Band Length Extension Mechanism, Band, and Timepiece

The present application is based on, and claims priority from JP Application Serial Number 2024-091317, filed Jun. 5, 2024, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

The present disclosure relates to a band length extension mechanism, a band including the band length extension mechanism, and a timepiece.

A band provided with a length adjustment mechanism is known. For example, JP-A-2023-113263 discloses a band including: an adjustment link coupled to an end portion of a first band; and a clasp having a rail member with four grooves. According to the document, the length was adjusted by raising the adjustment link and engaging an engagement pin with any of the four grooves while pressing the pressing portion including the engagement pin against the inner surface of the cover member during the length adjustment.

On the other hand, in diver's timepieces, in addition to the standard length adjustment function, an extension mechanism called an extender that extends the length of the band is provided to be fitted from above the diving suit. Such an extension mechanism is configured to allow switching between a folded state and a deployed state, for example, by bending two metal plates, and is folded and stored by a biting structure between the metals using the elasticity of the thin plate at the time of folding.

However, in the extension mechanism of the related art using two metal plates, there is a problem that the repetitive durability in the opening/closing operation of the folding and deployment is insufficient. Specifically, in the biting structure between metals using elasticity, the engaging portion was worn and the opening/closing durability was insufficient. In addition, JP-A-2023-113263 does not describe the extension mechanism.

That is, a band length extension mechanism with excellent opening/closing durability, a band provided with the band length extension mechanism, and a timepiece are required.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a band length extension mechanism that allows switching between a folded state and a deployed state, the band length extension mechanism including: an adjustment link; a link piece; an extension piece that couples the adjustment link and the link piece to each other; and a locking member, in which the extension piece is rotatably coupled to the adjustment link at a first shaft and is rotatably coupled to the link piece at a second shaft, in the folded state, the extension piece is stored in an overlapping manner with the adjustment link and the link piece, in the deployed state, the adjustment link, the extension piece, and the link piece are deployed and extended, the locking member is slidably provided on one surface of the adjustment link, and in the folded state, the locking member is engaged with the extension piece to achieve locking.

According to still another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a band including: the band length extension mechanism described above; and a first band and a second band that is paired with the first band, in which the band length extension mechanism is provided between the clasp portion and the first band.

According to still another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a timepiece including the band described above.

is a perspective view illustrating an overview of a band.is a front view of a timepiece.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

As illustrated in, a bandis composed of a first band, a second band, a clasp portion, an extension mechanism, and the like.

The first bandand the second bandare coupled via the clasp portionand the extension mechanism. The clasp portionis composed of the cover member, a middle plate, a lower plate, and the like, and a latch pinis configured to be released by pressing a buttonprovided on both side surfaces of the cover member, and to be deployed and extended as illustrated in.

As illustrated in, the end of the first bandis coupled to a canon the 12 o'clock side of a timepiece. Similarly, the end of the second bandis coupled to a canon the 6 o'clock side of the timepiece. In, the timepieceis a three-hand analog watch, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the timepiecemay be any device worn on the arm, for example, a digital watch or a smart watch. Further, the first bandand the second bandmay be coupled to each other in an interchangeable manner. In other words, the timepieceincludes the band.

The description returns to.

The first bandis composed of a plurality of coupled piecesand the like. An end pieceat the end portion of the first bandis coupled to a link pieceof the extension mechanismvia a coupling piece. The extension mechanismwill be described later.

The second bandis composed of a plurality of coupled piecesand the like. An end pieceat the end portion of the second bandis coupled to one end of the lower plate. The latch pinis provided on the lower plate. The other end of the lower plateis coupled to one end of the middle plate. The other end of the middle plateis coupled to one end of the cover member.

The lower plateis rotatably coupled to the end pieceof the second bandand one end of the middle plate. The middle plateis rotatably coupled to one end of the cover memberand the other end of the lower plate. As a result, the clasp portionis configured to allow switching between a state where the middle plateand the lower plateare folded in a Z shape and a state where the middle plateand the lower plateare deployed and extended.

The cover memberis a buckle and has a curved shape as a whole in consideration of the wearability on the arm. The cover memberhas a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view, and is disposed in the longitudinal direction thereof toward the extending direction of the first band. In addition, the width of the cover memberin the lateral direction is substantially the same as the width of the first band. The middle plateand the lower platehave the same curvature as the cover memberfollowing the rear surface of the cover memberin the folded state.

In the following description, the extending direction of the long side of the cover memberis also referred to as a longitudinal direction, and the extending direction of the short side is also referred to as a width direction. In a preferred example, each part constituting the bandis made of titanium. The metal is not limited to titanium, and any hard metal with excellent texture may be used, such as stainless steel. In other words, the bandincludes the extension mechanism, the first band, and the second bandthat is paired with the first band, and the extension mechanismis provided between the clasp portionand the first band.

is a transparent perspective view of a clasp portion in a folded state.is a side view of the main portion in a state where the adjustment link is raised.is a perspective view of a state where the adjustment link is raised and the extension mechanism is deployed.is a perspective rear view of the cover member in a folded state.

The bandincludes the extension mechanismthat allows adjustment of the length by 10 mm or more in addition to a standard length adjustment mechanism that performs length adjustment in millimeter units. Here, the band length adjustment mechanisms will be described in detail.

As illustrated in, the cover memberincludes a pair of side wallsandalong two long sides. The inside of the cover membersurrounded by the side wallsandis referred to as the inside of the cover member. The side wallis provided with two holesalong the longitudinal direction. Similarly, the side wallhas two holesat positions corresponding to the holesin the side wallin the longitudinal direction.

The adjustment linkof the extension mechanismis accommodated inside the cover member. An engagement pinis inserted into one end of the adjustment link. The engagement pinis a spring rod, and both ends thereof are engaged with a pair of holeson the buttonside of the cover member. As a result, the adjustment linkis coupled to the cover member.

The standard length adjustment mechanism is a mechanism that selects the position of the pair of holesprovided in the cover memberwith the engagement pin. In, the position of the pair of holesis set to two places, but three or more places may be provided. In other words, the clasp portionincludes a length adjustment mechanism including the engagement pinattached to the adjustment link.

As illustrated in, the extension mechanismis a band length extension mechanism, and is composed of the link piece, the extension piece, the adjustment link, a locking member, and the like.illustrates a state where the extension mechanismis deployed. The extension mechanismis an extender that can be mounted on a diver timepiece, and can extend the length of the band in addition to the standard length adjustment function. In other words, in the deployed state of the extension mechanism, the adjustment link, the extension piece, and the link pieceare deployed and extended.

is a perspective view of the extension mechanism in a deployed state as viewed from a rear surface side.is a perspective view of the extension mechanism in the deployed state as viewed from the front surface side.

As illustrated in, the link pieceis a plate-shaped member having an H shape in plan view, and is rotatably coupled to the end pieceof the first bandby an engagement pin. The plate-shaped portion constituting the surface of the link pieceis referred to as a top plate. As illustrated in, a recess portionis provided on the rear surface side of the link piece. The extension pieceis stored in the recess portionwhen being folded. The bottom of the recess portionis the top plate. In other words, the link piecehas the top plateas a top plate portion that covers the extension piecein the folded state. In the preferred example, the link pieceis formed by machining, for example, a solid titanium material.

As illustrated in, the adjustment linkis a plate-like member that widens toward the cover memberand narrows toward the extension piecein plan view, and the other end is rotatably coupled to the extension pieceby an engagement pin.

As illustrated in, the extension pieceis a plate-shaped member having a rectangular shape in plan view, and couples the link pieceand the adjustment link. The other end of the extension pieceis rotatably coupled to the link pieceby the engagement pin. The engagement pinis also referred to as a first shaft, and the engagement pinis also referred to as a second shaft. In other words, the extension pieceis rotatably coupled to the adjustment linkby the engagement pinas the first shaft, and is rotatably coupled to the link pieceby the engagement pinas the second shaft. In the preferred example, the adjustment linkand the extension pieceare formed by machining a solid metal material, similarly to the link piece.

As illustrated in, in the folded state of the extension mechanism, the extension pieceis stored in the link piece. As illustrated in, the extension pieceis also stored inside the link piecein the width direction. As indicated by the arrow in, the extension piecerotates around the engagement pinas a rotation center and is folded into the link piece. In the deployed state illustrated in, the engagement pin, the engagement pin, and the engagement pinare arranged in this order from the adjustment linkside. In the folded state illustrated in, the engagement pin, the engagement pin, and the engagement pinare arranged in this order from the adjustment linkside.

As illustrated in, the locking memberis provided to overlap the adjustment link, and is provided to be slidable on the adjustment link. In other words, the extension mechanismis a band length extension mechanism that allows switching between the folded state and the deployed state, and includes the adjustment link, the link piece, the extension piecethat couples the adjustment linkand the link piece, and the locking member.

is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the cover memberin, and the extension mechanismin the folded state is stored inside the cover member. As illustrated in, the link piece, the extension piece, and the adjustment linkare stored in an overlapping manner in this order from the outside in the width direction of the cover member. Since the locking memberis positioned between the cover memberand the adjustment link, the locking memberis not observed in, which is a rear view of the cover member. In other words, in the folded state of the extension mechanism, the extension pieceis stored overlapping the adjustment linkand the link piece.

As illustrated in, the locking memberis exposed by raising the adjustment linkagainst the cover member. In the folded state, the locking memberis pressed toward the extension piece, and the extension mechanismis locked as the projection portionof the locking membermeshes with a recess portionof the extension piece. The locking memberis provided along the front surface side of the first band. In other words, the locking memberis slidably provided on one surface of the adjustment link, and in the folded state, the lock is achieved as the projection portionof the locking membermeshes with the recess portionof the extension piece. The lock is released by sliding the locking memberin the direction indicated by the arrow in, and the extension mechanismcan be deployed.

The recess portionis a notch part provided in the frame into which the engagement pinof the extension pieceis inserted, and is positioned next to the locking memberin the folded state. In the deployed state, the recess portionis positioned on the link pieceside as illustrated in. In other words, the lock is released by sliding the locking memberto remove the projection portionof the locking memberfrom the recess portionof the extension piecein a state where the adjustment linkis raised with respect to the clasp portion.

When the extension mechanismis deployed, the length of the extension pieceis extended by substantially twice. Specifically, as illustrated in, when the length of the extension pieceis the length L, the length is extended by a length of L×2 when deployed. The length L of the extension pieceis the distance between the engagement pinand the engagement pin. For example, when the length L is 8 mm, the length of the bandis extended by 16 mm when deployed.

is an enlarged perspective view of the vicinity of the locking member, and the main portion is a sectional view.

As illustrated in, the locking memberis incorporated in the adjustment linkvia the elastic memberprovided inside the adjustment link. The elastic memberis a coil spring in a preferred example. The elastic memberis not limited to a coil spring, and may be an elastic member having necessary elasticity, for example, rubber or an elastomer may be used.

As indicated by the arrow in, the locking memberis in a state where the projection portionis pressed by the elastic membertoward the extension piece. In other words, the elastic memberis provided between the adjustment linkand the locking member, and in the folded state, the projection portionof the locking memberis pressed by the elastic membertoward the recess portionof the extension piece.

is a perspective view of the clasp portion in the folded state, and corresponds to.is a perspective view of the clasp portion in the deployed state, and corresponds to.

is an external view of the vicinity of the clasp portionin the folded state of the extension mechanismin a state where the standard length adjustment mechanism is set to the longest length.

As illustrated in, only the link pieceis exposed between the cover memberand the first bandin the folded state. The width of the link pieceis substantially the same as the width of the first band, and the top platehas a smooth curved surface finish similar to the cover member. With such a configuration, the appearance between the cover memberand the first bandcan be continuous and excellent in aesthetic appearance. In particular, the same design performance as the configuration without the extension mechanismcan be achieved. In other words, in the folded state, when the standard length adjustment mechanism is set to the longest length, only the link pieceis exposed in the appearance between the clasp portionand the first band.

As illustrated in, the adjustment link, the extension piece, and the link pieceare observed between the cover memberand the first bandin the deployed state of the extension mechanism. Since these parts constituting the extension mechanismare parts obtained by machining a solid metal material, the texture is higher and the aesthetic appearance is superior as compared with a sheet metal part.

As described above, according to the band length extension mechanism, the band, and the timepieceof the present embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

The extension mechanismis a band length extension mechanism that allows switching between a folded state and a deployed state, the band length extension mechanism including: the adjustment link; the link piece; the extension piecethat couples the adjustment linkand the link pieceto each other; and the locking member, in which the extension pieceis rotatably coupled to the adjustment linkat the engagement pinserving as a first shaft and is rotatably coupled to the link pieceat the engagement pinserving as a second shaft, in the folded state, the extension pieceis stored in an overlapping manner with the adjustment linkand the link piece, in the deployed state, the adjustment link, the extension piece, and the link pieceare deployed and extended, the locking memberis slidably provided on one surface of the adjustment link, and in the folded state, the locking memberis engaged with the extension pieceto achieve locking.

Accordingly, in the folded state, the lock is achieved as the locking memberis engaged with the extension piece, and thus, unlike extension mechanisms of the related art, in which the opening/closing durability is insufficient due to the biting structure between metals, the lock is achieved through structural mesh, resulting in excellent opening/closing durability.

Therefore, the band length extension mechanismhaving excellent opening/closing durability can be provided.

Further, the engagement between the extension pieceand the locking memberis that the projection portionof the locking membermeshes with the recess portionof the extension piece.

Accordingly, the recess portionof the extension pieceand the projection portionof the locking membermesh with each other, and thus the recess portionand the projection portionare structurally engaged with each other, and thus the opening/closing durability is excellent. The present disclosure is not limited to the structure in which the projection portionof the locking membermeshes with the recess portionof the extension piece, and may be a structure in which the extension pieceand the locking memberare structurally engaged with each other.

In addition, the elastic memberis provided between the adjustment linkand the locking member, and in the folded state, the projection portionof the locking memberis pressed by the elastic membertoward the recess portionof the extension piece.