EP0106803A1 - Watch case with rotating ring - Google Patents

Abstract

The case with a rotating ring 3 comprises, in particular, an opening 1 in which a glass 2 is secured. The rotating ring 3 has a non-circular form which it retains during rotation. To this end, this ring is produced from an elastic deformable material and it is fitted around a non-circular-shaped bearing surface of the watch case. <IMAGE>

Description

The present invention relates to a watch case which comprises a middle part having an opening, a crystal secured in this opening, a scope formed in the box at the periphery of the crystal, and a bezel mounted to rotate on the scope. It relates more precisely to such a watch case, in which the bezel has, in an original manner, a non-circular shape.

At present, the presence of a rotating bezel on watch boxes, in particular for so-called diving watches, very seriously limits the possibilities of creating watches of original aesthetics, by the very fact that the function of the rotating bezel imposes, or seemed to impose so far, a circular shape on the latter, and therefore on the glass and on the opening of the box provided for its installation. As a result, most of the diving watches currently available on the market have a very similar appearance.

This is why the object of the present invention is to provide means which make it possible to produce watch boxes with a rotating bezel of non-circular shape, for example polygonal, such as a square. To this end, the invention proposes to produce the telescope in an elastic deformable material, and to adapt it around the scope, of non-circular shape, so as to enclose it permanently despite the rotation of the ring.

Of course, by polygonal shape is meant here a shape whose periphery has a plurality of straight or slightly concave portions, these portions not being connected by zones forming a sharp angle, but rather by arcuate portions, having a low radius of curvature.

• - la figure 1 est une vue en plan d'une montre équipée d'une boite de montre selon l'invention;
• - la figure 2 et la figure 3 sont des vues en coupe partielle de deux modes de réalisation de l'invention; et
• - la figure 4 est une vue en plan d'une lunette tournante selon l'invention, avant qu'elle soit montée sur la boite de montre.

The invention will be clearly understood on reading the following description, made with reference to the figures, among which:

• - Figure 1 is a plan view of a watch equipped with a watch case according to the invention;
• - Figure 2 and Figure 3 are partial sectional views of two embodiments of the invention; and
• - Figure 4 is a plan view of a rotating bezel according to the invention, before it is mounted on the watch case.

As can best be seen in FIG. 1, the watch case according to the invention comprises a middle part 10 having an opening 1, in which a crystal 2 is secured, and a bezel 3 carrying markers 4 rotatably mounted on the periphery of the glass 2. Surprisingly, the bezel 3 has a non-circular shape, here square, and it matches the shape of the opening 1 of the watch case. So that the bezel 3 can rotate, it is made of an elastic deformable material, and it is adapted, as will be seen below, around a polygonal shaped scope of the watch case. A large number of materials have sufficient flexibility, elasticity, and resistance to allow their use in the manufacture of telescope 3. For example, this telescope 3 can be made of thermoplastic PUR (polyurethane), polyester elastomer, PA (polyacrylester) elastomer, or even flexible PVC (polyvinyl chloride). Preferably, the bezel 3 is produced in the round form (FIG. 4), then the pins 4 are formed on its periphery, before it is placed on the watch case. The bezel 3 is dimensioned so as to be slightly under tension when it is mounted on the scope, so that it encloses it. This tension must be low enough not to prevent the drive of the rotating ring.

In FIG. 2, a watch case is shown diagrammatically, the middle 10 surrounding the crystal 2 is for example made of metal, or a plastic material of the ABS (acryl butadiene styrene), ASA ( acryl styrene acrylester) or SAN (styrene acryl nitrile). In order to ensure the axial retention of the bezel, which is engaged over a bearing 6 of polygonal shape of the watch case, the walls opposite the bearing 6 and the bezel 3 comprise, the first a projection 7 and the second, a groove 8, of complementary shapes.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, represented in FIG. 3, in which the watch case is made in one of the aforementioned plastic materials, and the crystal 2 in a transparent acrylic resin (PMMA) commonly designated under the brand designated "plexiglass". In this case, the glass 2 has a heel 9, the lower part of which is secured by high frequency welding in the middle part 10. The upper part of the heel 9 forms the lateral edge of the glass, and has a peripheral projection 12 in which comes engage a groove 11 of the rotating bezel 3, so as to prevent it from disengaging axially.

The sides of the polygon formed by the projections 7 and 11 are preferably slightly concave, which guarantees axial guidance around the entire periphery, while reducing the surfaces in contact and thereby friction.

Of course, in the various embodiments described, the projecting or recessed parts which collaborate to ensure the locking of the bezel on the middle or on the glass can be reversed.

In Figure 4, there is shown a bezel 3 before mounting around the polygonal scope of the watch case. It then has a circular shape. The inner periphery 13 of the telescope 3 is provided with a plurality of cavities 14 regularly distributed. These cavities are intended to engage with lugs formed in the part opposite the polygonal scope of the watch case, so as to provide indexing of positioning of the bezel in a succession of angular positions, corresponding for example to each minute. Here again, the projecting or reentrant parts of these indexing means can be provided both on the telescope and on the polygonal scope which receives it.

The two embodiments described have a square scope. It goes without saying that its shape could be a polygon, regular or not, with more than four sides, an ellipse, or any flat convex and closed curve.

The present invention is in no way limited to the embodiment described, but on the contrary is capable of being subject to numerous modifications and variants which will appear to those skilled in the art.

Claims (6)

1. Watch case with rotating bezel, comprising a middle part having an opening, a secured place in said opening, a scope, formed in said box at the periphery of the glass and a bezel mounted rotating on said scope, characterized in that said scope is of non-circular shape, in that the bezel is made of an elastic deformable material, and in that it is adapted around said scope, so as to enclose it. 2. Watch case according to claim 1, characterized in that said bearing is formed in the lateral edge of the crystal. 3. Watch case according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that said non-circular shape is a polygonal shape. 4. Watch case according to claim 3, characterized in that said polygonal shape is a square. 5. Watch case according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the walls opposite said bearing surface and the inner periphery of the bezel respectively have a groove and a projection, the collaboration of which ensures the axial locking of the rotating bezel . 6. Watch case according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the walls opposite said bearing and the inner periphery of the bezel have one of a plurality of lugs or regularly distributed cavities, and the another one or more irregularities of complementary shape, the collaboration of which determines an indexing of positioning of the telescope, in a succession of angular positions.

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