Bracelet type wrist watch

A bracelet type wrist watch composed of a curved body having a watch embedded therein, and a coil spring covering said curved body, thus presenting a neat appearance as an ornamental ring when worn around the wrist.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to a wrist watch and particularly to a 
bracelet type wrist watch which is designed to wear around the wrist as an 
ornament. 
As is well known, there are two different kinds of wrist watches classified 
from the standpoint of time presentation, that is, the analogue type in 
which time is measured or shown by means of two or three hands moving 
around a numbered face, and the digital type in which time is measured or 
shown by means of digits appearing in an electro-optical display. 
Small watches are designed to be worn around the wrist by using leather 
straps, synthetic resin or metal bands in the form of bracelets. 
Otherwise, watches are designed to be worn around the neck by using chains 
or straps in the form of a hanging ornament or pendant, or around the ring 
finger by using circles. Among these different types of wrist watches 
customers take their choice to fit their suits or dresses. Thus, there are 
two different aspects of the wrist watch: an instrument for measuring and 
showing time, and at the same time, an ornament or accessory matching a 
dress or suit. 
Recently the role of the wrist watch as an ornament has become more 
important than the role of the wrist watch as an instrument for measuring 
and showing time. There has been an ever increasing demand for unique 
ornamental design. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
One object of the present invention is to provide a wrist watch of unique 
ornamental design, while still assuring the ease with which the wrist 
watch can be worn around the wrist. 
Another object of the present invention is to provide a wrist watch which 
looks like a bracelet, permitting the face of the wrist watch to appear 
when desired. 
To attain these objects a bracelet type wrist watch according to the 
present invention comprises a curved body having a watch module embedded 
therein, and a coil spring band to be worn around the wrist, accommodating 
said curved body.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a digital type wrist watch according to a 
first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a cross section 
of the wrist watch of FIG. 1. As shown, the wrist watch 1 is made in the 
form of a bracelet, and is composed of a coil spring 3 presenting a 
pleasing appearance and a watch-embedded open-looped body 2 enclosed in 
the coil spring 3, with the face of the watch covered by the coil spring 
3. A gold or silver plated metal coil may be used as presenting a pleasing 
appearance. Green or red colored resin coils or metallic luster resin 
coils may be used for presenting a fashionable appearance. The open-looped 
body 2 is composed of a curved body 4 which is made of a transparent 
synthetic resin material and has a recess 4a made for accommodating a 
watch module 7. As shown, the watch module 7 is embedded in the recess 4a 
and is sealed with a lid 4b. Two end caps 8 and 9 are screwed in 
corresponding threaded holes 4c which are made in the opposite ends of the 
open-looped body 2. Thus, the coil spring 3 is prevented from slipping out 
from the open-looped body 2. 
In assembling these components into a bracelet type wrist watch, first a 
watch module 7 is put and fixed in the recess 4a of the open-looped body 4 
and then the watch module 7 is sealed by the lid 4, thus completing the 
watch-embedded open-looped body 2. Then, the open-looped body 2 is pushed 
in the tubular space defined by a corresponding length of the coil spring 
until the whole body 2 is completely enclosed in the coiled spring 3. 
Finally, two end caps 8 and 9 are screwed into the threaded holes 4c made 
in the opposite ends of the open-looped bracelet. 
When wearing the bracelet wrist watch 1, the loop hole is opened wide 
enough to allow the wrist to pass through the open loop thus expanded. 
When desired, the watch module 7 may be taken out from the recess of the 
open-looped body 2 by stretching the overlying part of the coil spring and 
by displacing adjacent turns wide enough to permit the passing of the 
watch module, for instance, for the purpose of renewing a cell. Also, when 
desired, the coil spring 3 may be changed without difficulty. 
As is shown in FIG. 2, the face of the watch module 7 is enclosed with the 
coil spring loop 3, and normally it remains invisible. When glancing at 
the time, the part of the coil spring 3 overlying the face of the watch 
module 7 is stretched the fingers to open adjacent turns wide enough to 
expose the face of the watch module 7. 
FIGS. 3 and 4 show a bracelet type wrist watch according to a second 
embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the wrist watch 1 is made 
in the form of an open-looped bracelet, and is composed of two coil 
springs 3 and 3' and a watch-embedded open-looped body 2 enclosed in these 
coil springs, although the face of the watch is exposed. 
The open-looped body 2 is made of a transparent synthetic resin material, 
and is composed of a diametrically increased portion 4d having a recess 4a 
made for accommodating a watch module 7, and two diametrically decreased 
portions integrally connected to and extending from the opposite ends of 
the diametrically increase portion 4d. As shown, the watch module 7 is 
embedded in the diametrically increased portion 4d, and is sealed with a 
lid 4b. Two end caps 8 and 9 are screwed in corresponding threaded holes 
4c, which are made in the opposite ends of the open-looped body 2. Thus, 
the coil springs 3 and 3' are prevented from slipping out from the 
open-looped body 2. As is best shown in FIG. 4, the face of the watch is 
not covered by the coil spring bracelet. 
In assembling, the watch module 7 is put in the recess 4a of the 
open-looped body 4, and then the watch module 7 is sealed by the lid 4b, 
thus completing the watch-embedded, open-looped body 2. Then each 
diametrically decreased portion of the open-looped body 2 is pushed into 
the tubular space defined by a corresponding length of coil spring until 
these diametrically decreased portions are completely enclosed in coil 
springs 3 and 3'. Finally, two end caps 8 and 9 are screwed into the 
threaded holes 4c made in the opposite ends of the open-looped bracelet 2. 
When wearing the bracelet wrist watch 1, the loop hole is opened wide 
enough to allow the wrist to pass through the open loop thus expanded. 
FIG. 5 shows a sectional plan of a bracelet wrist watch according to a 
third embodiment of the present invention. The bracelet wrist watch is 
different from that of FIGS. 3 and 4 only in that one of the diametrically 
decreased portions is composed of two separate sections and an intervening 
resilient spacer 10, connected together by a plate spring 6. This 
arrangement makes the bracelet easy to open wide when wearing round the 
wrist. Specifically, the free ends of the open loop are pulled apart from 
each other by fingers, yieldingly deforming the plate spring 6 and 
allowing the wrist to pass through the so wide-opened loop. The open loop 
resiliently restores to its original stress-free position when removing 
the fingers from the end caps 9, thus fitting the wrist. 
Thanks to the use of a plate spring 6, the open loop body can be made of a 
rigid material. FIGS. 6 and 7 show a bracelet wrist watch according to a 
fourth embodiment of the present invention. 
The bracelet wrist watch is different from that of FIG. 5 only in that the 
open loop 2 has no diametrically increased portion. 
FIGS. 8 and 9 show a bracelet type wrist watch according to a fifth 
embodiment of the present invention. The bracelet wrist watch of this 
embodiment is different from the first embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2 only in 
that the opposite ends 3a and 3b of the coil spring 3 are connected with 
each other. 
When wearing the bracelet wrist watch 1 around the wrist, the open part of 
the open-looped body 2 and the corresponding part of the coil spring 3 are 
stretched to allow the wrist to pass through the enlarged loop. 
FIG. 10 shows a sixth embodiment of a bracelet type wrist watch according 
to the present invention. 
The wrist watch of this embodiment is different from that of FIGS. 8 and 9 
only in that the open-looped body 2 is in the form of semicircle and makes 
it easy to spread the coil spring 3 when it is desired to wear the wrist 
watch on the wrist. 
FIGS. 11, 12 and 13 show a bracelet type wrist watch according to a seventh 
embodiment of the present invention. The bracelet wrist watch is similar 
to the one which is shown in FIG. 10 except for detents 4c and 4d provided 
on the semicircular body 2 at either side of the face 7a of a watch module 
7. The face 7a of the watch module 7 is normally enclosed in the coil 
spring 3. When glancing at the time, the part of the coil spring 3 
overlying the face 7a of the watch module 7 is stretched the fingers to 
open adjacent turns wide enough to expose the face 7a of the watch module 
7. 
When it is desired that the face 7a of the watch module 7 be kept visible 
or partly exposed, the overlying turns are kept separated by an amount 
wide enough to expose the underlying face 7a of the watch module 7 by 
catching appropriate turns on the detents 4c and 4d of the semicircular 
body 2, as is best shown in FIG. 13. Thus, the bracelet wrist watch is 
kept in the watch-exposed condition. Simply by releasing these turns of 
the coil spring from the opposite detents of the semicircular body 2 the 
bracelet wrist watch can be brought to the watch-concealed condition in 
which it looks like an ornamental ring round the wrist. 
Every embodiment is described as using a round coil spring. It however, 
should be understood that a coil spring whose cross-section is square, 
triangular or any other geometrical figure may be used. 
Though the watch module and the cell are embedded as a single unit in the 
open-looped body in the embodiments as above described, they may be 
embedded as separate units in the body. 
It is also to be noted that a watch module according to the invention may 
be of not only the digital type as shown but also the analogue type.