Folding Clasp with Interlocking Blades for Reduced Bulk
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional clasps with deployant buckles for timepiece bracelets are bulky due to complex assemblies, which compromise comfort and aesthetic appeal.
Innovation Solution
A clasp design featuring a central blade with intermediate and end blades that interlock transversely in the closed position, minimizing vertical thickness and creating a continuous top surface, thereby reducing bulk and enhancing aesthetics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a complex assembly of parts including actuation and locking mechanism is used to ensure reliable clasp operation, then the reliability is improved, but the device complexity and bulk increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The clasp is divided into three distinct blades (central blade, intermediate blade, end blade) that can pivot independently. This segmentation allows each component to perform specific functions while maintaining overall simplicity. The intermediate blade acts as a lever for actuation, the end blade provides locking functionality, and the central blade serves as the structural core, thereby achieving reliable operation without excessive complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using a traditional locking mechanism where a separate lock engages with a separate latch, this invention inverts the approach by using the intermediate blade itself as both the actuating lever and part of the locking mechanism. The blade's pivoting motion directly engages and disengages the locking elements, eliminating the need for separate actuation and locking components.
2Reliability
If multiple superposed blades with actuation mechanism are used to achieve clasp functionality, then the clasp can be secured reliably, but the thickness in vertical direction increases creating bulk
Solution Approach 1:
The blades are arranged to pivot within the plane of the clasp rather than stacking vertically. The intermediate and end blades pivot horizontally relative to the central blade, allowing all components to fit within the same vertical thickness. This dimensional arrangement ensures that the clasp thickness is determined primarily by the thickest single blade rather than the cumulative thickness of multiple stacked components.
Solution Approach 2:
The intermediate blade and end blade are designed to nest alongside the central blade when folded, with their profiles accommodating each other's thickness. The intermediate blade's lever arm portions are positioned to clear the central blade's path, and the end blade's locking elements are configured to engage without adding vertical bulk, achieving a compact nested arrangement.
3Shape
If complex internal mechanisms are housed under cover for aesthetic reasons, then the aesthetic appearance is improved, but the overall bulk and discomfort increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the functional mechanisms from hidden internal positions and repositions them as visible surface features. The intermediate blade's lever arms and the end blade's locking elements are designed to be accessible from the clasp's exterior surface, eliminating the need for separate covers. This extraction allows the mechanism to define the aesthetic form rather than being concealed by it.
Solution Approach 2:
The functional components and aesthetic surface are merged into a unified design. The blades' profiles, pivots, and locking elements are configured to create an integrated appearance where the mechanism itself becomes the decorative feature. The continuous top surface formed by the blades eliminates the need for separate aesthetic covers, combining form and function in a single structure.
Data Source
AI summary
The clasp (1) for a bracelet can adopt a closed position designed to hold the bracelet around the wrist of the wearer and an open position suitable for removing the bracelet over the hand wearer. The clasp has a central strip (10), at least one intermediate strip (20) mounted pivotably movable via a first end (21) on one end (11) of the central strip (10), and at least one end strip (30) mounted pivotably movable via a first end (31) on a second end (24) of the intermediate strip (20) and including a member for receiving a bracelet strand (2) on a second end (34). The central strip (10), the at least one intermediate strip (20), and the at least one end strip (30) are fitted together in the transverse direction in the closed position of the clasp without forming any excess thickness in the direction perpendicular to the clasp.