Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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The presen~ invention relates to leather wrist-
watch straps and has specific reference to a leather wrist-
watch strap provided with a folding clasp adapted to consti-
tute a closed loop in the open clasp ~ondition.
This type of wrist-watch strap is widely known. It
comprises a folding clasp made of two or three sections
and sometimes referred to as a wallet-type clasp, or clasp
with unfolding buckle. Generally, the leather strap is at-
tached to the watch case proper by means of a cross pin.
When worn on the user's wrist, these wrist-watch
straps form a more or less pronounced and in any case una-
esthetic angle with the watch proper. Moreover, it is some-
times uneasy to thrust one's hand through the wrist-watch
strap for fixing it to the wrist because the loop formed by
the wrist-watch strap when the clasp is open is frequently
prone to reclose itself inopportunely.
Finally, the strength and thickness of the wrist-
watch strap must be sufficient to withstand the tractive
effort exerted thereon when closing the clasp on the wrist.
This effort tends on the other hand to straighten the
leather strap sections between the watch and the clasp.
It is the primary object of the present invention to
avoid the inconveniences set forth hereinabove by providing
a leather wrist-watch strap characterized by the fact that
the leather strap has embedded therein a reinforcing member
or core consisting of a pair of flexible blades having one
end rigidly connected to the watch and the other end pivo-
tally or hingedly connected to the clasp.
This flexible reinforcing member or core rigidly
connected to`the watch case provides at the same time the
necessary resistance to the tractive effort exerted by the
strap, keeps the loop formed by t~e ~rist-watch strap in
its open position when the clasp is open and imparts a har-
monius curvature to the leat~er strap sections) without any
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01 elbow or step at the junction between the watch case
02 and the strap sections. This reinforcing member is
03 preferably very thin and flexible so that it wlll not
04 inter~ere appreciably with the clasp closing action.
05 Considering this very ~oderate thickness of the
06 flexible reinforcing member, ~he thickness of the
07 wrist-watch strap is not increased unduly as one could
08 expect, on the contrary, the strength of the flexible
09 core or reinforcing member permits use of very thin
leather straps so that the final thickness of the
11 wrist-watch strap is less than that of a conventional
12 leather wrist strap. Therefore, a stronger
13 wrist-watch strap having a lighter ana smarter aspect
14 can be obtained.
According to the present invention, there
16 is provided a leather wrist-watch strap in abutting
17 contact with a watch case and including a folding
18 clasp which forms a closed loop in the open position
19 of the clasp, wherein the leather strap has embedded
therein a reinforcing member consisting of a pair of
21 flexible blades having one end each embedded within
22 respective slots of the watch case for urging the
23 strap to -the open position while imparting a
24 harmonious curvature thereto, and the other end is
hingedly connected to the clasp.
26 According to a preferred embodiment, there
27 is provided the combination of a wrist-watch with a
28 wrist-watch strap and clasp, comprising a wrist-watch
29 case having slots in opposite sides thereof, a hinged
closure clasp having opposite ends, a first leather
31 strap having a first thin flexible metal reinforcing
32 blade embedded therein and having an end portion
33 extending beyond a first end of the first leather
34 strap, the extending end portion of the first metal
blade only being secured in a first one of the slots
36 of the watch case and the first end of the first
37 leather strap abutting the case, the opposite end of
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01 the first strap being hingedly connected with a first
02 end of the closure clasp. A second leather strap is
03 included having a second flexible metal reinforcing
04 blade embedded therein and having an end portion
05 extending beyond a first end of the second leather
06 strap, and the extending end portion of the second
07 metal blade only being secured in a second one of the
08 slots of the watch case and the first end of the
09 second leather strap abutting the case, the opposite
end of the second strap being hingedly connected with
11 a second end of the closure clasp, the leather straps
12 together with the watch case and clasp constituting a
13 closed loop in open position of the clasp.
14 In the drawings:
Fig. 1 illustrates by way of example a
16 typical form of embodiment of the wrist-watch strap
17 according to the present invention;
18 Fig. 2 is a plane view from above showing
19 the flexible core or reinforcing member incorporated
in the wrist-watch strap'
21 Fig. 3 is a part sectional and lateral
22 view of a detail showing the connection between the
23 strap and the watch case, and
24 Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing the
connection between the strap and the clasp.
26 The core or flexible reinforcing member of
27 the wrist-watch strap consists of a pair of blades 1,
28 2 of beryllium bronze having each a thickness of the
29 order of 0.15 mm. At one of their ends the blades are
fitted and welded in a metal ring 3, for example of
31 brass, forming an integral part of the watch case
32 (Fig. 3)~ The other ends o-f blades 1 and 2 are in
33 fact a common end bent to a cylindrical configuration
34 constituting a tubular element 4 suitable for hingedly
connecting the wrist-watch strap to the clasp 5. The
36 resilient blades 1 and 2 are embedded in the leather
37 strap 6, which is
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cemented to the blades 1 and 2.
The clasp 5 is of the unfo~ding buckle or double-
wallet type and comprises a central sectïon 7 having hinge-
dly connected to its ends a pair of arms 8 and 9 adapted to
be folded on and locked to the central section 7. The hinged
connections between the wrist-watch strap and the clasp are
concealed by a cover plate 10.
As consequence of the embedding and resiliency of
the metal blades 1 and 2, the wrist-watch strap, in its open
position, tends to remain in, or return to, its unfolded
position shown in Fig.1. In the fully released position the
blades 1 and 2 may have a more or less pronounced initial
curvature so that the resilient force available is just
sufficient for maintaining the strap in its unfolded position
as shown in Fig.1, without exerting however an unduly high
pxessure on the clasp nor undergo~ng an excessive stress in
its embedded condition. This natural expansion of the strap
facilitates the proper positioning of the wrist-watch strap
on the wearer's wrist, and also its removal therefrom. ~ur-
thermore, the resilient core 1,2 makes the leather strap
well-fitting and imparts a harmonious curvature thereto.
Of course, many modifications and changes may be
brought to the specific form of embodiment of the inven~ion
shown and described herein without departing from the basic
principles~f the invention, as will readily occur to those
conversant with the art. Thus, for example, the metal blades
may consist of a different metal, such as steel, and be
rigidly secured i~ a different manner to the watch case,
notably to a square case, for example by means of screws,
and the tubular element 4 could constitute an insert.
The flexible blades may also consist of non-metallic
material such as Nylon (Registered Trade Mark) or other
synthetic material~ A blade of synthetic material is advanta-
geous in that it can be molded and has a better adherence to
the leather strap, when the two materials are bonded by
cementing.
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