Exterior sub-assembly for a timepiece or watch or piece of jewellery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10088806-B2
Application number	US-201715654056-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 19, 2017
Priority date	Jul 26, 2016
Publication date	Oct 2, 2018
Grant date	Oct 2, 2018

Abstract

An exterior sub-assembly for a timepiece or watch or piece of jewelry, including a first component and a second component, arranged for a bayonet mount between two rims and two wings comprised in the first component and the second component, and capable of occupying an assembled and indexed position of the first and second components, this sub-assembly including a third ring-shaped component inserted between the first and second components, fixed in rotation with respect to one of these components and including an elastically deformable area, opposing a variable resistance torque to any relative tangential torque between the first and second components, and including a catch cooperating with a relief portion of the component that is not connected to the third component, wherein one particular catch angularly indexes these first and second components.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An exterior sub-assembly for a timepiece, or for a watch, comprising a first component having rims protruding from a first skirt alternated with first recesses, and a second component comprising wings protruding from a second skirt alternated with second recesses, arranged to occupy a first disassembled position of insertion wherein said first component and said second component have a first angular orientation with respect to each other, or to occupy a second, assembled and locked position wherein said first component and said second component have a second angular orientation with respect to each other, different from said first angular orientation, and are held axially in a bayonet mount between at least two said rims and at least two said wings, said sub-assembly comprising at least one third component which is arranged to be radially or, respectively, axially inserted between said first component and said second component and fixed in rotation with respect to one of said components, and comprises at least one radially or, respectively, axially elastically deformable area, said deformable area being arranged to oppose a resistance torque of variable moment to any relative tangential torque between said first component and said second component, wherein said deformable area comprising at least one catch arranged to cooperate with at least one complementary relief portion comprised in whichever one of the components with respect to which said third component is free to rotate, and any passage of a said catch over a said complementary relief portion generating a said resistance torque tending to gradually resist the relative rotational movement between said first component and said second component, at least one said catch being arranged for the relative angular indexing in the indexing position between said first component and said second component, and wherein, in said first disassembled position of insertion, said first component and said second component have a first angular orientation with respect to each other, and are held at a distance from one another by repulsion means comprising at least one sealing gasket, and wherein, in said second, assembled and locked position, said first component and said second component are held axially against a resistance force exerted by said repulsion means, and wherein said repulsion means comprise magnetic repulsion means or at least one elastic element.

2. The exterior sub-assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said rims protrude radially inwards from said first skirt, said wings protrude radially outwards from said second skirt, wherein said third component is ring-shaped, and arranged to be inserted radially between said first component and said second component.

3. The exterior sub-assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said first component comprises at least one stop housing for an anti-rotational lug comprised in said third component.

4. The exterior sub-assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said deformable area comprises a plurality of said catches arranged to provide successive resistance against the same said complementary relief portion, and wherein, in the same said deformable area, said successive catches are arranged to provide increasing resistance against the same said complementary relief portion.

5. The exterior sub-assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said third component is a ring held in abutment on a plane surface comprised in said rims of said first component wherein said ring is angularly integral, and wherein said rim of said second component is arranged to be able to gradually deform said ring during the rotation thereof, said rim comprising a ramp arranged to bend the opposing surfaces of said ring, which ramp is followed by a plurality of recesses, which are arranged to cooperate in succession with bosses comprised in said ring, and wherein, during the relative rotation between said first component and said second component first of all a single recess/boss pair opposes to said rotation a first resistance force on the passage of the catch that it forms; then, slightly further on, two recess/boss pairs both oppose a second resistance force higher than the first, then, still further on, three recess/boss pairs together oppose a third resistance force higher than the second.

6. The exterior sub-assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said third component is in the form of an annular sector or a ring.

7. The exterior sub-assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said first component is a case middle or a tube added to a case middle, and said second component is a case back or a flange or a bezel, or a crown or a crown stem or a push-piece when said first component is a case middle or a tube added to a case middle.

8. The exterior sub-assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said third component forms said repulsion means.

9. A watch including an exterior sub-assembly according to claim 1 .

10. A piece of jewelry comprising an exterior sub-assembly according to claim 1 .

11. The exterior sub-assembly for a timepiece, or for a watch, comprising a first component having rims protruding from a first skirt alternated with first recesses, and a second component comprising wings protruding from a second skirt alternated with second recesses, arranged to occupy a first disassembled position of insertion wherein said first component and said second component have a first angular orientation with respect to each other, or to occupy a second, assembled and locked position wherein said first component and said second component have a second angular orientation with respect to each other, different from said first angular orientation, and are held axially in a bayonet mount between at least two said rims and at least two said wings, said sub-assembly comprising at least one third component, which is arranged to be radially or, respectively, axially inserted between said first component and said second component and fixed in rotation with respect to one of the latter, and which comprises at least one radially, or respectively, axially elastically deformable area, said deformable area being arranged to oppose a resistance torque of variable moment to any relative tangential torque between said first component and said second component, wherein said deformable area comprising at least one catch arranged to cooperate with at least one complementary relief portion comprised in whichever one of the components with respect to which said third component is free to rotate, and any passage of a said catch over a said complementary relief portion generating a said resistance torque tending to gradually resist the relative rotational movement between said first component and said second component, at least one said catch being arranged for the relative angular indexing in the indexing position between said first component and said second component, wherein said third component is a ring held in abutment on a plane surface comprised in said rims of said first component wherein said ring is angularly integral, and wherein said rim of said second component is arranged to be able to gradually deform said ring during the rotation thereof, said rim comprising a ramp arranged to bend the opposing surfaces of said ring, which ramp is followed by a recess which permits the movement of protruding catches comprised inside said ring on a said deformable area, and wherein said repulsion means comprise magnetic repulsion means or at least one elastic element.

12. The exterior sub-assembly according to claim 11 , wherein said rims protrude radially inwards from said first skirt, said wings protrude radially outwards from said second skirt, wherein said th

Assignees

• Omega Sa

Inventors

• Vuille Pierry
• Knuchel Daniel
• Catanese Rocco

Classifications

• G04B37/0008 Primary

  for pocket watches and wrist watches · CPC title

• G04B19/286

  with locking means to prevent undesired rotations in both directions · CPC title

• G04B19/283 Primary

  on rotatable rings, i.e. bezel (for graduations on the bezels G04B19/18) · CPC title

• G04B37/08

  Hermetic sealing of openings, joints, passages or slits {(covers or protecting devices which can be directly removed, or by sliding or turning G04B37/005; hermetic sealing of watch or crystal with special pieces G04B39/02; hermetically-sealed electrical switches H01H23/06)} · CPC title

• A44C27/00

  Making jewellery or other personal adornments · CPC title