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
  • G04B3/00—Normal winding of clockworks by hand or mechanically; Winding up several mainsprings or driving weights simultaneously
  • G04B3/04—Rigidly-mounted keys, knobs or crowns
  • G04B3/043—Locking of the operating element, also by mounting in a concealed place
• • 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
  • G04B37/10—Hermetic sealing of openings, joints, passages or slits of winding stems
  • G04B37/103—Hermetic sealing of openings, joints, passages or slits of winding stems by screwing the crown onto the case

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a device for adjusting the orientation of screwed elements for timepieces and more particularly for crowns having a pattern or logo on their end face and in which said pattern can be oriented at will.
• Screwed crowns are commonly used to equip watches in order to improve the sealing of these at their winding or control rod.
• This type of crown has the particularity of being able to take a unscrewed position in which the watch can be reassembled, put on time etc. and a screwed position in which the ring is screwed and locked on a tube driven or screwed into the middle of the watch case to compress a seal, thus improving the seal of the watch.
• the screwed position is therefore that which corresponds to the normal position when the watch is worn and which is more or less always the same with the wear of the seal near.
• the document EP1701225 describes a screwable turnable crown comprising a head integral with a winding stem and a cover on which there is an inscription, the head and the cap being secured in rotation by means of frustoconical surfaces held in mutual contact with each other. using an elastic element.
• the adjustment of the angular position of the cover is performed by removing axially the latter relative to the middle part along the longitudinal axis of the crown.
• a major drawback of this solution is that the rotational solidarity of the cover relative to the head is ensured only by the friction forces between the frustoconical surfaces, which does not prove sufficiently reliable over the lifetime a watch, and in particular when the compressive forces exerted by the elastic element gradually fade.
• the document EP141 1401 describes a particular ring comprising, on its upper external face, a substrate that is orientable with respect to a head formed by a central body and a lateral skirt, the substrate being provided with an inscription, and being able to be detached in rotation from the head of the crown when exerts a pressure going against braking means.
• the present invention aims to overcome the disadvantages of the aforementioned prior art by providing a device for the orientation of a screw element such as a traditional crown of simple and economical construction, comprising a pattern such as a logo or a mark and wherein the position of the logo or mark affixed to the end face of said element can easily be adjusted to a determined position or orientation.
• Another object of the present invention is to provide a more reliable orientation device than those proposed so far.
• the subject of the invention is an orientable screw element comprising a cover and a device for adjusting the angular orientation of the cover with respect to a watch middle, characterized in that the device for adjusting the angular orientation comprises a coupling member and indexing means between the cover and the coupling member, as well as recall means.
• the cover and the coupling member are axially movable relative to each other between a first position in which the cap is secured in rotation relative to the coupling member, and a second position in which the cap is free to rotate. around the axis of rotation of the rotatable screw element, the biasing means tending to rotate the cover and the coupling member in rotation in the first position.
• the orientation of the pattern carried by the cover can be easily adjusted in a determined angular position and reproducible in a sustainable manner relative to the middle part, while simultaneously preventing any error of fortuitous manipulation on the part of the user.
• the orientation of the indexing means and the direction of the forces exerted by the biasing means to determine the intensity required to adjust the rotatable screw element; the arrangement of the indexing means relative to the coupling member and the direction of the forces exerted by the biasing means also makes it possible to determine if it is desired that this adjustment can be performed only when the orientable screw element is removed from the watch case, that is to say by the manufacturer during the assembly or for example during a service of revision, or also by the user of the watch itself, without the help of a tool.
• this new construction has the advantage of being invisible to the user from outside the screwed element, the proposed adjustment device being covered and hidden by the hood. The aesthetics of the watch is thus not affected.
• Another advantage of the present invention is to be able to adapt to any type of hood thanks to the presence of the coupling element, so that the device can adapt modulatively to potentially any crown element having an opening. central to accommodate a tube screwed to the middle of a watch.
• FIG. 1 shows a sectional view of a screw element constituting a rotating ring provided with the orientation adjustment device according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, in the screwed position on the middle part;
• FIGS. 2A and 2B show two preferred embodiments of a coupling member according to the invention
• Figure 3 is a sectional view similar to Figure 2, the ring being shown in a position in which its cap is detached from the head in view of the angular orientation in a given position of the pattern carried by the hood, position detached from the middle part.
• a sagittal sectional view is shown of a screw element designated by the general reference 1, which here consists of a ring, along its axis of rotation AA, to reveal the mechanism of rotation. Adjust of the orientation according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.
• the ring is shown in the screwed position on a threaded tube 2, screwed into a middle part 3 of a watch case by means of the first thread 21, while a tapping 22 cooperates with the thread 51 of a coupling member 5. of tubular form.
• the tapping 22 of the tube 2 could, however, consist of a 2nd thread and the thread 51 of the coupling member 5 could reciprocally consist of tapping, as on a classic head crown.
• a seal 23 is also disposed between the tube and the middle part 3.
• the coupling member 5 is an intermediate element between the cover 1 1 of the crown, which is used to grip the latter by the user, and the caseband 3.
• the coupling member 5 is intended, of a on the other hand, to determine several modes of use of the crown: in a locking position relative to the middle part 3 - here via the threaded tube 2 - the crown guarantees the tightness of the system but can not be manipulated, while in a setting position, it is axially free to adjust an adjustment mode and in rotation to make the desired adjustment when the latter is conventionally connected mechanically to a winding stem and a pull rod whose axial position defines the adjustment mode .
• the coupling member 5 similarly determines, depending on the relative axial position of the coupling member 5 and the cover 1 1, a setting mode and a locked mode for the orientation of the ring.
• the locked mode for the angular orientation, referenced P1 is illustrated in FIG. 1
• the mode of adjustment of the angular orientation, referenced P2 is illustrated in FIG. 2.
• the coupling member 5 is in the form of a barrel inserted inside the threaded tube 2.
• the central portion of the ring is connected to a winding stem (not shown) of the clockwork through the threaded blind hole 71 formed in the lower portion 72 of a piston 7, housed in an axial cavity 53 inside the coupling member 5.
• the piston 7 slides against a spring 8 abuts on an inner surface 1 14 of the lid 1 12 of the cover 1 1, and allows in particular to bring out the cover 1 1 of the middle part when unscrewing the ring of the tube 2 to make an adjustment.
• the piston 7 being intended to be connected to the winding stem, its axial position relative to the middle part is indexed according to typically 3 discrete values, a first corresponding for example to the winding of the barrel, another to the time adjustment and a third to the setting of the date.
• the retaining rings 61, 62 could be replaced, as an alternative, by an annular groove formed in the axial skirt 1 1 1 of the cover 1 1 which extends along the tube 2.
• the cover 1 1 is assembled to the coupling member 5 so that they are usually integral in rotation and axially from one another; this assembly is made so as to be detachable or reversible.
• the cover 1 1 is formed by a cover 1 1 2 and an axial skirt January 1, which mutually define a central opening 1 15 inside the ring forming the screw element 1 - referenced only in Figure 3 for the sake of readability - and in which is disposed the entire front end of the threaded tube 2 integral with the middle part 3, but also the coupling member 5.
• the lid 1 1 1 comprises an upper surface 1 13 on which is affixed a pattern such as a logo or an L mark visible from outside the crown - we can guess for example on the left side of the figure the Omega logo of the plaintiff.
• the ring further comprises return means 4 which tend to make the cover 1 1 and the coupling member 5 rotationally integral by exerting a force F1 of compression between indexing means 551 of the coupling member 5 and the cover 1 1.
• the return means 4 are interposed between the inner surface 1 14 of the cover 1 12, substantially flat, and the upper surface 54, also substantially flat, of the coupling member 5, and maintain a toothing 551 arranged on the underside of a collar 55 bearing on the toothing 91 of an intermediate element 9, integral with the cover 1 1 and fixed for example by welding, crimping or any other appropriate means.
• the force F1 acts in the direction of the axis of rotation AA, towards the inside of the middle part 3 and the shape and the plastic properties of the material of the return means 4 are chosen so that the intensity of the F1 force exerted is largely greater than the force required to change the axial position of a conventional zipper, which in general is much less than a dozen Newton.
• the return means 4 are arranged in such a way that the intensity of the force F1 is preferably equal to about 14 Newton, which corresponds to the aforementioned criteria without, however, requiring the exercise of a force. intensity too high to disengage the cover 1 1 of the coupling member 5 and perform the adjustment operation of the orientation of the ring.
• the coupling member 5 housing the piston in its axial cavity 53 also has a lower end 52 on which internal abutment surfaces 521 are arranged to limit the stroke of the piston relative to the coupling element 5 when the latter is unscrewed. of the tube 2.
• FIGS. 2A and 2B show two preferred embodiments of a coupling member 5 according to the invention, each comprising a collar 55 on which are arranged the teeth 551 used as indexing means, and a thread 51 intended for cooperate with an integral part of the middle part, such as for example the threaded and threaded tube 2 described in FIG.
• the toothing is arranged obliquely with respect to the axis AA of rotation corresponding to that of the ring 1, whereas in FIG. 2B the toothing is arranged on a lower face of the flange in a plane perpendicular to this axis of rotation AA.
• the indexing means consist of the collaboration of two teeth set against each other mutually, the first toothing 551 being arranged on the coupling member 5 and the second set of teeth 91 being arranged on one element. intermediate 9 secured to the hood 1 1.
• the second toothing 91 is directly arranged on an inner wall of the cover 1 1, and / or that one of the teeth 551 or 91 is replaced by an elastic indexing element.
• FIG. 2B one can distinguish a hexagonal opening 56 arranged in the lower end of the coupling member 52.
• This opening is intended to cooperate with the lower end of the piston 72, which takes in this case also a hexagonal shape of corresponding size.
• the arrangement of a particular section described allows easy handling of the crown when the latter is disassembled on tube 2, as in Figure 3 described in the following paragraph, with a tool like a traditional hexagonal key.
• the section of the tool locks the piston 7 in rotation while the lower end 52 of the coupling member 5 has a bearing surface for the tool to exert a force F2 against the force F1 exerted by the return means 4 in order to separate the cover 1 1 of the coupling member 5 and adjust the orientation of the ring.
• Other sections for the opening 56 for example square or triangular type are also possible to perform this manipulation, depending on the tool that we wish to privilege.
• FIG. 3 shows a view similar to FIG. 1, that is to say a sagittal section, of a ring constituting the screwed element 1 according to a preferred embodiment of the invention with a coupling member 5 in accordance with FIG. to that shown in Figure 2B with a toothing 551 in a plane orthogonal to the axis of rotation AA of the ring.
• the ring being disassembled, the tube 2 is no longer visible in this figure and the seal 6 is no longer compressed; all other parts are identical.
• the spring 8 of the piston 7 can extend since there is no axial stress either via the thread 51 for the position of the cap 1 1 or by the indexed position of the stem of winding on which is intended to be mounted the piston 7.
• FIG. 3 shows the system in the adjustment position P2 because the return means are compressed by applying a force F2 in the opposite direction to the force F1.
• the cover 1 1 and the coupling member 5 are axially movable relative to each other, and reversibly, between the first position P1 of Figure 1 in which the cover 1 1 is integral in rotation relative to the coupling member 5, and the second position P2 of Figure 3 wherein the cover 1 1 is free to rotate about the axis of rotation AA of said screwed crown, because the teeth 551 of the collar 55 of the coupling element 5 and 91 respectively of the intermediate element 9 are no longer in mutual contact.
• the return means 4 and said indexing means are determined so that the transition from the position P1 to the position P2 requires the exercise of a force F2 against return means 4 of an intensity at least three times greater than the force F1 exerted by the restoring means 4 at rest, that is to say in the locking position P1, so that any accidental manipulation error is excluded.
• the force F1 exerted by the return means 4 associated with the indexing means according to the invention is of the order of 14 Newton
• the value of the desired force F2 it is also possible to operate on the orientation parameter of the teeth along an oblique axis with respect to that of rotation of the crown AA.
• press the cover 1 1 to the middle 3 would not allow to separate the teeth 551 -91 from each other: if the crown 1 is not in its proximal position by relative to the middle part 3, that is to say the axial position as close as possible to the middle part 3, the return means 4 can in this case be compressed, but the force to be exerted to separate the teeth should be much greater than that which brings the hood 1 1 in its proximal position relative to the middle, as discussed above for the determination of the forces used for the axial indexing of the positions of the winding stem. The hood would therefore first be returned to its proximal position, before the teeth 551 -91 can be detached.
• the toothing 551 of the coupling member 5 in the opposite direction on its upper face 54, the other set of teeth 91 directly on the inner surface of the cover 1 14 and the return means 4 below a flange 55 to exert a force F1 this time in an axial direction not inwardly but outwardly of the middle part 3.
• the passage from the position P1 to the position P2 could thus be carried out by pulling the hood 1 1 outside the middle part 3 when the crown is in the screwed position on the tube 2, or when the end of the winding stem is distal to the middle part 3, that is to say the most
• no axial movement of the coupling member 5 is possible relative to the tube 2, and in the second case, no axial movement of the coupling member 5.
• the embodiment described with the aid of the figures has the advantage of only requiring a restricted space between the upper surface 54 of the coupling member 5 and the inner surface of the lid 1 14 in the central opening 1 15.
• the cover 1 12 of the cover 1 1 bearing the logo L can be easily moved angularly in a desired position by proceeding as follows .
• the cover 1 1 is held in the non-integral position P2 of the coupling member 5 by printing a force F2 on the lower end 52 of the coupling member towards the outside of the caseband 3, or, if the ring is disassembled, to the cover 1 1 2. It can then be oriented by rotating it in a desired angular position, which will be reproducible thanks to the indexing teeth for a number of discrete positions equal to the number of teeth, which gives at the same time an indication on the finesse setting.
• a cover attached to the coupling member 5 allows the manufacturer of crowns to have a stock of coupling elements 5 and use these elements with covers 1 1 with different patterns or d other elements such as precious stones or the like, or having external non-cylindrical shapes, for example square, oval or any other particular geometrical shape.
• the screwed element 1 may also consist for example of a valve, manual or automatic, and a pusher, a corrector or an orientable background.

Priority Applications (1)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (2)

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Family Applications (1)

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Cited By (2)

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• 2011
  • 2011-06-08 CH CH00969/11A patent/CH705090A2/fr not_active Application Discontinuation
• 2012
  • 2012-06-05 WO PCT/EP2012/060602 patent/WO2012168243A1/fr active Application Filing
  • 2012-06-05 CN CN201280028336.8A patent/CN103597412B/zh active Active
  • 2012-06-05 JP JP2014514038A patent/JP5746428B2/ja active Active
  • 2012-06-05 RU RU2013157146/12A patent/RU2596102C2/ru active
  • 2012-06-05 EP EP12725773.1A patent/EP2718770B1/de active Active
  • 2012-06-05 US US14/115,503 patent/US9110444B2/en active Active
  • 2012-06-05 KR KR1020147000339A patent/KR101536879B1/ko active IP Right Grant
• 2014
  • 2014-07-02 HK HK14106647.8A patent/HK1193168A1/zh unknown

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