Method for making straps
First Claim
1. A method for making a laminated sheet from which a strap having a loop at least at one end for receiving the cross-pin of a watch, buckle and the like can be cut, comprising the steps of:
- (a) forming a first sandwich of at least a first layer of thermoplastic material, the free surface of which is embossable with a pattern, and at least a second layer of reinforcing thermoplastic material;
(b) inserting the first sandwich into a mold with a first patterned working surface in contact with the free surface of the first embossable layer and a second working surface with an elongated projection in contact with the free surface of the second reinforcing layer and heating said sandwich under pressure to not only bond said first and second layers together but also emboss the pattern on the free surface of the first layer and form an elongated groove, corresponding to said elongated projection, in at least the second layer;
(c) folding the bonded first sandwich onto itself about the longitudinal axis of the longitudinal groove to form a U-shaped second sandwich with the second reinforcing layer pressed onto itself and with a loop at one end formed by the folded-over groove portion;
(d) bonding the second layer to itself by heating the second sandwich under pressure without closing the loop at said one end and without distorting the embossed free surface of the first layer.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed is a method for making a laminated thermoplastic sheet from which can be cut one or more embossed straps having a loop at least at one end for receiving the cross-pin of a watch, buckle or the like. In a preferred method, a sandwich of an expanded thermoplastic layer and an unexpanded thermoplastic layer, for example, expanded polyvinyl chloride and unexpanded polyurethane, is subjected (a) to a flow molding step to not only bond the layers together but also to emboss the free surface of the expanded layer and form an elongated groove in at least the unexpanded layer, (b) to a folding step about the longitudinal axis of the groove to form a U-shaped second sandwich with the unexpanded layer pressed onto itself and with a loop at one end formed by the folded-over groove portion, (c) to a bonding step to bond the unexpanded layer to itself without closing the loop or distorting the embossed free surface of the expanded layer and (d) to a cutting step for producing the desired strap shape from the bonded second sandwich with the strap having the loop at one end in the as-cut position. Both the tongue and buckle portion of a watch strap can be thereby mass produced with appearance and feel closely resembling that of a natural leather strap.
30 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A method for making a laminated sheet from which a strap having a loop at least at one end for receiving the cross-pin of a watch, buckle and the like can be cut, comprising the steps of:
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(a) forming a first sandwich of at least a first layer of thermoplastic material, the free surface of which is embossable with a pattern, and at least a second layer of reinforcing thermoplastic material; (b) inserting the first sandwich into a mold with a first patterned working surface in contact with the free surface of the first embossable layer and a second working surface with an elongated projection in contact with the free surface of the second reinforcing layer and heating said sandwich under pressure to not only bond said first and second layers together but also emboss the pattern on the free surface of the first layer and form an elongated groove, corresponding to said elongated projection, in at least the second layer; (c) folding the bonded first sandwich onto itself about the longitudinal axis of the longitudinal groove to form a U-shaped second sandwich with the second reinforcing layer pressed onto itself and with a loop at one end formed by the folded-over groove portion; (d) bonding the second layer to itself by heating the second sandwich under pressure without closing the loop at said one end and without distorting the embossed free surface of the first layer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for making a strap including a loop at least at one end for receiving the cross-pin of a watch, buckle and the like, comprising the steps of:
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(a) forming a first sandwich of at least a first layer of thermoplastic material, the free surface of which is embossable with a pattern, and at least a second layer of reinforcing thermoplastic material; (b) inserting a first sandwich into a mold with a first patterned working surface in contact with the free surface of the first embossable layer and a second working surface with an elongated projection in contact with the free surface of the second reinforcing layer and heating said sandwich under pressure in the mold to bond said first and second layers together as well as to emboss the pattern on the free surface of the first layer and to form an elongated groove, corresponding to said elongated projection, in at least the second layer; (c) folding the bonded first sandwich onto itself about the longitudinal axis of the elongated groove to form a U-shaped second sandwich with the second reinforcing layer pressed onto itself and with a loop at one end formed by the folded over groove portion. (d) bonding the second layer to itself by heating the second sandwich under pressure without closing the loop at said end and without distorting the embossed free surface of the first layer; (e) cutting the desired shape of the strap from the bonded second sandwich with the loop at one end of the cut shape. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method for making the buckle portion of a watch strap having a loop at opposite ends thereof, comprising the steps of:
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(a) forming a first sandwich of at least one layer of expanded thermoplastic material, the free surface of which is embossable with a pattern, and at least one layer of unexpanded thermoplastic material; (b) inserting the first sandwich into a mold with a first patterned working surface in contact with the free surface of the expanded layer and a second working surface with a primary elongated projection and at least one secondary elongated projection spaced parallel thereto in contact with the free surface of the unexpanded layer and heating said sandwich under pressure in mold to bond the expanded and unexpanded layers together as well as to emboss the pattern on the free surface of the expanded layer and to form a primary elongated groove and secondary elongated groove, corresponding to said elongated projections, in at least the unexpanded layer; (c) folding the bonded first sandwich onto itself about the central longitudinal axis of the primary groove to form a U-shaped second sandwich with the unexpanded layer pressed onto itself and with the loop formed at one end by the folded-over groove portion and near the other end by the secondary groove in registry against the unexpanded layer; (d) bonding the unexpanded layer to itself by heating the second sandwich under pressure without closing the loops at said ends and without distorting the embossed free surface of the expanded layer; and (e) cutting the desired shape of buckle strap from the bonded second sandwich with the loops at opposite ends thereof. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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25. A method of making the tongue portion of a watch strap having a loop at one end for receiving the pin bar of the watch and linearly arranged holes at the other end for receiving the bail of a buckle, comprising the steps of:
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(a) forming a first sandwich of at least one layer of expanded thermoplastic material, the free surface of which is embossable with a pattern, and at least one layer of unexpanded thermoplastic material; (b) inserting the first sandwich into a mold with a first patterned working surface in contact with the free surface of the expanded layer and a second working surface with an elongated projection in contact with the free surface of the unexpanded layer and then heating said sandwich under pressure to bond said expanded and unexpanded layers together as well as to emboss the pattern on the free surface of the expanded layer and to form an elongated groove, corresponding to said elongated projection, in at least the unexpected layer; (c) folding the bonded first sandwich onto itself about the longitudinal axis of the elongated groove to form a U-shaped second sandwich with the unexpanded layer pressed onto itself and with a loop at one end formed by the folded-over groove portion; (d) bonding the unexpanded layer to itself by heating the second sandwich under pressure without closing the loop at said end and without distorting the embossed free surface of the expanded layer; and (e) cutting the desired shape of strap tongue from the bonded second sandwich with the loop at one end of the cut shape, including punching a plurality of linearly arranged holes in the other end of the cut shape. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27)
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Specification