Bracelet with links made from hard material

Abstract

The invention relates to a bracelet (1) comprising a first row (8) with at least one central link (2), a second row (9) and a third row (10) arranged respectively on either side of the first row (8) and each comprising at least one lateral link (3), a connecting rod (4) positioned in the three aligned holes of the first, second and third rows, the bracelet (1) being characterized in that the connecting rod (4) comprises a shoulder (5), and in that each hole (2a) of the central link (2) opens at one of its ends into a recess (6) cut into said central link (2), said recess (6) being delimited by a first wall (6b) and by a second wall (6c) acting as a first stop and a second stop for the shoulder (5) when the central link (2) pivots around the connecting rod (4) so ​​as to limit the amplitude of rotation of said central link (2) around of the connecting rod (4).

Description

Technical field of the invention

[0001] The invention relates to a bracelet formed of elements articulated together, in particular links of which at least some are made of a hard material. It also relates to a part, including a timepiece such as a watch or a piece of jewelry, comprising said bracelet. Technological background

[0002] In the watchmaking and jewelry industries, a variety of materials are used to manufacture bracelets of varying appearances. It is particularly well known to manufacture bracelets from a hard material. A hard material is defined as a material with a Vickers hardness greater than 1200 HV. These hard materials include, for example, ceramics such as silicon nitride, zirconium oxide, or aluminum oxide. They can also be cermets. Hard materials are used for their mechanical properties, particularly because they are difficult to scratch.

[0003] The disadvantage of these materials is their fragility with an increased risk of breakage during machining of the links and when the latter move, or even collide, with each other during handling of the bracelet.

[0004] Document WO98 / 08408A1 discloses a bracelet according to the preamble of claim 1. Summary of the invention

[0005] The aim of the present invention is to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks by proposing an assembly between links making it possible to control the amplitude of rotation of the links so as to avoid collisions.

[0006] To achieve this, the connecting rods that connect the different rows of links in the bracelet have a shoulder that fits into a recess dug into the links of the central row. This recess is delimited by two stops that limit the angular movement of the links of the central row relative to the connecting rod.

[0007] More specifically, the present invention relates to a bracelet comprising: a first row with at least one central link provided with two through holes, called central link holes, a second row and a third row arranged respectively on either side of the first row, the second row and the third row each comprising at least one lateral link, said lateral link being provided with two holes, called lateral link holes, with a hole in the lateral link of the second row aligned with a hole in the central link of the first row and with a hole in the lateral link of the third row to form an assembly with three aligned holes, a connecting rod positioned in the three aligned holes, said connecting rod being mounted fixed relative to the lateral link of the second row and the third row and forming an axis around which the central link is pivotally mounted, the bracelet being characterized in that the connecting rod comprises a shoulder, and in that each hole of the central link opens at one of its ends onto a recess hollowed out in said central link, said recess being delimited by a first wall called the inner wall because it is closest to the center of the central link and by a second wall called the outer wall because it is furthest from the center of the central link, the first wall and the second wall acting as a first stop and a second stop for the shoulder when the central link pivots around the connecting rod of so as to limit the amplitude of rotation of said central link around the connecting rod.

[0008] Thus, according to the invention, the axes serving as junctions and pivots between the links are used to limit the amplitude of rotation of the links and absorb all or part of the stresses when they come into contact. These axes are protected from the outside by the links and can therefore be made of a material that is less hard and therefore less fragile than the links. They can thus be easily shaped by machining to produce the shoulders that make it possible to control the amplitude of rotation.

[0009] Furthermore, the central link has a protruding part, also called a coverage zone, which extends into the second and third rows between the side links. This protruding part of the central link as well as the side link have a particular shape which brings an aesthetic touch to the bracelet without there being any contact between the protruding part and the side links when the central link pivots. This absence of contact makes it possible to avoid stressing the links made of the hard material.

[0010] In conclusion, the assembly of the bracelet according to the invention makes it possible to control the range of mobility of the links of a bracelet made of hard material with a design including coverage zones in order to ensure its solidity by avoiding collisions or the stressing of fragile parts made of hard material during its handling.

[0011] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment, presented by way of non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings. Brief description of the figures

[0012] There figure 1 is a three-dimensional partial view of the bracelet according to the invention. THE Figures 2A and 2B are partial exploded and three-dimensional views of the bracelet according to the invention. The figure 3 is a three-dimensional view of the central link and the connecting rod according to the invention. The Figures 4A and 4B are partially sectioned views of a portion of the bracelet in the flat position and in the rotated position respectively. The Figure 5A is a side view of the bracelet in the flat position with an enlargement D at the Figure 5D . There Figure 5B is a sectional view of the Figure 5A with a C magnification at the Figure 5C . There Figure 6Ais a side view of the bracelet in the rotated position. The Figure 6B is a sectional view of the Figure 6A with a C magnification at the Figure 6C . There figure 7 is a partial sectional view of the bracelet according to the invention. The figures 8 to 11 are views of part of the bracelet being assembled. Detailed description of the invention

[0013] The present invention relates to a bracelet 1 comprising at least three rows of links with a first row 8 comprising the central links 2 and a second row 9 and a third row 10 on either side of the first row 8 comprising the lateral links 3. A partial view of this bracelet 1 with two adjacent central links 2 and two lateral links 3 is shown in figure 1. This bracelet is intended, for example, to equip a timepiece such as a watch or a piece of jewelry. The assembly as described below is more specifically adapted for a bracelet of which certain links are at least partially made of a hard material. By hard material is meant a material whose hardness is substantially equal to or greater than 1200 HV and which accepts little or no plastic deformation before breaking. Examples of hard materials that may be mentioned, without limitation, are enamels, precious or non-precious stones such as ruby, sapphire or quartz, ceramics such as an oxide, a carbide or a nitride, cermets or even hard metals. It should be noted that although the assembly is specifically adapted for links made of a hard material, it is also applicable to links made of more ductile materials.

[0014] According to the invention and as illustrated in Figures 4BAnd 6C , the amplitude of rotation of the central links 2 is limited. To do this, the connecting rod 4 between the central link 2 and the two lateral links 3 has a shoulder 5 which comes into abutment against the walls 6b, 6c of a recess 6 hollowed out in the central link 2, when the central link 2 pivots ( Figures 2A And 3 ). Advantageously, the connecting rod is made of a less hard material such as steel or titanium alloy to facilitate machining. Typically, the connecting rod material has a hardness of less than 1200 HV.

[0015] In a known manner, the central link 2 comprises two through holes 2a each intended to receive the connecting rod 4, which will also be called an axle, and the lateral links 3 each comprise two blind or through holes 3a to accommodate the end of the connecting rod 4 ( Figures 2A And 8). According to the invention, the through holes 2a of the central link 2 open onto the recess 6 hollowed out in the central link 2 and this only at one end of each through hole ( figure 3 ). On each central link, the recess for the two through holes can be hollowed out on the same face of the central link as shown in Figure 2A or respectively for one through hole on one face of the central link and for the other through hole on the other face of the central link as for the assembly of the Figure 2B .

[0016] According to the invention, the connecting rod 4 is secured to the side link 3 and the central link 2 has a relative rotational movement with respect to this secured block around the axis formed by the connecting rod. To secure the connecting rod and the side link, there are several possibilities. Preferably, the connecting rod has a portion of non-circular section at each of its ends which is positioned in a portion of the blind or through hole of the side link also provided with a non-circular section. For example, the portion of non-circular section of the connecting rod comprises at least one flat which is positioned against a plane inside the hole of the side link. In the example illustrated, the portion of non-circular section of the connecting rod 4 comprises two flats 4a, for example diametrically opposed, which are positioned against two planes 3b which delimit the blind or through hole 3a of the side link 3 ( figures 3 And 7). The fixing of the connecting rod 4 within the lateral link 3 can be carried out using a screw 7 which is positioned at one end of the hole 3a which in this case is through as shown in Figures 2A and 2B . The attachment could also be achieved by gluing within the blind or through hole of the side link. Alternatively, the attachment of the connecting rod within the hole of the side link could simply be achieved by gluing without requiring a non-circular section portion at the ends of the connecting rod.

[0017] The amplitude of the relative rotational movement between the connecting rod 4 and the central link 2 is limited by the shoulder 5 of the connecting rod 4 which bears either on the first stop 6b or on the second stop 6c of the recess 6 of the central link 2 depending on the pivoting of the latter. Preferably, the shoulder 5 flares radially in an arc of a circle from the connecting rod 4. The arc of a circle 5a is connected to the connecting rod 4 by a first flank 5b and a second flank 5c which bear on the first stop 6b or on the second stop 6c ( figure 3). The first stop 6b is formed by the innermost wall of the recess, i.e. the one closest to the center of the central link, as opposed to the second stop 6c which is formed by the outermost wall relative to the center of the central link. Preferably, the two connecting rods and their shoulder are arranged within the recesses of the central link so as to curve the bracelet in a direction towards the inside of the bracelet as illustrated in Figure 6A . To do this, within the central link, the two connecting rods are positioned angularly in different ways in the two through holes. In the flat position, the shoulder 5 for the two connecting rods 4 rests on the inner wall 6b of the recess 6 ( Figure 4A). Thus, for one connecting rod, it is the first flank 5b which bears on the inner wall 6b of the recess and for the other connecting rod it is the second flank 5c which bears on the inner wall 6b of the recess ( Figure 5C ). In the fully pivoted position, the shoulder 5 of the two rods rests on the outer wall 6c of the recess 6 ( Figure 4B ). Thus, for one connecting rod, it is the second flank 5c which rests on the outer wall 6c of the recess and for the other connecting rod it is the first flank 5b which rests on the outer wall 6c of the recess ( Figure 6C). The recess 6 hollowed out at the end of the through hole also flares into an arc of a circle with the arc of a circle 6a of the recess 6 having a length greater than that of the arc of a circle 5a of the shoulder 5 to allow the latter to pivot within the recess. The length of the arc of a circle of the recess relative to that of the arc of a circle of the shoulder makes it possible to define the range of angular displacement of the central link relative to the connecting rod. Typically, the amplitude of rotation of the central link relative to the connecting rod is less than or equal to 150°, preferably less than or equal to 60°. In the example illustrated, each central link 2 has a rotation amplitude of 60°, which allows, after rotation of two adjacent central links by 60°, to have a pivoting of 120° between two adjacent lateral links 3 as shown diagrammatically in Figures 5C and 6C .

[0018] Preferably, the side links 3 have two circular ears 3c which are positioned in a circular hollow 2c formed in a protruding part 2b of the central link 3 arranged between the two through holes 2a ( 5D figures And 11 ). The protruding part 2b of the central link 2 is inserted between two lateral links 3 to constitute respectively the second row 9 and the third row 10 with the lateral links 3 ( figure 1 ). Typically, the protruding part 2b of the central link 2 has a thickness substantially equal to that of the lateral link 3. The ears 3c of the lateral links 3 are housed without contact within the circular hollow 2c of the protruding part 2b of the central links. The ears 3c of the lateral link are surmounted by a recessed portion 3d relative to the latter ( Figure 5D). This recessed portion 3d is positioned without contact opposite the summit 2d of the protruding part 2b which overhangs the hollow 2c. We observe at the Figure 5D the space d between the top 2d of the protruding part 2b and the recessed part 3d of the side link 3. The positioning is done without contact to avoid putting the hard material under stress.

[0019] The assembly of the different elements of the bracelet is done as follows. It can be done as in the Figure 2A with all the recesses of the central links which are hollowed out on the same face of the link, with therefore all the connecting rods provided with the shoulder which are introduced via this face. It can also be made as on the Figure 2Bwith a recess hollowed out alternately on one face and on the other face of the central link, the connecting rod being introduced with this same alternation. The assembly principle is substantially the same in both cases and described in relation to the Figures 2A And 8 has 11 . There figure 10 presents a simplified view where the central link is absent.

[0020] The two connecting rods 4, and more specifically the part with the flats 4a, are mounted in the respective holes 3a of the side link 3 with the shoulder 5 of the connecting rod 4 which is positioned with an axial clearance opposite the side link 3. The fixing between the connecting rods 4 and the side link 3 is carried out using the screws 7 which are introduced into one end of the through hole 3a of the side link into the hollow of the connecting rod. Alternatively, the fixing can be carried out by gluing. Then, a central link 2 is threaded onto one of the connecting rods 4 with the shoulder 5 which is housed with an axial clearance in the recess 6 of the central link 2 and bears on the inner wall 6b of the recess. Similarly, a central link 2 is threaded onto the other connecting rod 4 of the lateral link 3 with the shoulder still resting on the inner wall of the recess.Finally, the other end of the two connecting rods with the flats is inserted into a side link and fixed with the two screws or by gluing. In this way, the entire bracelet is assembled. Legend

[0021] 1. Bracelet 2. Central link a. Through hole b. Protruding part c. Circular hollow d. Top of the protruding part 3. Side link a. Through or blind hole b. Plane c. Circular ear d. Recessed portion 4.Connecting rod a. Flat 5. Shoulder a. Arc of a circle b. First flank c. Second flank 6.Hole, also called pocket, of the central link a. Arc of a circle b. First stop, also called inner wall or first wall c. Second stop, also called outer wall or second wall 7. Screws 8. First row 9. Second row 10. Third row

Claims

1. A wristlet (1) comprising: - a first row (8) with at least one central link (2) provided with two open-through holes (2a), said holes (2a) of the central link (2), - a second row (9) and a third row (10) disposed respectively on either side of the first row (8), the second row (9) and the third row (10) each comprising at least one lateral link (3), said lateral link (3) being provided with two holes (3a), called holes (3a) of the lateral link (3), with a hole (3a) of the lateral link (3) of the second row (9) aligned on a hole (2a) of the central link (2) of the first row (8) and on a hole (3a) of the lateral link (3) of the third row (10) to form a set with three aligned holes, - a connecting rod (4) positioned in the three aligned holes, said connecting rod (4) being fixedly mounted with respect to the lateral link (3) of the second row (9) and of the third row (10) and forming an axis around which the central link (2) is pivotally mounted, the wristlet (1) being characterised in that the connecting rod (4) comprises a shoulder (5), and in that each hole (2a) of the central link (2) opens at one of its ends onto a hollow (6) formed in said central link (2), said hollow (6) being delimited by a first so-called internal wall (6b) as it is the closest to the centre of the central link (2) and by a second so-called external wall (6c) as it is the furthest from the centre of the central link (2), the first wall (6b) and the second wall (6c) serving as a first banking and second banking for the shoulder (5) when the central link (2) pivots about the connecting rod (4) so as to limit the amplitude of rotation of said central link (2) about the connecting rod (4).

2. The wristlet (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that the shoulder (5) of the connecting rod (4) flares radially as a circle arc (5a) from the connecting rod (4), the circle arc (5a) being connected to the connecting rod (4) by a first flank (5b) and a second flank (5c) and in that the recess (6) also has a shape flaring as a circle arc (6a) with a length of said circle arc (6a) larger than that of the circle arc (5a) of the shoulder (5) to enable pivoting of the shoulder (5) within the hollow (6).

3. The wristlet (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the amplitude of rotation of the central link (2) about the connecting rod (4) is smaller than or equal to 150°, preferably smaller than or equal to 60°.

4. The wristlet (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that when the central link (2) has a zero amplitude of rotation, i.e. when the set formed by the central link (2) of the first row (8) and said at least one lateral link (3) of the second row (9) and of the third row (10) is in the same plane, the shoulder (5) bears on the internal wall (6b) of the hollow (6) and in that when the central link (2) has reached its maximum amplitude of rotation, the shoulder (5) bears on the external wall (6c) of the hollow (6).

5. The wristlet (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the connecting rod (4) has a portion with a non-circular section at each of its ends and in that each hole (3a) of the lateral link (3) also has a portion with a non-circular section, the portion with a non-circular section of the connecting rod (4) fitting into the portion with a non-circular section of the hole (3a) of the lateral link (3) so that the connecting rod (4) is fixedly mounted with respect to the lateral link (3).

6. The wristlet (1) according to the preceding claim, characterised in that the portion with a non-circular section of the connecting rod (4) includes at least one flat surface (4a) which bears on a plane (3b) of the portion with a non-circular section of the lateral link (3).

7. The wristlet (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the central link (2) includes at each of its ends between the two open-through holes (2a) a protruding portion (2b) which extends in the second row (9) and in the third row (10) next to the lateral link (3).

8. The wristlet (1) according to the preceding claim, characterised in that the protruding portion (2b) of the central link (2) has a thickness substantially equal to that of the lateral link (3).

9. The wristlet (1) according to claim 7 or 8, characterised in that the lateral link (3) includes two circular lugs (3c) with a circular lug (3c) which fits without contact into a circular recess (2c) formed in the protruding portion (2b) of the central link (2).

10. The wristlet (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the two holes (3a) of the lateral link (3) are open-through and in that fastening between the lateral link (3) and the connecting rod (4) is achieved with a screw (7) which is positioned at the end of the open-through hole (3a) on the side opposite to the central link (2).

11. The wristlet (1) according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterised in that the two holes (3a) of the lateral link (3) are open-through or blind and in that fastening between the lateral link (3) and the connecting rod (4) is achieved with a glue.

12. The wristlet (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the central link (2) and / or the lateral link (3) is at least partially made of a material whose hardness is equal to or higher than 1,200 HV.

13. The wristlet (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the connecting rod (4) has a hardness lower than 1,200 HV.

14. The wristlet (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the hollow (6) of the central link (2) for the two open-through holes (2a) is formed on the same face of the central link (2).

15. The wristlet (1) according to one of claims 1 to 13, characterised in that the hollow (6) of the central link (2) for the two open-through holes (2a) is respectively formed on a face of the central link (2) for an open-through hole (2a) and on an opposite face of the central link (2) for the other open-through hole (2a).

16. A piece, in particular a timepiece, comprising the wristlet (1) according to one of the preceding claims.

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