Device for detachably fixing a watchband to a watch case

A device for securing a watchband to a watch case, said device comprising:

• a pair of opposed watchband securing horns on a watch case, one of said horns pivotally connected to the watch case for pivotal motion towards and away from the opposed horn about a pivot axis extending transversely of the watch case, and including a first connector for a watchband securing rod;
• a watchband securing rod having a length and first and second ends, the first end secured to the one horn by the first connector for pivotal motion of the rod with the one horn in a direction transversely of the length of the rod towards and away from the watch case and the opposed horn;
• one end of said rod being moveable lengthwise of the rod for varying the rod length, said rod at its full length being longer than the distance between the opposed horns when the one horn is pivoted to its closest position relative to the other horn;
• an elastic element normally biasing the moveable end of the rod towards a full length position but yieldable elastically for permitting the length of the rod to decrease;
• the opposed horn including a bore hole for receiving the second end of the rod opposite the first end attached to the pivoted horn, said bore hole defining a rod end receiving entrance for receiving the second end of the rod when the rod is to be secured to the opposed horn, said entrance located a distance inwardly from an end of the horn facing away from the watch case and facing towards the pivoted horn;
• a rod camming surface located on the opposed horn between said rod end receiving entrance and the end of the horn facing away from the watch case and arranged to engage the second end of the rod at its full length as the rod is pivoted towards the rod end receiving entrance and to cause the rod to decrease in length against the bias of said elastic element by causing relative motion between said moveable end and the rod while the second end of the rod traverses the camming surface at least until the second end intersects the rod receiving entrance, whereupon the rod may expand to full length under the influence of the elastic element with the second end located in said bore hole.