The present invention relates generally to a device for preventing theft or other loss of a wrist watch from a person wearing the watch.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Wrist watches vary greatly in value, from high-end watches that may carry a retail price of $100,000 or even more to low-end watches carrying a retail price in the order of a few dollars. Typically the watch strap includes a watch band comprising two parts where each part has at one end connection means for attachment to the casing of the watch, and with i) a clasp of the buckle type including a pin inserted into watch band holes, the clasp being connected to the other end of one of the parts allowing the two parts to be connected, or with ii) the other end of each of the two parts being attached to a clasp of the type that opens and folds out upon a manual prying force being applied to a portion thereof, to allow for the watch strap to be removed from the arm of the person wearing the watch. The latter clasps are typically of the butterfly type, or of the fold-over type, whereby opening the clasp expands the watch strap.

Thieves have specialised in stealing high-end wrist watches when they are being worn. Often this is done while distracting the wearer and using stealth, applying a prying force to open the clasp to undetected remove the watch strap with the expensive watch. It is a problem that modern watch straps are not sufficient secured against theft.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention aims at solving the aforementioned problem, and this by the combination defined in claim 1. Embodiments of the invention are defined in the dependent claims. In one embodiment a middle portion of the anti-theft device is composed of three segments wherein a central segment thereof is pivotally linked by respective pins to a respective neighbouring one of the re- maining two segments; the segments may all be made of metal, or some of the segments, such as the central segment and the segment connected to a body defining a first end portion of the device may be made of a soft and flex- ible material, such as an elastomeric material, allowing for the device to adapt to different sizes of the watch band. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the present invention will now be discussed by reference to the appended drawings wherein Figs. 1 a-1 c show the combination of a watch strap carrying a first embodiment of the security device of the invention, seen in closed and open configurations, in perspective views and in a side view,

Fig. 1d shows a perspective view of a clasp of the fold over type that may be part of the watch strap,

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the security device of figs. 1 a-1 c,

Figs. 3a and 3b is a side view and perspective view, respectively, of another embodiment of the security device of the invention,

Fig. 4 is a side view of a third embodiment of the security device of the inven- tion, Fig. 5 is a top view of the device shown in fig. 2 with a watch strap including a clasp of the buckle type where a pin is inserted into watch band holes, and Fig. 6 shows an embodiment with an alternative adjustment mechanism.

Figs. 1 a and 1 b show generally a watch strap S including a watch band corn- prising two elongated leather or stretchable material parts V, 1”, each part V, 1” having at one end 5, 6 connection means (not shown) for attachment to the casing of a watch (also not shown). Another end of each of the parts V, 1” is attached to a metal clasp 8 of the fold-out type, i.e. of the type that opens and folds out upon a manual prying force being applied to a portion 9 thereof, to allow for the watch strap S with the watch (now shown) to be removed from the arm of a person wearing the watch. Also shown is a security device 10 according to the present invention, mounted in its active configuration around the watch strap S at the clasp 8 and to be discussed further below.

In figs. 1 a and 1 b the watch strap S clasp 8 is illustrated in its closed position in which the watch strap S is tightened around the arm of the person wearing the watch; the shown clasp 8 is of the butterfly type but any other type of clasp 8, such as the fold out/fold over clasp 8’ shown in fig. 1d may be used with the present invention. Fig. 1 c is a side view of the watch strap S, illustrating the security device 10 extending in its active or closed configuration around the watch strap S at the position of the clasp 8.

It is noted that the watch band may alternatively, without departing from the present invention, be of the segmented metal type having two parts 1’, 1” that each comprise pivotally interconnected metal links, of which one link at a re- spective end of the two watch band parts V, Ί” is connected to the clasp 8’, as shown in fig. 1d.

Turning now to fig. 1 b shown is the anti-theft security device 10 of the present invention wherein a wearer of the watch strap S has first closed the clasp 8 and then inserted a slim middle portion of the device 10 in its inactive or open configuration into the narrow gap between his arm (not shown) and the lower face 7 of the clasp 8. The wearer of the watch strap S then brings the security device 10 into its active or closed configuration shown in figs. 1 a and 1 c and locks the security device 10 in its closed configuration, whereby any folding out of the clasp 8 and, hence, attempts to remove the watch from the arm of the wearer, is prevented in that any prying force applied on portion 9 is resisted by the security device 10 extending around the clasp 8.

Turning now to fig. 2 the embodiment of the security device 10 of figs. 1 a-1 c is shown in its inactive open configuration ready for deployment. The device 10 generally includes a metal middle portion 20 and respective end portions 30, 40. The first end portion 40 includes a metal body 41 and a screw with a screw head 42 having a threaded stem screwed into the body 41. Two opposite metal body 41 side walls 49 delimit a rearwardly open, i.e. opening out in a direction facing away from the screw head 42, recess positioned close to the base 47 of the body 41.

As may be understood from eg. fig. 1 a, bringing the device 10 into the closed configuration generally involves a back-folding or doubling of the middle por- tion 20.

A fork-like structure 32 with two opposite prongs 32’, 32” is formed in a metal structure defining the second end portion 30. For the shown embodiment the middle portion 20 is composed of three segments 21 , 24, 26 wherein a central segment 24 is pivotally linked by respective pins 25, 27 to a respective neigh- bouring one of the remaining two segments 21 , 26. Further, one segment 21 of the remaining two segments 21 , 26 connected to the central segment 24 is connected to the metal body 41 via a connector portion 2T using a pin 23 received in a pair of a plurality of opposite apertures 22 formed in the two op- posite metal body 41 side walls 49 delimiting the aforementioned rearwardly open recess. In fig. 2 the connecting pin 23 is received in two opposite aper- tures 22 closest to the screw head 42; release and subsequent reinsertion of the pin 23 into another pair of opposite apertures 22 allows for adjustment of the distance between the body 41 and the second end 30 by pulling out the connector portion 21’ (see fig. 3b) of segment 21 from within the aforemen- tioned recess. Shown in fig. 2 are also optional cushioning layers defining sur- faces of two of the segments 21 , 26 and made of any soft material, such as an elastomeric material, bearing against the clasp 8 in the closed configuration of the security device 10.

In use of the device 10, after having inserted the middle portion 20 in the nar- row gap between his/her arm and the lower face 7 of the closed clasp 8, 8’, the user closes the device 10 through back-folding, i.e. involving a turning of the segments 21 , 24, 26 relative to one another around the respective pivot axes defined by the pins 25, 27 and by positioning the two prongs 32’, 32” of the fork-like structure 32 on a respective side of the threaded stem of screw head 42. The security device 10 now assumes the configuration shown in figs. 1 a and 1 c at which time the user will tighten the screw by manually turning screw head 42 until it sits tightly against the face of the end portion 30 at the fork-like structure 32, to thereby lock the device 10 in the closed configuration. Referring now to figs. 3a and 3b shown is an alternative embodiment wherein the middle portion 20 of the security device is defined by a flexible material, such as leather or a synthetic material which may be elastically stretchable. Preferably, for this embodiment the middle portion 20 is again connected to the body 41 by a pin 23 received in two corresponding opposite apertures 22 formed in the body 41 , allowing for the aforementioned adjustment in the di- rection marked by arrows A by varying the degree to which the aforementioned connector portion, shown by numeral 2T, is received within the recess formed in the body 41. Closing of the device 10 is carried out in the manner explained above, namely by back-folding the middle portion 20, receiving the screw stem 44 between the prongs 32’, 32” of the fork-like structure 32 and turning screw head 42 until it sits tightly against the face of the fork-like structure 32; back- folding is by simply bending the flexible material middle portion 20.

Finally, fig. 4 shows yet another embodiment of the invention wherein the end portion 30 with the fork-like structure 32 includes two integrally connected legs 38, 39 extending at angle to one another, here shown as extending perpendic- ularly to one another, and being pivotally connected to middle portion 20 via pin 27, which middle portion 20 may be integrally or pivotally or otherwise con- nected to body 41.

While in the foregoing the locking of the security device 10 is described in re- lation to a mechanism where a female portion, i.e. the fork-like structure 32 receives a male portion in the form of the screw stem 44 after which the screw is tightened for locking the device 10, an alternative solution may be envisaged wherein the locking of the device 10 in the closed configuration is through a snap action in that two complementary and releasably snap-engageable struc- tures are configured at a respective end portion 30, 40 of the device 10 to provide a snap engaging lock, in lieu of the prong/stem combination discussed above.

It will be understood from the above that removal of the watch from the wearers arm is made more difficult in requiring - in addition to the prying force for the opening of the clasp 8, 8’ - a further release of the security device 10, bringing it to the open configuration shown in fig. 1 b. Moreover, displacement of the security device 10 along the length of the clasp 8, 8’ is prevented or restricted by the clamping force of the device 10 against the clasp 8, 8’ arising from the turning of the screw head towards the portion 30, or- where a snap lock mech- anism is used - by the snap engagement forces, possibly further enhanced by friction provided by the aforementioned cushioning layers. The embodiment of the device shown in figs. 3a and 3b may be accommodate for different thick- nesses as well as for different widths of the clasp 8 while the embodiment of fig. 2 may accommodate for slight width variations, the dimension of the seg- ment 24 determining to a large degree the thickness of the clasp 8 with which the device 10 may be used. Fig. 5 is a top view of the device 10 shown in fig. 2 used in connection with a watch strap S including a clasp 8” of the buckle type where a pin P is inserted into watch band holes H.

Fig. 6 shows an alternative mechanism for the above mentioned adjustment, where an aperture 100 formed in body 41 provides screwdriver access to a screw 200 connecting the body 41 to middle portion 20, wherein correct rota- tion of the screw 200 may approach the body 41 to the middle portion 20 for said adjustment.