GB2082891A

GB2082891A - Watch band clasp

Info

Publication number: GB2082891A
Application number: GB8126772A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Stahl Freidrich & Co KG S GmbH
Current assignee: Stahl Freidrich & Co KG S GmbH
Priority date: 1980-09-04
Filing date: 1981-09-04
Publication date: 1982-03-17
Also published as: DE3105425A1; DE3105425C2; CH653225A5; FR2489113A1; HK9784A; GB2082891B; FR2489113B1

Abstract

A folding clasp for flexible armbands, especially wrist-watch straps comprises a cover member 3, hinged to one band end, the cover member 3 on folding in of an intermediary member 4 being securely retained at a terminal member 5. The intermediary member 4 is preferably extensible. The terminal member 5 is adjustably arranged on the free band end 2 through hinging to a clamping slide bar 6, and serves by means of a cam end 7 for making the slide bar fast in the desired extent setting. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Folding clasp for flexible armbands, especially wrist-watch straps This invention reiates to a folding clasp for flexible armbands, especially wrist-watch straps, a cover member being hinged to one band end, if necessary with the interpositioning of a resilient member, the cover member being locked at the end of the terminal member on the intermediary member being folded inwards and the latter being preferably in the form of an extensible member.

There are known such folding clasps for slipping over the hand and locating on the arm and which comprise bottom members (terminal members) and cover members hinged to the latter by way of extensible intermediary members, the cover members in that case being releasably located in the closed position. These folding clasps, which are known in the most diversified types, do not permit adequate and quick length adjustment without a tool, such as is desirable for fitting to the arm of the purchaser. Moreover, such folding clasps provided with length adjustment are very long and in part also deep when made up and therefore detract considerably from the armband its flexibility and slimness.

For this reason, there have also been made hitherto, on the other hand, box-type clasps which are to be fully unlockable and adjustable in extent, and in which an enclosing box serves as the clamping clasp. These clasps have, however, the disadvantage that they are in two parts and consequently such closing bands are difficult to put on during usage and, besides, can easily slip off from the arm when being taken off or be lost due to spontaneous opening of the clasp. Also the eccentric arms present in the case of such clasps are short and consequently bad to open, the finger nail being easily broken off in so doing.

The object of the present invention is to provide a folding clasp which, on the one hand, is adjustable in extent easily and without a tool and, on the other hand is in one piece, and which on being opened, does not let the armband with watch fail and, moreover, is flat and slim beside being relatively short in construction and is consequently suitable for flexible armbands or wrist-watch straps.

In accordance with the present invention, we provide a folding clasp to be interposed between the two band ends of flexible armbands, such as wrist-watch straps, comprising a cover member to be hinged to one band end, a terminal member to be hinged to the other band end, and therebetween an intermediary member articulated to both, the intermediary member on being folded in being securely retained at the hinged end of the terminal member, which is adapted to be arranged adjustably on said other band end through hinging to a clamping slide bar and serves by means of a cam end thereon to make the slide bar fast in the desired effective length.

Through this combination of a folding clasp with an extent-adjustable lockable clasp through building of the clamping cam from the latter on to the terminal member of the former, the object set forth above is achieved in an advantageous manner and the clasp can be easily adjusted in extent, easily released, and easily folded, which makes it suitable above all for flat metal jointed or mesh bands on which cannot be shortened.

The armband or wrist-watch band with the folding clasp according to the invention can be easily adjusted without a tool and stays in one piece when being put on and taken off, i.e. it can be slipped over the hand merely through being opened up on its hinges without being undone, and can therefore no longer get lost. Moreover putting it on to the arm is possible in a corespondingly simple manner by slipping over the hand and closing the clasp, the base of the folding clasp serving well the purpose of the cam and not requiring the use of a finger nail. Finally, there is also afforded by the clamping lock adjustment a substantial adjustment in extent, without a tool, for the adaptation of flexible armbands or wrist-watch straps on purchasing same, or even later if the girth of the arm increases, for example on hot days.

Two preferred specific embodiments of a folding clasp in accordance with the invention are illustrated, by way of example, in the accompanying drawings, in which: Figs. 1 and 2 are perspective views of a folding clasp in accordance with a first specific embodiment of the invention, in the closed and opened attitudes, respectively; Figs. 3 and 4 are side elevations, on an enlarged scale, partly in section, of the folding clasp of Figs. 1 and 2 in the opened attitude, for taking off an armband on which the clasp is adjustably arranged, and for adjusting the effective length of the armband, respectively;; Figs. 5 to 7 are side elevations, on an enlarged scale and partly in section, of a folding clasp in accordance with a second specific embodiment of the invention in the closed (Fig. 5) and opened (Figs. 6 and 7) attitudes, Figs. 6 and 7 corresponding respectively to Figs. 3 and 4 of the first embodiment; and Fig. 8 is a local cross-section on the line A-A of Fig. 7.

Referring firstly to Figs. 1 to 4 illustrating the first specific embodiment, the folding clasp provides for the adjustable and detachable connection, through two-stage opening up on hinges, between the component band ends 1 and 2 of the flexible wrist-watch strap. To this end, the folding clasp comprises the cover member 3 hinged to the band end 1, with intermediary member 4 which is constituted by an extensible member, and the terminal member 5. The terminal member 5 is adjustably arranged on the free band end 2 by means of the clamping slide bar 6, and serves through its cam end 7 for securing the clamping slide bar 6 in the desired position on the free band end 2 for determining the effective length of the wrist-watch strap when in the operative position.The clamping slide bar 6 embraces the free band end 2 and engages by means of stop dogs or beading 8 in appropriate depressions between band elements or specific grooves 9 at the underside of the band end 2.

The terminal member 5 of the folding clasp, which member is hinged to the clamping slide bar 6, brings about the clamping upon the free band end 2, by means of cam end 7, at the hinge point on closure of the clasp in the manner evident from Fig. 3.

The clamping slide bar 6 is provided at both sides with stop pins 10 directed inwardly over the free band end 2, the terminal member 5 of the folding clasp resting against the pins 10 in the clamping position conforming to Fig. 3 and being opened away from the free band end 2 conforming to Fig. 4 for adjusting the effective length of the armband. Finally, the cover member 3 engages over the detent 7a at the end of the terminal member 5 when the folding clasp is closed conforming to Fig. 1 and locks through the hinge position 4a of the intermediary member 4, while the swung-open attitude is shown in perspective in Fig. 2. As is evident, there is consequently a slender length-adjustable clasp construction with only a short supporting surface in the form of the clamping slide bar, so that also the flexibility of the band is largely retained throughout the clasp.On putting on and taking off the armband or wrist-watch strap, the clasp needs only to be opened up or closed on its hinges in conformity with Fig. 3, and has to be fully released in conformity with Fig. 4 only for adjustment of the effective length of the armband or wrist-watch strap.

In the second specific embodiment in accordance with Figs. 5 to 8, the folding clasp again provides for the adjustable and detachable connection, through two-stage opening up on hinges, between the component band ends 11 and 12 of the flexible wrist-watch strap. In this case also the folding clasp comprises the cover member 13 hinged to the band end 1 with intermediary member 1 4 and terminal member 15, the intermediary member 14 being in the form of an extensible member and the extension thereof being restricted by the click-stop tie piece 1 4b.

The terminal member 1 5 is again slidably arranged on the free band end 12 through a clamping slide bar 1 6 and serves through its cam end 1 7 for securing the clamping slide bar 1 6 in the desired position for the selective adjustment of the effective length of the wrist-watch strap. The clamping slide bar 1 6 embraces the free band end 12 and engages by means of stop dogs or beading 1 8 in appropriate depressions or grooves 1 9 at the underside of the band at 12 in the case of flexible straps.The terminal member 1 5 of the folding clasp, which member is hinged to the clamping slide bar 16, brings about the clamping at the hinge point by means of the cam end 17 on the closure of the clasp with interpositioning of the small pressure plate 1 7b, as is evident from Fig. 6.

The small pressure plate 1 7b is supported in side slits 1 7c in the clamping slide bar 1 6. The clamping slide bar 1 6 is provided at both sides with stop dogs 20 directed inwardly over the free band end 12 towards the lateral lugs with slits 1 7c, the terminal member 1 5 of the folding clasp being held below and against the stop dogs 20 in the locking position in conformity with Fig. 6, and having to be unlocked in conformity with Fig. 7 for adjustment of the effective length of the strap.

Finally, the cover member 13 in this case also engages over the detent 1 7a at the end of the terminal member 1 5 when the folding clasp is closed in conformity with Fig. 5 and locks through the hinge position 1 4a of the intermediary member 14.

The explanations given hereinbefore in connection with the first specific embodiments as regards the manipulation of the clasp for adjustment of the effective length of the armband, on the one hand and for the release of the folding clasp on the other hand, apply equally to the second specific embodiment. Finally, in the case of the second embodiment, the cover member is formed like a hood overiapping the clasp -completely at both sides and above and is narrowed at the hinge point.

Claims

1. A folding clasp to be interposed between the two band ends of flexible armbands, such as wristwatch straps, comprising a cover member to be hinged to one band end, a terminal member to be hinged to the other band end, and therebetween an intermediary member articulated to both, the intermediary member on being folded in being securely retained at the hinged end of the terminal member, which is adapted to be arranged adjustably on said other band end through hinging to a clamping slide bar and serves by means of a cam end thereon to make the slide bar fast in the desired effective length.

2. A folding clasp according to claim 1, wherein a resilient member is interpositioned at the end of the cover member to be hinged.

3. A folding clasp according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the intermediary member is an extensible member.

4. A folding clasp according to any one of claims 1 to 3, in which the clamping slide bar is adapted to embrace said other band end and engage by means of stop dogs in appropriate depressions at the underside of the band, the terminal member being adapted to be hinged to the clamping slide bar by way of said other band end and to bring about the clamping through the cam end at the pivot point on closure of the folding clasp.

5. A folding clasp according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the clamping slide bar is provided at both sides with stop pins or dogs directed inwardly to extend over said other band end, and the terminal member is held below and against the stop pins or dogs in the locking position.

6. A folding clasp according to any one of the preceding claims, in which a small pressure plate is to be disposed between the cam end of the terminal member and said other band end inserted in the clamping slide bar, the small pressure plate being supported with lugs in side slots in the clamping slide bar.

7. A folding clasp according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the positive engagement between the cover member and the terminal member is brought about from the terminal member through detents engaging behind the articulation point of the intermediary member at the cover member.

8. A folding clasp according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the cover member overlaps the clasp completely at both sides and above in the manner of a hood, and is narrowed at the hinge point.

9. A folding clasp to be interposed between the two band ends of flexible armbands, such as wristwatch straps, substantially as herein before described with reference to Figs. 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.

10. A folding clasp to be interposed between the two band ends of flexible armbands, such as wrist-watch straps, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 5 to 8 of the accompanying drawings.

1 A flexible armband, such as a wrist-watch strap, having interposed between the two band ends thereof a folding clasp as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10.