Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G04—HOROLOGY
  • G04B—MECHANICALLY-DRIVEN CLOCKS OR WATCHES; MECHANICAL PARTS OF CLOCKS OR WATCHES IN GENERAL; TIME PIECES USING THE POSITION OF THE SUN, MOON OR STARS
  • G04B37/00—Cases
  • G04B37/14—Suspending devices, supports or stands for time-pieces insofar as they form part of the case
  • G04B37/1486—Arrangements for fixing to a bracelet
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T24/00—Buckles, buttons, clasps, etc.
  • Y10T24/47—Strap-end-attaching devices
  • Y10T24/4782—Watch strap

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a device for attaching a bracelet comprising a first attachment and a second attachment adapted to receive a bracelet bar.
• the invention relates in particular to the mechanisms for attaching a bracelet to a middle part of a watch, but it is generally useful for any application requiring the attachment of a bracelet, such as for various jewels.
• it is desirable that the replacement of the bracelet is as easy as possible and does not require any specific tools or bracelets that can only be used with a specific fixing device.
• the fixing device and the way in which the bracelet is fixed thereon must not harm the comfort of the user when wearing the bracelet or the watch.
• a number of devices are currently known which tend to provide a solution to these problems. Despite this fact, the known devices are not satisfactory at all levels, in particular by requiring either specific tools to remove an interchangeable strap and put another in its place, or specific straps being designed for a certain type of attachment only.
• these fastening devices are normally not particularly suitable for being worn with optimal comfort.
• many of the existing devices are complicated, not favorable to aesthetics or have a fairly high cost price.
• the object of the present invention is to provide a device for fixing a bracelet which tends to obviate the aforementioned drawbacks of current systems and which in particular allows the quick and easy change of a bracelet and at the same time improves the comfort of the 'user.
• the present invention thus relates to a fixing device comprising the characteristics set out in claim 1 and claim 8.
• the device according to the present invention is distinguished in particular by the fact that at least one of the fasteners has an axis substantially parallel to the bar and by the fact that this axis is adapted to be housed in a sliding manner in a transverse bore of a body normally constituted by the middle part of a watch.
• the device comprises a locking element for example a push button housed in a hole in the body intersecting said transverse bore in order to cooperate with at least one axis of the fasteners so as to allow the locking and unlocking of at least one of these fasteners in its housing.
• the device also comprises at least one fastener having an axis substantially parallel to the bar, but this axis is adapted to be pivotally housed in said transverse bore of the body.
• the device comprises at least one holding element called "horn stop" and constituted for example by a cylindrical pin.
• Each retaining element is housed in a blind bore in the body intersecting said transverse bore in order to cooperate with the axis of the corresponding fastener so as to allow axial retention in the service position and at the same time the pivoting of at least one of these fasteners in its housing.
• the fixing device does not require any measurement or specificity on the part of the bracelet with which it cooperates, and the latter can be maintained by a conventional simple bar at each end.
• the bracelet can be made of leather, metal or any other suitable material. In the case of a watch, it also remains completely waterproof because the mechanism does not affect the sealing characteristics of the case. The aesthetics of the whole is not altered, the middle and the horns remaining for example crimpable.
• FIG. 1a and 1b show exploded views of an embodiment of the device according to the present invention.
• Figures 2a to 2d are views from below and from the side, partially in section, of the device once mounted.
• Figures 3a to 3e show a perspective view, from above, from the side and sectional views of the first horn intended to be slidably mounted.
• Figures 4a to 4d show a perspective view, from above, from the side and in section of the second horn.
• FIG. 5a to 5d are perspective, top, side and sectional views of the pusher.
• FIG. 6 schematically represents the middle part of a watch, the housing of the horns being machined in this part, and the bottom of the case intended to hold the horn stops.
• Figures 7a to 7h illustrate the operation of the fixing device according to the present invention, in side section and in cross section.
• the present invention relates in particular to the strap attachment mechanisms on a watch case, but it is generally useful for any application requiring the attachment of a strap, such as for example the various jewels which have of a body comparable to the watch case, in particular to accommodate precious stones.
• FIGS. 1 a and 1 b show these parts once assembled.
• a middle part 1 of a watch this middle part 1 being intended to receive the movement and of the other parts of the watch which are not important within the framework of the present invention and which will consequently not be described here, comprises formations or elements mainly serving as housing for the fixing device.
• the middle part 1 comprises, in parts of its circumference being diametrically opposite and intended to receive watch straps, transverse bores 10a and 10b extending substantially parallel to the bars 8 of the straps, or to a 3h-9h axis of the watch face in a plane parallel to the plane of the dial or the back of the watch.
• These bores 10 preferably pass through said parts of the circumference of the middle part 1, but there could be a blind bore 10 on each side of the middle part which does not therefore has only one opening, as will be more apparent in the following description.
• the middle part 1 also includes blind holes 11 a to 11d, four in number in the preferred embodiment and the locations of these holes forming substantially a rectangle.
• blind holes are perpendicular to the bottom of the box and intersect the corresponding transverse bores 10, as shown in Figures 1 a to 2d.
• the middle part 1 has holes 12a and 12b also extending orthogonally to the plane of the bottom of the watch.
• these holes 12 are located substantially in the middle of said parts of the circumference of the middle part 1 on either side of the movement, if necessary between the blind holes 11a and 11b respectively 11 c and 11 d, and also have their opening on the bottom side of the middle part 1.
• the shape of the section of these holes 12 is, like that of the transverse bores 10a, 10b and of the blind holes 11 a to 11 d, preferably round or circular, but could for example also be rectangular or have another shape.
• each of the transverse bores 10a and 10b is housed a first horn 2 and a second horn 3, at least one of which is mounted so as to be able to exert a longitudinal movement substantially parallel to the axis of the bars 8 of the bracelet, in the form preferred execution illustrated in the drawings.
• These horns 2 and 3 are preferably mounted so as to be, in addition to the longitudinal movement of at least one of them, also angularly displaceable.
• the mechanism is identical on the two sides of the middle 1 mentioned above, the horn "at 5 o'clock" of the watch being the same as at "11 h", ditto at "1 h" and "7 h".
• the first horn 2 and the second horn 3 which are schematically illustrated in FIGS. 3a to 3e and 4a to 4d, each include a male cylindrical axis 22 and 32 which may be of different length.
• the movable horn 2 is similar to the horn 3 but has a groove 25 in which a push button 4 can engage which locks the horn mobile 2 under the action of a return spring 7.
• the horn 3 also has a groove 35 (not indicated in the drawings).
• the sliding horn 2 which is illustrated in detail in Figures 3a to 3e, is therefore movable in the direction of being able to exert a longitudinal movement substantially parallel to the axis of the bars 8 of the bracelet and is lockable and unlockable using the push button 4 which will be described in detail later in this description. It is obvious that, in the case of a longitudinal movement of the first horn 2 only, the second horn 3 could have come in one piece with the middle part 1, the transverse bores 10 not comprising in this case, as indicated below. above, that an opening.
• the shape of the section of these bores 10 is insignificant and may for example be rectangular or round, the only condition being to conform to the shape and the dimensions of axes 22 and, in the case where appropriate, 32 of the horns 2 and 3.
• a round section of these transverse bores 10 is advantageous if the horns are mounted so as to be angularly displaceable.
• the horns In addition to the axes 22 and 32 intended for fixing the horns 2 and 3 to the middle part 1, the horns each have an arcuate part 21, 31 forming, outside the middle part 1, the horn in the traditional sense.
• these arcuate parts 21 and 31 have a smooth hole 26 and 36 intended to receive the ends of the bars 8 which pass through each of the strands of the bracelet.
• the arrangement described so far is sufficient and allows, using the push button 4, to unlock and lock at least a mobile horn on each side of the middle to easily exchange the watch strap without using a tool. It is desirable and favorable that the system described above is combined with an angular displacement of the horns 2 and 3. In a variant, it is even conceivable that the horns of the fixing device are only pivotable. However, the case of a combined movement, sliding and pivoting, remains the preferred solution.
• each horn 2 and 3 has a groove 23 and 33, as can be seen in FIGS. 3a at 3rd and 4a at 4d.
• These grooves have a profile at more than 180 °, for example 200 ° as illustrated in section in Figure 3d or 4d, the two lines of inclination of the profile of the groove preferably having the same length.
• each horn 2,3 is held in place by the cooperation between its groove and a cylindrical pin 5 serving as a stop, these pins being placed in the blind holes 11 ad of the middle part 1 and held in position by the bottom 6, as this is visible in Figures 2d and 6.
• a cylindrical pin as shown in Figure 2d in its housing in the middle part 1, could be replaced by any other part adapted to be inserted in the blind holes 11 and housed in the radial peripheral part of the transverse bores 10 so to maintain the horns 2,3 using the grooves 24,34 practiced in the axes
• the axes 22,32 of the horns 2,3 and in particular the transverse bores 10a, 10b must have a circular section, the external diameter of the axes 22,32 corresponding substantially to the internal diameter of these bores 10
• Another form of their section, as mentioned above, can be envisaged only in the case of a sliding horn only and therefore not pivoting.
• the male axes 22, 32 of the horns 2 and 3 terminate in the case of pivoting horns preferably by a flat 24/34, that is to say a half-round.
• each horn 2 and 3 face each other so that the two horns are aligned one with respect to the other at all times during the pivoting of the two axes 22,32 of the horns 2,3, as can be seen in the partial section of Figures 2a or 2b.
• the oscillation of the two horns 2,3 is synchronized.
• the groove 23 of a sliding horn 2 must have a greater width compared to that of a pivoting horn 3 in order to allow the translation of the horn 2 on its axis after unlocking by a pressure on the push button 4.
• the two push buttons 4 are housed vertically in the middle part 1 in the holes 12a and 12b provided for this purpose, as indicated above and illustrated in FIGS.
• the pusher 4 has a groove in the oblong opening 41 forming a projection 42 occupying part of the periphery of this opening, for example the quarter section of this periphery opposite the bearing face of the push button 4.
• the width of this projection 42 corresponds to that of the groove 25 which is formed over almost the entire periphery of the sliding horn 2 so as not to obstruct any pivoting of the horn.
• the opening 41 in the pusher 4 has a chamfer 43 which allows, in cooperation with a corresponding chamfer 27 on the axis 22 of the horn 2, the latching of the horn 2 by simply pressing it when attaching the new bracelet.
• the pusher retracts, against the action of a spring 7 provided for this purpose, from its unlocked position before taking its locked position.
• the push button 4 comprises, at its end oriented towards the opening of the hole 12, a part 44 serving as a bearing surface against the bottom 6, the latter being provided with a corresponding opening in order to have access to the push button 4, said spring 7 therefore applying, see Figure 2c, the pusher using the part 44 against the bottom, this rest position of the push button 4 being the locking position of the corresponding sliding horn 2.
• the fastening device also allows pivoting of the horns 2,3 allowing the ends of the bracelet to better conform to the shape of the user's wrist.
• a combination of these two movements of the horns 2 and 3 is of course possible.
• the present invention thus makes it possible to have a device for fixing a very modular strap, in particular sliding, pivoting or, preferably, both.
• the bars 8 of a watch strap, passed through each of the strands of the strap can be constituted by monobloc pins, with or without bearing at their ends.
• buttons 4 could be replaced by "pull” buttons to obtain the same function.
• the horn stops 5 could also be replaced by four special bottom screws which would play the same role as pins or by any other device for holding in position.
• Figures 7a to 7h show, in partial lateral and transverse sections, the situation when the push button 4 is pressed by the user.
• the sliding horn 2 is in this case no longer held by the shape of the pusher in its groove 25 and it is therefore unlocked.
• the user can slide the mobile horn 2 outwards, keeping the push button 4 pressed.
• the bar 8 of the bracelet is thus released, this situation being illustrated in Figures 7c and 7d.
• the invention is used in particular to improve the ease and speed of changing a bracelet, this change being able to be carried out without tools thanks to the longitudinal movement of the fixing device and without any part being detached from the case.
• the possible articulation of the horns improves comfort because the bracelet will follow the shape of the wrist all the better.
• the simplicity of the system and the ease of machining contribute to ensuring a moderate cost price.
• the fitting of standard bracelets, in leather, synthetic or even composed of metal links becomes easily possible without detracting from the aesthetics of the whole, the middle and the horns remaining for example crimpable.

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• 2004
  • 2004-09-14 WO PCT/IB2004/002972 patent/WO2005029204A1/fr active IP Right Grant
  • 2004-09-14 AT AT04769362T patent/ATE366430T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2004-09-14 US US10/571,788 patent/US20070028428A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2004-09-14 DE DE602004007398T patent/DE602004007398T2/de active Active
  • 2004-09-14 EP EP04769362A patent/EP1664940B1/de active Active
  • 2004-09-14 JP JP2006526720A patent/JP2007506087A/ja active Pending

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