Calendar Watchband

Abstract

A watchband in which an articulated hook and safety catch assembly for joining two ends of watchband halves has a safety catch forming a frame and housing for removably receiving a box carrying a stack or pad of calendar sheets or the like so as to permit the uppermost sheet to be viewed by the person wearing the watch. The safety catch and hook assembly can readily be released without releasing the box. At the same time, when the catch is released, the box is readily removable for replacement of the uppermost sheet. The arrangement is simple, compact, inexpensive and attractive.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The prior art has long recognized the desirability of displaying the day and the date of the month in conjunction with a watch which gives the time of day. One expedient employed in the art to accomplish this result is the so-called calendar watch having a mechanism for generating an indication of the date or the day and date on the watch face. A watch of this type obviously is relatively expensive. Moreover, most people are interested not only in today's date but the day on which a certain date in the future will fall.

Other attempts have been made in the prior art to inform the wearer of a watch of the date of the month in a simpler and less expensive manner than by use of the calendar watch. For example, auxiliary means such as bendable metal tabs carrying the present month have been employed. Not only is the user required to keep track of the tabs so as to permit removal of the old and application of the new at the beginning of each month but also the tab detracts from the appearance of most bands. It is particularly unsuitable for use with expansible bands. Other proposals displaying dates or the like in conjunction with a watchband employ structures requiring a number of auxiliary parts which add to the expense of the band. Moreover, most of them are relatively cumbersome and bulky and they detract from the appearance of the band.

I have invented a calendar watchband in which a portion of the buckle assembly of the band performs the dual function of holding the band on the wearer's wrist and of displaying a month of dates or the like. My calendar watchband carries a supply of a year's worth of dates so that the month may readily be changed at the beginning of a new month. It employs only a minimum of parts over those which are already present in the band connector structure. It is simple in construction and is inexpensive to manufacture. It does not detract from the appearance of the band.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One object of my invention is to provide a calendar watchband in which a portion of the band connector performs the dual function of holding the band on the wearer's wrist and of displaying a month of dates or the like.

Another object of my invention is to provide a calendar watchband carrying a year's worth of dates to facilitate changing the month displayed at the beginning of a new month.

A further object of my invention is to provide a calendar watchband which is simple in construction and which is inexpensive to manufacture.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a calendar watchband which displays dates while requiring a minimum of additional parts for the connector assembly.

Yet another object of my invention is to provide a calendar watchband which does not detract from the appearance of the band.

Other and further objects of my invention will appear from the following description:

In general my invention contemplates the provision of a calendar watchband in which I form the safety catch of the connector assembly as a housing for the releasably receiving a box containing a stack or pad of sheets corresponding to the months of the year or the like so as to permit the uppermost sheet to be viewed through a frame formed by the safety catch when the connector assembly is closed. The safety catch can be released without freeing the box. At the same time, with the safety catch released the box is readily removed to permit the uppermost sheet to be changed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawings which form part of the instant specification and which are to be read in conjunction therewith and in which like reference numerals are used to indicate like parts in the various views:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of my calendar watchband.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of my calendar watchband illustrating the positions of the parts with the connector assembly released.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view through my calendar watchband taken along the the line 3-3 of FIG. 1 and drawn on an enlarged scale.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view through my calendar watchband taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 1 and drawn on an enlarged scale.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view illustrating the relationship of the display box and its contents to the safety catch of the band connector assembly.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

My calendar watchband indicated generally by the reference character 10 includes respective band halves 12 and 14 extending from the watchcase (not shown) to a pair of end connector receiving members 16 and 18 having respective spring pivot pins 20 and 22 extending across openings 24 and 26 in the members 16 and 18. The manner in which the members 16 and 18 are secured to the band halves 12 and 14 does not per se form part of my invention. The copending application of Seymour Hauser, Ser. No. 772,156 filed Oct. 31, 1968 for "Link Adjusting Mechanism for Watchbands," illustrates one arrangement which I may employ to attach members 16 and 18 to the band halves 12 and 14.

The connector assembly of my watchband includes an articulated hook indicated generally by the reference character 28 comprising a shank 30 and a hook 32 pivotally connected by a pin 34. A central journal 36 on the shank 30 pivotally supports the hook 28 on the pin 20. I form the hook 32 with a bent portion 38 adjacent pin 34 for receiving the pin 22 when the connector is closed in a manner to be described. Respective spaced journals 40 and 42 formed on an end of safety catch 44 pivotally support the catch for movement on the pin 20. I so form the catch 44 as to have some depth below the window 46 formed in the top of the catch 44. It will readily be appreciated that if desired window 46 may receive a piece of a suitable transparent material.

My calendar watchband includes a box 48 adapted to receive a stack or pad of sheets 50 respective ones of which may carry indicia of the days of the month. The box 48 is adapted to be inserted open side up and below window 46 in the housing formed by catch 44.

In order releasably to hold the box in position within the catch 44 I provide the upper edges of the ends thereof with tabs 52 and 54 for engaging the inner surface of the catch 44 just below the frame around window 46. A small cutout 56 between the tabs 54 permits the box 48 to be removed from the catch 44 by use of a simple tool such as a nail file or the like when it is desired to change the material being displayed.

I form the hook 32 with an end 58 adapted to overlie the journal 36 when the connector is closed. In that condition of the parts, the hook 32 lies in a depressed portion 60 of the shank 30. Bent up lugs 62 on the shank 30 are resiliently engaged by an end wall of catch 44 when the connector assembly is completely closed. In that position of the parts a cutout portion 64 of the catch 44 receives a portion of part 38 of hook 32.

In use of my calendar watchband to display a month's worth of dates for example the pad or stack of sheets 50 is so arranged that the current month is uppermost in the box 48. The box is then inserted within the safety catch 44 so that the uppermost sheet 50 can be viewed through window 46. Lugs 52 and 54 frictionally engage the inner surfaces of the ends of the catch 44 releasably to hold the box in the catch. To apply the band to the wrist of a wearer it is first draped over the wrist and then hook 32 is passed through opening 26 behind pin 22 until portion 38 is around the pin. Hook 32 then is folded back over the shank 30 along the depression 60 and end 58 overlies journal 36 between journals 40 and 42. When these operations have been performed the safety catch 44 is swung downwardly over the folded hook and shank until the portions of the end wall outboard of cutout 64 snap into engagement with the lugs 62. The connector now is completely closed and the watch or the like (not shown) is securely held on the wearer's wrist. At the same time, the legends such as dates or the like on the uppermost sheet 50 are readily visible to the wearer.

When it is desired to change the display, such for example as at the beginning of a new month safety catch 44 is opened and the box 48 is removed for example by use of a simple tool inserted in recess 56. The uppermost sheet 50 in the box can be changed to display the box can be readily reinserted by snapping it into the catch 44 and the connector can be reassembled as before. While I have disclosed my calendar watchband in connection with a stack or pads of sheets containing a year's worth of dates, it will readily be appreciated that I may if desired display any other material desired merely by placing it within the box 48 with the side to be viewed up. It will further be seen that my calendar watchband employs only a few additional parts and it closely resembles other connectors of the same general type while at the same time displaying dates or the like. No auxiliary parts or elements have been applied to the band halves themselves.

It will be seen that I have accomplished the objects of my invention. I have provided a calendar watchband a connector element of which performs the dual function of holding the watch or the like on the wearer's wrist while at the same time displaying a month's worth of dates. My display device is adapted to contain a year's worth of dates thus facilitating the operation of changing from one month to the next. It is simple in construction and is inexpensive to manufacture. It does not detract from the appearance of the band.

It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of my claims. It is further obvious that various changes may be made in details within the scope of my claims without departing from the spirit of my invention. It is, therefore, to be understood that my invention is not to be limited to the specific details shown and described.

Claims

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A calendar watchband including in combination, respective band portions adapted to be joined, a pin, means mounting said pin on one of said band portion ends, an articulated hook comprising a hook portion, a shank portion, and means pivotally connecting said shank and hook portions, means connecting said shank and hook portions, means connecting said shank portion to the other band portion end, said hook portion adapted to pass around said pin and fold back over said shank portion, a clasp, means mounting said clasp on one of said band portion ends for pivotal movement from a first position away from said shank portion to a second position overlying said shank portion, interengageable means on said clasp and on said shank portion for releasably holding said clasp in said second position, said clasp having a top forming a window frame, and means for holding an article to be displayed within said catch below said window.

2. A watchband as in claim 1. in which said clasp has end walls and in which said article-holding means comprises a box having end walls adjacent said clasp end walls and means frictionally retaining said box in said clasp one of said clasp end walls being formed with an opening permitting access to one of said box end walls, said one end wall of said box formed with a recess accessible through said clasp end wall opening.

3. A watchband as in claim 1. in which said article is a pad of sheets having respective indicia thereon.

4. A watchband as in claim 1. in which said article holding means is a box, and releasable means for retaining said box in said clasp.

5. A watchband as in claim 4. in which said releasable means comprises a resilient lug on said box for engaging said clasp.

6. In a bracelet adapted to be positioned around a wearer's wrist having ends to be joined to so position the bracelet, a clasp, means for permanently securing one end of said clasp to one end of said bracelet, means for releasably securing the other end of said bracelet to said clasp, said clasp having a pivoted portion adapted to pivot upwardly and away from the wrist of the wearer and being formed with a window frame, a box, means for positioning said box in said frame with the contents of the box visible through said frame, said clasp being formed with a stationary portion adapted to contact the wearer's wrist and means for securing said pivoted portion to said stationary portion.

7. In a bracelet having ends adapted to be connected to secure said bracelet having ends adapted to be connected to secure said bracelet in position around the wrist of a wearer, a clasp assembly for joining said ends and for displaying an article including interengageable means secured to the respective bracelet ends for releasably securing said ends to each other, said interengageable means comprising a member mounted on the outer surface of said bracelet for pivotal movement between an open position away from said outer surface at which said interengageable means are free and a closed position adjacent to said outer surface at which said interengageable means are locked in engagement, said member comprising a frame forming a window and means forming a recess behind said frame for receiving said article, said recess being accessible in the open position of said member, and means for releasably retaining said article in said recess.

8. An assembly as in claim 7, in which said article is a sheet carrying a month of calendar dates thereon, said assembly including a stack of said sheets in said recess with one of said sheets visible through said window.

9. An assembly as in claim 7, in which said article is a sheet carrying a month of calendar dates thereon, said assembly including a stack of said sheets, means comprising a box for receiving said stack of sheets and means for releasably securing said box in said recess with one of said sheets visible through said window.