EP0080973A1 - Watch case - Google Patents

Abstract

The watch case contains a crystal (1) and a casing (3), on an upper peripheral surface (2) of which the crystal (1) is detachably mounted by means of connecting members or straps (10). These connecting members may consist of a U-shaped clamps (10) having arms (11, 12) to which the edges of the crystal (1) and the casing (3) are tightened and which are capable of being set in place by being laterally engaged on the edges of the case.

Description

The present invention relates more particularly to watch cases comprising a crystal and a middle, the crystal being removably mounted on an upper peripheral surface of the middle by means of connecting members.

In known watch cases, and in particular when the crystal extends over almost its entire periphery as far as the lateral edges of the middle part, connection members of the type of screws, pins, dovetail slides are used. , claws mounted on the edges of the middle, etc ...

Most of these solutions involve a particular machining of the ice, such as for example their drilling, or the formation of bevelled edges. Such machining is delicate and costly, especially for the sapphire crystal which equips quality watches. In addition, to ensure the anchoring of the connecting members on the middle part, it is most often necessary to provide threads or other means which can only be applied to boxes of a certain thickness. There are also known constructions in which claws for holding the glass form an integral part of the middle part, but it is clear that the manufacture of such a middle part is largely complicated.

Another disadvantage of the constructions of the prior art, especially those which incorporate slides or claws in which the glass is engaged laterally, results from a non-negligible risk of deterioration, wear or displacement of the seal at the time. of its placement of ice. These same constructions also lead to an increase in the overall line of the watch.

This is why, the present invention proposes a new construction which avoids the drawbacks described above, in particular by using space-saving connecting members, and which, surprisingly, are neither integral with the glass nor of the middle, but simply engaged on the edges of the box. These connecting members do not require any particular machining of the crystal, and the latter can further extend over its entire periphery as far as the lateral edges of the middle part, which could not have been done before, in a removable manner, than by screws or pins.

• - la figure 1 est une vue de dessus d'une boîte de montre selon un premier mode de réalisation de l'invention;
• - la figure 2 est une vue en coupe partielle selon la ligne II -II de la boîte de montre de la figure 1;
• - la figure 3 est une vue de dessus d'une boîte de montre selon un deuxième mode de réalisation de l'invention;
• - la figure 4 est une vue en élevation de la boîte de la figure 3; et
• - la figure 5 est une vue de dessus d'une boîte de montre selon un troisième mode de réalisation de l'invention.

The invention will be clearly understood on reading the following description made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

• - Figure 1 is a top view of a watch case according to a first embodiment of the invention;
• - Figure 2 is a partial sectional view along line II -II of the watch case of Figure 1;
• - Figure 3 is a top view of a watch case according to a second embodiment of the invention;
• - Figure 4 is an elevational view of the box of Figure 3; and
• - Figure 5 is a top view of a watch case according to a third embodiment of the invention.

The watch case of Figures 1 and 2 includes in particular a crystal 1 removably mounted on the upper surface 2 of a middle part 3 in which is mounted in a conventional manner a movement 4 equipped with a dial 5. A seal 6, masked by a metallized peripheral zone 7 of the crystal and a flange 8 placed on the dial 5, is housed in a groove 9 of the middle part 3. According to the invention, the crystal 1 and the middle part 3 are kept assembled by means of connecting members constituted by clamps 10, U-shaped. Each clamp 10 has branches 11, 12 between which are clamped the edges of the crystal 1 and the middle part. The clamps 10 are neither integral with the crystal 1, nor of the middle part 3, but their retention is improved by the friction resulting from the separation force exerted on the glass and the middle part by the seal 6. They are of course put in place by a lateral engagement, in the direction of the arrows 13 in FIG. 1, on the edges of the watch case. As can be seen in FIG. 2, the middle part 3 has at its lower part recesses 14 in which the branches 12 of the clamps 10 are retracted.

In Figures 3 and 4, there is shown another embodiment of the invention, in which the connecting members are constituted by two bars 15, which extend transversely on the upper face of the glass 1. At each end bars 15 is formed a collet 16, 17 the branch 18 of which is not connected to the bar is inserted into recesses 19 when the bars are engaged laterally on the box in the direction of the arrows 20.

FIG. 5 represents a watch case similar to the previous ones, but using only a single bar 21 for holding the crystal 1 on the middle.

Of course, other shapes than the linear shape shown could be envisaged for the clamping bars of Figures 3 to 5. In the same way, and although the invention is particularly well suited to mounting a lens extending over its entire periphery as far as the lateral edges of the middle part as indicated in the figures, this arrangement is only necessary in the vicinity of the clamps. It is also clear that the invention can be applied as well to the assembly of other elements of a watch case as the crystal and the middle part, in particular to the simultaneous fixing of a crystal and a base on a middle.

Although it has been described in relation to a particular embodiment, the present invention is in no way limited thereto, but it is on the contrary liable to numerous modifications and variants which will appear to those skilled in the art.

Claims (6)

1. Watch case comprising in particular a crystal and a middle part on an upper peripheral surface from which the crystal is removably mounted by means of connecting members, characterized in that said connecting members are constituted by clamps in U-shaped, between the branches of which are clamped the edges of the crystal and the middle part, and which are capable of being put in place by being laterally engaged on the edges of the box. 2. Watch case according to claim 1, characterized in that the crystal extends over its entire periphery as far as the lateral edges of the middle part. 3. Watch case according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that an elastic seal interposed between the crystal and the middle exerts on these parts a separation force ensuring the retention of the clamps. 4. Watch case according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the middle has clearances at its lower part into which is introduced one of the branches of each clamp. 5. Watch case according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the connecting members form at least one bar arranged transversely on the upper face of the crystal, and at each end of which a collet is formed. 6. Watch case according to claim 5, characterized in that it comprises a single transverse bar.

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