Watchmaking gasket

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10520894-B2
Application number	US-201715725819-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 5, 2017
Priority date	Oct 5, 2016
Publication date	Dec 31, 2019
Grant date	Dec 31, 2019

Abstract

A watchmaking gasket, in particular a watch glass gasket for a timepiece, includes a polymer matrix charged with phosphorescent and/or fluorescent pigments.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A timepiece comprising:
a middle part;
a watch glass disposed in a seat of the middle part;
a bezel positioned radially outside of the watch glass; and
a watch glass gasket interposed between the middle part and the watch glass to form a seal, wherein the gasket comprises a polymer matrix charged with phosphorescent and/or fluorescent pigments.

2. The timepiece according to claim 1 , wherein the polymer matrix contains between 1 and 70% by weight phosphorescent and/or fluorescent pigments.

3. The timepiece according to claim 1 , wherein the phosphorescent pigments are alkaline earth oxide doped with rare earths.

4. The timepiece according to claim 1 , wherein the polymer matrix comprises a mixture of phosphorescent pigments and fluorescent pigments.

5. The timepiece according to claim 1 , wherein the polymer matrix is made from an elastomeric, thermoplastic or thermoplastic elastomer material.

6. The timepiece according to claim 1 , wherein the polymer matrix contains a bicomponent polyurethane, silicone, thermoplastic polyurethane, polyamide, polyester, photopolymerisable resin.

7. The timepiece according to claim 1 , wherein the fluorescent pigments are selected from a group consisting of fluorescein, naphthyl, anthracene, coumarin, rhodamine, and fluorobenzoate.

8. The timepiece according to claim 1 , wherein, on the periphery of an outside face of the watch glass that is outside the timepiece, the watch glass has a converging lens extending outward from a central portion of the outside face.

9. The timepiece according to claim 1 , wherein, on the periphery of an inner face of the watch glass that is inside the timepiece, the watch glass has a converging or Fresnel type lens extending inward from a central portion of the inner face.

10. The timepiece according to claim 8 , wherein the lens occupies an annular space with a thickness less than 10 mm and preferably less than 5 mm.

11. The timepiece according to claim 1 , wherein on an outer face outside the timepiece the bezel has a dome transparent to wavelengths suitable for exciting the pigments allowing the light to be focused and directed towards a portion of the bezel acting as waveguide up to the watch glass gasket, wherein on the outside face said portion has a layer that is reflective or has a refractive index that is slightly lower than the portion to reflect the light within the bezel.

12. The timepiece according to claim 8 , wherein the bezel and the middle part are completely or partly made from a material that is transparent to wavelengths suitable for exciting the pigments.

13. The timepiece according to claim 1 , wherein the polymer matrix contains between 2 and 20% by weight phosphorescent and/or fluorescent pigments.

14. The timepiece according to claim 1 , wherein the polymer matrix contains between 2 and 10% by weight phosphorescent and/or fluorescent pigments.

15. The timepiece according to claim 1 , wherein the polymer matrix contains between 2 and 5% by weight phosphorescent and/or fluorescent pigments.

16. The timepiece according to claim 1 , wherein the watch glass gasket is positioned beneath the bezel.

Assignees

• Swatch Group Res & Dev Ltd

Inventors

• Francois Nicolas
• Fernandez Ciurleo Maria
• Rannoux Claire

Classifications

• 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

• C08K3/00

  Use of inorganic substances as compounding ingredients · CPC title

• G04B19/32 Primary

  by luminescent substances {(disc or drum shaped indicating means with marks or windows G04B19/04; with numbers or number-marks G04B19/20; cases for housing the electrical parts G04G17/00; projection of hands and/or scales on weighing apparatus G01G19/00; on measuring instruments G01D5/262; for advertising G09F19/18)} · CPC title

• C08K5/54

  Silicon-containing compounds {(C08K5/0091 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• G04B39/00

  Watch crystals; Fastening or sealing of crystals; Clock glasses · CPC title