1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a watch band attachment mechanism for attaching a watch band to a case of a wrist watch.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional wrist watches are usually provided with a pair of band attachment portions formed on an outer peripheral surface of the watch case at positions of, for example, 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock of a dial. Each of the band attachment portions includes a pair of supporting projections projecting from the outer peripheral surface of the watch case and a spring rod both ends of which are supported by the supporting projections.
If the watch band consists of a pair of band pieces, base end portions of the band pieces are attached to the band attachment portions by passing the spring rods of the band attachment portions through connecting holes of the base end portions of the band pieces. If the watch band consists of one band piece at both ends of which connecting holes are formed, the both ends of one band piece are attached to the band attachment portions by passing the spring rods of the band attachment portions through the connecting holes of the both ends of one band piece. There is a case that a watch band consisting of one band piece the both ends of which have no connecting hole is attached to the pair of band attachment portions. When such a one band piece is attached to the pair of band attachment portions of the conventional wrist watch, the one band piece is inserted into a gap between the spring rod of one of the band attachment portions and the outer peripheral surface of the watch case from a front side to a back side of the wrist watch with one end portion of the band piece being positioned at a leading side. Then, the one band piece is pulled along a back surface of the watch case until the one end portion of the one band piece reaches the other band attachment portion, and the one band piece is inserted into a gap between the spring rod of the other band attachment portion and the outer peripheral surface of the watch case from the back side to the front side of the watch case. Thus, the one band piece attached as described above to the pair of band attachment portions of the watch case extends a middle portion thereof along the back surface of the watch case and projects the both end portions thereof to the front side from the back side of the watch case through the band attachment portions.
Therefore, when the watch band consisting of one band piece having no connecting holes at its both ends is attached to the pair of band attachment portions of the above described conventional wrist watch, the one end portion of the one band piece must be inserted firstly into one of the band attachment portions from the front side to the back side of the watch case, and, then, it must be inserted into the other band attachment portion from the back side to the front side of the watch case. Therefore, the band attachment operation is troublesome. Likewise, a band detachment operation is also troublesome.
Additionally, when the watch band consisting of one band piece having no connecting holes at the both ends thereof is attached to the pair of band attachment portions of the above described conventional wrist watch and the both end portions of the one band piece are wrapped around a wrist of a user using the wrist watch and are fastened together, the both end portions of the one band piece can not fit on the user's wrist at positions near around the pair of the band attachment portions and the fitness of the both end portions of the one band piece to the user's wrist is not so good because the both end portions of the one band piece are projected from the back side of the watch case to the front side through the pair of band attachment portions.
Finally, by the above described conventional watch band attachment mechanism, the spring rods of the paired band attachment portions of the wrist watch are subjected to a load directed from the front side toward the back side of the watch case when the both end portions of the one band piece is wrapped around the user's wrist and are fastened together. In this condition, one or both of the spring rods is or are rarely released from the corresponding supporting projections and consequently the watch case is disengaged from the watch band and falls down on a floor or a road.