CN210072336U

CN210072336U - Time-meter

Info

Publication number: CN210072336U
Application number: CN201920801395.3U
Authority: CN
Inventors: 黄伟权
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2019-05-30
Filing date: 2019-05-30
Publication date: 2020-02-14
Anticipated expiration: 2029-05-30

Abstract

The utility model provides a timer. The timepiece includes a housing defined by an upper body and a lower body, a crystal, the upper body attached to the housing; a watch bottom cover, located at the lower body of the casing, and a removable member comprising an outer side wall forming the periphery of the removable member and an inner side wall configured to coincide with the periphery of the casing, the inner side wall comprising a first protuberance along the top edge and a second protuberance along the bottom edge thereof, the removable member being manually separable from the casing independently of the other components of the timepiece without any tools, at the side of the removable member for connecting the retaining mechanism, comprising a first connecting arm and a second connecting arm, located respectively at the left and right sides of the removable member, the casing further comprising two shelf-like projections on opposite ends thereof, the shelf-like projections being provided with openings in the form of slits therein. The timer of the present invention may further include a separable retaining mechanism.

Description

Time-meter

Technical Field

The utility model relates to a field of table. More particularly, the present invention relates to watches having removable and interchangeable components.

Background

In this age today, watches are considered not only to be practical devices for telling time, but also to be a piece of jewelry or even a fashion item. Typically, an average person will have many different watches to fit the apparel. The surface appearance of a watch usually has the most direct visual impact on the watch. Therefore, it is highly desirable to have a watch with an easily interchangeable appearance to meet the needs of matching different suits or apparel situations.

Us patent 4660992, us patent 4796240, us patent 5793710 and u.s.7177234 have disclosed watches that can change appearance by having removable portions. However, many of these existing interchangeable watch appearances require complex constructions for removal and attachment thereto, which increases the cost and labor of manufacture, as well as difficulties in conveniently changing the appearance of the watch for the average watch wearer. Therefore, an alternative solution to construct different appearances for a single table would be advantageous.

The utility model provides a table with removable component to an outward appearance for exchange the table easily makes same table can be worn in a plurality of dress cooperations and occasions. However, in addition to safety, the novel and simple structure of the present invention is low in terms of manufacturing costs and makes the exchange of the surface of the watch feasible for the wearer of the watch without mechanical-manual skills. More specifically, the removal and attachment of the removable member of the present invention is independent of the other parts of the watch; thus, there is no need to separate the other parts of the watch, i.e. the wristband or the watch cover.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

It is an object of the present invention to provide a watch having a removable member configured such that the aesthetic appearance of the watch can be changed according to the wishes of the wearer, wherein no other parts of the watch need to be disassembled during removal or attachment of the removable member. The removal and attachment of the removable member may also be performed by anyone, such as the wearer, but without any manual skill of the watch.

In one aspect, the present invention is a watch comprising a case, a crystal and a cover bottom of the watch and a removable member that is easily replaceable for aesthetic purposes, wherein the crystal is attached to an upper body of the case, the watch is viewed from the crystal when the watch is worn, and the upper body is remote from the wearer; the watch bottom cover is attached to a lower-body of the case, the lower-body being adjacent to the wearer. The case, the crystal and the watch bottom cover are integrated together to form a compartment for containing the mechanical components, namely the movement, the rotor and the hands, necessary for the proper functioning of the watch. The removable member includes an outer sidewall and an inner sidewall. The inner side wall is further defined by a top edge and a bottom edge relative to a direction in which the watch is viewed. The top and bottom edges rise at about a right angle to the plane of the inner side wall, which acts as a coupling means to securely engage the removable member to the housing while allowing the removable member to be freely releasable from the housing. Since the removable member can be easily separated from the housing, the removable member serves as a medium for changing the aesthetic appearance of a watch.

In another aspect, the watch of the present invention further comprises a strap or any conventional timepiece holding mechanism for anchoring the watch head to the wearer. The case of the watch comprises typical shelf-like projections, or so-called lugs, on its opposite ends, which are connected to the opposite ends of the strap via separable means without threads, so that the strap can be easily replaced without special mechanical skills or tools. In this regard, the removable member may extend to the lug and provide additional protection for the connection between the case of the watch and the strap. A significant advantage of the aforesaid coupling and uncoupling means of the present invention is that they do not require any threads, screws, pins or similar or separate other parts of the watch.

In one aspect, the present invention provides a timer, comprising:

a housing defined by an upper body and a lower body, the housing including a projection along a perimeter thereof, the projection creating a first recessed edge and a second recessed edge;

a crystal attached to the upper body of the housing;

a cover bottom at the lower body of the case, wherein the case, the crystal and the cover bottom form an integral unit for protecting and accommodating mechanical parts required for the operation of the timepiece; and

a removable member comprising an outer sidewall and an inner sidewall, wherein the outer sidewall forms a perimeter of the removable member and the inner sidewall is configured to coincide with a perimeter of the housing, the inner sidewall comprising a first protuberance along a top edge and a second protuberance along a bottom edge thereof, wherein the first and second protuberances of the inner sidewall and the first and second recessed edges of the housing are complementary such that the removable member securely interlocks with the housing, and wherein the removable member is manually separable from the housing independent of other components of the timepiece without the need for any tools;

wherein, at the side portion of the removable member for connecting the holding mechanism, a first connecting arm and a second connecting arm respectively located at the left side and the right side of the removable member are included, a concave structure recessed toward the middle is formed between the first connecting arm and the second connecting arm, and the side portion of the housing corresponds to the concave structure of the removable member;

wherein the housing further comprises two shelf-like projections on opposite ends thereof, the shelf-like projections being provided with openings therein in the form of slits, such that the appendages of the retention mechanism are pivotably disposed in the openings of the respective shelf-like projections.

Optionally, the first and second protuberances are at about a right angle relative to the plane of the inner sidewall.

Optionally, the second protuberance is higher than the first protuberance.

Optionally, the first protuberance and the second protuberance are equal in size.

Optionally, the top edge of the inner side wall defines an opening aligned with a perimeter of the crystal.

Optionally, the top edge of the inner side wall defines an opening aligned with a perimeter of the crystal, and the bottom edge has at least one opening.

Optionally, the housing and the removable member are made of a material selected from the group consisting of: acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, acetal, acetate, acrylic, epoxy, ethylene copolymers, fluoropolymers, ionomers, nylon, polyetheretherketone, polyimide, polyamide-imide, polybutadiene, polycarbonate, polyethylene, polyester, vinyl ester, polyetherimide, polyphenylene oxide, polypropylene, polysulfide, polysulfone, aramid, polyurethane, silicone, polystyrene, PVC, rubber, resin, polymer, ceramic, wood, stone, crystal, sapphire, glass, metal, carbon fiber, glass fiber, or brass.

Optionally, the retaining mechanism is for anchoring the timepiece to a user.

Optionally, further comprising a bezel positioned in the upper body of the case.

The utility model also provides a timer, include:

a housing defined by an upper body and a lower body, the housing including a protrusion creating a first recessed edge and a second recessed edge along a perimeter thereof, and two shelf-like protrusions on opposite ends thereof;

a crystal attached to the upper body of the housing;

a cover bottom at the lower body of the case, wherein the case, the crystal and the cover bottom form an integral unit for protecting and accommodating mechanical parts required for the operation of the timepiece;

a removable member comprising an outer sidewall and an inner sidewall, wherein the outer sidewall forms a perimeter of the removable member and the inner sidewall is configured to coincide with a perimeter of the housing, the inner sidewall comprising a first protuberance along a top edge and a second protuberance along a bottom edge thereof, wherein the first and second protuberances of the inner sidewall and the first and second recessed edges of the housing are complementary such that the removable member securely interlocks with the housing, and wherein the removable member is manually separable from the housing independent of other components of the timepiece without the need for any tools; and

a detachable retaining mechanism connectable to the two shelf-like projections of the housing for anchoring the timepiece to a user, wherein replacement of the detachable retaining mechanism is done manually without any tools;

wherein the shelf-like projections of the housing include openings in the form of slots disposed therein such that the appendages of the retention mechanism are pivotably disposed in the openings of the respective shelf-like projections.

Optionally, the retaining mechanism comprises an appendage shaped to correspond to a slit such that the appendage is sandwiched between the slits when connected to the housing and is replaceable by sliding in and out of the slits.

Optionally, the removable member covers the shelf-like projection of the housing, which acts as a fastening means for the connection between the housing and the retaining mechanism.

Optionally, the retaining mechanism comprises a bracelet, ribbon, strap or chain.

Optionally, the slit has a cross-sectional area of a keyhole.

The present invention provides an alternative way to interchange different aesthetic appearances for the same watch in a simple, safe and convenient way by providing an aesthetically pleasing removable member and detachable watchband, wherein the attachment and removal of the aesthetically pleasing removable member and detachable watchband avoids the use of other parts and tools to detach the watch.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of an oblique view of a watch head 100 according to an embodiment of the invention;

fig. 2A is a schematic diagram of a top plan view of a watch head 100 according to an embodiment of the invention;

fig. 2B and 2C are a top plan view and an oblique view of a gauge head 100' of another embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 3 is a schematic view of a bottom plan view of the watch head 100 according to an embodiment of the invention;

figures 4A and 4B are side views along line y-y of a watch head 100 according to one embodiment of the invention, schematically represented, and figure 4C is a side view along line x-x of a watch head according to one embodiment of the invention;

fig. 5 is a schematic view of an exploded perspective view of a gauge head 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 6 is a schematic view of an embodiment of the present invention, in which the removable member is detached from the gauge head 100;

fig. 7A-7B are schematic diagrams illustrating a cross-section of an embodiment of the invention taken along line x-x in fig. 2A, fig. 7A showing removable member 120 engaged with watch case 130, fig. 7B showing removable member 120 and the watch head without removable member 120;

fig. 8 is a schematic diagram of an exploded perspective view of a watch according to one embodiment of the present invention, showing the coupling means between the removable member 120 and the watch case 130, and the separation means between the watch case 130 and the

wrist bands

150a, 150 b;

fig. 9A-9C are schematic diagrams illustrating a cross-section of the watch head 100 taken along line y-y in fig. 2A, fig. 9A showing the removable member 120 engaged with the watch case 130 and the lugs 131a, 131B, fig. 9B showing the removable member 120, and fig. 9C showing the watch head without the removable member 120, according to an embodiment of the invention;

fig. 10 is a schematic diagram of a cross section of one embodiment of the invention taken along line y-y in fig. 2A, showing the spatial relationship between the watch case 130, the removable member 120, and the wristband 150.

Fig. 11A-11C are schematic views showing interlocking of the removable member to the watch case.

Fig. 12A-12B are schematic views showing release of the removable member from the watch case.

Detailed Description

Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiments of the invention, which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The embodiments or examples disclosed herein are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Non-limiting embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings.

A first object of the present invention is to provide a timepiece wherein the aesthetic appearance can be easily interchanged for different apparel fits and situations. The terms "watch" and "timepiece" are used interchangeably herein and refer to any type of analog, digital, mechanical, or quartz watch that may be worn by one of ordinary skill as an accessory in a variety of ways, such as on the wrist or neck. Fig. 1-4C depict top, bottom, and side views of a watch head according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, showing the spatial orientation of the four basic components of the present invention. Fig. 5 is an exploded view of four basic components of the present invention. Fig. 6 shows a case, a crystal, and a cover bottom integrated together to form a gauge head and a removable member separate from the gauge head. The watch head 100 is a watch without any holding mechanism. The four basic components of the watch of the present invention are a watch case 130, a crystal 110, a watch bottom cover 140 and an aesthetically pleasing removable member 120. As shown in fig. 1-4C, the removable member 120 and the case 130 are configured such that the removable member coincides with the perimeter of the watch case. As shown in fig. 2B and 2C, the removable member 120 may also be an open-ear configuration, i.e., a partially concave configuration.

The housing is defined by an upper body and a lower body. The upper-body and the lower-body of the watch case relate to the direction in which the watch is viewed, wherein the upper-body is away from the wearer and the lower-body is adjacent to the wearer when the watch is worn, for example, on the wrist. The crystal 110 is a transparent cover attached to the upper body of the housing 130. A watch bottom cover 140 is positioned at a lower body of the case 130. The case band 130 forms a gauge head together with the crystal 110 and the cover bottom 140 to protect and accommodate mechanical parts for the function of the watch. It will be appreciated that the watch case, crystal and cover may be made of a variety of materials and in different forms and shapes depending on the aesthetic design of the watch. It will be understood that the perimeter of the watch case represents the overall shape of the watch head, and that the watch of the invention is functional and can be worn without aesthetic removable members, if the wearer so desires. The housing may take a variety of other shapes, which need not be circular as shown in the figures herein. For example, the watch case may be, but is not limited to, rectangular, square, oval, skate blade (carre), garage (carage), wine barrel, or asymmetric.

The removable member 120 in various shapes and designs contributes to the aesthetic appearance of the watch of the present invention. The removable member includes an outer sidewall and an inner sidewall, where the outer sidewall can be various shapes that form the perimeter of the removable member and determine the aesthetic design of the watch. If desired, additional decorations may be added to the outer sidewall to create different aesthetic designs for the watch. The inner side wall is configured to coincide with a periphery of the watch case for attachment thereto. In one embodiment, the interior side wall is further defined by a top edge 121 and a bottom edge 122 (fig. 6), where top edge 121 depicts an opening aligned with crystal 110, and bottom edge 122 has two openings at two opposite ends adjacent to the connection between watch case 130 and a watch band (not shown in fig. 6) or other retaining mechanism. The bottom edge 122 may also include a third opening for a crown 160 of a watch, as shown in FIG. 6. In one embodiment, when the present invention is a pocket watch, an opening at the bottom edge may not be necessary. In another embodiment, the inner sidewall does not include a top edge. In this embodiment, the removable member also serves as a protective cover for the crystal, which is susceptible to scratching and damage while not being interchangeable.

In another embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 2B and 2C, the removable member 120 forms a recess structure 170 on the side to which the band is attached, in which the band is mounted, thereby allowing the band to be rotatably attached to the inside of the recess structure by a pivot axis. Specifically, at the side of the removable member 120, a structure including a first connecting arm 181 and a second connecting arm 182 on both sides, a concave portion is formed between the first connecting arm and the second connecting arm. The first connecting arm has a thickness in the surface direction substantially equal to that of the second connecting arm. In this embodiment, the side of the case band 130 is reduced so that it includes only the recess corresponding to the recess structure of the removable member 120.

The watch case has a side portion side of the watch case 130 in or corresponding to the recess structure of the removable member 120. The watch case comprises

lugs

131a, 131b, each provided with an opening in the form of a slit 135. The ends of the

watch bands

150a, 150b or any conventional timepiece holding mechanism (fig. 8) include appendages 151a, 151 b. The appendages 151a, 151b are each pivotably disposed in an opening of a respective lug. Further, optionally, the inner side of the first connecting arm of the removable member 120 has a first recess for receiving one end of the appendage and the inner side of the second connecting arm has a second recess for receiving the other end of the pivot axle. The watch band is further connected to the first and second recesses of the removable member by an appendage extending along its width.

The watch case may also be other types of components, such as the case of a conventional hand watch, the case of a smart watch, the case of a precious metal (e.g., gold), or a precious metal-inlaid (diamond) pendant, among others. The

watch bands

150a, 150b and appendages 151a, 151b may be integrally formed as a single piece.

Fig. 7A shows the removable member 120 coupled to the housing 130. Fig. 7B shows the upper removable member 120 separated from the lower housing 130. The removable member 120 includes

protuberances

123, 124 along its inner sidewall and top and

bottom edges

121, 122, respectively. In one embodiment, the protuberance rises at about a right angle to the plane of the inner side wall. In another embodiment, the two protuberances are equal in size. Preferably, the bottom protuberance 124 is higher than the top protuberance 123. These protuberances are better observed in fig. 8. The housing 130 includes a protrusion 132 along its perimeter that forms two top and bottom recessed edges 133, 134 (fig. 7B). To attach the removable member 120 to the watch head, the two

protuberances

123, 124 of the removable member 120 are snapped into the two

retraction edges

133, 134. The longer bottom protuberance 124 serves as a handle for securing the removable member to the housing. As shown in fig. 7A, the inner side wall of the removable member 120 is complementary to the periphery of the watch case. The

protuberances

123 and 124 are complementary to the indented edges 133 and 134 (dashed arrows in fig. 5 and 7B). It will be readily appreciated that the width and length of the two raised and indented edges may vary, so long as their overall dimensions are complementary to each other. Such complementary arrangement enables the removable member to be securely interlocked with the watch case and to be separated therefrom by evaluating a simple vertical movement from the bottom edge of the removable member. Fig. 11A-11C and 12A-12B illustrate the attachment and removal of a removable member from the watch case to avoid disassembly of other parts of the watch. The removable member interlocks the housing by aligning the removable member atop the housing (fig. 11A) and pressing the removable member into and against the watch housing (fig. 11B). The removable member can be released from the watch case (fig. 12B) by pressing down on one side of its bottom edge using two fingertips (fig. 12A). Thus, the removable member is a useful medium for interchanging different aesthetic appearances for the same watch. It is to be understood that the drawings of the present invention are for the purpose of illustrating exemplary embodiments of the invention only and are not intended to limit the other shapes and appearances of the invention.

The following materials are non-limiting examples of watch cases and removable members suitable for use in the present invention: acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, acetal, acetate, acrylic, epoxy, ethylene copolymers (EEA, EVA), fluoropolymers (PTFE, PVDF), ionomers, nylon, Polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyimide, polyamide-imide, polybutadiene, polycarbonate, polyethylene, polyester (PET, PBT), vinyl ester, polyetherimide, polyphenylene oxide, polypropylene, polysulfide, polysulfone, aramid, polyurethane, Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU), transparent nylon, silicone, polystyrene, PVC, rubber, resins, polymers, ceramics, wood, stone, crystal, sapphire, glass, metal, carbon fiber, glass fiber, and brass.

A second object of the present invention relates to a watch in which the connection between the head and the strap can be easily released manually by the hand of the wearer without any tools. This means that the replacement of different kinds of straps or retaining mechanisms for different apparel applications can also be achieved. For example, the retaining mechanism for anchoring the timepiece of the invention may be in the form of, but not limited to, a strap, ribbon, chain or cuff. The watch case includes two typical shelf-like projections, otherwise known as

lugs

131a, 131b, on opposite ends thereof, which are attachable to opposite ends of a

watch band

150a, 150b or any conventional timepiece holding mechanism (fig. 8). Each lug is provided with an opening in the form of a slit 135. Fig. 9A illustrates a cross-section of an exemplary slot including, but not limited to, keyhole 136. For example, the circular portions shown in cross-section may be replaced by different shapes, such as triangular or square. The opposite ends of a pair of watchbands 150a, 150b include appendages 151a, 151b that correspond in shape to the slots 135, such that each watchband can be easily interchanged by sliding in and out of the lugs. The

watch bands

150a, 150b and appendages 151a, 151b may be integrally formed as a single piece, thereby reducing manufacturing costs and reducing manufacturing difficulties. The

watch bands

150a and 150b may be watch bands of different materials, such as rubber, leather, metal lamps. The watch band may also form part of jewelry of different shapes, such as bracelets, necklaces, earrings, earnails, etc. Furthermore, no threads, pins, etc. are used in the connection between the watch case and the ribbon; the replacement can be conveniently done by the wearer without any tools. In one embodiment, the removable member 125 can be extended to further cover the lug (fig. 9A). In this embodiment, the aesthetic removable member also serves as an auxiliary means of fixing the connection between the head and the strap (fig. 10). In another embodiment, the removable member does not cover the lug portion of the watch case.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the watch of the present invention further includes a bezel (bezel) that is fastened or screwed to the upper portion of the case band. The bezel may be used for diving and timing or purely for aesthetic purposes. The removable member may or may not cover the bezel, depending on the desired aesthetic appearance of the watch.

The watch of the utility model can also be extended to a hand ornament or any wearing ornament.

Without further elaboration, it is believed that one skilled in the art can, based on the description herein, modify the present invention and utilize the present invention to its fullest extent without departing from the spirit of the present invention. All disclosures described herein are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

Claims

1. A timepiece, comprising:

a crystal attached to the upper body of the housing;

2. A timepiece according to claim 1, wherein said first and second protuberances are at approximately right angles to a plane of said inner side wall.

3. Timepiece according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second protuberance is higher than the first protuberance.

4. Timepiece according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said first protuberance and said second protuberance are of equal size.

5. A timepiece according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said top edge of said inner side wall defines an opening aligned with the periphery of said crystal.

6. A timepiece according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the top edge of the inner side wall defines an opening aligned with the periphery of the crystal and the bottom edge has at least one opening.

7. Timepiece according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said housing and said removable member are made of a material selected from: acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, acetal, acetate, acrylic, epoxy, ethylene copolymers, fluoropolymers, ionomers, nylon, polyetheretherketone, polyimide, polyamide-imide, polybutadiene, polycarbonate, polyethylene, polyester, vinyl ester, polyetherimide, polyphenylene oxide, polypropylene, polysulfide, polysulfone, aramid, polyurethane, silicone, polystyrene, PVC, rubber, resin, polymer, ceramic, wood, stone, crystal, sapphire, glass, metal, carbon fiber, glass fiber, or brass.

8. A timepiece according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the retaining mechanism is for anchoring the timepiece to a user.

9. A timepiece according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a bezel positioned in the upper body of the housing.

10. A timepiece, comprising:

a crystal attached to the upper body of the housing;

11. Timepiece according to claim 10, wherein the retaining mechanism comprises an appendage shaped to correspond to a slit, such that the appendage, when connected to the housing, is sandwiched between the slits and can be replaced by sliding in and out of the slits.

12. Timepiece according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the removable member covers the shelf-like projection of the casing, acting as a fastening means for the connection between the casing and the retaining mechanism.

13. Timepiece according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the retaining mechanism comprises a bracelet, a ribbon, a strap or a chain.

14. A timepiece according to claim 11, wherein said slot has a cross-sectional area of a keyhole.

15. A timepiece according to claim 10 or 11, further comprising a bezel positioned in the upper body of the housing.