CH680327B5 - - Google Patents

Abstract

The watch (1) includes a casing with a slot formed through its base, parallel to the dial face of the watch. The watch may then be attached to a support (6) which has a section passing through the base slot. The opening at one side of the watch (7) is larger than that at the opposite side, so that the watch is retained. The 'support' may be a small key, with the notched part projecting, or the same watch may be fitted to a strap which includes a similarly shaped section to support it. ADVANTAGE - Watch may be fitted to variety of supports.

Description

1

CH 680 327G A3

2

Description

The present invention relates to a watch comprising a box and means for fixing this box to a support, as well as to an assembly comprising such a watch and an interchangeable support.

Most watch cases have means of attachment to a bracelet. However, these fixing means do not allow the watch case to be fixed to another type of support. The object of the invention therefore consists of a watch which can be attached to supports of different types, more particularly to a bracelet on the one hand and to a key on the other hand.

Thus, the first object watch of the invention has the characteristics defined in claim 1.

A second object of the invention consists of an assembly comprising a watch according to the invention and an interchangeable support, which can be either a bracelet as defined in claim 10, or a key as defined in claim 12.

The accompanying drawing illustrates schematically and by way of example the invention.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of an assembly comprising a watch with a key as a support.

Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the key-watch assembly of FIG. 1, in which the key is illustrated in its service position, and in phantom, in an intermediate position for placing in the non-service or introduction position.

Fig. 3 is a partial perspective view of an embodiment of a bracelet intended to serve as an interchangeable support for the watch according to the invention.

As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the embodiment of the watch according to the invention consists of a watch 1 of any known type which, however, also has a base or complementary compartment 2. This complementary compartment defines an internal empty space 3 accessible by two slots 4, 5 made one opposite the other. A first of these slots 4 has a large angular opening, here slightly less than 180 °, while the second slot 5 has a much smaller angular opening.

The complementary compartment 2, defining the internal housing 3, may have come from manufacture with the watch case 1, or else attached to it for example by welding, bonding or any other suitable technique.

The original set illustrated in figs. 1 and 2 comprises a watch 1, 2 according to the invention and an interchangeable support constituted by a key 6. To place this key 6 in the service position, it suffices to introduce the functional tapered portion 6b thereof to through the slot 5 of small angular opening, until the head 6a of the key of greater width comes into abutment against the internal walls of this slot 5.

In this operating position, the head 6a of the key is completely inside the space 3 of the compartment 2 and the functional tapered portion 6b directed radially outside the watch 1. The assembly thus formed can therefore be handled like a normal key and used to provide the time to its user.

Maintaining the watch position 1, 2 on the key holder 6 can be ensured in different ways. In the example illustrated, three small pins 7 are provided at the entrance to the slot 4 with a wide angular opening, which serve as elastic stops preventing the key from unintentionally coming out of its service position. It is also possible to provide all or walls of the internal parts of the empty space 3 with a coating which prevents the key from sliding. In the case of a watch case made of a plastic material, keeping it in position can thus be obtained by the elasticity of the edges of the slot 4 with a large angular opening, when this opening is very slightly less than the maximum width of the head 6a of the key and when the latter must therefore be introduced with gentle friction in housing 3.

When the user wishes to wear the watch according to the invention in the usual way, that is to say like an ordinary wristwatch, it then suffices to replace the support constituted by the key 6 by a support of a different type. , namely a bracelet. Such a bracelet 8 is shown by way of example in FIG. 3. It is distinguished from known bracelets by the presence in its median portion of a widening 9 whose shape here corresponds approximately to that of the housing 3 of the watch case 2. The widening 9 may, according to a variant, not be of the same shape as said housing 3. However, it is necessary that it has at least one enlargement portion so as to create a shoulder 9 'serving as a stop, in the service position, against the slot 5 of small opening angular.

The embodiment of the bracelet 8 shown in FIG. 3 also has an orifice 10 intended to cooperate in the service position with the central stud 7 provided in the slot 4, so as to maintain the watch 1, 2 in position on the bracelet 8.

Claims (12)

Claims 1. Watch comprising a box and means for fixing this box to a support, characterized in that the fixing means are constituted by a through slot located in the bottom of said box and parallel to the plane thereof, l the opening of the inlet of the slot is at least equal to the largest width of the support while the outlet opening of the slot is smaller, of a size between the minimum width and the maximum width of the support, the thickness of this slot corresponding to that of the support. 2. Watch according to claim 1, characterized in that the maximum opening angle of the entrance to the through slot is about 180 °. 3. Watch according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the through slit is formed in an additional compartment disposed below the bottom of the case 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 3 3 CH 680 327G A3 of watch, and that it forms a housing inside of it. 4. Watch according to claim 3, characterized in that the additional compartment came from a workpiece with said watch case. 5. Watch according to claim 3, characterized in that the additional compartment is attached below said watch case. 6. Watch according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the through slot has stop means for retaining the support in the service position. 7. Watch according to claim 6, characterized in that the stop means are pins arranged near the entrance to the through slot. 8. Watch according to claim 6, characterized in that the stop means are constituted by an anti-slip coating with which is coated at least a portion of the internal walls of the through slot. 9. An assembly comprising a watch according to claim 1 and a support, characterized in that said support is arranged in the service position in the through slot, so that a portion of said support abuts against the outlet opening from the slot. 10. The assembly of claim 9, characterized in that the support is a bracelet having in its middle part at least one enlargement whose dimensions are such that it comes into abutment, when the bracelet is in the service position in the slot through, against the outlet opening thereof. 11. The assembly of claim 9, comprising a watch according to claim 7, characterized in that the bracelet comprises at least one orifice intended to cooperate, in the service position, with at least one retaining stud that has the through slot. 12. The assembly of claim 9, characterized in that the support is a key having a functional tapered part and a head, this key being arranged in the service position in said through slot so that the functional tapered part of the key is directed radially outside the outlet opening of the slot, and the head of the key is in abutment inside the slot against the outlet opening thereof. 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 4