EP1657992B1 - Device for fastening an extremity of a link to an object - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a device for fixing an end of a link, in particular a bracelet, to an object, in particular a watch case, comprising a casing having connection means to said link and two coaxial plugs for connecting it said object, of which at least one is slidably mounted between two positions, one retracted, the other protruding from the housing wall to engage in an opening of said object, coaxial with a second opening for receiving the other of said plugs resilient biasing means for tending to constantly maintain said sliding pin in the retracted position and an actuating member, associated with a cam, for moving said sliding pin into said other position.

The problem of fixing a link, in particular a watch bracelet to a watch case has already been the subject of a very large number of solutions. The most common method of attachment with spring bar is relatively difficult to implement and requires, in addition to adequate tools, a skill that do not have most people wearing a wristwatch.

That is why it has long been proposed solutions that allow to change the bracelet without tools and require such a low degree of skill that they practically allow everyone to change the bracelet.

The need to change wristwatches manifests itself in many occasions in everyday life. This need can result from a simple desire to match the bracelet to an activity or a dress. This is how a diver wearing a diving suit can not wear his watch on his suit without changing either the length the bracelet, the bracelet. It is obvious that only a fixing device to change the bracelet easily and without tools can meet this demand more and more frequent.

The fact remains that such a device must not only meet criteria making the bracelet change operation within the reach of any user. Indeed, if it can be removed easily and without tools, there is usually a great risk that the bracelet can be removed accidentally, without the wearer of the watch noticing, which is all the more inadmissible that the watch is a prize item. It is therefore equally essential that such a device has, despite the fact that it is intended to facilitate the removal of the bracelet, a degree of security as high as the fastening systems with bars, which is most often incompatible .

We have already proposed in the EP 876,114 a fixing device in which a cam is engaged with the inner ends of two sliding pins pressed by springs against the cam. According to one embodiment, the cam is slidably mounted in a direction transverse to the axis of sliding of the pins and is itself pressed outwards by a spring. In this position, the cam pushes the pins outward in the assembly position with the horn attachment openings of the watch case. To disengage these pins from these openings, it is sufficient to exert pressure on the sliding member carrying the cam. However, such pressure can be accidental, thus creating a risk of inadvertent separation of the bracelet and the watch.

This document proposes ways to avoid this risk. One of these means is to make it possible to arrange the control member of the cam, which has a circular pusher shape, in two angular positions about its axis of revolution, one of which corresponds to an axial locking position. Given the very small diameter that can have this cam control pusher, its rotation without the help of a tool is at least problematic. It has also been proposed in this document a rotary cam controlled by a rotary control member, but this solution explicitly requires the use of a screwdriver to rotate the cam.

It can therefore be seen that, in the state of the art, there is no solution capable of satisfying all the required conditions, namely, a completely manual control, without any tools and a total security with regard to concerns the risks of accidental separation between the bracelet and the watch case, or any other link with any other object.

The object of the present invention is to remedy, at least partially, the aforementioned drawbacks.

To this end, the present invention relates to a device for fixing an end of a link, in particular a bracelet, to an object, in particular a watch case according to claim 1.

The separation between the bracelet and the box results from the separation of the actuating arm associated with the cam of the casing, so that it is necessary to grip the free end of the actuating arm and away from the box, this which can not be done accidentally, especially if, advantageously, the actuating arm is disposed on the side of the casing intended to come against the arm of the wearer of the wristwatch. Therefore, in this case, it is first necessary to remove the wristwatch to move the control arm away from the housing of the device.

Preferably, the control arm is retained in the folded position against the housing by hooking means. Advantageously, these attachment means are formed by a second concave portion of the cam, located between the first portion of the cam and the actuating arm, to receive the inner ends of the pressed dowels in the concave portion of the the cam, so that it is necessary not only to act on the arm in its folded position, for example by means of a fingernail slipped between the arm and the housing of the device, corn must still overcome the force of attachment of the arm control. For this purpose, a tab is preferably formed in one of the adjacent faces of the arm or housing to allow to introduce a nail to lift the control arm.

• La figure 1 est une vue en perspective de ce dispositif d'une boîte de montre ainsi que d'une portion de bracelet;
• la figure 2 est une vue en coupe de ce dispositif selon l'axe des chevilles de fixation, en position rétractée des chevilles;
• la figure 3 est une même vue en coupe semblable à la figure 2 en position saillante des chevilles à l'extérieur des parois du carter du dispositif;
• la figure 4 est une vue en perspective du dispositif seul;
• la figure 5 est une vue en perspective d'une variante de la forme d'exécution précédente.
• Le dispositif illustré par les figures 1 à 4 comporte un carter de fixation 1 de forme générale parallélépipédique, dont la longueur correspond sensiblement à celle de l'espace séparant les cornes 2 de la boîte de montre 3. Dans la forme d'exécution illustrée, le carter de fixation 1 est solidaire d'un organe de fixation à barrette 4 d'un brin de bracelet 5. Dans le cas d'un bracelet métallique à maillons articulés, il est évident que l'organe de fixation 4 peut être conformé pour présenter une forme complémentaire apte à recevoir un maillon adjacent du bracelet. Par conséquent, l'organe de fixation 4 qui, dans cet exemple, est conformé pour recevoir un bracelet type bracelet cuir., peut avoir toute forme appropriée au bracelet qu'il est destiné à relier à une boîte de montre. C'est ainsi que dans le cas d'un bracelet à maillons., il pourrait avoir une forme extérieure correspondant au moins partiellement à celle des maillons du bracelet afin de s'intégrer au bracelet.

The attached drawing illustrates, schematically and by way of example, an embodiment and a variant of the fixing device object of the present invention, an end of a link, including a bracelet, to an object, in particular a watch box.

• Figure 1 is a perspective view of this device of a watch case and a strap portion;
• Figure 2 is a sectional view of this device along the axis of the fixing pins in the retracted position of the dowels;
• Figure 3 is a similar sectional view similar to Figure 2 in the projecting position of the pins outside the walls of the housing of the device;
• Figure 4 is a perspective view of the device alone;
• Figure 5 is a perspective view of a variant of the previous embodiment.
• The device illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4 comprises a fixing casing 1 of generally parallelepipedal shape, whose length corresponds substantially to that of the space separating the horns 2 from the watch case 3. In the illustrated embodiment, the fixing casing 1 is secured to a bolt fixing member 4 of a strand 5. In the case of a metal bracelet articulated links, it is obvious that the fastener 4 may be shaped to have a complementary shape adapted to receive an adjacent link of the bracelet. Therefore, the fastener 4 which, in this example, is shaped to receive a bracelet type bracelet leather, can have any shape appropriate to the bracelet that is intended to connect to a watch case. Thus, in the case of a bracelet with links, it could have an outer shape corresponding at least partially to that of the links of the bracelet to integrate the bracelet.

The mechanism of the fastening device itself is more particularly illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 where it is shown in the two inactive positions respectively active. This mechanism comprises two coaxial pins 6, 7, each slidably mounted in two coaxial bores 8a, 9a, 8b, 9b. The bores 8a, 8b are larger diameters than the bores 9a, 9b and serve to slide the rear portions 6a, respectively 7a of larger diameters of the pins 6 and 7. The annular spaces formed between the bearing surfaces connecting the rear portions 6a, 7a of the pins 6, 7, on the one hand and the spans connecting the bores 8a, 9a, respectively 8b, 9b on the other hand, are used to receive two return springs in helices 10, respectively 11 which are compressed between the two spans and thereby exert on each pin 6, 7 an axial force which tends to apply the inner ends of these two pins 6, 7 against each other, as shown in Figure 2.

An arm 12 is articulated at one of its ends about an axis 13 to the fixing housing 1. A cam 14 extends laterally to the arm 12 towards the casing 1 which has an opening la to allow the passage of this cam 14. The latter can then bear between the two inner ends of the pins 6, 7 which have a convex shape, thus providing an increasing space from their centers, where they abut at their peripheries. This shape allows the end 14a of the cam 14 to come into contact with the respective peripheries of the curved surfaces. With this arrangement, when a force F is exerted on the arm 12, a part of this force exerted on the arm is transmitted to the two pins 6, 7 in the form of two opposing forces F ₁ , F ₂ which tend to move the pins 6, 7 in opposite directions, against the respective forces exerted by the return springs 10, 11 on these pins 6, 7, to move them into the position shown in Figure 3 in which the outer ends 6b, 7b of these pins protrude out of the fixing housing 1 and can thus penetrate into the corresponding openings of the horns 2 of the housing 3 of the watch, ensuring the attachment of the bracelet 5.

Between the end portion 14a of the cam 14 and the arm 12, the cam 14 has a portion 14b, if the section of the cam 14 is circular, or two symmetrical portions 14b if the section of the cam 14 is rectangular, of concave shapes intended to receive the domed inner ends of the pins 6, 7. With this second cam portion 14b, the antagonistic forces exerted by the return springs 10, 11 on the cam 14 via the pins 6, 7, opposes the spacing of the arm 12 of the housing 1 and ensures the maintenance of this arm thanks to the restoring forces springs, in the fixing position illustrated in FIG.

Of course, if this mode of retaining the arm 12 on the casing 1 is preferred, nothing would prevent the use of other attachment means, for example between the free end of the arm 12 and the edge of the casing 1.

Anyfoys, it should be noted that this preferred mode of attachment of the arm 12 in the engagement position of the pins 6, 7 has an additional advantage. After a long period of inaction, the pins 6, 7 of the fixing device may be blocked by fouling. If you simply remove a cam that keeps them apart without first printing a positive movement to the ankles, they will remain blocked. In addition to the fact that the concave portion 14b of the cam 14 can hold the arm 12 in place, it also allows to print a positive movement to the pins 6, 7 to unlock when the arm 12 of the housing 1 is spaced apart. ., which then allows the return springs 10, 11 to act on these pins 6, 7 which otherwise might not retract.

To allow to manually exert on the arm 12 a force able to overcome that which opposes its opening, a tab 15 (Figure 4) is preferably provided on one of the adjacent faces of the actuating arm 12 or the housing of fixing 1.

In addition to the advantages already mentioned, it has been seen from the above embodiment that the fixing device does not require any modification of the watch case or bracelet. The pins 6, 7 simply replace the usual bars, as the bracelet, it is preferably delivered provided with the fixing device according to the invention, so ready to be attached to the watch case.

The actuating arm 12 articulated at one end to the casing 1 could, for example for example be replaced by an actuating member 16 mounted on the casing 1 by means of guiding elements 17 intended to engage with complementary guide elements 18 secured to the fixing housing 1, as illustrated in FIG. 5.

One could also consider a variant (not shown), in which only one of the pins 6, 7 is slidably mounted in the housing 1, the other being fixed in the protruding position out of the housing. In this case, this fixed pin would first be engaged in an opening of a horn of the watch case 3 and only the other would be displaced by the cam 14 moved by the actuating member 12.

Claims (6)

1. A device for fastening an end of a strap, particularly a bracelet (5), to an object, particularly a watch case (3), comprising a casing (1) having means of connection to said strap and two coaxial pins (6, 7) for connecting it to said object, at least one of which is mounted slidingly between two positions, one retracted, the other protruding from the wall of the casing (1) to engage in an opening of said object, coaxial with a second opening to receive the other of said pins, elastic return means (10, 11) to tend to keep said sliding pin (6, 7) constantly in the retracted position and an actuation member (12), associated with a cam (14), to move said sliding pin (6, 7) into said other position, characterized in that, in the retracted position of said sliding pin (6, 7), the inner ends of said pins (6, 7) are abutting, their respective surfaces being shaped to make a space on their periphery capable of receiving the end of a portion of said cam, said actuation member (12) being a manual member connected to said casing by guidance means defining a trajectory of movement of said actuation member, substantially perpendicular to the axis of said pins (6, 7), this actuation member (12) being capable of being moved between two stable limit positions along this trajectory, a first position of release and a second position of engagement of said sliding pin, said portion of cam being shaped to transform the force exerted to bring said actuation member (12) into said second position into a force exerted on said sliding pin (6, 7) to move it into said protruding position.
2. The fastening device as claimed in claim 1 in which said actuation member has the shape of an arm (12) articulated on said casing (1) by one of its ends, said cam (14) extending laterally to this arm (12), the latter being separated from said casing (1) in said first position and being pressed down against it in said second position.
3. The device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, in which said actuation member (12) has means for retaining it in said second engagement position of said sliding pin (6, 7).
4. The device as claimed in claim 3, in which said cam (14) comprises a second concave-shaped portion (14b) situated between said first portion (14a) and said arm (12), to receive the inner end of said sliding pin (6, 7) pressed into said concave-shaped portion by said elastic return means and serving as means for retaining said arm (12) in the pressed down position.
5. The device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, in which said actuation member (12) is situated on the side of its casing (1) intended to be turned towards the arm supporting the bracelet watch.
6. The device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, in which one of the adjacent faces of the casing (1) and of said actuation member (12) has a thumbnail groove..

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