outer” will be used to respectively designate surfaces or elements oriented toward the wrist or away from the wrist. The longitudinal direction will designate the lengthwise direction of a bracelet length or of a clasp. The transverse direction will be the direction at right angle to the longitudinal direction, in the plane of the bracelet length or of the clasp.
The deployant clasp 200 comprises two deployant blades 91, 92, as is notably visible in
The adjustment device 100 therefore comprises an adjustment assembly 10, more particularly represented in
Moreover, the first link 1 of the adjustment assembly 10 also comprises a link axis 12 at its longitudinal end opposite the second link 2, which makes it possible to link said first link 1 to other links or linkages of a bracelet strand, notably of a metal bracelet, or to a length of a flexible bracelet. This way, the displacement of the adjustment assembly 10 causes the displacement of the bracelet strand and defines the length of the bracelet strand according to the position of the adjustment assembly 10.
The second link 2 of the adjustment assembly 10 comprises, for its part, a ball pawl, which extends in a protruding manner from its outer surface, serving as first indexing element 21. The ball 211 of the ball pawl is provided to cooperate with a second succession of notches disposed on the outer wall 73 of the cover 7, serving as second indexing element 72. The ball pawl is, here, inserted with lesser play in a bore 22 formed on the outer surface of the second link 2. Alternatively, this ball pawl could be fixed to the second link 2, notably by driving, brazing or welding. According to this embodiment, the second indexing element 72 consists of a succession of notches arranged aligned longitudinally and in a way that is centered in the inner surface 731 of the outer wall 73 of the cover 7, as is more particularly represented in
The adjustment assembly 10 is mounted to be movable relative to the cover 7. Its displacement is guided in the cover 7 by a guiding device, which notably comprises guiding runners 3 arranged laterally on the second link 2, provided to slide in guideways or slideways 74 disposed respectively on each of the lateral walls 75 of the cover 7, as is visible in
The first bar 4, more particularly visible in
Similarly, the bar 5, visible in
Finally, the bars 4, 5 and their runners 3 of the adjustment assembly 10, and the slideways 74 of the cover 7, together form a device for guiding the adjustment assembly 10, and therefore a guiding device of the adjustment device. The bars 4, 5 and their runners 3 represent a first guiding element of the guiding device, and the slideways 74 a second guiding element of the guiding device. Optionally, the runners 3 can represent a first longitudinal abutment element of the adjustment assembly 10 with respect to the cover 7, and the slideways 74 a second longitudinal abutment element of the adjustment assembly 10 with respect to the cover 7.
In this specific adjustment assembly construction 10, the link 1 is also returned elastically against the outer wall 73 of the cover 7, in particular against the inner surface 731 of the outer wall 73 of the cover 7, as mentioned previously, under the effect of a return spring 6 which here takes the form of a torsion spring. Through this, the first fixing element 11, that is to say the tooth of the first link 1 according to this embodiment, is returned elastically against a second fixing element 71, a notch of the cover according to this embodiment. Alternatively, the first fixing element could be fixed or blocked in a stable position opposite a notch under the effect of a notching device that can possibly involve, for example, one or more ball pawls, without necessarily the latter inducing an elastic return force pressing the first fixing element 11 against or toward the second fixing element 71.
Thus, the implementation of the adjustment is continued by the displacement of the adjustment assembly 10, for example, the position illustrated by
In this first embodiment of the adjustment device, the succession of notches forming the second fixing element 71 is arranged according to a first longitudinal portion P1 of the outer wall 73 of the cover 7, while the succession of notches forming the second indexing element 72 is arranged according to a second longitudinal portion P2 of the outer wall 73 of the cover 7. The abovementioned first and second portions are distinct and arranged in continuity of one another in the longitudinal direction, as is more particularly visible in
Preferentially, there are as many notches of the fixing device as there are notches of the indexing device, for example five according to the embodiment illustrated. Naturally, any other number of notches is possible, notably two, three or four, even more than five. Moreover, the distance or the pitch separating two successive notches of, respectively, the fixing device and the indexing device is advantageously the same or substantially the same. Thus, the architecture of the adjustment device is such that when the indexing elements are engaged, the fixing elements can cooperate to achieve a fixing position of the adjustment device.
Indeed, the first and second portions P1 and P2 respectively comprising the notches of the second fixing element 71′ and those of the second indexing element 72′ partially overlap. The second fixing element in fact comprises two parallel longitudinal successions of notches 71a′, 71b′, arranged laterally on the outer wall 73′ of the cover 7′. The notches of the second indexing element 72′ form a longitudinal succession of notches arranged in the central part of the outer wall 73′ of the cover. In addition, these notches of the second indexing element 72′ are at least partially interleaved between the notches 71a′, 71b′ of the second fixing element 71′. In other words, there is a zone of the outer wall 73′ of the cover 7′ where the portions P1, P2 overlap, and where notches of the second indexing element 72′ can be disposed between two notches of the second fixing element 71′ in the transverse direction.
Such an arrangement makes it possible to maximize the number of notches respectively of the second indexing element 72′ and of the second fixing element 71′ since they are likely to be able to extend over the entire outer wall of the cover 7′ in the longitudinal direction. More generally, such an arrangement therefore makes it possible to maximize the range of adjustment of the length of a bracelet for a given longitudinal cover extent.
Also, the first indexing element 21′ of the second link 2′ is, here, brought closer to the teeth 11a′, 11b′ of the first fixing element 11′. In other words, the distance d′ separating them in the longitudinal direction is reduced relative to the distance d of the first embodiment, represented in
Other features of this second embodiment remain substantially unchanged, and the principle of operation of the adjustment device 100′ of the second embodiment is also similar or identical to that of the adjustment device 100 of the first embodiment. As an illustration,
As for the first embodiment, there are preferentially as many pairs of notches 71a′, 71b′ of the second fixing element 71a′ as there are notches of the second indexing element 72′. Moreover, the distance separating two notches or two pairs of notches of the second fixing element is advantageously the same or substantially the same as that separating two notches of the second indexing element 72′.
As represented in
Note that, in this embodiment, the adjustment assembly 10″ also has the specific feature of comprising a single pair of runners 3″ arranged on either side of the second link 2″ on a first axis A1″, about which is articulated the first link 1″, relative to the second link 2″ (more particularly at a bar 4″ disposed around the axis A1″). A system of ball pawls (not visible in the figures), disposed on another axis A″, parallel to the first axis A1″, for its part makes it possible to block the first link 1″ relative to the second link 2″, and therefore to block the two teeth 11a″, 11b″ opposite a notch of the second fixing element 71″ of the outer wall 73″ of the cover 7″.
The operating principle of the adjustment device 100″ is similar to that of the adjustment devices 100, 100′ of the preceding two embodiments. One difference stems notably from the fact that the first link 1″ is not returned elastically against the outer wall 73″ of the cover 7″, but is blocked in rotation relative to the second link 2″ through the abovementioned system of ball pawls, according to a position which makes it possible to guarantee the fixing of the adjustment element 100″ on the cover 7″. In all the embodiments, there is therefore an elastic element which makes it possible, directly or indirectly, to act on the first fixing element to displace it and/or keep it toward the cover or opposite the cover.
As an illustration,
In this embodiment, the second indexing 71″ and fixing 72″ elements comprise nine notches, which define as many positions of the adjustment assembly 10″ with respect to the cover 7″, and more generally lengths of a bracelet.
As a variant, the spring 21″ could have a different form. As an example,
In the embodiment illustrated in
The invention is not limited to the embodiments described. These embodiments can be combined with one another to form other embodiments.
In addition, in each of three embodiments, the notches formed on the inner surface 731; 731′; 731″ of the outer wall 73; 73′; 73″ of the cover 7; 7′; 7″ are not through-notches, so as not to be visible from the outside and leave the visible outer surface of the cover intact. As a variant, these notches could naturally be through-notches, and could therefore be visible from the outside of the cover.
In addition, as has been described, the notches arranged in the outer wall of the cover can extend in the form of a row in the longitudinal direction, and can extend continually or not in the transverse direction, one and the same notch being able to comprise different zones to fulfil the two indexing and fixing functions, which thus seem to be combined on the cover. As a variant, the notches could be totally distinct for each of these two functions.
The notches forming the second fixing element can be centered or not on the outer wall of the cover. The profile of these notches can be symmetrical or asymmetrical, in order to generate a different sensation or release according to the direction of activation of the adjustment assembly.
The same applies with respect to the first indexing element. Thus, the first indexing element can take the form of a ball pawl. More generally, this ball can be replaced by any element provided with a hemispherical form, notably by a cylinder or a stud provided with an end having a hemispherical form. Alternatively, this ball can be replaced by a cylinder or a stud, one end of which is provided with a tooth, this tooth being able to have a symmetrical or asymmetrical profile. Thus, more generally, the first indexing element can take the form of an elastic ratchet. Such an elastic ratchet may or may not be non-removable. As an example,
Similarly, the first fixing element could take a form other than those illustrated. It can comprise any form of teeth, symmetrical or not, and any number of teeth.
As a variant, the indexing elements and/or the fixing elements can be reversed. For example, the first fixing element could be on the second link, which would be retractable, and the first indexing element could be located on the first link of the adjustment assembly. In yet another variant, the notches could be arranged on the adjustment assembly and not on the cover, the latter then comprising a protruding elastic element for the indexing function, and one or more teeth protruding toward the adjustment assembly for the fixing function.
Also, the adjustment assembly is preferably guided in the clasp cover by a guiding device, in particular through guiding runners provided to slide in guideways or slideways, disposed respectively on each of the lateral walls of the cover. Alternatively, the guiding device could take any other form. For example, the latter could comprise more simply a protuberance formed notably on an outer surface of the second link of the adjustment assembly, which is provided to slide in a groove formed on the outer wall of the cover. Preferably, the first guiding element comprises a protruding element, such as a runner, and an elastic element, for example disposed in a bar, to act on the element protruding toward the cover, in order to keep said element cooperating with the second guiding element of the cover, notably a groove or a slideway as represented in the different embodiments.
Such a design of the adjustment device advantageously makes it possible to offer an indexing device of the adjustment assembly that is totally or partially independent of or distinct from the guiding device of said adjustment assembly. Notably, the first indexing element can be distinct from and/or independent of the first guiding element. For example, the first indexing element can comprise an elastic element, as described previously, distinct from an elastic means used in the first guiding element. In other words, the elastic element of the first indexing element is distinct from the guiding device. The first indexing element can, as a variant or in addition, be distinct from and/or independent of the second guiding element arranged on the cover. More specifically, the ball or the elastic element or any protruding element belonging to the first indexing element can cooperate with a zone of the cover that is distinct from the second guiding element, for example outside of a groove or a slideway provided for the guiding of the adjustment assembly. In yet another variant, the second indexing element, arranged on the cover, can be distinct from and/or independent of the second guiding element. Notably, the second indexing element can be arranged on a wall of the cover distinct from the wall on which the second guiding element is arranged. The second indexing element can also be independent of and/or distinct from the first guiding element, that is to say that this first guiding element does not cooperate with the second indexing element for the implementation of the guiding function.
Likewise, the indexing device is at least partially independent of and/or distinct from the fixing device.
Preferentially, the adjustment device fits in a deployant clasp provided with a locking device. Obviously, the clasp could take any other form. In particular, the locking device could have no safety cover.
By virtue of the adjustment device of the invention, the adjustment of the length of a bracelet becomes an assisted and very user-friendly adjustment. If the user wants to continue the adjustment, he or she continues displacement of the adjustment assembly, and his or her force allows the disengagement of the intermediate indexing elements encountered, against the force of the elastic element of the indexing device, in particular of the first indexing element.
The invention also relates to a bracelet and/or a clasp and/or a wristwatch, which incorporates a device for adjusting the length of a bracelet as described previously.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22156512.0 | Feb 2022 | EP | regional |
