Water-resistant watch case

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11169488-B2
Application number	US-202016847809-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 14, 2020
Priority date	May 8, 2019
Publication date	Nov 9, 2021
Grant date	Nov 9, 2021

Abstract

A water-resistant watch case of a diving watch, includes at least one back mounted on a lower side of a middle part, and a crystal mounted with a fastening gasket on an upper side of the middle part. The back includes an annular bearing surface for coming into contact with an inner annular surface of the middle part of a shape complementary to the bearing surface during mounting of the back on the middle part. The annular bearing surface and the inner annular surface are inclined towards the inside of the watch case at a determined angle less than 90° relative to a central axis perpendicular to a plane of the watch case so as to distribute stresses between the back and the middle part due to the water pressure during a dive. The annular bearing surface and the inner annular surface are conical in shape.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A water-resistant watch case for a diving watch, the case comprising:
a middle part;
at least one back mounted on a lower side of the middle part;
a crystal; and
a fastening gasket for mounting the crystal on an upper side of the middle part,
wherein the back comprises an annular bearing surface for coming into contact with an inner annular surface of the middle part of a shape complementary to the bearing surface when mounting the back on the middle part, and a top of each cone shape is in a direction of an inside of the watch case,
wherein the annular bearing surface and the inner annular surface are inclined towards the inside of the watch case at a determined angle less than 90° relative to a plane of the back and to a central axis perpendicular to a plane of the watch case so as to distribute stresses between the back and the middle part due to a water pressure during a diving, and
wherein the crystal comprises an annular peripheral surface of a conical shape to be mounted by means of at least one first portion of the fastening gasket on an inner annular surface of a shape complementary to the upper side of the middle part, wherein the annular peripheral surface of the crystal is inclined towards the inside of the watch case at a defined angle less than 90° relative to a surface plane of the crystal and to a central axis perpendicular to a plane of the watch case,
wherein a second portion of the fastening gasket is in contact between an inner annular wall of cylindrical shape of the middle part above the inner annular surface and an outer annular wall of cylindrical shape of the crystal above the annular peripheral surface so as to distribute stresses between the crystal and the middle part due to the water pressure during a dive.

2. The watch case according to claim 1 , wherein the annular bearing surface of the back and the inner annular surface of the middle part are conical in shape.

3. The watch case according to claim 1 , wherein the determined angle of inclination of the bearing and inner surfaces is of the order of 60°±5° relative to the central axis.

4. The watch case according to claim 2 , wherein at the determined angle of inclination of the bearing and inner surfaces is of the order of 60°±5° relative to the central axis.

5. The watch case according to claim 1 , wherein the lower side of the middle part further comprises an annular groove housing a packing in contact of the bearing surface during the mounting of the back on the middle part.

6. The watch case according to claim 2 , wherein the lower side of the middle part further comprises an annular groove housing a packing in contact of the bearing surface during the mounting of the back on the middle part.

7. The watch case according to claim 5 , wherein the back comprises an annular rim having an internal tapping to be screwed onto a tapping on the lower side of the middle part during the mounting of the back on the middle part.

8. The watch case according to claim 5 , wherein a ring is provided for mounting the back to the middle part, wherein the ring is provided with an inner bearing surface coming into contact with a peripheral outer surface of the back, which is of complementary shape, and wherein the ring comprises an annular rim having an internal tapping to be screwed onto a tapping on the lower side of the middle part.

9. The watch case according to claim 8 , wherein the first portion of the fastening gasket between the annular peripheral surface and the inner annular surface is made of amorphous metal or of amorphous metal alloy.

10. The watch case according to claim 1 , wherein the annular walls are parallel to the central axis.

11. The watch case according to claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the fastening gasket is made of amorphous metal or of amorphous metal alloy, and wherein the second portion of the fastening gasket is made of polyurethane to fasten the crystal to the middle part.

12. The watch case according to claim 9 , wherein the amorphous metal alloy of at least one portion of the fastening gasket is based mainly on zirconium.

13. The watch case according to claim 11 , wherein the amorphous metal alloy of at least one portion of the fastening gasket is based mainly on zirconium.

14. The watch case according to claim 9 , wherein the amorphous metal alloy of at least one portion of the fastening gasket is based mainly on platinum.

15. The watch case according to claim 11 , wherein the amorphous metal alloy of at least one portion of the fastening gasket is based mainly on platinum.

16. The watch case according to claim 9 , wherein the amorphous metal alloy of at least one portion of the fastening gasket is based mainly on palladium.

17. The watch case according to claim 11 , wherein the amorphous metal alloy of at least one portion of the fastening gasket is based mainly on palladium.

18. The watch case according to claim 1 , wherein the defined angle of inclination of the annular peripheral surface of the crystal and of the inner annular surface of the middle part is of the order of 43°+5° relative to the central axis.

Assignees

• Omega Sa

Inventors

• Kaltenrieder Cedric
• Kissling Gregory
• Winkler Yves
• Ramsay John

Classifications

• F16J15/0806

  characterised by material or surface treatment · CPC title

• G04B37/084

  Complete encasings for wrist or pocket watches without means for hermetic sealing of winding stem or crown · CPC title

• G04B37/08 Primary

  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

• G04B37/11 Primary

  of the back cover of pocket or wrist watches · CPC title

• G04B37/0008 Primary

  for pocket watches and wrist watches · CPC title