Patent ID: 8220116

Claim:
A self-locking connecting device, particularly for jewelry and clockmaking, comprising: a female part; a male part, wherein at least one of the female part and the male part is connected to a necklace end, a link, or an object to be retained, wherein a female part axis and a male part axis coincide in a closed state of the device and wherein each of the female part and the male part include complementary snap elements configured to insert into one another and automatically be retained; and an auxiliary element including a stem, a head configured to neutralize the complementary snap elements in the closed state and to cause the device to be locked when a traction force is applied to the stem to ensure the safety and reliability of the connection, elements configured to cooperate with the complementary snap elements, in that said male part is snapped into the female part, and an auxiliary element axis, wherein the auxiliary element is arranged in the male part such that the male part axis and the auxiliary element axis coincide and wherein a locking element is formed of at least two elastic fingers having an end portion configured to be inserted through a bore into a recess of the female part to snap onto the female part, wherein the bore and the recess are rejoined by a frustoconical ramp, wherein the head includes: a base, and a frustoconical portion that cooperates with the end portion and connects the base to the stem, wherein the frustoconical portion continuously extends at a constant angle from the base to the stem and a diameter of the stem is substantially constant, and wherein the end portion is configured to bear on the frustoconical ramp inside the recess, so that the male part can be disengaged from the female part together with the auxiliary element by applying opposed traction forces upon at least one of the male part, the female part and the auxiliary element.