CH719426A2 - Dressing component of a watch or an article of fashion, jewelry or jewelry and method of manufacturing such a dressing component. - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a covering component (10) of a watch, a fashion item or an item of jewelry, comprising a substrate (11) made of a transparent material, said substrate (11 ) comprising an internal face (110) opposite an external face (111), the covering component (10) comprising a base layer (12) deposited on a first portion of the internal face (110) and at least one layer secondary (13) deposited on the base layer (12) and on a second portion of the internal face (110), the first and the second portion of the internal face (110) having different surface states one from the 'other.

Description

Technical field of the invention

[0001] The invention relates to the field of watchmaking, fashion items, jewelry or jewelry, and more particularly concerns a component for dressing a watch, a fashion item, jewelry or jewelry. jewelry and a method of manufacturing such a covering component.

[0002] In the present text, the notion of “fashion article” includes articles or accessories of clothing, such as belts, shoes, clothing, etc., and also includes articles of eyewear, articles of telephone, or any decorative object.

Technology background

[0003] In the field of watchmaking in particular, the exterior components for watches, in particular dials, flange, bezels, etc., can have decorations made from thin layers deposited on the surface of a substrate .

[0004] Depending on the size and number of details of the decoration of the covering component, the latter can be relatively complex to produce. In particular, respecting the alignment tolerances of the thin layers in relation to each other can be particularly problematic.

[0005] In this context, the present invention aims to improve the precision and quality of the decorations of a covering component of a watch, particularly in the visual appearance of juxtaposed thin layers visible through a transparent substrate.

[0006] In particular, the invention solves the problem of respecting the tolerances for aligning the decorations on a covering component, in particular the alignment of the thin layers with each other and with respect to structures on which said layers thin are deposited.

[0007] Generally speaking, we also find the aforementioned problems in the fields of fashion articles, jewelry or jewelry.

Summary of the invention

[0008] The invention relates, for this purpose, to a component for dressing a watch, a fashion item, jewelry or jewelry, comprising a substrate made of a transparent material, said substrate comprising an internal face opposite an external face. The covering component comprises a base layer deposited on a first portion of the internal face and at least one secondary layer deposited on the base layer and on a second portion of the internal face, the first and the second portion of the face internal surface presenting different surface conditions from each other.

[0009] In particular embodiments, the invention may also include one or more of the following characteristics, taken in isolation or in all technically possible combinations.

[0010] In particular embodiments, the first portion of the internal face is polished, and the second portion of the internal face is structured.

[0011] In particular embodiments, the base layer and the secondary layer are of different composition from each other.

[0012] According to another aspect, the present invention relates to a watch dial formed by a trim component as described above.

[0013] According to yet another aspect, the present invention relates to a decorative element of a telephone shell formed by a covering component as described above.

[0014] According to yet another aspect, the present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a covering component of a watch or an article of jewelry comprising the following steps: – deposition of a layer of base on the entire surface of an internal face of a substrate made of a transparent material, – localized ablation of the base layer, in which part of said base layer is retained on a first portion of the face internal surface of the substrate, said ablation being carried out so as to form at least one pocket opening onto a second portion of the internal face of the substrate and so as to structure said second portion of the internal face of the substrate, – deposition of a secondary layer on the base layer and on the second portion of the internal face of the substrate.

[0015] In particular modes of implementation, the manufacturing process includes a preliminary step of polishing the internal face of the substrate.

[0016] In particular modes of implementation, the manufacturing process comprises a final etching step in which part of the base layer and part of the secondary layer are removed so as to conform said layers according to a predefined shape , without the substrate being impacted.

[0017] In particular modes of implementation, the step of local ablation of the base layer is carried out by laser beam.

Brief description of the figures

[0018] Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the following detailed description given by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the appended drawings in which: - Figures 1 and 2 represent respectively, schematically in sectional view, a covering component being produced by implementing steps of a manufacturing process according to a preferred embodiment of the invention; – Figures 3 and 4 respectively represent, schematically in sectional view, a covering component obtained by the implementation of the manufacturing process according to the invention, in exemplary embodiments of the invention.

Note that the figures are not to scale.

Detailed description of the invention

The present invention relates to a covering component 10 as shown in Figures 3 and 4 in exemplary embodiments, and as shown, during stages of its manufacture, in Figures 1 and 2.

[0021] The invention can advantageously constitute a decorative element of a watch, a fashion item, or an item of jewelry.

[0022] The terms “fashion articles” define any article or accessory of clothing, such as a belt, a shoe, a piece of clothing, etc., and also includes eyewear articles, telephone articles, such as phone cases, or any decorative object.

The covering component 10 comprises a substrate 11 made of a transparent material, such as sapphire or glass. The substrate 11 has an internal face 110 opposite an external face 111 from which a user is intended to see a decoration of the covering component 10, through said substrate 11. More particularly, the external face 111 is intended to be oriented towards an external environment and the internal face 110 is intended to be oriented towards an internal environment, for example facing a watch movement, in the case in which the covering component 10 is a component of a watch.

The covering component 10 comprises a base layer 12 deposited on a first portion of the internal face 110 and at least one secondary layer 13 deposited on the base layer 12 and on a second portion of the internal face 110 not covered by said base layer 12. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the first and second portions of the internal face 110 are contiguous to each other.

Advantageously, the first and second portions of the internal face 110 have different surface states from each other.

[0026] In particular, the first portion of the internal face 110 is preferably polished, and the second portion of the internal face 110 preferably has at least one structure 112. In the present description of the invention, reference is made below below with a single structure 112 to facilitate reading. The notion of “structuring” here defines a surface whose topography has been modified and this can consist of satin finishing, texturing, engraving, etc. The combination between the base layer 12, the secondary layer 13 and the different surface states advantageously forms a particularly attractive decoration.

The base layer 12 and the secondary layer 13 preferably have compositions different from each other. They can be made of any suitable material, for example metal, such as chrome, gold, titanium, zirconium, etc., or ceramic. These layers can also be constituted, one and/or the other, by a stack of thin layers, in a manner known per se to those skilled in the art.

[0028] This trim component 10 preferably forms a dial or a watch flange.

[0029] In another advantageous variant, the covering component 10 forms a decorative element of a telephone shell. The decorative element may extend over all or part of the visible surface of the telephone shell.

[0030] Furthermore, this covering component 10 is preferably produced by a manufacturing process whose steps are represented chronologically by Figures 1 to 3 and possibly 1 to 4 in another example of implementation.

More particularly, the manufacturing process comprises a first step of depositing the base layer 12 over the entire surface of the internal face 110 of the substrate 11, as shown in Figure 1.

Such a deposition can be carried out by physical vapor deposition method, chemical vapor deposition method, or by any other appropriate method.

Preferably, the internal face 110 is polished during a preliminary polishing step, prior to the deposition of the base layer 12.

[0034] The method subsequently comprises a step of localized ablation of the base layer 12, as shown in Figure 2, so as to form one or more pockets 14 opening onto the internal face 110 of the substrate 11 and, at the same time, to structure said internal face 110 at the level of the or each of the pockets 14 in order to produce a structuring 112.

More particularly, at the end of the localized ablation step, the part of the base layer 12 not impacted by the ablation rests against a first portion of the internal face 110 of the substrate 11, the pockets 14 open onto a second portion of the internal face 110 of the substrate 11, and said second portion of the internal face 110 is structured. Thus, the or each structure 112 coincides perfectly with the pocket 14 with which it is generated.

[0036] The local ablation of the base layer 12, and consequently, the structure(s) 112 of the second portion of the internal face 110, is preferably carried out by laser beam. Alternatively, the local ablation step can be carried out by robotic engraving with a diamond tip, by mechanical or chemical machining, etc.

A step of depositing a secondary layer 13 is subsequently carried out on the base layer 12 and in the pockets 14, that is to say, on the second portion of the internal face 110 of the substrate 11 , so as to obtain a covering component 10 as visible in Figure 3. Compliance with the alignment tolerances of the base layer 12 and the secondary layer 13 with the first and the second portion of the internal face 110 having different surface conditions is therefore ensured.

[0038] It should be noted that, thanks to the characteristics of the invention, the visual appearance of the decoration of the covering component 10 can be particularly attractive insofar as the contrast between the possible difference in color of the base layer 12 and of the secondary layer 13, is added the contrast between the different surface states of the portions of the internal face 110 on which said layers are respectively deposited.

The deposition of the secondary layer 13 can also be carried out by physical vapor deposition method, chemical vapor deposition method, or by any other appropriate method.

[0040] Finally, the method may include a final etching step in which part of the base layer 12 and part of the secondary layer 13 are removed so as to conform said layers according to a predefined shape, without the substrate 11 is not impacted, as shown in Figure 4.

[0041] Such a final engraving step can be implemented by photolithography, laser machining, etc.

More generally, it should be noted that the modes of implementation and embodiment considered above have been described by way of non-limiting examples, and that other variants are therefore possible.

[0043] In particular, the manufacturing process may include another localized ablation step in order to produce one or more pockets passing through the base layer 12 and the secondary layer 13 until opening onto a portion of the internal face 110 of the substrate. 11, and at the same time, to structure said portion of the internal face 110. Following this other localized ablation step, a third layer can be deposited on the secondary layer 13 and in the said pocket(s), so as to analogous to the step of depositing the secondary layer 13.

[0044] Generally speaking, it is possible for the method to comprise as many localized ablation steps, each followed by a step of deposition of an additional layer, as necessary, depending on the desired decoration.

Claims (9)

1. Exterior component (10) of a watch, a fashion item or an item of jewelry, comprising a substrate (11) made of a transparent material, said substrate (11) comprising a internal face (110) opposite an external face (111), the covering component (10) being characterized in that it comprises a base layer (12) deposited on a first portion of the internal face (110) and at least one secondary layer (13) deposited on the base layer (12) and on a second portion of the internal face (110), the first and second portions of the internal face (110) having different surface states l 'one from the other. 2. Trim component (10) according to claim 1, wherein the first portion of the internal face (110) is polished, and the second portion of the internal face (110) has at least one structure (112). 3. Dressing component (10) according to one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the base layer (12) and the secondary layer (13) are of different composition from each other. 4. Watch dial characterized in that it is formed by a covering component (10) according to one of claims 1 to 3. 5. Decorative element of a telephone shell characterized in that it is formed by a covering component (10) according to one of claims 1 to 3. 6. Method for manufacturing a trim component (10) of a watch, a fashion item, jewelry or jewelry comprising the following steps: – deposition of a base layer (12) over the entire surface of an internal face (110) of a substrate (11) made of a transparent material, – localized ablation of the base layer (12), in which a part of said base layer (12) is retained on a first portion of the internal face (110) of the substrate (11), said ablation being carried out so as to form at least one pocket (14) opening onto a second portion of the internal face (110) of the substrate (11) and so as to structure said second portion of the internal face (110) of the substrate (11), – deposition of a secondary layer (13) on the base layer (12) and on the second portion of the internal face (110) of the substrate (11). 7. Manufacturing method according to claim 6, comprising a preliminary step of polishing the internal face (110) of the substrate (11). 8. Manufacturing method according to claim 6 or 7, comprising a final etching step in which part of the base layer (12) and part of the secondary layer (13) are removed so as to conform said layers according to a predefined shape, without the substrate (11) being impacted. 9. Manufacturing method according to one of claims 6 to 8, in which the step of local ablation of the base layer (12) is carried out by laser beam.