CLASP LOCKING DEVICE

Abstract

A device (10) for locking a clasp (20), including: a push-piece (100) which can move translatably in a support structure (110) between a rest position in which it is intended to prevent the clasp (20) from opening and an active position in which it is intended to no longer prevent the opening of the clasp (20); and a blocking member (120) for blocking the push-piece (100), which member is configured to occupy a locking state in which it immobilises the push-piece (100) in the rest position, and an unlocking state in which it releases the push-piece (100) translatably.

Claims

1. A device (10) for locking a clasp (20), which device comprises a push-piece (100) which can move translatably in a support structure (110) between a rest position in which it is intended to prevent the clasp (20) from opening and an active position in which it is intended to no longer prevent the opening of the clasp (20), the locking device (10) being characterised in that it includes a blocking member (120) for blocking the push-piece (100), which member is configured to occupy a locking state in which it immobilises the push-piece (100) in the rest position, and an unlocking state in which it releases the push-piece (100) translatably, the push-piece (100) is connected to the support structure (110) via a locking rod (111), the blocking member (120) comprising a cam (112) that is capable of moving relative to the push-piece (100) so as to constitute an abutment for the locking rod (111) when the blocking member (120) occupies the locking state, and so as to move out of the path of the locking rod (111) when the blocking member (120) occupies the unlocking state.

2. The locking device (10) according to claim 1, wherein the cam (112) is rotatable and has a cam profile (113) against which the locking rod (111) abuts when the push-piece (100) is urged from its rest position and when the blocking member (120) occupies the locking state, said cam (112) being provided with a radial notch (114) in which the locking rod (111) engages when the push-piece (100) is in the active position and when the blocking member (120) occupies the unlocking state.

3. The locking device (10) according to claim 1, wherein the cam profile (113) has a radial recess, the shape of which matches that of the end of the locking rod (111), so as to prevent rotation of the cam (112) when the push-piece (100) is urged from its rest position and when the blocking member (120) is in the locking state.

4. The locking device (10) according to claim 2, wherein the blocking member (120) includes a control element (121) connected to the cam (112) so as to rotate the cam when it is operated by a user.

5. The locking device (10) according to claim 4, wherein the control element (121) consists of a roller, the axis of rotation of which coincides with that of the cam (112).

6. The locking device (10) according to claim 4, wherein the control element (121) is held in a stable angular position by a jumper (122).

7. The locking device (10) according to claim 4, wherein the control element (121) has more than three stable positions, in only one of which is the blocking member (120) in the unlocking state.

8. The locking device (10) according to claim 7, wherein the control element (121) has more than three stable positions, in only one of which is the blocking member (120) in the unlocking state, and wherein the cam profile (113) has as many recesses as there are stable positions, except for the position in which the blocking member (120) occupies the unlocking state, said recesses being distributed evenly.

9. The locking device (10) according to claim 4, wherein the control element (121) includes a guide mark (123), whose position is representative of the locking or unlocking state of the control member.

10. The locking device (10) according to claim 1, wherein the push-piece (100) is biased to move towards its rest position by a spring (117) and includes at least one guide rod (101) slidingly engaged in the support structure (110), the latter further including at least one guide rod (116) slidingly engaged in the push-piece (100).

11. The locking device (10) according to claim 1, wherein the guide rod (101) slidably engaged in the support structure (110) has an axial abutment (102) configured to rest against the support structure (110) when the push-piece (100) is in the rest position.

12. A folding clasp (20) of a watch or a piece of jewellery, comprising at least two blades connected to each other so as to be able to move rotatably, and the locking device (10) according to claim 1, the support structure (110) of which is formed by one of the blades of the clasp (20).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0021] Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, which is given by way of example and is by no means limiting, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0022] FIG. 1 shows a front view of a locking device for a clasp according to a preferred example embodiment of the invention,

[0023] FIG. 2 shows a sectional view of the device shown in FIG. 1, the locking device comprising a push-piece in a rest position and a blocking member in an unlocking state,

[0024] FIG. 3 shows the sectional view of FIG. 2, in which the push-piece is arranged in an active position,

[0025] FIG. 4 shows the sectional view of FIG. 2, in which the blocking member is in a locking state,

[0026] FIG. 5 shows a sectional view of the device in FIG. 2 in a parallel cutting plane,

[0027] FIG. 6 shows an isolated view of the locking device shown in FIG. 1 according to another example embodiment,

[0028] FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of a closed folding clasp comprising the locking device of FIG. 1.

[0029] It should be noted that the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale for clarity purposes.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0030] The invention relates to a locking device 10 for a clasp 20, for example of a watch or a piece of jewellery, in particular a folding clasp 20, for example with two or three blades. The locking device is shown in FIG. 1 to 6 and is described first. A clasp 20 comprising the locking device 10 is shown in FIG. 7 and is described second as an example application of the invention.

[0031] FIG. 1 shows that the locking device 10 includes a push-piece 100 rigidly connected to a support structure 110. The support structure 110 consists, for example, of one of the blades of the clasp 20. In a manner known to a person skilled in the art, the push-piece 100 can move translatably relative to the support structure 110 between a rest position in which it is intended to prevent the clasp 20 from opening, and an active position in which it is intended to no longer prevent the opening of the clasp 20. FIGS. 2 and 3 show a sectional view of the push-piece 100 in the rest position and in the active position respectively.

[0032] Advantageously, the locking device 10 includes a blocking member 120 for blocking the push-piece 100, configured to occupy a locking state in which it immobilises the push-piece 100 in the rest position, and an unlocking state in which it releases the push-piece 100 such that it can translate. FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate the blocking member 120 in the unlocking state and FIG. 4 illustrates the blocking member 120 in the locking state.

[0033] The push-piece 100 is connected to the support structure 110 by means of a locking rod 111 attached without any degree of freedom to said support structure 110. The blocking member 120 is preferably housed in the push-piece 100 and comprises a cam 112 which can move relative to the push-piece 100, preferably rotatably. The cam 112 thus forms an abutment for the locking rod 111 when the blocking member 120 is in the locking state and is out of the path of the locking rod 111 when the blocking member 120 is in the unlocking state.

[0034] In particular, the cam 112 has a cam profile 113 against which the locking rod 111 abuts when the push-piece 100 is urged from its rest position and when the blocking member 120 occupies the locking state. The cam 112 is provided with a radial notch 114 in which the locking rod 111 engages when the push-piece 100 is in the active position and the blocking member 120 is in the unlocking state, as shown in FIG. 3. The depth of the radial notch 114 thus determines the travel of the push-piece 100 between its rest and active positions.

[0035] The blocking member 120 includes a control element 121 connected to the cam 112 and intended to be operated by a user such that it causes the cam to move. In the preferred example embodiment of the invention, the control element 121 consists of a roller provided with teeth, the axis of rotation of which coincides with that of the cam 112.

[0036] Advantageously, the blocking member 120 can comprise a spring 122 configured to hold the control element 121, and as a result the cam 112, in a stable angular position. The jumper 122 can be attached in the push-piece 100 and can rest against the control element 121, as shown in FIG. 5, or against the cam 112 as described in detail below.

[0037] The control element 121 includes a guide mark 123, whose position relative to the push-piece 100 is representative of the locking or unlocking state of the blocking member 120. In particular, in the preferred example embodiment of the invention, the blocking member 120 is in the unlocking state when the guide mark 123 of the control element 120, in this case constituted by a coloured mark, is in a central position, as visible in FIG. 5. This guide mark 123 allows the user to simply and quickly find the position of the control element 121 that allows the blocking member 120 to be placed in the unlocking state.

[0038] Advantageously, the control element 121 can occupy a plurality of discrete stable positions, for example more than three, and in particular nine in the example embodiment shown in the figures. The blocking member 120 occupies the unlocking state in only one of these positions of the control element 121. Thus, a user of the watch can simply and quickly arrange the control member in the unlocking state, but this operation is made very complex for a person wishing to open the clasp 20 to steal the watch while it is on the user's wrist.

[0039] The cam profile 113 can advantageously have at least one radial recess 115, as can be seen in FIG. 6, the shape of which matches that of the end of the locking rod 111, so as to prevent rotation of the cam 112 when the push-piece 100 is urged from its rest position and when the blocking member 120 is in the locking state.

[0040] This feature further increases the difficulty of unlocking the blocking member 120 when this operation is carried out in a hurry, for example during an attempted theft of a watch worn by a user.

[0041] Advantageously, the jumper 122 can be arranged so as to rest against the cam 112, in particular against a recess therein, as an alternative to the example embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 5, in which the jumper 122 is arranged so as to rest against the control element 121.

[0042] The push-piece 100 includes at least one guide rod 101, preferably two, slidingly engaged in the support structure 110 and arranged on either side of the locking rod 111. The support structure 110 further includes at least one guide rod 116, preferably two, slidingly engaged in the push-piece 100 and arranged on either side of the locking rod 111. In the preferred example embodiment of the invention shown in the figures, the guide rods 116 of the support structure 110, engaged in the push-piece 100, are each arranged to bear against a spring 117 housed in said push-piece 100. The springs 117 are arranged so as to bias the push-piece 100 towards its rest position.

[0043] The guide rod 101 of the push-piece 100 slidably engaged in the support structure 110 has an axial abutment 102 at one of its ends opposite the push-piece 100, said abutment 102 being configured to rest against the support structure 110 when the push-piece 100 is in the rest position. In particular, in the preferred example embodiment of the invention, the abutment 102 is formed by a sole to which the ends of the guide rods 101 of the push-piece 100 are attached without any degree of freedom. As can be seen from the figures, the locking rod 111 can be engaged in a through-hole in the sole so as to slide relative thereto when the push-piece 100 is moved towards its active position.

[0044] By way of example, as shown in FIG. 7, the abutment 102 can form a first hooking member 103, for example by way of a shoulder, intended to cooperate with a second hooking member 210, such as a hooking edge of another support structure forming a lateral blade 21. More specifically, the first and second hooking members 103 and 210 bear against each other when the clasp 20 is closed. Moving the push-piece 100 into the active position causes the abutment 102 to move until the first and second hooking members 103 and 210 are no longer bearing against each other, which releases the clasp 20 such that it can open.

[0045] In the example shown in FIG. 7, the clasp 20 includes two lateral blades 21 rotatably connected to the support structure 110 which forms a median blade. These two lateral blades 21 are intended to be attached respectively to the end of a strand of a bracelet, in a manner known to a person skilled in the art, by their free end.