Escape valve for a watch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10908557-B2
Application number	US-201816164861-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 19, 2018
Priority date	Nov 8, 2017
Publication date	Feb 2, 2021
Grant date	Feb 2, 2021

Abstract

The invention relates to an escape valve for a timepiece including an outlet channel arranged to be capable of being in fluid communication with the interior of a case of the timepiece when the valve is in an open configuration to evacuate an excess of fluid. The valve includes a tube to be fixed in the case of the timepiece and a valve head provided with a cover and an axial skirt adapted to be placed in different axial positions, a pressure control module separate from the valve head arranged in the interior of a fluid conduit provided in the tube and axial guide elements by screwing defined in the valve head and the tube playing a part in the control of the displacement of the valve head relative to tube in the different axial positions, blocking elements preventing a disassociation between the valve head and the tube.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An escape valve for a timepiece, comprising:
an outlet channel arranged to be in fluid communication with an interior of a case of said timepiece when the escape valve is in an open configuration in order to evacuate an excess of fluid, said escape valve including,
a tube intended to be fixed in the case of the timepiece,
a valve head provided with a cover and with an axial skirt which is adapted to be placed in different axial positions in relation to said tube,
a pressure control module separate from the valve head arranged in the interior of a fluid conduit provided in the tube, and
axial guide elements by screwing defined in the valve head and the tube configured to control displacement of the valve head relative to the tube in the different axial positions; and

blocking elements preventing a disassociation between the valve head and said tube, said blocking elements being included in an external wall or internal wall of the tube and in the valve head.

2. The escape valve according to claim 1 , wherein the blocking elements include an abutment included in the internal wall of the fluid conduit of said tube and a means of controlling the course of the valve head intended to cooperate with said abutment when the valve head is displaced relative to tube in particular in order to prevent a disassociation between the valve head and said tube.

3. The escape valve according to claim 2 , wherein the means of controlling the course of the valve head is an element inserted in a body of the valve head by being connected mechanically to an interior wall of a central element for connecting the valve head.

4. The escape valve according to claim 2 , wherein the abutment is integrally formed with the internal wall of the fluid conduit of said tube.

5. The escape valve according to claim 2 , wherein the abutment is included in an insert fixed on the internal wall of the fluid conduit of said tube.

6. The escape valve according to claim 1 , wherein in the blocking elements are included in the external wall of the tube and in the axial skirt of the valve head.

7. The escape valve according to claim 1 , wherein the blocking elements include a retaining ring of annular form and a circular shoulder, said shoulder being provided with a bearing surface against which said ring is likely to come into abutment.

8. The escape valve according to claim 7 , wherein a retaining ring is included in:
a groove of complementary form defined in the axial skirt when the circular shoulder is included in the external wall of the tube, or
a groove of complementary form defined in the external wall of the tube when the circular shoulder is included in the axial skirt.

9. The escape valve according to claim 1 , wherein the axial guide elements include first and second guide zones defined in whole or in part respectively in an external wall of a central connecting element included in the cover of the valve head and in the internal wall of the fluid conduit of the tube in particular in an upper compartment of this conduit.

10. The escape valve according to claim 1 , wherein the axial guide elements include first and second guide zones defined in whole or in part respectively in an external wall of a central connecting element included in the cover of the valve head and in an insert fixed on an internal wall of the fluid conduit of said tube in particular in an upper compartment of this conduit.

11. The escape valve according to claim 1 , wherein first and second guide zones are adapted to be in engagement by screwing for an open or closed configuration of said valve.

12. The escape valve according to claim 1 , wherein the pressure control module includes a piston and an elastic member, said piston being housed in the interior of the fluid conduit of the tube and the elastic member being arranged in said fluid conduit in order to cooperate with the piston, said piston being configured in order to move axially depending on the variations of pressure in the interior of the case.

13. The escape valve according to claim 1 , wherein the pressure control module includes a sealing element situated in the fluid conduit between first and second fastening components, said sealing element containing a membrane arranged to be permeable to the fluid and to establish a fluid communication from the interior of the case towards the exterior when said internal pressure exceeds a predetermined value and impermeable to the liquids circulating from the exterior of the case towards the interior of the case.

14. The escape valve according to claim 1 , wherein it includes a visual indicator of an axial position of the valve head relative to the tube, in particular from a first or from a second axial position of this valve head.

15. A timepiece comprising:
an escape valve, comprising an outlet channel arranged to be in fluid communication with an interior of a case of said timepiece when the escape valve is in an open configuration in order to evacuate an excess of fluid, said escape valve including,
a tube intended to be fixed in the case of the timepiece,
a valve head provided with a cover and with an axial skirt which is adapted to be placed in different axial positions in relation to said tube,
a pressure control module separate from the valve head arranged in the interior of a fluid conduit provided in the tube,
axial guide elements by screwing defined in the valve head and the tube configured to control displacement of the valve head relative to the tube in the different axial positions, and
blocking elements preventing a disassociation between the valve head and said tube, said blocking elements being included in an external wall or internal wall of the tube and in the valve head.

16. The escape valve according to claim 1 , wherein the fluid is a gaseous fluid.

Assignees

• Omega Sa

Inventors

• Podvin Pierre
• Baebler Jean

Classifications

• G04B37/103 Primary

  by screwing the crown onto the case · CPC title

• F16K17/04

  spring-loaded · CPC title

• G04B3/041

  Construction of crowns for rotating movement; connection with the winding stem; winding stems · CPC title

• G04B37/02 Primary

  Evacuated cases; Cases filled with gas or liquids; Cases containing substances for absorbing or binding moisture or dust · CPC title

• G04B37/088 Primary

  Means affording hermetic sealing inside the case, e.g. protective case for the clockwork against dust, the escapement being in a hermetically sealed case (case for watch pieces G04B37/0091; synchronous motor lubrication G04C15/009) · CPC title