CH706598A2 - Timepiece i.e. watch, has rotating bezel system including ring forming bezel provided with recess, and springs extending in recess and in groove of closed breadth, at same time to allow maintenance bezel system with breadth of timepiece - Google Patents

Abstract

The timepiece (1) has a closed breadth comprising a peripheral shoulder in which a groove is arranged. A rotating bezel system (20) includes a ring forming a bezel (41) provided with a recess (46) arranged on a face of the bezel. The recess is intended to contact with the groove relatively when the system is mounted up on the breadth. The system includes springs extending at same time in the recess and at the same time in the groove of the breadth so as to allow maintenance of the system with the breadth of the timepiece.

Description

In addition, these strips serve to cooperate with the notching of the underside of the bezel. The slats and notching are then configured so that the bezel can rotate in one direction. The slats oppose the rotation of the telescope if the user tries to rotate the telescope in the wrong direction. In general, the bezel and the spring means are made of steel which has the advantage of having a good life and being inexpensive.

This bezel is attached to the middle part of the watch case by driving. For this, the middle part having a peripheral shoulder in which said rotating bezel system is placed, the vertical wall of said shoulder having a peripheral groove 10. The bezel is an annular piece having, on its underside, a peripheral rim. This flange is provided with a continuous projection 12 extending along said flange towards the axial center of the telescope. When said rotating bezel system is mounted on the middle of the watch case by driving, the continuous projection is inserted into the peripheral groove of ('shoulder ensuring vertical holding of the bezel on the middle part.

[0003] A disadvantage of this system is that it requires a large force to mount said rotating bezel system. Indeed, when the bezel is force-fitted on said middle so that the continuous projection fits into the peripheral groove, significant stresses are applied to the bezel. These constraints can, if they are poorly applied, lead to deformations of the telescope and therefore a malfunction of the rotating bezel system.

Moreover, this mounting operation of the bezel force depression is final. Indeed, it is impossible subsequently to remove the rotating bezel system from the caseband. Attempts to remove said rotating bezel system result in destruction of said system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention aims to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art by proposing to provide a timepiece rotating bezel system whose assembly on the watch case is simpler, while imposing less constraint auditing system and makes it easier to disassemble.

For this purpose, the invention relates to a timepiece comprising a middle part closed by a bottom and an ice, said case having a peripheral shoulder in which is arranged a groove, said groove being disposed on a face of the shoulder parallel to the central axis of the middle part, said timepiece comprising a rotating bezel system rotatably mounted on said peripheral shoulder, characterized in that said rotating bezel system comprises a bezel ring provided with at least one first recess disposed on a face of the telescope intended to come opposite said groove when said rotating bezel system is mounted on the middle part, said rotating bezel system further comprising spring means extending both in said at least one a first recess of the telescope and at the same time in the groove of the middle part to ensure the maintenance of the system of lunette the size of the timepiece.

A first advantage of the present invention is to allow the rotating bezel system according to the invention to be easier to assemble. Indeed, the system according to the present invention is in the form of a pre-assembled system. It is then understood that the various elements constituting the rotating bezel system are assembled together and that it suffices, after that, to fix said system to the middle part of the watch case. Thus, the storage and transport of the rotating bezel systems are simpler because they are already mounted

A second advantage is that the present invention allows a mounting requiring fewer constraints. Indeed, as the spring means are the means for retaining the rotating bezel system to the middle of the watch case, the stress exerted during the assembly is partly absorbed. This stress is absorbed by the spring which will deform and facilitate assembly.

In a first advantageous embodiment, the spring means comprise a spring ring in the form of an open ring having at least one zone having a minimum radius and an area having a maximum radius so that the zone having a radius maximum cooperates with said at least one first recess and that the zone having a minimum radius cooperates with the groove of the peripheral shoulder.

In a second advantageous embodiment, the rotating bezel system further comprises a toothed element having a toothing arranged to cooperate with a corresponding toothing arranged on the spring means for indexing at the angular position of the bezel.

In a third advantageous embodiment, the bezel comprises a second recess in which the toothed element is arranged.

In a fourth advantageous embodiment, said spring ring is a flat ring whose teeth are arranged on the outer wall of said at least one zone having a minimum radius, the first and second recesses being then merged.

In a fifth advantageous embodiment, said spring ring comprises two ends, one of which has a raised portion, said raised portion comprising a vertically oriented curved portion and a flat portion parallel to said spring ring, said planar portion comprising, on its outer wall, the toothing cooperating with the toothed element.

In another advantageous embodiment, the bezel is made of at least two parts and comprises a bezel ring and a support ring both having a complementary profile so that the assembly of the bezel ring to the support ring makes it possible to form the first and second recesses combined.

In another advantageous embodiment, the bezel is made of at least two parts and comprises a bezel ring and a support ring both having a complementary profile so that the assembly of the bezel ring to the support ring makes it possible to form the second recess, said support ring comprising the first recess.

In another advantageous embodiment, said spring ring comprises three zones having a minimum radius angularly distributed.

In another advantageous embodiment, the zones having a minimum radius of said spring ring are angularly distributed.

In another advantageous embodiment, said toothing is arranged on each zone having a maximum radius.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The objects, advantages and characteristics of the bezel system according to the present invention will appear more clearly in the following detailed description of at least one embodiment of the invention given solely by way of non-limiting example and illustrated by the attached drawings in which: <tb> Fig. 1 <sep> schematically represents a spectacle system according to the prior art; <tb> Fig. 2 <sep> represents a section of a timepiece equipped with a spectacle system; <tb> Fig. 3 <sep> schematically represents the spectacle system according to the invention; <tb> Fig. 4 <sep> schematically represents a first embodiment of the spectacle system according to the invention; <tb> Figs. 5 and 6 <sep> schematically represent the spring of the first embodiment of the spectacle system according to the invention; <tb> Fig. 7 <sep> schematically represents a variant of the first embodiment of the spectacle system according to the invention; and <tb> Fig. 8 <sep> schematically represents a second embodiment of the spectacle system according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention proceeds from the general inventive idea that is to provide a rotating bezel system is easier to assemble.

A timepiece 1 visible in FIG. 2 comprises a middle 30 closed by a bottom 31 and an ice 32. This middle part 30 comprises a peripheral shoulder 34 defined by a side wall 36 and a base 38. This shoulder 34 defines a location in which the rotating bezel system 20 is placed.

The rotating bezel system 20, visible in FIG. 3, includes a telescope 40 which is the visible portion and manipulated by the user. The rotating bezel system 20 also comprises a toothed element 60 arranged at the bezel 40 and spring means 80 cooperating with the toothed element 60 to allow rotation of the rotating bezel system 20 relative to the middle part 30 of the part watchmaking 1.

Advantageously according to the invention, the spring means 80 are also used to maintain the rotating bezel system 20 at the middle 30 of the watch case 1.

In a first embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the spring means 80 are in the form of a multi-level spring, in three dimensions.

The rotating bezel system 20 of this embodiment comprises a bezel 41. This bezel 41 is for example in the form of a ring comprising an upper face 41a and a lower face 41b. From this lower face 41b, a peripheral rim 42 extends perpendicular to the plane of the telescope 41. This peripheral rim 42 comprises an inner side wall 42a and an outer side wall 42b. The inner side wall 42a includes a second recess 44 having a parallelepipedal profile such as a square or rectangular profile. This second recess 44 traverses the entire length of said rim 42 so as to be circular. In this second recess 44 is arranged the toothed element 60. This toothed element 60 may be in the form of a toothing 61 made directly in said first recess of the rim or, as in the example shown, in the form of a toothed ring 62 carrying, on its inner face, a toothing 63. This toothed ring 62 is placed in said second recess 44. Means for angularly securing said toothed ring 62 to the bezel 41 are provided, such as for example solder or glue. Nevertheless, it can be provided that the toothing 63 forming the toothed element 60 can be made directly on the inner side wall 42a of the peripheral flange 42, the latter not including a second recess 44.

The spring means 80, visible in FIGS. 5 and 6, are in the form of a spring ring 82. This spring ring has an upper face and a lower face, said upper face being the visible face from a top view when said spring ring is placed on any plane. The latter comprises an open ring 800 comprising at least one zone having a radius of curvature smaller than the radius of curvature of said non-closed ring. It is then understood that said spring ring comprises at least one zone 802 having a maximum radius and at least one zone 804 having a minimum radius. In the case shown in FIG. 5, the spring ring comprises three zones 802 having a maximum radius regularly spaced angularly. Said open ring 800 also has, at one of its ends 806, an elevation 808. This means that said end has an axial or vertical curvature so that this end is raised and parallel to the plane of the spring ring 800. raised portion then comprises a curved portion 808a oriented axially and a flat portion 808b parallel to said spring ring 82. Preferably, this curvature extends from the upper face of the spring ring 82. This raised portion 808 comprises, on its outer face, a toothing 810. This toothing 810 is complementary to the toothing of the toothed element 60 that is to say the toothing 63 of the toothed ring 62 or the toothing 61. Indeed, when the spring ring 82 is mounted in the rotating bezel system 20, the elevation of the spring ring 82 is calculated such that the latter is opposite the toothed ring 62.

To mount the spring ring 82 in the bezel 41, the latter comprises a spring recess 46 having a square or rectangular profile also traversing the entire length of said flange 42. This first recess 46 is located below the second recess 44 so that a separating wall 48 separates the second recess 44 from the first recess 46. The separating wall 48 is preferably shortened so that the second recess 44 and the first recess 46 communicate with each other. another so as to form a housing 45 for the spring ring 82. Therefore, when mounting the spring ring 82, the toothing 810 of the outer face of the raised portion 808 comes into contact with the toothing of the face internal ring of the toothed ring 62, the spring ring 82 is embedded in said bezel 41. The at least one zone 804 having a minimum radius are inserted into the first recess 46. Consequently, when e the toothed ring 62 and the spring ring 82 are mounted in the bezel 41, only the at least one area 802 having a maximum radius protrude.

The cooperation between the toothing 63 of the toothed ring 62 and the toothing 810 of the raised portion 808 of the spring ring 82 determines the direction of rotation of the rotating bezel system 20. For this, the toothing 810 the outer face of the raised portion 808 and the toothing of the inner face of the toothed ring 62 are configured so that each tooth comprises an inclined face and a right face or merged with the radius of the toothed ring 62 or the When the spring ring 82 is mounted in the rotating bezel system 20, the inclined face of each tooth of the toothing 810 of the spring ring 82 is in contact with the inclined face of each tooth of the toothing. 63 of the toothed ring 62. The rotation of the system is unidirectional that is to say that the rotation can be done in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction but it is possible that the rotation is bidirectional. Indeed, if the rotating bezel system 20 is rotated in the right direction, the inclined faces of the toothing of the spring ring 82 and the toothing of the toothed ring 62 slide over each other to engage. By cons, if the rotating bezel system 20 is rotated in the wrong direction, the straight faces of the toothed ring 62 bear on the straight faces of the spring ring 82 operating a blocking.

The side wall 36 of the shoulder 34 of the middle part 30 includes a groove 37 extending along the side wall 36 so as to go around the shoulder 34. This groove 37 is used to fix said 20. In fact, during the assembly of the rotating bezel system 20 on the middle part 30 of the watch, the driving of said rotating bezel system 20 causes the application of a tension stress on the spring ring 82 This constraint causes the spring ring 82 to tighten and increase in diameter, the latter having a tendency to enter entirely into the first recess 46 thus facilitating the driving.

When the spring ring 82 is facing the groove 37 located on the middle part 30, the stress exerted on said spring ring 82 decreases. The latter relaxes to resume its original position. The zones of the spring ring having a maximum radius 802, while relaxing, fits into the groove 37 of the middle part 30 to allow vertical retention.

We then obtain a rotating bezel system 20 in which the zones of the spring ring 82 having a maximum radius 802 are inserted into the groove 37 of the middle part 30 and which areas having a minimum radius 804 are inserted into the first recess 46

Furthermore, the spring ring 82 has on its inner face 803, at least one projection 812. This projection 812 is formed to cooperate with a hole 39 located on the middle part 30 as shown in FIG. 5. This hole 39 is placed so that the projection 812 fits into it when the rotating bezel system 20 is mounted on the middle part 30. This cooperation induces an angular locking of the spring ring 82 relative to the middle part 30.

This produces a spring ring 82 angularly secured to the middle part 30 and a bezel 41 which comprises the toothed element 60 which can rotate around the middle part 30 in at least one predetermined direction. Indeed, when the user decides to turn the rotating bezel system 20, it has two possibilities: either it turns the rotating bezel system 20 in the direction in which it is expected that it rotates, or in the opposite direction. According to the direction in which the user rotates, the teeth of the spring ring 82 and the teeth of the toothed ring 62 slide over one another to engage or press against one another to block the rotation.

An advantage of the rotating bezel system 20 according to the invention is that its mounting on the middle part 30 is facilitated because the stress to be exerted is lower. Indeed, in known systems, the vertical holding is achieved by driving a rigid element which requires to exert a large force to drive the rotating bezel system 20. This also causes the operation of separating the system rotating bezel 20 of the middle part 30 is very complicated because the risk of breaking said system is important. With the rotating bezel system 20 according to the invention using an elastic element to ensure vertical retention, it is the spring ring 82 which is used for the vertical holding and which is deformed during the driving operation. The constraint to be applied to assemble the rotating bezel system 20 according to the invention to the middle part 30 is therefore less important. The consequence is that the detaching operation of the rotating bezel system 20 of the middle part 30 is less complicated. Another consequence is a decrease in the risk of breaking said rotating bezel system 20.

In a variant of the second embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the bezel 41 is composed of several parts. This bezel 41 comprises a bezel ring 410 and a support member 412 assembling together. The bezel ring 410 consists of a ring comprising an upper face 410a and a lower face 410b. The support member 412 is in the form of a support ring 413 having an upper face and a lower face. The upper face comprises a peripheral upper rim 414 having a stair profile. It is thus understood that said flange has several levels or bearing surface. At a minimum, the peripheral upper flange 414 will comprise at least one intermediate level, the support member 412 thus comprises three bearing surfaces at three different heights. The lower face comprises a peripheral lower flange 416 extending perpendicularly to the plane of the support member 412. The latter comprises a first recess 418 traversing the inner surface of the second flange 416 so as to form a circular recess. The bezel ring 410 also has a profile in the form of a staircase but complementary. This profile in the form of a complementary staircase is made to cooperate with the staircase profile of the support element 412. Thus, during assembly of the window, the toothed ring 62 is placed on one of the bearing surfaces of the support ring 412, preferably the lower surface. Then, the bezel ring 410 is assembled to the support ring 413 by driving or screwing or other means of attachment. The staircase profiles of the bezel ring 410 and the support ring 413 cooperate together. Preferably, the stepped profiles are arranged to form the second recess 44 in which the toothed ring 62 is placed. The toothed ring 62 is caught between the bezel ring 410 and the support ring 413. The spring ring 82 is fixed to the bezel 41 so that the zones having a maximum radius 802 fit into the first recess 418 of the The consequence is that, in this case, the raised portion 808 of the spring ring 82, and more particularly the toothing 810 of this raised portion, cooperates with the toothing of the toothed ring 62.

In a second embodiment shown in FIG. 8, the spring ring 82 does not include elevation. Said spring ring 82 is an open or non-closed ring 820 comprising at least one zone having a maximum radius 822 and at least one zone having a minimum radius 821. In the case shown in FIG. 8, the spring ring comprises three zones having a maximum radius 822, angularly spaced regularly. This second embodiment is distinguished in that the toothing 823 cooperating with the toothing of the toothed element 62 is placed on the said at least one zone having a maximum radius 822. This arrangement makes it possible to simplify the bezel since only one recess must be provided. be arranged on the inner wall of the telescope or the support element as shown in FIG. 3.

It will be understood that various modifications and / or improvements and / or combinations obvious to those skilled in the art can be made to the various embodiments of the invention described above without departing from the scope of the invention defined by the appended claims.

Claims (11)

1. Timepiece comprising a middle part (30) closed by a bottom and an ice, said middle part (30) having a peripheral shoulder (34) in which is arranged a groove (37), said groove being disposed on a face of the shoulder parallel to the central axis of the middle part (C), said timepiece comprising a rotating bezel system (20) rotatably mounted on said peripheral shoulder, characterized in that said rotating bezel system comprises a ring bezel (40, 41) provided with at least a first recess (46, 418) disposed on a face of the bezel intended to come opposite said groove when said rotating bezel system (20) is mounted on the middle part, said rotating bezel system (20) further comprising spring means (80) extending both in said at least one first recess (46) of the bezel and both in the groove (37) of the middle part ensure the maintenance of rotating bezel system (20) at the middle (30) of the timepiece. Timepiece according to claim 1, characterized in that the spring means (80) comprise a spring ring (82) in the form of an open ring (800) having at least one zone having a minimum radius (804 ) and a zone having a maximum radius (802) so that the zone having a maximum radius (802) cooperates with said at least one first recess (46) and the zone having a minimum radius (804) co-operates with the groove ( 37) of the peripheral shoulder (34). Timepiece according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the rotating bezel system (20) further comprises a toothed element (60) having a toothing (61, 63) arranged to cooperate with a corresponding toothing ( 810, 823) arranged on the spring means (80) for indexing at the angular position of the telescope. 4. Timepiece according to claim 3, characterized in that the bezel comprises a second recess (44) in which the toothed element (60) is arranged. 5. Timepiece according to claim 2, characterized in that said spring ring (82) is a ring (800) flat whose teeth (823) is arranged on the outer wall (801) of said at least one zone having a minimum radius (804), the first and second recesses being then merged. 6. Timepiece according to claim 2, characterized in that said spring ring (82) comprises two ends (806), one of which has a raised portion (808), said raised portion (808) comprising a curved portion ( 808a) oriented vertically and a flat portion (808b) parallel to said spring ring (82), said planar portion comprising on its outer wall, the toothing (810) cooperating with the toothed element (60). 7. Timepiece according to claim 5, characterized in that the bezel (41) is made of at least two parts and comprises a bezel ring (410) and a support ring (412) both having a profile complementary so that the assembly of the bezel ring to the support ring allows to form the first and second recesses together (44). 8. Timepiece according to claim 6, characterized in that the bezel (41) is made of at least two parts and comprises a bezel ring (410) and a support ring (412) both having a profile complementary so that the assembly of the bezel ring to the support ring forms the second recess (44), said support ring comprising the first recess (418). 9. Timepiece according to one of claims 2 to 8, characterized in that said spring ring (82) comprises three zones having a minimum radius (804) angularly distributed. 10. Timepiece according to claim 9, characterized in that the zones having a minimum radius (804) of said spring ring (82) are angularly distributed. 11. Timepiece according to claim 5, characterized in that said toothing is arranged on each zone having a maximum radius.