Abstract:
A watch clip includes a back plate having front and back surfaces, and a spring body having first and second ends and an arched shape, the first end being coupled to the back surface of the back plate. The clip also includes a compression latch rotatably coupled to the second end of the spring body, and configured to apply a biasing force to an object such as the panel of a pocket interposed between a portion of the spring body and the back surface of the back plate. The compression latch is configured to rotate between open and latched positions. While in the open position, the device is configured to receive the pocket panel between the back plate and the portion of the spring body, and to capture the panel between a contact bar and the back plate while in the latched position. A timepiece is coupled to the front surface of the back plate.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     This disclosure is related, generally, to timepieces, and in particular, to fashion watches.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0004]     For many women, typical party or formal attire comprises a dress or evening gown designed to show or suggest a great deal of the woman&#39;s body. These dresses may be form fitting, low-cut, or otherwise quite revealing. This is especially true in what is often thought of as high fashion, as is evident from a review of any fashion or awards show broadcast by the major television networks. These fashions are also followed among the less famous, but still affluent, women of most major cities in the world.  
         [0005]     While many women wear wrist watches while in formal attire, and many jewelers offer watches designed for this purpose, other women prefer not to wear a wrist watch with an evening gown. This presents a problem, since these gowns certainly don&#39;t include pockets where a watch can be kept. The only other alternative, if one wishes to have a timepiece, is to keep a watch in a purse. Of course, this means that checking the time will be something of a production, as the purse will also contain everything the woman might need for the evening, materials for maintenance of hair and makeup, money, cell phone, keys, etc., much of which may need to be removed to locate the watch.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     According to an embodiment of the invention, a watch is provided, including a back plate having front and back surfaces, and a spring body having first and second ends and an arched shape, the first end being coupled to the back surface of the back plate. The device also includes a compression latch rotatably coupled to the second end of the spring body, and configured to apply a biasing force to an object such as the panel of a pocket interposed between a portion of the spring body and the back surface of the back plate. The compression latch is configured to rotate between open and latched positions. While in the open position, the device is configured to receive the pocket panel between the back plate and the portion of the spring body, and to capture the panel between a contact bar and the back plate while in the latched position. A timepiece is coupled to the front surface of the back plate. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)  
       [0007]      FIG. 1  shows a woman in evening dress carrying a watch clipped to a panel of her handbag, according to an embodiment of the invention.  
         [0008]      FIG. 2  illustrates the watch of  FIG. 1 , in a rear perspective view.  
         [0009]      FIG. 3  is a side elevation view of the watch of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0010]      FIG. 4  shows a front elevation view of the watch of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0011]      FIGS. 5A and 5B  illustrate steps of the operation of the watch of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0012]      FIG. 6  shows a watch according to another embodiment of the invention.  
         [0013]      FIG. 7  shows a back view of the watch of  FIG. 6 .  
         [0014]      FIGS. 8 and 9  show side elevation views of the watch of  FIG. 6 .  
         [0015]      FIG. 10  illustrates additional embodiments of the invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0016]      FIG. 1  shows a woman  102  dressed for a formal outing and carrying a small clutch bag  104  for essential supplies. Attached to a pocket  106  of the bag is a watch  100  according to an embodiment of the invention. The watch  100  includes a clip configured to attach to a pocket panel  106  of the handbag  104  in a manner that is secure, yet will not damage expensive fabric or leather from which the bag is made.  
         [0017]     Carrying a watch in this manner allows the woman to check the time unobtrusively, and without fanfare. Additionally, the watch  100  may be of a design that compliments her outfit or accessories, and provides a unique fashion statement. She also has the option of attaching the watch  100  to an interior pocket of the handbag  104 , where it is instantly accessible, while remaining invisible. She no longer needs to dig through the contents of the bag to find her watch, but instead, can merely open the bag and look inside to check the time, without extracting the watch  100  or any other contents.  
         [0018]     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , the watch  100  is shown in a rear perspective view. A clip assembly  200  is provided for attaching the watch  100  to the woman&#39;s purse  104 . The watch  100  includes a back plate  202 , to which the clip assembly  200  is attached. The clip assembly comprises a spring body  204  and a compression latch  206 . The spring body  204  is attached at a first end  208  to the back plate  202  by any appropriate means, such as, for example, screws, rivets, spot welds, etc. The compression latch is hinged to a second end  210  of the spring body  204  so as to be rotatable around an axis that lies parallel to a surface of the back plate  202 .  
         [0019]      FIG. 3  is a side view of the watch  100 , showing additional details of the clip assembly  200 . The spring body  204  is attached at its first end  208  to the back plate  202 , and includes an arched portion  306  such that the second end  210  of the spring body  204  is separated from the back plate  202  by a space appropriate to receive a pocket panel or other substantially flat or thin object as described hereafter. The compression latch  206  includes a contact bar  302  and a finger bar  304 . In the embodiment of  FIG. 3  the contact bar  302  is attached to the compression latch, such as by welding or soldering, or other appropriate method. The latch  206  is coupled to the spring body via a hinge  308 . A time piece  300  is mounted to a front face of the back plate  202 . The time piece  300  may be digital or analog, and may include design features such a jeweled or mother-of-pearl face.  
         [0020]     Referring again to  FIG. 2 , the spring body  204  includes an aperture  212  that coincides with the arched portion  306  such that the spring body  204  has two narrow arms  214  that define the arched portion  306 . This arrangement provides several advantages. As will be discussed in more detail below, the spring body  204  flexes during operation. By selecting the width of the narrow arms  214 , the tension and resiliency of the spring body  204  can be selected, so as to provide a desired level of bias. Additionally, the narrow arms  214  afford a convenient location to attach embellishing features or decorations to the watch, as will also be described in more detail hereafter.  
         [0021]     It can be seen that the clip assembly  200  is sized or positioned on the watch so as to be substantially invisible when the watch  100  is viewed from the front. This prevents the clip from interfering with the aesthetic appearance of the watch, providing for a clean, uncluttered face. In particular, the spring body  204  is positioned such that it does not extend above the upper edge of the watch  100 . According to an embodiment, the back plate  202  may be larger than the watch  100 , as shown, for example, in  FIG. 3 , so as to contribute to the decorative appearance. According to other embodiments, the back plate  202  may be of equal or smaller size than the watch, or the back plate may be part of the watch case, as shown, for example, in  FIG. 7 .  
         [0022]     The timepiece  300 , as illustrated in  FIG. 4 , has an analog face with an oval shape. It will be recognized that the timepiece may have any appropriate shape such as, for example, oval, round, square, rectangular, etc. Additionally, the clock face of the timepiece is not limited as to other design features such as color, style, or presence or absence of numbers, etc.  
         [0023]     Referring now to  FIGS. 5A and 5B , the operation of the clip mechanism  200  is illustrated. In  FIG. 3 , the latch  206  is shown in the latched position. From this position, a user places a finger under the finger bar  304  and pries the finger bar  304  outward with respect to the back plate  202 . The compression latch  206  rotates on the hinge  308 , causing the contact bar  302  to lever against the back plate  202  with the hinge  308  as a fulcrum. The spring body  204  is forced to flex outward and permit rotation of the compression latch  206  to an open position.  
         [0024]      FIG. 5A  shows the latch mechanism  200  in the open position. In this position, a slot  500  is open. the user can now slide the watch  100  over a handbag pocket such that the panel  106  of the pocket is received in the slot  500  until the top edge of the panel  106  contacts the inner surface of the spring body  204 , as shown in  FIG. 5B . The user then pulls downward on the finger bar  304 , reversing the rotation of the compression latch  206 . The contact bar  302  again levers on the hinge  308  to force the spring body  204  to flex outward, while the contact bar  302  moves inward.  FIG. 5B  shows the latch  206  again in the latched position, but with the panel  106  captured by the contact bar  308 . It may be seen that, due to the thickness of the panel  106 , the spring body  204  is flexed outward, applying a bias against the panel  106  via the contact bar  302 , providing sufficient force against the panel to securely hold the watch  100  to the panel  106 . However, because of the smooth shape of the contact bar  302 , and especially because of the smooth, flat surface of the back plate  202 , against which the panel  106  is pressed by the contact bar, the panel is not damaged or marked by the clip assembly  200 .  
         [0025]      FIGS. 6-9  show a watch  600  according to another embodiment of the invention. A case  602  of the watch  600  includes a face  604  and back plate  606 . A clip assembly  608 , including a spring body  610  and compression latch  612 , is attached to the back plate  606 . The compression latch  612  includes a contact bar  614  and finger bar  616  formed from a single piece of material, as can be seen in  FIG. 7 . This arrangement reduces the manufacturing cost as compared to the embodiment of  FIG. 3 . Another feature of this embodiment is that when the compression latch  612  is in the latched position, as shown in  FIG. 9 , both the contact bar  614  and finger bar  616  make contact with the object  106  to which the watch  600  is attached. This provides an increased surface area of contact with the object  106 , resulting in a more secure attachment.  
         [0026]      FIG. 10  shows watch faces according to various additional embodiments of the invention. The watches  700 ,  720 , and  740  of  FIG. 10  are provided with various embellishments and details. For example, some include a number of stones  702  distributed around the bezel  704 , as well as stones  706  on the face  708 . Additionally, the crowns  710  may be provided with a single stone  712 . The stones may be cubic zirconium crystals, Swarovski® crystals, diamonds, or other precious, semi-precious, or synthetic stones, and may be clear or colored. The face  708  may be mother of pearl, enamel, or other known material, and may include luminous hands or accents for easier vieweing under low-light conditions. The case  602  may be gold or gold plate, stainless steel, platinum, or other appropriate material. The watch  700  is provided with an accent detail in the form of small chains  714  attached to respective ones of the narrow arms  214  described with reference to  FIG. 2 , each of the chains  714  having a small pearl  716  attached. According to another embodiment, the chains  714  are provided with clasps, and are of a length sufficient to form a necklace with the watch  700  as a pendant.  
         [0027]     It will be recognized that a watch according to the principles of the invention provides the convenience of easy access to a timepiece while enhancing the formal or festive appearance of the wearer. According to some embodiments the watch is configured to be eye-catching and compelling, while in other embodiments, the watch is configured to be more subtle and understated.  
         [0028]     There are some watches in the known art that are configured to be attached or hung in various manners. For example, one type of watch, used primarily in the middle part of the 20th century, was configured to be worn on an apron or blouse by a nurse. However, this watch was typically pinned to the nurse&#39;s blouse, and thus would be inappropriate for the present application, since a pin would tend to damage the expensive material of a fashion handbag. Other known watches are configured to hang from a user&#39;s belt. These, too, are unsuitable for the present application, since they generally include a loop through which the belt passes. The panel of a handbag pocket is generally open only at the top, would not allow passage of a loop, and so would not accept such a mechanism.  
         [0029]     In contrast to the prior art examples mentioned above, embodiments of the present invention provide means for non-invasively securing a watch to a panel of a pocket or similar feature in a way that allows the watch to be easily viewed without the securing means distracting from the decorative aspects of the watch or damaging the object to which the watch is attached.  
         [0030]     As used in the claims, the term non-invasive refers to the characteristic of attaching without causing damage such as would be caused by a pin, for example.  
         [0031]     Where the term upper edge is used with reference to a watch, it refers to a watch oriented according to convention, i.e., in the case of an analog watch, the clock face is arranged so that when the hands indicate 12:00, they are pointing straight up, and, in the case of a digital watch, the clock face is arranged so that the numbers are upright.  
         [0032]     Embodiments of the invention have been described for use with the pocket of a handbag. It will be recognized that a watch according to the principles of the invention may be attached to any appropriate object, such as, for example, a user&#39;s belt, coat or pants pocket, book cover, note pad, or even rigid objects such as the rim of a vase, etc. The only requirement is that the object have a portion that is sufficiently thin to be received by the clip assembly. Accordingly, where used in the claims, the term flat object is to be read broadly so as to encompass all such objects.  
         [0033]     From the foregoing it will be appreciated that, although specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made without deviating from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not limited except as by the appended claims.