Patent Application
20110103198
The invention concerns a strap or bracelet including a first strand and a second strand. The second strand is connected to a clasp that includes a fastening device. The fastening device joins said strands to each other.
Clasps for straps or bracelets that use a buckle and tongue to join the two strands of the strap or bracelet to each other are known from the prior art. The strap or bracelet includes a first strand with said buckle and tongue and a second strand wherein holes are made. The second strand is intended for removable attachment to said first strand by engagement in the buckle. The buckle includes two lateral arms, each provided with a hole, a removable crosspiece whose ends are arranged to engage in the holes in the arms, and a tongue with an eye part rotatably engaged on said bar. The first strand has a transversely arranged end orifice close to a free end of the strand, for receiving said buckle bar, and an end notch that extends from said free end to beyond the end hole for receiving the eye part of the tongue. In fact, when the second strand is engaged in the buckle, the two strands are joined by the engagement of the tongue in one of the holes in the second strand. Thus, depending upon the hole in which the tongue is engaged, the second bracelet strand is engaged closer or further away in the buckle, tightening said bracelet to a greater or lesser degree.
However, one of the problems of this buckle of the prior art is that the second bracelet strand, which is engaged in the buckle, also passes through leather rings located on the bracelet strand to which the buckle is secured, so as to press the second strand onto the first strand. It is possible, when the bracelet is being worn, for stresses applied to the second strand to be such that said strand comes out of the leather rings, which may lead to the bracelet opening.
The invention concerns a strap or bracelet that overcomes the aforementioned drawbacks of the prior art by proposing a bracelet with a clasp that allows the bracelet to be securely locked.
The invention therefore concerns the aforecited bracelet which is characterized in that said clasp further includes a safety device for better joining the first strand to the clasp by pressing the former onto the latter and in that the clasp is of the type with an unfolding buckle, which means that there is no need to act on the fastening and safety devices to remove the bracelet.
Advantageous embodiments of this watch form the subject of the dependent claims 2 to 14.
One advantage of the bracelet defined in the present invention is, firstly, that the clasp is securely locked. The present invention associates a conventional buckle and tongue with a safety device. This device will press the bracelet strand engaged in the clasp against said clasp such that the strand engaged in the buckle can no longer move longitudinally. This prevents any inadvertent opening of the bracelet from occurring and the bracelet therefore remains adjusted to a constant size until the safety device is unlocked.
Another advantage of the present invention is perceived when the clasp is connected to the second strand via an unfolding buckle controlled by a push-button system. In this case, the safety device acts like a crown protection device, which protects the push-buttons of the buckle from any shocks that may occur.
Finally, the invention concerns the exterior of a timepiece including the bracelet according to the present invention.
The objects, advantages and features of the watch according to the present invention will appear more clearly in the following detailed description of at least one embodiment of the invention given solely by way of non-limiting example and illustrated by the annexed drawings, in which:
In the following description, all those parts of the bracelet that are well known to those skilled in the art in this technical field will be explained only in a simplified manner.
The first side portion 6a of unfolding buckle 4a is also pivotably mounted on support 4, whereas the second side portion 6b is pivotably mounted on second strand 3. Second side portion 6b can be mounted on second strand 3 via a pin 7.
Indeed, so that bracelet 1 is more comfortable for the person wearing it, unfolding buckle 4 is made to be curved to follow the shape of bracelet 1 or to partly follow the shape of the user's wrist. To achieve this, base 5 of unfolding buckle 4a is curved such that, when bracelet 1 is being worn by the user, base 5 wholly or partly matches the shape of the user's wrist. Side portions 6a, 6b are also curved so that, when unfolding buckle 4a is closed, side portions 6a, 6b can be integrated into or at least match the shape of base 5, as shown in
Support 4 is pivotably mounted on first side portion 6a and includes a fastening device 13. Support 4 is thus used to attach bracelet 1 via engagement of first strand 2 in support 4. To achieve this, support 4, shown in
The function of buckle 4a, apart from closing bracelet 1, is to act as guide means. Indeed, first strand 2 engages in buckle 4 to be removably attached to second strand 3? via a fastening device 13. When engaging in buckle 4, first strand 2 is inserted between the two lateral arms 8 of buckle 4 as shown in
Fastening device 13 attaches first strand 2 to buckle 4 and here includes a tongue 13a. In fact, tongue 13a is a pin, pivotably mounted via an arbour 11 mounted between the two lateral arms 8 of buckle 4. This tongue 13a abuts support element 12 and is used for joining the two strands 2, 3 to each other, while allowing the size of bracelet 1 to be selected. To achieve this, holes 14 are arranged in first strand 2 which engages in buckle 4. Thus, when first strand 2 engages in buckle 4, tongue 13a can be inserted in one of holes 14, thus blocking strand 2 in buckle 4. Of course, it will be clear that tongue 13a may take other forms such as a finger arranged directly on support element 12.
For the assembly of first strand 2 in buckle 4, said strand 2 is engaged in buckle 4 as shown in
Next, to tighten bracelet 1, and to enable the user to wear said bracelet, unfolding buckle 4 must be closed. To achieve this, the two side portions 6a, 6b are folded down towards base 5 such that the female locking members of side portions 6a, 6b cooperate with the male locking members of base 5. Of course, engagement of the female locking members in the male locking members can be achieved using different systems. Indeed, it is possible to use means that operate by pressure or by using push-buttons 15 acting on hooks that grip the male locking members of base 5. Evidently, each side portion 6a, 6b could also have a different system, for example using pressure on one portion and push-buttons 15 on the other.
Generally, the second bracelet strand 3 has a ring 16 made of leather, or another material, fixed to said bracelet strand 3 close to the end thereof. This ring 16 is arranged so that the end of first strand 2 can be engaged in said ring 16, allowing the two strands 2, 3 to be pressed against each other as efficiently as possible. Moreover, bracelet clasp 1a according to the present invention can be provided with additional elements. For example, support 4 can be fitted with additional guide means to further limit the movements of first strand 2 when it is engaged in said support 4. This additional guide means can take the form of one or more eyes located at one or both ends of support 4. The eyes have an opening allowing just enough space for the first strand 2 to be able to engage therein. Thus, the eyes limit the movements of said strand 2, by limiting the clearance of said strand. Preferably, this additional guide means is located in proximity to crosspiece 9. However, the guide means and leather ring 16 are not infallible, and, under some stress, it may happen that first strand 2 of bracelet 1 becomes so loose that it causes bracelet 1 to open.
To avoid this happening, support 4 is provided with a safety device 17 for preventing this type of nuisance. Safety device 17 takes the form of a part mounted on support 4, as shown in
Advantageously, according to the invention, it is thus clear that safety device 17 does not need to be opened for the timepiece to be put on. Indeed, the use of unfolding buckle 4a allows the assembly comprising fastening device 13 and safety device 17 to be fixedly adjusted in accordance with the size of the user's wrist.
In a particular embodiment shown in the Figures, the part 22 used to clamp first strand 2 against the clasp, takes the form of an approximately U-shaped part 22 as shown in
To assemble said approximately U-shaped part 22 on support 4, one of side arms 8 is provided with means for temporarily attaching part 22 and the other arm 8 is provided with means for permanently attaching said part 22. Thus, on one of arms 8 there is a permanent attachment recess 21 in which eye 19 of U-shaped part 22 is inserted, as shown in
Of course, it is possible for this attachment to be mounted in a different manner, such as using a slide-block. Moreover, it is possible for the clasp to have several safety devices 17 as described above, and, in such case, several series of recesses 20, 21 are arranged on said support 4.
In a preferred variant shown in
If the variant of safety device 17 with two U-shaped parts is used, it is clear that temporary attachment recesses 20 and permanent attachment recesses 21 enabling said device to be pivotably mounted on said support 4, are doubled.
In another variant, safety device 17 could be not integral with support 4. In such case, the ends of the U-shaped part(s) are only provided with hooks 18. Consequently, the recesses of each of arms 8 are temporary attachment recesses 20 in which said U-shaped parts are attached.
Of course, it is easily understood that the bracelet 1 described above is not limited simply to the characteristics described. For example, bracelet 1 may use not a clasp with an unfolding buckle 4 as above, but a conventional clasp. This clasp is arranged such that support 4 is pivotably mounted directly on second bracelet strand 3 by replacing arbour 10 with pin 7.
It will be clear that various alterations and/or improvements and/or combinations that are evident to those skilled in the art may be made to the various embodiments of the invention set out above without departing from the scope of the invention defined by the annexed claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 00496/08 | Apr 2008 | CH | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP09/53949 | 4/2/2009 | WO | 00 | 12/29/2010 |
