MONOBLOCK STRAP FOR ATTACHING A WATCH STRAP TO A WRISTWATCH

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The invention relates to a one-piece bar for attaching a bracelet to a watch.

[0002] The invention also relates to a wristwatch comprising at least one such single-piece bar. STATE OF THE ART

[0003] In the field of wristwatches, it is known to attach the strap to the watch by means of at least one spring bar. The spring bar is for example provided at its ends with two pivots, one of which is retractable to allow the strap and the watch to be separated. The spring bar is inserted into a loop of the strap, and each pivot is intended to be inserted into a corresponding housing of a respective horn of the watch case, allowing the strap to be attached to the watch. Such a bar is for example described in patent document CH 327838 A. The bar comprises a hollow body; two pivots arranged in the hollow body; a spring arranged in the hollow body, resting between the pivots; and a lug. The two pivots are able to slide in a respective end of the hollow body. The spring pushes the pivots back to make their outer ends each penetrate into corresponding housings of the horns of the watch case.The lug is operable via a specific tool, which a user inserts into one end of the bracelet to move the lug against the action of the spring and remove the pivot from the corresponding housing in the watch case lug.

[0004] However, such a spring bar is relatively complex to manufacture due to the number of different elements it contains, such elements being assembled and mounted with each other. This proves costly when manufacturing several bars, both in terms of manufacturing the elements and assembly. In addition, such a spring bar does not allow a user to easily retract both pivots in a single movement, and without tools.

[0005] In order to overcome this drawback, elastic snap-on members made from a single piece of material are also known in various fields of application, such as, for example, the field of watchmaking. Such a single-piece snap-on member is, for example, described in patent document EP 1 351 106 A1. The snap-on member makes it possible to hold a first element relative to a second element, and forms, for example, a single-piece bar for attaching a bracelet to a watch. The single-piece bar has two ends connected by a rod capable of deforming elastically in its axial direction. The longitudinal elasticity of the rod is given to it by the fact that it has several openings along its length. The openings are located alternately on either side of a median plane of the rod.

[0006] However, one disadvantage of such a one-piece strip is that it is complex and expensive to produce. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] The invention therefore aims to provide a single-piece bar for attaching a bracelet to a watch, having a simplified construction and a reduced manufacturing cost, while allowing a more aesthetic and robust single-piece solution.

[0008] To this end, the invention relates to a one-piece bar for attaching a bracelet to a watch, which comprises the features mentioned in independent claim 1.

[0009] Particular forms of the bar are defined in dependent claims 2 to 4.

[0010] An advantage of the bar according to the invention lies in the fact that the body of the bar comprises a plurality of elements connected to each other. Each element has a hollow portion, so as to confer longitudinal elasticity to the bar to allow its elastic deformation in its longitudinal direction.

[0011] According to a particular technical characteristic of the invention, each element comprises a peripheral frame surrounding the hollowed-out portion, the peripheral frames of the elements being connected to each other.

[0012] Advantageously, the peripheral frame of each element has a substantially closed “M” shape, the peripheral frames of the elements being connected to each other via longitudinal connecting members, each longitudinal connecting member connecting a frame part closing the “M” of one element to a frame part forming the central acute angle of the “M” of another element. This makes it possible to offer a good compromise between flexibility, elasticity and breaking strength for the bar. In addition, such a bar has a longer service life, the working of the material being done with little or no aging.

[0013] Advantageously, the body comprises a first set of elements whose peripheral frame has a substantially closed “M” shape, and a second set of elements whose peripheral frame has a substantially closed “M” shape, the number of elements of the first set being equal to the number of elements of the second set, the elements of the first set being oriented in the same first direction along the longitudinal direction in which the bar extends, the elements of the second set being arranged symmetrically to the elements of the first set with respect to a median plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and being oriented in a second direction, opposite to the first direction, along the longitudinal direction. Such a configuration allows the bar to undergo uniformly distributed compression forces during the bar retraction operation performed by a user.This reduces the risk of mechanical breakage of the bar.

[0014] To this end, the invention also relates to a wristwatch comprising at least one single-piece fixing bar described above, and which comprises the characteristics mentioned in dependent claim 5. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0015] The aims, advantages and characteristics of the single-piece bar for attaching a bracelet to a watch according to the invention, as well as of the wristwatch comprising it, will appear better in the following description on the basis of at least one non-limiting embodiment illustrated by the drawings in which: there figure 1 is a perspective view of a single-piece bar for attaching a bracelet to a watch according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] There figure 1represents a single-piece bar 1 for attaching a bracelet to a watch according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. The bracelet and the watch are not shown in the figures for reasons of clarity. The bracelet is for example made of leather, metal, a ceramic material, or even another material, without this being limiting within the scope of the present invention.

[0017] The one-piece bar 1 comprises two pivots 2 and a body 4 connecting the two pivots 2. The one-piece bar 1 is intended to be inserted into a loop of the bracelet, each of the pivots 2 being inserted into a corresponding housing of a respective horn of the watch case, allowing the bracelet to be attached to the watch. The one-piece bar 1 extends in a longitudinal direction D1. The one-piece bar 1 is for example made of a plastic material or even rubber, without this being limiting within the scope of the present invention.

[0018] The body 4 comprises several elements 6 connected to each other. In the illustrative example of the figure 1 , the body 4 comprises eight elements 6. Each of the elements 6 has a hollowed-out portion 8. The presence of such hollowed-out portions 8 in the elements 6 of the body 4 makes it possible to confer longitudinal elasticity on the bar 1, to allow its elastic deformation in the longitudinal direction D1. Preferably, as illustrated in the figure 1, the hollowed-out portion 8 of each element 6 is a substantially central portion of the element 6. More preferably, the hollowed-out portion 8 of each element 6 is hollowed out in a direction D2 perpendicular to the longitudinal direction D1 in which the bar 1 extends. Also preferably, each element 6 comprises a peripheral frame 10 surrounding the hollowed-out portion 6. The peripheral frames 10 of the different elements 6 are connected to each other. The peripheral frames 10 of the end elements 6 are connected to the two pivots 2.

[0019] According to a particular embodiment shown in the figure 1, the peripheral frame 10 of each element 6 has a substantially closed “M” shape. The peripheral frames 10 of the elements 6 are connected to each other via longitudinal connecting members 12. Each longitudinal connecting member 12 connecting two peripheral frames 10 connects in particular a frame part 14 closing the “M” of an element 6 to a frame part 16 forming the central acute angle of the “M” of another element 6. The body 4 also comprises two longitudinal end members 18. Each longitudinal end connecting member 18 connects a peripheral frame 10 of an end element 6 to one of the pivots 2. More precisely, in the particular embodiment shown in the figure 1 , each longitudinal end connecting member 18 connects a frame part 16 forming the central acute angle of the “M” of an end element 6 to one of the pivots 2.

[0020] According to the particular embodiment shown in the figure 1 , the body 4 comprises a first set 20 of elements 6 whose peripheral frame 10 has a substantially closed “M” shape, and a second set 22 of elements 6 whose peripheral frame 10 has a substantially closed “M” shape. The number of elements 6 of the first set 20 is equal to the number of elements 6 of the second set 22. In the illustrative example of the figure 1 , the number of elements 6 of the first set 20 and the number of elements 6 of the second set 22 is equal to four. The elements 6 of the first set 20 are oriented in the same first direction along the longitudinal direction D1. The elements 6 of the second set 22 are arranged symmetrically to the elements 6 of the first set 20 with respect to a median plane P1 perpendicular to the longitudinal direction D1. The elements 6 of the second set 22 are oriented in a second direction, opposite to the first direction, along the longitudinal direction D1.

[0021] The operation of the single-piece bar 1 according to the invention will now be described.

[0022] There figure 1 represents the bar 1 in the rest position, each of the pivots 2 being inserted into a corresponding housing of a respective horn of the watch case. When a user of the watch exerts pressure on the pivots 2 towards the center of the bar 1, the bar 1 retracts in the longitudinal direction D1. This deformation of the bar 1 is facilitated by the presence of the hollowed-out elements 6. This allows the bar 1 to be released from its location between the horns of the watch case, allowing the watch to be released from the bracelet. When the user of the watch releases the pressure on the pivots 2, the bar 1 returns to its initial shape, due to the elastic stress exerted by the hollowed-out elements 6. The rest position of the bar 1 is then returned.

Claims

1. One-piece bar (1) for attaching a bracelet to a watch , the bar (1) extending in a longitudinal direction (D1) and comprising two pivots (2) and a body (4) connecting the two pivots (2), each pivot (2) being intended to be introduced into a corresponding housing of a respective horn of a watch case, the body (4) comprising a plurality of elements (6) connected to one another, each element (6) having a hollowed portion (8), in order to give the bar (1) longitudinal elasticity to allow elastic deformation thereof in the longitudinal direction (D1) characterized in that each element (6) comprises a peripheral frame (10) surrounding the hollowed portion (8), the peripheral frames (10) of the elements (6) being connected to one another and in that the peripheral frame (10) of each element (6) has substantially the shape of a closed 'M', the peripheral frames (10) of the elements (6) being connected to one another via longitudinal connecting members (12), each longitudinal connecting member (12) connecting a portion of frame (14) that closes the 'M' of one element (6) to a portion of frame (16) that forms the central acute angle of the 'M' of another element (6).

2. One-piece bar (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the hollowed portion (8) of each element (6) is a central portion of the element (6).

3. One-piece bar (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the hollowed portion (8) of each element (6) is hollowed in a perpendicular direction (D2) to the longitudinal direction (D1) in which the bar (1) extends.

4. One-piece bar (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the body (4) has a first set (20) of elements (6) whose peripheral frame (10) has substantially the shape of a closed 'M', and a second set (22) of elements (6) whose peripheral frame (10) has substantially the shape of a closed 'M', the number of elements (6) of the first set (20) being equal to the number of elements (6) of the second set (22), the elements (6) of the first set (20) being oriented in a same first direction along the longitudinal direction (D1) in which the bar (1) extends, the elements (6) of the second set (22) being arranged symmetrically to the elements (6) of the first set (20) with respect to a median plane (P1) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (D1), and being oriented in a second direction, opposite to the first direction, along the longitudinal direction (D1).

5. Wristwatch comprising at least one one-piece bar (1) for attaching the bracelet to the watch, characterized in that the one-piece bar (1) conforms to any of the preceding claims.