EP0085199B1 - Metallic band-shaped bracelet comprising interlocked elements - Google Patents

Abstract

The bracelet is constituted by members of general U shape (1 to 5), with the same internal profile, engaged in staggered manner one in the other, the sides (2a,5a) comprising, on their inner face, a groove (6a,7b) together defining a passage for a pin (10) of corresponding shape, in particular circular shape. The clearance (13,18) between two adjacent members of the same row is less than the necessary movement of the members perpendicular to the pins for releasing it from the pin and from the associated member. Means such as a head or stud are provided for retaining the members transversely with respect to the bracelet. The members may be of uniform thickness, the grooves being formed by the curvature of the sides of these members.

Description

The subject of the present invention is a metallic bracelet in the form of a ribbon such as a watch bracelet or a fancy bracelet, consisting of elements hinged together, in the general shape of a U, with the same interior profile, arranged in at least two rows staggered in a staggered fashion. and opposed by the wings of the elements, so that the elements of the same row are fitted by their wings into the elements of the other row.

In a known bracelet of this type (GB-A-2051 554) the elements of the upper row have flaps which are folded over the elements of the lower row. The articulation can be improved by axes (CH-A-381 459). However, such bracelets cannot be made with solid elements and are difficult to lengthen or shorten.

It is also known to manufacture metal bracelets made up of elements articulated together, by means of solid elements pierced with holes in which are threaded connecting and articulation bars (CH-A-242415, CH-A-238 015). The holes are drilled using a drill bit. However, these holes are of a very small diameter, while the elements, when they extend over the entire width of the bracelet, are relatively long. Such drilling constitutes in these conditions a delicate operation. The wick tends to bend and deflect, if not break. Such machining is therefore difficult and expensive.

It has also been proposed, for example, in patent FR-A-960 355, to use split tubular elements joined and articulated together by means of staples, also consisting of split tubular elements, threaded axially in the first split tubular elements. A similar construction is also proposed in patent CH-A-410,495, the connecting elements having, in this embodiment, a folding end tab to ensure lateral locking of the elements. These executions use tubular elements cut from a tube obtained by spinning. However, it is difficult and expensive to obtain sufficiently constant and precise dimensions during spinning. On the other hand, it is difficult to obtain elements of massive appearance as used in quality bracelets. Finally, such bracelets are difficult to lengthen or shorten by adding or removing elements.

The present invention aims to obtain a metal bracelet made up of elements hinged together, making it easy to add or remove an element, but without it being necessary to pierce the elements, or to thread them axially. one inside the other, and capable of being executed by means of massive elements, that is to say without folded legs or the like.

To this end, the wings of the elements have, on their internal face, a groove defining, with the similar groove of the opposite wing of the adjacent element staggered, a passage for a hinge bar of corresponding shape, the clearance between two neighboring elements of the same row being less than the necessary displacement of the element perpendicular to the bar to release it from the bar and the associated element, means being provided for retaining the elements transversely to the bracelet.

Since the elements do not have any holes, they can be manufactured economically, that is to say by a rapid and easy to master process. The bracelet is simply assembled by vertical superposition and interlocking of the elements. It is also without other possible to make a bracelet consisting of several visible rows arranged in staggered rows, which is not the case with elements threaded axially, and which makes it possible to obtain an infinity of variant designs.

The elements may be massive, of trapezoidal shape, with straight wings or of constant thickness, the grooves being, in this case, in an arc of a circle and formed by the curvature of the wings.

By giving the wings an adequate shape, it is also possible to obtain a bending of the bracelet in a preferential direction.

• La figure 1 est une vue en coupe et en perspective d'une première forme d'exécution.
• La figure 2 est une vue en plan d'une partie du même bracelet.
• La figure 3 est une vue en coupe et en perspective d'une deuxième forme d'exécution.
• La figure 4 est une vue en plan d'une partie du bracelet représentée à la figure 3.
• La figure 5 est une vue en plan d'une partie d'un bracelet constituée de plusieurs paires de rangées.

The accompanying drawing shows, by way of example, some embodiments of the bracelet according to the invention.

• Figure 1 is a sectional perspective view of a first embodiment.
• Figure 2 is a plan view of part of the same bracelet.
• Figure 3 is a sectional perspective view of a second embodiment.
• FIG. 4 is a plan view of a part of the bracelet shown in FIG. 3.
• Figure 5 is a plan view of part of a bracelet made up of several pairs of rows.

The bracelet shown in Figures 1 and 2 consists essentially of a first row of metal elements arranged side by side, such as 1, 2, 3, having a general U-shaped profile, and a second row of metal elements arranged side by side such as 4 and 5, also in the shape of a U, but turned over, staggered in relation to the elements 1, 2, 3 of the first row. All the elements have the same interior profile, in this case approximately rectangular and are nested one inside the other by their wings. Thus, the wings 1a and 2b of the elements 1 and 2 are fitted inside the element 4, while the wings 4b and 5a of the elements 4 and 5 are fitted into the element 2.

On their inner face, the wings of the elements, for example the wings 2a and 5a, have grooves 6a, respectively 7b, of section in the form of an arc of a circle slightly less than 180 °, the inner face of the wings having a slight recess between its lower rectilinear part 8 and its upper rectilinear part 9. The two grooves 6a and 7b together define a passage of circular section for a cylindrical bar 10 of the same radius as the grooves 6a and 7b. The wings 2b and 4b identically have grooves 6b and 7a defining a housing of circular section for a cylindrical bar 11, and so on for the other elements. In this embodiment, it can be noted that the lower part 8 of the wing of the lower element is aligned with the flat upper part 12. The clearance 13 between two neighboring elements such as 4 and 5 completely prevents the elements from dislodging which are thus locked by the bars 10 and 11. This clearance 13 however allows a slight rotation of the elements relative to each other, that is to say a slight bending of the bracelet. In fact, there is locking as soon as the clearance 13 is less than the arrow of the arc subtended by the plane perpendicular to the plane of the bracelet passing through the end of the outer edge of the groove 6a, for example. The wings of the upper elements 4 and 5 have, externally, a first planar face 14 perpendicular to the plane of the element and defining the clearance 13, followed by a second planar face 15 converging oblique, giving the element a trapezoidal profile, the play between two neighboring elements 4 and 5 progressively increasing towards the ends of the wings. The elements of the lower row, 1, 2, 3, have the opposite profile, that is to say a first flat divergent face 16 followed by a narrow flat face 17 perpendicular to the plane of the element and defining the clearance 18 between two items from the bottom row. It follows from the difference in the profiles of the elements of the two rows that the "bending of the bracelet so as to present a downward concavity of the design, is greater, owing to the relatively large clearances 19 and 20, than in the other direction where it is limited by the very weak sets 13 and 18. In fact, the set 13 could be reduced to zero, but such a measure would require costly precision from the other dimensions.

Figure 2 shows part of the same bracelet seen in plan. The bars 10, 11, 21 and 22 are fixed by their ends in studs 23, 24, 25 and 26, with the same profile as the elements 4 and 5. The bars can be fixed by riveting or welding. The studs 23 to 26 transversely retain the elements of the bracelet.

A second embodiment is shown in Figures 3 and 4. In this embodiment, the elements of the bracelet are identical and of uniform thickness. They have a flat part 27a continuing with two wings 27b and 27c curved in an arc of a circle so as to form housings of cylindrical surface similar to the grooves 6a and 7b of the first embodiment. The wings, such as 27c and 29b of two staggered interlocking elements such as 27 and 29 thus define a cylindrical housing for a cylindrical bar 31. The arc of the wings of the elements and the play between two neighboring elements of the same row such that 27 and 28 are such that the elements are locked together. In this case, the bending of the bracelet is limited by the value of the arc of the wings, the end of which abuts against the bottom of another element. It is therefore also possible to have a preferential bending by choosing wings of different lengths, more precisely of different arcs, for the two rows. The ends of the bars could also be fixed in end studs as in the first embodiment, but, according to a simplified embodiment, the bars are provided with a head 33, 34 at one of their ends and riveted to their other ends 31, 32, as shown in FIG. 4.

Apart from these two typical embodiments, those skilled in the art will immediately realize the infinity of the number of possible variants. By way of example, FIG. 5 illustrates the possibility of having several pairs of rows 35, 36, 37, 38, arranged side by side and in staggered rows, the elements of each pair of rows being assembled as shown in FIG. 1 and the row pairs also being joined together by the same bars 39, 40, 41, 42.

Instead of being fixed by riveting or welding, the bars can be screwed into end studs or be made in two parts, one having a threaded hole and the other consisting of a screw. It is even possible to use spring bars, as used to attach a watch strap to a watch, by using studs or end plates linked together or simply a U-shaped plate.

According to a simplified variant of the embodiment according to Figure 1, the wings of the profiles are of uniform thickness, with the exception of the cylindrical groove, and they are simply bent so as to be slightly divergent for the elements of the lower row and slightly converging for the elements of the upper row.

The grooves do not necessarily have to be of circular section but may have a section of different shape, for example oval, oblong or polygonal, the articulation of the elements between them being ensured by adequate play.

Claims (8)

1. A metal bracelet in the form of a band, comprised of members linked one with respect to the other, each of general U shape and of the same internal profile, arranged in at least two rows, which are superimposed in a staggered manner and opposed by the sides of the members, so that the members of the same row are engaged by their sides in the members of the other rows, characterised in that these sides comprise, on their inner face, a groove (6a ; 27c) defining with the similar groove (7b ; 29b) of the opposite side of the adjacent member engaged in a staggered manner, a passage for a pin of corresponding shape (10 ; 31), the clearance (13, 18) between two adjacent members of the same row being less that the necessary movement of the member perpendicular to the pin in order to release it from the pin and from the associated member, means (23, 25; 31, 33) being provided for retaining the members transversely with respect to the bracelet.

2. A bracelet according to claim 1, characterised in that the members (2, 4) have a prismatic outer shape and that the members (2) of one of the rows comprise sides which widen out from the base to their end, whereas the members (4) of the other row have sides which become narrower from the base to their end, so that bending of the bracelet is substantially greater in one direction than in the other.

3. A bracelet according to claim 1, characterised in that the members (2, 4) have a prismatic outer shape of trapezoidal section and that the sides of the members (2) of one of the rows are divergent, whereas the sides (4a, 4b) of the members (4) of the other row are convergent, so that the bending of the bracelet is substantially greater in one direction than in the opposite direction.

4. A bracelet according to claim 1, characterised in that the members (27, 29) have a uniform thickness, said grooves, in thee shape of an arc of a circle, being constituted by the curvature of their sides.

5. A bracelet according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3 or 4, characterised in that it is comprised of an odd number of pairs of superimposed rows arranged side by side in staggered manner.

6. A bracelet according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3 or 4, characterised in that the pins are comprised of keeper pins riveted or welded at their ends.

7. A bracelet according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5, characterised in that the pins are riveted or welded in pairs, at each end, in studs.

8. A bracelet according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5, characterised in that the pins are comprised of a tapped tube and a screw, these two members comprising a head for retaining the members transversely.

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