Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A44—HABERDASHERY; JEWELLERY
  • A44C—PERSONAL ADORNMENTS, e.g. JEWELLERY; COINS
  • A44C5/00—Bracelets; Wrist-watch straps; Fastenings for bracelets or wrist-watch straps
  • A44C5/14—Bracelets; Wrist-watch straps; Fastenings for bracelets or wrist-watch straps characterised by the way of fastening to a wrist-watch or the like
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A44—HABERDASHERY; JEWELLERY
  • A44C—PERSONAL ADORNMENTS, e.g. JEWELLERY; COINS
  • A44C5/00—Bracelets; Wrist-watch straps; Fastenings for bracelets or wrist-watch straps
  • A44C5/18—Fasteners for straps, chains or the like
  • A44C5/20—Fasteners for straps, chains or the like for open straps, chains or the like
  • A44C5/2057—Fasteners locked by sliding or rotating of the male element of the fastener; Turn-button fasteners
  • A44C5/2061—Fasteners locked by sliding or rotating of the male element of the fastener; Turn-button fasteners combined with spring means
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G04—HOROLOGY
  • G04B—MECHANICALLY-DRIVEN CLOCKS OR WATCHES; MECHANICAL PARTS OF CLOCKS OR WATCHES IN GENERAL; TIME PIECES USING THE POSITION OF THE SUN, MOON OR STARS
  • G04B37/00—Cases
  • G04B37/14—Suspending devices, supports or stands for time-pieces insofar as they form part of the case
  • G04B37/1486—Arrangements for fixing to a bracelet

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a device for fixing a bracelet on a watch case.
• a device for fixing a bracelet on a watch case, for example documents CH 179155, FR 1409848, CH 676073, US 4414719, FR 2206060 and US 6481069.
• the disadvantage of these devices comes from the need to use a tool for disassembling the bracelet, the need to actuate an element that ensures the holding of the bracelet in the box to be able to introduce the bracelet, because of the fact that various components or protuberances remain visible and detract from the aesthetics of the timepiece, and / or because they may allow play between the bracelet and the box, particularly in terms of a significant angular displacement of the bracelet relative to at the axis 6h-12h of the box.
• the object of the present invention is to allow a quick, reliable and tool-free attachment of a bracelet of any type, metallic or non-metallic, on a watch case while avoiding an involuntary and untimely separation of the bracelet of the shows.
• Another object of the present invention is to provide a device for attaching a bracelet to a watch case that has no visible element and therefore does not detract from the aesthetics of the timepiece.
• Yet another purpose is to provide a device for fixing a bracelet on a watch case avoiding any play between the bracelet and the box and also including any possibility of angular displacement of the bracelet with respect to a 6-12H axis of the box .
• the present invention relates to a device for fixing a bracelet on a watch case comprising a male element and a female element, one of said elements being intended to be fixed on the bracelet and the other to be fixed on the watch box; the male member comprising a tongue having an opening; the female element having a lateral opening opening on its
• the female element comprises a recess in which an actuator is slidably disposed, the actuator being accessible from the lower face of either the box or the bracelet; in that the actuator is held in the rest position in abutment against a stop by an elastic action; in that the actuator comprises a cavity which, in the rest position, is at least partially aligned with the lateral opening of the recess; in that said actuator has a latch cooperating with the opening of the tongue of the male element, said latch engaging in the opening of the tongue under the elastic action when the tongue is introduced into the cavity of the actuator via the lateral opening of the female element.
• Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a fastener according to one embodiment of the invention.
• Figure 2 is a sectional view of the device of Figure 1 in assembled state.
• Figure 3 is a plan view of a watch assembled to a bracelet using the fixing device according to a variant.
• FIG. 4a is an exploded perspective view of the male element of the fastening device and of a bracelet attachment link according to the variant of FIG. 3.
• Figure 4b is a view of the rear face of the male member shown in Figure 4a.
• Figure 5 is a sectional view along line V-V of Figure 3 means for fixing the male element to the watch strap according to this variant.
• the fixing device comprises a first male element 1 fixed at the end of a bracelet 5 and a second female element 2 worn by the caseband 3 of a conventional watch case 4 further comprising a bezel and a bottom (not shown).
• the male element 1 can be coupled to the bracelet 5 by any suitable coupling means.
• the bracelet 5 is flexible (including leather, plastic or rubber)
• the male element 1 is attached to said bracelet 5 via a metal insert (not shown ) itself appropriately fixed to said bracelet, for example by overmolding.
• the male element 1 is integrated in a metal bracelet.
• the male element 1 can be coupled to an attachment link 6 forming part of the metal bracelet (the other links of the bracelet are not shown in these figures) using for example a pin (also not shown).
• the male element 1 comprises tenons 1b intended to cooperate with notches / mortises 7 of the fastening link 6.
• the fastening link 6 has threaded holes 6a in which screws 23 are screwed. male element 1 is thus attached to the fastening link 6 of the bracelet by inserting the pins 1b of said element into the notches 7 of the fastening link 6.
• the male element 1 further comprises holes 1a ending in countersinks 1c and by which the heads of the screws 23 are accessible. Once the male element 1 inserted in the fastening link 6, the screws 23 are unscrewed so that their heads fit into the corresponding counterbore of the male element 1, as shown in FIG. screw 23 thus make it possible to eliminate any play between the male element 1 and the fastening link 6 and prevent any separation of the two parts.
• any other suitable means of attachment of the male element 1 to the attachment link 6 (or a metal insert) could be used.
• the male element 1 comprises a tongue 8 having an oblong opening 9 and closed on itself and whose free end 22 has a beveled shape, as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 5.
• the female element 2 is integral with the middle part 3 of the watch case 4 and comes in one piece with said caseband 3.
• the female element 2 occupies the space between the 10 conventional horns of the watch case 4.
• the female element 2 has a through recess 11 opening on the lower face and the upper face of the middle part 3.
• the recess 11 comprises at a predetermined height a flange 20 serving as abutment to an actuator, here in the form of a pusher element 15 inserted in the recess 11 by the upper face of the middle part 3 and intended to slide in said recess.
• the recess 11 still has a lateral opening 21 visible in FIG. 2 and opening on its free lateral face in the direction of the male element 1 carried by the bracelet 5.
• the pusher element 15 comprises a portion 19 actuable by a user and reachable by said user through the lower opening of the recess 11 of the female element 2.
• said portion 19 may protrude from the recess 11 but, preferably, does not exceed said recess, positioning at the same level as the bottom of the watch case 4 to avoid any inconvenience when wearing the watch.
• the pusher element 15 further comprises a cavity 16 aligned (at least partially) in the rest position with the lateral opening 21 of the female element 2 and intended to receive the tongue 8 of the male element 1.
• the cavity 16 is oriented substantially perpendicular to the plane of movement of the pusher element in the recess 11, but this orientation may vary depending on the shape of the watch case and the bracelet.
• the pusher element 15 comprises in said cavity 16 has a locking nose 17 illustrated in Figure 2, the end 23 is bevelled so as to cooperate with the free end 22 of the tongue 8 of the male element 1 as will be seen later.
• the locking nose 17 is intended to fit into the oblong opening 9 of the tongue 8.
• the device further comprises a cover 12 fixed on the female element 2 by means of screws 14, as illustrated in FIG. 1.
• This cover 12 covers the upper face of the female element 2 and therefore of the recess 11 and is placed in the extension of the bezel of the watch case 4.
• the screws 14 fixing the lid to the middle part 3 could be replaced by any other suitable fastening means.
• the cover 12 serves more to hide the fastener thus preserving the aesthetics of the watch.
• At least one, but preferably two springs 18 are placed between the pusher element 15 and the underside of the cover 12.
• the pusher element 15 rests on the rim 20 of the recess 11, held in this position by the elastic action of the springs 18; the cavity 16 of the pusher element 15 is aligned with the lateral opening 21 of the female element 2; the bracelet 5 can then be fixed to the watch case 4 by introducing the tongue 8 of the male element 1 by said lateral opening into said cavity 16.
• the position of the locking nose 17 is such that, at a certain point, the free end 22 of the tongue 8 abuts against said locking nose 17. Thanks to their complementary bevelled shapes, when the tongue 8 is inserted further into the cavity 16 of the pusher element 15, it lifts the locking spout 17 and the pusher element 15 slides upwards in the recess 11 compressing the springs 18. Note that it is necessary that the cavity 16 of the pusher element 15 is dimensioned so as to make said movement possible.
• the tongue 8 can be pushed further into the cavity 16 and the female element 2 until the locking nose 17 is above the oblong opening 9 of said tab 8.
• the pusher element 15 slides in the opposite direction in the recess 11 to rest on the flange 20 and in doing so the locking spout 17 engages in the oblong opening 9 of the tongue 8.
• the bracelet 5 is then firmly fixed to the watch case 4, the tongue 8 being held in the female element by the locking nose of the pusher element 15 as shown in Figure 2
• the shape and the dimensions of the locking spout 17 correspond to the length and the width of the oblong opening 9 so that in the coupled position the bracelet is fixed without play on the watch case.
• the user pushes up the pusher element 15 via the actuable portion 19 of said element, accessible from the rear face of the watch case 4.
• the springs 18 are compressed, the pusher element slides upwards in the recess 11 and in doing so the locking spout 17 is released from the oblong opening 9 of the tongue 8 of the male element 1.
• the user by pulling the bracelet while maintaining the pressure on the pusher element 15, can disengage the tongue 8 of the female element 2 and thus separate the bracelet 5 from the watch case 4.
• the pusher member and in particular the actuatable portion 19 may protrude from the bottom of the watch case, depending on the design of the timepiece.
• the actuator 15 as described above could slide down towards the bottom of the box, while remaining accessible through the rear face of the watch case.
• springs 18 would exert on the actuator an elastic force directed towards the top of the watch case.
• the user to separate the bracelet 5 from the watch case 4, the user must pull the actuator down.
• the actuator has a shape facilitating its drawing by the user and may include a projection that is user-friendly.
• the female element 2 may not have come from a piece with the middle part but fixed by any appropriate means between the horns of the latter.
• the female element could be articulated between the horns of the middle part by a traditional telescopic bar. The invention could then adapt to any watch case provided with conventional horns.
• the male element could be articulated on the bracelet 5, metal or flexible, conventionally by a telescopic bar.
• the female element 2 may not be integral with the middle part 3.
• said female element could be constituted by several parts which once assembled form the recess 11.
• the said pieces then constituting the female element could be worn one by the middle part 3, the others by the bottom or the bezel of the watch case 4 for example or simply be additional parts.
• the actuator 15 is inserted into the recess 11 before assembly of said parts.
• the cover 12 may no longer be necessary, one of the parts constituting the female element 2 can serve as upper partition and thus limit the stroke of the actuator 15 in the recess 11.
• the springs 18 could be supported in this variant on one of the parts integral with the middle and or the box constituting the female element 2.
• the other components and the operation of this variant are in all respects similar to those described in the embodiment presented above.
• the second female element 2 could be attached to the end of the bracelet 5 and the first male element 1 could be worn by the watch case 4. Again in these cases the components and their operation is in all respects similar to what is described above.

Landscapes

• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Purses, Travelling Bags, Baskets, Or Suitcases (AREA)
• Electric Clocks (AREA)
• Buckles (AREA)
• Adornments (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=41786135

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Cited By (4)

Families Citing this family (12)

Citations (8)

• 2009
  • 2009-11-05 EP EP09013882A patent/EP2319349B1/de active Active
  • 2009-11-05 AT AT09013882T patent/ATE555681T1/de active
• 2010
  • 2010-10-27 WO PCT/IB2010/002724 patent/WO2011055190A1/fr active Application Filing

Patent Citations (8)

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