Adjustable link for bracelets

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9737118-B2
Application number	US-201615237860-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 16, 2016
Priority date	Oct 14, 2015
Publication date	Aug 22, 2017
Grant date	Aug 22, 2017

Abstract

An adjustable link for bracelets, including a first half link and a second half link arranged to be assembled to move with respect to each other, including an adjustment, and a locking mechanism cooperating with a complementary locking mechanism in order to form a captive assembly. The adjustment includes a screw, a hole passing through the first half link, and a blind threaded hole extending into the second half link, the through hole and the blind threaded hole facing each other, and being arranged to cooperate with the screw to continuously adjust the position of the first half link and of the second half link in the longitudinal direction in order to adjust the position between a maximum position and a minimum position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An adjustable link for a bracelet, comprising at least a first half link and at least a second half link arranged to be assembled to move with respect to each other in a longitudinal direction of the bracelet, said adjustable link comprising:
an adjustment mechanism; and
a lock of the first half link that cooperates with a complementary lock of the second half link, and the lock and the complementary lock form a captive assembly,
wherein the first half link comprises a through hole extending in the longitudinal direction in the first half link, the second half link comprises a threaded hole extending in the longitudinal direction in the second half link, and the through hole and the threaded hole are aligned in the longitudinal direction,
wherein the adjustment mechanism comprises a screw that passes through the through hole and is screwed into the threaded hole to cause the first half link to move in translation with respect to the second half link in the longitudinal direction when the screw is implemented, and
wherein the lock covers at least a portion of the screw in the longitudinal direction.

2. The adjustable link according to claim 1 , wherein the first half link comprises a structure to axially hold the screw so that the screw is immovable in translation in the longitudinal direction.

3. The adjustable link according to claim 1 , wherein the adjustment mechanism comprises an elastic return mechanism disposed between the through hole and the threaded hole, so as to maintain in position the first half link with respect to the second half link.

4. The adjustable link according to claim 1 , wherein the adjustment mechanism has an adjustment travel comprised between 0 mm and 3 mm.

5. A bracelet strand wherein the strand comprises at least one adjustable link according to claim 1 .

6. An adjustable link for a bracelet, comprising at least a first half link and at least a second half link arranged to be assembled to move with respect to each other in a longitudinal direction of the bracelet, said adjustable link comprising:
an adjustment mechanism; and
a lock of the first half link that cooperates with a complementary lock of the second half link, and the lock and the complementary lock form a captive assembly,
wherein the first half link comprises a through hole extending in the longitudinal direction in the first half link, the second half link comprises a threaded hole extending in the longitudinal direction in the second half link, and the through hole and the threaded hole are aligned in the longitudinal direction,
wherein the adjustment mechanism comprises a screw that passes through the through hole and is screwed into the threaded hole to cause the first half link to move in translation with respect to the second half link in the longitudinal direction when the screw s implemented, and
wherein the threaded hole comprises a first section of diameter D, and a second section of diameter d smaller than the diameter D of the first section, the first section forming a housing for a first end of an elastic return mechanism so as to rest on the second half link.

7. The adjustable link according to claim 1 , wherein the first half link comprises, in immediate proximity to the through hole, a countersunk or recessed portion configured to receive a head of the screw.

8. The adjustable link according to claim 7 , wherein the countersunk portion comprises a blocking structure for the screw configured to cooperate with a complementary blocking structure for the screw.

9. An adjustable link for a bracelet, comprising at least a first half link and at least a second half link arranged to be assembled to move with respect to each other in a longitudinal direction of the bracelet, said adjustable link comprising:
an adjustment mechanism; and
a lock of the first half link that cooperates with a complementary lock of the second half link, and the lock and the complementary lock form a captive assembly,
wherein the first half link comprises a through hole extending in the longitudinal direction in the first half link, the second half link comprises a threaded hole extending in the longitudinal direction in the second half link, and the through hole and the threaded hole are aligned in the longitudinal direction,
wherein the adjustment mechanism comprises a screw that passes through the through hole and is screwed into the threaded hole to cause the first half link to move in translation with respect to the second half link in the longitudinal direction when the screw is implemented, and
wherein the lock and the complementary lock comprise a catch, integral with the first half link, and a recessed part, integral with the second half link, configured to receive the catch and to form the captive assembly between the first half link and the second half link.

10. The adjustable link according to claim 9 , wherein the catch is elastically deformable to allow the first half link and the second half link to be disassembled.

11. The adjustable link according to claim 9 , wherein the catch is movable in the recessed part in the longitudinal direction of the bracelet.

Assignees

• Swatch Group Res & Dev Ltd

Inventors

• Bravo Paulo

Classifications

• F16G13/00

  Chains (making thereof B21L) · CPC title

• A44C5/08 Primary

  having separate links · CPC title

• A44C5/0069 Primary

  extensible · CPC title

• A44C5/04

  extensible {(A44C5/022 and A44C5/025 take precedence)} · CPC title

• A44C11/00 Primary

  Watch chains; Ornamental chains {(fastening devices for watch or ornamental chains A44C5/18)} · CPC title