Patent Publication Number: US-6209828-B1

Title: Universal watch display stand

Description:
FIELD OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to watch display stands, and more particularly to a universal watch display stand specifically designed for leather belt-type watch, wherein the universal watch display stand enables a leather belt-type watch of any size to be displayed 3-dimensionally likes a metal link wrist watch without the need to buckle up the leather belt. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
     Wristwatch basically is classified into two major kinds, namely the leather belt-type watch and the metal link-type watch. 
     The metal link-type watch comprises a watch body and an endless metal link circularly extending from one side of the watch body to another side of the watch body. The metal link contains a fast buckle for fastening the metal link-type watch on the user&#39;s wrist. To display the metal link-type watch, it is fastened on a cushion pad or rod, and supported in upright position. Moreover, it is easier to store the metal link-type watch in a box while fastening on the cushion pad or rod. 
     The leather belt-type watch also comprises a watch body and a first and a second belt piece connected to two sides of the watch body respectively. A buckle head is connected to a free end of the first belt piece while a plurality of fastening holes are provided along the second belt piece. To fasten the leather belt-type watch on the user&#39;s wrist, the first belt piece and the second belt piece must be buckled up together. 
     The best and most natural way to display a watch is to display it 3-dimensionally, as if it is worn on a user&#39;s wrist. Since the metal link-type watch is easy to fasten circularly on a cushion pad, it provides a potential customer a more reality of how it looks like after wearing on wrist. Of course, a leather belt can also be fastened on a cushion pad and displayed as if the metal link-type watch 3-dimensionally by buckling up the two belt pieces. However, the buckle head will leave a permanent pressed mark on the second belt piece. No body can accept to purchase a new watch with pressed mark thereon. Therefore, all the leather belt-type watches can be merely displayed or stored lying flat in a box or on table. 
     SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
     The main object of the present invention is to provide a universal watch display stand which enables a leather belt-type watch to display 3-dimensionally but will not leave any pressed mark on or damage the leather belt. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a universal watch display stand which can firmly hold a leather belt-type watch in circular shape without buckling up the two belt pieces. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a universal watch display stand which does not employ complicate structure and has minimized components, so as to minimize the manufacturing cost and assembly labor. 
     Accordingly, in order to accomplish the above objects, the present invention provides a universal watch display stand which comprises a base and a holder. The holder comprises at least a supporting rib upwardly extended from said base, and a plurality of holding wings spacedly and transversely supported by the supporting rib so as to define a plurality of holding slots between the holding wings respectively. In order to mount a leather belt-type watch on the universal watch display stand, first, place a watch body of the leather belt-type watch on a front side of the holder; second, rearwardly penetrate a first belt piece and a second belt piece of the leather belt-type watch through an upper holding slot and a lower holding slot of the holder respectively until two free ends of the first and second belt pieces reach a rear side of the holder; fourth, downwardly bend the free end of the first belt piece and insert the free end of the first belt piece into one of the holding slots positioned lower than the upper holding slot; and fifth, upwardly bend the free end of the second belt piece and insert the free end of the second belt piece into one of the holding slots positioned upper than the lower holding slot. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a universal watch display stand according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the universal watch display stand according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a rear view of the universal watch display stand according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 is a side view universal watch display stand according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention, illustrating a leather belt-type watch mounted on the universal watch display stand. 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an alternative mode of the universal watch display stand according to the above preferred embodiment. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to FIGS. 1 to  4 , a universal watch display stand according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated, which comprises a base  10  and a holder  20 . 
     As shown in FIGS. 1,  3  and  4 , the base  10  comprises a bottom layer  11 , a top layer  12 , and a connecting means  13  to integrally support the top layer  12  above the bottom layer  11  so as to define a receiving cavity  14  between the bottom layer  11  and the top layer  12 . Inside the receiving cavity  14 , a L-shaped holding clip  15  is integrally affixed on the bottom layer  11 , as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, for holding the certificate and direction menu of the displaying watch within the receiving cavity  14 . 
     In order to provide the base  10  with a smooth front surface, a front side  121  of the top layer  12  is downwardly extended to integrally connect with a front side  111  of the bottom layer  11 . The connecting means  13  comprises a plurality of supporting posts  131  vertically and spacedly connected between the bottom layer  11  and the top layer  12 . 
     The holder  20  comprises at least a supporting rib  21  and a plurality of holding wings  22 . The supporting rib  21  is extended upwardly and rearwardly from the top layer  12  of the base  10 . The holding wings  22  are spacedly and transversely supported by the supporting rib  21  in layers manner, so as to define a plurality of holding slots  23  between the holding wings  22  respectively. 
     The base  10 , the supporting rib  21  and the holding wings  22  are integrally made in one body form by mold injection. Accordingly, the supporting rib  21  is divided into a plurality of rib pieces  211  extended between the plurality of holding wings  22  respectively. According to the preferred embodiment, the plurality of rib pieces  211  are aligned along a common axis and positioned near the outer ends of the holding wings  22 , as shown in FIGS. 1 to  4 . Of course, it is apparent to alternatively dispose the rib pieces  211  between the holding wings  22  in different position, as shown in FIG.  5 . 
     In order to provide the holder  20  with an ellipsoidal shape when viewing sidewardly, as shown in FIG. 4, the upper holding wings  22   a  and the lower holding wings  22   b  respectively have a shorter width while the middle holding wings  22   c  respectively have a longer width. Moreover, except the uppermost and the lowermost holding wings  22 , a front side of each of the holding wings  22  is bent downwards while a rear side of each of the holding wings  22  is bent upwards to form a curved guiding edge  221 . 
     The universal watch display stand of the present invention further comprises a locking bar  30  detachably attached to an inner side of the holder  20  so as to bar the plurality of holding slots  23  formed between the holding wings  22 . As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an inner end of each of the holding wings  22  has an indented slot  24  provided at a middle position thereof. The widths of the indented slots  24  of the upper holding wings  22  are smaller than the widths of the indented slots  24  of the lower holding wings  22 . The locking bar  25  has a predetermined width gradually increasing along the locking bar  30  downwardly with respect to the widths of the indented slots  24 . The locking bar  30  is adapted to extend along and engage in the indented slots  24  so as to bar the holding slots  23 . Therefore, each of the holding slots  23  is limited to the space between the supporting rib  21  and the locking bar  30 . 
     The universal watch display stand also comprises a locking means  31  for firmly locking the locking bar  30  in position. As shown in FIG. 2, the locking means  31  comprises a locking buckle  311  which is integrally form at a bottom end of the locking bar  25  and the top layer  12  of the base  10  also provides a pair of locking slots  121  adapted for the locking buckle  311  to insert therein in order to firmly fasten the locking bar  30  in such an upwardly extending position, as shown in FIG.  4 . 
     A display plate  32  is attached in front of the locking bar  30  for displaying information of the watch to be displayed by this universal watch display stand. 
     As shown in FIG. 4, to mount a belt-type watch  50  having two belt pieces  52 ,  53  made of leather or plastic on the universal watch display stand: 
     First, place a watch body  51  of the belt-type watch  50  on a front side of the holder  20 . 
     Second, rearwardly penetrate the first belt piece  52  and a second belt piece  53  of the leather belt-type watch through an upper holding slot  23   a  and a lower holding slot  23   b  of the holder  20  respectively until two free ends of the first and second belt pieces  52 ,  53  reach a rear side of the holder  20 . 
     Third, downwardly bend the free end of the first belt piece  52  and insert the free end of the first belt piece  52  into one of the holding slots  23   c  positioned lower than the upper holding slot  23   a.    
     Fourth, upwardly bend the free end of the second belt piece  53  and insert the free end of the second belt piece  53  into one of the holding slots  23   d  positioned upper than the lower holding slot  23   b.  The rebounding force of the bended first and second belt pieces  52 ,  53  will make the free ends of the first and second belt pieces  52 ,  53  pressing against the adjacent holding wings  22  respectively, so that the displaying watch  50  will be firmly mounted 3-dimensionally on the holder  20 . 
     Alternatively, the user may initially detach the locking bar  30  to open the holding slots  23  so that the first and second belt pieces  52 ,  53  can be simply slid into the respective holding slots  23   a,    23   c,    23   b,    23   d.  After mounting the watch  50  circularly around the holder  20 , as shown in FIG. 4, refasten the locking bar  30  in position to bar the holding slots  23  in order to prevent the watch  50  from slipping out again. In which, the guiding edges  221  of the holding wings not only can guide the free ends of the first and second belt pieces  52 ,  53  to insert into the holding slots  23 , but also can prevent the free ends of the belt pieces  52 ,  53  from accidentally withdrawing out of the holding slots  23 . 
     Moreover, the user merely needs to detach the locking bar  30 , and then he or she may easily take out the displaying watch  50 . According to the present invention as disclosed above, the belt-type watch can be mounted circularly and displayed in upright position for illustrating to the potential purchaser of the actual condition of the watch like wearing on a user&#39;s wrist. However, by means of the universal watch display stand, the two belt pieces  52 ,  53  have no need to buckle up so that no pressed mark will be left on the belt piece  53 . The user is free to use the same size of the universal watch display stand of the present invention for all sizes of different watches. For example, a smaller size watch can use two holding slots  23  which are closer to each other to mount the two belt pieces  52 ,  53 . The present invention is an ideal device for displaying a belt-type watch. For storage, the watch retailer can simply put the whole display stand with the watch in a box. 
     Besides, it is worth to mention that although the universal watch display stand of the present invention is more specifically for the belt-type watch, the metal link-type watch substantially can also use the present invention to display.