Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G04—HOROLOGY
  • G04B—MECHANICALLY-DRIVEN CLOCKS OR WATCHES; MECHANICAL PARTS OF CLOCKS OR WATCHES IN GENERAL; TIME PIECES USING THE POSITION OF THE SUN, MOON OR STARS
  • G04B39/00—Watch crystals; Fastening or sealing of crystals; Clock glasses
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G04—HOROLOGY
  • G04B—MECHANICALLY-DRIVEN CLOCKS OR WATCHES; MECHANICAL PARTS OF CLOCKS OR WATCHES IN GENERAL; TIME PIECES USING THE POSITION OF THE SUN, MOON OR STARS
  • G04B19/00—Indicating the time by visual means
  • G04B19/06—Dials
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G04—HOROLOGY
  • G04B—MECHANICALLY-DRIVEN CLOCKS OR WATCHES; MECHANICAL PARTS OF CLOCKS OR WATCHES IN GENERAL; TIME PIECES USING THE POSITION OF THE SUN, MOON OR STARS
  • G04B19/00—Indicating the time by visual means
  • G04B19/06—Dials
  • G04B19/14—Fastening the dials to the clock or watch plates
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G04—HOROLOGY
  • G04B—MECHANICALLY-DRIVEN CLOCKS OR WATCHES; MECHANICAL PARTS OF CLOCKS OR WATCHES IN GENERAL; TIME PIECES USING THE POSITION OF THE SUN, MOON OR STARS
  • G04B37/00—Cases
  • G04B37/14—Suspending devices, supports or stands for time-pieces insofar as they form part of the case
  • G04B37/1486—Arrangements for fixing to a bracelet

Definitions

• the invention relates to a housing for a watch with a shell, a cover glass and a dial, which has a continuously running surface facing the cover glass, and a method for producing such a housing.
• Watch cases which have such a structure are intended in particular for wristwatches and pocket watches.
• the shell has two openings.
• a first opening is used to make the movement accessible from one side. This first opening is closed by a lid that forms the back of the watch.
• a second opening faces the display element, for example the dial, and is also covered by it.
• the movement is anchored in the shell and usually carries the dial.
• a cover glass is attached to the shell ⁇ .
• housings are also known in which an annular rim is formed on the dial, via which the cover glass is fastened.
• the ring-shaped edge encompasses the cover glass over its entire circumference.
• Such a housing is known, for example, from Swiss Patents No. 300360 and No. 70650 and from DE-U-1 882 484.
• the cover glass is positioned against lateral displacement by an annular rim on the dial and additionally fastened to it by means of connecting means in such a way that it cannot be lifted off.
• the dials known from the abovementioned writings have very complicated shapes which consist of more or less flat surfaces which form the actual dial and are connected to the ring surfaces which also protrude therefrom. A positive positioning position and a fastening of the cover glass on such a dial can thus be achieved.
• such a dial consists of two areas, the actual dial, which is provided for time display, and a specially shaped edge area for attaching a cover glass. The edge area usually protrudes upwards from the surface of the dial as a ring.
• a disadvantage of such and other similar constructions is that the dial has a complicated shape with areas of different thickness, which has many different surfaces, which are at different angles to one another and which must also be connected by transition areas. This places demands on the dial with regard to shape and material, which restrict the free design, which limit the possibilities for optical design and which also degenerate the dial into an expensive molded part.
• the invention solves the problem of avoiding the disadvantages mentioned and of creating a housing for a watch with extended design options which is simple to manufacture and which can be sealed without problems.
• the dial which closes the shell in the direction from which the time display is viewed, is attached directly to the shell and, on the other hand, the cover glass is attached directly to the actual dial.
• the cover glass is placed directly on the surface of the dial facing it, which is used to display the time.
• the positioning of the cover glass on the dial and its attachment are ensured by one and the same means, so that no further elevations have to protrude from the dial, for example to achieve positioning by positive locking.
• the cover glass is thus glued or welded directly onto the flat or curved but essentially continuous surface dial and the dial is in turn glued or welded directly onto the shell.
• the dial can protrude outward beyond the glass or the shell at certain points or the entire circumference.
• the shell can essentially be covered by the dial, so that it is hardly visible.
• the design of the dial allows the optical perception of the clock to be determined virtually completely freely.
• the surface of the dial to be designed can even exceed the surface of the cover slip.
• an almost imperceptible transition between the dial and the bracelet can be made create and so achieve a design unity that was not possible until now.
• the areas on which decorations can be attached are thus significantly expanded.
• the decorations - such as prints - can thus flow from the bracelet over the dial and over its field for the time display without being interrupted by paragraphs or without having to overcome height differences.
• the dial can also be seen from the side, i.e. in profile, for the first time.
• This profile can also be designed in this way and the watch can be visually distinguished from other watches.
• Another advantage is that only two and not several parts are to be connected to each other at the same time with a connection, so that the seal between the two parts is simpler and more reliable, that is, seals longer.
• the construction of a watch case according to the invention also gives the possibility of not only assigning decorative functions to the dial.
• the dial now creates the connection between the cover glass and the dish and thus also has a supporting function. In the embodiment according to the invention, however, this does not mean that the dial must accordingly have great strength or rigidity.
• the dial can now even consist of a thin film or a layer of a material that is applied to the shell. It also makes no difference whether the dial has numbers, lines or no elements at all that allow the position of the hands to be determined precisely.
• a dial we simply understand the element that is mainly visible from the direction from which the watch is viewed in order to read the time.
• forces which act laterally on the cover glass and which are caused by positive fastening means are excluded, which avoids tension in the cover glass.
• In the idle state only forces act on the dial and cover glass that are caused by gravity. When the watch is in a flat position, these are directed essentially perpendicular to the greatest extent of the dial.
• the dial has no parts which can act on the inner surface and / or the outer surface of the cover glass. Forces only act on an end face of the cover slip, which is also in contact with the dial.
• FIG. 1 shows a section through part of a housing according to the invention
• FIG. 2 shows a top view of a housing
• FIG. 3 shows a partial section through a shell with a dial
• FIG. 4 shows a section through a further embodiment of a housing
• Figure 5 shows a step of a method for attaching a cover slip on a dial.
• FIG. 1 A part of a housing 1 for a wristwatch is shown in section from FIG.
• the housing 1 consists of a shell 2, the shape of which is shown here in a highly simplified form on the inside and provides a space 3 for a clockwork which is not used here.
• a dial 4 extends over it.
• a domed cover glass 5 is arranged above the dial 4, which keeps a space 6 above the dial 4 free, in which pointers are arranged in a manner known per se and therefore not shown here.
• the shell 2 optionally has a small groove 8 on its upper edge 7, which extends over the entire circumference.
• the dial 4 points to his lower boundary surface 9 also optionally a small extension 10 which engages in the groove 8.
• the extension 10 forms together with the groove 8 a connection or attachment between these two parts.
• the dial 4 has a groove 12 on its surface 11, into which an extension 13 of the cover glass 5 engages. This results in the connection or attachment between the cover glass 5 and the dial 4.
• the dial 4 has an essentially continuous surface 20 which can be divided, for example, into a flat area 20a and an area 20b sloping towards the shell .
• the surface 20 has a shape that is essentially curved outwards toward the cover glass.
• the groove 12 is provided here for a welded connection or, for example, receives the adhesive in the case of an adhesive connection.
• the groove 12 is comparatively very small.
• the dial 4 projects with a part 16 in the area of this fastening means 14 beyond the actual shell 2 and beyond the cover glass 5. If, for example, it is assumed that the shell essentially has a cylindrical outer boundary, which is formed by a surface which appears here as line 15, in this example even the cover glass 5 projects beyond the shell 2 without to surround the shell 2 laterally.
• the extensions 10 and 13 are preferably fastened by welding in the grooves 8 and 12, which at the same time creates a seal. Ultrasonic welding is particularly advantageous as the welding process, at least when the shell, dial and cover glass are made of plastic. If this is not the case, the extensions mentioned can also be glued into the groove, so that adhesive connections are preferably provided in addition to the welding. Such connections are unsolvable and do not require any mechanical connection elements.
• Figure 2 shows a housing for a clock according to Figure 1 in supervision.
• the dial 4 which is covered by the transparent cover glass, which is therefore not visible in this illustration.
• the fastening means 14 for a bracelet of which both halves 17 and 18 can be seen here.
• Half 17 is already attached to the shell, while half 18 is not.
• An elevator crown 19 is also provided in this housing.
• FIG. 3 shows two halves 21 and 22 of a further embodiment of a housing without the cover glass.
• Half 21 only shows the profile of the housing, as can be seen if the housing is cut approximately between the center 26 and a zone which is located at around 9 o'clock on the dial.
• the shell 24 and the dial 25 have, for example, a common cylindrical outer surface 23.
• the clockwork 27 has an outward pointing at its upper edge 29 Paragraph 30, which is supported in the shell 24.
• the clockwork 27 is held up by the dial 25.
• This has a reinforced edge 31 here, which also covers an additional side surface 32 of the shell 24. However, the edge 31 only protrudes towards the shell 24, so that the dial has a flat and uninterrupted surface 33 for receiving the cover slip.
• the connection between the dial and the shell takes place in the manner already mentioned.
• FIG. 4 shows a clock in section, and thus a further embodiment of a shell 34.
• the shell 34 here has a surface 38 that is curved simply or spherically and faces a dial 35.
• the dial 35 rests on this surface 38.
• the cover glass 47 has a correspondingly shaped end face or attachment surface 39 which is adapted to the shape of the surface 40 of the dial 35. It is about the contact surface 39 Cover glass 47 is glued or welded onto the surface 40 of the dial 35 so that a direct connection is created.
• the dial 35 can be made comparatively thin and have a small thickness 44 in comparison to its extension in the direction of an arrow 45. For example, it is glued to as large a part of the surface 38 as possible.
• the dial 35 is very thin, it can also form a coating which is applied here on the surface 38 in a manner known per se.
• the dial could also be designed as a film.
• the dial 37 has no special design which serves for positioning or fastening a cover glass 47.
• the cover glass 47 is preferably positioned on the surface 40 of the dial by part of a tool 41, as shown in FIG. 5. This positioning is then only temporary and is brought about by the relative position of two surfaces 42 and 43, which here happen to be in a line, when the cover glass is held on the dial by this tool. This continues until the connection between the cover glass and the dial is established, that is to say, for example, until the previously applied adhesive has solidified or, in the case of ultrasonic welding, until the tool has transferred sufficient energy so that the welding has taken place.
• This positioning can be done using the same tool, which, for example, creates the adhesive or welded connection to the cover slip. In any case, no positive means are to be provided on the dial or on the cover glass.
• the dial can, with appropriate training, also be positioned on the surface 38 of the shell 34 by the tool.
• very thin and possibly flat, foil-like dials can be used. It is also conceivable to now manufacture dials from the same material that is also used for the bracelet, so that an optical unit can be achieved.

Landscapes

• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Electric Clocks (AREA)
• Input Circuits Of Receivers And Coupling Of Receivers And Audio Equipment (AREA)
• Lock And Its Accessories (AREA)
• Telephone Function (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (5)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=25685847

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (6)

Families Citing this family (2)

Family Cites Families (5)

• 1993
  • 1993-03-25 DE DE59309434T patent/DE59309434D1/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1993-03-25 WO PCT/EP1993/000732 patent/WO1993019402A1/fr active IP Right Grant
  • 1993-03-25 EP EP93906617A patent/EP0632909B1/fr not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1993-03-25 ES ES93906617T patent/ES2131577T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1993-03-25 AT AT93906617T patent/ATE177543T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1993-03-25 JP JP5516294A patent/JPH08508336A/ja active Pending

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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