HK1059124B - Mysterious rotating bezel - Google Patents

Description

Mysterious rotary watchcase front ring

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a rotating case bezel, particularly for a timepiece with mechanical or electronic organs, such as a wristwatch, a clock or an alarm clock. This rotating bezel is called "mysterious" because the orientation of the readings, such as alphanumeric readings, located on the bezel always remains the same, i.e., the readings are always legible in the same direction as the readings inscribed on the dial, regardless of the angle of rotation of the bezel.

Background

In all known wristwatches with a rotating case bezel, such as diving watches, the reading is engraved on the case bezel in the radial direction, so that an accurate reading is only possible when one reading points to the 12 o' clock position, which obviously presents a risk: the numbers 6 and 9 will be confused when selected. Fig. 1 shows a watch of this type with 1 to 12 numbers on the bezel of the case.

However, there is a japanese patent application JP2599334 which attempts to provide a solution to the above-mentioned problem. In a given device, the principle of the device is shown in fig. 2. The reading is located on an outer post which is rotatably movable within the housing of the front ring of the watch case. Each outer pile has a stem at its base which is offset with respect to the axis of the outer pile. Said stem is engaged in a circular recess having the same diameter as the circle described for the rotation axis of the previously described external piles, but with the centre offset with respect to the centre of the dial by a distance equal to the distance between the rotation axis of each external pile and the stem. When rotated through an angle less than 180 degrees, the reading remains in a vertical reading position. The 180 degree position (here the 6 o 'clock position) corresponds to an unstable position where there may be an obstruction that has been discovered by the inventors of the present invention or where the reading continues to remain in the vertical reading position after rotation beyond 180 degrees, but this method has the risk of producing slight chatter, as shown in figure 2 for a 5 o' clock position, thereby bringing the turnstiles between two consecutive stakes closer together. In order to overcome the above-mentioned drawbacks, the inventors propose to place a washer at the bottom of the outer pile, through which washer the stem of the outer pile passes at regular intervals. The washer is driven to rotate simultaneously with the bezel. This solution requires the use of an additional part and in principle achieves the desired result, but the main drawback is the greatly increased friction due to the contact between the washer and the edge of the groove. Because of this, to the applicant's knowledge, no product has emerged that includes such a device.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention provides a different solution which overcomes the drawbacks of the aforementioned prior art by providing a rotating bezel which reduces the number of parts to assemble and which can rotate freely while still keeping the generated reading on the bezel legible in the same direction.

The invention thus relates to a rotary case bezel. The rotary case bezel includes a freely rotatable ring disposed on the base so that the selected reading is exactly the predetermined reading of the base or dial centered on the glass. The readings, letters or numbers, pictograms or other elements are not directly engraved on the ring, but on the outer surface of the outer pile. Each outer peg is free to rotate about its axis of rotation within a housing and is arranged to pass through the thickest part of the collar and the opening to the base. Each outer pile includes at least two knobs of different sizes at its lower end, and the two knobs are offset from the rotation axis of the outer pile by the same distance, the angular offset between the two knobs being less than 180 degrees. When the case bezel is driven in rotation, each stem is guided by a circular groove formed in the base, the cross section of which is adapted to the size of each stem, the radius of which is equal to the radius of the circle represented by the axis of rotation of said stud, and the arrangement of the centre of the groove associated with the centre of the dial and the stem associated with the axis of rotation of the stud being identical.

When the stud comprises only two stems, the stems cannot be arranged on the same diameter, otherwise a risk arises, as described in the prior art, that there is still an unstable position in which the rotation of the bezel of the case is hindered, or beyond which the stud in the case may rotate in the opposite direction. Depending on the given structure, the slot must be interrupted or in a sense create a switch. According to the invention, the cross-section of the stem and the associated slot of each outer peg has different dimensions in length or in radius or in both length and radius in order for each stem to recognize the direction of the contact switch. Although each external pile may comprise only two shanks, tests have shown that the most satisfactory results are obtained when each external pile comprises 3 shanks, each shank being offset by 120 degrees from the other, and the shanks being of different lengths and diameters from one another.

Drawings

Other features and advantages of the present invention will appear from the following description. The above features and advantages will be individually exemplified with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a top view of a prior art wristwatch including a rotating case bezel.

Figure 2 is a mechanical arrangement of another type of prior art wristwatch including a rotating bezel.

The second of figures 3 and 3 is a top view of the wristwatch with the rotating case bezel in two different positions, respectively, according to the invention.

Figure 4 is a mechanical device for rotating the bezel of the watch case of the present invention.

Figure 5 is a perspective view from below of the stud of the front ring of the rotating case.

Fig. 6 is a side view along arrow V1 of fig. 4.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 and 2 correspond to the prior art described in the preamble and will therefore not be described in detail later.

Figure 3 shows, by way of an example, a wristwatch having on its top middle portion 1a rotating case bezel 2 on which are printed the readings 20, corresponding to the numbers 1 to 12, and clearly legible in the same direction as shown, i.e. in the same direction as the time reading on the dial 3 of the analogue time display sealed by the crystal 5.

The second of fig. 3 shows the same wristwatch, the case front 2 of which is rotated to a direction indicated by the arrow, which rotates the numeral 12 to the position of the previous numeral 5. It can be seen that all numbers are still clearly legible in the same direction. This effect results from an arrangement which will be described in more detail below with reference to figures 4, 5 and 6.

Fig. 4 gives an enlarged view of the wristwatch shown in fig. 3. It is assumed that the ring 4 of the case bezel 2 is transparent and that only one reading 20 corresponding to the number 12 has been taken in the four positions 12:00, 9:00, 6:00 and 5: 00. Referring also to fig. 6, in which all the components are also assumed to be transparent, it can be seen that the reading is on the top 9a of the stud 10, the stud 10 is free to rotate about its axis of rotation 10a in the housing 30, and the housing 30 is arranged to pass through the thickness of the collar 4. The aperture of the ring on the side of the middle part 1 is closed by a circular base 6. The circular base 6 comprises at least one extension 8 so that the circular base 6 does not rotate in the intermediate portion 1. The lower portion 9b of the external peg 10, having a larger diameter, forms, with the top portion 9a, a shoulder 9c, which retains the external peg 10 in the housing 30 after the ring 4 has been snap-fitted into the intermediate portion 1, for example by means of the engagement of the raised portion 4a with the recess 1a of the intermediate portion.

In order to control the rotation of the watch case bezel, a ring-shaped spring 7 forms a locking ring which is preferably inserted between ring 4 and base 6 outside the path of the lower surface of stud 10.

Thus, when a rotational movement is applied to the case bezel, the outer piles 10 are also driven and their rotation axes 10a appear as a circle 18 of radius R. Referring to fig. 5, the lower portion 9b of the outer pile 10 has three outer piles 11, 13, 15 which are engaged randomly in annular recesses 12, 14, 16 formed in the base 6 and having the same radius R as the circle 18 described by the axis of the outer pile 10. The outer piles 11, 13 and 15 are offset from the rotation axis 10a of the outer pile 10 by the same distance d and, as shown by way of example, by 120 degrees, other offset angles may be used without departing from the scope of the invention. Another feature of the present invention is that all stems must be of different sizes. In fact, increasing the number of stems and guide slots presents new problems. The offset of the centres 12a, 14a and 16a of the grooves 12, 14, 16 from the centre of the dial 3 is the same as the arrangement of the levers, so that said grooves are again interrupted by each other, thus forming the switch 19. (for clarity of description, a separate explanation is given with reference to FIG. 4)

It therefore appears necessary to use a groove to guide a single type of stem, either as a function of its length or as a function of its diameter, or preferably both. For example, the diameter of the lower end of an outer pile is 6mm, the offset distance d of all the shanks is 2mm, the diameter of the shank 11 is 0.5mm, the length is 1mm, the shanks 13 are 0.75mm and 0.7mm respectively, and the shanks 15 are 1mm and 0.5mm respectively. The stud 10 and the stem 11, 13, 15 are preferably made entirely of metal, such as brass, in view of the pressure exerted on the stem 11, 13, 15. The collar 4 and the base 6 are diametrically opposed and are preferably made of a plastics material to facilitate shaping and reduce friction. If the middle part 1 is also made of plastic, the base 6 can be omitted and the grooves 12, 14, 16 are formed directly on the top surface of said middle part 1.

The inventive stem is not limited to the description of the above embodiments and is not limited to a timepiece. In fact, a different number of external stakes may be used, for example only four external stakes to read the principle point of the compass table or six external stakes to read the pause in decompression of the diving meter. A preferred embodiment is to have 3 knobs per outer pile, but as mentioned in the opening paragraph there are only two knobs offset by 180 degrees from each other, or conversely, four knobs. Such a solution does not have any significant technical advantages.

This type of rotary case bezel can be applied equally to any type of measuring dial, for example the dial of an aircraft instrument panel or the dial of a household appliance.

Claims (12)

1. -rotating the bezel (2), the rotation of the bezel (2) maintaining the same reading direction of the reading (20) carried on the ring (4), the ring (4) being able to rotate freely on the fixed base (6) so that the selected reading (20) is aligned with a predetermined mark on the base (6) or on the dial (3),

the method is characterized in that: said readings (20) being engraved on the outer surface of the studs (10), each stud (10) being able to rotate freely about their axis of rotation in a housing (30) passing through the thickness of the ring (4) and having a hole leading to the base (6), each stud (10) comprising, in its lower portion (9b), at least two lugs (11, 13, 15) of different dimensions, offset by the same distance from the axis of rotation (10a) of the stud and having an angular offset of less than 180 degrees between them, each lug (11, 13, 15) being guided, during the rotation of the front ring of the case, by a circular recess (12, 14, 16) formed in the base (6) and having a cross-section adapted to the dimensions of each lug (11, 13, 15), the radius of which is the same as the radius of the circle (18) represented by the axis of rotation of the stud, the recess (12) associated with the centre of the dial, 14, 16) and the arrangement of the shanks (11, 13, 15) in relation to the axis of rotation (10a) of the outer pile (10) are identical.

2. Rotating watch case bezel according to claim 1, characterized in that the stems (11, 13, 15) have different lengths.

3. Rotating watch case bezel according to claim 1, characterized in that the knobs (11, 13, 15) have different diameters.

4. Rotating watch case bezel according to claim 1, characterized in that the stems (11, 13, 15) have different lengths and diameters at the same time.

5. Rotating watch case bezel according to claim 1, characterized in that each stud (10) comprises three knobs (11, 13, 15).

6. Rotating watch case bezel according to claim 5, characterized in that the angular offset of the three knobs (11, 13, 15) is 120 °.

7. Rotating watch case bezel according to claim 1, characterized in that the ring (4) and the base (6) are made of plastic material and the stud (10) and stem (11, 13, 15) are made of metal material.

8. Rotating watch case bezel according to claim 1, characterized in that a ring-shaped spring (7) forming a lock ring is inserted between the ring (4) and the base (6) outside the path defined by the lower surface of the stud (10).

9. A timepiece characterized by: comprising a rotary watch case bezel according to claim 1.

10. Timepiece according to claim 9, characterised in that the base (6) of the case bezel (2) is snap-fitted to the upper face of the middle part (1).

11. Timepiece according to claim 9, characterised in that the base (6) of the case bezel (2) is integral with the middle part (1).

12. The timepiece of claim 9, wherein the reading (20) carried by the outer post (10) is a time reading of the numbers 1 to 12.