GB2245476A - Watch bracelets - Google Patents

Abstract

A stainless steel watch bracelet comprises a plurality of articulatably connectable links, each link 10 comprising two portions which have been joined together e.g. by welding, at least one of the portions being formed with a recess 13, 103 for accommodating a pin which provides the articulatable connection between adjacent links. The links may be formed by welding together two steel strips each of which has been provided with two parallel grooves, and then cutting the composite strip into individual links. <IMAGE>

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN WATCH STRAPS This invention relates to watch straps.

BACKGRCUND OF THE INVENTION A common conventional watch band shown in Fig. 1 is a kind of high quality watch band such as a Rolex brand, rather thick for a wearer to feel heavy. In manufacturing process, a material slip is first cut into links of the same length, and then every link is punched and bored to become a link A, which is linked together one by one with a pin inserted in the holes to make up a band. As the material is stainless steel, boring speed cannot by fast because of its hardness, only about 1500 pieces by one worker working for 8 hours.

So far, the linking problem for links in watch bands has not acquired a breakthrough, and their production is slow in speed, and high in cost as well because of the inconvenient manufacturing method.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the disadvantages mentioned above in conventional watch band and its manufacturing method, this invention has been devised to furnish a stainless steel watch band easier to process and its manufacturing method or more speedy production.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Now, this invention will be described with referrence to the accompanying drains wnerern, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a conven- tional stainless steel watch band; Figure 2 is an elevational view of tne stain- less steel slip half-finished in the present invention; Figure 3 is a right side view of Fig. 2; Figure 4 is an elevational view of the stain- less steel slip -inished in the present invention; Figure 5 is a right side view of Fig. 4; Figure 6 is an elevational view of the link unfinished in the present invention; Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of 7 - 7 line on Fig. 6; Figure 8 is an elevational view of the link finished in the present invention;; Figure 9 is a perspective view of the pin in the present invention; Figure 10 is an elevational view of the watch band in the present invention; Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view of 11 - 11 line on Fig. 10; Figure 12 is a perspective view of the second example of the link in the present invention; Figure 13 is a front view of the second example of the link in the present invention; Figure 1 4 i 15 a right sice view of the second example of the link in the present invention; Figure 15 is a side view of the second example of the link finished in the present invention; Figure 16 is a cross-sectional view of 16 - 16 line on Fig. 15; Figure 17 is a perspective view of the second example of the watch band in the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Generally, stainless steel can never be pressed to form a slip shown in Figs.4 and 5 as aluminium can, but can be rolled and pre- ssed to form a slip shown in Figs. 2 and The first example of the stainless steel watch band in this invention has a stainless steel half slip 1'as its material for links, and the slip 1' has an upper surface 11 and a bottom surface 12 having two lengt wise parallel semi-circular grooves 13! . When two half slips 1' are combined together with the bottom surfaces contacting with each other, two semi-circular grooves 13' make through hole 13. And this is the important feature of this invention.After combining two half slips 1' together, they are able welded together at both sides by means of a @ aser welder or stuck together at the middle portion by glue to make up a long slip 1 of any length as wanted. The welded section perceivable can be ground off to become imperceivable beautify- ing the slip 1.

Next, referring to Figs. 6 and 7, the long slip 1 is to be cut into a plurality of links 10, which have an vertical upper surface 101, a vertical lower surface 102 and two pin holes 103. As the conventional watch band shown in Fig. 1 is made up of solid links, which are to be bored to have holes as deep as 8mm to 10mm, boring process is quite difficult and slow because of the hardness of the material, easily breaking very small d=iils and possible slant- ing of holes.But in the present invention the slip 1 is made up of two half slip 1' having two semi-circular grooves 13 already formes in the rolling and pressing precess, the slip 1 naturally has two round holes 13 after two half slip 1' are combined and welded together Be- sides, the holes 13 are quit circular and straight, and welding speed can be quick as 1.2 meter per minute so that production speed in this invention is many, many times laser than that of the conventional method.

Referring to Fig. 8, the link 10 is pressed to have an cutout opening 104 and two side openings 105 respectively at the two parallel lengthwise holes 103, and two side openings 105 naturally form a projecting rectangular portion as wide and deep as the opening 104 so that said projecting portion of a link can engage in said opening 104.

Referring to Figs. 10 and 11, a plurality of links 10 are linked together one by one with pins 2, as shown in Fig. 9, inserted in the pin holes 103 to form a watch band.

If the link is needed to have its upper surface provided with a design or four slanting sections for decoration, it cannot be mare rrcm the long slip by pressing process. But there is a easy manufacturing method, wherein each link 10 can be made up of an upper half and a lower half link 10' by pressing process. Then the upper half link 10' can be provraea witn an upper surface with a design and alower surface with two or more semi-circular grooves 13'.

The link 10 can be made up of two nal links of the same size as shown in Figs. 13 and 14 or a long half-finished slip is first made as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, then the slip is ct into half links of the same length and two half links are able to be welded together being kept stable in a mold by means of a laser welder, or to be stuck at the middle portion by glue, becoming the link 10 shown in Figs. 15 and 16. Then the links 10 can be linked together one by one to form a watch band as shown in Fig. 17.

As can be realized from the above description, this invention has solved the problem of forming pin holes in a stainless steel watch band, utilizing its extensibility by means of rolling and pressiny process and laser welding without using boring process, and greatly speeding up produc- tion many times faster and more accuratl.

Claims (7)

1. A stainless steel watch band and its manufacturing method, wherein stainless steel is rolled and pressed into a half-finished half slip, which has an upper surface and a bottom surface having two or more parallel lengthwise semi-circular grooves, and two half-finished half slips are combined together to become a finished slip, which is cut into a plurality of links having two or more pin holes and possible to be linked together one by one to rorm a watch band.

2. A stainless steel watch band and its manufacturing method, wherein stainless steel slips are processed to become a plurality cf a half link having two or more parallel lengthwise semi-circular grooves in the bottom su-- face by means of pressing, and then two of said half links are stuck -o form a completed link with two pin holes so that said completed links can be linked together one by one to make up a watch band.

3. A method of manufacture of a watch strap of the kind comprising a plurality of articulatably connected links, the method comprising the step of forming a link by joining together two link portions, at least one of which link portions has been formed with a recess for accommodating a pin between the two link portions when they are joined together whereby to provide said artlculatable connection.

4. A watch strap of the kind comprising a plurality of articulatably connectable links, wherein a link comprises two link portions which have been joined together, where at least one of the link portions has been formed with a recess for accommodating a pin when the two link portions are joined together whereby to provide said articulatable connection.

5. A method of manufacture of a watch strap substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

6. A watch strap substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Published 1991 at The Patent Office. Concept House. Cardiff Road. Newport. Gwent NP9 1RH. Further copies may be obtained from Sales Branch. Unit 6, Nine Mile Point, Cwmfelinfach, Cross Keys. Newport. NP1 7HZ. Printed by Multiplex techniques @td. St Mary Cray. Kent.

7. A watch incorporating a strap as claimed in claim 4 or claim 6.