Adjustable bracelet clasp

Abstract

To provide a clasp for making fine adjustments to a length of a portable timepiece bracelet.SOLUTION: A foldable clasp (1) for a bracelet (20) includes: a cover (2) to which at least one of the first blade and second blade is fitted, where the first blade and the second blade are connected to each other by a hinge and a first bracelet strand is fitted to at least one of the first blade and second blade in the cover (2); first locking means for holding the first blade and the second blade in a closed position on the cover; actuating means including first and second pressing components (4, 5); and length adjustment means for adjusting a length of the bracelet to which a second bracelet strand is fitted. The length adjustment means includes an end piece (10) sliding inside the housing that is formed in the cover (2). The end piece (10) is provided with a toothed section (15) configured so as to interlock with second locking means that is controlled by the pressing components (4, 5).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a folding bracelet clasp that allows the effective length of the bracelet to be adjusted.

[0002] The present invention further relates to a portable timepiece (for example, a wristwatch or pocket watch) equipped with such a clasp. [Background technology]

[0003] The problems associated with the need to provide a device for adjusting the effective length of a bracelet are well known.

[0004] On the other hand, for a multi-link bracelet, the circumference of the wearer's wrist may fall between two configurations of the bracelet that differ by one link length. Therefore, it would be advantageous to provide a device for adjusting the effective length of the bracelet that allows finer adjustment of the bracelet length than by removing or adding a single link.

[0005] It is also known that wrist circumference varies with the seasons, typically being greatest in the summer and least in the winter. Furthermore, wrist circumference may vary depending on the time of day. Again, it would be desirable to provide a device for fine-tuning the effective length of the bracelet, allowing the wearer to adjust the length and thereby improve the comfort of the bracelet when worn.

[0006] For example, European Patent EP0350785B1 describes a clasp with a device for adjusting the effective length of a bracelet that can be operated without tools. The clasp described in this patent is foldable and has two blades hingedly connected by a rod that passes through both blades, each of which has an attachment member at its free end for attaching the bracelet. The first blade carries a hook that engages in a hole formed in the second blade and cooperates with a bolt to lock the hook, and therefore the clasp, in a closed state. The second blade has two parts that can slide relative to each other within a certain predetermined range, which defines the pitch for adjusting the effective length of the bracelet. The first of the two parts carries a hinge connecting it to the first blade, and the second part carries a locking bolt. The hole into which the hook engages to lock the clasp has a length in the longitudinal direction of the bracelet that corresponds to the sliding range between the two parts of the second blade. The bolt has a central section that defines two positions for the hook in the longitudinal direction of the bracelet, corresponding to two different effective lengths of the bracelet. A control member with a push piece actuates the bolt to release the hook and open the clasp.

[0007] One challenge with this design is that the bracelet length adjustment is lost each time the clasp is opened, so the wearer must ensure that the hook is inserted into the side of the central portion of the bolt that corresponds to the desired bracelet length each time the clasp is closed.

[0008] Alternatively, adjustment devices with specific locking members have also been proposed to avoid this type of problem. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] The present invention aims to solve these and other problems by providing a clasp for fine-tuning the length of a watch bracelet, which allows for particularly simple and quick adjustment and handling, without the risk of unintentionally losing the adjustment made to the bracelet's length. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] To this end, the invention relates to a folding clasp for a bracelet, said clasp comprising: a cover to which at least one of a first blade and a second blade is attached, the first blade and the second blade being hingedly connected to one another, and a first bracelet strand being attached to at least one of the first blade and the second blade; a first locking means for holding the first blade and the second blade in a closed position on the cover; an actuating means comprising first and second pushing pieces; and length adjustment means for adjusting the length of the bracelet to which the second bracelet strand is attached.

[0011] According to the invention, the length adjustment means comprises a sliding end piece that slides in a housing formed in the cover, the sliding end piece having a toothed section configured to cooperate with a second locking means controlled by a pushing element, the sliding end piece being configured to move from a locked position to an unlocked position in which the sliding end piece is completely disengaged from the cover.

[0012] Another advantageous alternative embodiment of the invention has the following characteristics: - the locking means comprises a lever that rotates between a locked position and an unlocked position, the lever having a first end configured to cooperate with one of the push parts and a second end provided with a toothed element configured to cooperate with a toothed section of the sliding end piece. - said locking means comprises elastic return means for holding said lever in the locked position; the cover has a generally U-shaped cross section and comprises two wings facing each other, each of which has an opening for receiving the first and second pushing pieces. The push pieces have a body and a head, the head of each push piece being positioned within one of the openings, and one of the heads being configured to cooperate with the first end of the lever. - the body of the push pieces carries the first locking means of the clasp, and the length of the body of each push piece is predetermined so that when the push pieces are simultaneously actuated, the body of the push piece does not contact the lever and disengage the lever. - a plate integral with said cover, said plate and said cover forming a housing therebetween, said plate having two openings through which said first locking means pass; - the cover has a cavity adapted to receive a spring, the spring cooperating with the sliding end piece; The sliding end piece has a machined shape that is complementary to the shape of the cavity. - said clasp comprises a stop means preventing said sliding end piece from falling off said cover; the toothed section has a plurality of teeth, each tooth defining an indexed position of the sliding end piece; - the toothed section has teeth with an asymmetrical shape, a first portion of the teeth being perpendicular to the direction of movement of the sliding end piece and a second portion of the teeth being inclined. the toothed element of the lever has a shape complementary to the asymmetric shape of the teeth of the toothed section;

[0013] Other features and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from a reading of the following detailed description of one embodiment of a clasp for a watch bracelet or belt according to the present invention, an example of which is provided for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention, and which will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1a and 1b are each an exploded perspective view of a clasp according to the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the clasp of FIG. 1 in an assembled state. [Figure 3] 1 is a bottom view of a clasp according to the present invention with the adjustment link in the engaged position; FIG. [Figure 4] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a clasp according to the present invention with the fine adjustment link in a disengaged position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] The invention will be described below using a watch bracelet, but of course this example is for illustrative purposes only and is not limiting, and the clasp according to the invention can also be used, for example, in a belt buckle.

[0016] 1a and 1b show exploded perspective views of a clasp according to the invention, while FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the same clasp in an assembled state. The clasp 1 according to the invention comprises a cover 2 connected at a first side to a first bracelet strand (not shown), into which a folding clasp fastening system 20 and first clasp locking means 30, 31 are inserted, the structures of which are known and will not be described further here. The folding clasp fastening system 20 may comprise two or three blades. At a second side, the cover 2 is connected to a second bracelet strand (not shown), which has a sliding end piece 10 for finely adjusting the length of the bracelet of the watch. The bracelet strand may further be formed by a series of links or by a strand made of leather, fabric, or even an elastomeric material.

[0017] As shown in Figure 1, the cover 2 has a generally U-shaped cross section with two opposing wings 12. Each of these wings 12 has an opening 14 on its surface for receiving the pressing pieces 4, 5. A cavity 16 is also formed on the underside of the cover 2, forming a receptacle for a spring 18, the function of which will be explained in detail below.

[0018] The sliding end piece 10 is provided with guide means for guiding the sliding end piece 10 slidably within the cover 2. The guide means is formed by a groove 11 formed on the underside of the cover 2, which groove 11 cooperates with a cavity 16 to guide the end piece 10 within the cover 2, the axes of the groove 11 and the cavity 16 being oriented in the same direction.

[0019] The sliding end piece 10 has a protrusion 13 that is intended to slide within a groove 11 in the cover 2 and guide the end piece 10 as it moves translationally. The length of the groove 11 contributes both to defining the length of travel of the end piece 10 relative to the cover 2 and to providing a stop to terminate the travel of the end piece 10 when the protrusion 13 reaches the end of the groove 11. As can also be seen in the drawings, the end piece 10 has a feature 17 that is complementary in shape to the cavity 16, thereby providing an additional guide means, which makes it possible to limit play in the end piece 10 after it has been installed in the cover 2.

[0020] The sliding end piece 10 can therefore slide longitudinally of the clasp 1 between a first position in which the sliding end piece 10 is engaged within the cover 2 of the clasp 1 and at least one second position in which the sliding end piece 10 is completely disengaged from the cover 2 of the clasp 1. The length available for adjusting the bracelet is determined by the travel of the sliding end piece 10.

[0021] The clasp 1 comprises length adjustment means formed by a sliding end piece 10 moving within the cover 2. In one embodiment of the invention, the clasp comprises a closure element in the form of a plate 3 integral with the cover 2, whereby between the plate 3 and the cover 2 a housing is formed, within which the end piece 10 slides. Advantageously, the plate 3 has two openings 32, 33 through which the first locking means 30, 31 pass. Such an arrangement makes it possible to prevent foreign objects from getting stuck within the cover and interfering with the correct functioning of the clasp.

[0022] The end piece 10 has a toothed section 15 configured to cooperate with a second locking means controlled by one of the push pieces 4, 5 to lock or unlock the second locking means and adjust the length of the clasp.

[0023] 1a, 1b and 3, the second locking means is in the form of a lever 6 which rotates between a locked position and an unlocked position. The lever 6 is rotatably mounted on the lug 63 and has a first end 60 which is adapted to cooperate with one of the push pieces 4, 5 and a second end 61 which has a toothed element 62 which is adapted to cooperate with the toothed section 15 of the sliding end piece 10.

[0024] The toothed element 62 is configured to lock the sliding endpiece 10 in an adjustment position selected by the wearer in conjunction with the toothed section 15, which has at least two teeth 150, 151 to form at least two positions. It will be clear to those skilled in the art that multiple teeth can be added to form multiple length adjustment positions without any particular difficulty.

[0025] The toothed element 62 is formed in the first portion of the lever 6 , such as by machining, and has dimensions that are close to those of the teeth of the toothed section 15 .

[0026] The lever 6 is configured to move from a first position, also called the rest position, in which the toothed element 62 is engaged with the teeth of the toothed section 15, to a second position in which the toothed element 62 is released from engagement with the toothed section 15.

[0027] The locking means further comprises resilient return means for holding the lever 6 in the locked position, in the form of a torsion spring 7 connected about the axis of rotation of the lever 6, a first part 71 of the spring 7 being attached to the cover and a second part 72 of the spring 7 restraining the lever 6 in its rest position.

[0028] According to the present invention, the toothed section 15 has teeth 150, 151, 152, 153 that are asymmetrically shaped such that a first portion of each tooth is perpendicular to the direction of movement of the sliding end piece 10 and a second portion of each tooth is inclined.

[0029] The shape of the toothed element 62 of the lever 6 is complementary to the asymmetric shape of the teeth of the toothed section 15, so that the sliding end piece 10 is blocked by the lever when the wearer pulls on the bracelet strand attached to the end piece 10, without having to unlock the lever beforehand. On the other hand, this tooth shape allows the wearer to shorten the length of the bracelet without having to unlock the sliding end piece 10.

[0030] As shown in Figure 3, the cover 2 has a cavity 16 that is substantially parallelepiped-shaped, in which a spring 18 is disposed. The spring 18 is compressed between the innermost portion of the cavity 16 and the innermost portion of the processing portion 17 of the end piece 10. It can be seen that when the sliding end piece 10 is assembled within the cover 2, the spring 18 is compressed between the innermost portion of the cavity 16 and the sliding end piece 10, thereby disengaging the end piece 10 from the cover 2 when the lever 6 is unlocked by the wearer.

[0031] When the wearer presses the push piece to unlock the end piece 10, the lever 6 disengages from the toothed section 15, releasing the end piece 10, which slides within the housing and, under the action of the spring, is completely disengaged from the cover 2. Once the end piece 10 is completely disengaged from the cover, the wearer can adjust the length of the clasp while keeping it fastened to the wrist. The expression "completely disengaged from the cover 2" should be understood to mean that the end piece 10 reaches the furthest position allowed by the length of travel while remaining firmly connected to the cover.

[0032] Retaining means 19 are machined into each side of the cover 2 near the edges through which the end pieces 10 slide to limit the travel of the end pieces 10 and prevent them from being completely pulled out of the cover 2 after the clasp 1 is assembled.

[0033] The push pieces 4, 5 have bodies 40, 50 and heads 41, 51. The heads 41, 51 of the push pieces 4, 5 each rest within one of the openings in the cover 2, with one of the heads 41, 51 configured to cooperate with a first end 60 of the lever 6 to unlock the end piece 10. The push pieces 4, 5 are held in the rest position by means of a pair of springs 8, each end of which is received within a blind hole formed in the heads 41, 51 of the push pieces 4, 5.

[0034] The bodies 40, 50 of the push elements carry first locking means 30, 31, in this case hooks adapted to cooperate with the blades of the folding clasp. Advantageously, the body of each push element 4, 5 has a length such that when the push elements 4, 5 are simultaneously actuated by the wearer, the bodies of the push elements 4, 5 do not come into contact with each other and release the lever 6. The length of the bodies of the push elements therefore makes it possible to determine the length of travel of the push elements so as to prevent the wearer from unintentionally changing the adjustment result when opening the clasp.

[0035] To adjust the clasp, the user presses the push piece located near the lever 6 so that the head of the push piece presses against the first end 60 of the lever 6, rotating the lever 6 and disengaging the toothed element 62 from the toothed section 15.

[0036] Once the toothed element 62 is disengaged, the sliding end piece 10 is free to move in translation until it abuts under the action of the spring 18. The end piece 10 is then completely disengaged from the cover 2 and the user can release the push pieces 4, 5.

[0037] Finally, to adjust the length of the bracelet to the desired length, the user holds the bracelet strand attached to the movable end piece 10 and moves the end piece 10 into the cover 2 to the desired position and partially retracts it. The toothed element 62 and toothed section 15 combine to form a removable click mechanism, allowing the user to feel the transition from one tooth to the next during adjustment.

[0038] Naturally, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and those skilled in the art can devise various simple alternatives and modified constructions without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0039] 1 clasp 2 Cover 3 plates 4, 5 Pressing parts 6 Lever 7 Elastic return means 8, 18 Spring 10 Sliding end piece 12 Wing 14 Aperture 15 toothed compartment 16 Cavity 17 Processing Department 19 Stopping means 20 Bracelets 30, 31 First locking means 40, 50 main body 41, 51 head 60 First End 61 Second End 62 Toothed elements

Claims

1. A folding clasp (1) for a bracelet (20), comprising: a cover (2) to which at least one of a first blade and a second blade is attached, the first blade and the second blade being hingedly connected to each other, and a first bracelet strand being attached to at least one of the first blade and the second blade; a first locking means for holding the first blade and the second blade in a closed position on the cover; actuating means comprising first and second pushing pieces (4, 5); and length adjustment means for adjusting the length of the bracelet to which the second bracelet strand is attached; The length adjusting means comprises a sliding end piece (10) that slides within a housing formed in the cover (2); The sliding end piece (10) has a toothed section (15) adapted to cooperate with a second locking means controlled by the pushing elements (4, 5), The sliding end piece is configured to move from a locked position to an unlocked position in which the sliding end piece (10) is fully disengaged from the cover (2). A clasp (1) characterized by:

2. The locking means comprises a lever (6) which rotates between a locked position and an unlocked position; The lever (6) has a first end (60) adapted to cooperate with one of the pushing parts and a second end (61) provided with a toothed element (62) adapted to cooperate with a toothed section (15) of the sliding end piece (10). Clasp (1) according to claim 1 .

3. The locking means comprises a resilient return means (7) for holding the lever in the locked position. Clasp (1) according to claim 1 .

4. The cover (2) has a generally U-shaped cross section and comprises two wings (12) facing each other; Each of these wings (12) has an opening (14) for receiving said first and second push pieces (4, 5). Clasp (1) according to claim 1 .

5. The pressing parts (4, 5) have a body (40, 50) and a head (41, 51), The head of each push piece is positioned within one of the openings (14); One of the heads (41, 51) is adapted to cooperate with the first end (60) of the lever (6). Clasp (1) according to claim 1 .

6. the body (40, 50) of the push piece carries the first locking means (30, 31) of the clasp, The length of the body (40, 50) of each pushing element is predetermined so that when the pushing elements (4, 5) are simultaneously actuated, the body of the pushing element will contact the lever (6) and will not disengage the lever (6). Clasp (1) according to claim 1 .

7. a plate (3) integral with the cover (2), forming a housing between the plate (3) and the cover; The plate has two openings through which the first locking means (30, 31) pass.

2. The clasp according to claim 1 .

8. The cover (2) has a cavity (16) configured to receive a spring (18); The spring is associated with the sliding end piece (10). Clasp (1) according to claim 1 .

9. The sliding end piece (10) has a processing portion (17) having a shape complementary to the shape of the cavity (16). Clasp (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that

10. The sliding end piece (10) is provided with a stop means (19) for preventing it from falling off the cover (2). Clasp (1) according to claim 1 .

11. The toothed section (15) has a plurality of teeth, Each tooth defines an indexed position of the sliding end piece. Clasp (1) according to claim 1 .

12. The toothed section (15) has teeth of an asymmetrical shape, a first portion of the teeth being perpendicular to the direction of movement of the sliding end piece, and a second portion of the teeth being inclined. Clasp (1) according to claim 1 .

13. The toothed element (62) of the lever (6) has a shape complementary to the asymmetric shape of the teeth of the toothed section Clasp (1) according to claim 11, characterized in that

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