CH720829A2 - INTERCHANGEABLE LOOP DEVICE - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to an interchangeable buckle device (1) comprising a buckle (2) provided with a bar (3) around which a tongue (4) is articulated, the device comprising an insert (5) provided with a channel (50) arranged to receive the bar (3), and a lock (6) arranged to cooperate with the insert (5) so as to close the channel (50), the lock (6) being arranged to pass from a locked position in which the bar (3) is held in the channel (50) to an open position in which the bar (4) is free, the lock (6) being held in its locked position by elastic return means (501,502).

Description

Technical field of the invention

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of watchmaking or jewelry. It relates more precisely to an interchangeable buckle device.

Technological background

[0002] Generally, bracelets, made of leather or metal, have a buckle which is attached to the latter by means of a bar.

[0003] In the field of watchmaking, solutions have been proposed to allow the user to easily change the strap of his watch, in particular in the case of a replacement when it is too worn or to interchange for example a leather strap and a metal strap. A great effort has been made in recent years to improve these systems for separating the strap on the case side, and many solutions have been proposed.

[0004] However, the same effort has not been made to detach the buckle, and this results in a lack of advantageous solutions. However, the value of a buckle or clasp made of precious metal is such that the user would like to be able to swap a bracelet without changing the buckle, and this in a simple, rapid, safe manner and without the aid of tools.

[0005] Another need that the invention proposes to solve is to allow this change of bracelet with bracelets that have not undergone any modification, that is to say standard bracelets, which is not the case with most of the solutions proposed up to now.

[0006] Indeed, the bracelet touching the wearer's wrist on this side of the strand, while it is most often far away on the case side due to the height of its assembly relative to the watch, the lug of the bar rubs the skin, which beyond the discomfort that results, subjects the system of the pump bar (composed of several different metals) to the wearer's perspiration. This results not only in problems of deterioration of the product (oxidation or other) but also increased risks of allergies for the wearer, materials containing nickel or other allergens being most often used.

[0007] Document US5951193 describes a method of mounting a buckle on a strand in which the bar cooperates with two elastic elements mounted in the bracelet and allowing the bar to be fixed by sliding it into an elongated opening in the bracelet. This solution has several drawbacks for achieving universal interchangeability, since it requires a bracelet modified to integrate these mounting elements. This solution therefore does not allow a buckle to be mounted on a standard bracelet and therefore limits interchangeability with bracelets available on the market. On the other hand, since the mounting and dismounting positions of the buckle relative to the attachment element are located in the direction of the service position of the bracelet, the buckle could become detached when wearing the watch, in particular if it is worn quite loosely or, in the case of a watch worn while diving over a neoprene-type suit, when the thickness of the latter shrinks and the bracelet becomes loose. Finally, the width of the hole receiving the strip is such that part of the hole remains visible after assembly, which is not aesthetic on the one hand, but can also constitute a housing in which debris can accumulate and disrupt the operation of the system.

[0008] Document CH714409 describes an interchangeable buckle and its method of assembly in which the pin must be moved along the axis of the bar to proceed with disassembly, which requires a modification of the bracelet so that the opening intended to receive the pin is wide enough to allow this movement. This solution is therefore not universal since it is only compatible with bracelets whose width of this opening is greater than usual. In addition, when assembling/disassembling the buckle, the force exerted by the user on the pin to compress the pump bar, always exerted on the same side of the bracelet strand, results in a deformation of the part of the strand, which increases the radial movement clearance of the pin to the detriment of the security of the retention of the buckle and the aesthetics of the bracelet. Finally, the assembly/disassembly of the buckle does not provide a signal informing the user of the correct assembly such as a haptic and/or audible signal, which may present risks of incorrect assembly and therefore of untimely detachment.

[0009] Document CH713108 describes a buckle device intended to be easily mounted and dismounted by clipping according to a rotation of a first element of the buckle relative to a second element of the buckle. This document presents an application for a folding buckle, no embodiment for a pin buckle being described or illustrated. However, it is advantageous to propose a device which applies equally well to a pin buckle as to a folding buckle.

[0010] The fastening devices thus described are generally used for interchangeable bracelets, which they allow to be replaced at the wearer's discretion. However, they are not without drawbacks. It will be noted, in particular, that they require major structural modifications at the level of the bar, such as, for example, the creation of an opening at the level of the tube, or the transformation of the pistons. These changes result in significant additional manufacturing costs.

Summary of the invention

[0011] The invention aims in particular to overcome the various drawbacks of the devices of the prior art.

[0012] More particularly, the invention aims to propose a buckle that is easily removable, easy to handle and applicable to new products while remaining retro-compatible with existing products to adapt to standard bracelets offered on the market.

[0013] For this purpose, the invention relates to an interchangeable buckle device comprising a buckle comprising a bar around which a tongue is articulated, the device comprising an insert provided with a channel arranged to receive the bar, and a lock arranged to cooperate with the insert so as to close the channel, the lock being arranged to slide from a locked position in which the bar is held in the channel to an open position in which the bar is free, the lock being held in its locked position by elastic return means.

[0014] According to other advantageous variants of the invention: – the insert comprises a recess arranged to receive the lock, the recess also acting as a stop when the lock is in the open position; – the channel comprises a passage for the pin; – the lock comprises a beak arranged to close the channel and hold the bar in the channel, the beak having a passage for the pin; – the recess comprises, on internal side walls of the insert, guide grooves arranged to cooperate with pivot pawls secured to the lock; – the insert has blind holes arranged to receive the elastic return means, the blind holes facing the lock; – the lock comprises gripping means; – the insert comprises stop means for limiting the travel of the lock; – the elastic return means are in the form of helical springs.

[0015] The invention also relates to a watch equipped with an interchangeable buckle device according to the invention.

Brief description of the figures

[0016] Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description given by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the appended drawings in which: - Figure 1 shows an exploded perspective view of an interchangeable buckle device according to the invention; - Figure 2 shows a perspective view of an interchangeable buckle device according to the invention in the closed position; - Figure 3 shows a perspective view of an interchangeable buckle device according to the invention in the open position; - Figures 4a and 4b respectively illustrate a section of an interchangeable buckle device according to the invention in the closed position and in the open position; - Figure 5 shows a perspective view of an interchangeable buckle device according to the invention with the buckle released from the device.

Detailed description of the invention

[0017] Figure 1 illustrates an interchangeable loop device according to the invention.

[0018] The interchangeable buckle device 1 is intended to secure and detach the end of a first bracelet strand to a watch buckle 3 provided with a pin 4 to attach it to a second bracelet strand.

[0019] Although only the example of a pin buckle is described, such a device is also adaptable to stud buckles. A stud buckle designates a buckle resembling a pin buckle but without a pin, the attachment of the strand with which the pin generally cooperates being in this case carried out using a pin.

[0020] The strap is attached to the buckle by means of an interchangeable attachment device comprising a buckle 2 and a bar 3 around which a pin 4 is articulated, the device comprising an insert 5 provided with a channel 50 arranged to receive the bar 3 by guiding it in the direction of its own axis (X). By "axis" of the bar is meant its own axis (X) of revolution or, in the case where the body is not a perfect body of revolution, the axis along which the bar extends.

[0021] The device also comprises a lock 6 arranged to cooperate with the insert 5 so as to close the channel 50. The lock 6 is arranged to move from a locked position in which the bar 3 is held in the channel 50 to an open position in which the bar 3 is free.

[0022] The lock 6 is held in its locked position by elastic return means 500, 510, a force opposing the return action of the springs making it possible to move the lock into the open position, and thus constitute removable assembly means capable of making the buckle interchangeable.

[0023] As can be seen in Figure 1, the channel 50 has a passage 55 for the barb 4, such an arrangement allows the barb 4 to pivot with the bar 3 when the device is in the locked position.

[0024] Thus, when mounting the buckle system on a bracelet strand, the bar 3 is inserted into the channel 50 of the insert 5 and does not require any modifications.

[0025] The insert 5 comprises a recess 51 arranged to receive the latch 6, the latch moving from the locked position to the open position in the recess 51. The recess 51 is of parallelepipedal shape and has two internal side walls 52, 53, a rear wall 57, and a bottom. Furthermore, the recess 51 opens onto the channel 50 so that the latch 6 can hold the bar 3 in the channel 50 when the device is in the locked position.

[0026] The rear wall 57 comprises two blind holes 56 facing the latch 6 and arranged to receive the elastic return means, the elastic return means being in the form of helical springs 501, 502 and partially resting in the blind holes 56.

[0027] The internal side walls 52, 53 of the insert 5 have longitudinal guide grooves 54 arranged to cooperate with pivot pawls 62, 63 integral with the lock 6 and housed in the side walls of the lock 6. The length of the grooves makes it possible both to define the stroke length of the lock 6 and to hold it in the recess 51.

[0028] The recess 51 also acts as a stop when the latch 6 is in the open position. Indeed, the recess 51 has a shoulder 58 which forms a platform against which the latch 51 partly rests, the platform thus forming both a guide surface and a stop for the latch 6 when it is actuated.

[0029] The lock 6 has a first end comprising a beak 60 arranged to close the channel 50 and hold the bar 3 in the channel 50, and a second end resting against the platform of the shoulder 58. Advantageously, the beak 60 has a concave surface to present a surface complementary to the surface of the bar and limit the points of contact when the latter pivots. The beak 60 also comprises a passage 61 for the barb 4 so that it can pivot when the device is in the locked position.

[0030] It will be noted that the lock 6 comprises gripping elements 64 to increase grip and facilitate its handling by the user.

[0031] In the locked position of the device, i.e. a position in which the bar rests in the channel 50 and is held therein by means of the latch 6, the channel is closed by the beak 60 of the latch as illustrated in FIG. 4a, this in order to retain the bar 3 in position and prevent it from passing into a free position.

[0032] When moving to the open position, the latch 6 is moved and translates in the direction of the length of the device, the latch 6 being guided by the movement of the pivot pawls 62, 63 in the grooves 54 as illustrated in FIG. 4b. The latch 6 moves in the recess 51 and exerts a force on the springs 501, 502 which are then elastically deformed to leave the channel 50 open and allow the bar 3 to move from the locked position to a free position subsequently.

[0033] Once channel 50 is open, or free, bar 3 can be unhooked from the device as illustrated in FIG. 5, and the user can change bracelet.

[0034] In the embodiment described above, the device is described for a so-called flexible bracelet made of leather, synthetic fabric, or even elastomer material.

[0035] Thanks to these different aspects of the invention, a secure interchangeable buckle device is provided allowing the strap to be changed easily and quickly without the use of tools.

[0036] Of course, the present invention is not limited to the example illustrated and is susceptible to various variants and modifications which will appear to those skilled in the art.

Claims (10)

1. Interchangeable buckle device (1) comprising a buckle (2) provided with a bar (3) around which a tongue (4) is articulated, the device comprising an insert (5) provided with a channel (50) arranged to receive the bar (3), and a lock (6) arranged to cooperate with the insert (5) so as to close the channel (50), the lock (6) being arranged to slide from a locked position in which the bar (3) is held in the channel (50) to an open position in which the bar (3) is free, the lock (6) being held in its locked position by elastic return means (501, 502). 2. Interchangeable buckle device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the insert (5) comprises a recess (51) arranged to receive the lock (6), the recess (51) also acting as a stop when the lock (6) is in the open position. 3. Interchangeable buckle device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the channel (50) comprises a passage (55) for the tongue (4). 4. Interchangeable buckle device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, in which the lock comprises a beak (60) arranged to close the channel (50) and hold the bar in the channel (50), the beak having a passage (61) for the tongue (4). 5. Interchangeable buckle device (1) according to claim 2, in which the recess (51) comprises, on internal side walls (52, 53) of the insert, guide grooves (54) arranged to cooperate with pivot pawls (62, 63) integral with the lock (6). 6. Interchangeable buckle device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5, in which the insert has blind holes (56) arranged to receive the elastic return means, the blind holes facing the lock (6). 7. Interchangeable buckle device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 6, in which the lock (6) comprises gripping means (64). 8. Interchangeable buckle device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 6, in which the insert (5) comprises stop means for limiting the travel of the lock (6). 9. Interchangeable buckle device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 8, in which the elastic return means (501, 502) are in the form of helical springs. 10. Watch comprising an interchangeable buckle device (1) according to claims 1 to 9.