Apparatus for closing wrist straps

• US 5,701,640 A
• Filed: 11/06/1995
• Issued: 12/30/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hans Locher
• Original Assignee: Hans Locher
• Inventors: Locher, Hans
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuomo, Peter M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): VU, STEPHEN A
• Application Number:
  US08/545,700
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: 24/303, 24/66.1, 24/71 J, 24/70 J, 24/265 WS, 335/285, 292/251.5
• US Class Current: 24/303
• CPC Class Codes: A44C 5/2071 with the two ends of the strap or chain overlapping each other and fastened by an action perpendicularly to the main plane of these two ends A44C5/2009 - A44C5/2057 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A44D 2203/00 Fastening by use of magnets
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/32 having magnetic fastener
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/4782 Watch strap

Abstract

A strap closure for straps of wrist watches comprises a magnetic closure and an automatic mechanical lock. The closure comprises two closure parts (1, 2) and at least one permanent magnet (16) and a yoke (9), which form parts of a magnetic circuit. Said magnetic circuit is disposed inside a shield (6) made of a ferromagnetic material and closed as far as possible on all sides. Between the magnetic circuit (9, 15, 16) and said shield or other closure parts there is no metallic contact whatsoever with elements of high permeability, the magnetic circuit is instead isolated from the shield or from other closure parts by air gaps (22, 23) and fastening elements (14) of a low permeability close to the value of air.

Claims

1. A strap closure apparatus for wrist straps, in particular straps of wrist watches, said apparatus having a magnetic closure and an automatic mechanical lock for two closure parts and comprising at least one permanent magnet for providing magnetic force and a yoke forming part of a magnetic circuit, and a shield (6) comprising ferromagnetic material of comparatively high permeability substantially enclosing said magnetic circuit and being magnetically isolated from said magnetic circuit by air gaps (22, 23) and elements (14) whose permeability is lower than the permeability of the shield.

2. A strap closure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said yoke (9) is made of a material of low permeability and at its side facing said at least one permanent magnet (16) carries a layer (17) of ferromagnetic material.

3. A strap closure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said shield (6) is made of a non-metallic material and is covered on all sides with a layer of ferromagnetic material.

4. A strap closure apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said shield (6) has a slot (8) therein for the passage of a carrier (11) for the yoke part of the magnetic circuit.

5. A strap closure apparatus according to claim 4, wherein an edge (12) of said slot (8) is used for the mechanical locking of the two closure parts (1) and (2).

6. A strap closure apparatus according to claim 1, comprising two permanent magnets (16) having end faces disposed at an angle of between approximately 60°

and 120°

relative to one another on a common pole shoe (15), and a yoke (9) having a shape corresponding to the end faces of the permanent magnets (16).

7. A strap closure for straps of wrist watches, comprising a first closure part adapted to be fixed to an end of one strap and a second closure part adapted to be fixed to an end of another strap for cooperation with said first closure part to connect together said ends of said straps;

said first closure part including a permanent magnet and shielding material of high magnetic permeability surrounding said permanent magnet except for a narrow slot in said shielding material and being spaced from and magnetically unconnected to said permanent magnet; and

said second closure part including an element of magnetic material shaped for movement into said slot to complete a magnetic circuit induced by said permanent magnet.

8. A strap closure according to claim 7, wherein said shielding material is a box surrounding said permanent magnet and comprising ferromagnetic material.

9. A strap closure according to claim 8, wherein said element of magnetic material is part of a yoke assembly, and wherein said yoke assembly and said box are moveable into a mechanically coupled relationship to one another after insertion of said element of magnetic material into said slot.

10. A strap closure according to claim 9;

wherein said yoke assembly has a notch therein, and wherein said mechanically coupled relationship is attained by extending the strap to which said second closure part is fixed to position said element of magnetic material over said narrow slot, inserting said yoke assembly into said slot far enough to align said notch with an edge of said slot, and shifting said second closure part to cause said notch to embrace said edge to inhibit withdrawal of said yoke assembly from said slot.

11. A strap closure comprising a first closure part adapted to be fixed to an end of one strap and a second closure part adapted to be fixed to an end of another strap for overlying and cooperating with said first closure part to connect together said ends of said straps;

said first closure part including

permanent magnet means,

a shield in the form of a box substantially surrounding said permanent magnet means and comprising ferromagnetic material of high permeability, said box having first and second end portions and a top wall with a slot therein at said first end portion, and

means for mounting said permanent magnet means inside said second end portion of said box and magnetically isolating said shield from said permanent magnet means, and

said second closure part including an element comprising magnetic material adapted for movement through said slot into a position inside said box and spaced from said shield to complete within said shield a magnetic circuit induced by said permanent magnet means.

12. A strap closure according to claim 11, wherein said permanent magnet means is polarized in a direction extending lengthwise of the interior of said box.

13. A strap closure according to claim 12, wherein said permanent magnet means comprises first and second permanent magnets and mounting means positioning said magnets within said second end portion of said box.

14. A strap closure according to claim 13, wherein said permanent magnets are oppositely polarized.

15. A strap closure according to claim 12, wherein said element is part of a yoke assembly having a notch therein and wherein said yoke assembly and said box are moveable into a mechanically coupled relationship attained by positioning said element over said slot in said top wall of said box, inserting said yoke assembly into said slot far enough to align said notch with an edge of said slot, and shifting said second closure part to cause said notch to embrace said edge to inhibit withdrawal of said yoke assembly from said slot.

16. A strap closure according to claim 15, wherein said notch has an extent in the lengthwise direction of said box to permit said element comprising magnetic material to contact said permanent magnet means within said box.

17. A strap closure according to claim 11, wherein said element comprising magnet material is part of a yoke assembly, and wherein said yoke assembly and said box are moveable into a mechanically coupled relationship to one another after insertion of said element into said slot.

18. A strap closure according to claim 17, wherein said yoke assembly has a notch therein, and wherein said mechanically coupled relationship is attained by extending the strap to which said second closure part is fixed to position said element comprising magnetic material over said slot, inserting said yoke assembly into said slot far enough to align said notch with an edge of said slot, and shifting said second closure part to cause said notch to embrace said edge to inhibit withdrawal of said yoke assembly from said slot.

19. A strap closure according to claim 18, wherein said notch has an extent in the lengthwise direction of said box to permit said element comprising magnetic material to contact said permanent magnet means within said box.