EP4640104A1

EP4640104A1 - Bracelet, watch, and bracelet length adjustment mechanism

Info

Publication number: EP4640104A1
Application number: EP25172112.2A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Yuki Yamashita; Yoshihiro Hidai; Kenichiro Matsumoto
Original assignee: Seiko Epson Corp
Current assignee: Seiko Epson Corp
Priority date: 2024-04-26
Filing date: 2025-04-24
Publication date: 2025-10-29
Also published as: CN120836861A; JP2025167571A

Abstract

A bracelet includes a clasp portion that couples a first bracelet and a second bracelet. The clasp portion includes a cover member and an adjustment portion. The adjustment portion includes a pair of rail portions disposed along inner sides of two side walls of the cover member and including a plurality of grooves, a pressing portion, a coupling portion of which one end is coupled to an end portion of the first bracelet, and an engagement portion that is engageable with the grooves of the rail portions. Grooves of the rail portions is engaged are selectable by pressing the pressing portion toward the cover member and sliding the pressing portion. A portion of the pressing portion or the coupling portion that slides against an inner surface of the cover member, is made of resin, the pressing portion or the coupling portion facing the inner surface of the cover member.

Description

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a bracelet, a watch including the bracelet, and a bracelet length adjustment mechanism.

2. Related Art

A bracelet including a length adjustment mechanism is known. For example, disclosed in JP-A-2023-113263 is a bracelet provided with a clasp that includes an adjustment block coupled to an end portion of a first bracelet and a pressing portion including an engagement pin for length adjustment. According to JP-A-2023-113263 , the length adjustment is performed by erecting the adjustment block at the time of the length adjustment and sliding the pressing portion including the engagement pin with the pressing portion pressed against an inner surface of a cover member to select a groove to which the engagement pin is fitted. In addition, each part is made of hard metal such as stainless steel or titanium.
However, the bracelet in JP-A-2023-113263 has room for improvement. Specifically, metal members may wear by being rubbed against each other although the pressing portion needs to be slid with the pressing portion being pressed against the inner surface of the cover member at the time of the length adjustment. In addition, there is a problem that deterioration in slidability and appearance may occur due to wear.
That is, a bracelet, a watch, and a bracelet length adjustment mechanism that have high durability against a sliding movement at the time of length adjustment and of which the appearances are aesthetically excellent are in demand.

SUMMARY

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a bracelet including a first bracelet that is attached to one end side of a watch main body, a second bracelet that is attached to another end side of the watch main body, and a clasp portion that couples the first bracelet and the second bracelet. The clasp portion includes a cover member and an adjustment portion. The adjustment portion includes a pair of rail portions that is disposed along inner sides of two side walls of the cover member in a longitudinal direction of the cover member and that includes a plurality of grooves for length adjustment, a pressing portion that includes an elastic member, a coupling portion of which one end is coupled to an end portion of the first bracelet, and an engagement portion that is provided at the pressing portion and that is engageable with the grooves of the rail portions. Grooves of the rail portions with which the engagement portion is engaged are selectable by pressing the pressing portion toward the cover member and sliding the pressing portion. A portion of the pressing portion or the coupling portion that slides against an inner surface of the cover member or a portion of the coupling portion that slides against the inner surface of the cover member is made of resin, the pressing portion or the coupling portion facing the inner surface of the cover member.
According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a watch including the above-described bracelet.
According to still another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a bracelet length adjustment mechanism including a first bracelet that is attached to one end side of a watch main body, a second bracelet that is attached to another end side of the watch main body, and a clasp portion that couples the first bracelet and the second bracelet. The clasp portion includes a cover member and an adjustment portion. The adjustment portion includes a pair of rail portions that is disposed along inner sides of two side walls of the cover member in a longitudinal direction of the cover member and that includes a plurality of grooves for length adjustment, a pressing portion that includes an elastic member, a coupling portion of which one end is coupled to an end portion of the first bracelet, and an engagement portion that is provided at the pressing portion and that is engageable with the grooves of the rail portions. Grooves of the rail portions with which the engagement portion is engaged are selectable by pressing the pressing portion toward an inner surface of the cover member and sliding the pressing portion. A portion of the pressing portion or the coupling portion that slides against the inner surface of the cover member or a portion of the coupling portion that slides against the inner surface of the cover member is made of resin, the pressing portion or the coupling portion facing the inner surface of the cover member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the outline of a bracelet according to Embodiment 1.
FIG. 2 is a front view of a watch.
FIG. 3 is a transparent perspective view of an adjustment portion that is in a state where a clasp portion is folded.
FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the adjustment portion.
FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a pressing case and a lid.
FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the pressing case and the lid.
FIG. 7 is a transparent perspective view of a pressing portion.
FIG. 8 is a main portion side-sectional view that shows the state of the pressing portion at the time of unfoldment.
FIG. 9 is a main portion side-sectional view that shows a state at the time of length adjustment.
FIG. 10 is a main portion side-sectional view that shows a state at the time of length adjustment.
FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the inside of a cover member including the adjustment portion.
FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a lid according to Embodiment 2.
FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the lid.
FIG. 14 is a plan view of a cover member according to Embodiment 3.
FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XV-XV in FIG. 14.
FIG. 16 is an exploded perspective view of an adjustment portion according to Embodiment 4.
FIG. 17 is a transparent perspective view of the adjustment portion that is in a state where a clasp portion is unfolded.
FIG. 18 is a main side-sectional view at the time of folding.
FIG. 19 is a main portion side-sectional view that shows a state at the time of length adjustment.
FIG. 20 is a perspective view of an unfolded clasp portion according to Embodiment 5.
FIG. 21 is an exploded perspective view of an adjustment portion.
FIG. 22 is a perspective view of a sliding portion and a push-button.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Embodiment 1

Outline of Watch and Bracelet

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the outline of a bracelet. FIG. 2 is a front view of a watch.
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIG. 1, a bracelet 100 is composed of a first bracelet 10, a second bracelet 15, a clasp portion 35 that couples the first bracelet 10 and the second bracelet 15, and the like. The clasp portion 35 is composed of a cover member 30, a middle plate 31, a lower plate 32, and the like and is configured to be unfolded and extended as shown in FIG. 1 when buttons 33 provided on both side surfaces of the cover member 30 are pressed and a latch pin 41 is released.
As shown in FIG. 2, a terminal of the first bracelet 10 is coupled to a bow 5 on a 12 o'clock side of a watch 150. Similarly, a terminal of the second bracelet 15 is coupled to a bow 6 on a 6 o'clock side of the watch 150. Note that although the watch 150 is a three-hand analog watch in FIG. 2, the present disclosure is not limited thereto and the watch 150 may be any device worn on an arm, for example, a digital watch or a smart watch.
Description will be made referring again to FIG. 1.
The first bracelet 10 is composed of a plurality of blocks 2 and the like that are coupled. An end portion block 2b at an end portion of the first bracelet 10 is coupled to an adjustment portion 80 in the cover member 30 via a coupling block 11. Note that the adjustment portion 80 will be described later.
The second bracelet 15 is composed of a plurality of blocks 2 and the like that are coupled. An end portion block 2c at an end portion of the second bracelet 15 is coupled to one end of the lower plate 32. The lower plate 32 is provided with the latch pin 41. The other end of the lower plate 32 is coupled to one end of the middle plate 31. The other end of the middle plate 31 is coupled to one end of the cover member 30.
The lower plate 32 is rotatably coupled to the end portion block 2c of the second bracelet 15 and the one end of the middle plate 31. The middle plate 31 is rotatably coupled to the one end of the cover member 30 and the other end of the lower plate 32. Accordingly, the clasp portion 35 is configured to be switchable between a state where the middle plate 31 and the lower plate 32 are folded in a Z shape and a state where the middle plate 31 and the lower plate 32 are unfolded so that the clasp portion 35 is extended. The cover member 30 is a buckle and has a curved shape as a whole in consideration of the mountability with respect to an arm. The cover member 30 has an approximately rectangular shape as seen in a plan view, and is disposed such that the longitudinal direction thereof is parallel to a direction in which the first bracelet 10 extends. In addition, the width of the cover member 30 in a lateral direction is approximately the same as the width of the first bracelet 10. The middle plate 31 and the lower plate 32 have the same curvature as the cover member 30 to resemble a rear surface of the cover member 30 in a folded state.
In a preferable example, each of parts constituting the bracelet 100 is made of titanium. Note that a material constituting the bracelet 100 is not limited to titanium and may be a metal that is hard and excellent in texture. For example, stainless steel may be used.
In other words, the bracelet 100 includes the first bracelet 10 attached to one end side of a main body of the watch 150, the second bracelet 15 attached to the other end side of the main body, and the clasp portion 35 that couples the first bracelet 10 and the second bracelet 15, and the clasp portion 35 includes the cover member 30 and the adjustment portion 80.

Bracelet Length Adjustment Mechanism

FIG. 3 is a transparent perspective view of the adjustment portion that is in a state where the clasp portion is folded. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the adjustment portion. FIGS. 5 and 6 are exploded perspective views of a pressing case and a lid. Note that springs are not shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.
FIG. 3 is a transparent perspective view of the clasp portion 35 in the folded state, and the adjustment portion 80 in the cover member 30 is shown in a transparent manner.
Here, the configuration of the adjustment portion 80 will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the clasp portion 35 including the adjustment portion 80 and the cover member 30 may be referred to as a bracelet length adjustment mechanism.
The adjustment portion 80 is composed of a pair of rail portions 20 and 21, an adjustment block 72, a pressing portion 73, an engagement pin 27 serving as an engagement portion, and the like.
The rail portion 20 is a rail-shaped member disposed along a side wall 30a of the cover member 30, and a through-hole 20a for coupling to the middle plate 31 is provided at one end of the rail portion 20. A fixation hole 20b used to fix the rail portion 20 to the side wall 30a is provided at the other end of the rail portion 20. Beside the fixation hole 20b, four grooves 29, which are groove portions for length adjustment, are provided at equal pitches. The rail portion 21 is a member paired with the rail portion 20, is disposed along a side wall 30b of the cover member 30, and has the same configuration as the rail portion 20. Specifically, a through-hole 21a for coupling to the middle plate 31 is provided at one end of the rail portion 21 and a fixation hole 21b for fixation of the rail portion 21 to the side wall 30b is provided at the other end of the rail portion 21. In addition, the rail portion 21 also includes four grooves 29 for length adjustment.
The adjustment block 72 is a coupling portion, and includes a protrusion portion 22a that protrudes to the first bracelet 10 side and protrusion portions 72b and 72c that are two branches protruding to a side opposite to the protrusion portion 22a. The protrusion portion 22a is provided with a through-hole 4 for coupling to the coupling block 11. The adjustment block 72 is disposed between the rail portion 20 and the rail portion 21. In addition, the coupling block 11 that couples the adjustment block 72 and the end portion block 2b of the first bracelet 10 is also provided to have approximately the same size as the adjustment block 72, and is disposed between the rail portion 20 and the rail portion 21.
Portions of the protrusion portion 72b and a protrusion portion 72c that abut against the pressing portion 73 are formed at slightly lower positions and the portions formed at the slightly lower positions will be referred to as first surfaces 76. The protrusion portions 72b and 72c are provided with through-holes 28.
As shown in FIG. 4, the pressing portion 73 is composed of a pressing case 74, a lid 75, two springs 26, and the like.
The pressing case 74 includes a storage portion 74a for storage of the two springs 26 and a portion of the lid 75. A long hole 74b, which is an elliptic guide hole, is formed in the storage portion 74a. A rear side of the storage portion 74a is provided with a bottom surface 65 provided at a position slightly lower than a base body portion of the pressing case 74.
As shown in FIG. 6, the bottom surface 65 is provided with a groove 78 that is fitted to the engagement pin 27 (FIG. 4). Note that an island-shaped protrusion portion provided with the bottom surface 65 is stored in a storage portion 47 (FIG. 4) between the two protrusion portions 72b and 72c of the adjustment block 72 (FIG. 4). In addition, second surfaces 66 that are slightly lower than the bottom surface 65 are provided with the bottom surface 65 interposed therebetween. The two second surfaces 66 are portions corresponding to the two first surfaces 76 of the adjustment block 72 (FIG. 4).
As shown in FIG. 4, the springs 26 are elastic members and in a preferable example, conical springs are used as the springs 26. As the material of the spring 26, a piano wire is used, for example. Note that the material may be any material as long as a necessary spring force can be obtained. For example, a hard steel wire or a stainless wire may also be used. Since the conical springs are used, close-contact height at the time of compression can be reduced in comparison with a usual coil spring. Therefore, the pressing portion 73 and the adjustment portion 80 can be configured to be compact.
As shown in FIG. 6, the lid 75 is provided with two mounting portions 77 to which the two springs 26 are mounted and a shaft 75a that is provided between the two mounting portions 77.
The shaft 75a is a protrusion portion that stands upright from a base portion of the lid 75, and the planar shape thereof is an elliptical shape. A long hole 68 into which the engagement pin 27 is inserted is provided in a side surface of the shaft 75a. The shaft 75a is inserted into the long hole 74b of the pressing case 74, and the engagement pin 27 is inserted into the long hole 68 of the shaft 75a in a state where the shaft 75a has been inserted into the long hole 74b. The length of the long hole 68 is set such that the springs 26 can expand and contract in a state where the engagement pin 27 has been inserted into the long hole 68. The shaft 75a plays a role as a guide member that makes the movement of the pressing case 74 smooth when the pressing case 74 moves up and down as the springs 26 expand and contract.
After the pressing portion 73 is configured by combining the pressing case 74 and the lid 75 in a state where the two springs 26 are set on the two mounting portions 77 of the lid 75, the pressing portion 73 is set in the storage portion 47 of the adjustment block 72 as shown in FIG. 4.
Then, the pressing portion 73 and the adjustment block 72 are integrated by the engagement pin 27 inserted into the through-hole 28 of the protrusion portion 72b, the long hole 68 of the shaft 75a, and the through-hole 28 of the protrusion portion 72c in a state where the pressing portion 73 is in the storage portion 47 of the adjustment block 72.
In other words, the adjustment portion 80 includes the pair of rail portions 20 and 21 that is disposed along inner sides of two side walls of the cover member in a longitudinal direction of the cover member 30 and that includes a plurality of grooves 29 for length adjustment, the pressing portion 73 that includes an elastic member, the adjustment block 72 that serves as a coupling portion of which one end is coupled to an end portion of the first bracelet 10, and the engagement pin 27 that is provided at the pressing portion 73 and that serves as an engagement portion engageable with the grooves of the rail portions 20 and 21.
FIG. 7 is a transparent perspective view of the pressing portion. FIG. 8 is a main portion side-sectional view that shows the state of the pressing portion at the time of unfoldment.
FIG. 7 shows how the engagement pin 27 is pressed by the pressing portion 73 and a bottom surface of the storage portion 74a is pressed downward by the restoring forces of the two springs 26 so that the engagement pin 27 fitted to the groove 78 of the bottom surface 65 (FIG. 6) is pressed.
As shown in FIG. 8, at the time of unfoldment, the adjustment block 72 is in the cover member 30 without being erected. This is because the springs 26 urge the lid 75 and the pressing case 74 in directions away from each other and the second surfaces 66 serving as pressure applying portions of the pressing case 74 presses the first surfaces 76 of the protrusion portions 72b and 72c of the adjustment block 72 so that an end portion of the adjustment block 72 that is on the coupling block 11 side is pressed toward the cover member 30 due to the principle of leverage. That is, the second surfaces 66 serving as the pressure applying portions of the pressing case 74, the first surfaces 76 of the adjustment block 72, and a related mechanism function as an erection prevention mechanism.

Bracelet Length Adjustment Method

FIGS. 9 and 10 are main portion side-sectional views that show a state at the time of length adjustment.
As shown in FIG. 9, at the time of length adjustment of the bracelet 100, the first bracelet 10 is pulled to a position below the cover member 30 in an unfolded state. When a pulling force exceeds pressure generated by the pressing portion 73, tip ends of the protrusion portions 72b and 72c of the adjustment block 72 forcibly press the second surfaces 66 of the pressing case 74 so that the adjustment block 72 is erected.
When the adjustment block 72 is pressed toward the cover member 30 in a state where the adjustment block 72 is erected, the two springs 26 in the pressing portion 73 are compressed and the engagement pin 27 is separated from the grooves 29 to enter a slidable state as shown in FIG. 10. Here, when the adjustment block 72 is released after the engagement pin 27 is moved to one of the four grooves 29 that is at a position corresponding to a desired length in a state where the adjustment block 72 is pressed, the engagement pin 27 is fitted to the one of the grooves 29. That is, when bracelet length adjustment is to be performed, the adjustment block 72 is pressed toward the cover member 30 after the adjustment block 72 is erected in a state where the clasp portion 35 is unfolded. In other words, the grooves 29 of the rail portions 20 and 21 with which the engagement pin 27 is engaged are selectable by pressing the pressing portion 73 toward the cover member 30 and sliding the pressing portion 73.
In other words, the pressing portion 73 faces an inner surface of the cover member 30, the pressing portion 73 includes the lid 75 that abuts against the inner surface of the cover member 30, the pressing case 74 that is paired with the lid 75, and the springs 26 that serve as elastic members disposed between the lid 75 and the pressing case 74, the engagement portion is the engagement pin 27, the coupling portion is the adjustment block 72 that is coupled to the pressing portion 73 by the engagement pin 27, and at the time of a sliding movement, the pressing portion 73 is pressed toward the cover member 30 by the adjustment block 72 in a state where the adjustment block 72 is erected with respect to the cover member 30 with the engagement pin 27 serving as a rotary shaft. Note that the pressing case 74 is designed such that corner portions of the pressing case 74 do not abut against the inner surface of the cover member 30 when the pressing portion 73 is pressed.

Sliding Movement at Time of Length Adjustment

At the time of the bracelet length adjustment, the pressing portion 73 is slid with the pressing portion 73 being pressed against the inner surface of the cover member 30. At this time, the lid 75 of the pressing portion 73 abuts against the inner surface of the cover member 30. In a preferable example, the material of the cover member 30 is titanium. When the material of the lid 75 is also titanium, wear occurs due to a poor slidability since a frictional force generated by titaniums sliding against each other is great and thus a sliding mark is formed at the inner surface of the cover member 30. Such a phenomenon occurs not only in the case of titanium but also in the case of any hard metal such as stainless steel. That is, metal members may wear by being rubbed against each other and there is a problem that deterioration in slidability and appearance may occur due to wear.
However, in the present embodiment, the lid 75 is made of resin. In a preferable example, polyacetal resin (POM) is used. Note that the resin is not limited to the polyacetal resin, and any resin may be used as long as the resin has a favorable slidability. For example, MC nylon, ultra high molecular weight polyethylene, Teflon (registered trademark) resin, or the like may be used. In other words, the lid 75, which is a portion of the pressing portion 73 that slides against the inner surface of the cover member 30, is made of resin, the pressing portion 73 facing the inner surface of the cover member 30.
According to the above-described configuration, a frictional force between the lid 75 and the inner surface of the cover member 30 is small and a slidability is excellent. Therefore, no sliding mark is formed at the inner surface of the cover member 30. That is, a bracelet length adjustment mechanism that has high durability against a sliding movement at the time of length adjustment and of which the appearance is aesthetically excellent can be realized. Furthermore, the lid 75 can be easily manufactured through injection molding.
FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the inside of the cover member including the adjustment portion.
In a preferable example, colored resin is used for the lid 75. As shown in FIG. 11, an end surface of the shaft 75a of the lid 75 is exposed at the center of an inner side of the cover member 30. For example, when red resin is used for the lid 75, an elliptic red accented decoration can be provided on the inner side of the cover member 30. Note that the color thereof is not limited to red and may be appropriately selected in accordance with the design.
As described above, according to the bracelet 100, the watch 150, and the bracelet length adjustment mechanism of the present embodiment, the following effects can be achieved.
The bracelet 100 includes the first bracelet 10 that is attached to one end side of a main body of the watch 150, the second bracelet 15 that is attached to the other end side of the main body, and the clasp portion 35 that couples the first bracelet 10 and the second bracelet 15, the clasp portion 35 includes the cover member 30 and the adjustment portion 80, the adjustment portion 80 includes the pair of rail portions 20 and 21 that is disposed along inner sides of two side walls of the cover member in a longitudinal direction of the cover member 30 and that includes the plurality of grooves 29 for length adjustment, the pressing portion 73 that includes an elastic member, the adjustment block 72 that serves as a coupling portion of which one end is coupled to an end portion of the first bracelet 10, and the engagement pin 27 that is provided at the pressing portion 73 and that serves as an engagement portion engageable with the grooves of the rail portions 20 and 21, the grooves 29 of the rail portions 20 and 21 with which the engagement pin 27 is engaged are selectable by pressing the pressing portion 73 toward the cover member 30 and sliding the pressing portion 73, and the lid 75, which is a portion of the pressing portion 73 that slides against an inner surface of the cover member 30, is made of resin, the pressing portion 73 facing the inner surface of the cover member 30.
Accordingly, since the lid 75 of the pressing portion 73, which slides against the inner surface of the cover member 30 at the time of length adjustment is made of resin, wear of members can be suppressed since a frictional force between the lid 75 and the cover member 30 made of metal is small and the lid 75 is excellent in slidability. Therefore, no sliding mark is formed at the inner surface of the cover member 30 and deterioration in appearance can also be suppressed.
Therefore, the bracelet 100 that has high durability against a sliding movement at the time of length adjustment and of which the appearance is aesthetically excellent can be provided.
In addition, the pressing portion 73 faces the inner surface of the cover member 30, the pressing portion 73 includes the lid 75 that abuts against the inner surface of the cover member 30, the pressing case 74 that is paired with the lid 75, and the springs 26 that serve as elastic members disposed between the lid 75 and the pressing case 74, the engagement portion is the engagement pin 27, the coupling portion is the adjustment block 72 that is coupled to the pressing portion 73 by the engagement pin 27, and at the time of a sliding movement, the pressing portion 73 is pressed toward the cover member 30 by the adjustment block 72 in a state where the adjustment block 72 is erected with respect to the cover member 30 with the engagement pin 27 serving as a rotary shaft.
Accordingly, length adjustment can be performed by erecting the adjustment block 72 and pressing the pressing portion 73 toward the inner surface of the cover member 30, which is convenient. Furthermore, a compact configuration in which the pressing portion 73 and the adjustment block 72 are coupled by the engagement pin is achieved.
Therefore, the bracelet 100 including a bracelet length adjustment mechanism that is compact and with which length adjustment can be easily performed can be provided.
In addition, the lid 75 is made of resin.
Accordingly, the lid 75 can be easily manufactured through injection molding or the like.
The bracelet length adjustment mechanism includes the first bracelet 10 that is attached to one end side of a main body of the watch 150, the second bracelet 15 that is attached to the other end side of the main body, and the clasp portion 35 that couples the first bracelet 10 and the second bracelet 15, the clasp portion 35 includes the cover member 30 and the adjustment portion 80, the adjustment portion 80 includes the pair of rail portions 20 and 21 that is disposed along inner sides of two side walls of the cover member in a longitudinal direction of the cover member 30 and that includes the plurality of grooves 29 for length adjustment, the pressing portion 73 that includes an elastic member, the adjustment block 72 that serves as a coupling portion of which one end is coupled to an end portion of the first bracelet 10, and the engagement pin 27 that is provided at the pressing portion 73 and that serves as an engagement portion engageable with the grooves of the rail portions 20 and 21, the grooves 29 of the rail portions 20 and 21 with which the engagement pin 27 is engaged are selectable by pressing the pressing portion 73 toward the cover member 30 and sliding the pressing portion 73, and the lid 75, which is a portion of the pressing portion 73 that slides against an inner surface of the cover member 30, is made of resin, the pressing portion 73 facing the inner surface of the cover member 30.
Accordingly, the bracelet length adjustment mechanism that has high durability against a sliding movement at the time of length adjustment and of which the appearance is aesthetically excellent can be provided.

Embodiment 2

Another Configuration of Lid

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a lid according to Embodiment 2 and corresponds to FIG. 5. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the lid and corresponds to FIG. 6.
In the above-described embodiment, the lid 75 made of resin is used. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto as long as a portion of the lid 75 that abuts against the inner surface of the cover member 30 is made of resin. Hereinafter, the same reference numerals are given to the same portions as in the above-described embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted.
A lid 85 of the present embodiment shown in FIG. 12 is composed of two parts which are a main body portion 83 and an abutting portion 84. The main body portion 83 is a main body part of the lid 85 and includes the shaft 75a and the mounting portions 77 (FIG. 13). The abutting portion 84 is a plate-shaped member including an upper surface of the lid 85, and is a portion that abuts against the inner surface of the cover member 30.
The main body portion 83 is made of metal such as titanium, and the abutting portion 84 is made of the same resin as that in the above-described embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 13, the abutting portion 84 includes protrusion portions 84b to be fitted, the protrusion portions 84b being provided at positions corresponding to the two mounting portions 77, respectively. The main body portion 83 includes through-holes provided at positions corresponding to the protrusion portions 84b. The abutting portion 84 is fitted to the main body portion 83 with the two protrusion portions 84b fitted to the through-holes.
The lid 85 in a fitted state has the same shape as the lid 75 of Embodiment 1, and is incorporated into the pressing case 74 to form the pressing portion 73.
In other words, the lid 85 has a two-body structure, the lid 85 is composed of the main body portion 83 made of metal and the abutting portion 84 that is attached to the main body portion 83 and that abuts against the inner surface of the cover member 30, and the abutting portion 84 is made of resin.
As described above, according to the bracelet 100, the watch 150, and the bracelet length adjustment mechanism of the present embodiment, the following effects can be achieved in addition to the effects of the above-described embodiment.
The lid 85 has a two-body structure, the lid 85 is composed of the main body portion 83 made of metal and the abutting portion 84 that is attached to the main body portion 83 and that abuts against the inner surface of the cover member 30, and the abutting portion 84 is made of resin.
Accordingly, the main body portion 83 of the lid 85 has high rigidity since the main body portion 83 is made of metal and the abutting portion 84 is excellent in slidability since the abutting portion 84 is made of resin.
Therefore, the bracelet 100, the watch 150, and the bracelet length adjustment mechanism that have strengths enough to remain unharmed even in a case of being excessive pressed at the time of length adjustment and that have high durability against a sliding movement can be provided.

Embodiment 3

Sliding Resistance Reduction Structure

FIG. 14 is a plan view of a cover member according to Embodiment 3. FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XV-XV in FIG. 14.
A structure for sliding resistance reduction may be provided on a sliding surface of the cover member 30 of the above-described embodiments, the sliding surface sliding against the pressing portion 73. Hereinafter, the same reference numerals are given to the same portions as in the above-described embodiments, and the description thereof will be omitted.
FIG. 14 is a plan view of an inner surface side of the cover member 30, and an uneven portion 39 is formed at a portion between the rail portion 20 and the rail portion 21 against which the pressing portion 73 slides. The uneven portion 39 is stripe-shaped uneven lines extending in the longitudinal direction of the cover member 30. In other words, the uneven portion 39 is a plurality of hairlines extending along a sliding direction.
As shown in FIG. 15, a plurality of grooves, each of which has a size equal to or greater than 0.01 mm and equal to or smaller than 0.15 mm, are formed at the uneven portion 39 at equal pitches. In other words, the uneven portion 39 is provided along the sliding direction at a portion of the inner surface of the cover member 30 that abuts against the lid 75 of the pressing portion 73.
As described above, according to the bracelet 100, the watch 150, and the bracelet length adjustment mechanism of the present embodiment, the following effects can be achieved in addition to the effects of the above-described embodiments.
The uneven portion 39 is provided along the sliding direction at a portion of the inner surface of the cover member 30 according to the present embodiment that abuts against the lid 75 of the pressing portion 73.
Accordingly, since the uneven portion 39, which is a stripe-shaped groove, is provided along a sliding direction of the lid 75 at a sliding portion of the inner surface of the cover member 30, the area of contact at the time of a sliding movement is reduced and thus sliding resistance can be reduced.
Accordingly, the bracelet 100, the watch 150, and the bracelet length adjustment mechanism that have higher durability against a sliding movement at the time of length adjustment and of which the appearances are aesthetically excellent can be provided. Note that the same operational effect can be achieved even when the lid 85 is used instead of the lid 75.

Embodiment 4

Another Configuration of Pressing Portion

FIG. 16 is an exploded perspective view of an adjustment portion according to Embodiment 4 and corresponds to FIG. 4. FIG. 17 is a transparent perspective view of the adjustment portion that is in a state where the clasp portion is unfolded.
In the above-described embodiments, description has been made in which the lid 75 includes the shaft 75a. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto as long as a configuration that may function as a pressing portion is provided. For example, a lid without a shaft may also be used. Hereinafter, the same reference numerals are given to the same portions as in the above-described embodiments, and the description thereof will be omitted.
As shown in FIG. 16, an adjustment portion 50 of the present embodiment is composed of the pair of rail portions 20 and 21, an adjustment block 22, a pressing portion 23, the engagement pin 27, and the like. That is, the configurations of the adjustment block 22 and the pressing portion 23 of the adjustment portion 50 of the present embodiment are different from those of the adjustment portion 80.
The adjustment block 22 includes the protrusion portion 22a that protrudes to the first bracelet 10 side and protrusion portions 22b and 22c that are two branches protruding to a side opposite to the protrusion portion 22a. The protrusion portion 22a is provided with the through-hole 4 for coupling to the coupling block 11. The adjustment block 22 is disposed between the rail portion 20 and the rail portion 21. A space between the protrusion portion 22b and the protrusion portion 22c is a storage portion 37, and the pressing portion 23 is stored in the storage portion 37. The protrusion portion 22b and the protrusion portion 22c are respectively provided with the through-holes 28 into which the engagement pin 27 is inserted.
The pressing portion 23 is composed of a pressing case 24, a lid 25, the two springs 26, and the like.
The pressing case 24 is a main body case of the pressing portion 23 that has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and includes a storage portion 24a for storage of the two springs 26 and a through-hole 8 provided below the storage portion 24a. The pressing case 24 is made of metal such as titanium, as in the above-described embodiment. The pressing case 24 is disposed with a long side thereof being parallel to the lateral direction of the cover member 30. The through-hole 8 is a hole into which the engagement pin 27 is inserted, and is provided along a long-side direction of the pressing case 24.
The lid 25 is a member that serves as a lid of the pressing case 24, and is formed to have such a size that the lid 25 is fitted to the storage portion 24a. The lid 25 is made of the same resin as in the above-described embodiment, does not include a shaft, and is a simple plate-shaped member.
The pressing portion 23 is configured by setting the lid 25 in a state where the two springs 26 are stored side by side in the storage portion 24a of the pressing case 24.
The pressing portion 23 and the adjustment block 22 are integrated by the engagement pin 27 inserted into the through-hole 28 of the protrusion portion 22b, the through-hole 8 of the pressing case 24, and the through-hole 28 of the protrusion portion 22c in a state where the pressing portion 23 is in the storage portion 37 of the adjustment block 22.
FIG. 17 is a transparent perspective view of the adjustment portion 50 with the clasp portion 35 unfolded and shows a state where the adjustment block 22 has been erected with respect to the cover member 30.
As shown in FIG. 17, even in a state where the clasp portion 35 is unfolded, since the engagement pin 27 is pressed against the groove 29 by the pressing portion 23, the engagement pin 27 is fixed at the groove 29 that is at a position corresponding to the smallest bracelet length out of four stages of bracelet lengths.
When bracelet length adjustment is to be performed, the adjustment block 22 is pressed toward the cover member 30 as represented by an outlined arrow in FIG. 17 in a state where the clasp portion 35 is unfolded.

Bracelet Length Adjustment Method

FIG. 18 is a main portion side-sectional view at the time of folding and corresponds to FIG. 8. FIG. 19 is a main portion side-sectional view that shows a state at the time of length adjustment and corresponds to FIG. 10.
As shown in FIG. 19, when the adjustment block 22 is pressed toward the cover member 30, the two springs 26 in the pressing portion 23 are compressed and the engagement pin 27 is separated from the grooves 29 to enter a slidable state. Here, when the adjustment block 22 is released after the engagement pin 27 is moved to the position of one of the four grooves 29 that is at a position corresponding to a desired length in a state where the adjustment block 22 is pressed, the engagement pin 27 is engaged with the one of the grooves 29. FIG. 18 shows a state where the clasp portion 35 is folded after the innermost one of the four grooves 29 is selected for the length adjustment.
In addition, as shown in FIG. 18, a thickness t from the center of the through-hole 28 of the adjustment block 22 to an upper surface of the adjustment block 22 is approximately equal to a distance from the center of the engagement pin 27 at the time of engagement between the engagement pin 27 and the groove 29 to a rear surface of the cover member 30. Accordingly, in the folded state of the clasp portion 35, the upper surface of the adjustment block 22 serves as a stopper and thus the engagement pin 27 can be prevented from falling off the groove 29.
As described above, according to the bracelet 100, the watch 150, and the bracelet length adjustment mechanism of the present embodiment, the following effects can be achieved.
The bracelet 100 includes the first bracelet 10 attached to one end side of a main body of the watch 150, the second bracelet 15 attached to the other end side of the main body, and the clasp portion 35 that couples the first bracelet 10 and the second bracelet 15, the clasp portion 35 includes the cover member 30 and the adjustment portion 50, the adjustment portion 50 includes the pair of rail portions 20 and 21 that is disposed along inner sides of two side walls of the cover member in a longitudinal direction of the cover member 30 and that includes the plurality of grooves 29 for length adjustment, the pressing portion 23 that includes an elastic member, the adjustment block 22 that serves as a coupling portion of which one end is coupled to an end portion of the first bracelet 10, and the engagement pin 27 that is provided at the pressing portion 23 and that serves as an engagement portion engageable with the grooves of the rail portions 20 and 21, the grooves 29 of the rail portions 20 and 21 with which the engagement pin 27 is engaged are selectable by pressing the pressing portion 23 toward the cover member 30 and sliding the pressing portion 23, and the lid 25, which is a portion of the pressing portion 23 that slides against an inner surface of the cover member 30, is made of resin, the pressing portion 23 facing the inner surface of the cover member 30.
Accordingly, since the lid 25 of the pressing portion 23, which slides against the inner surface of the cover member 30 at the time of length adjustment is made of resin, a frictional force between the lid 25 and the cover member 30 made of metal is small and wear of members can be suppressed since a slidability is excellent. Therefore, no sliding mark is formed at the inner surface of the cover member 30 and deterioration in appearance can also be suppressed.
Therefore, the bracelet 100, the watch 150, and the bracelet length adjustment mechanism that have high durability against a sliding movement at the time of length adjustment and of which the appearances are aesthetically excellent can be provided.

Embodiment 5

Other Configurations of Coupling Portion and Pressing Portion

FIG. 20 is a perspective view of an unfolded clasp portion according to Embodiment 5. FIG. 21 is an exploded perspective view of an adjustment portion. FIG. 22 is a perspective view of a sliding portion and a push-button.
In the above-described embodiments, description has been made in which the adjustment blocks 22 and 72 serving as coupling portions are erected and the pressing portions 23 and 73 are pressed to the cover member 30 at the time of length adjustment. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto as long as a configuration that may function as a pressing portion is provided. For example, a configuration in which the length adjustment is performed by pressing a push-button may also be adopted. Hereinafter, the same reference numerals are given to the same portions as in the above-described embodiments, and the description thereof will be omitted.
As shown in FIGS. 20 and 21, an adjustment portion 55 of the present embodiment is composed of the pair of rail portions 20 and 21, a sliding body 92 serving as a coupling portion, a push-button 93 serving as a pressing portion, and a leaf spring 96 serving as an elastic member.
The sliding body 92 has a shape obtained by slightly reducing the size of the cover member 30, one end of the sliding body 92 is coupled to the first bracelet 10, and the push-button 93 is incorporated into the other end side of the sliding body 92. The sliding body 92 is stored between the rail portion 20 of the cover member 30 and the rail portion 21, and an inner surface thereof is provided to be slidable.
The push-button 93 is a rectangular push-button having a long side extending in the lateral direction of the cover member 30. Protrusion portions 97 are respectively provided on two short sides of the push-button 93. The two protrusion portions 97 function as engagement portions. The push-button 93 is made of metal such as titanium, as in the above-described embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 21, the push-button 93 is incorporated into the sliding body 92 with the leaf spring 96 interposed therebetween. As shown in FIG. 20, in a state where the sliding body 92 is incorporated into the cover member 30, a pair of the protrusion portions 97 is fitted into a pair of the grooves 29 for length adjustment of the rail portions 20 and 21. At this time, the protrusion portions 97 are pressed against the grooves 29 by an urging force of the leaf spring 96.
At the time of bracelet length adjustment, when the push-button 93 is released after the sliding body 92 is pressed against the inner surface of the cover member 30 with the push-button 93 pressed toward the cover member 30 and the sliding body 92 is slid such that the protrusion portion 97 is moved to one of the plurality of grooves 29 that is at a position corresponding to a desired length, the protrusion portion 97 is fitted to the one of the grooves 29.
FIG. 22 is a perspective view of the sliding body 92 as seen from the cover member 30 side. In FIG. 22, the leaf spring is not shown.
The sliding body 92 is composed of a main body portion 92b made of metal such as titanium, two linear protrusion portions 98 provided at the main body portion 92b, and the like. The two linear protrusion portions 98 are made of the same resin as in the above-described embodiment, and are disposed at portions that abut against the inner surface of the cover member 30.
The linear protrusion portions 98 are rail-shaped protruding portions extending in the longitudinal direction of the cover member 30. The two linear protrusion portions 98 are provided to be separated from each other on the main body portion 92b. Engagement pins (not shown) are provided at the linear protrusion portions 98, and the engagement pins are attached by being fitted to engagement holes (not shown) provided in the main body portion 92b.
At the time of bracelet length adjustment, the two linear protrusion portions 98 abut and slide against the inner surface of the cover member 30 so that the sliding body 92 slides.
In other words, a coupling portion faces the inner surface of the cover member 30, the coupling portion is the sliding body 92 stored between the pair of rail portions 20 and 21, the pressing portion is the rectangular push-button 93 having a long side extending in the lateral direction of the cover member 30, the engagement portion is the pair of protrusion portions 97 that is provided at short sides of the push-button 93, the push-button 93 is incorporated into the sliding body 92 with the leaf spring 96 serving as an elastic member interposed therebetween, and at the time of a sliding movement, the sliding body 92 is pressed against the inner surface of the cover member 30 with the push-button 93 pressed toward the cover member 30. Note that the entire sliding body 92 including the linear protrusion portions 98 may be made of resin. In addition, the uneven portion 39 (FIGS. 14 and 15), which is a stripe-shaped groove, may be provided along a sliding direction of the sliding body 92 at a sliding portion of the inner surface of the cover member 30.
As described above, according to the bracelet 100, the watch 150, and the bracelet length adjustment mechanism of the present embodiment, the following effects can be achieved.
According to the bracelet 100, a coupling portion faces the inner surface of the cover member 30, the coupling portion is the sliding body 92 stored between the pair of rail portions 20 and 21, the pressing portion is the rectangular push-button 93 having a long side extending in the lateral direction of the cover member 30, the engagement portion is the pair of protrusion portions 97 that is provided at short sides of the push-button 93, the push-button 93 is incorporated into the sliding body 92 with the leaf spring 96 serving as an elastic member interposed therebetween, and at the time of a sliding movement, the sliding body 92 is pressed against the inner surface of the cover member 30 with the push-button 93 pressed toward the cover member 30.
Accordingly, the bracelet length adjustment can be performed by pressing the push-button 93 and pressing the sliding body 92 against the inner surface of the cover member 30, which is favorable in convenience and usability.
Therefore, the bracelet 100 and the watch 150 including a bracelet length adjustment mechanism with which length adjustment can be performed easily can be provided.
Furthermore, since the two linear protrusion portions 98 of the sliding body 92, which slide against the inner surface of the cover member 30 at the time of length adjustment are made of resin, a frictional force between the linear protrusion portions 98 and the cover member 30 made of metal is small and wear of members can be suppressed since a slidability is excellent. Accordingly, a bracelet that has high durability against a sliding movement at the time of length adjustment and of which the appearance is aesthetically excellent can be provided.
In addition, the uneven portion 39 is provided along a sliding direction at a portion of the inner surface of the cover member 30 that abuts against the sliding body 92. Accordingly, the area of contact at the time of a sliding movement is reduced and the sliding resistance can be further reduced.

Claims

A bracelet comprising:
a first bracelet that is attached to one end side of a watch main body;

a second bracelet that is attached to another end side of the watch main body; and

a clasp portion that couples the first bracelet and the second bracelet, wherein

the clasp portion includes a cover member and an adjustment portion,

the adjustment portion includes
a pair of rail portions that is disposed along inner sides of two side walls of the cover member in a longitudinal direction of the cover member and that includes a plurality of grooves for length adjustment,

a pressing portion that includes an elastic member,

a coupling portion of which one end is coupled to an end portion of the first bracelet, and

an engagement portion that is provided at the pressing portion and that is engageable with the grooves of the rail portions,

grooves of the rail portions with which the engagement portion is engaged are selectable by pressing the pressing portion toward the cover member and sliding the pressing portion, and

a portion of the pressing portion that slides against an inner surface of the cover member or a portion of the coupling portion that slides against the inner surface of the cover member is made of resin, the pressing portion or the coupling portion facing the inner surface of the cover member.
The bracelet according to claim 1, wherein
the pressing portion faces the inner surface of the cover member,

the pressing portion includes
a lid that abuts against the inner surface of the cover member,

a pressing case that is paired with the lid, and

the elastic member that is disposed between the lid and the pressing case,

the engagement portion is an engagement pin,

the coupling portion is an adjustment block that is coupled to the pressing portion by the engagement pin, and

at a time of a sliding movement, the pressing portion is pressed toward the cover member by the adjustment block in a state where the adjustment block is erected with respect to the cover member with the engagement pin serving as a rotary shaft.
The bracelet according to claim 2, wherein
the lid is made of resin.
The bracelet according to claim 2, wherein
the lid has a two-body structure and is composed of a main body portion made of metal and an abutting portion that is attached to the main body portion and that abuts against the inner surface of the cover member, and

the abutting portion is made of resin.
The bracelet according to claim 2, wherein
an uneven portion is provided along a direction of the sliding movement, at a portion of the inner surface of the cover member that abuts against the lid.
The bracelet according to claim 1, wherein
the coupling portion faces the inner surface of the cover member,

the coupling portion is a sliding body stored between the pair of rail portions,

the pressing portion is a rectangular push-button having a long side extending in a lateral direction of the cover member,

the engagement portion is a pair of protrusion portions that is provided at short sides of the push-button,

the push-button is incorporated into the sliding body with the elastic member interposed therebetween, and

at a time of a sliding movement, the sliding body is pressed against the inner surface of the cover member with the push-button pressed toward the cover member.
The bracelet according to claim 6, wherein
an uneven portion is provided along a direction of the sliding movement, at a portion of the inner surface of the cover member that abuts against the sliding body.
A watch comprising:
the bracelet according to any one of claims 1 to 7.
A bracelet length adjustment mechanism comprising:
a first bracelet that is attached to one end side of a watch main body;

a second bracelet that is attached to another end side of the watch main body; and

a clasp portion that couples the first bracelet and the second bracelet, wherein

the clasp portion includes a cover member and an adjustment portion,

the adjustment portion includes
a pair of rail portions that is disposed along inner sides of two side walls of the cover member in a longitudinal direction of the cover member and that includes a plurality of grooves for length adjustment,

a pressing portion that includes an elastic member,

a coupling portion of which one end is coupled to an end portion of the first bracelet, and

an engagement portion that is provided at the pressing portion and that is engageable with the grooves of the rail portions,

grooves of the rail portions with which the engagement portion is engaged are selectable by pressing the pressing portion toward an inner surface of the cover member and sliding the pressing portion, and

a portion of the pressing portion that slides against the inner surface of the cover member or a portion of the coupling portion that slides against the inner surface of the cover member is made of resin, the pressing portion or the coupling portion facing the inner surface of the cover member.