Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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The present invention relates to improvements in
means for attaching a watchband to a wristwatch.
In most wristwatches including a watchband, each
end of the band is wound around a pin attached to twin
spaced-apart supports connected to the case. The presence
of these two supports on the case imposes a number of
limitations on the aesthetic design of wristwatches.
Accordingly it has been considered desirable to find a
means for concealing these supports and, in general, any
band-fasten1ng device, in order to improve upon the
aesthetic appearance of a wristwatch and band.
Thus, in Swiss Patent NoO 123,764 (Gerber),
a wristwatch is proposed ~Figures 1 and 2) with case 1
equipped with a T-shaped band-fastening part 2. This
part is mounted on the watch case by its central member 3.
Watchband 4 is wrapped around two side arms 5 of the band-
fastening part and for this purpose has a slot 6 providing
a passage for the central member. When watchband 4 is
disposed in the plane of the case, it conceaIs T-shaped
fastening part 2. However, when it is inclined with respect
to the plane of the watch, as shown in Figure 1, which is
generally the case when the watch is being worn on the
wrist, slot 6 and the corresponding support part are visible.
Accordingly, the principal ob~ect of the present
invention is to overcome the above disadvantage by providing
means for conc~aling the watch-fastening system from the
eyes of the wearer, even when the watchband is inclined
with respect to the plane of the watch case.
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The present invention resides in a watchband
attachment to a wristwatch wherein the wristwatch includes
a case having support structure including pin mounting means
B connected thereto and a pin secured in the pin mounting means,
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the watchband including an end wrapped around the
` pin and a slot adapted for passage of the support structure
therethrough. The support structure includes a portion
; disposed below the level of the pin to define a channel
between the pin mounting means and the case for passage
of the watchband.
In one particularly attractive embodiment of the
~: invention, the support structure includes a base extending
further from the case than the pin, in order, as will be
explained more fully below, to permit the length of said
slot to be decreased in order to increase the degree of
inclination the watchband may assume without revealing
the slot and support structure visible therethrough.
This arrangement also enables the contact surface between
; the support structure and the watchband to be increased
.~ and hence the holding ability of the latter to be
improved.
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In another particularly attractive embodiment of
the invention, the watch case is provided with a generally
~ 20 arcua~e cavi.ty substantially matching or complementary
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to the shape of the watchband. This arrangement makes
it possible for the part of the watchband having the slot
to be masked from view with the aid of the case, and
; enables the inclination the watchband may assume to be
increased without revealing the slot. It also improves the
holding ability of the watchband.
The above and other features of the invention will
become apparen~ from the following description and claims,
: with reference to the accompanying drawings,in which:
Figure 1 is a partial sectional view through a
wristwatch of a known type;
Figure 2 is a top view on a reduced scale o the
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case of the wristwatch of Figure 1, before attachment of
, the watchband;
Figure 3 is a partial sectional view through a
wristwatch according to the present invention;
Figure 4 is a partial sectional view through a
, wristwatch illustra-tive of a further embodiment of the
invention;
,i Figure 5 is a partial sectional view through a
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wristwatch illustrative of yet another embodiment of the
invention;
Figures 6 and 7 are top plan views on a reduced
;' scale of the watches of Figures 3 and 4, respectively,
before the watchband has been fitted to the watch;
Figure 8 is a partial sectional view through a
' watch according to a' still further embodiment of the invention;
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Figure 9 is a perspective view of a wristwatch
-'~ according to the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE_PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to the drawings, in Figures 3 and 6
,~ it will be seen -that each side of case 10 of the watch
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~ is provided with a support 11 having a base portion integral
`, with case 10 and an upper pa,rt which is separated from the
case by a channel 12. The support is provided with a
,, hole 13 into which a pin 14 is force-f'itted. A leather
,t watchband 15 is wrapped around pin 14 and support 11.
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;; For this purpose watchband 15 is provided with a slot
~' 16 allowing support 11 to pass through, and the band is
~, sufficiently wide at its end so that the pin does not
protrude therefrom. By contrast with know wristwatches
(shown schematically in Figures 1 and 2) and as shown in
Figure 3, it is possible to incline watchband 15 with
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respect to the case without revealing slot 16 to view.Thus, when the watch is in place on the wearer's wrist, the
entire watchband fastening device is concealed by the
watchband.
In Figures 4 and 7, each side of case 30 of the
watch is provided with two supports 31,32. The supports
include base portions 33 integral with case 30 and upper
parts 34 separated from case 30 by a channel 35. The
supports are each provided with holes 36 wherein a single
pin 37 is force-fitted. Channel 35 includes a base portion 38
wider than the portion between case 30 and pin 37. A
metal watchband 39 wider at its end than pin 37 is wrapped
therearound and around supports 31,32. The band has two
slots 40 adapted for passage of the supports 31,320 It
will be seen that widening base portion 38 of channel 35
allows the~length of slots 40 to be decreased and the in-
clination that can be conferred on the watchband with
respect to the surface of the watch case to be increased
without revealing the slots 40. This also enables the
contact surface between supports 31 and 32 and watchband 39
to be increased and the holding ability of the latter
; to be improved.
As shown in Figure 5, case 50 can be shaped such
as to provide channel 51 of ~enerally arcuate shape, thus
enabling watchband 52 to fit into the channel so that the
upper angled portion 53 of the case masks the part of the
~` watchband located immediately below, which part is
provided with slot 54. This arrangement enables the
inclination that can be conferred thereon to be increased
without revealing slot 54. The holding ability of the
watchband is improved in this way, since the watchband
is guided on both sides by the two complementary walls
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of channel 51.
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- Also, as shown in Figure 8, a support 60 not
integral with case 61, but fastened thereto by a fasten-
ing means such as a screw 62, can be used.
In Figure 9 there can be seen the overall
aesthetically pleasing appearance in a watchband attachment
to a wristwatch utilizing the features of the present
; invention.
While various aspects of the invention have
been illustrated by the foregoing detailed embodiments,
it is to be understood that various substitutions of
equivalents may be made without departing from the spirit
,~ and scope of the invention.
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