GB2105970A - Watch band - Google Patents

Abstract

A watch band constructed by spirally winding a single metallic wire (2) around a core strip (1) is improved in that the tip (2a) of the wire (2) is located a a position spaced from the end of the core strip and protected by a reinforcement strip (3) per se fixed on the end portion of the core strip and having side portions and turned portions (3c, 3c') one of said turned portions (3c) being convergent and the other (3c') being divergent so that there may be formed a step complementarily receiving the tip of the metallic wire when they are joined together, the slope of the convergent and divergent portions coinciding with the helical angle or lead angle of the spirally wound metallic wire so that the latter may be snugly received by these portions. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Watch band The invention relates to a watch band, and has more particular reference to a watch band constructed by spirally winding a single metallic wire around the periphery of a core strip.

In manufacturing a conventional spiral watch band of this type it is usual to wind a single metallic wire around the outer periphery of a core strip therefor, the tip of the metallic wire being cut and soldered onto the core strip using silver solder to form a band body. The tip portion of the wire is polished to become tapered, a connector member is fixed to the back of the tip portion by spot welding, silver soldering or the like, and finallythewatch band is finished by chemical polishing, electrolytic polishing or the like.

However, the tip of the metallic wire which is fixed to the core strip by silver soldering is apt to fray from the core strip, the silver solder being dissolved by the acid used for chemical polishing or electrolytic polishing of the finishing process, so that not only is the watch band made inferior but there is also the possibility, in use, of injury to the user or damage to the user's clothes.

Further, since the silver solder used in the silver soldering process tends to corrode or become dissolved, there is the further possibility that the appearance of the watch band will, in due course, be impaired.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a watch band which avoids the aforementioned problems and which can be assembled and fixed by electric spot welding without the use of silver solder, which is free from corrosion and discolouration, and wherein the likelihood of fraying of the metallic wire is minimised.

The watch band according to the present invention for accomplishing the above purpose is characterised in that the tip of a metallic wire wound around a core strip of the watch band is terminated short of the end of the core on the back face thereof, a reinforcement strip is provided around the outer periphery of the core strip outward of the tip of the metallic wire, said reinforcement strip being wider than the metallic wire and having such dimensional difference between the end portions as to provide a stepped portion which coincides with the width of the tip of the metallic wire, when both ends of the strip are abutted, the reinforcement strip and the core strip are joined by electric spot welding, and further a connector member is fixed onto the portion where the tip of the metallic wire and both ends of the reinforcement strip are joined together.

The invention will now be described further, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, and in which: Fig. 1 is an underneath plan view of a watch band embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view, drawn to a larger scale, of a part of the band shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an underneath plan view corresponding to Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a cross-section taken along line IV-IV of Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is an exploded view of a reinforcement strip.

Referring now to Fig. 1,there is illustrated a pair of watch bands A connected to a watch body B. The watch band A comprises a core strip 1 and a metallic wire 2 spirally wound around the outer periphery of the core strip 1. The core strip 1 conveniently comprises a wire mesh formed by entangling coil spring-type wires.

The metallic wire 2 spirally wound around the outer periphery of the core strip 1 terminates at the back face and short of the end of the core strip 1, and a reinforcement strip 3 is wound around the outer periphery of that portion of the core strip 1 which extends beyond the tip of the metallic wire 2, the wire terminating at a distance from the end of the core strip corresponding to the axial extent of about three windings of the metallic wire 2.

The reinforcement strip 3 is a strip having the same thickness as that of the metallic wire 2, and comprises an upper face portion 3a to cover the upper exposed portion of the core strip 1, side portions 3b, 3b' respectively formed at each end of the upper face portion 3a, and turned portions 3c, 3c' respectively formed on the side portions 3b, 3b' and intended to cover the back face of the core strip 1.

The turned portions 3c, 3c' are each of a length equal to one half of the width of the core strip 1, and abut at the centre of the back of the core strip 1. Of the turned portions 3c, 3c', the former 3c is convergent and the latter 3c' is divergent, so that there may be formed a stepped portion 4 to be complementarily joined with the tip 2a of the metallic wire 2 on assembly. In other words, the stepped portion 4thus formed is of the same width as that of the tip 2a of the metallic wire 2, and the slope of both turned portions 3c, 3c' is the same as that of the metallic wire 2 wound around the core strip 1.

The reinforcement strip 3 with such configuration is wound around the exposed portion of the core strip 1 and then the turned portions 3c, 3c' thereof are fixed to the core strip 1 by electric spot welding.

After fixing the reinforcement strip 3 as above, the end region of the watch band A is polished to form a descending slope and the back face of a connector member 5 is put on the back face of the reinforcement strip 3, namely on the turned portions 3c, 3c' and the tip 2a of the metallic wire 2 so as to cover them and is fixed thereto by electric spot welding.

Accordingly, since the tip 2a of the metallic wire 2 is held and fixed by the connector member 5, there is no danger that the tip of the metallic wire might become frayed.

Further, there is no possibility that the metallic wire 2 will be cut during polishing of the end region of the watch band A to form a descending slope mode, since such portion that is polished for that purpose is just the portion of the tips of the core strip 1 and the reinforement strip 3. Since the watch band of the present invention is constructed as above, the tip of the metallic wire wound around the core strip can be securely fixed without the use of silver soldering. Further, non-use of the silver soldering provides good appearance for a long period of time without suffering from any corrosion and discolouration. Moreover, since the tip of the metallic wire is held and fixed by the reinforcement strip wound therearound, the metallic wire can be prevented from slipping out of place, thereby preventing the opening up of adjacent turns on the watch band.

Thus, the present invention allows of the production of a watch band which will maintain its form and appearance during use.

Claims (4)

1. A watch band comprising a core strip, a single metallic wire wound around the outer periphery of the core strip, and a connector member fixed on the joining end of the watch band for connection to a watch body, characterised in that the tip of the metallic wire wound around the core strip of the watch band terminates short of the end of such strip on the back face thereof, a reinforcement strip is provided around the outer periphery of the core strip outward of the tip of the metallic wire, said reinforcement strip being wider than the metallic wire and having such dimensional difference between the end portions as to provide a stepped portion which coincides with the width of the tip of the metallic wire when both ends of the strip are abutted, the reinforcement strip and the core strip are joined by electric spot welding, and further a connector member is fixed onto the portion where the tip of the metallic wire and both ends of the reinforcement strip are joined together.

2. A watch band as claimed in claim 1,wherein the metallic wire terminates short of the end of the core strip by a distance corresponding approximateliy to the axial extent of three turns of the wire about the said strip.

3. A watch band as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the ends of the reinforcement strip are respectively convergent and divergent, thus, on abutment, to provide the said stepped portion.

4. A watch band substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.