EP3679824A1 - Clasp for bracelet - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a clasp (100) for a bracelet comprising at least one cover (1) and a support (4), movable relative to each other, a first of said cover (1) and support (4) bearing a stud (2), said stud (2) being intended to pass through a hole of a choice of a series of holes carried by a first strand (3) of a flexible bracelet and to be coupled with the second of said cover (1 ) and support (4) for fixing said first strand (3) of bracelet between said cover (1) and support (4). The invention also relates to a timepiece such as a wristwatch comprising a flexible bracelet provided of such a clasp.

Description

The present invention relates to a clasp for a flexible strap, typically made of leather, in particular for a watch strap.

We know by patent application CH 712 039 A2 a folding clasp for flexible bracelet blades, one of the first blades of which is provided with first means of attachment to a first strand known as the “fixed strand” of the bracelet, said attachment means comprising a bar held by a link articulated to the free end of said blade; and a second of the blades of which is provided with second attachment means comprising a stud intended to engage in a hole among a series of holes that the second strand known as the “adjustable strand” of the bracelet comprises to maintain said strand and adjust its length . Such a stud typically has a bead at its end, which is intended to be forced into a hole in the bracelet so as not to come out of it unintentionally. Such a fastening means has the disadvantage of deforming the hole in the bracelet and enlarging it until it can cause the loss of the bracelet.

There are also known clasps in which the attachment to the adjustable strand of the bracelet is effected by means of a screw rather than a stud. Such a means of attachment does not require forcing it to be inserted into a hole in the bracelet, however this solution is not ideal since a screw can deteriorate and / or get lost, and the tapping of the blade of the welcoming clasp the screw can also be damaged over time which can lead to the replacement of this blade.

An object of the present invention is to provide a clasp which at least partially remedies the aforementioned drawbacks.

To this end, the invention proposes a bracelet clasp comprising at least one cover and a support, movable with respect to each other, a first of said cover and support carrying a stud, said stud being intended to pass through a hole in the choice of a series of holes carried by a first strand of a flexible bracelet and to be coupled with the second of said cover and support to fix said first bracelet strand between said cover and support.

The invention also relates to a wristwatch comprising a flexible bracelet provided with such a clasp.

The clasp according to the invention allows the useful length of the bracelet to be adjusted without damaging it, in particular without widening its holes. It does not include screws that do not age well or any part that could come off with wear and get lost. In addition, the clasp according to the invention is simple to use and does not require a tool either for disassembly or for adjustment.

• la figure 1 est une vue en perspective, de dessus, d'une partie d'un bracelet de montre comprenant un fermoir selon un mode de réalisation particulier de l'invention, ledit fermoir étant en position fermée ;
• la figure 2 est une vue en perspective, de dessous, du fermoir représenté à la figure 1, en position ouverte ;
• la figure 3 est une vue en perspective, de dessous, d'une partie du fermoir représenté à la figure 2 ;
• la figure 4 est une vue éclatée de la partie du fermoir représentée à la figure 3 ;
• la figure 5 est une vue en coupe transversale d'une partie du bracelet de montre représenté à la figure 1 ;
• la figure 6 est une vue en coupe longitudinale d'une partie du bracelet de montre représenté à la figure 1 ;
• la figure 7 illustre une montre-bracelet comprenant un fermoir selon une variante de l'invention.

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will appear on reading the following detailed description made with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

• the figure 1 is a perspective view, from above, of a part of a watch strap comprising a clasp according to a particular embodiment of the invention, said clasp being in the closed position;
• the figure 2 is a perspective view, from below, of the clasp shown in the figure 1 , in the open position;
• the figure 3 is a perspective view, from below, of part of the clasp shown in the figure 2 ;
• the figure 4 is an exploded view of the part of the clasp shown in the figure 3 ;
• the figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of part of the watch strap shown in the figure 1 ;
• the figure 6 is a longitudinal section view of part of the watch strap shown in the figure 1 ;
• the figure 7 illustrates a wristwatch comprising a clasp according to a variant of the invention.

The figure 1 shows a part of a watch strap comprising a clasp 100 according to a particular embodiment of the invention.

With reference to Figures 1 to 6 , the clasp 100 comprises a cover 1 carrying a stud 2, said stud 2 being intended to pass through a hole of a choice of a series of holes carried by a first strand 3 of a flexible bracelet as well as a support 4, movable by relative to said cover 1, to which said stud 2 mates to fix said first bracelet strand 3 between said cover 1 and support 4.

In the example illustrated, the clasp 100 is a folding clasp comprising a base blade 5 at the ends of which are articulated a first 6 and a second 7 pivoting blades foldable on the base blade 5.

The free end of the first pivoting blade 6 is articulated via a hinge to said cover 1 and support 4. Said hinge comprises a rod 8 pivoted in holes 9 made in protuberances or ears 10 integral with the cover 1, these holes 9 forming pivot bearings for the rod 8. The support 4 is in turn pivotally mounted on said rod 8, for example by means of free rings rotating around this rod 8 but it could as well be integral with the rod 8. The free end of the first pivoting blade 6 is typically integral with the rod 8, alternatively it could be mounted pivoting around this rod 8. Other forms of hinge can be envisaged to make the support 4 and the cover 1 movable in rotation relative to one another.

The assembly comprising said hinge, the cover 1 and the stud 2 which it carries as well as the support 4 forms a system for attaching the clasp 100 to the first strand 3 of the bracelet, this system of attachment allowing the length to be adjusted. useful bracelet. In the following description, the first strand 3 is called “adjustable strand” of the bracelet. The figures 3 and 4 illustrate said fastening system.

As illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 , the free end of the second pivoting blade 7 is provided with means for attaching to a second strand 11, called "fixed strand" of the bracelet. In the example illustrated, these attachment means comprise a bar 12 held by a link 13 articulated at said free end.

In the example illustrated, the support 4 comprises two elastic arms 14 defining between them a housing intended to accommodate at least part of the stud 2.

To adjust the length of the bracelet, the user places the adjustable strand 3 of the bracelet so that the hole corresponding to the desired length of the adjustable strand of his bracelet is opposite the stud 2 and then exerts pressure to bring the cover 1 closer to the support. 4 by pivoting until the pin 2 fits elastically in said housing, between said two arms 14.

Elastic interlocking is a method of assembly where the elements are deformed during assembly. After their assembly, there are no longer (or almost no more) constraints and the elements can no longer be separated, except to deform one and / or the other of the nested elements again.

In the example illustrated, the stud 2 has the shape of a straight cylinder with a diameter slightly smaller than that of the holes of the adjustable strand 3 of the bracelet. The free end of the stud 2 intended to pass through one of the holes of the adjustable strand 3 of the bracelet and then to snap into the housing defined between the two arms 14 of the support 4 comprises inclined planes so that its span widens and then narrows in the direction from its free end to its end connected to the cover 1. This allows the elastic spacing of the arms 14 of the support 4 during the forced insertion of the enlarged part of the stud 2 in the housing and the return of these in their initial position (without constraint) once this widened part passed. More generally, the stud 2 has a shape such that its span includes a local maximum between its free end and its end attached to the cover 1.

The shape of the stud 2 could be different, but it is designed so that the part which passes through one of the holes of the adjustable strand 3 when the length of the adjustable strand 3 is adjusted does not deform the hole through which it passes. The local maximum defined above is therefore less than the diameter of the holes of the adjustable strand 3. The base of the stud 2, on the side of its end connected to the cover, could in turn have a larger section since it is not intended to cross one of the holes in the bracelet.

The shape of the free end of the stud 2, in particular the inclination of said inclined planes, is such that the elastic fitting is reversible, that is to say that the stud 2 can come out of the housing by elastic spacing of the arms 14 when the user moves the support 4 away from the cover 1 by rotating it.

As illustrated in figure 4 , the stud 2 is manufactured, for example molded or machined, separately from the cover 1 and then assembled to the latter by interlocking but it could be manufactured in one piece with the cover 1.

The strands 3, 11 of the bracelet can be made of flexible materials such as leather, fabric, canvas, or any other material known to those skilled in the art for making flexible bracelets.

The foregoing description attempts to describe a particular embodiment by way of nonlimiting illustration and the invention is not limited to the implementation of certain particular characteristics which have just been described, such as for example the shape of the support 4 and of its arms 14 nor that of the cover and of its stud 2.

As indicated above, in the example illustrated, it is only the arms 14 of the support 4 which deform elastically to allow the stud 2 to pass when the fastening system is locked. Alternatively, the arms 14 could be rigid and the stud 2 could be elastically deformable or else stud 2 and arms 14 could have elastic properties.

It is also very possible to reverse the roles of the cover and the support so that the support carries the stud and that the cover includes the housing intended to accommodate at least part of the stud. This avoids possible friction on the visible part of the bracelet.

In variants, the clasp according to the invention could be a clasp other than a folding clasp with blades, for example a simple clasp comprising only the fastening system as described above. A wristwatch 20 comprising such a clasp typically comprises a first adjustable strand 3 and a second fixed strand 11, the attachment system described above being directly attached to the fixed strand 11. The fixed strand 11 typically comprises a loop in which comes insert rod 8. The figure 7 illustrates a wristwatch 20 comprising such a clasp.

The support 4 could also be pivotally mounted on the cover 1 by other means than by means of a pivoted rod 8.

In addition, it is obvious that the shape of the clasp members according to the invention can vary endlessly provided that their functions are ensured.

Claims (12)

Clasp (100) for bracelet comprising at least one cover (1) and a support (4), movable relative to each other, a first of said cover (1) and support (4) carrying a stud (2) , said stud (2) being intended to pass through a hole of a choice from a series of holes carried by a first strand (3) of a flexible bracelet and to be coupled with the second of said cover (1) and support (4 ) to fix said first strand (3) of bracelet between said cover (1) and support (4). Clasp (100) for bracelet according to claim 1, characterized in that the second of said cover (1) and support (4) comprises at least one housing and in that said stud (2) is able to be inserted at least in part in said housing for coupling with said second of the cover (1) and support (4), one and / or the other of said stud (2) and said housing being elastically deformed (s) during this insertion. Clasp (100) for bracelet according to claim 2, characterized in that , once the stud (2) inserted in said housing, the said element or elements elastically deformed during said insertion return to their initial shape, the stud (2) and the second of the cover (1) and support (4) which cannot then be uncoupled except to deform one and / or the other of the stud (2) and of the second of the cover (1) and support (4) again. Clasp (100) for bracelet according to one of claims 2 and 3, characterized in that said housing is defined by first and second elastic arms (14) belonging to the second of said cover (1) and support (4) and able to move away from one another elastically. Clasp (100) for bracelet according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the diameter of the stud (2) is less than that of the holes in the series of holes of the first strand (3) of the bracelet so that the pin (2) can be inserted into one of said holes without deforming it. Clasp (100) for bracelet according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it comprises a rod (8) pivoted on the cover (1) and serving as a pivot axis for the support (4), said support (4) being movable relative to the cover (1). Clasp (100) for bracelet according to claim 6, characterized in that the cover (1) comprises two pierced ears (10) serving as a pivot bearing for the rod (8). Clasp (100) for bracelet according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is a folding clasp with blades. Clasp (100) for bracelet according to claim 8, characterized in that it comprises a first blade and a second blade articulated to one of its ends on said first blade and articulated by its other end to the cover (1) and to the support (4). Clasp according to claims 6 or 7 and 9, characterized in that said other end of the second blade is integral with the rod (8). Clasp according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cover (1) carries the stud (2). Timepiece such as a wristwatch comprising a flexible bracelet provided with a clasp according to one of claims 1 to 11.

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