Functional wristband

Abstract

The invention relates to a bracelet comprising at least one warp yarn (2) and at least one weft yarn (1), said warp and weft yarns being woven so as to create a weave forming a bracelet, characterized in that at least one weft and / or warp yarn is in the form of a microcapillary yarn arranged to contain at least one functional element.

Description

Technical field of the invention

[0001] The invention falls within the field of bracelets, particularly those intended to be attached to a watch or a piece of jewelry. Technological background

[0002] In the watchmaking or jewelry industry, there are bracelets made entirely or partially of leather, woven textile fibers, or polymers such as rubber, and the needs for personalization are becoming increasingly selective, particularly to adapt to the wishes of users.

[0003] Some bracelets may have a functional effect such as a particular structure to promote the evacuation of perspiration or one or more functional charges in the bracelet itself having various functions such as an antimicrobial function.

[0004] Such bracelets containing an antibacterial agent are known and are described, for example, in document DE20315119. According to this document, the leather watch strap includes an inner band in contact with the wearer's skin made of leather treated to have antibacterial properties. This strap has the advantage of not developing unpleasant odors, particularly in the case of perspiration.

[0005] Bracelets made of plastic materials are also known, containing active ingredients in the form of microcapsules embedded within the bracelet material. In publication KR 20080003342, the active ingredient is a vitamin. In publication FR 2 842 107, the active ingredient can be a fragrance or a dose of medication. The vitamin or medication is released by rubbing the bracelet against the skin and diffuses into the body to treat the wearer.

[0006] However, certain active ingredients incorporated into the strap, such as antibacterial agents or perfumes, can irritate the skin, especially with prolonged contact, and particularly in hot and humid conditions. Such conditions promote maceration at the interface between the skin and the strap, creating a very uncomfortable sensation for the watch wearer. Combined with friction between the strap and the skin, wearing a strap containing active ingredients can cause skin irritation in the long term. Wearing the strap then becomes uncomfortable or even impossible in cases of significant skin damage. US patent 2018363173 A1 describes the preamble of claim 1. Summary of the invention

[0007] The invention aims in particular to overcome the various drawbacks of prior art bracelets.

[0008] More specifically, one objective of the invention is to provide a functional woven bracelet in which all or part of the threads contain functional elements.

[0009] To this end, the invention relates to a bracelet comprising at least one warp thread and at least one weft thread, said warp and weft threads being woven so as to create a weave forming a bracelet. According to the invention, at least one warp and / or weft thread is in the form of a microcapillary yarn, the microcapillary yarn comprising ionic liquid salts.

[0010] In accordance with other advantageous variants of the invention: The material of at least one microcapillary yarn is selected from: FKM, PTFE, PEEK, TPE, PA, PP, or PC; the diameter of at least one microcapillary yarn has an outer diameter of less than 0.25 mm and an inner diameter between 0.10 mm and 0.20 mm; the at least one microcapillary yarn is flexible and has a Shore hardness of less than 80 Shore A; the at least one microcapillary yarn is transparent, translucent, or opaque; said microcapillary warp and weft yarns are woven to create a weave with at least one pattern, said pattern being formed by at least one microcapillary weft yarn. At least one warp yarn is a textile or synthetic yarn, and at least one weft yarn is a microcapillary yarn; at least one weft yarn is a textile or synthetic yarn, and at least one warp yarn is a microcapillary yarn.

[0011] The invention also relates to a method for manufacturing a bracelet according to the invention, comprising the following steps: provide at least one warp yarn and at least one weft yarn, at least the weft yarn being the microcapillary yarn; weave at least one warp yarn and at least one weft yarn to form a ribbon; size the ribbon to the desired dimensions to obtain a bracelet strand; fill at least one microcapillary yarn with ionic liquid salts and seal the microcapillary yarn; seal the microcapillary yarn by means of a joint at each end of at least one microcapillary yarn. Brief description of the figures

[0012] Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, given by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: there figure 1represents a top view of a bracelet according to the invention; the figure 2 represents a top view of an example of armor for a bracelet according to the invention. Detailed description of the invention

[0013] In the present text, the bracelet according to the invention is described in one of its preferred applications, namely a watch strap.

[0014] There figure 1 illustrates a schematic top view representation of a 100 watch bracelet according to the invention.

[0015] Of course, the 100 bracelet can be advantageously used in other applications without this leading to a change in its technical characteristics. According to an embodiment not part of the invention, it can take the form of a belt, a necklace or even a handbag strap, for example.

[0016] There figure 1illustrates a strand of a bracelet according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The woven bracelet comprises an upper face and an lower face, and is formed by at least one warp yarn 1 and at least one weft yarn 2.

[0017] The “warp thread(s)” 1 are the longitudinal threads, stretched from one end to the other of the loom and form the frame of the bracelet.

[0018] The weft thread(s) 2 consist of a continuous thread, wound around a shuttle and which travels over and under the warp threads.

[0019] According to the invention, at least one weft yarn 1 and / or one warp yarn 2 is in the form of a microcapillary yarn arranged to contain at least one functional element.

[0020] For example, a bracelet can be made entirely from microcapillary yarns, or a bracelet made from textile or synthetic yarns and microcapillary yarns. Thus, at least one warp yarn is a textile or synthetic yarn and at least one weft yarn is a microcapillary yarn, or vice versa.

[0021] As the view of the figure 1 The 100 bracelet comprises an outer face, or upper face, and an inner face, or lower face, which is intended to be in contact with the wearer's wrist when the bracelet is worn.

[0022] The microcapillary wire is made of one of the following materials: fluoroelastomers (FKM), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyetheretherketone (PEEK), thermoplastic elastomers (TPE), polyamides (PA), polypropylene (PP) or polycarbonates (PC).

[0023] The microcapillary wire is made of a transparent, translucent, or opaque material; the choice will generally be guided by the function of the functional element.

[0024] The diameter of at least one microcapillary wire has an outer diameter of less than 0.25mm and an inner diameter between 0.10mm and 0.20mm, the microcapillary wire thus having an internal volume in which at least one functional element is encapsulated.

[0025] The microcapillary wire(s) are arranged to receive at least one functional element contained within the internal volume of the microcapillary wire, the wire being hermetically sealed with a gasket at each of its ends. The gasket can be made using welding or adhesive, for example.

[0026] According to the invention, the microcapillary thread contains ionic liquid salts. Ionic salts are phase-change materials and, in the context of this invention, allow for a phase transition within a temperature range of 27°C to 32°C. This arrangement allows for temperature regulation at the skin level; when the salts are heated by body temperature, they melt by absorbing the heat. It should be noted that the reverse is also possible, namely, obtaining a sensation of warmth instead of a sensation of coolness.

[0027] According to a second embodiment, the microcapillary filament contains a fluid with suspended microparticles to achieve a specific aesthetic effect. The suspended particles are diverse and varied; one can imagine metallic glitter, grains of sand, microbeads, luminescent particles, etc.

[0028] Micropumps can also be added to set the particles in motion.

[0029] Always with the aim of achieving a particular or surprising aesthetic effect, the warp and weft threads are woven in such a way as to create a weave with at least one pattern, the at least one pattern being formed by at least one microcapillary weft thread in order to highlight the pattern obtained in relation to the rest of the bracelet.

[0030] The resulting design can take the form of a logo, an alphanumeric character, or even a drawing / ornament.

[0031] According to a third embodiment, the microcapillary thread contains a fluid associated with at least one micropump, enabling the pressurization of the fluid within the thread. For this purpose, the microcapillary thread is selected from a flexible elastomer material, preferably with a Shore hardness of less than 80 Shore A, and is filled with liquid to 90% of its internal volume. Pressurizing the fluid within the microcapillary thread via the micropump stiffens the microcapillary thread(s), thus tightening the structure forming the bracelet and adjusting the micro-tightening of the bracelet. It is also possible to maintain pressure on the bracelet in warm conditions, and the micropumps are activated to release the pressure and provide increased comfort when the bracelet is less tightly fitted to the wearer's wrist. This effect can be combined with the cooling sensation of ionic salts to further enhance comfort.

[0032] According to a fourth embodiment, the microcapillary filament contains a fluid with variochromic particles. This arrangement allows for a real-time indication of body temperature, as the fluid's color can be associated with a temperature threshold. Thus, for a body temperature between 35°C and 37°C, the fluid may appear blue; between 38°C and 39°C, orange; and above 40°C, red.

[0033] Thus, thanks to these characteristics, it is possible to obtain a woven or knitted bracelet with one or more functions. The different embodiments have been described separately, but nothing prevents a person skilled in the art from combining different functions. For example, a bracelet could include several microcapillary threads encapsulating a fluid with ionic salts and several microcapillary threads containing a fluid associated with a micropump.

[0034] The invention also relates to a method for manufacturing a bracelet according to the invention, comprising the following steps: provide at least one warp yarn 1 and at least one weft yarn 2, at least the weft yarn 2 being a microcapillary yarn; weave the at least one warp yarn 1 and at least one weft yarn 2 to form a ribbon; size the ribbon to the desired dimensions to obtain a bracelet strand; fill the at least one microcapillary yarn with ionic liquid salts; seal the microcapillary yarn by means of a joint at each end of the at least one microcapillary yarn.

Claims

1. A wristlet (100) comprising at least one warp yarn and at least one weft yarn, said warp and weft yarns being woven so as to create a weave forming a wristlet, characterised in that at least one weft yarn (1) and / or warp yarn (2) is in the form of a microcapillary thread characterised in that the microcapillary thread comprises liquid ionic salts.

2. The wristlet (100) according to claim 1, in which the material of the at least one microcapillary thread is chosen among: FKM, PTFE, PEEK, TPE, PA, PP, or PC.

3. The wristlet (100) according to claim 1 or 2, in which the diameter of the at least one microcapillary thread has an outer diameter of less than 0.25 mm and an inner diameter comprised between 0.10 mm and 0.20 mm.

4. The wristlet (100) according to any of claims 1 to 3, in which the at least one microcapillary thread is flexible and has a Shore hardness of less than 80 Shore A.

5. The wristlet (100) according to any of claims 1 to 4, in which the at least one microcapillary thread is transparent or translucent or opaque.

6. The wristlet (100) according to any of claims 1 to 5, in which said microcapillary warp and weft yarns are woven so as to create a weave with at least one pattern, said at least one pattern being formed by the at least one microcapillary weft yarn.

7. The wristlet (100) according to any of claims 1 to 5, in which at least one warp yarn is a textile yarn or synthetic yarn and at least one weft yarn is a microcapillary thread, or inversely.

8. A method for manufacturing a wristlet (100) according to any of claims 1 to 7, comprising the following steps: - providing at least one warp yarn (1) and at least one weft yarn (2), at least the weft yarn being the microcapillary thread; - weaving the at least one warp yarn and the at least one weft yarn to form a strip; - sizing the strip to the desired dimensions to produce a wristlet strand; - filling the at least one microcapillary thread with liquid ionic salts and sealing the microcapillary thread; - sealing the microcapillary thread with a joint at each end of the at least one microcapillary thread.

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