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
  • G04B37/00—Cases
  • G04B37/22—Materials or processes of manufacturing pocket watch or wrist watch cases
  • G04B37/225—Non-metallic cases
• • 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
  • G04B37/08—Hermetic sealing of openings, joints, passages or slits
  • G04B37/11—Hermetic sealing of openings, joints, passages or slits of the back cover of pocket or wrist watches

Definitions

• the present invention relates to watch cases, in particular wristwatch boxes, and aims to integrate, better than has been the case until now in this field of industry, recent advances in precision and regularity of the shaping of plastics, by proposing a construction method which adapts easily to the different ranges of watches and allows to improve in an unexpected measure the competitiveness of these products on the market.
• the watch case according to the invention is characterized in that its main constituent is a one-piece insert comprising an annular body surrounding and supporting the movement of the watch, and an upper tubular extension limiting the space between the dial and the glass, and surrounding the glass, said upper extension being clamped laterally against the glass by an upper bezel so as to seal the box around the glass.
• the insert may also have a lower tubular extension which is engaged around a bottom pad and clamped against the latter by a lower bezel so as to seal the bottom of the box.
• the annular body of said insert can carry a lateral tube for the sealed passage of the movement control rod.
• Said insert can be produced by injection or molding in a suitable plastic material, said plastic material being able to be chosen from hytrel and grilamide.
• a ring, playing the role of flange, can be interposed between the glass and the dial.
• the insert may include an annular shoulder for receiving the periphery of the dial and, projecting from this shoulder, a pin parallel to the upper extension, passing through the flange and orienting the dial.
• the upper tubular extension of the insert may have, distributed around its inner periphery, flanges for centering the flange.
• the insert may have an external lateral face visible under the upper bezel, with two diametrically opposite housings over six hours and twelve hours, for hanging the strands of the bracelet.
• the external lateral face of the insert can be engaged in a stretcher carrying horns retained between the upper and lower glasses.
• - fig. 1 is a view in diametral section of a watch equipped with a first embodiment of the case according to
• - fig. 2 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 1 of a watch equipped with a second embodiment of the case
• - fig. 3 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 1 showing a third embodiment of the box according to the invention
• - fig. 4 is a top plan view of the insert in the box according to the first embodiment
• - fig. 5 is a view in elevation from above, showing the stretcher of the first and third embodiments
• - figs. 6 and 7 are views respectively in top plan and in diametral section along the 3 o'clock - 9 o'clock axis of the insert corresponding to a fourth embodiment of the box according to the invention
• - fig. 8 is a top plan view on a reduced scale of an example of a watch comprising a box according to the fourth embodiment
• FIG. 9a - figs. 9a to 9c show the main elements of the fourth embodiment of the box, shown in exploded perspective in FIG. 9a, arranged side by side in FIG. 9b and in the assembled state in FIG. 9c,
• FIGS. 9a to 9c illustrate, in a manner similar to FIGS. 9a to 9c, a variant of the fourth embodiment of the box with a lower bezel of round shape
• FIG. 11 is a sectional view of an example of a watch case according to the invention comprising an upper screw bezel and a pressure bottom bezel,
• - fig. 12 is a sectional view of the upper bezel with screws of the box of FIG. 11, and - fig. 13 is a sectional view of an example of a watch case according to the invention similar to that of FIG. 1, but with a screw-down rear window.
• Insert 1 is the main constituent. Preferably, it will be formed in one piece, from a suitable plastic material, for example hytrel or grilamide, by injection or pressure molding. It has been found in fact that such a material used in high quality molds makes it possible to produce the desired part with all the required precision and at very reduced costs.
• the insert comprises an annular body 6 with an internal face 7 which is adjusted to the outside diameter of the watch movement 8 and has a recess for receiving and retaining the platinum thread of the movement 8.
• the annular body 6 is connected upwards to an upper tubular extension 9 which has the particularity of being sufficiently thin and flexible so that its end can be engaged around the glass 3, of usual structure, while being compressed radially by the inner face of the upper bezel 2.
• the extension 9 coming from one piece with the rest of the insert therefore plays the role of a seal for the glass.
• the annular body 6 of the insert 1 also has a lower tubular extension 10 which engages around the periphery of the bottom pad 5. This extension is clamped against the periphery of the bottom pad by the engagement of the lower bezel 4.
• the adjustments will be calculated in such a way that the lower bezel, insert, bottom patch is inseparable. It will be the same for the assembly of the glass and the upper bezel with interposition of the tubular extension 9.
• the bottom pad 5 may be made of metal or of a transparent or opaque mineral material.
• the glasses 2 and 4 will preferably be made of metal.
• the upper or lower internal edges of the spectacles will be chamfered so as to cover the respectively upper and lower edges of the tubular extensions and to mask the parts playing the role of seals. As can be seen, these details are found in all the embodiments described.
• a flange 11 in the form of a plastic or metallic ring of generally rectangular profile inserted between the glass 3, the upper extension of the insert 1 and the dial 12.
• This flange plays the same aesthetic role as in a usual watch but in addition it exerts a very important function in relation to the assembly and assembly of the watch.
• the dial 12 has no base and is not fixed, as is usually the case, on the plate. It is simply placed on the plate and retained by the flange.
• the insert 1 has a protruding pin 13 in the upper shoulder of the annular body 6. This pin can be formed in one piece with the insert or be linked to it during molding. In this case, it can be made of a different material, for example metal.
• the pin 13 is located for example over twelve hours and dimensioned so as to ensure on the one hand the orientation of the dial 12, which will have a slight cutout at its periphery, engaged on the pin, and on the other hand the fixing of the flange .
• This one indeed presents a drill at the location of twelve hours, corresponding to the pin. We realize that this arrangement considerably simplifies the assembly and mounting of the watch.
• Centering pins 20 of the flange are distributed along the base of the upper tubular extension, on the inner side, in order to keep the flange centered and pressed against the dial by the underside of the glass.
• the annular body 6 is equipped with a guide tube 18 of the movement control rod.
• fig. 4 shows in plan the insert 1 of the first embodiment, with the flange 11, the periphery of the lower window 4 also being visible.
• the guide tube 18 comes out of a base 19 of semi-cylindrical shape. It can be molded in one piece with the insert or, like the pin 13, be attached. Regarding the pin 13, it should be noted that it may have in its upper face, visible under the glass, a characteristic mark (for example Swiss cross).
• the watch has an additional part: a stretcher carrying horns, the appearance of which is reproduced in 14 in FIG. 5 or 15 in figs. 8 and 9.
• the constitution and function of this piece are self-explanatory.
• the internal face 24 of the annular body of the stretcher is engaged on the external face of the insert 1.
• a radial hole 16 and a semi-cylindrical housing 17 correspond to the tube 18 and to the semi-cylindrical base 19 of the insert 1 (fig. . 4).
• the insert 1 here has a cylindrical outer face of the same diameter as the upper glasses and lower 2 and 4. Over six hours and twelve hours, the insert has housings 21 for engaging the ends of the bracelet and holes 22 for attaching the bars. Otherwise, the arrangements already described are found in this embodiment. In the finished watch, the side face of the insert will be visible, which is not the case with the other embodiments shown.
• the embodiment of fig. 3 is very similar to that of FIG. 1 in terms of the arrangement of the rooms. It is distinguished by the fact that the glass 3 and the bottom pad 5 are thicker and that the engagement of the tubular extensions 9 and 10 between the parts which compress them is stronger. In addition, screws 23 are provided to ensure the connections between glasses and insert. Such executions are specially provided for watches of great robustness, in particular diving watches. Tests have shown that water resistance can be guaranteed up to 500 or even 1000 m.
• the fourth embodiment given by way of example shows that the case construction according to the invention can lend itself to all the varieties of known watches, including high-end watches.
• an insert 1 can be seen, the upper tubular extension 9 of which has a rectangular outline, while the annular body 6 and the tubular extension 10 (fig. 7) are circular.
• the box is completed by an upper bezel 2 and a lower bezel 4 which together play the role of the stretcher 15.
• the upper bezel engages on the upper tubular extension 9 so as to secure the glass as in the other forms of execution.
• the flange 11 here has the shape of a rectangular ring for limiting the height of the switch.
• the lower window 4 has a circular opening 24 which engages on the lower tubular extension 10 of the insert and secures a bottom pad (not shown) as in the other embodiments.
• Bracelet 25 is a metal bracelet with articulated links. It can of course be replaced by a leather strap.
• Figs. 10a to 10c illustrate a variant in which the lower window is of round shape and does not participate in the stretcher function, which is performed by the upper window only.
• the lower bezel 4 could also be in one piece with the bottom pad.
• the two glasses, upper 2 and lower 4 could be provided with internal threads so as to be fixed with screws on the tubular extensions of the insert, which makes it possible to obtain even better sealing.

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• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
• Electric Clocks (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

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ID=34916943

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

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Family Cites Families (5)

• 2004
  • 2004-03-03 CH CH3502004A patent/CH697778B1/fr not_active IP Right Cessation
• 2005
  • 2005-03-03 EP EP05706547A patent/EP1730606A2/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2005-03-03 WO PCT/CH2005/000128 patent/WO2005085962A2/fr not_active Application Discontinuation

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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