CN107209476B

CN107209476B - Watch case

Info

Publication number: CN107209476B
Application number: CN201680005715.3A
Authority: CN
Inventors: F·维耶诺; M·伯西; J·维耶曼; T·朗贝; J-P·卡萨尔; C·赞纳托; D·吉拉尔丁; R·容凯; A·普吕东; L·博耶
Original assignee: Cartier International AG
Current assignee: Cartier International AG
Priority date: 2015-01-14
Filing date: 2016-01-13
Publication date: 2021-01-05
Anticipated expiration: 2036-01-13
Also published as: EP3245563B1; CH710626A1; WO2016113675A1; CN107209476A; EP3245563A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a watch case fitted with a control member that is mobile in a rotary and axial direction, comprising a head that is accessible from outside the case and is connected to a bar element mounted radially inside the case. The housing comprises means for indexing a control member fully positioned in the housing. The indexing means is active or inactive depending on the axial position of the control member.

Description

Watch case

Technical Field

The invention relates to a watch case fitted with a control member that is rotatable and axially movable, the control member comprising a head that is accessible from outside the case and is connected to a bar element mounted radially in the case. The control member may be, for example, a winding crown, a button or the like.

Background

Most of the time, the control member (in particular the winding crown) is circular or symmetrical with respect to the axis of the rod. However, in some cases, caused in particular by the shape and appearance of the watch case, the head of the winding crown is elongated and has, in plan view, a substantially rectangular shape interposed between the structural parts of the watch case when in position 0.

In these cases, it is important that when the winding crown is in position 0, its head is correctly indexed to occupy its inoperative position between the structural parts of the casing. This is important both as regards the appearance and the technology of the watch, in order to avoid the head of the winding crown being able to be caught or knocked when the user moves, it being necessary in fact to avoid the side parts of the head of the winding crown protruding from the shape of the watch case, which could damage the winding crown in case of impact or movement.

From CH 473412 a watch case is known, which comprises a winding member having a head of elongated shape in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the winding stem and limited by a side surface extending as an extension of a corresponding surface of the case in the inoperative position. The head is held in the inoperative position by indexing means formed by a thrust ball bearing housed in one end of said head cooperating with a recess made in the watch case. A disadvantage of this embodiment is that the indexing means are visible when the head of the winding member is in the set time position of pulling.

From CH571241 a device is also known for fixing the axial position of the winding rod when the rod is in a certain angular position. This device does not allow indexing of the angular position of the winding crown in its winding position 0.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention therefore relates to a watch case fitted with a control member comprising a head accessible from the outside of the case and integral with a rod connected to a winding stem mounted radially inside the case, eliminating the above-mentioned drawbacks and differentiated by the features mentioned in claim 1.

Drawings

The figures show schematically, by way of example, an embodiment of a watch case according to the invention.

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a watch comprising a case fitted with a winding crown.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the watch shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of the watch shown in fig. 2 at line DD, with the winding crown in position 0.

Fig. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the watch shown in fig. 2 at line DD, with the winding crown in position 2.

Fig. 5 is an exploded view of the parts forming the winding crown.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a watch comprising a case B fitted with a winding crown 1, the elongated head of which matches the shape of the watch case in position 0 or in the winding position. In this position 0, the head 1 is located between the two

structural parts

2, 3 of the watch case, but by these small arc-shaped sides it can be rotatably driven around its arbour 4 passing through the wall of the watch case perpendicularly to its base in order to be connected to a winding stem mounted in a movement 5 housed in the case B and extending radially with respect to the case.

Fig. 5 shows, by way of example, a particular embodiment of the winding crown. The arbour 4 of the winding crown is integral with a body 6 on which a stone 7 is arranged. The cover 8 covers the body 6 and allows the stone 7 to be seen. The cover 8 is fixed to the body 6 by screws 9. This winding crown can be made in another way, for which reason, in the following description,

parts

6, 7 and 8 will be considered to constitute the head of winding crown 1, which is oval in shape and integral with the arbour 4 of the crown.

The arbour 4 of the winding crown extends perpendicularly to the base of the head 1 of the crown and through the wall of the casing B. The end of this arbour comprises an internal thread allowing it to be coupled to a winding stem 10 mounted in movement 5 housed in casing B.

The arbour 4 of the winding crown comprises a first portion 4.1 having a diameter D and an end portion 4.2 having a smaller diameter D. The first portion 4.1 has two diametrically opposed longitudinal grooves 4.3 whose depth is preferably equal to the difference in radius between the first portion 4.1 and the end portion 4.2. These longitudinal grooves 4.3 extend from the end 4.2 of the arbour 4 over a distance at least equal to the axial travel of the winding crown between its position 0 and its position 1 and at most equal to the axial travel of the winding crown between its position 0 and its position 2. Position 0 of the winding crown is the position in which the user can wind the barrel of his watch, position 1 of the winding crown is the position in which the user can modify the display of the date of the month (or other details) of his watch, and position 2 of the winding crown is the position for setting the time.

As shown in fig. 3 and 4, these grooves 4.3 are placed in a plane also containing the longest axis of the head 1 when the winding crown is viewed in plan view. These grooves 4.3 are located in a plane parallel to the dial of the watch passing through winding stem 10 when the winding crown is in the winding and non-operating position 0 shown in fig. 1.

In this embodiment, these grooves 4.3 of the arbour 4 of the

winding crowns

1, 4 constitute the first part of the means for indexing the winding crown carried by the arbour of the crown.

The means for indexing the winding crown also comprise a second portion mounted in the watch case B and therefore not visible from the outside of the watch case, which comprises at least one indexing element cooperating with the arbour 4 of the winding crown. In the embodiment shown, the second part of the means for indexing the winding crown comprises two indexing elements mounted in the casing B, each of which is formed by an elastic stop (banking) element comprising a body 11 fixed in the casing B, which encloses a spring 12 acting on a plunger or ball 13, from which only part of the spring can emerge via an opening of smaller diameter than said plunger. These elastic limit elements are arranged in the casing so that the movement of the balls or plungers 13 takes place perpendicularly to the arbour 4 of the winding crown and against this arbour 4.

These elastic limit elements are positioned inside the casing so that when the crown is in winding position 0 (fig. 3) or in position 1 for setting the day of the month, the balls 13 of the elastic limit elements abut against a first portion 4.1 having a large diameter D and comprising the groove 4.3 of the arbour 4 of the winding crown. In contrast, when the winding crown is in position 2 of the set time (fig. 4), the balls 13 abut against the second portion 4.2 having the small diameter d of the arbour 4 of the winding crown.

In this way, when winding crown 1.4 is in position 2 for a set time, the user can open himself in order to modify the time display without any action disturbing this rotation, ball 13 of the elastic stop element being in contact with a second portion 4.2 of the arbour of the winding crown, which does not comprise groove 4.3.

In contrast, when the winding crown is in its winding position 0 or position 1 of the set date, the ball 13 of the elastic stop element abuts against the first portion 4.1 of the arbour 4 of the winding crown, so that during the rotation of the crown the user perceives the difference in torque at which said ball 13 falls in or leaves the groove 4.3. Since the elastic stop element is positioned so that when the winding crown is in the inoperative position, the balls 13 are housed in the grooves 4.3 in the arbour 4 of the winding crown and are aligned on the

formations

2, 3 of the case B (fig. 1 and 6), the user will easily place the winding crown in its precise inoperative position, since it is indexed by the elastic stop element.

Furthermore, the winding crown is kept in its inoperative position, at least when it is in winding position 0, so as not to move in an untimely manner under the effect of the impact (for example, the indexing means are active).

Depending on the length of the first portion 4.2 of the arbour 4 of the winding crown, the indexing means can only be active when the winding crown is in winding position 0 or also when the crown is in position 1 of the set date.

In any case, the indexing device is in the inactive position, when the crown is in position 2 for setting the time, the ball 13 rests on the second portion 4.2 of the arbour 4 of the winding crown, which allows a fine and precise adjustment of the time display.

With the indexing means of the winding crown active, and also when the crown is in position 1 for setting the date, the transmission ratio between the winding crown and the display of the date can be adjusted so that the transition from one day of the month to the next corresponds to the rotation of the winding crown from one indexing position to the next, thus facilitating the setting of the date.

Thus, when the winding crown is in winding position 0 and in the inoperative position aligned with the

formations

2, 3, the indexing means are active and hold the crown in its inoperative angular position. The user can wind up the watch by rotating the crown against the action of the indexing means, and can ensure that at the end of the winding process, the crown will be easily indexed again in the inoperative position correctly aligned with respect to the case, since the indexing means automatically fix this position.

When the winding crown is in position 1 for setting the day of the month, the indexing means can be active or inactive depending on whether the elastic limit element is active or inactive against the first portion 4.1 or the second portion 4.2 of the arbour of the winding crown for this position of the crown. If the indexing means are active, it can be ensured that the displacement of the member for displaying the day of the month from one day to the next corresponds to the rotation of the winding crown from one of its indexing positions to the next.

When the winding crown is in position 2 for setting the time, the indexing means are inactive, contributing to the precise setting of the time.

Of course, the indexing means of the first part on the arbour 4 comprising the winding crown and of the second part mounted in the watch case B can be different from those described above. For example, the first part of the indexing means can be constituted by a flat formed on the first part 4.1 of the arbour 4 of the winding crown and the element for indexing the second part of the indexing means can be made by a leaf spring fixed in the casing and supporting the first part 4.1 of the arbour 4 of the winding crown. Other embodiments of the indexing means of the winding crown can be envisaged by the person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention, which is constituted by the indexing means of the winding crown mounted inside the watch case so as to be invisible from the outside of the watch case.

In these variants, the first portion 4.1 of the arbour 4 of the winding rod may comprise only one groove 4.3. In this case, the second part of the indexing means comprises only a single resilient stop element. However, in a preferred manner, the second part of the indexing means comprises at least two indexing elements diametrically opposed to each other, so as to make the indexing means more reliable and provide a balanced and more agreeable feel to the user during indexing.

The invention also aims to make an indexing device for indexing a winding crown which is active or inactive depending on the axial position of the winding crown.

The presence of the indexing means is particularly useful for control members having non-cylindrical heads, for example, substantially rectangular or elongate heads.

Claims

1. A watch case fitted with a rotatable and axially movable winding crown comprising a head accessible from the outside of the case and a spindle (4) integral with the head and passing through a wall of the watch case so as to be connected to a winding stem extending radially with respect to the watch case, the watch case comprising indexing means for indexing the winding crown, said means allowing the winding crown to be indexed rotationally about its spindle (4) and to be active or inactive depending on the axial position of the winding crown,

it is characterized in that the preparation method is characterized in that,

said indexing means for indexing the winding crown are positioned entirely in the case and comprise a first portion carried by the arbour (4) of the winding crown and a second portion mounted in the case of the watch, said second portion of the indexing means comprising at least one indexing element cooperating with said first portion.

2. A watch case according to claim 1, characterised in that the indexing means is active when the winding crown is in winding position 0.

3. A watch case according to claim 2, characterised in that the indexing means are inactive when the winding crown is in position 2 of the set time.

4. A watch case according to claim 2 or 3, characterised in that the indexing means is active when the winding crown is in position 1 for setting the day of the month.

5. A watch case according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the second part of the indexing means comprises at least two indexing elements diametrically opposite each other.

6. A watch case according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that each indexing element of the second part of the indexing means is formed by at least one elastic stop element mounted in the case against the outer peripheral surface of the arbour of the winding crown.

7. Watch case according to claim 6, characterised in that the first part of the indexing means is constituted by at least one longitudinal groove (4.3) made in a first part (4.1) of the arbour (4) of the winding crown, the diameter of a second part (4.2) of said arbour (4) forming the end of said arbour being smaller than the diameter of its first part (4.1).

8. Watch case according to claim 7, characterised in that the at least one elastic stop element abuts against the first portion (4.1) of the arbour (4) at the bottom of the at least one groove (4.3) when the head (1) of the winding crown is in the winding position 0 aligned with the structural part (2, 3) of the case (B).

9. A watch case according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the indexing means comprise two resilient stop elements and two recesses (4.3).

10. Watch case according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the head (1) of the winding crown is non-cylindrical.

11. Watch case according to claim 10, characterised in that the head (1) of the winding crown is substantially rectangular.

12. Watch case according to claim 10, characterised in that the head (1) of the winding crown is elongated.