GB2278148A

GB2278148A - Wrist watch buckle

Info

Publication number: GB2278148A
Application number: GB9308500A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Han Sang Hung
Original assignee: MING FUNG METAL MANUFACTURING
Current assignee: MING FUNG METAL MANUFACTURING
Priority date: 1993-04-23
Filing date: 1993-04-23
Publication date: 1994-11-23
Anticipated expiration: 2013-04-23
Also published as: GB9308500D0; GB2278148B

Abstract

A buckle for a wrist watch having a pair of straps 14, 15 comprises generally flat elongate first and second members 11, 12 Which are hinged together at one end 11A, 12A, the opposite end 11B of the first member 11 being connected in use to the free end of one said strap 14, a fastener 17 provided at the opposite end of the second member for fastening the free end of the other said strap 15, and engaging means 13B for releasably holding the members in a buckle closed condition in which the straps are in use brought together. The fastener comprises top and bottom parts 18, 19 hingedly connected together and between which the other said strap 15 is to pass and further comprises holding means 23 for holding the other said strap. <IMAGE>

Description

Wrist Watch Buckle The invention relates to a buckle for a wrist watch having a pair of straps.

According to the invention, there is provided a buckle for a wrist watch having a pair of straps, which buckle comprises generally flat elongate first and second members which are hinged together at one end, the opposite end of said first member being connected in use to the free end of one said strap, a fastener provided at the opposite end of the second member for fastening the free end of the other said strap, and engaging means for releasably holding the members in a buckle closed condition in which the straps are in use brought together, wherein the fastener comprises top and bottom parts hingedly connected together and between which the other said strap is to pass and further comprises holding means for holding the other said strap in position relative to the fastener when the parts are hinged closed.

Preferably, the holding means comprises a pin on one of the fastener parts for engaging a hole in the other said strap for holding the other said strap in position relative to the fastener when the parts are hinged closed.

In this case, the free end of the pin may be positioned close to the other of the fastening parts when the parts are hinged closed. The other of the fastening parts may have a recess for accommodating the free end of the pin when the parts are hinged closed.

Preferably, the fastener is provided with engaging means for engaging the fastener parts hinged closed through a snapping action. In this case, the fastener engaging means may be provided on the fastener parts and on opposite lateral sides of the buckle. The top fastener part may have an inverted U-shaped cross-section and the bottom fastener part may have a generally flat crosssect ion, the bottom fastener part being arranged to snap into position across opposed limbs of the fastener part.

Preferably, the fastener is hinged at the opposite end of the second buckle member. In this case, the fastener parts and the opposite end of the second buckle member may all be hinged together by the same hinge pin.

The invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a buckle in accordance with the invention, showing fragmentarily two straps of a wrist watch in broken lines; and Figure 2 is a sectional side view of a fastener of the buckle of Figure 1.

Referring firstly to Figure 1 of the drawings, there is shown a buckle 10 embodying the invention, which buckle 10 comprises first and second generally flat elongate members 11 and 12 which are hinged together at one end llA/12A.

The first buckle member 11 is formed by a pair of coextending parts 11', which are spaced apart but remain connected together by a pair of links 13A and 13B provided at the end llA and near opposite end lIB of the buckle member 11, respectively. The second buckle member 12 is hinged at its end 12A to the first buckle member end IlA and between the buckle member parts 11' and is arranged to pivot down to lie between the parts 11' of and co-planar with the first buckle member 11. Although not shown in Figure 1, free end 12B of the second buckle member 12 is hook-shaped for engagement with the link 13B of the first buckle member 11, thereby holding the buckle 10 closed.

The buckle 10 is designed to be used at its end lIB with a wrist watch bearing a pair of leather straps 14 and 15.

The first buckle member 11 is connected at its end 1lB by a hinge member 16 to the free end of the strap 14, whilst the second buckle member 12 is arranged to fasten the free end of the strap 15 by means of a fastener 17 provided at the end 12B of the buckle member 12.

Reference is made also to Figure 2. The fastener 17 is formed by top and bottom parts 18 and 19, the former having an inverted U-shaped cross-section and the latter having a generally flat cross-section. The bottom fastener part 19 is located between two limbs 18' of the top fastener part 18 and is hinged thereto at forward side 17A of the fastener 17 by a hinge pin 20. The hinge pin 20 passes also through the free end 12B of the second buckle member 12, whereby the fastener 17 is hinged thereto.

The fastener 17 extends across opposite lateral sides of the buckle 10. On rearward side 17B of the fastener 17, the inner side of each limb 18' of the top fastener part 18 is undercut to form a V-shaped groove 21. Each corresponding corner of the bottom fastener part 19 has a wedge-shaped lateral projection 22. When the bottom fastener part 19 is pivoted into the top fastener part 18, the projections 22 snap into engagement with the corresponding grooves 21, thereby engaging the top and bottom fastener parts 18 and 19 together to close the fastener.

The bottom fastener part 19 carries on upstanding pin 23 which has a slightly enlarged top free end 23'. The top fastener part 18 has a recess 24 on its inner surface. for accommodating the free end 23' of the pin when the fastener 17 is snapped closed.

In use, the wrist watch strap 15 is threaded through the fastener 17 from its rearward side 17B to its forward side 17A, while the fastener 17 is open, between the top and bottom fastener parts 18 and 19. The strap 15 has a series of holes 25 along the length of its free end. At the desired strap length with an appropriate hole 25' right above the pin 23, the bottom fastener part 19 is pivoted upwards towards the top fastener part 18. The pin 23 passes through the hole 25' and then the fastener 17 is snapped closed to complete fastening of the strap 15 thereto. In this condition, the wrist watch can be worn on a person's wrist in the same convenient manner as a wrist watch having an endless metal bracelet incorporating a buckle. The free end of the watch strap 15 overlies the other strap 14, thereby resembling an ordinary buckled leather strap wrist watch.

It is envisaged that holding means other than the pin 23 may be used to hold the watch strap 15 fastened to the fastener 17. such as a series of gripping teeth or simply through frictional engagement. Also, the top and bottom parts of the fastener 17 may have opposed U-shaped crosssections to form a loop for the watch strap to pass through. It is possible for the buckle to have three linked buckle sections or members, the two end members being of half length to overlie the middle member in an end-to-end manner.

It is to be appreciated that the pin 23 of the fastener 17 does not necessarily completely pass through the appropriate hole 25' in the watch strap 15 and/or extend into the opposite fastener part (the recess 24), so long as the pin 23 can retain the strap 15.

The invention has been given by way of example, and various other modifications of and/or alterations to the described embodiment may be made by persons skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as specified in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A buckle for a wrist watch having a pair of straps, which buckle comprises generally flat elongate first and second members which are hinged together at one end, the opposite end of said first member being connected in use to the free end of one said strap, a fastener provided at the opposite end of the second member for fastening the free end of the other said strap, and engaging means for releasably holding the members in a buckle closed condition in which the straps are in use brought together, wherein the fastener comprises top and bottom parts hingedly connected together and between which the other said strap is to pass and further comprises holding means for holding the other said strap in position relative to the fastener when the parts are hinged closed.

2. A buckle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the holding means comprises a pin on one of the fastener parts for engaging a hole in the other said strap for holding the other said strap in position relative to the fastener when the parts are hinged closed.

3. A buckle as claimed in claim 2, wherein the free end of the pin is positioned close to the other of the fastener parts when the parts are hinged closed.

4. A buckle as claimed in claim 3, wherein the other of the fastener parts has a recess for accommodating the free end of the pin when the parts are hinged closed.

5. A buckle as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the pin is provided on the bottom fastener part.

6. A buckle as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the fastener is provided with engaging means for engaging the fastener parts hinged closed through a snapping action.

7. A buckle as claimed in claim 6, wherein the fastener engaging means are provided on the fastener parts and on opposite lateral sides of the buckle.

8. A buckle as claimed in claim 7, wherein the top fastener part has an inverted U-shaped cross-section and the bottom fastener part has a generally flat crosssection and the bottom fastener part is arranged to snap into position across opposed limbs of the top fastener part.

9. A buckle as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the fastener is hingedly connected to the opposite end of the second buckle member.

10. A buckle as claimed in claim 9, wherein the fastener parts and the opposite end of the second buckle member are all hingedly connected together by the same hinge pin.

11. A buckle substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

12. A wrist watch having a pair of straps and incorporating a buckle as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.