(19)
(11) EP 0 276 701 A2

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(43) Date of publication:
03.08.1988 Bulletin 1988/31

(21) Application number: 88100504.5

(22) Date of filing: 15.01.1988
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC)4G04B 37/18, G04B 37/22
(84) Designated Contracting States:
AT BE CH DE ES FR GB GR LI LU NL SE

(30) Priority: 27.01.1987 IT 2064087 U

(71) Applicant: Brizio, Giorgio
I-28037 Domodossola (IT)

(72) Inventor:
  • Brizio, Giorgio
    I-28037 Domodossola (IT)

(74) Representative: Petruzzelli, Antonio European Patent Attorney 
C.so Italia, No. 43
20122 Milano
20122 Milano (IT)


(56) References cited: : 
   
       


    (54) Covering case for wrist-watches


    (57) A covering case for wrist-watches comprising a hollow body (10) in elastomeric material enclosing the watch, said body (10) comprising a bottom wall and peripheral wall (12) having a protruding annular edge portion (13) defining a large aperture (16) for the watch dial, and opposite openings (17, 18) on said peripheral wall (12) for the passage of the watch-band (19).




    Description


    [0001] This invention refers to a protecting or covering case for wrist-watches made of suitable elastomeric material that can be easily slipped on, or applied and removed from watches, when necessary, whilst allowing normal reading of the time indicated on the watch dial even when the covering case is in use.

    [0002] It is well known that in various sporting activities as well as in other circumstances, wrist-watches can easily be the subject of sharp knocks and blows which can cause both breaking of the glass dial-protector and damage to the watch machanism.

    [0003] No protectve covering is currently available for ordinary watches, the only sure way of protection being to take the watch off and to leave it in a safe place, thereby preventing its normal use.

    [0004] The scope of this invention is to provide an additional protective or covering case for normal wrist-watches capable of being slipped on and off easily and protecting against blows, shock and similar damage, whilst allowing for the normal use of the watches even when the case has been applied. The case is to be of rubber, or similar elastomeric material, is to be suitably coloured, and of such form so as to be adaptable to a wide range of wrist-watches of varying form and dimensions, given the elastic characteristic of the case which allows it to be adaptable and adhere to watch-cases.

    [0005] In general terms, the covering case of this invention for protecting wrist-watches constituted by a rubber or elastomer or similar lining of tubular form comprises a hollow body in elastomeric material enclosing the watch, said body comprising a bottom wall and peripheral wall having a protruding annular edge portion defining a large aperture for the watch dial, and opposite openings on said peripheral wall for the passage of the watch-band.

    [0006] Said top protective edge which surrounds the opening through which the time can be read partially overlaps the watch dial and may be completely smooth or may otherwise be provided with protusions or reference indicators of the time, corresponding to analogous indications on the watch dial, constituting in this case a type of over-watch which facilitates or allows the reading of the time even when the time indicating marks or numbers on the dial are partially covered by the protective case.

    [0007] The protective case may, obviously, be made of any suitable elastomeric material and be of any dimension and form capable of adaption to diverĀ­se types of wrist-watches with different dial characteristics.

    [0008] The details concerning one possible embodiment of a protective case for wrist-watches shall now be illustrated with reference to the following attached drawings, in which:

    Fig. 1 is a top-view of a particular type of a protective case;

    Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view made on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

    Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section made on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.



    [0009] As shown in the drawings, the case is comprised of a hollow body or case 10 of rubber or similar elastomeric material, substantially adaptable to the shape and dimensions of the usual watch casing of different types of watches; more precisely, the body 10 of protective casing consists of a substantially flat lower wall 11 which adapts to the bottom of the watch-case and a peripheral wall 12 which in this particular example is circular, said wall 12 being provided with an upper surface 13 having an annular edge 14 which partially protrudes and covers the dial glass of a watch 15 inserted in the case 10, and which delimits a large opening 16 through which the hands, numbers and/or reference marks on the dial of the watch are visible.

    [0010] The peripheral wall 12 of the protective case is provided with two opposite openings 17 and 18 in which are housed the side loops for the watch band, and through which the band passes. In the illustrated example in which the band of the watch 19 is composed of two parts can be slipped into openings 17 and 18 through the central opening 16 of the dial, the bottom wall 11 of the casing is preferably whole or continuous, however for watches with metal bands or of annular, ring-like form, the bottom wall 11 is divided into two halves, for example by a longitudinal slit 20, between the openings 17 and 18 to enable the protective case 10 to be slipped over the watch.

    [0011] The upper surface 13 of peripheral wall 12, around the opening 16 for the dial, may be completely smooth or otherwise may be provided with protrusions or reference marks 21 in positions corresponding to the time indications shown on the dial of the watch inserted in the said case, so as to constitute a sort of over-watch dial which, once the watch were inserted, would facilitate the reading of the time. In the illustrated example, the time reference means 21 on the upper surface of the case 10 have been indicated by suitable protrusions, however it is evident that there may be other suitable ways of achieving the result of facilitating the reading of the dial partially covered by the protective covering 10.

    [0012] From the above discussion and as illustrated in the attached diagrams, it is thus evident that an easily attachable and removable lining and protective case for wrist-watches has been furnished which can be achieved and shaped with various external characteristics without thereby deviating from what is claimed herein.


    Claims

    1. A covering for wrist-watches characterised by the fact of comprising a hollow case (10) in elastomeric material enclosing the watch, said case (10) comprising a bottom wall (11) and peripheral wall (12) having a protruding annular edge portion (14) defining a large aperture (16) for the watch dial, and opposite openings (17, 18) on said peripheral wall (12) for the passage of the watch-band.
     
    2. A covering case as described in claim 1, characterised in that said edge portion (14) delimiting the opening (16) for the dial of the watch, includes time-of-day indicating means (21).
     
    3. A covering case as described in claim 1, characterised in that said time indicating means (21) include protrusions on the top surface (13) of the case.
     
    4. A covering case as described in claim 1, characterised in that the bottom wall (11) of said case (10) comprises a longitudinal slit (20) between said opposite openings (18, 19) on peripheral wall (12).
     




    Drawing