Water-resistant watch case

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11449010-B2
Application number	US-202016847818-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 14, 2020
Priority date	May 8, 2019
Publication date	Sep 20, 2022
Grant date	Sep 20, 2022

Abstract

A water-resistant watch case of a diving watch, includes a back mounted on a lower side of a middle part, and a crystal mounted on an upper side of the middle part. The crystal includes an annular peripheral surface mounted by a first portion of an annular gasket made of amorphous metal on an inner annular surface that is complementary in shape, on the upper side of the middle part. A second portion of the gasket on the first portion of the gasket maintains the crystal against the middle part. The annular peripheral surface of the crystal is inclined towards the inside of the watch case at an angle less than 90° relative to a central axis perpendicular to the plane of the watch case to distribute stresses between the crystal and the middle part due to the water pressure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A water-resistant watch case for a diving watch, the watch case comprising:
at least one crystal separately mounted on an upper side of a middle part, wherein
the crystal comprises an annular peripheral surface to be mounted with at least one portion of a gasket, that is annular in shape, of the watch case on an inner annular surface on the upper side of the middle part, the gasket being located between the crystal and the middle part and configured to extend below a level of a link between a bottom of the crystal and the middle part, and
the annular peripheral surface of the crystal is 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 crystal and the middle part due to water pressure during a dive.

2. The watch case according to claim 1 , wherein the portion of the gasket between the annular peripheral surface and the inner annular surface is made of metal alloy that is at least partially amorphous.

3. The watch case according to claim 1 , wherein the inner annular surface on the upper side of the middle part is of a shape complementary to the annular peripheral surface of the crystal.

4. The watch case according to claim 3 , wherein the gasket is composed of a first portion arranged between the annular peripheral surface of the crystal and the inner annular surface of the middle part, and of a second portion in contact between an inner annular wall of the middle part above the inner annular surface and an outer annular wall of the crystal above the annular peripheral surface.

5. The watch case according to claim 4 , wherein the inner annular wall of the middle part and the outer annular wall of the crystal are parallel to the central axis.

6. The watch case according to claim 4 , wherein
the first portion of the gasket is made of metal alloy that is at least partially amorphous, and
the second portion of the gasket is made of polymer to fasten the crystal to the middle part.

7. The watch case according to claim 2 , wherein the amorphous metal alloy of at least one portion of the gasket is based mainly on zirconium.

8. The watch case according to claim 2 , wherein the amorphous metal alloy of at least one portion of the gasket is based mainly on platinum.

9. The watch case according to claim 2 , wherein the amorphous metal alloy of at least one portion of the gasket is based mainly on palladium.

10. The watch case according to claim 4 , wherein
the annular peripheral surface of the crystal and the inner annular surface of the middle part are conical surfaces, and
the inner annular wall of the middle part and the outer annular wall of the crystal are cylindrical surfaces.

11. The watch case according to claim 1 , wherein a defined angle of an inclination of the annular peripheral surface of the crystal is of an order of 43°±5° relative to the central axis.

12. The watch case according to claim 4 , wherein a defined angle of an inclination of the annular peripheral surface of the crystal and of the inner annular surface of the middle part is of an order of 43°±5° relative to the central axis.

13. The watch case according to claim 1 , wherein the annular peripheral surface of the crystal comprises a deposit for etching an inscription by a laser beam.

14. The watch case according to claim 13 , wherein a color of the deposit is different from a color of a first portion of the gasket so as to view the inscription through the crystal from outside the watch case.

15. The watch case according to claim 1 , wherein the annular peripheral surface of the crystal comprises a structuring to create a decoration.

Assignees

• Omega Sa

Inventors

• Kaltenrieder Cedric
• Kissling Gregory
• Winkler Yves

Classifications

• G04B39/025

  without special sealing parts · CPC title

• G04B37/00

  Cases {(cases with a special shape G04B45/0069; ornamentation of the case G04B47/04; cartridges A45C11/00 - A45C11/38)} · CPC title

• G04B45/0084

  Pictures or inscriptions on the case or parts thereof, attaching complete pictures (decoration and manfuacture thereof G04B45/0076; special decorative parts which are attached to the case or other parts G04B47/04) · CPC title

• G04B39/00 Primary

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

• G04B39/02 Primary

  Sealing crystals or glasses {(sealing the case and the winding stem G04B37/08)} · CPC title