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
  • A44C5/02—Link constructions
  • A44C5/10—Link constructions not extensible
  • A44C5/102—Link constructions not extensible with links made of one piece with integral connecting means
• • 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

Definitions

• the present invention relates to sets intended to be worn on the wrist, such as bracelets or wristwatches. It relates more particularly to an assembly comprising first and second rigid parts and a hinge for connecting these parts, the hinge comprising a male member secured to the first piece and provided with a stud, a female member secured to the second piece and comprising a tube pierced with a cylindrical hole in which the post is freely adjusted, as well as a lock secured to one of the parts and comprising a spring making it possible to lock the male and female organs to one another.
• the object of the present invention is to produce an assembly whose hinges have better behavior when they are subjected to lateral forces.
• the tenon of the male organ is provided with a groove and that the tube of the female organ is pierced with an opening opening into the cylindrical hole from which it is pierced, in line with the groove of the male member, the spring of the lock being removably engaged in the groove through the opening, in order to ensure the locking of the male and female members to each other.
• the articulated element shown in FIG. 1 comprises a first rigid part 10, a second rigid part 12 and a hinge comprising a male member 14, a female member 16 and a latch 18.
• the part 10, of shaped general parallelepiped in particular comprises a face 20, intended to be in contact with the arm of the carrier, two lateral faces 22 and 24 and a face 26 contiguous to the part 12.
• the part 10 further comprises a concave facet 28 obtained by truncation of the edge defined by the faces 20 and 26. This facet 28 takes the place of the male member 14 and the female member 16.
• the part 12 also of generally parallelepipedal shape, comprises in particular a face 30, intended to be in contact with the wrist of the wearer, two lateral faces 32 and 34 and a face 36, contiguous with the part 10. It likewise comprises a concave facet 38, obtained by the truncation of the edge defined by the faces 30 and 36.
• This facet 38 acts as a seat for the female member 16, and for release to a part of the male member 14.
• the lock 18 is fixed on the face 30 of the part 12, by welding for example.
• the male member comprises four cylindrical parts 40, 41, 42 and 43 and a frustoconical part 44, coaxial, and whose axis is parallel to the faces 20 and 26.
• the cylindrical part 40 acts as a connecting element for the hinge with the part 10. It is integral with this part by the facet 28.
• the cylindrical parts 41 to 43 and the frustoconical part 44 form a tenon 46 having a groove 48, this groove being defined by the cylindrical part 42, the diameter of which is less than that of parts 41 and 43.
• the groove 48 is located substantially in the middle of the distance separating the faces 22 and 24.
• the male member 14 has a length slightly less than the width of the parallelepiped. It is aligned on the side of the cylindrical part 40 on the face 22 and is consequently slightly set back from the face 24.
• the female member 16 is formed of a tube comprising a wall 49 and a blind cylindrical hole 50, of depth at least equal to the length of the tenon 46 and of diameter slightly larger than that of the cylindrical parts 41 and 43, so that the lug 46 can pivot there freely.
• the female member 16 further comprises an opening 52, formed in the wall 49 midway between the faces 32 and 34 and opening out inside the hole 50. This opening descends to the level of the face 30, or even even slightly below.
• the width of the opening 52, in the direction of the axis of the hole 50, is substantially equal to the width of the groove 48.
• the closed end of the tube forming the female member 16 is aligned with the lateral face 34, which is in the extension of the lateral face 24 of the part 10.
• the length of the tube is equal to the distance between the face 24 and the end of the tenon 46 contiguous to the cylindrical part 40. In this way, when the hinge is assembled, the parts 10 and 12 are thus perfectly aligned.
• the male 14 and female 16 members are advantageously manufactured by bar turning.
• the latch 18 comprises a rigid portion 54 fixed by welding to the face 30 of the part 12 and a spring 56, of parallelepiped shape, secured to the portion 54 by one of its ends, the other end being engaged in the opening 52.
• a spring 56 of parallelepiped shape
• the lock 18 is produced by cutting a plate from 0.1 mm to 0 , 3 mm thick, made of an elastic material, preferably stainless steel.
• the male 14 and female 16 members as well as the latch 18 are advantageously added parts, permanently fixed by gluing or welding to the parts 10 or 12.
• This articulated element is advantageously made of stainless steel.
• the assembly intended to be worn on the wrist comprises a watch case 60 and a bracelet comprising a first strand 61 of which only three links 62 to 64 are shown and a second strand 65 of which a link 66 is schematically represented.
• the box 60 and the link 62 form an articulated element similar to that shown in FIG. 1.
• the box 60 takes the place of the first rigid part 10 and thus comprises a male member 14, while the link 62 takes the place of second rigid part 12 and thus comprises a lock 18 and a female member 16 in which the male member 14 is pivotally attached to the box 60.
• two neighboring links of the bracelet also form an articulated element similar to that shown in FIG. 1.
• the link 63 takes the place of the first rigid part 10 and the link 64 takes the place of the second rigid part 12.
• This bracelet advantageously includes a buckle, not shown in the drawing, of any known type, connecting the two strands and making it possible to put on or remove the watch from the wrist.
• the watch of FIG. 2 can be provided either with a bracelet formed of metal links as shown, or with a leather or plastic bracelet, partially represented in FIG. 3, and one strand of which 68 comprises, at its end intended to be fixed to the box, a link 69 comprising a part 70 on which are fixed a female member 16 and a latch 18, in a similar manner to what has been described with reference to FIG. 1 for the piece 12.
• the piece 70 is made integral with the strand 68 by four screws 72 which are tightened in tapped feet, not shown in the drawing, which has a counterplate 74.
• the strand 68 provided with holes allowing the tapped feet to pass, is inserted between the counterplate 74 and the part 70.
• the ply plate 74 could also be housed inside the strand 68.
• the latch 18 is systematically secured to the part carrying the female member; but it could also be fixed on the part carrying the male organ.
• the assembly of the parts would be slightly more difficult, because the spring must be raised to allow the passage of the female member, of its part comprising the opening of the hole, until the opening intended to take the place of housing for the end of the spring.
• each joint could be formed by two coaxial male organs and two coaxial female organs.
• this solution has the disadvantage that, during assembly, it is necessary to have a compound movement, namely to effect a displacement in a perpendicular direction of articulation, to align the two parts axially with respect to to the axis, then move the two pieces according to a direction parallel to said axis, to engage the male organs in the female organs.
• the hinge shown in Figure 1 can also be used to connect the links of a decorative bracelet. Thanks to the structure of this hinge, it is possible to easily modify the appearance of the bracelet by inserting or removing links having a particular appearance.
• a hinge of this type can also serve as a bracelet clasp insofar as the spring is accessible, the other hinges ensuring the articulation between the links which may moreover be similar or different from those described.
• the assembly intended to be worn on the wrist and as claimed makes it possible to reduce its sensitivity to lateral forces.
• a piece of the bracelet can be removed, added, changed, to change the appearance or the length of the assembly, and this, without calling to a particular tool.

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=9307650

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Cited By (3)

Citations (4)

• 1984
  • 1984-09-10 FR FR8413969A patent/FR2569957A1/fr active Pending
• 1985
  • 1985-09-05 JP JP19498285A patent/JPS6168003A/ja active Pending
  • 1985-09-05 EP EP85111209A patent/EP0174605A3/de not_active Withdrawn

Patent Citations (4)

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