HK1010473B - Watchband - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to watch bands and watch bracelets made of metal, including precious metal, gold, platinum, silver or steel.

Where such bracelets do not contain only links of precious metal, for reasons of strength or economy of precious metal, the precious metal elements are fixed on articulated supporting elements which may themselves be of steel.

These structures are complicated, require complex machining and difficult to assemble.

The purpose of the present invention is to produce such a bracelet with decorative and supporting elements requiring few different parts, which are easy to machine and assemble.

The bracelet according to the invention has decorative elements and supporting elements connected by fastening pins and has the characteristics of claim 1.

The accompanying drawing shows a watch case with a bracelet according to the invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the watch strap according to the invention assembled to a watch case.

Figure 2 is a top view of the strap flattened and separated from the watch case.

Figure 3 is a cut following line A-A of Figure 2. Figure 4 is a cut following line B-B of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a perspective view showing a bracelet strand attached to the watch case and how to attach a terminal link to the free end of the bracelet.

Figure 6 shows in split perspective the attachment of a bracelet end-mount and a bracelet end-support to the watch case.

Figures 7 and 8 show a decorative element of the bracelet in perspective from below and above.

Figure 9 shows a perspective of a bracelet support.

Figure 10 shows in perspective, on a larger scale, the assembly and interconnection of the decorative and support elements for closing the bracelet.

The bracelet according to the present invention illustrated in the drawing as a watch bracelet could of course be a continuous jewellery bracelet without a watch, as will be explained below.

Figure 1 shows a watch case 1 with a bracelet according to the invention. This bracelet has decorative elements 2 usually made of precious metal but could also be made of other materials such as precious or semi-precious stone, wood, steel, etc. and support elements 3 connected to each other by pins 4.

The bracelet also has end-decor elements 5 to be connected to the watch case by means of bars 6 and end-support elements 7 also to be attached to the watch case by means of the same bar 6.

The free ends of the bracelet links shall each contain a terminal link 8 consisting of a single decorative element connected to the supporting element 3 of the adjacent link of the bracelet by a screw 9.

Except for the bracelet terminal links which are monobloc and consist of a single decoration element, each bracelet link consists of a decoration element 2,5 and a corresponding support element 3,7.

Each decorative element 2 of the bracelet (Figures 7 and 8) is formed in the illustrated example of a rectangular parallelepipedal body, the upper face 10 being worked, gilded, stones or otherwise manufactured to give the bracelet the desired aesthetic. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, especially since the bracelet is assembled, only this surface 10 and the side faces 11 which can also be decorated are visible from the bracelet; they alone contribute to the appearance of the bracelet.

Each decorative element 2 has a 12 hood leading out onto its lower face 10a and its two front slices perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the bracelet. This 12 hood is shaped to accommodate, by simple anchoring, a supporting element 3. There is therefore no mechanical connection to attach a decorative element 2 to a supporting element 3; the supporting element 3 is simply placed in housing 12 of the corresponding decorative element 2.

The clearance 12 has a narrow part leading to one of the front slices 14 perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the bracelet, of the decorative element 2. This front slice 14 of the decorative element 2 has, on either side of the clearance 12, rectilinear semi-cylindrical grooves 15 whose axis extends perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the bracelet and therefore of the clearance 12.

The gap 12 has a wide part leading out onto the other front slit 16 of the decorative element 2 which also extends perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the bracelet, respectively of gap 12. This second front slit 16 is fitted on either side of gap 12 with protrusions 17 of straight semi-cylindrical shape.

The end trim 5 attached to the watch case has a flat front slit 18 to make contact with a face 19 of the case 1, located between the 23 horns of this watch case 1. Near this flat front slit 18, the decoration 5 has a piercing 21 through. When this trim 5 is attached to the watch case 1, a bar or pin 6 passes through the piercing 21 and its ends are housed in holes 22 that contain the horns 23 of the watch case 1.

This end-fit 5 shall have a clearance or groove 13 leading out onto its lower and front sides 18,15 for the purpose of receiving an end-fit 7.

In the mounted position, this support 7 is placed in groove 13 of the end decoration element 5. This support 5 has a first borehole 24 coming in the mounted position to be located in the axis of the holes 21. This borehole 24 is also crossed by the bar 6 which thus connects the decoration element 5 and the support element 7 to the watch case 1.

The other front slice of the end support element has a 25th-diameter semi-cylindrical projection through a 26th-diameter coaxial borehole to this 25th-diameter semi-cylindrical projection and which, when assembled to box 1 and placed in groove 23, is also coaxial to the axis of the 15th-diameter semi-cylindrical grooves of the front face 14 of the decoration element 5.

The support element 3 corresponding to the decorative elements 2 is located in clearance 12 of the same and has a narrow part 27 with a convex semi-cylindrical shape at the end 28 with a coaxial bore 29 concentric to this cylindrical surface 28. The other part of this support element 2 is wide and consists of two supports 30 with a semi-cylindrical shape at the end 31 with coaxal supports 32 to these convex semi-cylindrical surfaces 31. The two supports 30 are separated by a neck 33.

The peculiarity of these support elements 3 is that their dimensions are such that they are located in clearance 12 of a decorative element 2 and that once in this position, the coaxial bore 29 of the semi-cylindrical end 28 is perfectly aligned with the axis of the semi-cylindrical grooves 15 of the decorative element 2.

When the supporting element 3 is placed in the clearance of a decorative element 2, its flat face 34 shall be in the plane of the lower face 10a of that decorative element 2.

The bracelet is mounted close together. First the end support element 7 is placed in groove 23 of the end decoration element 5. Then this end link 5,7 is placed between the 23 horns of the watch case 1 so that holes 22,21 and 24 are aligned.

A support 3 is then placed so that its semi-cylindrical surfaces 31 of the 30 handles fit into the corresponding semi-cylindrical grooves 15 of the end decoration element 5 on either side of end 25 of the end support 7. In this way, holes 26 and 32 are aligned and a pin 4 is inserted to join these two support elements together.

A decorative element 2 is then placed on the newly assembled support element, so that the semi-cylindrical protrusions 17 of the decorative element 2 are placed in the corresponding semi-cylindrical grooves 15 of the adjacent decorative element and the coaxial bore 29 of the support element is then aligned on the axis of the semi-cylindrical grooves 15 of the decorative element 2.

The terminal link, monoblock, has a front slice similar to the decor elements with semi-cylindrical protrusions, except for this terminal link, one of the protrusions 17 is pierced with a 35 hole while the other is fitted with a screw. Thus, by placing this terminal link 8 with its semi-cylindrical protrusions 17 in the semi-cylindrical grooves 15 of the last assembled decor element 2, on either side of the 28 end of the last assembled support element, the drill and screw of this terminal link are aligned on the coaxial drill 29 of the support element.

Alternatively, the drill 35 of terminal link 8 can be threaded and cooperate with the threaded head of the screw 9. In this case, the other semi-cylindrical protrusion of link 8 has a borehole receiving the end of the screw 9.

It should be noted that in such a bracelet there is no attachment between the decorative elements 2 and the supporting elements 3. The supporting elements 3 are articulated and connected to each other by pins 4, but the decorative elements are simply embedded on the corresponding supporting elements and also embedded by their front slices with the neighboring decorative elements.

The decorative elements cannot be moved sideways as they are held in line by the supporting elements and they cannot be separated from the adjacent decorative elements with which they are engaged by their front half-cylindrical slices.

The free slice of terminal link 8 may have all means of coupling to a traditional zipper to allow the bracelet to close on itself.

Once mounted, the decorative elements surround and hide its three sides, the supporting elements are only visible on the inside of the bracelet and therefore invisible when the bracelet is worn.

The length of the bracelet is very simple, simply remove or add a decorative element 2 and a support element 3 to change the length of the bracelet.

It is obvious that the width of the decorative elements 2 may vary to allow the creation of a bracelet not of uniform width, always using the same supporting elements.

An advantage of the bracelet described is also that the pins 4 joining two adjacent support elements cannot escape as they are trapped laterally between two protrusions 17 of a decorative element 2.

The 12 holes of all the decorative elements 2 are identical to all the supporting elements 3 which makes it easier and less expensive to manufacture these elements and therefore the bracelet.

When the bracelet is not a watch strap and must be continuous and closed on itself, two possibilities exist: either each end of the bracelet has a terminal link 8 and a conventional zipper is used to connect the two ends of the bracelet; or a decorative element 2 is used with protrusions 17 one of which has a piercing, the other a tapping, and the ends of the bracelet are assembled using a screw 9 as in the case of attaching the terminal link 8 to the end of the strap of a watch strap.

It is clear from the foregoing that the principle of this new bracelet lies in its very specific characteristics, which are: The front slices of the decorative elements have one semi-cylindrical groove and the other a semi-cylindrical protrusion. This allows two juxtaposed decorative elements to be held in position while allowing their articulation.3. The support elements have at their ends mating organs with the neighboring support elements. These mating elements consist, at one end of the groove by a convex semi-cylindrical surface pierced by a crevice and at the other end of the element by slices on two decylindrical faces, two convex perpendicular to each other, or two adjacent perpendicular to each other.4. Thus, the symmetrical intersections of all the support elements, which correspond to the position of the perpendiculars on the axis of the support, form a symmetrical passage through the two decylindrical faces, two convex perpendicular to each other, with two adjacent perpendiculars perpendicular to the axis of the perpendicular to the axis of the support elements.4.

Claims (5)

1. A bracelet including decorative elements (2) exhibiting a recess (12) opening on their lower face (10a) and on their front sides (14, 16), one (14) of these front sides exhibiting semi-cylindrical hollows (15), whereas the other front side (16) exhibits semi-cylindrical protrusions (17) of matching dimensions ; this bracelet furthermore including support elements (3) housed each one in a decorative element (2); each one of these support elements (3) exhibiting at the first end thereof a coupling member having a semi-cylindrical convex surface (28) with a coaxial plain bore (29) and, at the second end thereof, two coupling members spaced apart laterally and having each one a semi-cylindrical convex surface (31), each one thereof being provided with a plain bore (32); these plain bores (32) being coaxial one with respect to the other and with respect to the semi-cylindrical convex surfaces (31), with pins (4) extending through the coaxial plain bore (29) and the plain bores (32) of two neighbouring support members (3), thus ensuring their coupling and their hinging ; characterised in that the shape of the support elements (3) matches that of the recesses (12) of the decorative elements, in such a manner as to fit snugly into these recesses (12), this fitting defining the relative longitudinal and transversal positions of the decorative element (2) with respect to the corresponding support element (3); in that, when the support element (3) is fitted into the housing (12) of the corresponding decorative element (2), the semi-cylindrical convex surface (28) of the first end of a support member (3) is positioned coaxially between the two semi-cylindrical hollows (15) of the corresponding decorative member (2), whereas the two semi-cylindrical convex surfaces (31) of its second end are coaxial with the semi-cylindrical protrusions (17) of the corresponding decorative element (2); and in that the semi-cylindrical convex surfaces (28, 31) of one support element (3) co-operate with the semi-cylindrical hollows (15) of two neighbouring decorative elements (2), in such a manner as to lock the position of the support element (3) in the housing (12) of the corresponding decorative element (2).
2. A bracelet according to claim 1, characterised in that it includes an end decorative element (5) of which the semi-cylindrical protrusions (17) are provided with plain bores, or one with a blind plain bore and the other with a threaded bore ; and in that the a screw (9) co-operating with these plain bores and / or the threaded bore as well as with the coaxial plain bore (29) of the support element of the other end of the bracelet makes it possible to close the same upon itself.
3. A bracelet according to claim 1, characterised in that it includes end decorative elements (5) having plain bores designed for being aligned in the assembled position with the plain bores (22) of the horns (23) of a watch case (1) and with at least one plain bore (24, 32) of a support element (7 ; 3); a pin (6) engaged in these plain bores (22, 24, 32) connecting these elements (2, 5 ; 3, 7) to the watch case (1).
4. A bracelet according to claim 1, characterised in that it includes end links (8) exhibiting each one a front side with semi-cylindrical protrusions (17), of which one has a plain bore and the other a concentric threaded bore ; a screw (9) co-operating with this plain bore and this threaded bore as well as with the coaxial plain bore (29) of the last support element of the bracelet.
5. A bracelet according to claim 4, characterised in that the other front side of the end link is provided with means for coupling the same with a clasp or forming a complete clasp or a portion thereof.