System for attaching a wristlet to watch case

• US 5,930,873 A
• Filed: 10/10/1997
• Issued: 08/03/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lascor SpA (The Swatch Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Lascor SpA (The Swatch Group AG)
• Inventors: Wyser, Paul Julian
• Primary Examiner(s): Brittain, James R.
• Application Number:
  US08/948,578
• Time in Patent Office: 662 Days
• Field of Search: 224/178, 224/180, 224/164, 24/265 WS, 24/265 B, 24/265 R, 368/282, 59/79.1
• US Class Current: 24/265.00B
• CPC Class Codes: A44C 5/14 characterised by the way of fastening to a wrist-watch or the like
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/4718 Watch pintle connected
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/4782 Watch strap

Abstract

A system for attaching a wristlet to a watch case (15) comprises at least one pin (45), which is situated in a cylindrical housing (45A) of a flexible resilient film (30), made of a plastic material or rubber, and at least one link (25) for attaching the wristlet to the watch case.

The connection between the watch case and the wristlet is achieved as a result of the presence of the film (30) which is inserted in openings, provided within the attaching link (25) and the other links of the wristlet.

The cylindrical housing (45A) comprises a series of hollow extensions (48), communicating with said housing, so that the coupling of a plastic element, such as the film (30), with the attaching link (25) made of metal has the effect of increasing the traction resistance of the wristlet with respect to the prior art.

Claims

1. A wristlet comprising a system for attaching said wristlet to a watch case, said wristlet being formed by a plurality of links flanking each other and connected to each other, said attaching system comprising at least one pin for attaching the watch case to the wristlet and at least one attaching link of said wristlet, which is fixed to said pin,

wherein, inside said plurality of links of the wristlet, a film made of resilient material is inserted, said film having in at least one of its ends a cylindrical housing, suitable for housing said pin, and at least one cut made on a lateral surface of said housing, said cut forming a hollow extension of said housing within said film and communicating with said housing, so that a portion of lateral surface of said pin is not joined with internal walls of said housing in the region of said hollow extension.

2. The wristlet of claim 1, wherein said film is made of plastic material or rubber.

3. The wristlet of claim 1, wherein each of said links of the wristlet has a substantially parallelepiped shape, is hollowed, and has at least two openings, provided on at least two opposite lateral surfaces.

4. The wristlet of claim 3, wherein one of said opposite lateral surfaces has a partially concave geometrical profile, with respect to the geometrical structure of said link, while the other surface has a partially convex geometrical profile, again with respect to the geometrical structure of said link.

5. The wristlet of claim 1, wherein said attaching link comprises a single element for connection to the watch case.

6. The wristlet of claim 1, wherein said attaching link comprises three elements for connection to the watch case.

7. The wristlet of claim 1, wherein an angular rotation of said attaching link about said fixing pin can be made from a horizontal position of said attaching link, with respect to a plane which is defined by the watch case, to an angle which is within the range of 0 to 150 degrees.

8. The wristlet of claim 1, wherein said cut extends into said film away from the watch case.

9. A wristlet comprising a system for attaching said wristlet to a watch case, said wristlet being formed by a plurality of links flanking each other and connected to each other, each of said links of the wristlet having a substantially parallelepiped shape, being hollowed, and having at least two openings, provided on at least two opposite lateral surfaces, one of said opposite lateral surfaces has a partially concave geometrical profile, while the other surface has a partially convex geometrical profile,

said attaching system comprising at least one pin for attaching the watch case to the wristlet and at least one attaching link of said wristlet, which is fixed to said pin,

wherein, inside said plurality of links of the wristlet, a film made of resilient material is inserted, said film having in at least one of its ends a cylindrical housing, suitable for housing said pin, and at least one cut made on a lateral surface of said housing, said cut forming a hollow extension of said housing within said film and communicating with said housing, so that a portion of lateral surface of said pin is not joined with internal walls of said housing in the region of said hollow extension.

10. A system for attaching a wristlet to a watch case, said system comprising:

a hinge pin adapted to be engaged into the watch case;

a hollow attaching link of the wristlet, having a pliers-shaped end portion facing the watch case, said end portion having a concave profile;

a film of resilient material inserted through said attaching link and having a head portion received in said concave profile, said attaching link encompassing said films;

wherein said film has a cavity comprising a housing, arranged in said head portion for receiving said hinge pin, and a hollow extension communicating with said housing and extending into said film away from the watch case.