EP0198801B1 - Unit comprising a flat case fixed on a textile or thin synthetic or natural material - Google Patents

Abstract

This invention comprises an assembly between a thin substrate and a housing removably attached thereto. The textile or the other thin material constituting the substrate comprises a ring (6) set to the periphery of a circular aperture cut beforehand into the substrate at a predetermined location, the housing having a circular bottom introduced in the ring, and the housing and the ring being provided with fixing elements which cooperate to achieve a removable fixation of the housing to the substrate.

Description

The subject of the invention is an assembly comprising a flat housing fixed to a textile or a synthetic or natural thin material. In a preferred embodiment, the flat case of the assembly is intended to receive a watch movement. Thus, according to this preferred embodiment, the main object of the invention is to propose the removable assembly of a watch and a textile support or of a synthetic or natural thin material. The watch can thus be fixed or clipped removably on the textile support or on the thin material.

A research carried out by the holder has made it possible to find in the prior art anteriority which consists of a watch contained in a plastic case, which is fixedly fixed on a wrist band arranged to be placed around a wrist at the using Velcro elements. The watch is thus made integral with the textile band in an irremovable manner.

Also known from Swiss patent 536083 is a watch strap having an opening surrounded by a reinforcement frame (formed of a spring wire), embedded in the material of the strap. The edge of the opening is intended to cooperate with a groove made in a part of the watch case, which is for the most part hidden under the strap.

The German utility model 1790789 describes the crimping of a U-shaped band on the ends of the strands of a bracelet. Attaching the strap to the watch case requires the use of screws, and therefore requires a tool to separate the strap from the watch case.

By French patent 1598983, there is also known a wristwatch having a central opening with respect to which the watch is removable. An annular groove, formed all around the box, is intended to receive the edge of the opening. The removable attachment is however not sufficiently secure, due to the inevitable deformations of the support after several uses.

The object of the invention is to propose an assembly between a flat case and a textile allowing a removable fixing of the case on the textile, that is to say allowing the user to remove and replace the flat case on the textile.

The assembly according to the invention is characterized in that the textile or the thin material comprises a ring crimped around the periphery of a hole previously made in the textile at a predetermined location, the housing having a circular bottom introduced into the ring and substantially the same thickness as the latter, the ring having a circular rim provided on the inner periphery of the ring and intended to cooperate with a corresponding boss, at least indirectly secured to a locking ring fixed on the housing, to ensure a removable fixing of the case on the textile.

In a preferred embodiment, where the case is intended to contain a watch movement, the circular bottom of the case comprises at least two flexible tongues having on their outer face the boss capable of cooperating with the circular edge of the ring and s 'extending parallel and adjacent to the circular bottom of the housing, so as to provide a space between the circular bottom of the housing and the tongues, space intended to receive the locking ring arranged to press the tongues against the edge of the ring crimped on the textile or synthetic or natural material.

Spacing ribs can be placed around the circumference of the circular bottom, so as to fill the space between the circular bottom and the ring on either side of the tongues.

In a variant, the circumference of the circular bottom of the housing comprises a thread cooperating with a corresponding thread provided inside the blocking ring coming to be inserted between the circular bottom of the housing and the ring crimped on the textile or the material thin synthetic or natural and having a boss capable of cooperating with the circular edge of the ring.

The ring can be made of metal, in particular aluminum. However, it can also be made of a plastic material.

As mentioned above in a preferred embodiment, the case is intended to contain a watch movement. However, it can also be provided to receive a compass or simply be provided with a waterproof cover so as to receive and retain small objects.

The housing can be made of plastic.

The textile can be an elastic wristband or a headband. Finally, the assembly of the case can be carried out on any piece of clothing, for example near the waistband of pants, on the pocket or cuff of a shirt, etc.

The invention also relates to a method of manufacturing the assembly, in which a flexible counter-piece is applied to the textile or the thin material, the diameter of the counter-piece being slightly greater than the diameter of the ring which will be crimped later, the hole is drilled together to the diameter of the ring, heat treatment is applied to the edges of the hole and the ring is inserted and crimped.

As a variant, the manufacturing process can be characterized in that the textile is pierced with the diameter of the ring and in that the ring is introduced and hot crimped. In this variant, the ring will generally be made of plastic and it can be either crimped or injected.

The drawing shows by way of example an embodiment of an assembly according to the invention.

• La fig. 1 représente un assemblage entre un bandeau de poignet élastique et un boîtier contenant une montre, l'assemblage étant réalisé à l'aide de moyens de retenue amovibles entre une bague fixée sur le bandeau et le boîtier;
• la fig. 2 est une vue de dessous du bandeau de poignet de la fig. 1, à l'emplacement où est fixée la montre;
• la fig. 3 représente une coupe selon la ligne III-III de la fig. 2, et
• la fig. 4 représente une variante de la coupe de la fig. 3, dans laquelle l'assemblage est réalisé au moyen d'un anneau de serrage vissé sur le boîtier.

In the drawings:

• Fig. 1 shows an assembly between an elastic wrist band and a case containing a watch, the assembly being carried out using removable retaining means between a ring fixed on the band and the case;
• fig. 2 is a bottom view of the wrist band of FIG. 1, at the location where the watch is fixed;
• fig. 3 shows a section along line III-III of FIG. 2, and
• fig. 4 shows a variant of the section of FIG. 3, in which the assembly is carried out by means of a clamping ring screwed onto the housing.

The mode of execution of the assembly 1 represented in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 comprises a wrist band 2 on which is fixed a case 3 containing a watch movement 4 with dial and hands. The wrist band 2 is made of cotton fabric containing woven elastics. On its inner face 5, the strip has a looped weft, so that the face of the strip in contact with the user's wrist is in the form of a terry cloth. The headband 2 is made, as mentioned above, of cotton and the elastic weft is chosen and arranged so as to let the skin breathe and so as to avoid any allergy for the user.

On the strip 2 is fixed a ring 6 crimped on the periphery of a hole 7 previously drilled on the said strip to the diameter of the ring 6. The ring 6 is crimped on the periphery of the hole 7 after a counterpart 8 has been previously applied against the inner surface of the strip and that the peripheral area of the edge 7 has been heat treated so as to retain the elastic fibers of said strip after the hole has been cut. The counterpiece 8 is either glued against the underside 5 of the strip 2, or applied by a hot treatment. In this case, it will have an adhesive or it will be made of a material capable of sticking against the face 5 during the application of the hot treatment. After having been introduced on the edges 7 of the hole, the peripheral zone of which has been heat treated as mentioned above, the lower part 9 of the ring is folded over the lower face 5 of the strip 2 and the crimping operation carried out. As shown in fig. 3, the ring 6 has a circular rim 10 which will serve as a point of attachment to the housing 3 as explained below. The housing 3 (fig. 2 and 3) comprises a circular bottom 11 and two tongues 12 and 13 extending parallel and adjacent on either side of the circular bottom 11. The tongues 12 and 13 have on their outside face a boss 14 intended to come into engagement with the rim 10 of the ring 6, so as to retain the housing in place in the ring 6 (fig. 3). An annular space is provided between the tongues 12 and 13 and the circular bottom 11 of the housing 3, this annular space being intended to receive a fixing ring 15 arranged to press the tongues 12 and 13 against the ring 6. The ring 15 is simply pressed into the recess provided between the tongues 12 and 13 and the edge of the circular bottom 11 of the housing and is held in place by friction. When it is desired to remove the housing 3 from the ring 6, the ring 15 is removed and the housing 3 is separated from the textile 2 by a simple pressure of the thumb applied to the circular bottom 11 of the housing. The circular bottom 11 of the housing also has spacing ribs 16 and 17 placed between the tongues 12 and 13. These ribs 16 and 17 are intended to prevent any lateral displacement of the housing relative to the ring 6. The height of the ribs 16 and 17 is about half the height of the tongues 12 and 13, so that the ring 15 can be put in place without abutting against said ribs. The rib 16 finally has a notch 18 making it possible to place the watch winder 19 (fig. 2).

In the variant of FIG. 4, the housing 11 has on its circumference a thread 20 cooperating with a corresponding thread 21 of a ring 22. Apart from the thread 20, which replaces the tongues 12 and 13 as well as the ribs 17 and 18 of the embodiment of figs. 1 to 3, the housing 3 of the variant of FIG. 4 has exactly the same configuration as that of the previous embodiment. Similarly, the ring 6 crimped on the strip 2 and the counterpiece 8 also has the same configuration as the ring 6 of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 3 with its circular rim 10. The ring 22 is thus screwed onto the circular bottom 11 of the housing 3 after the latter has been introduced into the ring 6. During this screwing operation, the ring 22 which has a rim 23 corresponding to the rim 10 of the ring 6, comes to rest on the latter and thus tighten the housing 3 against the said ring 6. The ring 22 has on its outer periphery spikes 24 which will make it possible to carry out the 'operation of screwing and tightening the assembly. The thickness of the upper part of the ring 2 fills as shown in the variant of FIG. 4, the space between the ring 6 and the circular bottom 11 of the housing 3 and thus prevents any lateral displacement of said housing 3 relative to the ring. When you want to separate the housing 3 from the textile 2, simply unscrew the ring 22 and take out the housing 3 from above. In the variant of FIG. 4, the case also includes a watch movement 4 with its dial, its hands and its glass.

The housing 3 which has just been described with regard to the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 3, as well as the variant of FIG. 4 is generally made of plastic, as is the clamping ring 15 or 22. The ring 6 set on the fabric 2 is in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 3 and in the variant of FIG. 4 made of metal, in particular aluminum. The use of metal, in particular aluminum, makes it possible to obtain a solid and durable crimping of the ring on the edges of the textile 2 after it has undergone a heat treatment intended to fix the elastic fibers on the periphery of the hole where the ring will be crimped 6.

As a variant, the ring 6 can also be made of plastic. In this case, it will either be hot-set after the textile has undergone a heat treatment, or injected into an adequate matrix.

• On place sur l'emplacement prédéterminé du textile où l'on veut sertir la bague, une contre- pièce qui est fixée sur le textile, soit par collage, soit par un traitement thermique. La contre-pièce est placée sur la partie inférieure bouclée du textile 2. On procède ensuite à l'opération de coupe qui consiste à réaliser dans le textile un trou correspondant au diamètre de la bague 6. Cette opération de coupe doit obligatoirement être suivie d'un traitement thermique ou d'un collage destiné à retenir sur les bords du trou les fibres textiles, de manière à éviter un effilochage. Après l'opération de coupe, la bague 6 est introduite dans le trou et le sertissage est effectué. En variante, s'il s'agit d'une bague 6 en matière plastique, celle-ci peut être injectée à l'aide d'une matrice appropriée. Dans ce cas, le traitement thermique pourra être réalisé en même temps que l'injection de la bague et la contre-pièce pourra être supprimée.

The crimping operation is carried out as follows:

• Is placed on the predetermined location of the textile where one wants to crimp the ring, a counter-piece which is fixed to the textile, either by gluing, or by a heat treatment. The counter-piece is placed on the lower looped part of the textile 2. The cutting operation is then carried out which consists in making a hole in the textile corresponding to the diameter of the ring 6. This cutting operation must be followed by heat treatment or bonding intended to retain the textile fibers at the edges, so as to avoid fraying. After the cutting operation, the ring 6 is introduced into the hole and the crimping is carried out. Alternatively, if it is a plastic ring 6, it can be injected using an appropriate matrix. In this case, the heat treatment can be carried out at the same time as the injection of the ring and the counterpiece can be eliminated.

The assembly which has just been described is carried out between a case containing a watch movement with its dial, its hands and its glass and a wrist band described in detail above. It is obvious to a person skilled in the art that such an assembly can be carried out with any textile or any thin or natural synthetic material. The assembly offers the advantage of being able to separate the watch case from the textile on which it is mounted, for example for washing the textile. After washing, the housing 3 will be replaced on the textile. Thus, the housing 3 can be fixed on a headband, or on any piece of clothing, for example on the pocket or the cuff of a shirt, on the pocket of pants, etc. As a variant, the case 3 containing a watch movement with its dial, its hands and its glass can be placed on any thin synthetic or natural material, for example an object pocket, a briefcase, a wallet, a purse, etc. whether these are made of synthetic material or a natural material, such as leather. The advantage provided by the assembly which has just been described consists in the fact that the box can be removed and replaced in accordance with the wishes of the user. The housing 3 is arranged to receive a good quality watch, for example a quartz watch with analog display, as shown in FIG. 1. It is also obvious to those skilled in the art that the housing 3 can also be made of metal.

On the other hand, the housing 3 can be arranged to contain other things than a watch movement, for example a compass, or be provided with a waterproof cover, so as to be able to receive small personal items.

The assembly which has just been described offers the advantage of proposing the removable and secure fixing of a housing to a textile piece, the housing and the textile having retaining means cooperating to ensure the removable fixing. On the other hand, the assembly thus produced does not have any excess thickness, the thickness of the circular bottom of the housing being substantially equal to the thickness of the textile or of the thin material.

Claims (14)

1. An assembly comprising a flat housing (3) fixed on a textile or a thin synthetic or natural material (2), characterised in that the textile or thin material has a ring (6) set on the periphery of an aperture (7) previously realised in the textile at a predetermined location thereof, the housing (3) having a circular bottom (11) introduced into the ring, said circular bottom and said support ring having substantially the same thickness, the ring (6) having a circular edge (10) on the inner periphery of the ring adapted for cooperating with a corresponding projection (14; 23), at least indirectly depending on a blocking ring (15; 22) fixed onto the housing for removably fixing the housing to the textile.

2. An assembly according to claim 1, characterised in that the circular bottom of the housing has at least two flexible tongues (12, 13) having the projection (14) on their outer surfaces adapted for cooperating with the circular edge (10) of the ring (6) and extending in parallel and adjacent relationship to the circular bottom of the housing (3), in order to create a space between the circular bottom of the housing and the tongues, in order to receive the blocking ring (15) pushing the tongues (12, 13) against the edge (10) of the ring set on the textile or the synthetic or natural material (2).

3. An assembly according to claim 2, characterised by spacer ribs (16, 17) provided on the periphery of the circular bottom, in order to fill in the space between the circular bottom and the ring, on either side of the tongues.

4. An assembly according to claim 1, characterised in that the periphery of the circular bottom of the housing (3) presents a thread (20) cooperating with a corresponding thread (21) provided on the internal part of the blocking ring (22) inserted between the circular bottom (11) of the housing and the ring (6) set on the textile or the thin synthetic or natural material (2) and having the projection (23) adapted for cooperating with the circular edge (10) of the ring.

5. An assembly according to claim 1, characterised in that the ring (6) is made of a metal, preferably of aluminium.

6. An assembly according to claim 1, characterised in that the ring (6) is made of a plastics material.

7. An assembly according to claim 1, characterised in that the housing (3) contains a clock movement (4).

8. An assembly according to claim 1, characterised in that the housing (3) contains a compass.

9. An assembly according to claim 1, characterised in that the housing (3) contains a tight cover adapted for being opened.

10. An assembly according to claim 1, characterised in that the housing (3) is made of a plastics material.

11. An assembly according to claim 1, characterised in that the textile (2) is an elastic wristband.

12. An assembly according to claim 1, characterised in that it is executed on an garment.

13. A method for the manufacture of an assembly according to claim 1, in which one applies a flexible counterpiece (8) on the textile or thin material (2), the diameter of the counterpiece being slightly superior to the diameter of the ring (6) to be set later on, one makes an aperture having the diameter of the ring, one applies a heat treatment to the edges of the aperture, and one introduces and set the ring.

14. A method according to claim 13, characterised in that an aperture is made in the textile (2) having the diameter of the ring (6) and the ring is introduced and heat set or injection molded.

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