Belt segment, belt and timepiece

Abstract

The invention provides a belt segment. The belt segment is provided with: a first segment piece; a second segment piece covering one of the front and back surfaces of the first segment piece; and a pin member that connects the first segment piece and the second segment piece and that is connected to another belt segment.

Description

[0001] This invention patent application is a divisional application of the invention patent application with application number 202110256974.6 and invention name “Belt segments, belts and watches”. Technical Field

[0002] The present technical field relates to a band segment used for a watch, a bracelet, a backrest, etc., a band formed by connecting the band segments, and a timepiece including the band. Background Art

[0003] In the watch strap, as recorded in Japanese Utility Model Registration Gazette No. 3148398, the following technology is known: the strap comprises a pair of outer segment pieces made of synthetic resin, an inner segment piece made of synthetic resin arranged between the above-mentioned pair of outer segment pieces, and a side segment piece made of metal installed on the outer side surfaces of the pair of outer segment pieces, and the above-mentioned components are connected into a roughly Y shape using pin components to form the strap. Summary of the invention

[0004] One of the schemes of the present invention is a belt segment, characterized in that it comprises: a first segment piece; a second segment piece, which covers one side of the front and back sides of the above-mentioned first segment piece; and a pin component, which connects the above-mentioned first segment piece and the above-mentioned second segment piece, and is connected to other belt segments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005] Figure 1 It is a perspective view showing one embodiment applied to a wristwatch.

[0006] Figure 2A yes Figure 1 An enlarged front view of a portion of the strap of the watch shown.

[0007] Figure 2B yes Figure 1 An enlarged side view of a portion of the strap of the watch shown.

[0008] Figure 2C yes Figure 1 An enlarged rear view of a portion of the strap of the watch shown.

[0009] Figure 3A yes Figure 2A to Figure 2C An enlarged front view of a strap segment of the strap is shown.

[0010] Figure 3B It is shown Figure 2A to Figure 2C An enlarged perspective view of the back side of a band segment of the watch strap shown.

[0011] Figure 3C yes Figure 3A Enlarged cross-sectional view from the AA perspective.

[0012] Figure 4 is shown in exploded form Figure 3A to Figure 3C An enlarged stereoscopic view of the belt segment is shown.

[0013] Figure 5 Viewed from the back Figure 4 An enlarged stereoscopic view of the belt segment is shown.

[0014] Fig. 6A It is shown in Figure 3A The enlarged side view of the second segment piece with segments is shown in a state where a fixing pipe and a limiting component are installed.

[0015] Figure 6B It will be shown in Figure 3A A portion A of the enlarged side view of the side of the second segment piece with segments in a state where the fixing pipe and the limiting component are installed is further enlarged and shown as a side view.

[0016] Figure 6C It is shown Figure 6B An enlarged view of the limiting hole of the limiting component is shown.

[0017] Figure 7 It shows that Figure 3A to Figure 3C An enlarged perspective view showing a state in which belt segments are connected to each other. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] Below, refer to Figure 1 to Figure 7 , an implementation method applied to a watch is described.

[0019] like Figure 1 As shown, the watch comprises a watch case 1. Band mounting portions 3 for mounting a watch band 2 are provided at the 12 o'clock side and the 6 o'clock side of the watch case 1. Switch devices 4 are provided at the 2 o'clock side, the 3 o'clock side, the 4 o'clock side, the 8 o'clock side and the 10 o'clock side of the watch case 1, respectively.

[0020] like Figure 1 to Figure 2C As shown in FIG. 2 , the watch band 2 is formed into a structure in which a plurality of band segments 5 are sequentially connected. Figure 3A to Figure 5 As shown, the belt segment 5 includes a first segment piece 6 made of synthetic resin and a second segment piece 7 made of metal. The second segment piece 7 is formed so that one side of the first segment piece 6, that is, the back side (at Figure 4 The first segment piece 6 is covered with one side, that is, the surface side (in the lower surface side) in a manner that is exposed. Figure 4 The belt segment 5 is formed by overlapping the first segment piece 6 and the second segment piece 7 and connecting them with a rod-shaped pin member 8.

[0021] like Figure 3A to Figure 5As shown in FIG. 1 , the first segment piece 6 has: a protrusion 10, which is protrudingly provided at one end 6a in the segment connection direction; and a connecting recess 11, which is provided at the other end 6b on the opposite side of the one end 6a so that the protrusion 10 can be arranged. The first segment piece 6 is formed of a synthetic resin such as polyurethane resin. A through recess 12 is provided in the central part of the first segment piece 6, that is, between the protrusion 10 and the connecting recess 11, so as to be open on the surface side.

[0022] like Figure 3A , Figure 3B , Figure 3C as well as Figure 4 As shown in FIG. 1 , the hollowed-out recess 12 is a recess for reducing the material of a synthetic resin such as a polyurethane resin, and two support columns 13 are provided in the hollowed-out recess 12 in a manner protruding toward the surface side. In addition, an inclined surface 10a inclined from the surface side toward the back side is provided at the front end of the protrusion 10 of the first segment piece 6. An assembly recess 14 for arranging the connection fixing portion 23 of the second segment piece 7 described below is provided in the middle portion of the protrusion 10 in a direction orthogonal to the segment connection direction, in a manner open at the surface side and the front end side.

[0023] And, if Figure 3A to Figure 5 As shown, the protrusion 10 of the first segment piece 6 is provided with pin mounting holes 15 for inserting and mounting the pin member 8 on both sides of the assembly recess 14 in a direction perpendicular to the segment connection direction in a manner corresponding to each other on the same axis. In this case, the outer diameter of the pin member 8 is formed to be of the same size as the inner diameter of the pin mounting hole 15, and the axial length is formed to be of the same length as the length of the belt segment 5 in the direction perpendicular to the segment connection direction between the protrusion 10 of the first segment piece 6 and the connection recess 11.

[0024] Therefore, if Figure 2A and Figure 2C As shown, the pin component 8 is constructed so that when it is inserted into the pin mounting holes 15 on both sides of the assembly recess 14 of the protrusion 10 respectively provided on the first segment piece 6, the end portions 8a on both sides of the pin component 8 are disengaged from the pin mounting holes 15 and protrude to both sides of the protrusion 10 in a direction orthogonal to the segment connection direction.

[0025] And, if Figure 3A to Figure 5 As shown, first connection holes 16 are provided on the side portions 11a on both sides of the connection recess 11 of the first segment piece 6 in a manner corresponding to the pin mounting holes 15 provided on the protrusion 10 of the adjacent belt segment 5 on the same axis, and the end portions 8a of the pin members 8 protruding to both sides from the protrusion 10 of the first segment piece 6 of the adjacent belt segment 5 are respectively inserted and installed in the first connection holes 16. In addition, a plurality of grooves 17 for perspiration are provided on the back side of the first segment piece 6 along the segment connection direction.

[0026] On the other hand, Figure 3A to Figure 5 As shown, the second segment piece 7 exposes and covers the back side of one side of the front and back sides of the first segment piece 6, and is formed of a metal such as stainless steel or titanium alloy. That is, the second segment piece 7 includes: a first surface protection portion 18 that covers and protects the surface of the first segment piece 6 from the protrusion 10 to the connecting recess 11; and a second surface protection portion 19 that covers and protects the surface of the connecting recess 11 from one end 6a to the other end 6b of the first segment piece 6 in the side portions 11a on both sides in the direction orthogonal to the segment connecting direction.

[0027] In this case, if Figure 3A , Figure 3B , Figure 3C as well as Figure 4 As shown, the first surface protection part 18 is formed to protrude further toward the surface side than the second surface protection parts 19 on both sides. Thus, when the first surface protection part 18 covers the surface of the first segment piece 6, the two support columns 13 of the first segment piece 6 are supported against the inner surface.

[0028] And, if Figure 3A , Figure 3B , Figure 3C as well as Figure 4 As shown, in the first surface protection portion 18, the portion corresponding to the inclined surface 10a of the protrusion 10 of the first segment piece 6 is formed as an inclined surface 18a that becomes lower toward the front end side. The inclined surface 18a of the first surface protection portion 18 is formed with the same inclination as the inclined surface 10a of the protrusion 10 of the first segment piece 6, and is arranged on the inclined surface 10a of the protrusion 10. Thus, the second segment piece 7 is configured to be arranged on the first segment piece 6 in a manner that the entire surface of the first segment piece 6 is covered by the first surface protection portion 18 and the second surface protection portion 19.

[0029] And, if Figure 3A to Figure 5 As shown, the second segment piece 7 is provided with a side protection portion 20, which covers and protects the side surfaces from one end 6a to the other end 6b of the first segment piece 6 in the side portions 11a on both sides in the direction orthogonal to the segment connection direction of the first segment piece 6. The side protection portion 20 is provided with a second connection hole 20a for inserting and installing the end portions 8a of the pin member 8 on both sides in a manner corresponding to the first connection holes 16 provided on the side portions 11a on both sides of the first segment piece 6 on the same axis.

[0030] In addition, if Figure 3A to Figure 5As shown, the second segment piece 7 has: a front end protection portion 21, which covers and protects the front end surface of the protrusion 10 of the first segment piece 6 when the first surface protection portion 18 and the second surface protection portion 19 are used to cover the entire surface of the first segment piece 6; and another end protection portion 22, which covers and protects the end surface of the other end portion 6b in the side portion 11a on both sides of the connecting recess 11 of the first segment piece 6.

[0031] Therefore, if Figure 2A , Figure 2B , Figure 2C as well as Figure 7 As shown, the front end protection portion 21 of the second segment piece 7 is configured to prevent the protrusion 10 of the first segment piece 6 made of synthetic resin from being damaged when the watch band 2 formed by connecting the belt segments 5 to each other is pulled in the segment connection direction. Similarly, the other end protection portion 22 of the second segment piece 7 is configured to prevent the other end 6b of the side portions 11a on both sides of the connecting recess 11 of the first segment piece 6 made of synthetic resin from being damaged when the watch band 2 formed by connecting the belt segments 5 to each other is pulled in the segment connection direction.

[0032] And, if Figure 3A , Figure 3B , Figure 3C as well as Figure 5 As shown, a connecting and fixing portion 23 is provided on the inner surface of the second segment piece 7. The connecting and fixing portion 23 is provided at the middle portion of the inner surface between the first surface protection portion 18 and the front end protection portion 21 in the direction orthogonal to the segment connecting direction. Thus, the connecting and fixing portion 23 is configured to be arranged in the assembly recess 14 of the protrusion 10 provided on the first segment piece 6 when the second segment piece 7 is covered with the first segment piece 6.

[0033] And, if Figure 3A , Figure 3B , Figure 3C as well as Figure 5 As shown, in the connection fixing portion 23, an insertion hole 24 is provided in a manner that corresponds to the pin mounting hole 15 provided on the protrusion 10 of the first segment piece 6 on the same axis, and the pin member 8 is inserted into the insertion hole 24 in a direction perpendicular to the segment connection direction. The pin insertion hole 24 is formed so that its inner diameter is larger than the inner diameter of the pin mounting hole 15, that is, the outer diameter of the pin member 8. A fixing pipe 25 as a fixing member such as a C-shaped ring is provided in the pin insertion hole 24.

[0034] like Figure 5 , Fig. 6A , Figure 6B as well as Figure 6CAs shown in FIG. 1 , the fixing tube 25 is structured to have a slit 25a provided in the axial direction on its outer periphery, and is configured to expand and deform in the radial direction. That is, the inner diameter of the fixing tube 25 is formed to be slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the pin member 8, and the outer diameter is formed to be approximately the same as the inner diameter of the pin insertion hole 24. Furthermore, the fixing tube 25 is formed to have an axial length that is substantially the same as or slightly shorter than the axial length of the pin insertion hole 24 of the connection fixing portion 23.

[0035] Therefore, if Figure 5 , Fig. 6A , Figure 6B as well as Figure 6C As shown, the fixing tube 25 is formed into the following structure: when it is inserted into the pin insertion hole 24 of the connecting and fixing portion 23 and when the pin component 8 is inserted into the interior of the fixing tube 25, the inner diameter of the fixing tube 25 is expanded by the pin component 8, and the outer peripheral surface of the fixing tube 25 is pressed against the inner peripheral surface of the pin insertion hole 24 of the connecting and fixing portion 23, thereby maintaining the pin component 8 fixed in the pin insertion hole 24.

[0036] In this case, if Figures 4 to 6C As shown, a stopper 26 for preventing the fixing pipe 25 from coming out of the pin insertion hole 24 is provided in the connection fixing portion 23. The stopper 26 is a component formed by bending both side portions of a metal plate, and is formed into the following structure: a setting piece 26a in the middle of the metal plate is arranged on the back side of the connection fixing portion 23, and stopper pieces 26b on both sides are arranged on both side surfaces of the connection fixing portion 23, and stopper holes 26c are provided in the stopper pieces 26b in a manner corresponding to the pin insertion holes 24 on the same axis.

[0037] That is, Figure 6A to Figure 6C As shown in FIG. 1 , the stopper hole 26c of the stopper member 26 is formed to have an inner diameter larger than the inner diameter of the fixing tube 25 and smaller than the outer diameter of the fixing tube 25, that is, the inner diameter of the pin insertion hole 24 of the connection fixing portion 23. Thus, the stopper member 26 is configured such that when the pin member 8 is inserted into the fixing tube 25 inserted into the pin insertion hole 24 of the connection fixing portion 23, the end of the fixing tube 25 abuts against the edge of the stopper hole 26c, so that the fixing tube 25 does not fall out of the pin insertion hole 24.

[0038] And, if Figure 6A to Figure 6C As shown in FIG. 1 , the limiting hole 26c of the limiting member 26 is formed as a long hole that is long in the segment connection direction. Thus, the limiting member 26 is configured such that when arranged on the connection fixing portion 23, even if the limiting hole 26c is misaligned in the segment connection direction, the edge of the limiting hole 26c is in corresponding contact with the end of the fixing pipe 25 inserted into the pin insertion hole 24 of the connection fixing portion 23.

[0039] Furthermore, the second segment piece 7 is formed of sintered metal formed by sintering metal powder such as stainless steel or titanium alloy, and the wall thickness is formed to be relatively thin. That is, metal powder such as stainless steel or titanium alloy is mixed into a fluid resin by metal injection molding (MIM), and filled into a molding metal mold, and sintered in this state, thereby evaporating the resin and sintering the metal powder to form the second segment piece 7.

[0040] In this case, if Figure 5 As shown, in order to ensure the strength of the connecting and fixing portion 23 of the pin component 8 installed via the fixing tube 25, the connecting and fixing portion 23 of the second segment piece 7 is formed as a thick wall, but the wall thickness of other parts, namely the first surface protection portion 18, the second surface protection portion 19, the side protection portion 20, the front end protection portion 21 and the other end protection portion 22, is formed to be as thin as possible.

[0041] Next, the function of such a watch band 2 will be described.

[0042] When assembling the watch band 2, first, the band segments 5 are assembled. In this case, the second segment piece 7 is formed by sintering metal powder such as stainless steel or titanium alloy, and the first segment piece 6 is formed by injection molding of synthetic resin such as polyurethane resin.

[0043] Then, the second segment piece 7 is overlapped so as to cover the first segment piece 6. At this time, the fixing pipe 25 is inserted and arranged in advance in the pin insertion hole 24 provided in the connection fixing portion 23 of the second segment piece 7, and the stopper 26 is arranged in the assembly recess 14 of the first segment piece 6. At this time, the stopper holes 26c of the stopper pieces 26b on both sides of the stopper 26 correspond to the pin mounting holes 15 of the protrusions 10 provided on both sides of the assembly recess 14 of the first segment piece 6 on the same axis.

[0044] In this state, when the second segment piece 7 is covered on the first segment piece 6, the connecting and fixing portion 23 of the second segment piece 7 is arranged in the assembly recess 14 of the first segment piece 6. In this way, the middle setting piece 26a of the limiting component 26 arranged in the assembly recess 14 of the first segment piece 6 is arranged on the back side of the connecting and fixing portion 23, and the limiting pieces 26b on both sides of the limiting component 26 are arranged on both sides of the connecting and fixing portion 23.

[0045] At this time, each of the limiting holes 26c of the limiting member 26 corresponds to the pin insertion hole 24 of the connecting and fixing portion 23 on the same axis. At the same time, the pin insertion hole 24 of the connecting and fixing portion 23 of the second segment piece 7 corresponds to the pin installation holes 15 on both sides of the assembly recess 14 of the first segment piece 6 on the same axis.

[0046] In this case, the limiting hole 26c of the limiting plate 26b of the limiting component 26 is formed as a long hole which is longer in the segment connection direction. Thus, when it is arranged in the connecting and fixing part 23, even if the limiting hole 26c is misaligned in the segment connection direction, the edge of the limiting hole 26c is arranged corresponding to the end of the fixing tube 25 inserted in the pin insertion hole 24 of the connecting and fixing part 23.

[0047] Furthermore, at this time, the first surface protection portion 18 of the second segment piece 7 is arranged on the surface of the first segment piece 6 from the protrusion 10 to the connection recess 11 in a manner covering the surface, supported by the two support columns 13 of the first segment piece 6, and the inclined surface 18a of the first surface protection portion 18 is arranged on the inclined surface 10a of the first segment piece 6. At the same time, the second surface protection portion 19 of the second segment piece 7 is arranged on the surface in a manner covering the surface from one end 6a to the other end 6b of the first segment piece 6 in the side portions 11a on both sides in the direction orthogonal to the segment connection direction of the connection recess 11.

[0048] Similarly, the side protection part 20 of the second segment piece 7 is arranged on the side in a manner covering the side of the side portion 11a on both sides of the first segment piece 6, and the second connection hole 20a of the side protection part 20 corresponds to the first connection hole 16 of the side portion 11a on both sides of the first segment piece 6 on the same axis. In addition, at this time, the front end protection part 21 of the second segment piece 7 is arranged on the front end surface of the protrusion 10 of the first segment piece 6 in a manner covering the front end surface, and the other end protection part 22 of the second segment piece 7 is arranged on the end surface in a manner covering the end surface of the other end portion 6b of the side portion 11a on both sides of the connection recess 11 of the first segment piece 6.

[0049] Thus, the surface of the first segment piece 6 made of synthetic resin except the back side is covered and protected by the second segment piece 7 made of metal. In this state, the pin member 8 is inserted into the fixing pipe 25 arranged in the pin insertion hole 24 of the connecting fixing portion 23, and the first segment piece 6 and the second segment piece 7 are connected to assemble the belt segment 5.

[0050] In this case, if Figure 7 As shown, the portion of the belt segment 5 corresponding to the protrusion 10 of the first segment piece 6 is arranged at the portion of the adjacent belt segment 5 corresponding to the connecting recess 11 of the first segment piece 6. That is, the protrusion 10 of the first segment piece 6 in the belt segment 5 and the first surface protection portion 18 of the second segment piece 7 corresponding to the protrusion 10 are arranged between the connecting recess 11 of the first segment piece 6 in the adjacent belt segment 5 and the second surface protection portion 19 of the second segment piece 7 corresponding to the connecting recess 11.

[0051] At this time, the pin mounting hole 15 of the protrusion 10 in the first segment piece 6 of the belt segment 5 corresponds to the first connecting hole 16 of the side portion 11a of the adjacent first segment piece 6 of the belt segment 5 on the same axis, and also corresponds to the second connecting hole 20a of the side protection portion 20 provided in the second segment piece 7 on the same axis.

[0052] In this state, the pin member 8 is inserted from the side of the belt segment 5 into the second connecting hole 20a of one side protection portion 20 of the second segment piece 7 and the first connecting hole 16 of the corresponding side portion 11a of the first segment piece 6, and the inserted pin member 8 is inserted into the pin mounting hole 15 of one side of the first segment piece 6. Then, the inserted pin member 8 is inserted into the stopper hole 26c of the stopper member 26, and then inserted into the fixing pipe 25 in the pin insertion hole 24 of the connecting and fixing portion 23 of the second segment piece 7.

[0053] At this time, the pin member 8 inserted into the fixing tube 25 expands the inner diameter of the fixing tube 25 and presses the outer peripheral surface of the fixing tube 25 against the inner peripheral surface of the pin insertion hole 24 of the connecting and fixing portion 23. Thus, the pin member 8 is fixed to the pin insertion hole 24 of the connecting and fixing portion 23 by the fixing tube 25.

[0054] In this case, when the pin member 8 is inserted into the fixing tube 25, the fixing tube 25 is prevented from coming out of the pin insertion hole 24 by the edge of the stopper hole 26c provided in each stopper piece 26b of the stopper member 26, wherein the stopper member 26 is arranged on both sides of the connecting and fixing portion 23. That is, the stopper hole 26c of the stopper member 26 is formed to have an inner diameter larger than the inner diameter of the fixing tube 25 and smaller than the outer diameter of the fixing tube 25, that is, the inner diameter of the pin insertion hole 24 of the connecting and fixing portion 23.

[0055] Therefore, when the pin component 8 is inserted into the fixing tube 25, even if the fixing tube 25 is pressed in the axial direction by the pin component 8, the fixing tube 25 will not fall out of the pin insertion hole 24 because the end of the fixing tube 25 abuts against the edge of the limiting hole 26c of the limiting component 26. In this state, the pin component 8 is inserted into the fixing tube 25.

[0056] Then, if the pin component 8 is further inserted into the fixing tube 25, the end 8a of the front end side of the pin component 8 is inserted into the pin mounting hole 15 on the other side of the first segment piece 6, and the end 8a of the pin component 8 after insertion is inserted into the first connecting hole 16 on the other side of the side portion 11a of the first segment piece 6 of the adjacent belt segment 5 and the second connecting hole 20a on the other side of the side protection portion 20 of the second segment piece 7.

[0057] Thus, the first segment piece 6 and the second segment piece 7 are connected by the pin member 8 to assemble the belt segment 5, and at the same time, the adjacent belt segments 5 are also connected to each other. That is, the protrusion 10 of the first segment piece 6 of the belt segment 5 is connected to the connection fixing portion 23 of the second segment piece 7 by the pin member 8. In addition, the side portions 11a on both sides of the connection recess 11 of the first segment piece 6 of the belt segment 5 adjacent to the above-mentioned belt segment 5 are connected to the side protection portion 20 of the second segment piece 7 by the same pin member 8.

[0058] Therefore, between the band segments 5, the first segment piece 6 and the second segment piece 7 are connected by a pin member 8 at the end side of the one end 6a side of the first segment piece 6 and at the end side of the first segment piece 6 and the second segment piece 7 at the other end 6b side of the first segment piece 6, and the adjacent band segments 5 are also connected at the same time. In this way, the adjacent band segments 5 are sequentially connected by the pin member 8, thereby assembling the watch band 2.

[0059] In the watch band 2 assembled in this way, the first segment piece 6 made of synthetic resin is covered by the second segment piece 7 made of metal on the surface other than the back side, so that when viewed from the front side, the watch band 2 as a whole looks like it is made of metal, thereby providing a watch band with a sense of luxury. In this case, the watch band 2 is reliably and well protected by the second segment piece 7 made of metal, so that even if the band segment 5 is impacted from the outside, the first segment piece 6 will not be damaged or broken by the impact.

[0060] Furthermore, in the watch band 2, the second segment piece 7 is a sintered metal formed by sintering metal powder such as stainless steel or titanium alloy, and thus the wall thickness of the second segment piece 7 is formed thin. That is, for the band segment 5, even if only the connecting and fixing portion 23 of the second segment piece 7 to which the pin member 8 is attached via the fixing pipe 25 is formed thick in order to ensure the strength of the connecting and fixing portion 23, the wall thickness of the other parts, namely the first surface protection portion 18, the second surface protection portion 19, the side protection portion 20, the front end protection portion 21, and the other end protection portion 22 are formed thin to the limit, so that the band segment 5 can be lightweight.

[0061] In this way, according to the band segment 5 of the watch strap 2, by having a first segment piece 6, a second segment piece 7 and a pin component 8, the structure can be simplified and lightweight, wherein the first segment piece 6 has a protrusion 10 protrudingly provided at one end 6a in the segment connection direction and a connecting recess 11 configured to allow the protrusion 10 to be configured at the other end 6b on the side opposite to the one end 6a, the second segment piece 7 covers the surface of the first segment piece 6 except for the back side which is one side of the front and back sides of the first segment piece 6, the pin component 8 connects the first segment piece 6 and the second segment piece 7, and is connected to other band segments 5.

[0062] That is, in the band segment 5 of the watch strap 2, the second segment piece 7 can be covered on the first segment piece 6, so that the second segment piece covers the surface of the first segment piece 6 except the back side of the first segment piece 6. In this state, the first segment piece 6 and the second segment piece 7 can be connected by the pin component 8, so that the number of components is small, the structure is simple and easy to assemble, and by forming only the second segment piece 7 with metal, the band segment 5 can be lightweight with a sense of luxury.

[0063] In this case, in the band segment 5 of the strap 2, when the first segment piece 6 and the second segment piece 7 are connected by using the pin component 8, the portion corresponding to the protrusion 10 of the first segment piece 6 is arranged at a portion corresponding to the connecting recess 11 of the first segment piece 6 in the adjacent band segment 5 while the first segment piece 6 is covered by the second segment piece 7. In this state, the band segment 5 and the adjacent band segment can be connected by using the pin component 8, and the first segment piece 6 and the second segment piece 7 can be connected at the same time to form the band segment 5, thereby further reducing the number of components and simplifying the structure.

[0064] Furthermore, in the band segment 5 of the strap 2, the first segment piece 6 is formed of a synthetic resin such as polyurethane resin, and the second segment piece 7 is formed of a metal such as stainless steel or titanium alloy. Thus, the second segment piece 7 can be used to cover and protect the surface of the first segment piece 6 except for the back side of the first segment piece 6, thereby achieving lightweighting by using the first segment piece 6 formed of a synthetic resin such as polyurethane resin.

[0065] In this case, in the band segment 5 of the strap 2, although the first segment piece 6 is formed of a synthetic resin such as a polyurethane resin, a second segment piece 7 formed of a metal such as stainless steel or a titanium alloy is arranged on the surface of the band segment 5. Therefore, even if the band segment 5 is impacted from the outside, the second segment piece 7 can be used to reliably and well protect the first segment piece 6 so that the first segment piece 6 will not be damaged or broken by the impact. In addition, the second segment piece 7 can be used to obtain a band segment with a high-end feel.

[0066] Furthermore, in the band segment 5 of the watch strap 2, the second segment piece 7 has a connecting and fixing portion 23 which is arranged in a direction orthogonal to the segment connecting direction and has a pin insertion hole 24 for inserting the pin component 8, and the first segment piece 6 has an assembly recess 14 and a pin mounting hole 15 for configuring the connecting and fixing portion 23. The pin mounting hole 15 is arranged on both sides of the assembly recess 14 in a manner corresponding to the pin insertion hole 24 on the same axis and is inserted into both sides of the pin component 8, so that the first segment piece 6 and the second segment piece 7 can be simply connected using the pin component 8.

[0067] That is, in the band segment 5 of the watch strap 2, when the second segment piece 7 covers the first segment piece 6, the connecting and fixing portion 23 of the second segment piece 7 is assembled in the assembly recess 14 of the first segment piece 6, and the pin insertion hole 24 of the assembled connecting and fixing portion 23 corresponds to the pin mounting holes 15 on both sides of the assembly recess 14 on the same axis, so that the pin component 8 can be inserted from one side of the pin mounting hole 15 and inserted into the pin insertion hole 24 of the connecting and fixing portion 23, and the pin component 8 can be inserted into the other side of the pin mounting hole 15, so that the pin component 8 can be used to simply and reliably connect the first segment piece 6 and the second segment piece 7.

[0068] In this case, in the belt segment 5, the assembly recess 14 and the pin mounting hole 15 of the first segment piece 6 are provided on the protrusion 10 of the first segment piece 6, and the connecting and fixing portion 23 of the second segment piece 7 is arranged corresponding to the assembly recess 14 provided on the protrusion 10 of the first segment piece 6, and the side portions 11a on both sides of the connecting recess 11 of the first segment piece 6 and the side protection portion 20 of the second segment piece 7 covering the side portions 11a are provided with a first connecting hole 16 and a second connecting hole 20a for inserting and installing the end portions 8a on both sides of the pin component 8 in a manner corresponding to the pin mounting hole 15 on the same axis, so that the adjacent belt segments 5 can be connected to each other by using the pin component 8.

[0069] That is, in the belt segment 5, when the first segment piece 6 and the second segment piece 7 are connected by using the pin component 8, with the protrusion 10 of the belt segment 5 arranged in the connecting recess 11 of the adjacent belt segment 5, the pin component 8 can be continuously inserted into the second connecting hole 20a of the second segment piece 7, the first connecting hole 16 of the first segment piece 6, the pin mounting hole 15 of the first segment piece and the pin insertion hole 24 of the connecting fixing portion 23, thereby the first segment piece 6 and the second segment piece 7 can be connected by using one pin component 8, and the adjacent belt segments 5 can also be connected to each other at the same time.

[0070] Furthermore, in the band segment 5 of the watch strap 2, a fixing component, namely a fixing tube 25, is provided for holding the pin component 8 in a manner fixed in the pin insertion hole 24 in the connecting and fixing portion 23 of the second segment piece 7. The pin component 8 can be reliably and well held in the pin insertion hole 24 of the connecting and fixing portion 23 by means of the fixing tube 25.

[0071] That is, in the band segment 5 of the watch band 2, the fixing tube 25 is structured to expand and deform in the radial direction by providing a slit 25a along the axial direction on its outer circumference, and the inner diameter is formed to be slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the pin component 8, so that when the fixing tube 25 is arranged in the pin insertion hole 24 of the connecting fixing portion 23, when the pin component 8 is inserted into the fixing tube 25, the fixing tube 25 is expanded by the pin component 8, and the outer circumferential surface of the fixing tube 25 can be pressed against the inner circumferential surface of the pin insertion hole 24, so that the fixing tube 25 can be used to hold the pin component 8 in a manner that it is reliably and well fixed to the pin insertion hole 24.

[0072] Furthermore, in the band segment 5 of the watch band 2, a limiting component 26 is provided to prevent the fixing tube 25 from escaping from the pin insertion hole 24. When the pin component 8 is inserted into the fixing tube 25 arranged in the pin insertion hole 24, the limiting component 26 can be used to reliably and effectively prevent the fixing tube 25 from escaping from the pin insertion hole 24 due to the pin component 8.

[0073] That is, in the band segment 5 of the watch strap 2, the limiting component 26 includes a setting piece 26a arranged on the back side of the connecting and fixing part 23 and limiting pieces 26b arranged on both sides of the two side surfaces of the connecting and fixing part 23, and limiting holes 26c are respectively provided on the above-mentioned limiting pieces 26b. The inner diameter of the above-mentioned limiting hole 26c is formed to be larger than the inner diameter of the fixing tube 25 and smaller than the outer diameter of the fixing tube 25, so that the end of the fixing tube 25 can be reliably abutted against the edge of the limiting hole 26c, thereby reliably and effectively preventing the fixing tube 25 from falling out of the pin insertion hole 24.

[0074] In this case, in the band segment 5 of the strap 2, the limiting hole 26c of the limiting plate 26b in the limiting component 26 is formed as a long hole which is longer in the segment connection direction. Thus, when the limiting component 26 is arranged on the connecting and fixing part 23, even if the limiting hole 26c is misplaced in the segment connection direction, the edge of the limiting hole 26c can be reliably and well made to correspond to the end of the fixing tube 25 inserted in the pin insertion hole 24 of the connecting and fixing part 23.

[0075] Furthermore, in the band segment 5 of the watch strap 2, since the second segment piece 7 has a front end protecting portion 21 and an other end protecting portion 22 as protecting portions, the front end protecting portion 21 and the other end protecting portion 22 protect the front end face of the protrusion 10 on the side of one end 6a which is the end face in the segment connection direction of the first segment piece 6 and the end face of the other end 6b. Therefore, when the watch strap 2 connected with a plurality of band segments 5 is pulled in the segment connection direction, the above-mentioned front end protecting portion 21 and the other end protecting portion 22 can be used to reliably and effectively prevent damage to the protrusion 10 of the first segment piece 6 made of synthetic resin and the other end 6b in the side portions 11a on both sides of the connecting recess 11.

[0076] In this case, in the band segment 5 of the strap 2, the second segment piece 7 has a side protection portion 20 as a protection portion for protecting the side of the first segment piece 6 from one end 6a to the other end 6b in the segment connection direction, so that even if the side of the band segment 5 is impacted, it can be reliably and well protected by the side protection portion 20 of the second segment piece 7 so that the side of the first segment piece 6 will not be damaged or broken due to the impact.

[0077] In addition, in the band segment 5 of the watch band, the second segment piece 7 is formed of sintered metal formed by sintering metal powder such as stainless steel and titanium alloy, thereby making it possible to form the second segment piece 7 with a thin wall thickness. That is, by mixing metal powder such as stainless steel and titanium alloy into a fluid resin through metal injection molding (MIM), filling it into a metal mold for molding, and performing a sintering process in this state, the resin is evaporated to sinter the metal powder, thereby forming the second segment piece 7, and even if the shape of the second segment piece 7 is complex, it can be simply manufactured with a thin wall thickness.

[0078] Therefore, in the band segment 5 of the strap 2, even if only the connecting and fixing portion 23 of the second segment piece 7 to which the pin component 8 is mounted via the fixing tube 25 is formed as a thick wall, the wall thickness of other portions, namely the first surface protection portion 18, the second surface protection portion 19, the side protection portion 20, the front end protection portion 21 and the other end protection portion 22, can be formed as thin as possible, thereby achieving lightweighting of the band segment 5.

[0079] Furthermore, according to the watch strap 2, a plurality of band segments 5 are sequentially connected by arranging the protrusion 10 of the band segment 5 in the connecting recess 11 of the adjacent band segment 5 and connecting the adjacent band segments 5 to each other using the pin component 8. Due to the above-mentioned structure, the structure can be simplified and lightweight.

[0080] That is, in the strap 2, in a state where the second segment piece 7 of the belt segment 5 is covered on the first segment piece 6 and the second segment piece 7 is used to cover the first segment piece 6, when the first segment piece 6 and the second segment piece 7 are connected by the pin component 8, the protrusion 10 of the belt segment 5 is arranged in the connecting recess 11 of the adjacent belt segment 5. In this state, the adjacent belt segments 5 can be connected to each other by a pin component 8, so that the operation of connecting the first segment piece 6 and the second segment piece 7 to assemble the belt segment 5 and the operation of connecting the adjacent belt segments 5 can be carried out simultaneously.

[0081] Therefore, in this watch strap, the number of components can be reduced, the assembly work can be simplified, and the wall thickness of the metal second segment piece 7 covering the synthetic resin first segment piece 6 can be made thinner, thereby achieving lightweight. The metal second segment piece 7 can be used to make the entire watch strap 2 have a metallic feel, thereby providing a watch strap with a high-end feel.

[0082] In the above embodiment, the pin member 8 is described as being rod-shaped, but the present invention is not limited thereto and may have the same structure as the fixed pipe 25. That is, the pin member may be a pipe having a C-shaped cross section with a slit provided in the pipe along the axial direction.

[0083] If such a tubular pin component is used, there is no need to set a fixing tube 25 in the pin insertion hole 24 of the connecting fixing portion 23. It can be directly inserted into the pin insertion hole 24 and fixed by shrinking and deforming it in the radial direction, thereby eliminating the need for a limiting component 26, which can further reduce the number of components.

[0084] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the first segment piece 6 is formed of synthetic resin and the second segment piece 7 is formed of metal. However, the first segment piece 6 and the second segment piece 7 may be formed of other materials.

[0085] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the case where the invention is applied to the watch band 2 is described, but the invention is not necessarily applied to the watch band 2, and can be applied to, for example, a wristband, a backrest band, or the like.

[0086] As mentioned above, although one embodiment of the present invention has been described, the present invention is not limited thereto, and includes the invention described in the claims and the scope of equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. A belt segment, characterized in that: have: A first segment piece formed of a synthetic resin; a second segment piece that covers the surface of the first segment piece except for the back surface side and is formed of metal; and a pin member connecting the first segment piece and the second segment piece and connecting with other belt segments, The above-mentioned belt segment and the adjacent other belt segments are connected by the above-mentioned pin component at the end side of the first segment piece and the second segment piece on one end side of the above-mentioned first segment piece and the end side of the first segment piece and the second segment piece on the other end side of the above-mentioned first segment piece.

2. The belt segment according to claim 1, characterized in that The second segment piece includes a connecting and fixing portion having an insertion hole provided in a direction perpendicular to the segment connecting direction and into which the pin member is inserted. The first segment piece includes a mounting recess for arranging the connection fixing portion and mounting holes provided on both sides of the mounting recess in a manner corresponding to the insertion hole on the same axis and into which both sides of the pin member are inserted.

3. The belt segment according to claim 2, characterized in that The assembly recess and the mounting hole of the first segment piece are provided on a protrusion, and the protrusion is provided to protrude in the segment connection direction of the first segment piece. The connecting and fixing portion of the second segment piece is provided corresponding to the mounting recess provided on the protruding portion of the first segment piece. The first connecting hole and the second connecting hole for inserting and installing the end parts of the pin component on both sides are provided in a corresponding manner on the same axis on the side parts of the connecting recessed part of the first segment piece on the opposite side of the protrusion and the side parts of the second segment piece covering the side parts.

4. The belt segment according to claim 1, characterized in that The second segment piece has a surface protection portion, a side protection portion, a front end protection portion and another end protection portion. The side protection portion is arranged so as to cover the side surfaces of the side portions on both sides of the first segment piece. The front end protection portion is arranged so as to cover the front end surface of the protrusion of the first segment piece. The other end protection portion covers and protects end surfaces of the other end portions of the side portions on both sides of the connection recessed portion of the first segment piece.

5. The belt segment according to claim 2, characterized in that A fixing member is provided, the fixing member fixing the pin member in the insertion hole in the connecting and fixing portion of the second segment piece.

6. The belt segment according to claim 3, characterized in that A fixing member is provided, the fixing member fixing the pin member in the insertion hole in the connecting and fixing portion of the second segment piece.

7. The belt segment according to claim 1, characterized in that The surface protection portion is composed of a first surface protection portion and a second surface protection portion, wherein the first surface protection portion covers and protects the surface of the first segment piece from the protrusion to the connecting recess, and the second surface protection portion covers and protects the surface of the connecting recess from one end to the other end of the first segment piece on both sides of the direction orthogonal to the segment connecting direction. The thick wall of the connecting and fixing portion of the second segment piece is formed thicker than the wall thickness of any of the first surface protection portion, the second surface protection portion, the side protection portion, the front end protection portion, and the other end protection portion.

8. The belt segment according to claim 5, characterized in that A stopper member is provided to prevent the fixing member from coming out of the insertion hole.

9. The belt segment according to claim 1, characterized in that The first segment piece is formed of synthetic resin. The second segment piece is formed of metal.

10. The belt segment according to claim 6, characterized in that A stopper member is provided to prevent the fixing member from coming out of the insertion hole.

11. The belt segment according to claim 10, characterized in that The above-mentioned limiting component comprises a setting piece arranged on the back side of the above-mentioned connecting and fixing part and a pair of limiting pieces arranged on both side surfaces of the above-mentioned connecting and fixing part. The pair of limit plates are respectively provided with limit holes. The inner diameter of the limiting hole is larger than the inner diameter of the fixing component and smaller than the outer diameter of the fixing component.

12. The belt segment according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that The second segment piece is formed of sintered metal obtained by sintering metal powder.

13. A belt, characterized in that The protrusion protruding in the segment connection direction of the above-mentioned first segment piece of the belt segment described in any one of claims 1 to 11 is arranged in a connecting recess, and the above-mentioned pin parts are used to connect the adjacent above-mentioned belt segments to each other, thereby connecting a plurality of belt segments in sequence, and the connecting recess is provided on the opposite side of the protrusion protruding in the segment connection direction of the first segment piece of the adjacent above-mentioned other belt segments.

14. A timepiece, characterized in that: A belt according to claim 13 is provided.

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