CH718545B1 - Watch case fitted with a protective device for an operating member. - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a watch case (1) comprising: – a middle part (3) defining a reference plane; – an operating member (17) extending projecting from a side wall (3a) of said middle part (3); – a protective device (19) for said operating member (17) comprising a lever (21) pivotally mounted on said middle part (3) around an axis of rotation (B) extending substantially in said plane or parallel to that -here, said lever (21) being adapted to occupy a first angular position in which it protects said operating member (17) and a second angular position in which said operating member (17) is free to be actuated by a user . According to the invention: – said operating member (17) comprises a circumferential flange (43) extending radially relative to the axis (A) of said operating member (17); and – said lever (21) comprises a first blocking portion (41) adapted so as to be interposed between said flange (43) and said middle part (3), as well as a second blocking portion (45) adapted to cover at least part of the end face of said operating member (17), when said lever (21) is in its first angular position.

Description

Technical area

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of watchmaking. It concerns, more particularly, a watch case provided with a protective device for an operating member, which serves to protect the latter from untimely actuation and/or shock.

State of the art

[0002] Various systems are known in the prior art for protecting an operating member of a timepiece, in order to avoid untimely actuation and/or to protect it from an impact. They find particular application in diving watches, sports watches, etc., activities in which a risk of unwanted pressure of a push button or unwanted rotation of a crown can disrupt timing. In general, this type of watch includes a protective device which covers at least part of the operating member when the protective device is in a first state, and, following an action on the part of the user to bring it into a second state, to allow actuation of the operating member.

[0003] Document CH701884 describes a watch case fitted with a crown-protecting lever. The middle part of the box has two protuberances extending on either side of the crown in the plane of said middle part, the lever being pivotally mounted on one of these protuberances at a first of its ends. In its protective position, the second end of the lever is locked to the other protuberance, which prevents the crown from being pulled outwards. By unlocking said end of the lever, the latter can be pivoted into a second position, in order to provide access to the crown to allow its operation by the user. In view of the presence of the protuberances, this arrangement is relatively bulky, and it is necessary to provide a pusher at said second end to actuate a locking device and thus release the lever.

[0004] Document EP1564607 reveals a watch case fitted with a crown protector which is movable in the plane of the middle, which is complex to implement, particularly in terms of sealing, and the slide, provided in the middle, is very likely to retain dirt.

[0005] The aim of the invention is therefore to propose a watch case in which the aforementioned defects are at least partially overcome.

Disclosure of the invention

[0006] More precisely, the invention relates to a watch case as defined by claim 1. This watch case comprises: - a middle part adapted to house a watch movement and defining a reference plane, which corresponds to the main plane of said build; - an operating member, such as a push button or a crown, extending projecting from a side wall of said middle part and adapted to cooperate with said watch movement, in particular in order to adjust and/or control at least one of its functions; - a protective device for said operating member comprising a lever pivotally mounted on said middle part around an axis of rotation extending substantially in said plane or parallel, said lever being adapted to occupy a first angular position in which it protects said member operating mechanism and a second angular position in which said operating member is free to be actuated by a user.

[0007] According to the invention, said operating member comprises a circumferential flange extending radially relative to the axis of said operating member, for example at its end, said lever comprising a first blocking portion adapted so as to be interposed between said flange and said middle part, as well as a second blocking portion adapted to cover at least part of the end face of said operating member, and this when said lever is in its first angular position.

[0008] By these means, the operating member is well protected by an arrangement which can be constructed in a compact manner, without the introduction of additional passages extending to the inside of the middle, which would be susceptible to entry of moisture or dirt.

[0009] Advantageously, said protective device is adapted to confer at least one, preferably two, stable and indexed angular positions to said lever, one of which is said first angular position. This or these stable angular positions can be obtained by means of an ad hoc trigger arrangement, for example. No lever locking device is therefore necessary.

[0010] Advantageously, said first blocking portion is a shoulder that said lever comprises.

[0011] Advantageously, said second blocking portion is a bar that said lever comprises.

[0012] Advantageously, said lever is mounted on a mounting element which is located in a housing made in the side wall of said middle part, which avoids the presence of an additional passage leading to the inside of the middle part, as mentioned above.

Advantageously, said mounting element is screwed to said middle part.

Advantageously, said axis of rotation is defined by a screw extending through said mounting element and screwed to said lever, which is a very simple solution. Furthermore, a tube acting as a spacer can be provided, this tube surrounding said screw.

Brief description of the drawings

Other details of the invention will appear more clearly on reading the description which follows, made with reference to the appended drawings in which: – Figure 1 is a side view of a watch case according to the invention, the protective device being in its first angular (protective) position; – Figure 2 is a partial sectional view of the watch case of Figure 1, the section being in the plane of the watch case and passing through the central axis of the operating member; – Figure 3 is a partial sectional view of the watch case of Figure 1, the section being perpendicular to the plane of the watch case and passing through the central axis of the operating member; – Figure 4 is an exploded isometric view of the protective device; and – Figure 5 is an isometric view of the protective device in assembled state.

Modes of carrying out the invention

[0016] Figures 1 to 3 illustrate a watch case 1 according to the invention. This watch case 1 comprises, as generally known, a middle part 3 closed on a first face by a glass 5 and on a second face by a back 7. The middle part 3 defines a cavity in its interior adapted to house a movement 9, and also includes attachment means 11 for a bracelet, as generally known. In the illustrated embodiment, the watch case 1 also includes a rotating bezel 13, but this characteristic is understood to be optional.

[0017] The watch case also includes an operating member 17, arranged to be actuated by a user according to an axial pushing movement and/or a rotation around its main axis A. In the illustrated embodiment, the member operating mechanism 17 is a push button, but it can also be a crown movable axially (or not), or a combined push crown. In any case, this operating member 17 is arranged to be in kinematic connection with the movement 9, in order to adjust or control a function by mechanical interaction or via an electrical switch with which the movement 9 is equipped.

[0018] In order to avoid untimely actuation of the operating member 17, the watch case 1 also includes a protective device 19. The latter includes a lever 21 pivotally mounted on the middle part 3 around an axis of rotation B which is in the plane, or parallel to it, of the latter and which follows a radius of the latter, but this is not necessarily obligatory.

[0019] In the illustrated embodiment, the axis of rotation B is defined by a screw 23 around which is located a tube 25 which acts as a spacer. The screw 23 and the tube 25 pass through a mounting element 27, the threaded end 29 of the screw 23 being screwed into a tapped hole 31 in said lever 21. In order to avoid unscrewing of the screw 23 during the pivoting of the lever 21, a pin 34 is arranged to cooperate with the tube 25 in order to make the latter integral in rotation with the lever 21. To this end, the pin 34 is located in an opening formed on the one hand of a notch 21a located in a wall of an opening 21b in which the end of the tube 25 takes place, on the other hand by a complementary notch 25a provided in the exterior wall of the tube 25, this notch 25a being facing the notch 21a provided in the lever 21. In doing so, when the lever 21 pivots, the tube 25 and the screw 23 also pivot, and any possibility of generating a relative rotation between the screw 23 and another element with which it is in contact is eliminated.

The assembly thus formed can be fixed to the middle part by means of additional screws 33, which pass through fixing lugs 35 which comprise the mounting element, and which are accessible from the outside. In order to make the assembly compact, a housing 37 is made in the exterior side wall 3a of the middle part 3 to receive the mounting element 27 flush or slightly recessed relative to the side surface of the middle part 3. In doing so, the entirety of the protective device 19 is located outside the middle part 3, which avoids the presence of a passage leading to the interior of the latter, and therefore does not introduce any additional path allowing penetration of humidity or dirt inside the watch case 1.

The free end of the lever 21 defines a housing 39 shaped to receive at least part of the operating member 17, in order to protect it from untimely actuation, an impact or the like.

[0022] Said lever 21 comprises a first blocking portion 41, shaped to be interposed with clearance between the middle part 3 and a flange 43 extending radially projecting from said operating member 17, when said lever 21 is in a first position angular, called “protective”. In the illustrated embodiment, this flange 43 is formed of a cap crimped, glued, welded or similar on the main body of the operating member 17, but can be made integral with the latter. The first blocking portion 41 thus forms a shoulder, the shoulder serving to block incorrect movement of the operating member 17 towards the middle part 3 when said lever 21 is in its first angular position.

[0023] A second blocking portion 45, which the lever 21 comprises, covers at least part of the operating member 17 when said lever 21 is in its first angular position, which protects the operating member 17 from shocks. , and which also prevents the latter from being pulled outwards unintentionally in the case where it takes the form of a crown at several axial positions. This second blocking portion 45 may include an additional gripping function to manipulate the lever 21. In the illustrated embodiment, said second blocking portion 45 is defined by a bar, which helps define the housing 39.

The housing 39 being open on the bottom side, a pivoting of the lever 21 to raise its free end so as to place the lever 21 in a second angular position allows access to the control member 17 such that the user can operate it.

[0025] In order to give the lever 21 at least one stable and indexed angular position, which corresponds in particular to said first angular position, an ad hoc trigger arrangement 47 can be provided between said lever 21 and the mounting element 27. This trigger arrangement 47 can also define a second stable and indexed angular position of the lever 21, which corresponds to said second angular position mentioned above. A recess 47a is made in the detent arrangement 47, in particular in the interior face of a ring 47b forming part of said detent arrangement 47, this recess being arranged to cooperate with a pin 36 secured to the mounting element 27 for serve as a stop for the two stable angular positions.

[0026] Finally, the free end of the lever 21 can also include a pin, stud or the like 49, extending slightly projecting from the face of the lever 21 which is located opposite the middle part 3, and which is adapted for protect the middle part from a possible collision with the lever 21. The pin, stud or similar 49 is preferably made of rubber, synthetic or similar material to avoid any even superficial damage to the middle part.

[0027] Although the invention has been previously described in connection with specific embodiments, other additional variants are also possible without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the claims.

Claims (10)

1. Watch box (1) including: – a middle part (3) adapted to house a watch movement (9) and defining a reference plane; – an operating member (17) extending projecting from a side wall (3a) of said middle part (3) and adapted to cooperate with said watch movement (9); – a protective device (19) for said operating member (17) comprising a lever (21) pivotally mounted on said middle part (3) around an axis of rotation (B) extending substantially in said plane or parallel to that -here, said lever (21) being adapted to occupy a first angular position in which it protects said operating member (17) and a second angular position in which said operating member (17) is free to be actuated by a user ; characterized in that: – said operating member (17) comprises a circumferential flange (43) extending radially relative to the axis (A) of said operating member (17); and in that – said lever (21) comprises a first blocking portion (41) adapted so as to be interposed between said flange (43) and said middle part (3), as well as a second blocking portion (45) adapted to cover the less a part of the end face of said operating member (17), and this when said lever (21) is in its first angular position. 2. Watch case (1) according to the preceding claim, in which said protective device (19) is adapted to confer at least one, preferably two, stable and indexed angular positions to said lever (21), one of which is said first angular position. 3. Watch case (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said first blocking portion (41) is a shoulder. 4. Watch case (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said second locking portion (45) is a bar. 5. Watch case (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said operating member (17) is a push button. 6. Watch case (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said lever (21) is mounted on a mounting element (27) which is located in a housing (37) made in said side wall (3a) of said middle part (3). 7. Watch case (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein said mounting element (27) is screwed to said middle part (3). 8. Watch case (1) according to one of claims 6 to 7, in which said axis of rotation (B) is defined by a screw (23) extending through said mounting element (27) and screwed to said lever (21). 9. Watch case (1) according to the preceding claim, in which a tube (25) acting as a spacer surrounds said screw (23). 10. Timepiece comprising a watch case (1) according to one of the preceding claims.