EP3968099A1 - System for securing a timepiece movement in a watch case - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a system for fixing a watch movement (2) of generally circular shape in a watch case (20), this fixing system comprising a casing ring (1) in which the movement of clockwork (2) is arranged, the casing circle (1) extending between an upper part and a lower part, the clockwork movement (2) being fixed in the lower part of the casing circle (1) to using a first and a second fixing means arranged at two opposite ends of a diameter (D) of the timepiece movement (2), at least a third fixing means, angularly offset with respect to the first and second fixing means and fixed in the upper part of the casing ring (1), making it possible to block the clock movement (2) in the casing ring (1).

Description

Technical field of the invention

The present invention relates to a system for fixing a clock movement in a watch case. More specifically, the present invention relates to a system making it possible to immobilize a timepiece movement arranged in a casing ring arranged in the case of a watch.

Technological background of the invention

Timepieces, in particular wristwatches, conventionally comprise a case middle closed at the bottom by a back. Together, these two elements - caseband and caseback - form a watch case that delimits an interior volume in which is housed a watch movement, also called a caliber. Towards the top, the watch case is surmounted by a dial protected by a crystal.

Depending on the case, such a clockwork movement is arranged in the interior volume of the watch case either directly or via a casing ring in which the clockwork movement is set, the assembly formed by the clock movement and the casing ring then being housed in the watch case.

The immobilization of the clock movement in the watch case is frequently ensured by two screws or by two screw-flange assemblies only. These screws or these screw-flange assemblies enable the timepiece movement to be fixed either directly to the middle part or to the casing ring. Usually, these fixing elements are arranged at the two opposite ends of a diameter of the clock movement which, in use, has not always proved to be very appropriate. Indeed, the diameter of the clock movement on which the screws or the assemblies formed by screws and flanges form an axis around which the watch movement and, where applicable, the casing ring in which the watch movement is arranged, are capable of pivoting in the event of an impact applied to the watch. Of course, such pivoting of the watch movement or of the watch movement/casing ring assembly inside the watch case is to be avoided because it can cause significant damage to certain components of the watch case. watch such as the stems of winding or correction crowns which may be bent or the feet of the dial which may break. Some cases have even been observed in which the dial has bent.

Summary of the invention

The object of the present invention is to overcome the aforementioned problems as well as others by providing a fixing system making it possible to guarantee total immobility of a clockwork movement in a case of a watch, in particular in the event of shocks. applied to such a watch case.

To this end, according to a first aspect, the subject of the present invention is a system for fixing a watch movement of generally circular shape in a case of a watch, this fixing system comprising a casing ring in which the clockwork is arranged, the casing circle extending between an upper part and a lower part, the clockwork being fixed in the lower part of the casing circle by means of a first and a second fixing means arranged at two opposite ends of a diameter of the clock movement, at least a third fixing means, angularly offset with respect to the first and second fixing means and fixed in the upper part of the circle d casing, making it possible to block the clock movement in the casing circle.

According to a special embodiment of the invention, the fixing system comprises a holding part, the clock movement being sandwiched between this holding piece and the casing ring, the holding piece being fixed to the casing ring by means of the at least third fixing means.

According to another special embodiment of the invention, the third fixing means is angularly offset by 90° relative to the first and second fixing means arranged at opposite ends by a diameter of the clock movement.

Thanks to these characteristics, the present invention provides a system for fixing a watch movement in a casing ring of a watch case which guarantees a rigid connection between the watch movement and the case of the watch, so as to prevent any untimely movement of the clock movement inside the watch case in the event of an impact applied to the watch. Indeed, by providing at the top of the casing circle at least one third fastening means which is angularly offset with respect to the diametrical line which connects the first and second fastening means of the watch movement to this same circle casing, any possibility of pivoting of the watch movement relative to the case of the watch in the event of impact is prohibited. The risks of distorting the stems of the winding or correction crowns which, from outside the watch, allow the owner of this watch to act on the watch movement, are thus avoided. The risk of breaking the dial feet, or even of the dial bending, is also avoided, a situation which is irremediable if one is dealing with an old watch for which spare parts are no longer available. The immobilization of the clock movement inside the casing circle is further improved by placing this clock movement sandwiched between the casing circle and a holding piece which is immobilized by means of the third means of fixation.

The present invention also relates to a system for fixing a watch movement of generally circular shape in a case of a watch, this fixing system comprising a casing ring in which the clock movement is arranged, the casing circle extending between an upper part and a lower part, the clock movement being blocked in the casing circle with the aid of a first, d a second and a third fixing means angularly spaced and fixed in the upper part of this casing ring.

According to a special embodiment of the invention, the fastening system comprises a retaining piece, the timepiece movement being sandwiched between this retaining piece and the casing ring, the retaining piece being fixed on the casing circle using the first, second and third fastening means.

According to another special embodiment of the invention, the first, second and third fixing means used to fix the retaining piece on the casing ring are regularly spaced angularly.

This other object of the invention also makes it possible to guarantee perfect immobilization of the timepiece movement in the casing-up circle and therefore to avoid any risk of parts mechanically linked with the movement deteriorating. Indeed, the fact that the clockwork is fixed to the casing circle at three angularly spaced points prevents any movement of the clockwork relative to the casing circle and therefore also relative to the case of the watch. The immobilization of the clock movement relative to the casing circle is further improved by covering the clock movement by means of a retaining piece which is immobilized on the casing circle by means of the three means of fixation.

According to a special embodiment of the invention, the means for fixing the timepiece movement and/or the retaining part to the casing ring are screws or screw-flange assemblies.

According to another special embodiment of the invention, the retaining part is a ring.

Brief description of figures

• la figure 1 est une vue en coupe d'une boîte de montre dans le volume intérieur de laquelle est agencé un cercle d'emboîtage qui reçoit un mouvement d'horlogerie fixé dans la partie inférieure de ce cercle d'emboîtage au moyen d'une vis ;
• la figure 2 est une vue de dessous du cercle d'emboîtage de la figure 1 dans la partie inférieure duquel est fixé le mouvement d'horlogerie à l'aide d'une première et d'une deuxième vis disposées à deux extrémités opposées d'un diamètre du mouvement d'horlogerie ;
• la figure 3 est une vue de dessus du cercle d'emboîtage de la figure 2 dans lequel, selon le premier aspect de l'invention, le mouvement d'horlogerie est immobilisé à l'aide d'au moins un troisième moyen de fixation, décalé angulairement par rapport aux premier et deuxième moyens de fixation, et fixé dans la partie supérieure du cercle d'emboîtage ;
• la figure 4 est une vue analogue à celle de la figure 3 avec rajout d'une pièce de maintien entre laquelle et le cercle d'emboîtage le mouvement d'horlogerie est pris en sandwich, cette pièce de maintien étant fixée sur le cercle d'emboîtage à l'aide du troisième moyen de fixation ;
• la figure 5 est une vue qui illustre en coupe la fixation du mouvement d'horlogerie dans le cercle d'emboîtage telle que représentée à la figure 4 ;
• la figure 6 est une vue de dessus d'un cercle d'emboîtage dans lequel, selon le second aspect de l'invention, le mouvement d'horlogerie est immobilisé à l'aide de premier, second et troisième moyens de fixation fixés dans la partie supérieure du cercle d'emboîtage ;
• la figure 7 est une vue analogue à celle de la figure 6 sur laquelle on voit que le mouvement d'horlogerie est pris en sandwich entre une pièce de maintien et le cercle d'emboîtage, la pièce de maintien étant immobilisée sur le cercle d'emboîtage à l'aide des premier, deuxième et troisième moyens de fixation, et
• la figure 8 illustre la fixation du mouvement d'horlogerie et du cercle d'emboîtage dans la boîte de montre au moyen d'ensembles de fixation vis-brides.

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will emerge more clearly from the following detailed description of an embodiment of a system for fixing a timepiece movement in a casing ring, this example being given at purely illustrative and non-limiting title only in connection with the attached drawing on which:

• the figure 1 is a sectional view of a watch case in the interior volume of which is arranged a casing ring which receives a clock movement fixed in the lower part of this casing ring by means of a screw;
• the picture 2 is a bottom view of the casing ring of the figure 1 in the lower part of which is fixed the clockwork using a first and a second screw arranged at two opposite ends of a diameter of the clockwork;
• the picture 3 is a top view of the casing ring of the picture 2 in which, according to the first aspect of the invention, the timepiece movement is immobilized using at least one third fixing means, angularly offset with respect to the first and second fixing means, and fixed in the part upper part of the casing circle;
• the figure 4 is a view analogous to that of picture 3 with the addition of a retaining piece between which and the casing ring the timepiece movement is sandwiched, this retaining piece being fixed to the casing ring by means of the third fixing means;
• the figure 5 is a view which illustrates in section the fixing of the clock movement in the casing circle as shown in figure 4 ;
• the figure 6 is a top view of a casing ring in which, according to the second aspect of the invention, the clock movement is immobilized using first, second and third fastening means fixed in the upper part of the casing ring;
• the figure 7 is a view analogous to that of figure 6 in which it is seen that the timepiece movement is sandwiched between a holding part and the casing ring, the holding part being immobilized on the casing ring by means of the first, second and third means of fixing, and
• the figure 8 illustrates the fixing of the clock movement and the casing ring in the watch case by means of screw-flange fixing assemblies.

Detailed description of an embodiment of the invention

The present invention proceeds from the general inventive idea which consists in providing a fastening system making it possible to immobilize a clockwork movement of a watch relative to a casing ring. It is thus possible to banish any relative movement of the watch movement with respect to the casing circle and to the case of the watch in the event of an impact applied to the watch, so that any risk of damaging parts such as stems winding or correction mechanically linked to the watch movement is avoided. The present invention is of particular interest with regard to the many clock movements which are still fixed in the lower part of the casing rings by means of two screws arranged at the opposite ends of a diameter of the clock movement and which define an axis around which the watch movement is capable of pivoting in the event of a shock applied to the watch. Rather than having to rethink the layout of the clockwork movement, which generates costs, the present invention teaches to immobilize the clockwork movement in the upper part of the casing circle using a third means fixing device such as a screw which is angularly offset with respect to the first two screws by means of which the clockwork movement is fixed in the casing circle. Any possibility of displacement of the clockwork movement inside the casing circle is thus prohibited, so that there is no risk that mechanical parts linked to the clockwork movement will be damaged in the event of impact. applied to the watch case. It is also proposed to cover the watch movement with a retaining part such as a ring and to fix this ring on the casing ring by means of at least one screw offset angularly with respect to the line which connects the screws with which the clockwork is fixed in the casing ring. In this way, complete immobilization of the watch movement is guaranteed in the event of a shock applied to the watch. If one chooses to fix the clock movement in the upper part of the casing circle by means of at least three screws spaced angularly from each other, it is even possible to avoid having to fix the movement of clockwork in the lower part of the casing ring. In this case too, the clock movement can be sandwiched between the casing ring and a retaining piece fixed to this casing ring by means of screws.

The figure 1 is a view in partial section of a casing ring 1 in which is housed a clockwork movement 2. As can easily be understood by examining together the figures 1 and 2 , the clockwork movement 2 is fixed in a lower part of the casing ring 1 by means of a first and a second fixing means arranged at two opposite ends of a diameter D of this movement of clockwork 2. As a preferred but non-limiting example, the first and second fixing means are each formed of a screw 4 provided with a head 6. The clockwork movement 2 which is generally circular in shape is provided with a collar 8 by which the clockwork 2 comes to bear on the casing ring 1 as the screw 4 is screwed into the thickness of the clockwork 2. Finally, the casing ring 1 is pinched between the collar 8 and the head 6 of the two screws 4.

Fixing a clock movement in a casing ring by means of two screws arranged at opposite ends with a diameter of this clockwork is a long-known and problematic solution. In fact, in the event of a shock applied to the watch, the diameter of the timepiece movement which connects the two screws together forms an axis around which the timepiece movement is capable of pivoting. When such an event occurs, the parts mechanically linked to the watch movement may deteriorate, or even break, as is the case with the feet of the dial which is located above the watch movement, a short distance from this last. There are even cases where the dial bends. This is why the need has arisen to provide an additional means of immobilizing the watch movement in order to prevent it from moving inside the watch case, in particular in the event of impact. .

This is why, according to a first aspect of the invention, a third means for fixing the clock movement in the upper part of the casing ring is provided. This solution is illustrated in picture 3 attached to the present patent application on which we see that a third fixing means such as a screw 10 is screwed into the upper part of the casing ring 1. This screw 10 is provided with a head 12 which comes partially resting on an edge 14 of the clock movement 2. The screw 10 is angularly offset, for example by 90°, with respect to the screws 4 which are used to fix the clock movement 2 in the lower part of the casing circle 1, so that a perfect immobilization of this clock movement 2 in the casing circle 1 is guaranteed.

According to a special embodiment of the invention illustrated in figure 4 , the clockwork movement 2 is capped by means of a retaining part such as a ring 16 which is fixed to the casing ring 1 by means of the screw 10, so as to take up the movement of clockwork 2 sandwiched between this ring 16 and the casing circle 1. In this way, the immobilization of the clockwork movement 2 in the casing circle 1 is further improved and the quality of the finish of the assembly of the movement watchmaking 2 in casing circle 1 is of higher quality.

The figure 5 is a view which illustrates in section the fixing of the clockwork movement 2 in the casing ring 1 as shown in figure 4 . As visible on this figure 5 , the casing ring 1 in which the timepiece movement 2 is housed is arranged in an interior volume 18 of a watch case 20 formed of a middle part 22 and a back 24, with the interposition of a seal of compression 26 between the casing ring 1 and this bottom 24.

Provided with a flange 28 by which it rests on a shoulder 30 provided on the casing ring 1, the timepiece movement 2 is capped by the ring-type retaining part 16 which bears on the flange 28 so as to to take the clockwork 2 sandwiched between this ring 16 and the casing ring 1. Finally, the screw 10 is screwed into the casing ring 1 through the ring 16 against which the screw 10 comes to rest by his head 12.

According to the second aspect of the invention illustrated in figure 6 , it is possible to dispense with the fixing of the clockwork movement 2 in the lower part of the casing ring 1 while still guaranteeing perfect immobilization of the clockwork movement 2 in the casing ring 1. A For this purpose, provision is made to fix the clock movement 2 in the casing ring 1 using at least a first, a second and a third fixing means such as screws 32 which are screwed into the upper part of the casing circle 1. These screws 32 are spaced angularly from each other, preferably regularly. They are each provided with a head 34 which comes to rest partially on the rim 14 of the clockwork movement 2. It is therefore understood that, fixed in the casing ring 1 according to three angularly spaced points, any displacement of the movement of watchmaking 2 in the casing ring 1 is rendered impossible. To improve the quality of the finish of the interlocking of the clockwork movement 2, it is possible, as shown in figure 7 , to sandwich the watch movement between a holding part such as a ring 36 and the circle casing 1, the ring 36 being fixed on the upper part of this casing circle 1 using the three screws 32.

Finally, the figure 8 illustrates the assembly of the assembly formed by the casing ring 1 and the clock movement 2 in the watch case 20. We see in this figure 8 that a screw 38 is screwed into the casing ring 1 with the interposition of a flange 40 which comes to bear on a shoulder 42 made in the middle part 22. It can also be seen that the ring 16 which bears on the flange 28 of the clock movement 2 also bears by a lower edge 44 on the casing ring 1.

It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment which has just been described and that various simple modifications and variants can be envisaged by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined. by the appended claims.

Nomenclature

• 1. Casing circle
• 2. Clockwork
• d.Diameter
• 4. Screws
• 6. Head
• 8. Collar 8
• 10. Screws
• 12. Head
• 14. Ledge
• 16. Ring
• 18. Interior volume
• 20. Watch box
• 22. Build
• 24. Background
• 26. Compression seal
• 28. Collar
• 30. Shoulder
• 32. Screw
• 34. Head
• 36. Ring
• 38. Screw
• 40. Bridle
• 42. Shoulder
• 44. Lower edge

Claims (8)

System for fixing a clockwork movement (2) of generally circular shape in a watch case (20), this fixing system comprising a casing ring (1) in which the clockwork movement (2) is arranged, the casing ring (1) extending between an upper part and a lower part, the clock movement (2) being fixed in the lower part of the casing ring (1) by means of a first and a second fixing means arranged at two opposite ends of a diameter (D) of the timepiece movement (2), at least one third fixing means, angularly offset with respect to the first and second fixing means and fixed in the upper part of the casing ring (1), making it possible to block the clock movement (2) in the casing ring (1). Fixing system according to Claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a holding part, the clock movement (2) being sandwiched between this holding part and the casing ring (1), the retainer being fixed to the casing ring (1) using the at least third fixing means. Fixing system according to one of Claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the third fixing means is angularly offset by 90° relative to the first and second fixing means arranged at opposite ends of the diameter (D) of the movement of watchmaking (2). System for fixing a clockwork movement (2) of generally circular shape in a watch case (20), this fixing system comprising a casing ring (1) in which the clockwork movement (2) is arranged, the casing ring (1) extending between an upper part and a lower part, the clock movement (2) being blocked in the casing ring (1) by means of a first, a second and a third fixing means angularly spaced apart and fixed in the upper part of this casing ring (1). Fixing system according to Claim 4, characterized in that it comprises a holding part, the clock movement (2) being sandwiched between this holding part and the casing ring (1), the retainer being fixed to the casing ring (2) by means of the first, second and third fixing means. Fastening system according to one of Claims 4 and 5, characterized in that the first, second and third means are regularly spaced angularly. Fixing system according to one of Claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the means for fixing the clock movement (2) and/or the retaining part on the casing ring (1) are screws (4 ;10;32;38). Fastening system according to one of Claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the retaining part is a ring (16; 36).

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