U.S. patent number 3,777,953 [Application Number 05/245,868] was granted by the patent office on 1973-12-11 for case for removably carrying a wrist watch.
Invention is credited to Jules Lewis.
United States Patent |
3,777,953 |
Lewis |
December 11, 1973 |
CASE FOR REMOVABLY CARRYING A WRIST WATCH
Abstract
This invention relates to a protective case adapted to receive a
wrist watch having a case with a pair of drilled ears or lugs in
which is maintained a retaining pin assembly whereby wrist straps
or bands are customarily connected to the watch. This protective
case is open at the top to slidably receive a watch from which the
strap is removed. A clip carried within and at the closed other end
of the case removably retains the pin carried by the entering lug
end of the wrist watch. A protective pad is provided on the inside
of a side panel of the case, said protective pad adapted to prevent
scratching of the plastic or glass face of the watch. A belt clip
attached to the outer back surface of the case provides a dual
purpose wherein the case may be attached or hooked over a belt or
pocket of the wearer and when not used for this purpose may provide
a support which engages the strap retaining pin of the watch and
the watch case to support the watch at an angled relationship while
the retaining case is placed on a support surface enabling the
watch to be supported in a viewing condition.
Inventors: |
Lewis; Jules (Brooklyn,
NY) |
Family
ID: |
22928423 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/245,868 |
Filed: |
April 20, 1972 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
368/281; 224/666;
224/679; D3/226; D7/620; 224/152; 224/245; 224/903; 368/286 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A45C
11/10 (20130101); Y10S 224/903 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A45C
11/10 (20060101); A45C 11/00 (20060101); A45c
011/10 () |
Field of
Search: |
;224/26R,26H,26B,5R,4A,4C,2F ;206/18 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Forlenza; Gerald M.
Assistant Examiner: Forsberg; Jerold M.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A case for removably retaining and carrying a wrist watch, said
case including: (a) a closed case housing except for an open top
end and with an interior configuration disposed to slidably receive
a wrist watch whose entering strap-retaining lug end is absent a
wrist strap while retention of the wrist watch is effected in the
case housing, this retaining lug end having a strap retaining pin
carried therewith; (b) a resiliently biased clip mounted to extend
upwardly from the bottom of the case, said clip having a recess at
its upper end for laterally engaging the lower pin of the watch and
retaining the same within the case when the watch is substantially
fully inserted in the case, said pin partially fitting within said
recess (c) at least one protective pad means carried by an inside
surface of the case and protruding therefrom, said protective means
disposed and adapted to prevent scratching the transparent face
member of the watch during the inserting, withdrawal and retention
of the watch within the case, and (d) a retaining clip attached to
and extending from the back outer surface of the case to provide a
securing support for mounting and releasably securing said
retaining case on a belt, pocket, waist band and the like of a
wearer.
2. A wrist watch retaining case as in claim 1 in which the housing
is of drawn metal and is generally rectangular and the retaining
clip attached to the outside of the case is a U-shaped clip.
3. A wrist watch retaining case as in claim 1 in which the
strap-pin retaining clip is a channel-shaped metal clip and at its
closed end is secured to the inner bottom closed end of the case
housing, said clip having two upwardly extending leg portions
formed with strap pin-receiving and retaining portions, said leg
portions of the clip having their unattached upper distal ends
flared outwardly to provide strap-pin guiding means.
4. A wrist watch retaining case as in claim 3 in which the pin
retaining portions formed in the clip leg portions are
substantially arcuate in shape.
5. A wrist watch retaining case as in claim 1 in which the
protective pad means carried by the case housing is of resilient
material such as foam rubber, foam plastic and the like, said pad
presenting an inwardly facing surface which is a smooth sliding and
non-scratching surface disposed to engage the face of a watch while
the pad provides a shock-absorbing means for a retained wrist
watch.
6. A wrist watch retaining case as in claim 5 in which the
protective pad is tapered at its upper end to provide a guiding and
deflecting means for the entering watch and the pad is adhesively
attached to the inner wall of the case housing.
7. A wrist watch retaining case as in claim 1 in which the
retaining clip secured to the back outer surface of a side of the
case housing is a U-shaped clip attached by one leg to the back of
the case housing and with the free leg of said clip directed away
from the open end of the case.
8. A wrist watch retaining case as in claim 7 in which the outer
leg of the attached outside U-shaped clip is made so as to be
substantially parallel to the front face of the case so that a
wrist watch may be exteriorly supported on said leg by passing said
leg between the strap retaining pin and the case of the wrist watch
so that said leg engages the pin and the watch body as the
retaining case is laid with its opposite outer front face on a
support surface.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
With regards to the classification of art as established by the
U.S. Patent Office this invention pertains to the general class of
"Package and Article Carriers" and more particularly to the
subclass therein which is entitled, "watch and clock."
2. Description of the Prior Art
Although wrist watches are a popular form of timepiece many people,
particularly men, carry the wrist watch in a pocket or a belt
rather than on the wrist. This occurs because of the condition in
which they are working or because they find it uncomfortable to
wear the watch upon their wrists. As a timepiece the watch is often
carried in a pocket or sometimes on a clip. On other occasions the
watch may be propped up or laid upon a desk or hung on a pin or
stand in a viewing position. The problem of retaining this watch
upon a belt or supporting the watch for viewing has been attempted
by holding means as represented in many issued U.S. Patents. In
particular such an attempt is seen in a wrist watch attachment
described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,214,685 issued to BRENNER on Oct.
26th, 1965. This and like patents have attempted to provide a wrist
watch carrier and support for the retention and protection of the
watch. With many of these carriers retention is not assured and
damage and loss of the watch often occurs. In the present invention
the wrist watch retaining case provides an open-topped enclosure in
which the watch is retained by a clip during the time the watch is
carried in the case. The case may be carried on the band of the
trousers, on a pocket of a shirt or trousers or on the belt of the
user. As a stand support for the viewing of the watch, the front of
the case provides a flat supporting surface and the belt clip is
formed so as to engage the strap-retaining pin and watch case so
that the watch is readily mounted thereon and is retained at an
angle so as to be viewed in a substantially vertical condition such
as about 60.degree. above the horizontal.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention may be summarized at least in part with reference to
its objects.
It is an object of this invention to provide, and it does provide,
a retaining case for wrist watches whereby a wrist watch may be
carried within a protective case which is open at one end. This
case has an internal clip carried at its closed end and is adapted
to receive and removably retain a strap pin of the watch. The case
also has a protective interior pad arranged to slidably engage the
glass or plastic face of the wrist watch to prevent scratching
thereof and to act as a shock absorbing means. A belt clip carried
on the outside of the case is adapted to engage the belt of the
user or one of the retaining pins of the wrist watch to permit the
watch to be supported on the retaining case which acts as a base
for resting on a support surface while the watch is displayed at an
angle such as 45.degree. to 60.degree. above the horizontal.
It is a further object of this invention to provide, and it does
provide, a retaining case for a wrist watch into which the watch
may be inserted until the entering strap pin engages an internal
clip means to removably retain the watch in said case while
preventing accidental dislodgement or removal of the watch as and
when the case is mounted upon and carried by a belt or on a pocket
of the user. This retaining case completely encloses the watch with
the exception of an open top into which the watch is inserted while
only a strap or lug portion of the watch protrudes. This case
further has a belt retaining clip attached to the back, which clip
not only provides means for retaining the case on a belt or pocket
of the user but permits the case to act as a display support
providing mounting means by which the watch may be engaged and
supported upon the back of the case with the case acting as a
platform for the display of the watch at a determined angle.
In brief, the wrist watch retaining case of this invention includes
a case which may be a drawn or formed sheet metal box adapted to
enclose the watch except at its open end. Within this case and
attached to the inside of the closed end bottom is a strap pin
retaining means such as a U-clip adapted to engage a strap
retaining pin on the entering end of the wrist watch. Attached to
the inner face of one side of the case is a shock absorbing and
scratch preventing pad which is disposed to engage the plastic or
glass face of the inserted wrist watch. This pad provides a shock
absorbing means as well as a scratch preventing guide and support
surface. Attached to the back of the case is a U-shaped spring clip
adapted to be slid onto and removed from a trouser belt or pocket
of a user. This clip enables the ready mounting or removal of the
case from a belt or pocket. This U-shaped clip also provides a
secondary use in that when a belt-retaining pin of the wrist watch
is slid under the outer leg of the clip that pin engages the
underside of the leg while the body of the watch engages an
adjacent outer surface of the same clip leg. When the front face of
the case is laid upon a support surface the watch is retained on
the clip leg so as to be displayed at a substantially upright angle
to provide means for viewing the wrist watch.
In addition to the above summary the following disclosure is
detailed to insure adequacy and aid in understanding of the
invention. This disclosure, however, is not intended to prejudice
that purpose of a patent which is to cover each new inventive
concept therein no matter how it may later be disguised by
variations in form or additions of further improvements. For this
reason there has been chosen a specific embodiment of the case for
carrying a wrist watch as adopted for use as a belt supported case
or a watch supporting base and showing a preferred means for the
construction and use of the wrist watch retaining case. This
specific embodiment has been chosen for the purposes of
illustration and description as shown in the accompanying drawing
wherein:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 represents an isometric view of the wrist watch carrying
case of this invention, the view being from the back and looking
toward and partly into the open end or the top of the case;
FIG. 2 represents a sectional side view of the carrying case of
FIG. 1 and showing in particular the assembled construction of the
case;
FIG. 3 represents an enlarged sectional, partly fragmentary, side
view of the lower portion of the case of FIG. 2 and showing in
particular the apparatus for removably retaining a watch in the
case;
FIG. 4 represents an isometric view of the watch retaining and
carrying case in the attitude of laying upon a flat support surface
with a wrist watch mounted and supported by the outer leg of the
belt retaining clip, and
FIG. 5 represents an exploded isometric view of the several
preferred components which are assembled to provide the wrist watch
carrying retaining case with the parts arranged to show the means
of assembling and retaining the components.
In the following description and in the claims various details will
be identified by specific names for convenience. These names,
however, are intended to be generic in their application.
Corresponding reference characters refer to like members throughout
the several figures of the drawing.
The drawing accompanying, and forming part of, this specification
discloses certain details of construction for the purpose of
explanation of the broader aspects of the invention, but it should
be understood that structural details may be modified in various
respects without departure from the concept and principles of the
invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to the drawing and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 5
the wrist watch retaining case of this invention includes a case 10
which may be a drawn metal case. This case, when drawn and trimmed,
is a five-sided member open at one end only and which in use
becomes the top or entering end. Attached to the inside of a face
side of this case as by gluing is a pad 12. The inside face of this
pad is conditioned or surfaced so that a face 13 of the watch is
slidable along this surface without scratching the face of the
watch. This pad also provides a shock absorbent means as well as
scratch resisting means for the face of the watch. The pad
preferably is of a foam type plastic or rubber. At the closed or
lower inside end of this case 10 there is attached to the case a
clip means as depicted in a metal spring clip formed in the nature
of a U-shape or channel-shaped. This clip is attached to the inside
bottom end of this case as by spot welding, gluing, brazing or
riveting. Both upper ends of the clip are formed to provide
outwardly flaring ears or wings disposed to engage a
strap-retaining pin 16 of a wrist watch 18 when said watch is
inserted into the case. Arcuate portions 20 and 21 are shown as
formed in the intermediate extent of the upward extent of the legs
and adjacent the outer ends of this clip 14. These arcuate portions
are disposed to snap around and retain the wrist strap retaining
pin 16 of the wrist watch.
To the outer surface of the back of the case 10 there is attached a
U-shaped clip 25 which has its outer free end formed with an
inwardly directed V adapted to provide a grip on a pocket or belt
or to act as a retaining stop means on the belt of a wearer so as
to snugly engage and retain the case 10 upon the belt, band or
pocket of the user. This clamp 25 is attached to the back of the
case 10 as by riveting, gluing, brazing, welding and the like.
USE AND ASSEMBLY OF THE CARRYING CASE
In use, the wrist watch 18 having one or both strap portions 30
removed therefrom has a strapless end pushed into the case 10 with
the plastic or glass face 13 thereof disposed so as to slidably
engage the protective interior pad 12 which not only acts as a
shock absorbing cushion but as a scratch preventing medium. This
watch is inserted into the open end of the case 10 until the pin 16
of the watch engages the open end of the clip 14 to cause the
engaged flared ends of the leg portions to be urged apart until the
pin 16 moves into the retaining arcuate portions 20 and 21 which
then snap around the pin to snugly retain the watch within the case
10. The watch, by means of clip 25, may then be mounted upon the
belt or waistband of the user or if desired on a shirt pocket and
carried in this manner. Since the case is open at the top, the
watch portion extending from the case may be grasped so that the
watch may be removed for viewing to determine the time. The watch
retaining case may be removed from the clothing or belt of the user
as and when desired.
When the watch is to be displayed in a more or less vertical
viewing condition, the watch retaining case may be used as a stand
or support for the watch. The retaining case is laid down upon a
support surface as in the manner of FIG. 4 and the strap pin 16 of
the watch is slid onto the outer leg of the clip 25 so that the pin
16 and the case of the watch 18 engage opposite sides of this outer
leg so that the watch is retained at a slight angle from the
vertical and in this attitude is available for ready display. When
the watch is to be removed from this display supported attitude on
the retaining case, the watch and pin 16 are slid along the outer
leg until disengaged therefrom whereupon the watch may be stored
within the case or for other uses.
In the assembly of the above-described case it is assumed that the
case is already formed by drawing or by casting. The case then has
a U-shaped clip attached to the internal surface of the bottom end.
The preferred method of attachment is by brazing, spot welding,
riveting or gluing. The protective pad 12 is preferably of a foam
material having a certain degree of resilience or cushioning
ability. Usually this pad will have a protective skin or cover
produced during its manufacture. If not, a protective skin is
applied to provide a sliding surface permitting easy insertion of
the watch into the case while preventing scratching the clear cover
or face 13 during the insertion or storage of the watch. This pad
is usually mounted to the inner surface of the case as by
cementing. The U-shaped belt clip 25 is usually attached to the
case as by spot welding, brazing, cementing and the like.
ALTERNATE CONSTRUCTIONS
Although the preferred embodiment has been shown and
above-described in detail there are, of course, alternate
constructions which may be used. For example, the case 10 may be a
molded item and instead of metal may be plastic. The spring clip 14
instead of being a metal U-shaped clip may be a slotted rubber or
resilient block or be made as three or more resilient pins or posts
which may be molded into the end or side walls of the closed end of
the case. Where or when the case is of plastic the protective pad
12 may be an integrally molded grid providing a scratch resisting
surface.
It is also to be noted that a dimple or like means may be formed in
clip 25 to assist in supporting the watch at a desired display
angle. In addition the arcuate portions 20 and 21 in clip 14 may be
V-shaped or may simply be dimpled portions.
The retaining case of this invention is intended to provide a full
protection to an inserted watch by substantially enclosing all the
watch case. This retaining case is intended to have a positive
strap-pin gripping means provided at its closed inner end. This
gripping means disposed to retain the watch in the case until it is
grasped and deliberately pulled from the case. The interior of the
case may have one or more padded sides to prevent scratching as
well as providing a shock-absorbing means. The outside clip 25 may
be the simple slid on U-shaped clip disclosed or may be a spring
clip or a pin, any of which may be made to grip the strap pin of
the watch to display the watch.
Terms such as "up", "down", "bottom", "top", "front", "back", "in",
"out" and the like are applicable to the embodiment shown and
described in conjunction with the drawing. These terms are merely
for the purposes of description and do not necessarily apply to the
position in which the retaining case for wrist watches may be
constructed or used.
While a particular embodiment of the retaining case has been shown
and described it is to be understood the invention is not limited
thereto and protection is sought to the broadest extent the prior
art allows.
* * * * *