EP0869409A2

EP0869409A2 - Analogical wrist watch with superimposed dials

Info

Publication number: EP0869409A2
Application number: EP98830196A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Vincenzo Testa
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1997-04-02
Filing date: 1998-03-31
Publication date: 1998-10-07
Also published as: EP0869409A3; IT1291817B1; ITFI970066A0; ITFI970066A1

Abstract

A watch with superimposed dials, comprising a diaphragm (8), placed between a lower graduated dial (7) and an upper graduated dial (19), which, by means of an external operation, can be opened and closed rendering lower dial (7) legible or illegible. The diaphragm (8) is composed of a plurality of thin mobile plates which can be partially superimposed on one another and are suited to rotate between a position of reciprocal engagement in which the diaphragm is closed, and one of disengagement in which the diaphragm is open.

Description

The present invention relates to the field of wrist watches and more particularly to wrist watches of the type having an analogical display.

Modern wrist watches, especially those for sports and active wear, are ever more often provided, in addition to the base functions (i.e. indication of the date and time), with a series of accessory functions of various types which often still pertain to the measurement of time, such as chronograph functions, the indication of the time in different time zones and the reading of lunar phases, but sometimes also relate to entirely different fields of use which require the watch to be equipped with specific additional instruments. There are known, for example, watches with compasses, altimeters and/or depth gauges, pulsimeters and still other functions.

In multifunction watches having an entirely digital display, the monitor in normal conditions indicates the basic information or, in other words, the hour, minute and sometimes second. By operating a special button the time is substituted by one or more displays in which the information provided by the accessory functions is shown. In this way, the multiple functions of the watch do not compromise the wearer's ability to easily read the information provided, even though there is the problem that when the monitor has been set to a certain position, only some of the information can be read, and it is not possible to see all the information together. Furthermore, the external appearance of this type of watch is often considered rather unattractive and, in any case, is not comparable to that of an analogical watch.

In analogical watches, the indications provided by the additional functions can be made accessible both in an analogical form, with the use of additional hands and special reference points on the watch dial, and in a digital form by means of windows opening on the watch dial itself. In both of these cases, considerable problems are created in the ease with which the watch can be read, since the accumulation on the watch dial of hands, writing, signs and windows of various types can make it difficult to read each single piece of information. In particular, sometimes even the base information provided by the watch (i.e. the time) becomes almost illegible, when, on the contrary, it should be immediately legible even with a distracted glance and in conditions of reduced or difficult visibility. It is important to remember that such conditions are very frequent in the use of this category of watch since it is worn mainly during athletic activity.

On the other hand it is known for example from Swiss patents CH 46061 and CH 676651, the use, for substantially ornamental reasons, of a mobile diaphragm made of thin plate elements, placed inside the watchcase immediately above the hands, which can be operated from the outside between an open position, in which it is possible to read the time, and a completely closed position, in which the dial and the hands are not visible and the watch consequently assumes the simple appearance of an ornamental bracelet. In this type of known solution, the movement of the diaphragm is carried out by the rotation of an external ring nut located coaxial to the watch dial. However, the presence of said ring nut is detrimental to the compactness and constructive simplicity of the watch as well as its robustness on the whole, since the ring nut can easily become detached from the watchcase if its fixing system is not designed in a careful manner, and this can generate additional problems in the watertightness of the case in watches used for scuba diving.

The object of the present invention is to provide an analogical watch wherein the presence of a certain number of accessory functions does not compromise the legibility of the watch, thus making it possible to easily read the information provided by each function.

This object has been achieved by the analogical wrist watch according to the present invention which comprises: a watchcase; a movement inside said case; a hand-supporting stem extending from said movement; a lower dial situated below the hands; a mobile diaphragm made of thin plate elements having substantially the shape of sectors of an annulus and being mobile between a position of reciprocal engagement, to accomplish a closed position of the diaphragm, and one of disengagement, to accomplish an open position of the diahragm and transmission means, associated with the thin plate elements, which can be operated from the outside of said watchcase to move said elements between said engaged and disengaged positions. The novel feature of the watch consists in the fact that the diaphragm is located between the hands and the lower dial whereby, in the closed position of the diaphragm, the thin plate elements are completely superimposed on the lower dial, and in the open position of the diaphragm, the dial is uncovered and thus legible.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, an upper dial is provided having a substantially annular shape, placed above said diaphragm coaxially to the lower dial.

Characteristics and advantages of the watch with superimposed dials according to the present invention will become apparent in the following description of one of its possible embodiments, given as an example and not limitative, with reference to the attached drawings in which:

figure 1 is an intermediate cross-sectional view of the watch with superimposed dials according to the present invention;
figure 2 is a plan view of the watch of figure 1, in a configuration in which the diaphragm is closed, the hands not being shown for simplicity;
figure 3 is a plan view similar to the one in figure 2, with the watch in a configuration in which the diaphragm is open;
figure 4 is a plan view of a rotatable ring nut for use in the watch according to the present invention;
figure 5 is a plan view of a fixed ring nut for use in the watch according to the present invention along with one of the thin diaphragm plates, placed in a position corresponding to the configuration of figure 2;
figure 6 is a plan view of the assembly thin plates forming the diaphragm of the watch according to the invention placed in the configuration of figure 2.

With reference to the above figures, the watch according to the invention comprises a substantially circular watchcase 1 having a back la which is sealing screwed to it and is therefore movable. Inside watchcase 1, a movement 2 is provided of a known mechanical or electronic type, schematically illustrated in figure 1. From movement 2, a rotatable pin 3 radially extends for the conventional operations of setting, and can be manually operated from the outside of watchcase 1 by acting on a crown 4 coaxially placed at its free end. A hand-supporting stem 5 also extends centrally from movement 2, and supports two groups of hands lying on two parallel planes orthogonal to stem 5 and, more specifically, a group 6a, which extends from stem 5 in proximity to its base, and a group 6b, which extends from stem 5 in correspondence with its free end.

A graduated dial 7, which will hereinafter be referred to simply as lower dial, is placed on movement 2. A diaphragm, generally indicated at 8, is located above dial 7 and comprises a fixing ring nut 9, integrally mounted inside watchcase 1 and having a substantially annular shape, on which a plurality of angularly equidistant holes 10 are formed along a circular trace. In each of said holes, a rotatable pin 11a is engaged extending from one end of a corresponding thin plate 11. Each thin plate 11 is situated parallel to lower dial 7 and has substantially the shape of a sector of an annulus, as shown in figure 5, with an average radius substantially equal to the average radius of ring nut 9. On the side of each thin plate 11a having the smaller radius, a semicircular cutting 13, whose function will become apparent hereinafter, is formed in a central position.

A rotatable ring nut 14, which is also substantially annular and visible in figure 4, is placed immediately above fixed ring nut 9 and thin plates 11 and is bound to watchcase 1 by a side device, not shown in the figures, which allows for its rotation around its own axis. Ring nut 14 has a plurality of substantially radial grooves 15, in a number corresponding to that of thin plates 11. Pins 12 extending from the free end of thin plates 11 slidingly engage in grooves 15, so that a rotation of rotatable ring nut 14 causes the angular movement of each thin plate between a position of reciprocal engagement, corresponding to an almost diametrical position with respect to fixed ring nut 9 (illustrated with a solid line in figure 5), and a position of disengagement, corresponding to a substantially circumferential position (illustrated with a dashed line in figure 5).

In order to make the movement of thin plates 11 possible, they are mounted in such a way that they can be partially superimposed on one another, leaving about half of each one free. From this free end, pins 12 extend.

Rotatable ring nut 14 has, on its upper side, a circular toothed track 21. A rotatable pin 16 radially extends from a side hole 1b of watchcase 1, so that one of its ends is outside watchcase 1 and the other is inside. On the internal end, a pinion 17 is mounted for engagement with the toothed track of ring nut 14, whereas the external end has control crown 18.

Above ring nut 14, immediately below group of hands 6b, a graduated dial 19, which hereinafter will be referred to simply as upper dial, is fixed integrally to watchcase 1 and has a substantially annular shape so as to make lower dial 7 legible when thin plates 11 are in a disengaged position. The watchcase is closed with a transparent cover 20 of a conventional type.

The watch according to the invention has the feature that it maximally facilitates the reading of the information provided by the instrumentation which is equipped with. In fact, when thin plates 11 are in the position of reciprocal engagement, their superimposition carries out a complete closure of diaphragm 8, making the area below, and more specifically lower dial 7 and hands 6a, inaccessible to the eye. In this position, the union of cuttings 13 of each thin plate generates a circular seat for stem 5, and only the indications provided by hands 6b and upper dial 19 are legible.

The rotation of pin 16, which can be carried out manually by turning rotatable crown 18 by means of the toothed coupling between pinion 17 and toothed track 21 of rotatable ring nut 14, induces a rotation of ring nut 14. Ring nut 14 commands the contemporaneous angular movement of thin plates 11 from their position of reciprocal engagement to that of disengagement, thus opening diaphragm 8 and making visible lower dial 7 as well as hands 6a. In this condition, all of the indications provided by the watch are legible.

It is opportune to give hands 6b and upper dial 19 the functions of the basic indications such as the hour and minutes. Diaphragm 8 will, therefore, normally be kept closed, thus facilitating the reading of such indications and avoiding confusion with hands and signs on the dial that are not pertinent to the functions being read. The accessory functions of the watch, on the other hand, will be provided by the position of hands 6a and lower dial 7 which can be made legible by opening diaphragm 8.

The actuation system using radial pin 16 makes it possible for the watch to maintain a compact and robust structure without causing problems in its watertightness. In an alternative solution, not shown, for the actuation of rotatable ring nut 14, instead of the coupling between pinion 17 and toothed track 21, a lever is provided which extends from the ring nut itself and engages slidingly in a slot formed on the watchcase and which can be operated from the outside by means of a tangential action exerted directly on its free end or on a ring nut connected to it and mounted on watchcase 1 in a rotatable manner.

It will be appreciated that, even though reference has been made in the present description to a group of hands 6a integral with stem 5 and to a single rotatable pin 3 for setting and adjustment, it is clear that additional groups of hands can be provided, mounted on independent stems, as well as digital monitors in correspondence with the lower dial and additional rotatable pins which can be actuated from the outside of the watchcase by means of corresponding actuation crowns.

Variations and/or modifications can be brought to the watch with superimposed dials according to the present invention without departing from the scope of the invention itself as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

Analogical wrist watch comprising: a watchcase (1); a movement (2) situated inside said watchcase (1); a hand-supporting stem (5) extending from said movement (2); a lower dial (7) placed below said hands (6); a mobile diaphragm (8) made of thin plates (11) having substantially the shape of sectors of an annulus and being mobile between a position of reciprocal engagement to carry out a closed position of said diaphragm and a position of disengagement to carry out an open position of said diaphragm; transmission means (16, 17, 18 and 21) associated with said thin plates (11) which can be operated from the outside of said watchcase (1) to provide for the movement of said thin plates between said positions of engagement and disengagement, characterized by the fact that said diaphragm (8) is positioned between said hands (6) and said lower dial (7), so that in said closed position of said diaphragm (8), said thin plates (11) are completely superimposed on said dial (7) and in said open position of diaphragm (8), said dial (7) is uncovered and, therefore, legible.
The watch according to claim 1, wherein an upper dial (19) is provided having a substantially annular shape, placed above said diaphragm (8) coaxially to said lower dial (7).
The watch according to the previous claims, wherein said hands (6) are supported by said stem on at least two different planes, of which one (6a) is placed below said diaphragm (8).
The watch according to the previous claims, wherein said diaphragm comprises a fixed ring nut (9) and a rotatable ring nut (14) superimposed on it and suited to rotate between two angular positions, said thin plates (11) being interposed between said fixed ring nut (9) and said rotatable ring nut (14) and being rotatably connected at one end to said fixed ring nut (9), said rotatable ring nut (14) having a plurality of substantially radial grooves (15), angularly equidistant and in a number equal to that of said thin plates (11), from the free end of each of said thin plates a pin (12) upwardly extending to slidingly engage in one of said radial grooves (15) of said rotatable ring nut (14) so that the rotation of said rotatable ring nut (14) causes the angular movement of said thin plates (11) between said engaged position and said disengaged position.
The watch according to the previous claims, wherein said transmission means comprise a pin (16) radially extending from and connected in a rotatable manner to said watchcase (1), and gear means (17 and 21) between said pin (16) and said rotatable ring nut (14), so that the rotation of said pin (16) causes the rotation of said rotatable ring nut (14).
The watch according to claim 4, wherein said transmission means comprise a lever which extends from said rotatable ring nut (14), slidingly engaging with a slot formed in said watchcase and moveable from the outside to provide for the rotation of said rotatable ring nut (14).
The watch according to the previous claims, wherein each of said thin plates (11) has a substantially semicircular central cutting (13), the joining of said cuttings creating a seat for said hand-supporting stem (5) when said thin plates (11) are in said position of reciprocal engagement.