EP2604140A1 - Anti-rotation link - Google Patents

Anti-rotation link Download PDF

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Publication number
EP2604140A1
EP2604140A1 EP11194104.3A EP11194104A EP2604140A1 EP 2604140 A1 EP2604140 A1 EP 2604140A1 EP 11194104 A EP11194104 A EP 11194104A EP 2604140 A1 EP2604140 A1 EP 2604140A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
link
strand
clasp
wing
bracelet
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
EP11194104.3A
Other languages
German (de)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP2604140B1 (en
Inventor
Cédric Kaltenrieder
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Swatch Group Management Services AG
Original Assignee
Swatch Group Management Services AG
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Swatch Group Management Services AG filed Critical Swatch Group Management Services AG
Priority to EP11194104.3A priority Critical patent/EP2604140B1/en
Priority to US13/709,653 priority patent/US8601784B2/en
Priority to CN201210548415.3A priority patent/CN103156341B/en
Priority to JP2012274313A priority patent/JP5592465B2/en
Publication of EP2604140A1 publication Critical patent/EP2604140A1/en
Priority to HK13113959.7A priority patent/HK1186360A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP2604140B1 publication Critical patent/EP2604140B1/en
Active legal-status Critical Current
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical

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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
    • 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
    • A44C5/18—Fasteners for straps, chains or the like
    • A44C5/185—Attachment of fasteners to straps or chains
    • 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
    • A44C5/0053—Flexible straps
    • 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
    • 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
    • A44C5/18—Fasteners for straps, chains or the like
    • A44C5/22—Fasteners for straps, chains or the like for closed straps
    • A44C5/24—Fasteners for straps, chains or the like for closed straps with folding devices
    • 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
    • Y10T24/4718—Watch pintle connected
    • 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 particular link for a wristwatch.
  • the present invention also relates to a fastening system of a bracelet strand to a clasp comprising such a link.
  • clasps known as folding clasp, which allow easy donning the watch when the buckle is deployed, and then tighten the wrist in the closed position.
  • This type of clasp generally comprises a metal cover closing over unfolding blades, one end of which is attached to the end of one of the strands of the bracelet, while the end of the other strand is attached to a strap. end of the lid.
  • the clasp can be locked with a push mechanism acting in a transverse direction.
  • Such clasps are often used in combination with bracelets whose strands are formed by rows of articulated metal links.
  • the adjustment of the length of the bracelet is effected by removing one or more links at the end of one or more strands before attaching these ends to the clasp.
  • the adjustment of the length is generally done simply by cutting a desired length of bracelet at the attachment end of the strand, before then connecting this end of the strand to the clasp or a connecting part of the clasp.
  • This simple solution requires, however, to adapt the clasp or at least one attachment part of the clasp to the strand to partly hide the visible edge of the strand, and secondly prevent the rotation of the end of this strand by relative to the clasp, to prevent the edge of the strand protrudes from the skin of the user and makes the use of such a bracelet particularly inconvenient.
  • the above length adjustment by simple cutting for a bracelet plastic can not therefore be made without changing the structure of the clasp, which prevents the use of the same clasps for plastic bracelets or leather, or even metal or ceramic, and therefore causes considerable productivity losses.
  • clasp systems suitable for any type of bracelet that is to say, leather, fabric, plastic or metal, such as the clasp described in the document EP0081616 .
  • the ends of the strands 9,13 of the bracelet can be fixed by means of bars 10,14 in different pairs of holes 7,11 of tubular pieces 1,2 in the form of an arc of circle s' engaging one in the other to define a nominal length for the bracelet, while the locking, provided by the cooperation of a rack 6 and an elastic member 23, allows a quick and easy fine adjustment.
  • This type of clasp however, has a complex structure, difficult to machine, and raises reliability problems in the lock compared to conventional clasps folding clasp.
  • Special devices are also known for attaching a strand of a bracelet to a clasp of the folding clasp type, such as for example the system described in the Swiss patent. CH689534 , according to which pins 13,14 are respectively arranged before a loop 19 of the clasp and on one of the blades of the folding clasp to cooperate with the perforations 21-26 of a strand 6 of the bracelet.
  • This type of device is, however, suitable only for perforated strand bracelets and modifies the structure of the folding clasp of the clasp, which considerably limits the possibilities of use.
  • An object of the present invention is in particular to provide a solution for the simple adjustment of the length of any type of bracelet, including rubber bracelets, without requiring significant structural changes at the clasp or fastening system clasp .
  • a wristwatch link as claimed in the main claim, characterized in that it comprises a central core connecting a lower wing and an upper wing.
  • a device for attaching a clasp to a bracelet strand comprising a fastening piece and such a link disposed between the fastening piece and the end of the strand, characterized in that a first inner surface of the upper wing a first inner surface of the lower wing and a first side wall of the core of the link form a first housing for one end of the strand, a second inner surface of the upper wing, a second inner surface of the lower wing and a second side wall of the web of the link form a second housing for a central part of the attachment part, the upper wing of the link covering the end of the strand and the part central part of the attachment.
  • An advantage conferred by the link according to the invention relates to the improvement of the overall aesthetic of the watch and the wearing comfort of the user of the watch.
  • Another advantage of the proposed solution is to provide a simple, easily machinable and low cost part that can accommodate different types of bracelets and clasps.
  • An additional advantage of the proposed solution is to introduce a very simple intermediate piece between the end of a strand of the bracelet and a fastener of a clasp, instead of acting on one or the other. of these parts to provide benefits in terms of comfort and aesthetics.
  • the figure 1 illustrates an example of a modified attachment piece 2, known from the prior art, clasp folding clasp and intended for use with a rubber strap.
  • the clasp 3 shown conventionally comprises two folding blades which occupy only one thickness in the folded position, here a stretcher 31 formed of two arms between which is housed a central blade (not shown because the clasp is shown in the deployed position) .
  • the stretcher 31 is mounted movably about a connecting axis to a part of the clasp, which itself is hingedly connected to an attachment part of the strand 2.
  • the axis of rotation between the clasp 3 and the workpiece attachment of the strand 2 is embodied by the reference 21 in this figure.
  • the end of a strand 1 of the bracelet is connected to the attachment piece 2 by means of a bar 22.
  • a masking surface 20 is arranged on an upper face of the attachment piece 2.
  • another masking surface is similarly arranged on the underside the attachment piece (not visible in this figure).
  • This modified fastener 2 nevertheless requires a dedicated manufacturing method: it can thus be formed for example from a uniform metal plate stamped and then folded to form respectively the upper masking surface 20 and the lateral faces in which are machined then holes for housing the ends of the bar 22, while a plate forming a lower cover is fixed for example by welding to form the lower masking surface. It is also possible to cut and then fold the fastener piece in one piece and make the lower part to hide the underside of the strand by two folded ends which are welded to their joint. In both cases, the stamping requires complex tools making the production costs very high; moreover, the welding operation which increases the overall cost and the piece slows down the manufacturing process.
  • fastener comprising the upper and lower masking surfaces and the side faces directly in the mass, but such a production method would be even more expensive because of the loss of material caused.
  • machining any piece of open traditional fastener, that is to say without upper and lower masking surfaces, are required to prevent any locking of the last links or the winding of the leather at the axis of attachment, that is to say say the bar 22 in the illustrated example.
  • This link according to the invention is preferably interposed between the end of the strand 1 and the attachment piece 2, so that it is no longer necessary to modify this attachment 2.
  • the figure 2 shows an example of a preferred variant of such an intermediate link 4 interposed between the end of the strand 11 of a rubber strap and the attachment part 2 to the clasp 3.
  • This link comprises a central core 41, which connects a lower wing 42 and an upper wing 43 whose functions are respectively identical to those of the masking surfaces of the modified attachment piece of the figure 1 : the upper wing 43 masks the wafer 111 of the end of the strand, since only the upper surface 431 of this wing is visible to the eyes of the user, while the lower wing 42 prevents the rotation of the strand around the bar 22 in the direction tending to bring the edge 11 of the end of the strand 1 into contact with the skin of the user.
  • the wings can be understood by those skilled in the art as pieces whose two dimensions are much greater than the third, as is the case here in view of the ratio between their length, width and thickness. Most of these different parameters determining the shape of the link 4 according to the invention will be described in more detail using the Figure 4B .
  • the intermediate link 4 does not include a clean fixing element around an axis, unlike a traditional bracelet link forming part of an articulated chain, but it is maintained, thanks to its particular shape having an H-shaped section. truncated, between the bar 22 for fixing the strand 1 of the bracelet and a central portion 23 of the attachment piece 2, whose lateral surface 232 and upper 231 are visible.
  • the assembly of the link 4 is performed by inserting the first flanks 413 of the central core 41 between the side faces 24, whose inner surfaces 241 act as guide surfaces.
  • the link 4 is thus caused to slide, along the parallel side faces 24 of the attachment piece 2, to the lateral surface 232 of the attachment piece 2, against which the right side wall 412 of the soul 41 of the link comes to a stop.
  • the wafer 111 of the end of the strand 1 is brought into abutment against the side wall left 411 of the soul 41 of the link.
  • the bar 22 is then inserted into the last of the through holes 116 arranged in the strand 1 to the wafer 111 of the end 11 of the strand 1 of the bracelet, whose length has for example been determined by cutting, and the bar is finally inserted into the pair of holes 221 of the attachment piece 2.
  • This insertion of the bar 22 allows one hand to fix the strand 1 of the bracelet to the room d 2, and therefore indirectly to the clasp 3, and secondly parallel to close the space in which the link 4 has been inserted. The latter is therefore maintained between the central portion 23 of the attachment piece 2 and the end of the strand 11, fixed around the bar 22, without requiring any additional fastening element.
  • the second flanks 423 of the lower flange 42 and the third flanks 433 of the upper flange 43 have been arranged in the same plane as that of the first flanks 413 of the link core. 41.
  • the clasp 3 used in the context of the invention may be a clasp with a conventional folding clasp, as shown in FIG. figure 2 and which comprises an elongated cover 30 masking the folding blades, articulated about a common connecting pin 35, in the locked position.
  • Pushers 34 are arranged on the lateral faces 33 of the cover for unlocking and holes 36 are also arranged on the lateral faces 33 of the clasp to insert fastening strips to a 2nd wristband strand whose length is not necessarily adjustable.
  • the folding blades respectively consist of a stretcher 31 comprising two arms and a central blade 32 which is housed inside the two arms of the stretcher 31 in the folded position.
  • the attachment piece 2 is here connected to the stretcher 31 via the attachment pin 21 to the clasp, while the central blade 32 is connected to the lid 30 of the clasp 3 via an axis.
  • the central blade 32 and the stretcher 31 could also be reversed by connecting the central blade 32 to the fastening axis 21 of the clasp and the stretcher to the lid 30 via the connecting pin 37.
  • the lid 30 of the clasp 3 has a protruding portion 301 extending to the left, that is to say towards the attachment piece 2.
  • the upper wing 43 of the link 4 comprises a notch 434 of corresponding shape, so that there is no overlap between the link 4 and the clasp 3.
  • the correspondence of the shapes of the notch 434 of the upper wing 43 of the link and that of the protruding portion is particularly visible on the figure 3 , which shows a top view of a strand of bracelet 1, the intermediate link of the invention 4, the attachment part 2 and the clasp 3 in the assembled and locked position.
  • the visible space between the attachment part 2 and the clasp 3 is always at least partially masked, which has an aesthetic advantage.
  • the cooperation of nonlinear shapes of the upper wing of the link 43 and cover 30 around the attachment axis 21 has the advantage, compared to the linear form for example of the left part of the upper wing 43 of the link 4, to be more difficult to pinch external elements, such as wear fabric worn by the user of the watch, because of the curved joint area between the gripping surfaces which tends to print a rotational movement and thus to reliberate what has been grasped.
  • the notch 434 also creates an asymmetry between the left part and the right part of the upper wing 43 which allows to correctly orient the link for assembly and thus simplify the assembly operations, especially when they are done manually .
  • the link 4 is preferably made of injected or molded plastic material, which allows to produce it easily and at low cost, because of the simplicity of the tooling required and the material used, and also makes it easy to associate its color to that of the bracelet if necessary. Furthermore, its elastic properties of flexibility are advantageous for the insertion of the end of the strand 1 on the attachment part 2, as will be seen later with the help of Figures 4A and 4B and therefore the mounting of the link which does not require a press fit with a high intensity, difficult to achieve without tools, such as for metal parts.
  • the plastic material may be replaced by an elastomer, still more flexible, and allowing a better nipping of the wings on the end of the strand 1.
  • the axis AA represented in this figure shows the sectional plane of the following figure 4A, as well as that of the Figure 4B which consists of an enlargement of the view of the link 4 illustrated on the Figure 4A .
  • the link 4 is arranged between the attachment piece 2 and the end 11 of the strand 1, on which are arranged different holes 116 and different pre-cutting slugs 115 of the strand 1 during the adjustment of its length.
  • the cutting is done at these openings 115 to ensure that the portion of the end of the strand 11 located beyond the hole in which will be inserted the bar 22 (visible on the figure 2 ) is not too long and frees enough space for the insertion of the link 4 between the wafer 111 of the end of the strand and the attachment piece 2, or more exactly the core 41 of the link 4, of thickness A.
  • a second inner surface of the upper wing 4322, a second inner surface of the lower flange 4222 and the right side wall 412 of the core 41 of the link 4 release a space forming a second housing for the central portion 23 of the attachment piece 2.
  • the right side wall 412 of the core is preferably brought to abut against the lateral surface 232 of the central portion 23 of the attachment piece 2 to ensure the better possible hold of the link 4 by preventing the formation of any degree of freedom in translation.
  • the upper wing 43 of the link 4 completely covers the end of the strand 11 of the bracelet, and also the central portion of the attachment piece 23, respectively by its left and right parts.
  • the lower wing 42 of the link 4 is in its contact with the skin of the user and the nip of the end of the strand 11 by the left parts respectively of the lower wings 42 and upper 43 prevents the wafer 111 of the end of the strand 11 is never brought into contact with it.
  • the comfort of the user is therefore improved because only a flat surface will always be in contact with the skin of the user, but never any edge, even at the fastener of the clasp at the end of the bracelet strand.
  • the proposed arrangement of the intermediate link 4 between the end 11 of the strand 1 of the bracelet and the attachment piece 2 thus makes it possible to obtain the same advantages as those which were previously achieved by a modified fastener, namely the masking the end of the strand 1 and the prevention of any contact of the wafer wafer with the skin of the user, without having to change any of the components of a traditional wristband-clasp assembly.
  • a modified fastener namely the masking the end of the strand 1 and the prevention of any contact of the wafer wafer with the skin of the user, without having to change any of the components of a traditional wristband-clasp assembly.
  • To the right of the Figure 4A we find the axis of attachment to the clasp 21, the connecting axis 37 of the clasp 3 to the central blade 32, visible on the figure 2 , and the cover 30, visible on the figure 3 .
  • this link prevents any contact of the wafer 111 of the end of the strand 11 with the user's skin, this link is sometimes referred to as an "anti-rotation link” because it very strongly limits the rotation of this link. end around its axis of rotation, that is to say the bar 22, visible on the figure 2 . Indeed, any rotation in one direction or the other is prevented by the left parts of the upper wing 43 and the lower wing 42.
  • the link 4 preferably comprises an upper flange 43, whose length L is equal to the sum of the length of its left part L1, the length of its straight part L2 and the thickness of the core A, and a wing 42, whose length I is similarly equal to the sum of the length of its left part I1, the length of its straight part I2 and the thickness of the core A, having different lengths, referenced respectively L and I for the upper wing 43 and the lower wing 42.
  • an upper flange 43 whose length L is equal to the sum of the length of its left part L1, the length of its straight part L2 and the thickness of the core A
  • a wing 42 whose length I is similarly equal to the sum of the length of its left part I1, the length of its straight part I2 and the thickness of the core A, having different lengths, referenced respectively L and I for the upper wing 43 and the lower wing 42.
  • the lengths of the straight portions of the lower flanges I2 and upper flange L2 may also be different, with the same asymmetrical advantages evoked, but with a smaller gap in length, as in the preferred embodiment illustrated, or even identical lengths when it is not necessary to condition the rotation of the fastener 2 relative to the clasp in the direction of winding around the wrist.
  • the upper surfaces 231 and 233 of the central part 23 of the fastener part 2 serve as guiding surface for respectively the second inner surface of the upper wing 4322 of the link 4 and the second surface. internal of the lower wing 4222 of the link during the fitting of the link 4 on the central portion 23 of the fastener 2.
  • the first inner surface of the upper wing 4321 and the first inner surface of the lower wing 4221 of the link 4 serve as guide surface for respectively the upper surface of the end of the strand 112 and the lower surface of the end of the strand 113, except this time it is the end of the strand 11 which is fitted to the left part of the link 4 while the right part of the link is fitted on the central part 23 of the attachment piece 2.
  • This arrangement therefore allows a very simple assembly and assembly of the link 4 with the attachment piece 2 first, then with the end 11 of the strand 1 next.
  • the holding of the link between the end of the strand 11 and the attachment piece 2 is reinforced because no lateral movement of the link is possible once the it is arranged between the end of the strand 11 and the attachment piece 2.
  • profiled wings can be used, that is to say -dire whose thickness is slightly decreasing from the core 41 to the outside of the wings. The profile makes it possible to prevent the bulges of the wings during the insertion of material between them, and thus optimally retain the effect of pinching and keeping in contact the inner surfaces of the wings with the end of the strand 1 and the central part 23 of the attachment part 2.
  • the left part of the upper wing 43 has a first thickness E1
  • the right part of the upper wing 43 has a second thickness E2
  • the left part of the lower wing 42 has a third thickness e1
  • the right part the lower wing 42 has a fourth thickness e2.
  • Each of these thicknesses is essentially constant over the length of the wings or, as indicated previously, preferably slightly decreasing from the soul towards the end of the wings.
  • the first thickness e1 is preferably smaller than the third thickness E1, but they may be identical, as is the second thickness e2, which is preferably less than or equal to the fourth thickness E2.
  • the sum of the first and third thicknesses e1, E1 on the left side of the wings is preferably chosen to be smaller than the sum of the second and fourth thickness e2, E2 on the right side of the wings. for the pinching of the left part of the wings is destined for another piece, thicker than that of the right part of the wings; here the end of the strand 11 and the attachment piece 2 ..
  • This conferred assembly security is redundant with respect to the asymmetry of the left (linear) and right (curve, with notch 434) ends of the upper wing; however, it can be useful for automated assembly or, in any case, as a double security system to avoid confusion.
  • the link 4 according to the invention has been described in combination with a clasp type folding clasp; However, it will be understood that it can be used with any other type of clasp using a fastener 2 similar to that described above. It will also be understood that the particular shape of the link 4 makes it more generally suitable for insertion between other types of connecting pieces and not necessarily a strand of a bracelet and a clasp, the functions of masking and locking in rotation to prevent the exit of the parts inserted between the wings of the link which can remain identical

Abstract

The link (4) has a central core (41) connecting a lower wing (42) and an upper wing (43), where length of the upper wing is different from length of the lower wing. The lower and upper wings comprise left and right parts, where the left part of the upper wing has first thickness, the right part of the upper wing has second thickness, the left part of the lower wing has third thickness, the right part of the lower wing has fourth thickness, where the sum of the first and third thicknesses is less than the sum of the second and fourth thicknesses. An independent claim is also included for a device for fastening a closure to a watch band strand.

Description

La présente invention concerne un maillon particulier pour montre bracelet. La présente invention concerne également un système d'attache d'un brin de bracelet à un fermoir comprenant un tel maillon.The present invention relates to a particular link for a wristwatch. The present invention also relates to a fastening system of a bracelet strand to a clasp comprising such a link.

On connaît dans l'art antérieur des fermoirs dits à boucle déployante, qui permettent d'enfiler facilement la montre lorsque la boucle est déployée, et de serrer ensuite le poignet en position fermée. Ce type de fermoir comprend en général un couvercle métallique se refermant par-dessus des lames déployantes, dont une extrémité est attachée à l'extrémité d'un des brins du bracelet, tandis que l'extrémité de l'autre brin est fixée à une extrémité du couvercle. Le fermoir peut être verrouillé à l'aide d'un mécanisme de poussoirs agissant dans une direction transversale.In the prior art known clasps known as folding clasp, which allow easy donning the watch when the buckle is deployed, and then tighten the wrist in the closed position. This type of clasp generally comprises a metal cover closing over unfolding blades, one end of which is attached to the end of one of the strands of the bracelet, while the end of the other strand is attached to a strap. end of the lid. The clasp can be locked with a push mechanism acting in a transverse direction.

De tels fermoirs sont souvent utilisés en combinaison avec des bracelets dont les brins sont formés par des rangées de maillons métalliques articulés. Dans ce cas, le réglage de la longueur du bracelet s'effectue en supprimant un ou plusieurs maillons à l'extrémité d'un ou de plusieurs brins avant d'attacher ces extrémités au fermoir.Such clasps are often used in combination with bracelets whose strands are formed by rows of articulated metal links. In this case, the adjustment of the length of the bracelet is effected by removing one or more links at the end of one or more strands before attaching these ends to the clasp.

Pour des bracelets en caoutchouc, le réglage de la longueur s'effectue en général simplement grâce à un découpage d'une longueur désirée de bracelet au niveau de l'extrémité d'attache du brin, avant de relier ensuite cette extrémité du brin au fermoir ou à une pièce de liaison du fermoir. Cette solution simple requiert toutefois d'adapter le fermoir ou au moins une pièce d'attache du fermoir au brin pour d'une part masquer la tranche visible du brin, et d'autre part empêcher la rotation de l'extrémité de ce brin par rapport au fermoir, pour éviter que la tranche du brin ne vienne en saillie sur la peau de l'utilisateur et rende l'usage d'un tel bracelet particulièrement incommode. L'ajustement ci-dessus de longueur par simple découpage pour un bracelet plastique ne peut par conséquent pas être effectué sans modifier la structure du fermoir, ce qui empêche d'utiliser les mêmes fermoirs pour des bracelets plastiques ou en cuir, voire même métalliques ou en céramique, et cause par conséquent des pertes de productivité considérables.For rubber bracelets, the adjustment of the length is generally done simply by cutting a desired length of bracelet at the attachment end of the strand, before then connecting this end of the strand to the clasp or a connecting part of the clasp. This simple solution requires, however, to adapt the clasp or at least one attachment part of the clasp to the strand to partly hide the visible edge of the strand, and secondly prevent the rotation of the end of this strand by relative to the clasp, to prevent the edge of the strand protrudes from the skin of the user and makes the use of such a bracelet particularly inconvenient. The above length adjustment by simple cutting for a bracelet plastic can not therefore be made without changing the structure of the clasp, which prevents the use of the same clasps for plastic bracelets or leather, or even metal or ceramic, and therefore causes considerable productivity losses.

On connait par ailleurs des systèmes de fermoirs adaptés à tout type de bracelet, c'est-à-dire en cuir, tissu, plastique ou métal, comme par exemple le fermoir décrit dans le document EP0081616 . Dans ce type de fermoir, les extrémités des brins 9,13 du bracelet peuvent être fixées à l'aide de barrettes 10,14 dans différentes paires de trous 7,11 de pièces tubulaires 1,2 en forme d'arc de cercle s'engageant l'une dans l'autre afin de définir une longueur nominale pour le bracelet, tandis que le verrouillage, assuré par la coopération d'une crémaillère 6 et d'un élément élastique 23, en permet un réglage fin aisé et rapide. Ce type de fermoir présente toutefois une structure complexe, difficile à usiner, et pose des problèmes de fiabilité au niveau du verrouillage comparativement aux fermoirs classiques à boucle déployante.Also known clasp systems suitable for any type of bracelet, that is to say, leather, fabric, plastic or metal, such as the clasp described in the document EP0081616 . In this type of clasp, the ends of the strands 9,13 of the bracelet can be fixed by means of bars 10,14 in different pairs of holes 7,11 of tubular pieces 1,2 in the form of an arc of circle s' engaging one in the other to define a nominal length for the bracelet, while the locking, provided by the cooperation of a rack 6 and an elastic member 23, allows a quick and easy fine adjustment. This type of clasp, however, has a complex structure, difficult to machine, and raises reliability problems in the lock compared to conventional clasps folding clasp.

On connaît également des dispositifs particuliers pour l'attache d'un brin de bracelet à un fermoir du type à boucle déployante, comme par exemple le système décrit dans le brevet suisse CH689534 , selon lequel des tétons 13,14 sont agencés respectivement avant un passant 19 du fermoir et sur l'une des lames de la boucle déployante pour coopérer avec les perforations 21-26 d'un brin 6 du bracelet. Ce type de dispositif n'est toutefois adapté qu'à des bracelets à brins perforés et modifie la structure des boucles déployantes du fermoir, ce qui en limite considérablement les possibilités d'usage.Special devices are also known for attaching a strand of a bracelet to a clasp of the folding clasp type, such as for example the system described in the Swiss patent. CH689534 , according to which pins 13,14 are respectively arranged before a loop 19 of the clasp and on one of the blades of the folding clasp to cooperate with the perforations 21-26 of a strand 6 of the bracelet. This type of device is, however, suitable only for perforated strand bracelets and modifies the structure of the folding clasp of the clasp, which considerably limits the possibilities of use.

Il existe donc un besoin pour des montres bracelets exemptes de ces limitations de l'art antérieur connues en termes de contraintes structurelles et/ou de fiabilité de verrouillage.There is therefore a need for wristwatches free of these limitations of the prior art known in terms of structural constraints and / or locking reliability.

Un but de la présente invention est en particulier de fournir une solution permettant le réglage simple de la longueur de tout type de bracelet, notamment des bracelets en caoutchouc, sans requérir de changements structurels importants au niveau du fermoir ou au système d'attache au fermoir.An object of the present invention is in particular to provide a solution for the simple adjustment of the length of any type of bracelet, including rubber bracelets, without requiring significant structural changes at the clasp or fastening system clasp .

Ces buts sont atteints grâce à un maillon pour montre-bracelet tel que revendiqué dans la revendication principale, caractérisé en ce qu'il comprend une âme centrale reliant une aile inférieure et une aile supérieure.These goals are achieved through a wristwatch link as claimed in the main claim, characterized in that it comprises a central core connecting a lower wing and an upper wing.

Ces buts sont également atteints grâce à un dispositif de fixation d'un fermoir à un brin de bracelet comprenant une pièce d'attache et un tel maillon disposé entre la pièce d'attache et l'extrémité du brin, caractérisé en ce qu'une première surface interne de l'aile supérieure une première surface interne de l'aile inférieure et une première paroi latérale de l'âme du maillon forment un premier logement pour une extrémité du brin, qu'une deuxième surface interne de l'aile supérieure, une deuxième surface interne de l'aile inférieure et une deuxième paroi latérale de l'âme du maillon forment un deuxième logement pour une partie centrale de la pièce d'attache, l'aile supérieure du maillon recouvrant l'extrémité du brin et la partie centrale de la pièce d'attache.These objects are also achieved by means of a device for attaching a clasp to a bracelet strand comprising a fastening piece and such a link disposed between the fastening piece and the end of the strand, characterized in that a first inner surface of the upper wing a first inner surface of the lower wing and a first side wall of the core of the link form a first housing for one end of the strand, a second inner surface of the upper wing, a second inner surface of the lower wing and a second side wall of the web of the link form a second housing for a central part of the attachment part, the upper wing of the link covering the end of the strand and the part central part of the attachment.

Un avantage conféré par le maillon selon l'invention concerne l'amélioration de l'esthétique globale de la montre et du confort au porter de l'utilisateur de la montre.An advantage conferred by the link according to the invention relates to the improvement of the overall aesthetic of the watch and the wearing comfort of the user of the watch.

Un autre avantage de la solution proposée est de fournir une pièce simple, facilement usinable et à faible coût pouvant s'adapter à différents types de bracelets et de fermoirs.Another advantage of the proposed solution is to provide a simple, easily machinable and low cost part that can accommodate different types of bracelets and clasps.

Un avantage additionnel de la solution proposée est d'introduire une pièce intermédiaire très simple entre l'extrémité d'un brin du bracelet et une pièce d'attache d'un fermoir, au lieu d'agir sur l'une ou l'autre de ces pièces pour procurer des avantages en termes de confort et d'esthétique. Le fait de ne nécessiter aucun changement ni au niveau du brin ni au niveau du fermoir augmente considérablement la modularité de la solution proposée et procure d'importants gains en termes de productivité pour la fabrication simultanée de montres pourvues de différents types de bracelets.An additional advantage of the proposed solution is to introduce a very simple intermediate piece between the end of a strand of the bracelet and a fastener of a clasp, instead of acting on one or the other. of these parts to provide benefits in terms of comfort and aesthetics. The fact of not requiring any changes in the strand or in the clasp considerably increases the modularity of the proposed solution and provides significant productivity gains for the simultaneous manufacture of watches with different types of bracelets.

D'autres caractéristiques et avantages ressortiront plus clairement de la description détaillée de divers modes de réalisation préférentiels et des dessins annexés, dans lesquels:

  • la figure 1 montre une vue de dessus d'un maillon d'attache de fermoir modifié, connu de l'art antérieur;
  • la figure 2 montre une vue en perspective d'un maillon intermédiaire selon un mode de réalisation préférentiel de l'invention et son positionnement par rapport au bracelet et au fermoir;
  • la figure 3 montre une vue de dessus d'un maillon intermédiaire selon un mode de réalisation préférentiel de l'invention, en position assemblée entre le brin et le maillon d'attache du fermoir;
  • la figure 4A montre une vue en coupe sagittale selon l'axe A-A illustré à la figure 3 du maillon intermédiaire selon le même mode de réalisation préférentiel de l'invention;
  • la figure 4B montre un agrandissement du maillon de la figure 4A, en coupe selon l'axe A-A illustré à la figure 3, du maillon intermédiaire selon le même mode de réalisation préférentiel de l'invention.
Other features and advantages will become more apparent from the detailed description of various preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings, in which:
  • the figure 1 shows a top view of a modified clasp fastener link, known from the prior art;
  • the figure 2 shows a perspective view of an intermediate link according to a preferred embodiment of the invention and its positioning relative to the bracelet and the clasp;
  • the figure 3 shows a top view of an intermediate link according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, in the assembled position between the strand and the fastening link of the clasp;
  • the Figure 4A shows a sagittal section along the axis AA illustrated in FIG. figure 3 intermediate link according to the same preferred embodiment of the invention;
  • the Figure 4B shows an enlargement of the link of the Figure 4A , in section along the axis AA illustrated in the figure 3 of the intermediate link according to the same preferred embodiment of the invention.

La figure 1 illustre un exemple de pièce d'attache 2 modifiée, connue de l'art antérieur, pour fermoir à boucle déployante et destiné une utilisation avec un bracelet en caoutchouc. Le fermoir 3 représenté comprend classiquement deux lames déployantes qui n'occupent qu'une seule épaisseur en position repliée, ici un brancard 31 formé de deux bras entre lesquels vient se loger une lame centrale (non représentée car le fermoir est représenté en position déployée). Le brancard 31 est monté mobile autour d'un axe de liaison à une pièce du fermoir, qui est elle-même reliée de manière articulée à une pièce d'attache du brin 2. L'axe de rotation entre le fermoir 3 et la pièce d'attache du brin 2 est matérialisé par la référence 21 sur cette figure. L'extrémité d'un brin 1 du bracelet est reliée à la pièce d'attache 2 par l'intermédiaire d'une barrette 22. Afin de masquer la tranche de l'extrémité du brin 1, une surface de masquage 20 est agencée sur une face supérieure de la pièce d'attache 2. Afin d'éviter d'autre part tout contact de la tranche de l'extrémité du brin avec la peau de l'utilisateur, une autre surface de masquage est similairement agencée sur la face inférieure de la pièce d'attache (non visible sur cette figure). Ces deux surfaces de masquage empêchent la rotation de l'extrémité du brin autour de la barrette 22 et augmentent ainsi d'une part le confort au porter pour l'utilisateur de la montre pourvue d'un bracelet et d'une telle pièce d'attache; ils améliorent d'autre part l'esthétique du bracelet en masquant la partie découpée de l'extrémité du bracelet, qui n'est pas nécessairement nette.The figure 1 illustrates an example of a modified attachment piece 2, known from the prior art, clasp folding clasp and intended for use with a rubber strap. The clasp 3 shown conventionally comprises two folding blades which occupy only one thickness in the folded position, here a stretcher 31 formed of two arms between which is housed a central blade (not shown because the clasp is shown in the deployed position) . The stretcher 31 is mounted movably about a connecting axis to a part of the clasp, which itself is hingedly connected to an attachment part of the strand 2. The axis of rotation between the clasp 3 and the workpiece attachment of the strand 2 is embodied by the reference 21 in this figure. The end of a strand 1 of the bracelet is connected to the attachment piece 2 by means of a bar 22. In order to hide the edge of the end of the strand 1, a masking surface 20 is arranged on an upper face of the attachment piece 2. In order also to avoid any contact of the edge of the end of the strand with the skin of the user, another masking surface is similarly arranged on the underside the attachment piece (not visible in this figure). These two masking surfaces prevent rotation of the end the strand around the bar 22 and thus increase on the one hand the wearing comfort for the user of the watch provided with a bracelet and such a fastener; they further improve the aesthetics of the bracelet by masking the cut portion of the end of the bracelet, which is not necessarily clear.

Cette pièce d'attache 2 modifiée nécessite néanmoins un mode de fabrication dédié: elle peut être ainsi par exemple formée à partir d'une plaque métallique uniforme étampée puis pliée pour former respectivement la surface de masquage 20 supérieure et les faces latérales dans lesquelles sont usinés ensuite des trous pour loger les extrémités de la barrette 22, tandis qu'une plaque formant un capot inférieur est fixée par exemple par soudage pour former la surface de masquage inférieure. Il est également possible de découper puis plier la pièce d'attache d'un seul tenant et de réaliser la partie inférieure permettant de masquer le dessous du brin par deux extrémités repliées qui sont soudées à leur jointure. Dans les deux cas, l'étampage nécessite un outillage complexe rendant les coûts de production très élevés; de plus, l'opération de soudage qui renchérit le coût global et pièce ralentit le processus de fabrication. On peut également imaginer usiner la pièce d'attache comportant les surfaces de masquage supérieure et inférieure ainsi que les faces latérales directement dans la masse, mais un tel mode de production serait encore plus onéreux en raison des pertes de matière occasionnées. Quel que soit le mode d'usinage choisi, de telles pièces d'attache ne pourront plus être utilisées pour d'autres types de bracelet, par exemple des bracelets en cuir, ou encore en céramique ou en métal, pour lesquels une pièce d'attache traditionnelle ouverte, c'est-à-dire sans surfaces de masquage supérieures et inférieures, sont requis pour éviter tout blocage des derniers maillons ou de l'enroulement du cuir au niveau de l'axe d'attache, c'est-à-dire la barrette 22 dans l'exemple illustré.This modified fastener 2 nevertheless requires a dedicated manufacturing method: it can thus be formed for example from a uniform metal plate stamped and then folded to form respectively the upper masking surface 20 and the lateral faces in which are machined then holes for housing the ends of the bar 22, while a plate forming a lower cover is fixed for example by welding to form the lower masking surface. It is also possible to cut and then fold the fastener piece in one piece and make the lower part to hide the underside of the strand by two folded ends which are welded to their joint. In both cases, the stamping requires complex tools making the production costs very high; moreover, the welding operation which increases the overall cost and the piece slows down the manufacturing process. It is also conceivable to machine the fastener comprising the upper and lower masking surfaces and the side faces directly in the mass, but such a production method would be even more expensive because of the loss of material caused. Whatever the method of machining chosen, such fasteners can no longer be used for other types of bracelet, for example leather bracelets, or ceramic or metal, for which a piece of open traditional fastener, that is to say without upper and lower masking surfaces, are required to prevent any locking of the last links or the winding of the leather at the axis of attachment, that is to say say the bar 22 in the illustrated example.

Dans ce qui suit, un maillon est décrit pour permettre de bénéficier des mêmes avantages en termes de confort et d'esthétique que la solution de l'art antérieur connue de la figure 1, mais sans toutefois devoir modifier ni la structure d'un fermoir, ni celle d'une pièce d'attache habituelle.In what follows, a link is described to allow to enjoy the same advantages in terms of comfort and aesthetics that the solution of the prior art known to the figure 1 but without having to modify either the structure of a clasp or of a usual fastener.

Ce maillon selon l'invention est de préférence intercalé entre l'extrémité du brin 1 et la pièce d'attache 2, de telle sorte qu'il n'est plus nécessaire de modifier cette pièce d'attache 2. La figure 2 montre un exemple d'une variante préférentielle d'un tel maillon 4 intermédiaire interposé entre l'extrémité du brin 11 d'un bracelet en caoutchouc et la pièce d'attache 2 au fermoir 3. Ce maillon comprend une âme centrale 41, qui relie une aile inférieure 42 et une aile supérieure 43 dont les fonctions sont respectivement identiques à celles des surfaces de masquage de la pièce d'attache modifiée de la figure 1: l'aile supérieure 43 masque la tranche 111 de l'extrémité du brin, puisque seule la surface supérieure 431 de cette aile est visible aux yeux de l'utilisateur, tandis que l'aile inférieure 42 empêche la rotation du brin autour de la barrette 22 dans le sens tendant à amener la tranche 11 de l'extrémité du brin 1 en contact avec la peau de l'utilisateur. Les ailes pourront être comprises par l'homme du métier comme des pièces dont deux dimensions sont très supérieures à la troisième, comme c'est le cas ici au vu du rapport entre leur longueur, largeur et épaisseur. La plupart de ces différents paramètres déterminant la forme du maillon 4 selon l'invention seront décrites plus en détail à l'aide de la figure 4B.This link according to the invention is preferably interposed between the end of the strand 1 and the attachment piece 2, so that it is no longer necessary to modify this attachment 2. The figure 2 shows an example of a preferred variant of such an intermediate link 4 interposed between the end of the strand 11 of a rubber strap and the attachment part 2 to the clasp 3. This link comprises a central core 41, which connects a lower wing 42 and an upper wing 43 whose functions are respectively identical to those of the masking surfaces of the modified attachment piece of the figure 1 : the upper wing 43 masks the wafer 111 of the end of the strand, since only the upper surface 431 of this wing is visible to the eyes of the user, while the lower wing 42 prevents the rotation of the strand around the bar 22 in the direction tending to bring the edge 11 of the end of the strand 1 into contact with the skin of the user. The wings can be understood by those skilled in the art as pieces whose two dimensions are much greater than the third, as is the case here in view of the ratio between their length, width and thickness. Most of these different parameters determining the shape of the link 4 according to the invention will be described in more detail using the Figure 4B .

Comme on peut le constater sur la figure 2, le maillon 4 intermédiaire ne comprend pas d'élément de fixation propre autour d'un axe, contrairement à un maillon de bracelet traditionnel faisant partie d'une chaîne articulée, mais il est maintenu, grâce à sa forme particulière présentant une section en H tronqué, entre la barrette 22 de fixation du brin 1 du bracelet et une partie centrale 23 de la pièce d'attache 2, dont la surface latérale 232 et supérieure 231 sont visibles. Le montage du maillon 4 s'effectue en insérant les premiers flancs 413 de l'âme centrale 41 entre les faces latérales 24, dont les surfaces internes 241 agissent comme surfaces de guidage. Le maillon 4 est ainsi amené à glisser, le long des faces latérales 24 parallèles de la pièce d'attache 2, jusqu'à la surface latérale 232 de la pièce d'attache 2, contre laquelle la paroi latérale droite 412 de l'âme 41 du maillon vient en butée. Afin d'éviter tout mouvement en translation du maillon dans le sens inverse duquel il a été inséré entre les faces latérales 24 de la pièce d'attache 2, la tranche 111 de l'extrémité du brin 1 est amenée en butée contre la paroi latérale gauche 411 de l'âme 41 du maillon. La barrette 22 vient ensuite s'insérer dans le dernier des trous traversants 116 agencés dans le brin 1 jusqu'à la tranche 111 de l'extrémité 11 du brin 1 du bracelet, dont la longueur a par exemple été déterminée par découpage, et la barrette est enfin insérée dans la paire de trous 221 de la pièce d'attache 2. Cette insertion de la barrette 22 permet d'une part de fixer le brin 1 du bracelet à la pièce d'attache 2, et donc indirectement au fermoir 3, et d'autre part de parallèlement fermer l'espace dans lequel le maillon 4 a été inséré. Ce dernier est par conséquent maintenu entre la partie centrale 23 de la pièce d'attache 2 et l'extrémité du brin 11, fixée autour de la barrette 22, sans requérir aucun élément de fixation additionnel. Afin de faciliter l'usinage du maillon 4, les deuxièmes flancs 423 de l'aile inférieure 42 et les troisièmes flancs 433 de l'aile supérieure 43 ont été agencés dans le même plan que celui des premiers flancs 413 de l'âme du maillon 41.As can be seen from the figure 2 , the intermediate link 4 does not include a clean fixing element around an axis, unlike a traditional bracelet link forming part of an articulated chain, but it is maintained, thanks to its particular shape having an H-shaped section. truncated, between the bar 22 for fixing the strand 1 of the bracelet and a central portion 23 of the attachment piece 2, whose lateral surface 232 and upper 231 are visible. The assembly of the link 4 is performed by inserting the first flanks 413 of the central core 41 between the side faces 24, whose inner surfaces 241 act as guide surfaces. The link 4 is thus caused to slide, along the parallel side faces 24 of the attachment piece 2, to the lateral surface 232 of the attachment piece 2, against which the right side wall 412 of the soul 41 of the link comes to a stop. In order to prevent any translational movement of the link in the opposite direction to which it has been inserted between the lateral faces 24 of the attachment piece 2, the wafer 111 of the end of the strand 1 is brought into abutment against the side wall left 411 of the soul 41 of the link. The bar 22 is then inserted into the last of the through holes 116 arranged in the strand 1 to the wafer 111 of the end 11 of the strand 1 of the bracelet, whose length has for example been determined by cutting, and the bar is finally inserted into the pair of holes 221 of the attachment piece 2. This insertion of the bar 22 allows one hand to fix the strand 1 of the bracelet to the room d 2, and therefore indirectly to the clasp 3, and secondly parallel to close the space in which the link 4 has been inserted. The latter is therefore maintained between the central portion 23 of the attachment piece 2 and the end of the strand 11, fixed around the bar 22, without requiring any additional fastening element. In order to facilitate the machining of the link 4, the second flanks 423 of the lower flange 42 and the third flanks 433 of the upper flange 43 have been arranged in the same plane as that of the first flanks 413 of the link core. 41.

Le fermoir 3 utilisé dans le cadre de l'invention peut être un fermoir à boucle déployante classique, comme illustré sur la figure 2, et qui comprend un couvercle 30 allongé masquant des lames déployantes, articulées autour d'un axe de liaison commun 35, en position verrouillée. Des poussoirs 34 sont agencés sur les faces latérales 33 du couvercle pour le déverrouillage et des trous 36 sont également agencés sur les faces latérales 33 du fermoir pour y insérer des barrettes de fixation à un 2e brin de bracelet dont la longueur n'est pas nécessairement réglable. Selon le mode de réalisation illustré du fermoir de la figure 2, les lames déployantes consistent respectivement en un brancard 31 comprenant deux bras et une lame centrale 32 venant se loger à l'intérieur des deux bras du brancard 31 en position repliée. D'autres structures à lames déployantes, par exemple de type papillon, peuvent également être envisagées sans que cela n'ait de conséquence pour la pièce d'attache ni pour le maillon 4 de l'invention. La pièce d'attache 2 est ici reliée au brancard 31 par l'intermédiaire de l'axe d'attache 21 au fermoir, tandis que la lame centrale 32 31 est reliée au couvercle 30 du fermoir 3 par l'intermédiaire d'un axe de liaison 37. Selon une variante on pourrait également intervertir la lame centrale 32 et le brancard 31 en reliant la lame centrale 32 à l'axe d'attache 21 du fermoir et le brancard au couvercle 30 par l'axe de liaison 37.The clasp 3 used in the context of the invention may be a clasp with a conventional folding clasp, as shown in FIG. figure 2 and which comprises an elongated cover 30 masking the folding blades, articulated about a common connecting pin 35, in the locked position. Pushers 34 are arranged on the lateral faces 33 of the cover for unlocking and holes 36 are also arranged on the lateral faces 33 of the clasp to insert fastening strips to a 2nd wristband strand whose length is not necessarily adjustable. According to the illustrated embodiment of the clasp of the figure 2 , the folding blades respectively consist of a stretcher 31 comprising two arms and a central blade 32 which is housed inside the two arms of the stretcher 31 in the folded position. Other structures with folding blades, for example of the butterfly type, can also be envisaged without this having any consequences for the attachment piece or for the link 4 of the invention. The attachment piece 2 is here connected to the stretcher 31 via the attachment pin 21 to the clasp, while the central blade 32 is connected to the lid 30 of the clasp 3 via an axis. In a variant, the central blade 32 and the stretcher 31 could also be reversed by connecting the central blade 32 to the fastening axis 21 of the clasp and the stretcher to the lid 30 via the connecting pin 37.

Sur la figure 2, on peut constater que le couvercle 30 du fermoir 3 comporte une partie protubérante 301 s'étendant vers la gauche, c'est-à-dire vers la pièce d'attache 2. L'aile supérieure 43 du maillon 4 comprend une échancrure 434 de forme correspondante, de telle sorte qu'il n'y ait aucun chevauchement entre le maillon 4 et le fermoir 3. La correspondance des formes de l'échancrure 434 de l'aile supérieure 43 du maillon et celle de la partie protubérante est particulièrement visible sur la figure 3, qui montre une vue de dessus d'un brin de bracelet 1, du maillon intermédiaire de l'invention 4, de la pièce d'attache 2 et du fermoir 3 en position assemblée et verrouillée. Le maillon 4, dont seule la face supérieure 431 de l'aile supérieure 43 n'est visible, épouse parfaitement la forme du couvercle 3 de telle sorte qu'aucun interstice ne puisse se former entre la pièce d'attache 2 et le fermoir 3, quel que soit leur angle d'orientation mutuel autour de l'axe d'attache 21. Ainsi l'espace visible entre la pièce d'attache 2 et le fermoir 3 est toujours au moins partiellement masqué, ce qui présente un avantage esthétique. Par ailleurs, la coopération de formes non linéaires de l'aile supérieure du maillon 43 et d couvercle 30 autour de l'axe d'attache 21 présente l'avantage, par rapport à la forme linéaire par exemple de la partie gauche de l'aile supérieure 43 du maillon 4, de pouvoir plus difficilement pincer des éléments extérieurs, comme par exemple du tissu de vêtements portés par l'utilisateur de la montre, en raison de la zone de jointure courbe entre les surfaces de préhension qui tend à imprimer un mouvement de rotation et ainsi à relibérer ce qui a été saisi. L'échancrure 434 crée également une asymétrie entre la partie gauche et la partie droite de l'aile supérieure 43 qui permet d'orienter correctement le maillon en vue du montage et ainsi simplifier les opérations d'assemblage, surtout lorsque ces dernières sont effectuées manuellement.On the figure 2 it can be seen that the lid 30 of the clasp 3 has a protruding portion 301 extending to the left, that is to say towards the attachment piece 2. The upper wing 43 of the link 4 comprises a notch 434 of corresponding shape, so that there is no overlap between the link 4 and the clasp 3. The correspondence of the shapes of the notch 434 of the upper wing 43 of the link and that of the protruding portion is particularly visible on the figure 3 , which shows a top view of a strand of bracelet 1, the intermediate link of the invention 4, the attachment part 2 and the clasp 3 in the assembled and locked position. The link 4, of which only the upper face 431 of the upper flange 43 is visible, perfectly matches the shape of the lid 3 so that no gap can be formed between the fastener 2 and the clasp 3 , regardless of their angle of mutual orientation around the axis of attachment 21. Thus the visible space between the attachment part 2 and the clasp 3 is always at least partially masked, which has an aesthetic advantage. Furthermore, the cooperation of nonlinear shapes of the upper wing of the link 43 and cover 30 around the attachment axis 21 has the advantage, compared to the linear form for example of the left part of the upper wing 43 of the link 4, to be more difficult to pinch external elements, such as wear fabric worn by the user of the watch, because of the curved joint area between the gripping surfaces which tends to print a rotational movement and thus to reliberate what has been grasped. The notch 434 also creates an asymmetry between the left part and the right part of the upper wing 43 which allows to correctly orient the link for assembly and thus simplify the assembly operations, especially when they are done manually .

Le maillon 4 est réalisé de préférence en matériau plastique injecté ou moulé, ce qui permet de le produire aisément et à bas coûts, en raison de la simplicité de l'outilllage requis et du matériau utilisé, et permet également d'associer facilement sa couleur à celle du bracelet si nécessaire. Par ailleurs, ses propriétés élastiques de souplesse sont avantageuses pour le l'insertion de l'extrémité du brin 1 sur la pièce d'attache 2, comme on le verra plus tard à l'aide des figures 4A et 4B, et par conséquent le montage du maillon qui ne nécessite pas un emmanchement à force avec une forte intensité, difficile à réaliser sans outil, comme par exemple pour des pièces métalliques. Selon un mode de réalisation alternatif, le matériau plastique pourra être remplacé par un élastomère, encore plus souple, et permettant un meilleur pincement des ailes sur l'extrémité du brin 1.The link 4 is preferably made of injected or molded plastic material, which allows to produce it easily and at low cost, because of the simplicity of the tooling required and the material used, and also makes it easy to associate its color to that of the bracelet if necessary. Furthermore, its elastic properties of flexibility are advantageous for the insertion of the end of the strand 1 on the attachment part 2, as will be seen later with the help of Figures 4A and 4B and therefore the mounting of the link which does not require a press fit with a high intensity, difficult to achieve without tools, such as for metal parts. According to an alternative embodiment, the plastic material may be replaced by an elastomer, still more flexible, and allowing a better nipping of the wings on the end of the strand 1.

Sur la figure 3, on peut sinon distinguer les bras 31 du brancard ainsi que la lame centrale 32, en position repliée à l'intérieur du brancard, ainsi que les parois latérales du couvercle 33 ainsi que les poussoirs 34, sur lesquelles on doit classiquement appuyer vers l'intérieur perpendiculairement aux faces latérales pour déverrouiller le fermoir et libérer les lames déployantes. L'axe A-A représenté sur cette figure montre le plan de coupe de la figure suivante 4A, ainsi que celui de la figure 4B qui consiste en un agrandissement de la vue du maillon 4 illustré sur la figure 4A. Les figures 4A et 4B, sur lesquelles les références ont été insérées de manière complémentaire pour des raisons de lisibilité - toutes les références relatives au maillon sur la figure 4B et toutes celles relatives aux autres pièces que le maillon 4 sur la figure 4A - seront décrites conjointement dans ce qui suit.On the figure 3 it is possible to distinguish between the arms 31 of the stretcher and the central blade 32, in the folded position inside the stretcher, as well as the lateral walls of the lid 33 as well as the pushers 34, on which one must conventionally press towards the interior perpendicular to the side faces to unlock the clasp and release the folding blades. The axis AA represented in this figure shows the sectional plane of the following figure 4A, as well as that of the Figure 4B which consists of an enlargement of the view of the link 4 illustrated on the Figure 4A . The Figures 4A and 4B , on which the references have been inserted in a complementary way for reasons of readability - all the references relating to the link on the Figure 4B and all those relating to other parts than link 4 on the Figure 4A - will be described together in the following.

Sur la figure 4A, on peut voir que le maillon 4 est disposé entre la pièce d'attache 2 et l'extrémité 11 du brin 1, sur lequel sont agencés différents trous 116 et différentes entames 115 de pré-découpage du brin 1 lors de l'ajustement de sa longueur. Le découpage se fait au niveau de ces entames 115 pour garantir que la partie de l'extrémité du brin 11 située au-delà du trou dans lequel sera insérée la barrette 22 (visible sur la figure 2) ne soit pas trop longue et libère suffisamment d'espace pour l'insertion du maillon 4 entre la tranche 111 de l'extrémité du brin et la pièce d'attache 2, ou plus exactement l'âme 41 du maillon 4, d'épaisseur A. Sur la figure 4B, on peut distinguer une première surface interne de l'aile supérieure 4321, une première surface interne de l'aile inférieure 4221 et une première paroi latérale sur la gauche de l'âme 411 du maillon 4. L'espace libéré à l'intérieur de ces surfaces forme un premier logement pour l'extrémité du brin 11, dont la surface supérieure 113 vient en contact avec la première surface interne de l'aile supérieure 4321, la surface inférieure 112 vient en contact avec la première surface interne de l'aile inférieure 4221 en position assemblée et la tranche 111 de l'extrémité 11 du brin vient de préférence en butée contre la paroi latérale gauche de l'âme 411. Similairement, au niveau de la partie droite du maillon une deuxième surface interne de l'aile supérieure 4322, une deuxième surface interne de l'aile inférieure 4222 et la paroi latérale droite 412 de l'âme 41 du maillon 4 libèrent un espace formant un deuxième logement pour la partie centrale 23 de la pièce d'attache 2. Lors de l'insertion du maillon 4 sur la pièce d'attache 2, la paroi latérale droite 412 de l'âme est de préférence amenée jusqu'à venir en butée contre la surface latérale 232 de la partie centrale 23 de la pièce d'attache 2 afin d'assurer la meilleure tenue possible du maillon 4 en empêchant la formation de tout degré de liberté en translation.On the Figure 4A it can be seen that the link 4 is arranged between the attachment piece 2 and the end 11 of the strand 1, on which are arranged different holes 116 and different pre-cutting slugs 115 of the strand 1 during the adjustment of its length. The cutting is done at these openings 115 to ensure that the portion of the end of the strand 11 located beyond the hole in which will be inserted the bar 22 (visible on the figure 2 ) is not too long and frees enough space for the insertion of the link 4 between the wafer 111 of the end of the strand and the attachment piece 2, or more exactly the core 41 of the link 4, of thickness A. On the Figure 4B it is possible to distinguish a first inner surface of the upper wing 4321, a first inner surface of the lower wing 4221 and a first lateral wall on the left of the web 411 of the link 4. The space released inside of these surfaces forms a first housing for the end of the strand 11, whose upper surface 113 comes into contact with the first inner surface of the upper flange 4321, the lower surface 112 comes into contact with the first inner surface of the lower wing 4221 in the assembled position and the edge 111 of the end 11 of the strand preferably abuts against the left side wall of the core 411. Similarly, at the right side of the link a second inner surface of the upper wing 4322, a second inner surface of the lower flange 4222 and the right side wall 412 of the core 41 of the link 4 release a space forming a second housing for the central portion 23 of the attachment piece 2. When inserting the link 4 on the attachment piece 2, the right side wall 412 of the core is preferably brought to abut against the lateral surface 232 of the central portion 23 of the attachment piece 2 to ensure the better possible hold of the link 4 by preventing the formation of any degree of freedom in translation.

Comme on peut le constater sur la figure 4A, et comme cela est également visible sur la figure 3 précédemment décrite, l'aile supérieure 43 du maillon 4 recouvre intégralement l'extrémité du brin 11 du bracelet, et également la partie centrale de la pièce d'attache 23, respectivement par ses parties gauche et droite. L'aile inférieure 42 du maillon 4 est pour sa part en contact avec la peau de l'utilisateur et le pincement de l'extrémité du brin 11 par les parties gauches respectivement des ailes inférieure 42 et supérieure 43 empêche que la tranche 111 de l'extrémité du brin 11 ne soit jamais amenée à y venir en contact. Le confort de l'utilisateur est par conséquent amélioré car seule une surface plane sera toujours en contact avec la peau de l'utilisateur, mais jamais aucune arête, même au niveau de l'attache du fermoir à l'extrémité du brin du bracelet. L'agencement proposé du maillon intermédiaire 4 entre l'extrémité 11 du brin 1 du bracelet et la pièce d'attache 2 permet ainsi d'obtenir les mêmes avantages que ceux qui étaient réalisés auparavant par une pièce d'attache modifiée, à savoir le masquage de l'extrémité du brin 1 et la prévention de tout contact de la tranche du brin avec la peau de l'utilisateur, sans toutefois devoir désormais modifier aucune des pièces constitutives d'un ensemble bracelet-fermoir déployant traditionnel. A la droite de la figure 4A on retrouve l'axe d'attache au fermoir 21, l'axe de liaison 37 du fermoir 3 à la lame centrale 32, visibles sur la figure 2, et le couvercle 30, visible sur la figure 3.As can be seen from the Figure 4A , and as this is also visible on the figure 3 previously described, the upper wing 43 of the link 4 completely covers the end of the strand 11 of the bracelet, and also the central portion of the attachment piece 23, respectively by its left and right parts. The lower wing 42 of the link 4 is in its contact with the skin of the user and the nip of the end of the strand 11 by the left parts respectively of the lower wings 42 and upper 43 prevents the wafer 111 of the end of the strand 11 is never brought into contact with it. The comfort of the user is therefore improved because only a flat surface will always be in contact with the skin of the user, but never any edge, even at the fastener of the clasp at the end of the bracelet strand. The proposed arrangement of the intermediate link 4 between the end 11 of the strand 1 of the bracelet and the attachment piece 2 thus makes it possible to obtain the same advantages as those which were previously achieved by a modified fastener, namely the masking the end of the strand 1 and the prevention of any contact of the wafer wafer with the skin of the user, without having to change any of the components of a traditional wristband-clasp assembly. To the right of the Figure 4A we find the axis of attachment to the clasp 21, the connecting axis 37 of the clasp 3 to the central blade 32, visible on the figure 2 , and the cover 30, visible on the figure 3 .

Du fait que le maillon 4 intermédiaire empêche tout contact de la tranche 111 de l'extrémité du brin 11 avec la peau de l'utilisateur, ce maillon est parfois qualifié de « maillon anti-rotation » car il limite très fortement la rotation de cette extrémité autour de son axe de rotation, c'est-à-dire la barrette 22, visible sur la figure 2. En effet, toute rotation dans un sens ou dans l'autre est empêchée par les parties gauches de l'aile supérieure 43 et de l'aile inférieure 42. Comme on peut le constater sur la figure 4B, Le maillon 4 comporte de préférence une aile supérieure 43, dont la longueur L est égale à la somme de la longueur de sa partie gauche L1, la longueur de sa partie droite L2 et l'épaisseur de l'âme A, et une aile inférieure 42, dont la longueur I est similairement égale à la somme de la longueur de sa partie gauche I1, la longueur de sa partie droite I2 et l'épaisseur de l'âme A, ayant des longueurs différentes, référencées respectivement L et I pour l'aile supérieure 43 et l'aile inférieure 42. Selon la variante préférentielle illustrée aux figures 4A et 4B, la longueur de l'aile inférieure I et plus petite que la longueur de l'aile supérieure L, ce qui maximise d'une part le recouvrement de l'extrémité du brin et minimise d'autre part l'encombrement au dessous du brin. Plus exactement ce sont les longueurs des parties gauches de chacune des ailes qui sont différentes, la longueur de la partie gauche de l'aile inférieure I1 étant plus petite que la longueur de la partie gauche de l'aile supérieure L1. Un tel agencement conditionne parallèlement la rotation de l'extrémité du brin 11, par ailleurs très limitée en raison du pincement par les parties gauches des ailes supérieure 43 et inférieure 42, dans le sens de l'enroulement du brin autour du poignet de l'utilisateur autour de la barrette 22, ce qui augmente encore le confort au porter puisqu'elle n'exige pas d'effort particulier à exercer pour fermer le bracelet autour du bracelet. Par ailleurs cette asymétrie des longueurs (I1,L1) permet de déterminer facilement le positionnement de l'aile supérieure 43 au dessus de l'aile inférieure 42 lors de l'assemblage du bracelet au fermoir et éviter toute confusion.Because the intermediate link 4 prevents any contact of the wafer 111 of the end of the strand 11 with the user's skin, this link is sometimes referred to as an "anti-rotation link" because it very strongly limits the rotation of this link. end around its axis of rotation, that is to say the bar 22, visible on the figure 2 . Indeed, any rotation in one direction or the other is prevented by the left parts of the upper wing 43 and the lower wing 42. As can be seen on the Figure 4B The link 4 preferably comprises an upper flange 43, whose length L is equal to the sum of the length of its left part L1, the length of its straight part L2 and the thickness of the core A, and a wing 42, whose length I is similarly equal to the sum of the length of its left part I1, the length of its straight part I2 and the thickness of the core A, having different lengths, referenced respectively L and I for the upper wing 43 and the lower wing 42. According to the preferred embodiment illustrated in FIGS. Figures 4A and 4B , the length of the lower flange I and smaller than the length of the upper flange L, which maximizes on the one hand the overlap of the end of the strand and on the other hand minimizes the bulk below the strand . More exactly, the lengths of the left portions of each of the wings are different, the length of the left part of the lower wing I1 being smaller than the length of the left part of the upper wing L1. Such an arrangement conditions parallel rotation of the end of the strand 11, moreover very limited due to the pinch by the left parts of the upper and lower wings 43 and 42, in the direction of the winding of the strand around the wrist of the user around the bar 22, which further increases the wearing comfort since it does not require any particular effort to exercise to close the bracelet around the bracelet. Moreover, this asymmetry of the lengths (I1, L1) makes it possible to easily determine the positioning of the upper flange 43 above the lower flange 42 when assembling the bracelet to the clasp and to avoid any confusion.

Les longueurs des parties droites des ailes inférieure I2 et supérieure L2 peuvent être également différentes, avec les mêmes avantages d'asymétrie suscités, mais avec un écart de longueur moindre, comme selon le mode de réalisation préférentiel illustré, voire même des longueurs identiques lorsqu'il n'est pas nécessaire de conditionner la rotation de la pièce d'attache 2 par rapport au fermoir dans le sens de l'enroulement autour du poignet. Les surfaces supérieure 231 et inférieure 233 de la partie centrale 23 de la pièce d'attache 2 servent de surface de guidage pour respectivement la deuxième surface interne de l'aile supérieure 4322 du maillon 4 et la deuxième surface interne de l'aile inférieure 4222 du maillon lors de l'emmanchement du maillon 4 sur la partie centrale 23 de la pièce d'attache 2. Similairement, la première surface interne de l'aile supérieure 4321 et la première surface interne de l'aile inférieure 4221 du maillon 4 servent comme surface de guidage pour respectivement la surface supérieure de l'extrémité du brin 112 et la surface inférieure de l'extrémité du brin 113, sauf que cette fois-ci c'est l'extrémité du brin 11 qui est emmanchée à dans la partie gauche du maillon 4 alors que la partie droite du maillon est emmanchée sur la partie centrale 23 de la pièce d'attache 2. Cet agencement permet par conséquent un montage et un assemblage très simple du maillon 4 avec la pièce d'attache 2 tout d'abord, puis avec l'extrémité 11 du brin 1 ensuite.The lengths of the straight portions of the lower flanges I2 and upper flange L2 may also be different, with the same asymmetrical advantages evoked, but with a smaller gap in length, as in the preferred embodiment illustrated, or even identical lengths when it is not necessary to condition the rotation of the fastener 2 relative to the clasp in the direction of winding around the wrist. The upper surfaces 231 and 233 of the central part 23 of the fastener part 2 serve as guiding surface for respectively the second inner surface of the upper wing 4322 of the link 4 and the second surface. internal of the lower wing 4222 of the link during the fitting of the link 4 on the central portion 23 of the fastener 2. Similarly, the first inner surface of the upper wing 4321 and the first inner surface of the lower wing 4221 of the link 4 serve as guide surface for respectively the upper surface of the end of the strand 112 and the lower surface of the end of the strand 113, except this time it is the end of the strand 11 which is fitted to the left part of the link 4 while the right part of the link is fitted on the central part 23 of the attachment piece 2. This arrangement therefore allows a very simple assembly and assembly of the link 4 with the attachment piece 2 first, then with the end 11 of the strand 1 next.

Dans le mode de réalisation préférentiel illustré à la figure 4A, où les parois latérales de l'âme du maillon 41 (la paroi latérale gauche 411, et la paroi latérale droite 412) agissent comme surface de butée pour respectivement la tranche de l'extrémité du brin du bracelet 111 et comme surface de butée pour la paroi latérale de la partie centrale 232 de la pièce d'attache 2, la tenue du maillon entre l'extrémité du brin 11 et la pièce d'attache 2 est renforcée car aucun déplacement latéral du maillon n'est possible une fois celui-ci est disposé entre l'extrémité du brin 11 et la pièce d'attache 2. Pour améliorer la tenue et la facilité d'insertion et la tenue du maillon 4 en position assemblée, on peut utiliser des ailes profilées, c'est-à-dire dont l'épaisseur est légèrement décroissante depuis l'âme 41 vers l'extérieur des ailes. Le profilé permet d'éviter tout renflement des ailes lors de l'insertion de matière entre elles, et de conserver ainsi de façon optimale l'effet de pincement et de maintien en contact des surfaces internes des ailes avec l'extrémité du brin 1 et la partie centrale 23 de la pièce d'attache 2.In the preferred embodiment illustrated in FIG. Figure 4A , wherein the side walls of the web of the link 41 (the left-hand side wall 411, and the right-hand side wall 412) act as an abutment surface for the edge of the end of the strand of the bracelet 111 respectively and as a stop surface for the side wall of the central portion 232 of the attachment piece 2, the holding of the link between the end of the strand 11 and the attachment piece 2 is reinforced because no lateral movement of the link is possible once the it is arranged between the end of the strand 11 and the attachment piece 2. To improve the holding and ease of insertion and the holding of the link 4 in the assembled position, profiled wings can be used, that is to say -dire whose thickness is slightly decreasing from the core 41 to the outside of the wings. The profile makes it possible to prevent the bulges of the wings during the insertion of material between them, and thus optimally retain the effect of pinching and keeping in contact the inner surfaces of the wings with the end of the strand 1 and the central part 23 of the attachment part 2.

Selon le mode de réalisation préférentiel décrit à la figure 4B, la partie gauche de l'aile supérieure 43 a une première épaisseur E1, la partie droite de l'aile supérieure 43 a une deuxième épaisseur E2, la partie gauche de l'aile inférieure 42 a une troisième épaisseur e1, et la partie droite de l'aile inférieure 42 a une quatrième épaisseur e2 . Chacune de ces épaisseurs est essentiellement constante sur la longueur des ailes ou, comme indiqué précédemment, de préférence légèrement décroissante depuis l'âme vers l'extrémité des ailes. La première épaisseur e1 est de préférence inférieure à lat troisième épaisseur E1, mais elles peuvent être identiques, de même que la deuxième épaisseur e2, qui est de préférence inférieure ou égale à la quatrième épaisseur E2.Cet agencement de plus grosses épaisseurs au niveau de l'aile supérieure 43 par rapport à l'aile inférieure permet de garantir qu'aucune déformation ne sera visible au niveau de la surface externe de l'aile supérieure du maillon 431 lorsque le maillon est réalisé dans une matière très souple comme par exemple de l'élastomère. Par ailleurs, la somme des premières et troisièmes épaisseurs e1 ,E1 du côté gauche des ailes est choisie de préférence inférieure à la somme des deuxième et quatrième épaisseur e2,E2 du côté droit des ailes. car le pincement de la partie gauche des ailes est destiné à une autre pièce, plus épaisse que celle de la partie droite des ailes; ici l'extrémité du brin 11 et la pièce d'attache 2.. Pour chaque type de brin 1 d'une épaisseur donnée il sera possible d'ajuster les premières et troisièmes épaisseurs e1,E1 sans modifier les deuxièmes et quatrième épaisseurs e2,E2 du côté droit des ailes. On pourra ainsi produire des maillons 4 présentant des premières et troisièmes épaisseurs e1,E1 variables mais avec un couple de deuxième et quatrième épaisseur e2,E2 toujours identiques. Les différences d'épaisseur de part et d'autre de l'âme du maillon 41 viennent s'ajouter à l'asymétrie des longueurs des parties gauches des ailes (L1 pour l'aile supérieure et I1 pour l'aile inférieure), de telle sorte qu'aucune confusion n'est possible non plus pour le sens d'insertion du maillon 4 en vue de son assemblage. Cette sécurité d'assemblage conférée est redondante par rapport à l'asymétrie des extrémités gauche (linéaire) et droite (courbe, avec l'échancrure 434) de l'aile supérieure; elle peut toutefois être utile pour un assemblage automatisé ou, en tout état de cause, comme système de double sécurité pour éviter toute confusion.According to the preferred embodiment described in Figure 4B the left part of the upper wing 43 has a first thickness E1, the right part of the upper wing 43 has a second thickness E2, the left part of the lower wing 42 has a third thickness e1, and the right part the lower wing 42 has a fourth thickness e2. Each of these thicknesses is essentially constant over the length of the wings or, as indicated previously, preferably slightly decreasing from the soul towards the end of the wings. The first thickness e1 is preferably smaller than the third thickness E1, but they may be identical, as is the second thickness e2, which is preferably less than or equal to the fourth thickness E2. This arrangement of larger thicknesses at the the upper wing 43 with respect to the lower wing ensures that no deformation will be visible at the outer surface of the upper wing of the link 431 when the link is made of a very flexible material such as the elastomer. Moreover, the sum of the first and third thicknesses e1, E1 on the left side of the wings is preferably chosen to be smaller than the sum of the second and fourth thickness e2, E2 on the right side of the wings. for the pinching of the left part of the wings is destined for another piece, thicker than that of the right part of the wings; here the end of the strand 11 and the attachment piece 2 .. For each type of strand 1 of a given thickness it will be possible to adjust the first and third thicknesses e1, E1 without modifying the second and fourth thicknesses e2, E2 on the right side of the wings. It will thus be possible to produce links 4 having variable first and third thicknesses e1, E1 but with a pair of second and fourth thickness e2, E2 always identical. The differences in thickness on either side of the core of the link 41 are added to the asymmetry of the lengths of the left wing parts (L1 for the upper wing and I1 for the lower wing), so that no confusion is possible either for the direction of insertion of the link 4 for assembly. This conferred assembly security is redundant with respect to the asymmetry of the left (linear) and right (curve, with notch 434) ends of the upper wing; however, it can be useful for automated assembly or, in any case, as a double security system to avoid confusion.

Le maillon 4 selon l'invention a été décrit en combinaison avec un fermoir du type à boucle déployante; on comprendra toutefois qu'il pourra être utilisé avec tout autre type de fermoir utilisant une pièce d'attache 2 similaire à celle qui a été décrite dans ce qui précède. On comprendra également que la forme particulière du maillon 4 permet de le destiner plus généralement à une insertion entre d'autres types de pièces de liaison et pas nécessairement un brin de bracelet et un fermoir, les fonctions de masquage et de blocage en rotation pour empêcher la sortie des parties insérées entre les ailes du maillon pouvant demeurer identiquesThe link 4 according to the invention has been described in combination with a clasp type folding clasp; However, it will be understood that it can be used with any other type of clasp using a fastener 2 similar to that described above. It will also be understood that the particular shape of the link 4 makes it more generally suitable for insertion between other types of connecting pieces and not necessarily a strand of a bracelet and a clasp, the functions of masking and locking in rotation to prevent the exit of the parts inserted between the wings of the link which can remain identical

Claims (12)

Maillon (4) pour montre-bracelet, caractérisé en ce qu'il comprend une âme centrale (41) reliant une aile inférieure (42) et une aile supérieure (43).Link (4) for a wristwatch, characterized in that it comprises a central core (41) connecting a lower wing (42) and an upper wing (43). Maillon (4) selon la revendication précédente, caractérisé en ce que la longueur (L) de l'aile supérieure (43) est différente de la longueur (I) de l'aile inférieure.Link (4) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the length (L) of the upper flange (43) is different from the length (I) of the lower flange. Maillon (4) selon l'une des revendications précédentes, caractérisé en ce qu'il est réalisé en matériau plastique.Link (4) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is made of plastic material. Maillon (4) selon l'une des revendications précédentes, caractérisé en ce que lesdites ailes inférieure (42) et supérieure (43) comportent respectivement des parties gauche et droite, les longueurs des parties gauches (I1,L1 ) étant différentes.Link (4) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said lower wings (42) and upper (43) respectively comprise left and right parts, the lengths of the left parts (I1, L1) being different. Maillon (4) selon la revendication 4, la partie gauche de l'aile supérieure (43) ayant une première épaisseur (E1), la partie droite de l'aile supérieure (43) ayant une deuxième épaisseur (E2), la partie gauche de l'aile inférieure (42) ayant une troisième épaisseur (e1), la partie droite de l'aile inférieure (42) ayant une quatrième épaisseur (e2), caractérisé en ce que la somme des premières et troisièmes épaisseurs (e1,E1) est inférieure à la somme des deuxièmes et quatrièmes épaisseurs (e2,E2).Link (4) according to claim 4, the left part of the upper wing (43) having a first thickness (E1), the right part of the upper wing (43) having a second thickness (E2), the left part lower wing (42) having a third thickness (e1), the right portion of the lower wing (42) having a fourth thickness (e2), characterized in that the sum of the first and third thicknesses (e1, E1 ) is less than the sum of the second and fourth thicknesses (e2, E2). Maillon (4) selon l'une des revendications précédentes, caractérisé en ce que lesdites ailes inférieures et supérieures sont profiléesLink (4) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said lower and upper wings are profiled Maillon (4) selon l'une des revendications précédentes, l'âme (41) comprenant des premiers flancs (413), l'aile inférieure (42) comprenant des deuxièmes flancs (423), et l'aile supérieure (43) comprenant des troisièmes flancs (433), caractérisé en ce que lesdits premier, deuxième et troisième flancs (413,423,433) étant situés dans un même plan.Link (4) according to one of the preceding claims, the core (41) comprising first flanks (413), the lower flange (42) comprising second flanks (423), and the upper flange (43) comprising third flanks (433), characterized in that said first, second and third flanks (413, 423, 433) being located in the same plane. Dispositif de fixation d'un fermoir (3) à un brin de bracelet (1) comprenant une pièce d'attache (2) et un maillon (4) selon l'une des revendications précédentes disposé entre ladite pièce d'attache (2) et l'extrémité (11) dudit brin (1), caractérisé en ce qu'une première surface interne de l'aile supérieure (4321), une première surface interne de l'aile inférieure (4221) et une première paroi latérale de ladite âme (411) dudit maillon (4) forment un premier logement pour une extrémité du brin (11), qu'une deuxième surface interne de l'aile supérieure (4322), une deuxième surface interne de l'aile inférieure (4222) et une deuxième paroi latérale de ladite âme (412) dudit maillon (4) forment un deuxième logement pour une partie centrale (23) de ladite pièce d'attache (2), ladite aile supérieure (43) recouvrant ladite extrémité du brin (11) et ladite partie centrale de ladite pièce d'attache (23).Device for attaching a clasp (3) to a bracelet strand (1) comprising a fastening piece (2) and a link (4) according to one of the preceding claim disposed between said attachment piece (2) and the end (11) of said strand (1), characterized in that a first inner surface of the upper wing (4321), a first inner surface of the lower wing (4221) and a first side wall of said web (411) of said link (4) form a first housing for one end of the strand (11), a second inner surface of the upper wing (4322), a second inner surface of the lower wing (4222) and a second side wall of said web (412) of said link (4) form a second housing for a central portion (23) of said attachment piece (2), said wing upper (43) covering said end of the strand (11) and said central portion of said attachment piece (23). Dispositif de fixation d'un fermoir (3) à un brin de bracelet (1) selon la revendication précédente, caractérisé en ce que lesdites première surface interne de l'aile supérieure (4321) et première surface interne de l'aile inférieure (4221) dudit maillon (4) agissent comme surface de guidage pour respectivement une surface supérieure d'une extrémité du brin (112) et une surface inférieure d'une extrémité du brin (113).Device for fastening a clasp (3) to a bracelet strand (1) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said first inner surface of the upper wing (4321) and first inner surface of the lower wing (4221). ) of said link (4) act as a guide surface for respectively an upper surface of one end of the strand (112) and a lower surface of one end of the strand (113). Dispositif de fixation d'un fermoir (3) à un brin de bracelet (1) selon l'une des revendications 8 ou 9, caractérisé en ce que les premières et deuxièmes parois latérales de l'âme du maillon (411,412) agissent respectivement comme surface de butée pour la tranche de l'extrémité du brin du bracelet (111) et comme surface de butée pour la paroi latérale de la partie centrale (232) de la pièce d'attache (2).Device for fastening a clasp (3) to a strand of bracelet (1) according to one of claims 8 or 9, characterized in that the first and second side walls of the web of the link (411,412) act respectively as abutment surface for the end portion of the strand strand (111) and as abutment surface for the side wall of the central portion (232) of the attachment piece (2). Dispositif de fixation d'un fermoir (3) à un brin de bracelet (1) selon l'une des revendications 8 à 10, caractérisé en ce que l'âme (41) dudit maillon (4) présente des premiers flancs (413) et ladite pièce d'attache (2) présente des faces latérales (24) comprenant des surfaces internes (241), lesdites surfaces internes desdites faces latérales (241) agissant comme surfaces de guidage pour lesdits premiers flancs (413) de ladite âme (41).Device for fastening a clasp (3) to a bracelet strand (1) according to one of claims 8 to 10, characterized in that the core (41) of said link (4) has first flanks (413) and said attachment piece (2) has side faces (24) including inner surfaces (241), said inner surfaces of said side faces (241) acting as guide surfaces for said first sidewalls (413) of said core (41). ). Dispositif de fixation d'un fermoir (3) à un brin de bracelet (1) selon l'une des revendications 8 à 11, caractérisé en ce que ledit fermoir comprend une partie protubérante (301) et que ladite aile supérieure (43) dudit maillon (4) présente une échancrure (434) dont la forme correspond à celle de ladite partie protubérante (301) dudit couvercle (30) du fermoir (3).Device for fastening a clasp (3) to a bracelet strand (1) according to one of claims 8 to 11, characterized in that said clasp comprises a protruding portion (301) and said upper flange (43) of said link (4) has a notch (434) whose shape corresponds to that of said protruding portion (301) of said lid (30) of the clasp (3).
EP11194104.3A 2011-12-16 2011-12-16 Anti-rotation link Active EP2604140B1 (en)

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Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP11194104.3A EP2604140B1 (en) 2011-12-16 2011-12-16 Anti-rotation link
US13/709,653 US8601784B2 (en) 2011-12-16 2012-12-10 Anti-rotation link
CN201210548415.3A CN103156341B (en) 2011-12-16 2012-12-17 Anti-rotation link
JP2012274313A JP5592465B2 (en) 2011-12-16 2012-12-17 Anti-rotation coupling
HK13113959.7A HK1186360A1 (en) 2011-12-16 2013-12-16 Anti-rotation link

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EP2604140A1 true EP2604140A1 (en) 2013-06-19
EP2604140B1 EP2604140B1 (en) 2014-08-13

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JP (1) JP5592465B2 (en)
CN (1) CN103156341B (en)
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USD1008259S1 (en) 2022-09-04 2023-12-19 Apple Inc. Band
USD1007506S1 (en) 2022-09-04 2023-12-12 Apple Inc. Band
USD1007505S1 (en) 2022-09-04 2023-12-12 Apple Inc. Band
USD1007507S1 (en) 2022-09-06 2023-12-12 Apple Inc. Band
USD1009028S1 (en) 2022-09-06 2023-12-26 Apple Inc. Band
USD995344S1 (en) * 2023-02-09 2023-08-15 China High Itech Corporation Limited Watch band

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DE815860C (en) * 1949-03-30 1951-10-04 Cornu & Cie Closure for bracelets, especially for watch straps
FR1178663A (en) * 1956-07-09 1959-05-13 Extendable ring including links with hooking claws
FR2425820A1 (en) * 1978-05-19 1979-12-14 Bracelet Cie Indle Watch strap clasp allowing adjustment of strap - has hinged arms with bearings taking strap ends, secured by screws
EP0081616A1 (en) 1981-10-14 1983-06-22 Montres Rado S.A. Fastener for wrist watch band
CH664475A5 (en) * 1985-10-30 1988-03-15 Microtec Am S A Articulated bracelet for watch-strap - has plates joining links having holes that pins engage in, are held by screw in one end and screw head on other end
CH689534A5 (en) 1994-03-03 1999-06-15 Boucledor Sa Device for attaching a bracelet strand to a clasp.
CN2473952Y (en) * 2001-02-26 2002-01-30 朱加岁 Pearl watch chain
JP2004073346A (en) * 2002-08-13 2004-03-11 Citizen Watch Co Ltd Belt-shaped accessory

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DE2423734A1 (en) * 1974-05-16 1975-11-27 Rodi & Wienerberger Ag EXTENSIBLE BRACELET
JPH057931Y2 (en) * 1987-02-20 1993-03-01
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CN2416776Y (en) * 2000-04-14 2001-01-31 林米田 Link construction of wrist-watch strap

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* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE815860C (en) * 1949-03-30 1951-10-04 Cornu & Cie Closure for bracelets, especially for watch straps
FR1178663A (en) * 1956-07-09 1959-05-13 Extendable ring including links with hooking claws
FR2425820A1 (en) * 1978-05-19 1979-12-14 Bracelet Cie Indle Watch strap clasp allowing adjustment of strap - has hinged arms with bearings taking strap ends, secured by screws
EP0081616A1 (en) 1981-10-14 1983-06-22 Montres Rado S.A. Fastener for wrist watch band
CH664475A5 (en) * 1985-10-30 1988-03-15 Microtec Am S A Articulated bracelet for watch-strap - has plates joining links having holes that pins engage in, are held by screw in one end and screw head on other end
CH689534A5 (en) 1994-03-03 1999-06-15 Boucledor Sa Device for attaching a bracelet strand to a clasp.
CN2473952Y (en) * 2001-02-26 2002-01-30 朱加岁 Pearl watch chain
JP2004073346A (en) * 2002-08-13 2004-03-11 Citizen Watch Co Ltd Belt-shaped accessory

Also Published As

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JP5592465B2 (en) 2014-09-17
HK1186360A1 (en) 2014-03-14
CN103156341B (en) 2015-02-11
US20130152542A1 (en) 2013-06-20
US8601784B2 (en) 2013-12-10
CN103156341A (en) 2013-06-19
EP2604140B1 (en) 2014-08-13
JP2013126544A (en) 2013-06-27

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