CH686466B5 - Timepiece having control members is flush with an outer surface fixed. - Google Patents

Description

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CH 686 466G A3

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Description

The present invention relates to timepieces and, more particularly, to control elements external to the case containing the movement of a timepiece, such as the winding rod or the pushers for controlling the various functions of the part. .

As a general rule, the control members of a timepiece have at least a part which exceeds the general volume of the case. This is particularly the case for the crown of the winding or time-setting stem, or even push-buttons for controlling the functions of triggering, stopping and resetting chrono-graphs, for example. In some cases, it may be desirable, for reasons, either aesthetic or protective, to prevent these control members from freely protruding from the box. It is then necessary to associate them with particular means to allow them to be handled conveniently.

The Swiss patent CH 316 833 describes a particular arrangement of such means in which the crown of a winding stem is embedded in the case of a watch, when this stem is at rest. The crown can be placed in a working position to allow rotation of the stem (time setting or winding), by actuating a lever mechanism arranged in a part of the periphery of the case. This mechanism can be controlled by means of a pusher placed in the edge of the case in the vicinity of the winding stem. In another embodiment, this known arrangement comprises a cam mechanism which can be displaced relative to the rod in the edge of the case to push the crown into its active position, the displacement being able to be effected by means of a bezel surrounding the watch crystal or by a slide which is slidably mounted in the edge of the case.

These known arrangements are not only bulky, because they require a considerable volume, but also they are complicated and therefore too costly to actually be able to be incorporated into a marketable product.

The patents CH 325 243 and US 203 455 each describe a watch winding key comprising a handling pallet mounted on a hinge to be retracted into a cavity formed in one face of the watch case, so as to be flush with the surface outside of the box in its rest position. However, this cavity involves additional space inside the box.

The present invention aims to provide a timepiece whose control members, while being retracted in the rest position and easily manipulated in the working position, do not have the drawbacks of the prior art namely that they do not are neither bulky nor too complicated to appreciably increase the cost price of the timepiece.

The invention therefore relates to a timepiece as defined in claim 1.

Thanks to these characteristics, a simple and space-saving control arrangement is obtained. The handling pallet according to the invention is in fact mounted on the control member itself. Thus, it occupies a minimum of space in the protective tube and does not require any movement transmission mechanism to be placed in the case of the timepiece in the vicinity of the control member. Said tube being mounted on the middle, it is understood that it provides effective protection of the control member.

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will appear during the following description, which is given only by way of example and made with reference to the appended drawings in which:

- fig. 1 is a perspective view, greatly enlarged, of a part of a timepiece illustrating the installation on the edge of the box of three control members incorporating some of the characteristics of the invention;

- fig. 2 and 3 are views in axial section respectively of two of the control members appearing in FIG. 1, along lines ll-ll and lll-lll;

- fig. 4 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1 and shows an embodiment of the invention;

- fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line V-V of FIG. 4;

- fig. 6 shows three alternative embodiments of the invention; and

- fig. 7 shows a partial sectional view of yet another embodiment of the invention.

It will be noted that the example illustrated by FIGS. 1 to 3 does not constitute an embodiment of the invention defined by the claims, but is used here for the description of certain constructive arrangements usable with the invention.

We first refer to fig. 1 on which a first mode of construction appears. By way of example, the timepiece shown is a chronograph comprising three control members, namely a crown 1 for winding / resetting the time, a pusher 2 for starting and stopping the chronograph function and a second push-button 3 for resetting this function to zero. It can be seen that these three control members are mounted in the edge of the middle part 4 of the case 5 of the timepiece. It is obvious that the application of the provisions described here is not limited to this specific example, any other timepiece being able to be provided with one or more control members of this kind.

Referring to fig. 2, it can be seen that the middle part 4 of the timepiece is pierced with a hole 6 whose axis X-X is radial relative to the axis of the hands of the piece. This hole is stepped and receives in its part 7 of smaller diameter (that is to say on the inner side of the middle part 4) a driven tube 8.

This tube 8 protrudes from the part 7 of the hole 6 where it is provided with a flange 9 externally threaded and provided with an internal annular groove 10. Cet5

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CH 686 466G A3

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the groove 10 is intended to receive a seal 11.

A barrel 12 is mounted axially in the tube 8. On the outside of the middle part 4, this barrel has a fixing flange 13 which, by its radial shoulder facing the inside of the middle part 4, is intended to compress a second lining d seal 14, as will be seen later. On the inner side, this barrel 12 has a radial rim 15 extending inwardly, the inner edge of which is hexagonal.

The fixing flange 13 is driven into a cylindrical cavity 16 of a handling head 17 which, in the rest position of the control member, is fully engaged in the two outer parts 18 and 19 of the stepped hole 6. The cavity 16 is delimited by a cylindrical skirt 20, the end of which is threaded so as to be able to be screwed onto the flange 9 of the tube 8. The external portion 21 of the handling head 17 is hollowed out at 22 over approximately half of its area circular. The step which separates the recessed part 22 from the solid part 23 from the external portion 21 is rounded so as to have a concave groove 24 transversely to the axis X-X. An eyelet 25 is welded against the bottom of this groove 24 and extends approximately over a third of the diameter of the outer portion 21 of the head 17 (see also fig. 1).

The eyelet 25 forms one of the elements of a hinge which also comprises two sockets 26a and 26b welded to a liftable handling pallet 27, as well as a pin 28 which is driven into the eyelet 25 and engaged in greasy friction in sockets 26a and 26b.

The eyelet 25 can be a part attached to the head 17 for example by welding, or according to a variant be directly machined in this head. Likewise, the sockets 26a and 26b can be welded to the pallet 27 or be machined in the mass thereof.

As can be seen in fig. 1 in particular, the pallet 27 extends, in the lowered position, only partially in the recessed portion 22 of the head 17 to leave free a space 29 in which the nail of a user can be engaged. To make it easier to maneuver, the pallet also has a tab 30 on its straight edge.

The assembly just described also includes a movable barrel 31 screwed onto the rod 32 of the movement (not shown) of the timepiece. This movable barrel has approximately mid-length a flange 33 of which a part 34 forms a hexagon nut intended to fit on the rim 15 of the barrel 12. Finally, the movable barrel 31 ends in a nozzle 35 around which a helical spring 36 is placed, resting on the bottom of the cavity 16 of the handling head 17.

From the above detailed description, it will be understood that the control member 1 is in fact what is usually called a "target crown", the operation of which appears clearly to specialists.

To be able to actuate the rod 32, it is necessary to raise the pallet 27, by rotating it around the axis of the hinge formed by the eyelet 25, the sockets 26a and 26b and the pin 28. This lifting operation of the pallet 27 is facilitated by the tab 30. After a quarter-turn rotation, the pallet is in the position shown in dotted lines in FIGS. 1 and 2. It is then easy to unscrew the crown by rotating the head 17 around the axis X-X. When the latter is completely released from the barrel 12, the spring 36 pushes it completely outwards until the flange 15 abuts against the cylindrical part of the flange 33. The hexes of this flange are then engaged with those of the flange 33 which establishes the rotational coupling of the head 17 with the rod 32. The latter can then be actuated like a normal timepiece rod, allowing the user to set it to l time, wind it up or perform any other similar function.

The reverse operations make it possible to restore the initial situation and to place flush with the outer surface of the middle part 4, the assembly of the handling head 17 and in particular of the pallet 27.

This gives a particularly aesthetic effect which does not affect the functionality that one would normally expect from a screw-down crown.

We will now refer to FIG. 3 which represents a sectional view of the control member 2. It should be noted that the arrangement of the control member 3 is identical to that of the control member 2.

Here it is in fact a pusher acting on a pusher rod 37 of axis Y-Y belonging to the movement (not shown) of the timepiece. Like the X-X axis, the Y-Y axis extends radially with respect to that of the hands of the timepiece.

The control member or pusher 2 is placed in a cavity 38 of rectangular section formed in the middle part 4 and opening at the outer surface of the latter. This cavity 38 communicates with the interior of the middle part through an orifice 39 through which the push rod 37 passes.

A handling head 40 of rectangular section adjusted to the shape of the cavity 38 is placed therein. This head has, in alignment with the axis Y-Y, a hole 41 in which the push rod 37 is driven, as well as an annular recess 42 in which a helical return spring 43 is received.

Like the handling head 17, that of the control member 2 comprises a pallet 27A which is rectangular in shape but which in section has the same shape as the pallet 27. The hinge 44 which connects it to the head 40 is also of identical shape.

The assembly is completed by the usual seal 45.

We will now refer to figs. 4 and 5 which represent an embodiment of the invention. In this example, this embodiment only concerns the control member 1, however it should be noted that it could just as easily be applied to one or to the other two control members 2 and 3 .

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In fig. 4 and 5, it can be seen that a protective tube 46 is attached externally to the middle part 4, this tube receiving a large part of the mechanism of the control member 1. The outer mouth of the tube forms a projection 47 in which comes lodge the solid part 23 of the head 17 of the control member 1, as well as the pallet 27 and its hinge. The construction of the actual control member is identical to that of FIGS. 1 and 2.

Figs. 6A, 6B and 6C show by way of example three shapes which can be given to the contour of the control members 2 and 3, that is to say those which do not require rotation about their axis. Of course, other forms of this outline are possible without departing from the scope of the invention.

It should be noted that the expression “outer surface of the case” used in the present specification generally designates the lateral surface of the middle part 4 or of the case 5 including that of the projection formed by the protective tube 46.

Furthermore, the term "flush" also used in the present specification should be understood as encompassing elements whose apparent surfaces are exactly at the same level (for example the surfaces of the pallet 27 and the middle part 4) or approximately at the same level .

An illustration of the generalization of this term "outcrop" is shown in fig. 7 where it is another embodiment of the invention. In this case, the head 17B and the pallet 27B protrude a few tenths of a millimeter from the front surface 48 of the tube 47, that is to say approximately half the height of the tab 30 of the pallet 27B. Note also: that in this case it fills the entire space 22 reserved for it in the head 17. Overall, the assembly only protrudes very slightly from the outer surface of the middle part.

Claims (8)

Claims 1. Timepiece comprising a clockwork movement and a box (5) for housing this movement, at least one manual control member (1) mounted in said box (5) to allow adjustment and / or operation a determined function of said part, said control member (1) comprising a handling pallet (27, 27a, 27b) articulated by a hinge (44) on a head (17) of this member, this pallet being able to occupy a first position , called rest, in which it is folded over said head (17, 40), and a second position, called manipulation, in which it is raised manually to be protruding from said head and allow the actuation of the control (1), characterized in that said control member (1) is at least partially mounted in a protective tube (46) mounted projecting on the middle part (4) of said box (5), said pallet (27, 27a, 27b) flush with a front surface of the protective tube ( 46), in its rest position, while it protrudes in its handling position. 2. Timepiece according to claim 1, characterized in that the outer mouth of the tube (46) forms a projection (47) in which are housed the head (17) of the control member, the pallet ( 27) and its hinge (25, 26a, 26b). 3. Timepiece according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said head further comprises a recess (22) in which said pallet disappears in its rest position. 4. Timepiece according to claim 3, characterized in that said pallet (27B) fills all of said recess (22) and in that said head (17), as well as said pallet (27B), protrude very slightly from said front surface. 5. Timepiece according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said head (17) which supports the pallet (27, 27b) comprises a cavity (16), delimited by a skirt (20) whose l the free end is threaded so as to be able to aim at a flange (9) of the same thread, belonging to a tube (8) fixedly secured to the box (5). 6. Timepiece according to claim 5, characterized in that a barrel (12) is driven into the cavity (16), this barrel (12), which is mounted axially in the tube (8), being able actuate a rod (32) of the clockwork movement. 7. Timepiece according to claim 6, characterized in that said control member (1) further comprises sealing means (11, 14) housed respectively in the tube (8) and the cavity (16). 8. Timepiece according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the control member is a pusher acting on a pusher rod (37). 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 5