Timepiece, in particular a pocket watch, equipped with at least one cover

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11415944-B2
Application number	US-202016848980-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 15, 2020
Priority date	Jun 17, 2019
Publication date	Aug 16, 2022
Grant date	Aug 16, 2022

Abstract

A timepiece including a device for opening a cover including a fixed pendant mounted inside a middle part and a movable pendant for sliding within the fixed pendant towards the center of the case, the movable pendant having a guide element for moving along an axial guide groove, then in a circumferential guide groove into which the axial guide groove opens out and which is delimited by a boundary, such that, when the movable pendant is pushed, this movable pendant can be firstly displaced axially, then pivoted by an angle defined by the place at which the guide element abuts against the boundary, the movable pendant having a helical groove which comes into contact with at least one pin arranged with a clearance between the movable pendant and the locking spring and which is axially displaced towards the locking spring when the movable pendant is pushed, then pivoted, such that the pin presses against the locking spring and releases the cover.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A timepiece, comprising a case delimited by a middle part and at a centre of which a horological movement is housed, the timepiece further comprising, on at least one of front or rear faces thereof, a cover covering a device for displaying a piece of information or a decorative pattern, the timepiece further comprising a device for opening the cover, said cover being held in the closed position by a locking spring, the opening device comprising a fixed pendant mounted inside the middle part of the timepiece, in addition to a movable pendant capable of sliding coaxially within the fixed pendant towards the centre of the case, the movable pendant being equipped with a guide element capable of moving along an axial guide groove, then in a circumferential guide groove into which the axial guide groove opens out, the axial guide groove and the circumferential guide groove being made in an inside surface of the fixed pendant, the circumferential guide groove being provided with a boundary away from the place at which the axial guide groove opens out, such that, when the movable pendant is pushed towards the centre of the case, said movable pendant can be firstly displaced axially, then pivoted by an angle defined by the place at which the guide element abuts against the boundary which delimits the circumferential guide groove, the opening device further comprising at least one pin which extends axially towards the centre of the case and which is arranged with a clearance between the movable pendant and the locking spring, the movable pendant having, on the side of the pin, a helical groove, said helical groove coming into contact with the pin and causing the axial displacement thereof towards the locking spring when the movable pendant is pushed, then pivoted, such that the pin presses against the locking spring and releases the cover from the retaining force exerted thereon by the locking spring.

2. The timepiece according to claim 1 , wherein the angle between the place at which the axial guide groove opens out into the circumferential guide groove and the place at which the boundary delimits the circumferential guide groove is equal or substantially equal to 90°.

3. The timepiece according to claim 1 , wherein the opening device comprises a pendant pipe mounted such that it the pendant pipe is fixed inside the middle part of the timepiece, coaxially inside the fixed pendant, the movable pendant being capable of sliding between the fixed pendant and the pendant pipe.

4. The timepiece according to claim 2 , wherein the opening device comprises a pendant pipe mounted such that it the pendant pipe is fixed inside the middle part of the timepiece, coaxially inside the fixed pendant, the movable pendant being capable of sliding between the fixed pendant and the pendant pipe.

5. The timepiece according to claim 3 , wherein the opening device comprises a return spring disposed coaxially inside the movable pendant and bearing between the movable pendant and the pendant pipe.

6. The timepiece according to claim 4 , wherein the opening device comprises a return spring disposed coaxially inside the movable pendant and bearing between the movable pendant and the pendant pipe.

7. The timepiece according to claim 5 , wherein the opening device further comprises a crown pipe arranged coaxially inside the movable pendant and on which the return spring is threaded, said crown pipe being fixed inside the pendant pipe.

8. The timepiece according to claim 6 , wherein the opening device further comprises a crown pipe arranged coaxially inside the movable pendant and on which the return spring is threaded, said crown pipe being fixed inside the pendant pipe.

9. The timepiece according to claim 7 , wherein the opening device comprises a maneuvering ring mounted on the movable pendant.

10. The timepiece according to claim 7 , wherein the opening device comprises a setting stem which is disposed coaxially inside the crown pipe and which is guided by the pendant pipe.

11. The timepiece according to claim 8 , wherein the opening device comprises a setting stem which is disposed coaxially inside the crown pipe and which is guided by the pendant pipe.

12. The timepiece according to claim 9 , wherein the opening device comprises a setting stem which is disposed coaxially inside the crown pipe and which is guided by the pendant pipe.

13. The timepiece according to claim 10 , wherein the opening device comprises a crown mounted such that it is fixed on the setting stem.

14. The timepiece according to claim 1 , comprising a first cover over the front face and a second cover over the rear face, the first cover being held in the closed position by a first locking spring, whereas the second cover is held in the closed position by a second locking spring, the axial guide groove opening out into both of two circumferential guide grooves which extend on either side of said axial guide groove and which are both delimited by a boundary, such that, when the movable pendant is pushed towards the centre of the case, said movable pendant can first be displaced axially, then be pivoted to the left or to the right by an angle defined by the place at which the guide element abuts against the boundary that delimits the circumferential guide groove in which it is located, the opening device comprising a first and a second pin which extend axially towards the centre of the case and which are arranged with a clearance between the movable pendant and the first locking spring, respectively the second locking spring, the movable pendant having, on the side of the first and second pin, a first and a second helical groove, said first and second helical grooves being arranged such that, depending on the direction in which the movable pendant is pivoted after having been pushed, either the first helical groove comes into contact with the first pin, or the second helical groove comes into contact with the second pin and causes, depending on the case, the axial displacement of the first pin or of the second pin towards the first locking spring, or respectively the second locking spring, such that, either the first pin presses against the first locking spring and releases the first cover from the retaining force exerted thereon by the first locking spring, or the second pin presses against the second locking spring and releases the second cover from the retaining force exerted thereon by the second locking spring.

Assignees

• Omega Sa

Inventors

• Silvant Olivier

Classifications

• G04B3/046

  Operation by rotation and axial movement with extra function of axial shift of operating element, e.g. crown combined with push button (winding up by push button G04B3/001) · CPC title

• G04B37/05

  Fixed mountings for pocket or wrist watches · CPC title

• G04B37/0041 Primary

  the cover or the bottom can slide or turn with a spring action · CPC title

• G04B37/0025 Primary

  with cover or bottom with a spring (savonette) bench watches opening or closing with spring action G04B37/0463 · CPC title

• G04B37/20 Primary

  with hinged covers or backs · CPC title