Buckle clasp for a watchstrap

Abstract

The present invention relates to a buckle clasp (1) comprising at least one cover (7, 8) that comprises an inner bottom (10) and two side walls defining an inner cavity (16) that is intended to receive a strap segment (18), wherein the upper face (20a) of the strap segment faces the bottom (10) of the cover (7, 8), and a device for fastening the strap segment (18) in the cavity (16) of the cover (7, 8). The fastening device comprises a first lever (30) that comprises at least one holding member (32) that is intended to co-operate with the strap segment (18) in order to hold it in the cavity (16) of the cover (7, 8), the first lever (30) being pivotably mounted in the cavity (16) so as to pivot about a first axis of rotation (26) that connects the side walls of the cover (7, 8) between a first position in which its holding member (32) is moved away from the bottom (10) of the cover (7, 8) to allow the strap segment (16) to be inserted into the cavity (16) of the cover (7, 8) and a second position in which the holding member (32) is brought closer to the bottom (10) of the cover (7, 8) so as to be able to co-operate with the strap segment (18), and a second lever (34) pivotably mounted in the cavity (16) of the cover (7, 8) so as to pivot about a second axis of rotation (36) that is parallel to and lower than the first axis of rotation (26) between at least one open position and one closed position, the second lever (34) comprising at least one contact member (40) arranged so that, when the second lever (34) is in its open position, it does not compress the first lever (30) occupying its first position, when the second lever (34) is moved from its open position to its closed position , it co-operates with the first lever (30) in order to move it from its first position to its second position and, when the second lever (34) is in its closed position, it co-operates with the first lever (30) occupying its second position, in order to compress the first lever (30) towards the bottom (10) of the cover (7, 8) so that the first lever (30) is locked in order to ensure that the watchstrap (18) is fastened to the cover (7, 8).

Description

[0001] BUCKLE CLASP FOR BRACELET

[0002] Technical field

[0003] The present invention relates to a buckle clasp for a bracelet comprising at least one cover comprising an inner base and two side walls defining an inner housing intended to receive one end of a bracelet strand, its upper face facing the base of the cover, and a device for fixing the end of the bracelet strand in said inner housing of the cover.

[0004] State of the art

[0005] Such a buckle clasp can be of the pin buckle type or the folding clasp type.

[0006] A folding clasp is for example described in the applicant's patent EP 3 162 241. In this document, it is described that the ends of the bracelet strands are fixed to their respective cover by means of a bar connecting the two side walls of the cover perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the bracelet strand. However, such bars require specific tools to assemble / disassemble the bracelet strands if one wishes, for example, to remove the bracelet from the clasp to set it to the correct length when purchasing a watch or to change the bracelet. In addition, the bars themselves do not allow the length of the bracelet to be adjusted to the size of the wearer's wrist. This requires having bracelet strands of several lengths available.

[0007] To allow the length of the strands to be adjusted with this bar system, it has been proposed to provide bars inside the cover which fit into grooves provided on the underside of the end of the bracelet strand. Different grooves are provided in order to be able to adjust the length of the strands. However, this fixing device is more particularly suited to bracelets made of composite or elastomer material but is not compatible with leather bracelets, a material in which it is not possible to form grooves. In addition, this device always requires specific tools to assemble / disassemble the bracelet. It is therefore not possible to remove the bracelet from the clasp, to adjust its length or to change it, without the aid of a tool.

[0008] Another solution for having a bracelet at the right length is to provide one strand of the bracelet arranged to be adjustable in length, the other bracelet being of fixed length. However, this solution has the disadvantage of risking off-centering the bracelet closure system so that wearing it can be uncomfortable. In addition, in this solution, two strands are superimposed, so that the overall thickness of the bracelet is significant. And this device always requires specific tools to disassemble the bracelet if it needs to be changed.

[0009] The present invention aims to overcome these drawbacks by proposing a buckle clasp comprising a device for fixing the bracelet strands allowing simple and reliable assembly / disassembly of the bracelet strands, without the need for tools, in order to be able to remove them in particular to adjust their size or to change them.

[0010] Another object of the present invention is to provide a buckle clasp comprising a device for fixing the bracelet strands making it possible to guarantee the centering of the bracelet, each strand being able to be easily dismantled, adjusted to the correct size and reassembled.

[0011] Another aim of the present invention is to propose a buckle clasp comprising a device for fixing the thin strap strands and making it possible to be compatible with all the materials traditionally used to make a watch strap, and more particularly materials having a certain flexibility and elasticity, such as leather, composite materials or elastomers, so that the same clasp can be used for different types of strap.

[0012] Another object of the present invention is to provide a buckle clasp comprising a device for fixing the bracelet strands allowing for a comfort adjustment that is simple to implement.

[0013] Disclosure of the invention To this end, the invention relates to a buckle clasp for a bracelet comprising at least one cover comprising an inner bottom and two side walls defining an inner housing intended to receive one end of a bracelet strand, its upper face facing the bottom of the cover, and a device for fixing the end of the bracelet strand in said inner housing of the cover.

[0014] According to the invention, said fixing device comprises a first lever comprising at least one holding member intended to cooperate with the end of the bracelet strand to hold it in the internal housing of the cover, said first lever being pivotally mounted in said internal housing of the cover around a first axis of rotation connecting the two side walls of the cover and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the bracelet strand between a first position in which its holding member is distant from the bottom of the cover in order to be able to allow the insertion of the end of the bracelet strand into the internal housing of the cover and a second position in which said holding member is brought closer to the bottom of the cover in order to be able to cooperate with the lower face of the end of the bracelet strand,and a second lever pivotally mounted in the interior housing of the cover around a second axis of rotation parallel and lower than the first axis of rotation between at least one open position and one closed position, said second lever comprising a handle operable by a user and at least one contact member arranged for:,

[0015] - when the second lever is in its open position, do not compress the first lever which occupies its first position,

[0016] - when the second lever is moved from its open position to its closed position, cooperate with the first lever in order to move it from its first to its second position,

[0017] - when the second lever is in its closed position, cooperate with the first lever which occupies its second position in order to compress said first lever towards the bottom of the cover so that said first lever is locked in said second position to ensure the attachment of the end of the bracelet strand to the cover. Advantageously, the device for attaching the buckle clasp may comprise a comfort mechanism.

[0018] According to a first embodiment, the buckle clasp has a folding buckle and comprises a base blade, at least one pivoting blade comprising an end articulated at one end of the base blade and capable of folding back at least partially onto the base blade, the other end of said pivoting blade being mounted articulated around a third axis of rotation parallel to the first axis of rotation of the first lever, preferably merged with said first axis of rotation.

[0019] In a preferred embodiment, the folding clasp comprises two pivoting blades articulated respectively by one end to the two ends of the base blade and capable of folding onto the base blade, two covers intended to respectively receive one end of a bracelet strand, the pivoting blades being mounted articulated by another end on their respective cover, and two fixing devices comprising respectively a first and a second lever.

[0020] According to another embodiment, the buckle clasp is a pin buckle, the cover being integral with the buckle, and the shaft carrying the pin being parallel to the first axis of rotation of the first lever.

[0021] Such a buckle clasp allows the bracelet strands to be easily assembled and disassembled, for example to be adjusted to size or to be changed, the resulting bracelet being correctly centered. In addition, such a clasp only requires one strand thickness so that the overall thickness of the bracelet remains low. Such a buckle clasp is compatible with both leather and composite or elastomer material bracelets. Thus, the same clasp can be used for different types of bracelet. It also allows for a simple comfort adjustment.

[0022] Brief description of the drawings

[0023] Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will appear on reading the following detailed description of different embodiments of the invention, given as non-limiting examples, and made with reference to the appended drawings in which: - figure 1 is an isometric view of a first embodiment of a buckle clasp of the invention, said clasp being a folding buckle on which two bracelet strands are mounted;

[0024] - Figure 2 is a truncated view of Figure 1 showing the interior of the folding clasp according to the first embodiment;

[0025] - Figure 3 is an exploded view of a cover, a pivoting blade and a device for fixing one end of a bracelet strand of the clasp of Figure 1;

[0026] - figure 4 is a sectional view along the longitudinal axis of the bracelet of the clasp of figure 1, the pivoting blades and the base blade not being shown;

[0027] - figures 5a, 5b and 5c represent different stages of the assembly of a bracelet strand in the folding clasp of figure 1, from the first position of the first lever, the second lever being in the open position (figure 5a) to the second position of the first lever, the second lever being in the closed position (figure 5c);

[0028] - Figure 6 is an isometric view of a second embodiment of a buckle clasp of the invention, said clasp being a pin buckle;

[0029] - figure 7 is a sectional view along the longitudinal axis of the bracelet of the pin buckle clasp according to the second embodiment of figure 6;

[0030] - Figure 8 is an exploded view of a pin buckle, a cover and a device for fixing one end of a bracelet strand of the clasp of Figure 6;

[0031] - Figure 9 is an exploded view of a cover, a pivoting blade and a device for fixing one end of a bracelet strand of a third embodiment of a buckle clasp of the invention, said clasp being a folding buckle; Figure 10 is an isometric sectional view of the end of a bracelet strand according to the third embodiment;

[0032] - figures 11a, 11b and 11c represent different stages of the assembly of a bracelet strand in the folding clasp according to the third embodiment, from the first position of the first lever, the second lever being in the open position (figure 11a) to the second position of the first lever, the second lever being in the closed position (figure 11c); and

[0033] - figures 12a, 12b and 12c represent the different stages of placing a bracelet strand in the folding clasp according to the third embodiment.

[0034] Embodiments of the invention

[0035] The present invention relates to a buckle clasp for a bracelet, in particular for a watch bracelet, comprising at least one cover comprising an inner bottom and two side walls defining an inner housing intended to receive one end of a bracelet strand, its upper face facing the bottom of the cover, and a device for fixing the end of the bracelet strand in said inner housing of the cover.

[0036] Advantageously, said fixing device comprises a first lever pivotally mounted in said inner housing of the cover around a first axis of rotation connecting the two side walls of the cover and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the bracelet strand and a second lever pivotally mounted in the inner housing of the cover around a second axis of rotation parallel and lower than the first axis of rotation, said first and second levers being arranged to cooperate together so that the first lever can be compressed against the bracelet by the second lever and locked to ensure the fixing of the bracelet strand to the cover.

[0037] In the present description, the expression "longitudinal axis" of an element of the clasp denotes an axis which is coincident with the longitudinal axis of the bracelet when said bracelet is attached to the clasp. Similarly, certain parts of the clasp may be described as "upper" and "lower" with reference respectively to the external and internal sides of the bracelet. With reference to Figures 1 to 5c, a first embodiment of the invention is shown in which the buckle clasp is a folding clasp 1 for a bracelet, in particular for a watch bracelet.

[0038] With particular reference to Figures 1 and 2, said folding clasp 1 comprises a base blade 2 at the ends of which are articulated, by one end, two pivoting blades 3, 4 by means of hinges 5, 6, said pivoting blades 3, 4 being foldable onto the base blade 1.

[0039] The other end of each pivoting blade 3, 4 is hingedly mounted to a cover 7, 8, said covers 7, 8 joining when the pivoting blades 3, 4 are folded down onto the base blade 1 to close the bracelet.

[0040] With reference to Figure 3, each cover 7, 8 comprises an inner bottom 10 and two side walls 12, 14 directed towards the blades 2, 3, 4 defining an inner housing 16, open towards the blades 2, 3, 4, and intended to receive an end 18a of a bracelet strand 18, the upper face 20a of said bracelet strand 18 being directed opposite the inner bottom 10 of the cover 7, 8. Advantageously, the inner bottom 10 of the cover 7, 8 may have at least one stud 22, here in the form of a rib, arranged to be able to engage in a corresponding groove 24 provided on the upper face 20a of the end 18a of the bracelet strand 18 when said bracelet strand 18 is mounted in the inner housing 16.

[0041] The other end of the pivoting blades 3, 4 is mounted articulated around an axis of rotation, defined hereinafter as being the third axis of rotation 26, said axis of rotation connecting the two side walls 12, 14 of the cover 7, 8, perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. Said third axis of rotation 26 is mounted in two orifices 27 of the side walls 12, 14.

[0042] The folding clasp also comprises a locking mechanism 28 arranged to lock / unlock the pivoting blades 3, 4 on / from the base blade 2. Such a locking mechanism is for example described in patent EP 3 162 241 and will not be described in detail here. The pivoting blades 3, 4 are openworked. The base blade 1 is also openworked in lateral areas but is solid in its central part arranged to receive the locking mechanism 28.

[0043] The folding clasp 1 also comprises a device for fixing the end 18a of the bracelet strand 18 in the inner housing 16 of each cover 7, 8.

[0044] According to the invention, said fixing device comprises a first lever 30 comprising at least one holding member 32 intended to cooperate with the end 18a of the bracelet strand 18 to hold it in the internal housing 16 of the associated cover 7, 8, said first lever 30 being pivotally mounted in said internal housing 16 of the cover 7, 8 around a first axis of rotation connecting the two side walls 12, 14 of the cover 7, 8 and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the bracelet strand 18. The first axis of rotation is therefore parallel to the third axis of rotation 26 of the associated pivoting blade 3, 4. Preferably, as in the example shown, said first axis of rotation of the first lever 30 coincides with the third axis of rotation 26 of the associated pivoting blade 3, 4. The first axis of rotation is therefore referenced 26 in the remainder of the description.

[0045] The first lever 30 is arranged to pivot between a first position in which its holding member 32 is distant from the inner bottom 10 of the associated cover 7, 8 in order to be able to allow the insertion of the end 18a of the bracelet strand 18 into the inner housing 16, as shown in FIG. 5a, and a second position in which said holding member 32 is brought closer to the inner bottom 10 of the associated cover 7, 8 in order to be able to cooperate with the lower face 20b of the end 18a of the bracelet strand 18.

[0046] In order to be able to move the first lever 30 from its first to its second position, the fixing device of the invention comprises a second lever 34 pivotally mounted in the internal housing 16 of the associated cover 7, 8 around a second axis of rotation 36 parallel to the first axis of rotation 26 of the first lever 30.

[0047] Advantageously, the second axis of rotation 36 is formed by two rods 36a, 36b (see Figure 3) mounted respectively in two orifices 37 of the side walls 12, 14 of the cover 7, 8, perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The orifices 37 are positioned so that the rods 36a, 36b forming the second axis of rotation 36 are positioned in the inner housing 16 at a level lower than that of the first axis of rotation 26 and offset in the direction of the associated pivoting blade 3, 4. Thus, starting from the top of the bracelet towards the bottom of the bracelet in its wearing position, there are the cover 7, 8, and its inner bottom 10, the inner housing 16 for receiving the bracelet strand 18, the first lever 30 and the second lever 34.

[0048] The second lever 34 is arranged to pivot around its axis 36 between at least one open position and one closed position, said second lever 34 comprising a handle 38 operable by a user and at least one contact member 40 arranged to:

[0049] - when the second lever 34 is in its open position, do not compress the first lever 30 which occupies its first position, as shown in figure 5a,

[0050] - when the second lever 34 is moved from its open position to its closed position by a user using the handle 38, cooperate with the first lever 30 in order to move it from its first to its second position, as shown in figure 5b,

[0051] - when the second lever 34 is in its closed position, cooperate with the first lever 30 which occupies its second position in order to compress said first lever 30 towards the inner bottom 10 of the associated cover 7, 8, and possibly to deform it, so that said first lever 30 is kept locked in said second position to ensure the attachment of the end 18a of the bracelet strand 18 to the associated cover 7, 8, as shown in figure 5c.

[0052] With reference to Figure 3, the first lever 30 comprises two lateral arms 42 connected by a bar 44 carrying the holding member 32 and extending parallel to the first axis of rotation, here merged with the third axis of rotation 26. Said arms 42 are mounted to pivot about the first axis of rotation here merged with the third axis of rotation 26. For this purpose, the arms 42 have at their free end knuckles 46 allowing the arms 42 to be mounted to pivot about the third axis of rotation 26. In this configuration, the arms 42 and the bar 44 of the first lever 30 advantageously form a housing for receiving the end of the associated pivoting blade 3, 4.

[0053] Furthermore, the first lever 30 is provided with a return spring 48 arranged to return it to its first position.

[0054] Advantageously, the holding member 32 of the first lever 30 can be configured differently depending on the material used to produce at least the end 18a of the bracelet strand 18.

[0055] Preferably, at least the end 18a of the bracelet strand 18 is made of a material having an elasticity such that the bracelet can be crushed locally in contact with the holding member 32 of the first lever 30 when the latter is locked in its second position, compressed by the second lever 34 then in its closed position.

[0056] Preferably, the entire bracelet strand 18 is made of said material.

[0057] In the example described, at least the end 18a of the bracelet strand 18 is made of a composite or elastomer material. This makes it possible to form, on its upper face 20a, reliefs comprising the grooves 24 and to form, on its lower face 20b, grooves 50 intended to cooperate with the holding member 32 of the first lever 30 when said first lever 30 is in its second position. In this configuration, the holding member 32 of the first lever 30 may comprise, for example, at least one stud directed towards the inner bottom 10 of the associated cover 7, 8 and arranged to be able to engage in a corresponding groove 50 provided on the lower face 20b of the end 18a of the bracelet strand 18.

[0058] Advantageously, the holding member 32 can extend over the entire length of the bar 44 in order to occupy the entire corresponding groove 50.

[0059] In another embodiment not shown, at least the end 18a of the bracelet strand 18 is made of leather or fabric. In this configuration, the holding member 32 of the first lever 30 is made of claws directed towards the inner bottom 10 of the associated cover 7, 8, and arranged to be able to penetrate the leather or fabric. It is obvious that the holding member 32 can have any other suitable configuration chosen to allow it to cooperate with a complementary shape provided on the lower face 20b of the end 18a of the bracelet strand 18 or with the very material of the lower face 20b of the end 18a of the bracelet strand 18 by friction and compression in order to guarantee the fixing of the end 18a of the bracelet strand 18 to the associated cover 7, 8.

[0060] The depth and shape of the grooves 50 provided on the lower face 20b of the end 18a of the bracelet strand 18 can be adapted depending on the material used for the bracelet strand 18.

[0061] In order to avoid, or at least reduce, the deformation of the grooves 50 or other types of zones of the bracelet strand 18 which are intended to receive the holding member 32, this deformation of the grooves 50 being able to appear in particular when the bracelet strand is made of an elastomeric material, said bracelet strand 18 can advantageously be reinforced, at least at the level of said grooves 50 or of said zones intended to receive the holding member 32. For this purpose, the bracelet strand 18 can comprise a reinforcing core integrated into the material of said bracelet strand 18, and made of a material such as nylon, plastic, cotton or metal for example, which makes it possible to avoid any elongation and deformation of said grooves 50 or of said zones intended to receive the holding member 32.The reinforcing core is provided to extend inside the bracelet strand 18 at least in the vicinity, and preferably as close as possible to the grooves 50 or the areas intended to receive the holding member 32. The reinforcing core may be in the form, for example, of a strip or wires extending over a certain length of the bracelet strand 18 and at least at the level of said grooves 50 or said areas intended to receive the holding member 32. In the case of a reinforcing core in the form of a strip, said strip may preferably have perforations at the locations opposite the grooves 50 so as to reveal the material of the bracelet strand 18 at the bottom of the grooves 50. Thus, the holding member 52 positioned in a groove 50 is in direct contact with the material of the bracelet strand 18, and the areas around said groove 50 are reinforced by the reinforcing core.Thus, said groove 50 does not deform, which allows better attachment of the holding member 52 to the bracelet strand 18. The friction and compression of the holding member 32 on the end 18a of the bracelet strand 18 can be increased by using lateral arms 42 configured to form an elastic blade respectively. Such arms can be made for example from Nivaflex.

[0062] The arms 42 may however be non-elastic, in particular when they are made of the same material as the clasp 1. Said clasp 1 and the device for fixing a bracelet strand may be made of precious materials, such as gold or platinum, or of non-precious materials, such as steel or titanium.

[0063] Advantageously, the contact member 40 of the second lever 34 is formed by at least one eccentric tab relative to the second axis of rotation 36 and arranged to be able to cooperate with the lower face of the first lever 30. More particularly, the contact member 40 of the second lever 34 is formed by two lateral tabs 40a, 40b eccentric relative to the second axis of rotation 36, each tab 40a, 40b being arranged to be able to cooperate respectively with the lower face 42a, 42b of a corresponding lateral arm 42 of the first lever 30.

[0064] Advantageously, with reference to Figure 3, each eccentric leg 40a, 40b has:

[0065] - a first part 52, such as a flat base, arranged to cooperate with the first lever 30, and more particularly with the lower face 42a, 42b of the corresponding arm 42, said first lever 30 being in its first position, without compressing it, the second lever 34 being in its open position, and

[0066] - a rounded edge 54 forming an eccentric relative to the second axis of rotation 36 and arranged to compress the first lever 30 occupying its second position, possibly by deforming it, and more particularly to compress and possibly deform the lower face 42a, 42b of the corresponding arm 42 in order to press the first lever 30, and more particularly its holding member 30, against the lower face 20b of the end 18a of the bracelet strand 18, the second lever 34 being in its closed position. In this configuration, the first part 52 in the form of a flat base also makes it possible to move the first lever 30 from its first position to its second position, before the second lever 34 reaches its closed position and the rounded edge 54 compresses the first lever 30.

[0067] Advantageously, the handle 38 of the second lever 34 is arranged to be able to come into abutment with the first lever 30, said first lever 30 being in its second position and the second lever 34 being in its closed position.

[0068] The operation of the folding clasp 1 is described below in relation to Figures 5a to 5c.

[0069] When a user purchases a watch, for example, including the folding clasp 1 of the invention, the bracelet strands 18 can advantageously be cut to exactly match the size of the user's wrist. Then each bracelet strand 18 is attached to its associated cover 7, 8.

[0070] To do this, with reference to Figure 5a, the end 18a of the bracelet strand 18 is brought closer to the inner housing 16 of the associated cover 7, 8. The first lever 30 is held in its first position by means of its spring 48. Its holding member 32 is moved away from the inner bottom 10 of the associated cover 7, 8 in order to be able to introduce the bracelet strand 18 into the inner housing 16 of said cover 7, 8. The second lever 36 is in its open position, the first part 52 in the form of a flat base of each eccentric tab 40a, 40b being in contact with the lower face 42a, 42b of the corresponding arm 42 of the first lever 30, without compressing them.

[0071] Then, with reference to Figure 5b, the bracelet strand 18 is slid to the bottom of the inner housing 16 of the cover 7, 8. The rib 22 engages in the first groove 24 of the upper face 20a of the bracelet strand 18 after it has been adjusted to size. The holding member 32 of the first lever 30 is located opposite the first groove 50 of the lower face 20b of the bracelet strand after it has been adjusted to size. The second lever 34 is still in its open position and the first lever 30 in its first position.

[0072] Then, the user pivots the second lever 34 around the second axis of rotation 36 by means of the handle 38 so as to bring said handle 38 under the bracelet strand 18. When the second lever 34 pivots, its eccentric tabs 40a, 40b bearing on the lower faces 42a, 42b of the corresponding arm 42 pivot, tilting the first lever 30 around its axis of rotation, here the axis of rotation 26, to bring it into its second position, its holding member 32 approaching in the direction of the bottom 10 of the cover 7, 8 to be housed in the corresponding groove 50 on the lower face 20b of the bracelet strand 18. The second lever 34 also tilts so that it is the rounded eccentric edges 54 of the tabs 40a, 40 which come into contact with the lower faces 42a, 42b. 42b of the corresponding arm 42 during pivoting.

[0073] Then, with reference to Figure 5c, when the second lever 34 reaches its closed position, its handle 38 is in abutment with the first lever 30 which then occupies its second position, its arms 42 being compressed and possibly deformed by the eccentric edges 54 of the tabs 40a, 40b of the second lever 34, still bearing on the lower faces 42a, 42b of the corresponding arm 42, the holding member 32 of the first lever 30 being housed in the groove 50 of the bracelet strand 18 and the rib 22 being engaged in the groove 24 of the bracelet strand 18. The first lever 30 is then locked, pressed against the lower face 20b of the end 18a of the bracelet strand 18 by the second lever 34, and the bracelet strand 18 is pinched between the rib 22 of the associated cover 7, 8 housed in the groove 24 and the holding member 32 of the first lever 30 housed in the groove 50. Thus, the bracelet strand 18 is reliably fixed to its cover 7,8.

[0074] Because the strap strands have been pre-sized, the folding clasp 1 is perfectly centered. Furthermore, the fastening device is fully integrated inside the cover, and only requires one strap strand, so the overall thickness of the strap remains low, even if the strap is made of leather.

[0075] The disassembly of the bracelet strand 18 is just as simple. It is sufficient to open the second lever 34 by moving it away from the bracelet by its handle 38. The eccentric edge 54 of the tabs 40a, 40b of the second lever 34 is no longer in contact with the first lever 30 which falls into its first position by means of its spring 48. The holding member 32 of the first lever 30 is then released from the groove 50 of the bracelet strand 18, so that the latter can be easily removed from the inner housing 16 of the associated cover 7, 8.

[0076] The folding clasp of the invention advantageously allows simple assembly and disassembly of the bracelet strands, without the need for tools.

[0077] With reference to Figures 6 to 8, a second embodiment of the buckle clasp according to the invention is shown, in which it is of the pin buckle clasp type for a bracelet, in particular for a watch bracelet. The same references are used to designate the same elements.

[0078] In this embodiment, the pin buckle clasp 1' comprises a buckle 72 comprising between its two side walls 73, 74 a shaft 76 carrying the pin 78 mounted to rotate, said shaft 76 extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the bracelet strands 18.

[0079] The rear of the loop 72, intended to be connected to a bracelet strand 18 by the fixing device, is extended in order to form the cover 8, secured to the loop 72. As in the example above, the cover 8 comprises an inner bottom 10 and two side walls 12, 14 respectively in the extension of the side walls 73, 74 of the loop 72, defining the inner housing 16 intended to receive one end 18a of a bracelet strand 18, the upper face 20a of said bracelet strand 18 being directed opposite the inner bottom 10 of the cover 8.

[0080] As described above, the device for fixing the bracelet strand 18 comprises the first lever 30 pivotally mounted in the inner housing 16 of the cover 8 around the first axis of rotation defined by two rods 26a, 26b mounted in the two orifices 27 of the side walls 12, 14 of the cover 8, perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the bracelet strand 18. The shaft 76 of the loop 72 is therefore parallel to the first axis of rotation of the first lever 30 defined by the two rods 26a, 26b.

[0081] The first lever 30 is similar to that described in the first embodiment. It comprises the two arms 42 and carries the holding member 32 configured to cooperate with a groove 50 provided on the lower face 20b of the end 18a of the bracelet strand 18. The fixing device also comprises the second lever 34 pivotally mounted in the inner housing 16 of the associated cover 8 around the second axis of rotation defined by the two rods 36a, 36b mounted in the two orifices 37 of the side walls 12, 14 of the cover 8, parallel to the first axis of rotation 26 of the first lever 30. The second lever 34 is similar to that described in the first embodiment.

[0082] The operation of this pin buckle clasp is the same as that described for the first embodiment, one of the bracelet strands being fixed to the buckle by the fixing device of the invention, the other strand 18 being fixed to the buckle 72 by the pin 78, as shown in Figure 6.

[0083] Referring to Figures 9 to 12, there is shown a third embodiment of the folding clasp according to the invention, based on the same construction as the folding clasp of Figures 1 to 5, in which a comfort mechanism is advantageously provided. The same references are used to designate the same elements.

[0084] With particular reference to Figure 9, the folding clasp 1” comprises two covers 7, 8 each containing a third axis of rotation, merged with the first axis of rotation 26 around which are pivotally mounted one end of the pivoting blades 3, 4 and the first lever 30 provided with its spring 48, and two rods 36a, 36b forming the second axis of rotation 36 around which the second lever 34 is pivotally mounted. As described above, the second lever 34 comprises a handle 38 and a contact member 40 formed by the two eccentric tabs 40a, 40b.

[0085] In this third embodiment, the first lever 30 comprises at least two parallel holding members 32, 32' more or less distant from the first axis of rotation 26 of the first lever 30, here merged with the third axis of rotation of the pivoting blades 3, 4.

[0086] Advantageously, the first holding member 32, that is to say the one furthest from the third axis of rotation of the blades 3, 4, here merged with the first axis of rotation 26, is carried by the bar 44 connecting the two arms 42. Said first holding member 32 comprises at least one stud directed towards the inner bottom 10 of the associated cover 7, 8 and arranged to be able to engage in a corresponding groove 50a provided on the lower face 20b of the end 18a of the bracelet strand 18 when the bracelet is in its standard position. Advantageously, said first holding member 32 comprises two lateral studs 32a, 32b, provided at the ends of the bar 44 and directed towards the inner bottom 10 of the associated cover 7, 8.

[0087] The second holding member 32', that is to say the least distant from the third axis of rotation of the blades 3, 4, here merged with the first axis of rotation 26, comprises two studs 32a', 32b' each positioned on an arm 42 in the direction of the inner bottom 10 of the associated cover 7, 8. The studs 32a', 32b' are arranged to be able to engage in another corresponding groove 50b provided on the lower face 20b of the end 18a of the bracelet strand 18 when the bracelet is in its standard position, the groove 50b being closer to the end 18a of the bracelet strand 18 than the groove 50a.

[0088] In this third embodiment, the comfort mechanism comprises at least one retaining stud 56 intended to be mounted integrally on the lower face 20b of the end 18a of the bracelet strand 18, perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. Said retaining stud 56 is arranged to protrude from the lower face 20b of the bracelet strand 18 in order to form a stop with one or other of the first and second holding members 32, 32' of the first lever 30. This advantageously makes it possible to position the end 18a of the bracelet strand 18 more or less distant from the first axis of rotation 26, here merged with the third axis of rotation of the blades 3, 4, when the first and second levers 30, 34 are in an intermediate comfort position, as will be described below.

[0089] Preferably, the retaining stud 56 has a sufficient length to be able to form a stop with the lateral studs 32a, 32b or with the studs 32a', 32b' of the first lever 30. The retaining stud 56 is advantageously a retaining bar arranged on the lower face 20b of the end 18a of the bracelet strand 18 perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

[0090] Advantageously, the retaining stud 56 is mounted securely on the lower face 20b of the end 18a of the bracelet strand 18 by means of at least one fixing screw 58 inserted into an orifice 60 provided at the end 18a of the bracelet strand 18. In the example shown, two fixing screws 58 are used and inserted into two orifices 60 arranged perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The orifices 60 can be easily drilled at the end 18a of the bracelet strands 18 when adjusting said strands to length when the user purchases his watch for example.

[0091] The head 62 of each fixing screw 58 is arranged to protrude from the upper face 20a of the end 18a of the bracelet strand 18, as shown in FIG. 7. In addition, in this third embodiment, the inner bottom 10 of the associated cover 7, 8 comprises at least two housings 64, 64' parallel to the third axis of rotation of the blades 3, 4 or to the first axis of rotation 26 of the first lever 30, and more or less distant from the first axis of rotation 26 of the first lever 30, here merged with the third axis of rotation of the blades 3, 4. Said housings 64, 64' are intended to be able to receive the head 62 of the fixing screw(s) 58 when the bracelet strand 18 is more or less introduced into the inner housing 16 of the associated cover 7, 8.

[0092] In this third embodiment, each eccentric leg 40a, 40b has:

[0093] - a first part 66, such as a heel, arranged to cooperate with the first lever 30, and more particularly with the lower face 42a, 42b of the corresponding arm 42, said first lever 30 being in its first position, without compressing it, the second lever 34 being in its open position,

[0094] - a second part 68, such as a flat base, arranged to cooperate with the first lever 30, and more particularly with the lower face 42a, 42b of the corresponding arm 42, the first and second levers 30, 34 being in an intermediate position of comfort, and

[0095] - a rounded edge 70 forming an eccentric relative to the second axis of rotation 36 and arranged to compress the first lever 30 occupying its second position, possibly by deforming it, and more particularly to compress, and possibly deform, the lower face 42a, 42b of the corresponding arm 42, the second lever 34 being in its closed position.

[0096] In this configuration, the first part 66 in the form of a heel and the second part 68 in the form of a flat base also make it possible to move the first lever 30 from its first position to its second position, passing through the intermediate comfortable position, before the second lever 34 reaches its closed position and the rounded edge 70 compresses the first lever 30.

[0097] The operation of the 1” folding clasp for mounting / dismounting the bracelet strands 18 in the standard position is described below in relation to Figures 11a to 11c. The mounting / dismounting of the bracelet strands 18 is similar to the mounting / dismounting described above for the first embodiment.

[0098] With reference to Figure 11a, the end 18a of the bracelet strand 18 carrying the retaining stud 56 is brought closer to the inner housing 16 of the associated cover 7, 8. The first lever 30 is held in its first position by means of its spring 48. Its two holding members 32, 32' are spaced from the inner bottom 10 of the associated cover 7, 8 in order to be able to introduce the bracelet strand 18 into the inner housing 16 of said cover 7, 8. The front of the retaining stud 56 is chamfered in order to facilitate the insertion of the bracelet strand 18 into the inner housing 16 of the associated cover 7, 8. The second lever 34 is in its open position, the first part 66 in the form of a heel of each eccentric tab 40a, 40b being in contact with the lower face 42a, 42b of the corresponding arm 42 of the first lever 30, without the compress.

[0099] Then, with reference to Figure 11b, the bracelet strand 18 is slid to the bottom of the inner housing 16 of the cover 7, 8. The retaining stud 56 passes the second holding member 32' and comes into abutment with said second holding member 32'. The head 62 of the fixing screws 58 engages in the first housings 64, that is to say the ones least distant from the third axis of rotation of the blades 3, 4.

[0100] The second holding member 32' of the first lever 30 is located opposite the groove 50b of the lower face 20b of the bracelet strand 18 after it has been adjusted to size. The first holding member 32 of the first lever 30 is located opposite the groove 50a of the lower face 20b of the bracelet strand 18. The second lever 34 is still in its open position and the first lever 30 is in its first position.

[0101] Then, the user pivots the second lever 34 around the second axis of rotation 36 by means of the handle 38 so as to bring said handle 38 under the bracelet strand 18. When the second lever 34 pivots, its eccentric tabs 40a, 40b resting on the lower faces 42a, 42b of the corresponding arm 42 pivot, tilting the first lever 30 around its axis of rotation, here the axis of rotation 26, to bring it into its second position. The second lever 34 also tilts so that it is the flat bases 68 then the rounded eccentric edges 70 of the tabs 40a, 40b which come into contact with the lower faces 42a, 42b of the corresponding arm 42 during the pivoting.

[0102] Then, with reference to Figure 11c, when the second lever 34 reaches its closed position, its handle 38 is in abutment with the first lever 30 which then occupies its second position, its arms 42 being compressed and possibly deformed by the eccentric edges 70 of the tabs 40a, 40b of the second lever 34, still bearing on the lower faces 42a, 42b of the corresponding arm 42, the second holding member 32' of the first lever 30 being housed in the groove 50b and the first holding member 32 being housed in the groove 50a and the head 62 of the fixing screws 58 being engaged in the first housings 64, that is to say the least distant from the third axis of rotation of the blades 3, 4.The first lever 30 is then locked, and the bracelet strand 18 is in its standard position pinched between the first housings 64 of the associated cover 7, 8 in which the heads 62 of the fixing screws 58 and the holding members 32, 32' of the first lever 30 are housed in their respective grooves 50a, 50b. The retaining stud 56 abuts against the second holding member 32'. Thus, the bracelet strand 18 is reliably fixed to its cover 7, 8 in its standard position.

[0103] The disassembly of the bracelet strand 18 is just as simple. It is sufficient to open the second lever 34 completely from its closed position to its open position by moving it away from the bracelet strand 18 by its handle 38. Neither the eccentric edge 70 nor the flat base 68 of the tabs 40a, 40b of the second lever 34 is in contact with the first lever 30 which falls into its first position by means of its spring 48. The holding members 32, 32' of the first lever 30 are then released from their respective groove 50a, 50b of the bracelet strand 18, so that the latter can be easily removed from the inner housing 16 of the associated cover 7, 8.

[0104] The operation of the 1” folding clasp for comfort is described below in relation to Figures 12a to 12c.

[0105] Figure 12a shows the bracelet strand 18 fixed to its associated cover 7, 8 in its standard position, the heads 62 of the fixing screws 58 of the retaining stud 56 being housed in the first housings 64 of the associated cover 7, 8. The retaining stud 56 abuts against the second holding member 32' of the first lever 30 occupying its second position. The first and second holding members 32, 32' are engaged in their respective groove 50a, 50b. The second lever 34 is in its closed position, the eccentric edges 70 of its tabs 40a, 40b bearing on the lower faces 42a, 42b of the corresponding arm 42.

[0106] To adjust the comfort setting, the user pulls on the handle 38 of the second lever 34 in order to partially pivot it around its axis 36, from its closed position to an intermediate comfort position in which the second parts 68, i.e. the flat base, of the legs 40a, 40b are in contact with the lower faces 42a, 42b of the corresponding arm 42. The first lever 30, no longer being compressed by the eccentric edges 70 of the legs 40a, 40b, falls into its intermediate comfort position, returned by its spring 48, in which the first and second holding members 32, 32' are disengaged in their respective grooves 50a, 50b, and the retaining stud 56 remains in abutment against the second holding member 32', as shown in FIG. 12b.

[0107] Then a slight pull on the bracelet strand 18 by the user allows the movement of the bracelet strand 18 into an extended, comfortable position, in which the retaining stud 56 now abuts against the first holding member 32 of the first lever 30 and the heads 62 of the fixing screws 68 are housed in the second housings 64', that is to say those furthest from the axis 26. The first holding member 32 is now located opposite the groove 50b, the second holding member 32' being located at the front of the bracelet strand 18, as shown in Figure 12c.The user only has to pivot the second lever 34 to return it to its closed position, the eccentric edges 70 of its legs 40a, 40b returning to bear on the lower faces 42a, 42b of the corresponding arm 42, the first holding member 32 now being engaged in the groove 50b, the retaining stud 56 then being in abutment against said first holding member 32 and the heads 62 of the fixing screws 58 of the retaining stud 56 being housed in the second housings 64' of the associated cover 7, 8. Thus, the bracelet strand 18 is reliably fixed to its cover 7, 8 in its extended position. In this extended position, the bracelet strand 18 can be easily removed by fully opening the second lever 34 to release the first lever 30.

[0108] Here again, the 1” folding clasp of the invention makes it possible to easily assemble or disassemble the bracelet strands, without specific tools, by simply completely rotating the second lever 34 between its open position and its closed position.

[0109] In addition, it allows adjustment of the comfort by partial rotation of the second lever 34 between its closed position and its intermediate comfort position. Said comfort mechanism is advantageously integrated into the cover 7, 8 so that the volume of the covers is not increased.

[0110] In the examples described above in connection with the first and third embodiments, the folding clasp comprises two pivoting blades which can fold over the base blade and two covers, but it is obvious that the folding clasp according to the invention may comprise only one pivoting blade comprising a fixing device as described above or two pivoting blades, only one comprising a fixing device as described above.

Claims

Claims 1 . Buckle clasp (1, 11”) for bracelet comprising at least one cover (7, 8) comprising an inner bottom (10) and two side walls (12, 14) defining an inner housing (16) intended to receive one end (18a) of a bracelet strand (18), its upper face (20a) facing the inner bottom (10) of the cover (7, 8) and a device for fixing the end (18a) of the bracelet strand (18) in said inner housing (16) of the cover (7, 8), characterized in that said fixing device comprises a first lever (30) comprising at least one holding member (32, 32') intended to cooperate with the end (18a) of the bracelet strand (18) to hold it in the inner housing (16) of the cover (7, 8), said first lever (30) being pivotally mounted in said inner housing (16) of the cover (7, 8) around a first rotation axis (26) connecting the two side walls (12, 14) of the cover (7, 8) and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the bracelet strand (18),between a first position in which its holding member (32, 32') is distant from the bottom (10) of the cover (7, 8) in order to be able to allow the insertion of the end (18a) of the bracelet strand (16) into the internal housing (16) of the cover (7, 8) and a second position in which said holding member (32, 32') is brought closer to the bottom (10) of the cover (7, 8) in order to be able to cooperate with the lower face (20b) of the end (18a) of the bracelet strand (18), and a second lever (34) pivotally mounted in the internal housing (16) of the cover (7, 8) around a second axis of rotation (36) parallel and lower than the first axis of rotation between at least one open position and a closed position, said second lever (34) comprising a handle (38) operable by a user and at least one contact member (40) arranged for:, - when the second lever (34) is in its open position, do not compress the first lever (30) which occupies its first position, - when the second lever (34) is moved from its open position to its closed position, cooperate with the first lever (30) in order to move it from its first to its second position, - when the second lever (34) is in its closed position, cooperate with the first lever (30) which occupies its second position in order to compress said first lever (30) towards the bottom (10) of the cover (7, 8) so that said first lever (30) is locked in said second position to ensure the attachment of the end (18a) of the bracelet strand (18) to the cover (7, 8).

2. Clasp (1, 1', 1") according to claim 1, characterized in that the first lever (30) comprises two lateral arms (42) pivotally mounted around the first axis of rotation (26) and connected by a bar (44) carrying the holding member (32) and extending parallel to the first axis of rotation (26).

3. Clasp (1, 1', 1") according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first lever (30) is provided with a return spring (48) in its first position.

4. Clasp (1, 1', 1") according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the contact member (40) of the second lever (34) is formed by at least one eccentric tab (40a, 40b) relative to the second axis of rotation (36) arranged to be able to cooperate with the lower face (20b) of the first lever (30).

5. Clasp (1, 1', 1") according to claims 2 and 4, characterized in that the contact member (40) of the second lever (34) is formed by two lateral tabs (40a, 40b) eccentric with respect to the second axis of rotation (36), each tab (40a, 40b) being arranged to be able to cooperate with the lower face (42a, 42b) of a corresponding lateral arm (42) of the first lever (30).

6. Clasp (1, 1', 1") according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the handle (38) of the second lever (34) is arranged to be able to come into abutment with the first lever (30), said first lever (30) being in its second position and the second lever (36) being in its closed position.

7. Clasp (1”) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first lever (30) comprises at least two holding members (32, 32') parallels more or less distant from the first axis of rotation (26) of the first lever (30) and in that the fixing device comprises a comfort mechanism comprising at least one retaining stud (56) intended to be mounted integrally on the lower face (20b) of the end (18a) of the bracelet strand (18) and being arranged to form a stop with one or other of the holding members (32, 32') of the first lever (30) in order to be able to position the end (18a) of the bracelet strand (18) more or less distant from the first axis of rotation (26) when the first and second levers (30, 34) are in an intermediate comfort position.

8. Clasp (1”) according to claim 7, characterized in that the retaining stud (56) is mounted integrally on the lower face (20b) of the end (18a) of the bracelet strand (18) by means of at least one fixing screw (58) whose head (62) is arranged to protrude from the upper face (20a) of the end (18a) of the bracelet strand (18), and in that the bottom (10) of the cover (7, 8) comprises at least two housings (64, 64') more or less distant from the first axis of rotation (26) of the first lever (30) and intended to be able to receive the head (62) of said fixing screw (58).

9. Clasp (1, 1', 1") according to one of claims 4 to 8, characterized in that the eccentric tab (40a, 40b) has a first part (52, 66) arranged to cooperate with the first lever (30) in its first position without compressing it, the second lever (34) being in its open position, optionally a second part (68) arranged to cooperate with the first lever (30), the first and second levers (30, 34) being in an intermediate comfortable position, and a rounded edge (54, 70) forming an eccentric relative to the second axis of rotation (36) and arranged to compress the first lever (30) occupying its second position, the second lever (34) being in its closed position.

10. Clasp (1, 1', 1") according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least the end (18a) of the bracelet strand (18) is made of leather or fabric and in that the holding member of the first lever (30) consists of claws arranged to be able to penetrate the leather or fabric.

11. Clasp (1, 11”) according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that at least the end (18a) of the bracelet strand (18) is made of a composite or elastomer material and in that the holding member (32, 32') of the first lever (30) comprises at least one stud (32; 32a, 32b; 32a', 32b') arranged to be able to engage in a corresponding groove (50; 50a, 50b) provided on the lower face (20b) of the end (18a) of the bracelet strand (18).

12. Clasp (1) according to claim 11, characterized in that the inner bottom (10) of the cover (7, 8) comprises at least one stud (22) arranged to be able to engage in a corresponding groove (24) provided on the upper face (20a) of the end (18a) of the bracelet strand (18).

13. Clasp (1, 1”) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it has a folding buckle and comprises a base blade (2), at least one pivoting blade (3, 4) comprising an end articulated at one end of the base blade (2) and capable of folding back at least partially onto the base blade (2), the other end of said pivoting blade (3, 4) being mounted articulated around a third axis of rotation parallel to the first axis of rotation (26) of the first lever (30), preferably merged with said first axis of rotation (26).

14. Clasp (1, 1”) according to claim 13, characterized in that the first axis of rotation (26) of the first lever (30) coincides with the third axis of rotation of the pivoting blade (3, 4), and in that the arms (42) and the bar (44) of the first lever (30) form a housing for receiving the end of the pivoting blade (3, 4).

15. Clasp (1, 1”) according to one of claims 13 to 14, characterized in that it comprises two pivoting blades (3, 4) articulated respectively by one end to the two ends of the base blade (2) and capable of folding down onto the base blade (2), two covers (7, 8) intended to receive respectively one end (18a) of a bracelet strand (18), the pivoting blades (3, 4) being mounted articulated by another end on their respective cover (7, 8), and two fixing devices comprising respectively a first and a second lever (30, 34).

16. Clasp (1 ') according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that it has a pin buckle, the cover (8) being integral with the buckle (72), and the shaft (76) carrying the pin (78) being parallel to the first axis of rotation (26) of the first lever (30).

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