EP3474084A1 - Fixing device for a bracelet - Google Patents

Abstract

Device for attaching a bracelet to a watch case, the device comprising on the one hand at least one horn, and on the other hand a bracelet strand, the horn and the bracelet being held together by means of a bar. The horn comprises a rigid blade arranged to cooperate by interlocking with at least one housing made in the bracelet strand, said at least one housing having an opening for receiving said blade during the establishment of the bracelet strand so as to form a rigid connection once the bar is put in place, to a second position B in which the insert is locked on the rod.

Description

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to the field of watchmaking or jewelery. It relates more specifically to a device for attaching a bracelet to an object, in particular a watch case.

Background of the invention

Generally, the bracelets, leather or metal, are attached to the horns of a watch case, through a bar formed of a tube, in which are mounted two pistons movable in translation, and an elastic member disposed between said pistons and tending to drive outwardly of the tube. Said bar is mounted in a housing provided for this purpose at one end of the bracelet, and the pistons are engaged in blind bores made vis-à-vis in the horns of the box.

The installation and removal of a bracelet using this method of attachment requires the use of tools to enter and hold the piston. Such an operation requires some skill. In addition, when we arrived to introduce the bar between the horns, we must find the hole in the horns to allow the spring to introduce the ankle.

Such attachment methods do not allow a good integration of the bracelet to the middle part, days or defects that can be seen at the junction.

In addition, these modes of attachment provide too much freedom of movement to the bracelet once it attached to the watch, which can affect the good maintenance of the watch on the wrist of the wearer based on its morphology.

Summary of the invention

The present invention makes it possible to overcome these disadvantages, by proposing a device for attaching a bracelet to a watch case, the device comprising on the one hand at least one horn, and on the other hand a bracelet strand, the horn and the bracelet being held together by means of a bar.

According to the invention, the horn comprises a rigid blade arranged to cooperate by interlocking with at least one housing made in the bracelet strand, said at least one housing having an opening for receiving said blade during the establishment of the bracelet strand so as to form a rigid connection once the bar is put in place.

• le brin de bracelet comprend un insert rigide, ledit insert comprenant le logement pour recevoir ladite lame ;
• la lame est inclinée vers le bas selon un angle compris entre 20° et 45° par rapport au plan médian M de la boite de montre ;
• la largeur de la lame est inférieure ou égale à la largeur de la corne médiane ;
• la corne comprend un élément de butée définissant la position d'accrochage du brin de bracelet à la boîte de montre ;
• les moyens de fixation du brin de bracelet comprennent une barrette.
• le brin de bracelet est réalisé dans une matière plastique souple, et l'insert est réalisé en un matériau dur choisi parmi des matériaux métalliques ou alliages métalliques, céramiques, ou des matériaux composites.

According to other advantageous variants of the invention:

• the bracelet strand comprises a rigid insert, said insert comprising the housing for receiving said blade;
• the blade is inclined downwards at an angle of between 20 ° and 45 ° relative to the median plane M of the watch case;
• the width of the blade is less than or equal to the width of the middle horn;
• the horn comprises a stop element defining the hooking position of the bracelet strand to the watch case;
• the fastening means of the bracelet strand comprise a bar.
• the bracelet strand is made of a flexible plastic material, and the insert is made of a hard material selected from metal materials or metal alloys, ceramics, or composite materials.

Brief description of the drawings

• les figures 1 a et 1 b illustrent respectivement des vues en perspective d'une boîte de montre équipée d'un dispositif de fixation selon l'invention ;
• les figures 2a et 2b représentent la même boîte de montre, vue en coupe, respectivement avant et après la fixation de son bracelet.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will emerge more clearly from the following detailed description of an exemplary embodiment of a fastening device of a bracelet according to the invention, this example being given for purely illustrative purposes and not limiting only in connection with the attached drawing in which:

• the figures 1 a and 1b respectively illustrate perspective views of a watch case equipped with a fastening device according to the invention;
• the Figures 2a and 2b represent the same watch case, seen in section, respectively before and after the fastening of his bracelet.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments

The figure 1 illustrates a watch case 1, to which at least one end of a bracelet strand 2 is intended to be releasably connected.

The binding device which is the subject of the invention is visible to Figures 1b, 2a and 2b the device comprises on the one hand at least one horn 10, and on the other hand a strand of bracelet 2, the horn 10 and the bracelet 2 being held together by means of a bar 3,

The horn 10 comprises a rigid blade 11 arranged to cooperate by interlocking with at least one housing 20 made in the bracelet strand, the housing 20 having an opening for receiving the blade during the introduction of the bracelet strand so as to form a rigid connection once the bar 3 set up.

To limit the stroke of the blade 11, the horn 10 has a flat surface 12 acting as a stop, the bracelet strand pressing against this surface when the blade 11 is inserted into the bracelet 2, the surface plane 12 thus defining the hooking position of the bracelet strand to the watch case.

The horn 10 also includes lateral surfaces 14, adjacent to the horn, and intended to partially cover the edges of the wristband, so no day is visible at the connection with the bar 3.

As can be seen at figure 1 , the middle horn comprises a passage 13 whose diameter corresponds to the diameter of the axis of the bar 3 so that it can rotate freely in the passage.

The bar 3 is formed by a cylindrical rod 30 having a flange 31 at each end of the bar, the bar 3 and the flanges 31 then forming a single element once they are assembled. It may be envisaged to assemble the flange 31 at the end of the bar 4 by means of an insertion tip mounted in a hollow part of the bar 3. An internal bulge is then arranged at the end of the bar the bar 3 to cooperate with the insertion tip, in order to clip the collar in the bar. Other methods of fixing the flanges 31 may be envisaged, for example by gluing, welding, or by driving. The latter act as axial retention elements for the bracelet.

Advantageously, the flanges 31 of the bar 3 are housed at the lateral surfaces so that the flanges are not protruding once the bar 3 mounted.

According to the invention, the bracelet strand 2 comprises a rigid insert 21, the insert comprising the housing 20 for receiving the blade 11 of the horn 10, the two elements forming a rigid connection once the bracelet strand assembled to the watch .

As can be seen on the Figures 2a and 2b , the blade 11 is inclined downwards at an angle of between 20 ° and 45 ° relative to the median plane M of the watch case, such inclination is necessary so that the strand is properly positioned once the watch on the wrist.

The width of the blade is provided less than or equal to the width of the central horn, and comprises a length substantially identical to the depth of the housing 20 of the insert 21 to prevent play after assembly.

According to the preferred embodiment illustrated in figure 1 , the insert 21 and the blade 11 are made of a hard material selected from metal materials or metal alloys, ceramics, or composite materials. The bracelet can be bracelet is made of a flexible plastic material, or a hard material mentioned above. Those skilled in the art will have no particular difficulties in machining a housing 20 in a metal link, for example.

To attach the bracelet 2 to the case 1 as shown in figure 2b , the end of a strand is introduced at the horn 10 by presenting the opening of the housing 20 facing the blade 11 in order to accommodate the blade 4 in the insert 21 of the bracelet strand.

Once the blade 11 is partially positioned in the insert 21, the user pushes the strand 2 until the latter comes into abutment against the flat surface 12 of the horn 10.

The user only has to set up the bar 3 by passing successively through the strand 2 and the horn 10, until the flanges 31 are positioned in abutment against the edges of the strand 2 and under the litters 14 adjacent to the horn 10.

In this way, the wearer has a bracelet without any play when once assembled and having a good hold when the watch is worn.

In the embodiment described above, the insert is disposed on a bracelet made of leather, synthetic fabric, plastic, metal, ceramic or composite. Similarly, the bar 4 is metal preference but could also be plastic, ceramic or composite.

According to another embodiment, the rigid blade 11 and the housing 20 are interchanged. The strand of bracelet 2 comprises a rigid blade 11 arranged to cooperate by interlocking with at least one housing 20 made in the horn 10, said at least one housing 20 having an opening for receiving said blade 11 during the establishment of the strand of bracelet so as to form a rigid connection once the fastening means in place.

Of course, the present invention is not limited to the illustrated example and is susceptible of various variations and modifications that will occur to those skilled in the art.

Claims (8)

Device for attaching a bracelet to a watch case (1), the device comprising on the one hand at least one horn (10), and on the other hand a bracelet strand (2), the horn and the strand of bracelet (2) being held together by means of fixing means,
characterized in that the horn (10) comprises a rigid blade (11) arranged to cooperate by interlocking with at least one housing (20) formed in the bracelet strand (2), said at least one housing (20) having an opening to receive said blade (11) during the establishment of the bracelet strand so as to form a rigid connection once the fastening means set up. Fastening device according to claim 1, wherein the bracelet strand (2) comprises a rigid insert (21), said insert (21) comprising said housing (20) for receiving said blade (11). Fastening device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said blade (11) is inclined downwards at an angle of between 20 ° and 45 ° relative to the median plane M of the watch case (1). Fastening device according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the width of the blade (11) is less than or equal to the width of the middle horn. Fastening device according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the horn (10) comprises a stop member defining the hooking position of the bracelet strand (2) to the watch case (1). Fastening device according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the fastening means of the bracelet strand comprise a bar. Fastening device according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the bracelet strand (2) is made of a flexible plastic material, and the insert (21) is made of a hard material selected from metal materials or metal alloys, ceramics, or composite materials. Device for attaching a bracelet to a watch case (1), the device comprising on the one hand at least one horn (10), and on the other hand a bracelet strand (2), the horn and the strand of bracelet (2) being held together by means of fixing means,
characterized in that the strand of bracelet (2) comprises a rigid blade (11) arranged to cooperate by interlocking with at least one housing (20) formed in the horn (10), said at least one housing (20) having an opening to receive said blade (11) during the establishment of the bracelet strand so as to form a rigid connection once the fastening means set up.

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