Timepiece including a device for locking a valve or a winding button

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11150606-B2
Application number	US-201916655953-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 17, 2019
Priority date	Nov 9, 2018
Publication date	Oct 19, 2021
Grant date	Oct 19, 2021

Abstract

A timepiece includes a locking device capable of blocking the translation of a valve or of a control member in the position the closest to the central axis of the case. The locking device includes a blocking element capable of undergoing translational displacement along a radial axis between a locking position and an unlocking position, where the member is respectively blocked or free to move in translation, a part mounted such that it can move in rotation about the central axis of the case and intended to be set in rotation by a user, drive device linking the angular displacement of the part mounted such that it can move in rotation to the translational displacement of the blocking element between the locking and unlocking positions.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A timepiece comprising:
a case with a central axis substantially perpendicular to a general plane of the case,
a control member or a valve mounted on the case such that the control member or valve can move in translation on a middle part of the case along a radial axis between at least a first position and a second position which is located further away from the central axis of the case than the first position, the control member or valve being screwed on at least one end part of the path between the second position and the first position,
a locking device capable of blocking translation of the control member or valve in the first position,
the locking device comprising:
a blocking element capable of undergoing translational displacement along the radial axis between a locking position and an unlocking position, where the control member or valve is respectively blocked or free to move in translation,
a part mounted such that it can move in rotation about the central axis of the case and intended to be set in rotation by a user,
drive means linking the angular displacement of the part mounted such that it can move in rotation to the translational displacement along the radial axis of the blocking element between the locking and unlocking positions.

2. The timepiece according to claim 1 , wherein the drive means include a cam and a follower engaging with said cam, the cam and the follower being respectively made on the part mounted such that it can move in rotation and on the blocking element.

3. The timepiece according to claim 2 , wherein the cam is formed by a recess made within the part mounted such that it can move in rotation, said recess being delimited by at least one side surface for guiding the follower, and wherein the follower is a finger disposed on the blocking element.

4. The timepiece according to claim 2 , wherein the cam is formed by a protruding portion made on the part mounted such that it can move in rotation, said protruding portion being delimited by at least one side surface for guiding the follower, and wherein the follower is a recess hollowed out in the blocking element.

5. The timepiece according to claim 3 , wherein the control member or valve includes a head overlooking a hollow body ending in a ring, said ring having an outer diameter that is greater than that of the hollow body so as to form a shoulder.

6. The timepiece according to claim 5 , wherein the blocking element includes a cylindrical sleeve surrounding the ring and at least partially surrounding the hollow body.

7. The timepiece according to claim 6 , wherein said sleeve includes, on an inner face thereof, an inward part defining a banking for the shoulder of the ring when the blocking element is in the locking position.

8. The timepiece according to claim 7 , wherein the inward part is disposed at the end of the sleeve, which is positioned facing the head of the control member or valve.

9. The timepiece according to claim 7 , wherein the finger includes a base and wherein the sleeve includes an opening in which the base of the finger is housed.

10. The timepiece according to claim 7 , wherein said at least one guiding side surface gradually moves away from the central axis of the case.

11. The timepiece according to claim 10 , wherein said at least one guiding side surface forms an arc of a circle.

12. The timepiece according to claim 10 , wherein said at least one guiding side surface is formed by two segments respectively corresponding to the locking and unlocking positions separated by a transition zone allowing the follower to pass smoothly between the locking and unlocking positions.

13. The timepiece according to claim 12 , wherein the segments are rectilinear and wherein the transition zone is curved, rectilinear or partially curved and rectilinear.

14. The timepiece according to claim 1 , wherein said case comprises or supports a bezel, and wherein the part mounted such that it can move in rotation is a ring concealed beneath the bezel with a grasping zone extending outside of the perimeter delimited by an edge of the case so as to be accessible to the user.

15. The timepiece according to claim 1 , wherein said case comprises or supports a bezel, and wherein the part mounted such that it can move in rotation is a ring that is partially concealed beneath the bezel, a visible portion of the ring extending over the circumference of the bezel so as to be accessible to the user.

16. The timepiece according to claim 1 , wherein said case comprises or supports a bezel, and wherein the part mounted such that it can move in rotation is formed by said bezel.

17. The timepiece according to claim 1 , wherein the blocking element is completely concealed beneath the movable part in the locking and unlocking positions.

18. The timepiece according to claim 1 , wherein the control member is a winding button capable of adopting said first position, said second position and a third position, said first, second and third positions respectively enabling the timepiece to be wound, a date to be changed and a visible displayed time to be corrected.

19. The timepiece according to claim 1 , wherein the valve is configured to adopt said first position corresponding to the closed position of the valve and said second position corresponding to the open position of the valve.

Assignees

• Omega Sa

Inventors

• Loetscher Philippe
• Kissling Gregory

Classifications

• G04C3/005

  Multiple switches (G04C3/004 takes precedence) · 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

• G04B3/048 Primary

  Operation exclusively by axial movement of a push-button, e.g. for chronographs (winding up by push button G04B3/001; hermetically sealed push button G04B37/106) · CPC title

• G04B3/043 Primary

  Locking of the operating element, also by mounting in a concealed place · CPC title

• G04B19/18

  Graduations on the crystal or glass, on the bezel, or on the rim · CPC title