EP4134756B1 - Adjustable face for a timepiece - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to bases for timepieces and more particularly to such bases comprising a pattern or a logo on their external face and in which said pattern or logo can be oriented as desired.

TECHNOLOGICAL BACKGROUND

It frequently happens that, when facing a watch case back on the middle of the latter, we notice that, when the back is completely screwed, the inscriptions or decorative motifs which may have been for example stamped or engraved on the face of the back located on the wrist side of the wearer of the watch, are not properly aligned with the vertical axis 12H-6H of said watch, which, of course, harms the aesthetic appearance of this watch.

This appearance defect, while it can be tolerated for inexpensive watches, constitutes a very annoying drawback for more expensive watches.

To remedy this drawback, the only solution known to date consists of matching a back with a watch case determined during machining, so that we can be assured that once completely screwed in, the back is perfectly aligned. with the 12H-6H axis of the watch. This solution is, however, only unsatisfactory because we are exposed to problems if the original back of the watch is lost or damaged and it is necessary to replace it with another back of which we are not be sure that once screwed onto the caseband, it always aligns properly with the vertical axis 12 o'clock-6 o'clock.

The document CH 710 451 A1 discloses a device for fixing a back on a middle part with a key which is inserted into a ring.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention aims to remedy this drawback as well as others by proposing a system allowing, after screwing a back onto the middle of a watch case, to adjust the position in a simple and effective manner. orientation of the back in relation to the watch, so as to guarantee a suitable arrangement of the inscriptions and other decorative motifs which have been transferred to the face of the back of the watch directed towards the wrist of the wearer of this watch.

For this purpose, the present invention relates to a device for fixing a back on a middle part of a watch case, the back being arranged to be driven onto the watch case, characterized in that it comprises a circle of casing to which at least one keying device is linked, said keying device being arranged to cooperate with at least one machining of the back so as to guarantee the orientation of the back relative to the middle part along the axis 12H-6H of the watch.

Thanks to these characteristics, the present invention provides a device for fixing a watch case back which allows this base to be completely pushed out of the middle of the watch so as to ensure the watertightness of the latter and to orient the back correctly in relation to the middle along the 12H-6H axis of the watch.

• le détrompeur est une goupille chassée dans le cercle d'emboîtage ;
• le détrompeur et le cercle d'emboîtage forment un élément d'un seul tenant ;
• ledit au moins un usinage est de forme complémentaire au détrompeur ;
• le dispositif comprend un joint annulaire réalisé en matériau compressible, ledit joint étant placé entre le fond et la carrure pour assurer l'étanchéité ;
• le détrompeur est saillant par rapport au plan de jonction entre le fond et la carrure de manière à guider le fond sur la carrure.

In accordance with other advantageous variants of the invention:

• the keying device is a pin driven into the nesting circle;
• the keying device and the casing circle form a single piece;
• said at least one machining is complementary in shape to the key;
• the device comprises an annular seal made of compressible material, said seal being placed between the back and the middle to ensure watertightness;
• the keying protrudes relative to the junction plane between the back and the middle part so as to guide the back onto the middle.

The invention also relates to a timepiece comprising a fixing device according to the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

• la figure 1 est une vue en coupe d'une boite de montre équipée d'un dispositif de fixation d'un fond sur une carrure conforme à l'invention.

The aims, advantages and characteristics of the device for fixing a back to a middle part of a watch case will appear better in the following description on the basis of at least one non-limiting embodiment illustrated by the drawing in which:

• there figure 1 is a sectional view of a watch case equipped with a device for fixing a back on a middle part according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

There figure 1 illustrates a device for fixing and orienting a back 1 on a middle part 2 of a watch case, the back 1 being intended to be driven onto the middle part 2.

According to the invention, the device comprises a fitting circle 3 to which is linked at least one keying device 4 arranged to cooperate with at least one machining 10 of the back 1 so as to guarantee the orientation of the back 1 relative to the middle part 2 along the axis 12H-6H of the watch, the back 1 having an exterior face bearing a pattern such as a logo or a brand.

As we can observe in the figure 1 , the bottom consists of a skirt 11 and a ring 12 projecting relative to the skirt, the ring being arranged to rest in the middle part 2 once the bottom 1 has been pushed out.

According to a first embodiment, the keying device 4 is in the form of a pin which is driven into the nesting circle 3, the nesting circle 3 having an orifice arranged to receive the pin.

According to a second embodiment, the key 4 and the nesting circle 3 form a single piece element. They can for example be manufactured via plastic injection or molding, mass machining could also be possible. This embodiment has the advantage of being simpler to set up and less expensive to produce.

Thanks to such an assembly, the angular rotation of the back 1 relative to the middle part 2 is blocked (therefore its position) by the key 4 which engages when driving into the back 1.

In order to limit the play as much as possible once everything is assembled, said at least one machining 10 has a shape complementary to the keying device 4, the keying device being arranged to be inserted by force into the machining 10 of the bottom 1.

According to the invention, an annular seal 30 made of compressible material is placed between the bottom 1 and the middle part 2, and more precisely outside the ring 12 of the bottom to ensure sealing once the bottom is assembled on the build.

Advantageously, the key 4 is slightly protruding relative to the junction plane P between the back 1 and the middle part 2 so as to also act as a guiding element during the assembly of the back 1 on the middle part 2, the key 4 coming into engagement with the bottom 1 or the nesting circle 3 before the annular seal 30 begins to be compressed.

The fitting circle 3 and the key 4 can be made of plastic material in the case where they form a one-piece element. In the other case, the key 4 can be made of a metallic or plastic material.

The mounting of the fixing device according to the invention is carried out as follows. The movement and the casing circle 3 are mounted in the middle part 2. Once the casing circle 3 is fixed in the middle part 2, the back 1 is placed in relation to the key 4 so as to partially insert this last in the machining 10 of the back 1. Once the back 1 is placed and the key 4 partially inserted in the machining 10, the back 1 is driven onto the middle part 2 until the back abuts against the middle part 2.

It goes without saying that the invention is not limited to the embodiment which has just been described and that various modifications and simple variants can be envisaged without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the key can also be placed on the bottom instead of the nesting circle.

Claims (7)

1. Device for fastening a back (1) to a middle (2) of a watch case (100), the device comprising said back and said middle, the back (1) being arranged to be driven onto the middle (2), the device comprising a casing ring (3) to which is connected at least one position pin (4), said position pin (4) being arranged to cooperate with at least one machining (10) in the back (1) so as to guarantee the orientation of the back (1) relative to the middle (2) along the 12 o'clock-6 o'clock axis of the watch.
2. Device according to claim 1, characterised in that the position pin (4) is a pin that is driven into the casing ring (3).
3. Device according to claim 1, characterised in that the position pin (4) and the casing ring (3) make up an element made in one piece.
4. Device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that said at least one machining (10) has a shape that complements that of the position pin (4).
5. Device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that it comprises a ring gasket (30) made of a compressible material, said ring gasket (30) being placed between the back (1) and the middle (2) to procure the leakproof seal.
6. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the position pin (4) projects from the joining plane (P) between the back (1) and the middle (2) so as to guide the back (1) on the middle (2).
7. Timepiece comprising a fastening device according to one of claims 1 to 6.

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