EP2018602B1 - Diving watch - Google Patents

Abstract

The watch has a depth indicating hand (14) indicating a diver about an instantaneous value of a depth at which the diver is found, and a depth variation indicating hand (22) blocked at zero during diving. The hand (14) is blocked when the diver reaches a level of decompression to be carried out. The hand (22) is released to indicate the diver about variations of the depth with respect to a depth of the decompression level. The hand (22) is returned to zero and blocked, while the hand (14) is released, and indicates a precise diving depth, when the diver continues rising towards a surface.

Description

The present invention relates to a diving watch for a diver to measure depth fluctuations when performing a decompression stop at a determined depth.

Different parameters must be known to a diver when performing an underwater dive to ensure its safety. The diver must be able to instantly know the depth to which it is located to avoid risking exceeding a preset maximum diving depth. The diver must also know his diving time so as not to exhaust his oxygen reserves and to be able to go to the surface safely. Watches that provide a diver with information about instantaneous depth and dive time are already known. An example is provided by EP 1571506 .

By cons, there is an additional parameter which, to the knowledge of the Applicant, is not taken into account by commercial diving watches. This parameter is related to the depth stability of the diver when performing a decompression stop. Indeed, as is known, the nitrogen contained in the air breathed by the divers is absorbed by the body, in particular by the blood, and this in proportions even greater than the ambient pressure and the duration of immersion are higher. However, this nitrogen must be eliminated by the body before the diver returns to the open air. In the absence of this elimination, the diver runs serious dangers that can lead to death. The problem of eliminating this nitrogen has been solved by requiring divers to have very slow ascent rates to the surface and, above all, to observe stations still called decompression stops at certain depths. During these decompression stages, the imbalance between the ambient pressure and the blood pressure causes the passage of dissolved nitrogen in the blood outside the body. By observing these decompression stops, the diver gradually manages to eliminate dissolved nitrogen in his blood. However, the elimination of this nitrogen is all the more effective that the diver manages to remain stable in terms of depth at the decompression stop it performs. There is therefore a need in the state of the art for a watch indicating to the diver the fluctuations of its depth when it performs a decompression stop.

The present invention aims to meet this demand by providing a mechanical or electromechanical diving watch according to claim 1.

Thanks to these features, the present invention provides a diving watch which provides the diver with indications relating to the fluctuations of its depth relative to a set point which corresponds to the depth of the decompression stop which it must carry out. By seeing the pointer indicating depth variation oscillate on either side of a zero value, the diver can thus, at a glance, find that he is going up or down relative to at the depth of the level corresponding to the decompression stop which it must respect and can move up or down to stabilize at the required depth. In doing so, the diver is assured of performing in optimal conditions his decompression stop before resuming his ascent, which substantially improves the safety of said diver.

According to a complementary characteristic of the invention, when immersed, the pressure sensor causes the rotation of an input wheel of a differential mechanism, a first output formed by a depth variation wheel carrying the indicator pointer of variation of depth is blocked, so that a second output of the differential mechanism formed by a depth mobile carrying the depth indicator needle rotates while, during a decompression stop, the depth mobile is blocked and the mobile of depth variation is free and rotates, the depth variation wheel being again blocked and the depth mobile is again free to turn when the diver has completed his decompression stop and resumes its recovery to the surface.

With these other features, the present invention provides a dive watch equipped with a simple and robust differential mechanism and whose operation is reliable.

• la figure 1 est une vue en plan du cadran de la montre de plongée selon l'intention sur laquelle sont visibles l'aiguille indicatrice de profondeur et l'aiguille indicatrice de variation de profondeur;
• la figure 2A est une vue en coupe de la boîte de montre représentée à la figure 1 avant mise en fonction de la montre de plongée, c'est-à-dire à l'air libre;
• la figure 2B est une vue en coupe du mécanisme différentiel équipant la montre de plongée selon l'invention avant mise en fonction, c'est-à-dire à l'air libre;
• les figures 3A et 3B sont des vues en coupe analogues à celles des figures 2A et 2B respectivement, le plongeur étant entrain d'effectuer une plongée subaquatique, et
• les figures 4A et 4B sont des vues en coupe analogues à celles des figures 3A et 3B respectivement, le plongeur étant entrain d'effectuer un palier de décompression.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will emerge more clearly from the following detailed description of an embodiment of the present invention. dive according to the invention, this example being given for purely illustrative and nonlimiting purposes only in connection with the attached drawing in which:

• the figure 1 is a plan view of the dial of the dive watch according to the intention on which the depth indicator needle and the depth variation indicator needle are visible;
• the Figure 2A is a sectional view of the watch case shown in the figure 1 before putting the diving watch into operation, that is to say in the open air;
• the Figure 2B is a sectional view of the differential mechanism equipping the diving watch according to the invention before putting into operation, that is to say in the open air;
• the Figures 3A and 3B are sectional views similar to those of Figures 2A and 2B respectively, the diver being underwater diving, and
• the Figures 4A and 4B are sectional views similar to those of Figures 3A and 3B respectively, the diver being performing a decompression stop.

The present invention proceeds from the general inventive idea of equipping a diving watch with a device indicating the depth variation allowing the diver to realize at a glance whether he is stable or not. at the depth corresponding to the decompression stop that it is performing and, if necessary, to go up or down to find the right depth. Thus, the more the diver succeeds in respecting the depth of the decompression stop, the better the efficiency of this level and the elimination of nitrogen in the body of the diver. The diving watch according to the invention therefore makes it possible to substantially increase the safety of the plunger.

The figure 1 is a plan view of a dial of a diving watch according to the invention. Designated as a whole by the general reference numeral 1, this main dial has on its outer circumference hours and minutes index 2. A switch formed by an hour hand 4, a minute hand 6 and a hand of 8 seconds is arranged in the center of the dial 1 and moves classically above it. The dial 1 is surrounded by a telescope 10 on which is shown a scale of the depths 12 which, in the example shown in the drawing, is graduated five meters in five meters. A depth indicator needle 14 whose role will be described in detail below cooperates with the depth scale 12 to give the diver an instant indication of the depth at which it is located. As an accessory but not essential, the diving watch according to the invention further comprises a needle 16 which is driven by the depth indicator needle 14 and which indicates the maximum depth reached by the diver during his dive.

On the main dial 1 is provided a dial 18 of smaller dimensions which carries a scale of depth variation 20 graduated in meters and centered on zero. A pointer 22 indicative of the depth variation whose role will be described in detail below cooperates with the depth variation scale 20 to indicate to the diver its depth fluctuations with respect to the level corresponding to the depth of the bearing he must perform. To indicate to the diver its variations in depth, a first solution would be to scale the scale for example between -3 meters and +3 meters, a negative depth value meaning that the diver is below the depth of the decompression stop, while a positive depth value would signal to the diver that it is above the depth of the decompression stop. According to another variant which is shown in the drawing, the depth variation scale 20 extends, when read in the clockwise direction, between "3" and "0" and between "0" and "3". It is completed by two arrows 24A and 24B which point respectively downwards and upwards and which indicate to the diver that he is below or above the level of the decompression stop of a value given by the reading of the number of the scale 20 on which the needle 22 points.

In the main dial 1 is provided a window 26 through which the numbers of a meter five minutes scroll.

Finally, the diving watch according to the invention comprises a push button 30 whose role will be described in detail below.

Note that the switch formed by the hour hand 4, minutes 6 and seconds 8, the depth indicator needle 14, the needle 16 indicating the maximum dive depth and the indicator needle 22 of the variation depth are coaxially mounted in the center of the dial 1.

As represented on the figure 1 , the dial 1 of the diving watch according to the invention provides the following information: the diver has been standing for three minutes at a landing depth of five meters, the maximum diving depth he has reached during his dive is nineteen meters and its deviation from the depth of landing is zero.

The Figure 2A is a sectional view of the box of the diving watch according to the invention before use, that is to say in the open air. Essentially, this watch case, designated as a whole by the general reference numeral 32, consists of the aforementioned telescope 10 which carries a lens 34 below which the dial 1 extends at a distance. All of these parts are fixed on a middle part 36. A bottom 38 is screwed on an intermediate part 40 which itself is The intermediate part 40 carries a pressure sensor 42 on the other hand. This pressure sensor 42 is a sensor which is capable of being mechanically deformed under the effect of pressure. It may be, for example, a membrane sensor as shown on the Figure 2A or a Bourdon tube sensor.

The bottom 38 has a plurality of openings 38 'through which the water can pass to come into contact with the pressure sensor 42. However, when the watch is in the open air, it will be preferred to protect the sensor 42 by means of a cap 44 fixed on the bottom 38 for example by snapping.

The Figure 2B is a sectional view of the differential mechanism equipping the diving watch according to the invention before putting into operation, that is to say in the open air. This differential mechanism, generally designated by the general numerical reference 46, essentially comprises a differential input wheel 48 which can be rotated by the pressure sensor 42 when it is deformed under the effect a pressure difference between the side of said sensor 42 in contact with the water and the side of the same sensor 42 in contact with the air enclosed in the box 32 of the diving watch according to the invention. In the case of Figure 2B , the watch is in the open air. The pressure is therefore identical on both sides of the pressure sensor 42, so that it is stationary and therefore does not drive the differential input wheel 48 in rotation. In this situation, the depth indicator needle 14 points to the "0" of the depth scale 12 and the depth variation indicator needle 22 is positioned at the center of the depth variation scale.

The differential input wheel 48 is rotatably mounted on a differential axis 50 via a shoulder bushing 52 which is held axially on a bridge 54 of the movement by its shoulder 56. An axle 58 driven into the wheel differential input 48 carries a satellite mobile 60 whose wheel 62 meshes with a pinion 64 driven on the differential shaft 50 and whose pinion 66 meshes with an intermediate mobile 68 composed of a wheel 70 and a pinion 72 mounted in rotation free on the differential axis 50. The pinion 72 meshes in turn with a depth variation mobile 74 whose structure will be detailed below.

The differential mechanism 46 finally comprises a differential output wheel 76 which can be made of material with the differential axis 50 or be driven thereon and which meshes with a mobile depth indicator 78 whose structure will be detailed below. .

We now refer to Figures 3A and 3B on which is represented the state of the watch according to the invention while the diver is performing a dive. To the figure 3A it will be noted that the protective cap 44 has been removed, so that the water can pass through the openings 38 'formed in the bottom 38 of the box 32 of the diving watch. At this moment, the pressures are no longer balanced on either side of the pressure sensor 42, so that it deforms mechanically. By deforming, said pressure sensor 42 rotates the input wheel 48 of the differential mechanism 46 which starts to rotate about the differential axis 50. By turning, the differential input wheel 48 drives with it. the axis 58 which carries the mobile satellite 60. Now, while the plunger is diving, the depth variation mobile 74 is blocked. Indeed, the depth variation mobile 74 consists of a core 80 driven on an axis 82 rotatably mounted on a shaft 84 and at one end of which is driven the indicator needle 22 of the depth variation. As the core 80 is, at this stage of the dive, held still by retaining means such as a hammer 86, the shaft 82 is blocked. But the depth variation wheel 74 also comprises a depth variation wheel 88 driven on the axis 82 and which meshes with the pinion 72 of the intermediate mobile 68. As a result, the axis 82 being blocked, the variation wheel the depth 88 is also, as well as the pinion 72 and the wheel 70. Therefore, the satellite wheel 62 will rotate the differential output wheel 76 via the differential axis 50 and the pinion 64 In turn, the differential output wheel 76 will rotate the elevator indicator wheel 78 which consists of a depth indicator wheel 90 driven on the shaft 84 and locking means 92 of the wheel 90 such as only a clamp. These locking means 92 are capable of blocking the depth indicator wheel 90. However, in the situation illustrated in FIG. figure 3B , this wheel 90 is free to rotate so that, driven by the differential output wheel 76, it drives the shaft 84 and therefore the indicator needle depth 14. This needle 14 moves so next to the scale depths 12 and instantly gives the diver the value of the depth at which he is. Meanwhile, the depth variation indicator needle 22 remains stationary, centered on the scale of variation of the depth.

We now examine in connection with Figures 4A and 4B the case where the diver must perform a decompression stop. The diver undertakes his ascent and interrupts his upward movement when the pointer 14 indicates to him that he has arrived at the depth corresponding to the level of the landing which he must carry out. At this depth, the plunger exerts a pressure on the pushbutton 30. Under the effect of this pressure, the hammer 86 departs from the core 80 while the clamp 92 comes to immobilize the depth indicator wheel 90. Thus, the depth indicator needle 14 will remain fixed relative to the scale of depths 12 while the indicator needle 22 of the depth variation will oscillate on either side of the center of the scale 20 of variation of the depth according to the fluctuations of the depth of the plunger. Indeed, depending on whether the plunger will be below or above the depth of the decompression stop, the pressure sensor 42 will deform mechanically, rotating the differential input wheel 48. As the wheel depth indicator 30 is blocked, the differential output wheel 76, the differential axis 50 and the pinion 64 are also blocked. Therefore, the satellite pinion 66 will drive the depth variation wheel 88 via the intermediate wheel 68. This wheel 88 will be allowed to rotate because the hammer 86 no longer blocks the core 80 and therefore the axis 82 on which the heart 80 is driven, so that the indicator needle 22 of the depth variation can rotate.

When the diver has completed his decompression stop, he will be able to resume his movement up to the surface. At this time, it will exert a new pressure on the push-button 30, pressure under the effect of which the clamp 92 will again deviate from the depth indicator wheel 90, thus again allowing the indicator needle 14 depth to turn, while the hammer 86 will again block the heart 80 and thus the pointer 22 indicator of the depth variation. By falling on the heart 80, the hammer 86 allows this needle 22 to reposition itself in the center of the dial 18 which carries the scale 20 of indication of the variation of depth. At the same time, the rotation of the differential input wheel 48 will be transmitted, via the satellite wheel 62, the pinion 64 and the differential output wheel 76 to the depth indicator wheel 90, readjusting it to the exact depth of diving.

It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment which has just been described and that various modifications and simple variants can be envisaged by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the scope of the claims appended to this patent application. In particular, it can be envisaged that the action on the push button 30 at the moment when the diver starts his decompression stop is accompanied by a tripping of the five-minute counter 28. On the other hand, the transmission of the pressure exerted by the plunger on the push button 30 in the heart 80 and the clamp 92 is conventionally done by means of levers and / or referrals which are well known to those skilled in the art and it is therefore not necessary to describe more here.

Claims (7)

1. Mechanical or electromechanical dive watch including hour (4) and minute (6) hands and a pressure sensor (42) and a depth indicator hand (14), characterized in that it further includes a depth variation indicator hand (22), the depth indicator hand (14) providing the diver with an indication of the instantaneous value of the depth at which he is situated when he is diving, the depth variation indicator hand (22) being arranged to be at that moment locked at zero, the depth indicator hand (14) being arranged to be locked in turn when the diver reaches a required decompression stop and the depth variation indicator hand (22) being arranged to be at that moment released to indicate to the diver any variations in his depth relative to the decompression stop depth, the depth variation indicator hand (22) then being returned to zero and locked while the depth indicator hand (14) is arranged to be released and for again indicating the exact dive depth when the diver resumes his ascent towards the surface.
2. Dive watch according to claim 1, characterized in that the depth indicator hand (14) and the depth variation indicator hand (22) are arranged to be alternately locked then released via pressure on a single pushbutton (30).
3. Dive watch according to claim 2, characterized in that activation of the push button (30) stops and starts a time counter.
4. Dive watch according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, during dives, the pressure sensor (42) is arranged to cause the rotation of an input wheel (48) of a differential gear mechanism (46) a first output of which, formed by a depth variation wheel set (74) carrying the depth variation indicator hand (22), is locked such that a second output of the differential gear mechanism (46), formed by a depth indicator wheel set (78) carrying the depth indicator hand (14), rotates whereas, during a decompression stop, the depth indicator wheel set (78) is locked and the depth variation wheel set (74) is free and rotates, the depth variation wheel set (74) being locked again and the depth indicator wheel set (78) being free to rotate again when the diver has finished his decompression stop and resumes his ascent towards the surface.
5. Dive watch according to claim 4, characterized in that the depth variation wheel set (74) includes a heart piece (80) fixedly mounted on an arbour (82) which is itself mounted to rotate freely on an arbour (84) and on one end of which the depth variation indicator hand (22) is fixedly mounted, said heart piece (80) being able to be locked or released by retaining means (86), and in that the depth indicator wheel set (78) includes a depth indicator wheel (90) fixedly mounted on the arbour (84) and means (92) for locking said wheel (90), the depth indicator hand (14) being fixedly mounted on one end of the arbour (84).
6. Dive watch according to claim 5, characterized in that the retaining means (86) include a hammer and in that the locking means (92) include a clamp.
7. Dive watch according to any of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that the differential input wheel (48) is mounted to rotate freely on a differential arbour (50) and carries a planetary wheel set (60) which meshes on the one hand with a pinion (64) mounted freely on the differential arbour (50) and which meshes in turn with the depth variation wheel set (74), a differential output wheel (76) secured to said differential arbour (50) meshing with the depth indicator wheel set (78).

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