Clasp for wristwatch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10791806-B2
Application number	US-201816016986-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 25, 2018
Priority date	Jun 26, 2017
Publication date	Oct 6, 2020
Grant date	Oct 6, 2020

Abstract

A clasp having deployant blades for a wristband includes at least two blades ( 1, 2 ), one movable blade ( 1 ) being articulated on a second blade ( 2 ) in the area of first extremities, the clasp being able to adopt (i) a first closed configuration, in which the movable blade ( 1 ) exhibits a first predefined form (C 1 ) and extends in a continuous manner for its entire length, substantially along the surface of the second blade ( 2 ); and the second extremity of the movable blade ( 1 ) is maintained in position by the clasp, and (ii) a second, deployed configuration, in which the second extremity of the movable blade ( 1 ) is free, and the movable blade ( 1 ) is able to exhibit a second predefined form (C 2 ), different from the first predefined form (C 1 ), in order to optimize the passage surface for the hand of a person wearing the clasp.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A clasp having deployant blades for a wristband,
wherein the clasp comprises at least two blades including a first movable blade and a second blade,
the first movable blade comprising at least two parts that are interconnected in an articulated manner by an articulation, and the first movable blade articulated directly to the second blade on an area of a first extremity of the first movable blade,
a cover articulated directly to the first movable blade at a second extremity of the first movable blade,
the clasp being able to adopt a closed configuration, in which:
the first movable blade exhibits a first predefined form such that the first moveable blade extends in a continuous manner for an entire length of the first movable blade, substantially along a surface of the second blade; and
the second extremity of the first movable blade is in a fixed position;
the clasp being able to adopt a deployed configuration, in which the second extremity of the first movable blade is free from the fixed position, the first movable blade thus having the ability to be moved away from the surface of the second blade,
wherein, in the deployed configuration, the first movable blade is able to exhibit a second predefined form which is different from the first predefined form, in order to optimize a passage surface for a hand of a person wearing the clasp.

2. The clasp as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first predefined form of the first movable blade is a convex, curved form, when viewed from a wrist, in the deployed configuration of the clasp, wherein the first predefined form is able to conform to a form of the wrist of the person wearing the clasp in the closed configuration of the clasp.

3. The clasp as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one selected from the first predefined form and the second predefined form of the first movable blade is a stable predefined form.

4. The clasp as claimed in claim 3 , wherein each of the at least two parts of the first movable blade comprises respectively two abutments in an area of the articulation, each delimiting a position of the at least two parts of the first movable blade and defining the first and second predefined forms.

5. The clasp as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first movable blade comprises at least one articulation comprising an axis of articulation, which the as least two parts of the first movable blade are interconnected in the articulated manner.

6. The clasp as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first movable blade comprises at least one articulation comprising a zone of reduced thickness forming a pivot coupling between the at least two parts of the first movable blade disposed to either side of the zone of reduced thickness.

7. The clasp as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one articulation permits a rotation having an amplitude of between 20 and 80 degrees inclusive between the at least two articulated parts of the first movable blade.

8. The clasp as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first movable blade comprises at least one zone of inflection permitting an elastic deformation of the first movable blade.

9. The clasp as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first movable blade exhibits a second stable position intended for the deployed configuration of the clasp, wherein the first movable blade comprises the at least two parts distributed around a zone of inflection.

10. The clasp as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the first movable blade comprises the at least two parts exhibiting at least one selected from the group consisting of a different curve, different thicknesses and opposed convexities.

11. The clasp as claimed in claim 8 ,
wherein the first movable blade comprises the at least two parts of different respective thicknesses (e 1 , e 2 ), meeting the following conditions:
e 1< e 2/2, or e 1< e 2/3;

and wherein
e 1 is a thickness of a first part,
e 2 is a thickness of a second part,
wherein the thickness e 2 of the second part of the first movable blade is close to a thickness e 3 of the second blade.

12. The clasp as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first movable blade is made from a super-elastic alloy.

13. The clasp as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the clasp is a clasp having two deployant blades of substantially the same length.

14. A wristband, wherein the wristband comprises at least one clasp having deployant blades as claimed in claim 1 .

15. A wristwatch, wherein the wristwatch comprises at least one wristband as claimed in claim 14 .

16. The clasp as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the second predefined form of the first movable blade comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) at least one substantially rectilinear and/or concave part, when viewed from the wrist, in the deployed configuration of the clasp and (ii) at least one part projecting beyond a segment delimited by the two extremities of the first movable blade, thereby moving away from the wrist of the person wearing the clasp in the deployed configuration of the clasp.

17. The clasp as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the first movable blade is made from a nickel-titanium alloy.

18. The clasp as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first movable blade exhibits a length of between 20 and 60 mm.

19. The clasp as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the clasp is a clasp having two blades that are movable about a third center blade.

20. A clasp having deployant blades for a wristband,
wherein the clasp comprises at least two blades including a first movable blade and a second blade,
the first movable blade articulated directly to the second blade on an area of a first extremity of the first movable blade,
the clasp being able to adopt a closed configuration, in which:
the first movable blade exhibits a first predefined form such that the first movable blade extends in a continuous manner for an entire length of the first movable blade, substantially along a surface of the second blade; and
the second extremity of the first movable blade is in a fixed position;

the clasp being able to adopt a deployed configuration, in which the second extremity of the first movable blade is free from the fixed position, the first movable blade thus having the ability to be moved away from the surface of the second blade,
wherein, in the deployed configuration, the first movable blade is able to exhibit a second predefined form which is different from the first predefined form, in order to optimize a passage surface for a hand of a person wearing the clasp, and
wherein the first movable blade comprises at least one zone of inflection permitting an elastic deformation of the first movable blade.

21. The clasp as claimed in claim 20 , wherein the first movable blade exhibits a second stable position intended for the deployed configuration of the clasp, wherein the first movable blade comprises at least two parts distributed around a zone of inflection.

22. The clasp as claimed in claim 20 , wherein the first movable blade comprises two parts exhibiting at least one selected from the group consisting of a different curve, different thicknesses and opposed convexities.

23. The clasp as claimed in claim 20 ,
wherein the first movable blade comprises two parts of different respective thicknesses (e 1 , e 2 ), meeting the following conditions:
e 1< e 2/2, or e 1< e 2/3;

and wherein
e 1 is a thickness of a first part,
e 2 is a thickness of a second part,
wherein the thickness e 2 of t

Assignees

• Rolex Sa

Inventors

• Cusin Mathieu
• Dufraine Nicolas
• Rejzner James

Classifications

• A44C5/24 Primary

  with folding devices · CPC title

• A44C5/243 Primary

  Automatic folding spring closure · CPC title

• A44C5/2042 Primary

  Fasteners provided with a turnable clamping lever · CPC title