Timepiece with attached horns

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11470925-B2
Application number	US-202016866876-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 5, 2020
Priority date	Jun 21, 2019
Publication date	Oct 18, 2022
Grant date	Oct 18, 2022

Abstract

A watch case (2) for wristwatches including: a middle part (4) including a side wall (10) having two sides (12A, 12B); two separate side members (6A, 6B) arranged on either side of the middle part (4), each side member (6A, 6B) extending beyond the space occupied by the middle part (4) in the longitudinal direction of the watch band and having a median portion of complementary shape to the corresponding side (12A, 12B) of the middle part (4), each side member (6A, 6B) being slidably and removably attached to the middle part (4); a bezel (8) secured to the middle part (4) on an upper face of the middle part (4); a back cover (20) fixed on a lower face of the middle part (4); characterized in that each side member (6A, 6B) is blocked in translation in the direction of sliding on the middle part (4) by the bezel (8).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A watch case ( 2 ) for wristwatches comprising:
a middle part ( 4 ) comprising an annular wall ( 10 ) having two sides ( 12 A, 12 B) arranged on either side of a median plane extending in a longitudinal direction of a watch band;
two side members ( 6 A, 6 B) arranged on either side of the middle part ( 4 ), each side member ( 6 A, 6 B) having opposing end portions extending beyond the space occupied by the middle part ( 4 ) in the longitudinal direction of the watch band and having a median portion of complementary shape to the corresponding side ( 12 A, 12 B) of the middle part ( 4 ) which is continuous with the opposing end portions, each side member ( 6 A, 6 B) being slidably and removably attached to the middle part ( 4 );
a bezel ( 8 ) secured to the middle part ( 4 ) on an upper face of the middle part ( 4 ); and
a back cover ( 20 ) attached to a lower face of the middle part ( 4 );
wherein each side member ( 6 A, 6 B) is blocked in translation in the direction of sliding on the middle part ( 4 ) by the bezel ( 8 ).

2. The watch case ( 2 ) according to claim 1 , wherein one portion of a lower face of the bezel ( 8 ) rests on upper edges of the two respective side members ( 6 A, 6 B).

3. The watch case ( 2 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the middle part ( 4 ) comprises a threaded collar ( 18 ) in the upper portion of the middle part ( 4 ) and in that the bezel is screwed onto the threaded collar in order to block the side members ( 6 A, 6 B) in translation on the middle part ( 4 ).

4. The watch case ( 2 ) according to claim 3 , wherein the middle part ( 4 ) comprises a shoulder ( 22 ) encircling the threaded collar ( 18 ).

5. The watch case ( 2 ) according to claim 1 , wherein each removable sliding attachment comprises at least one groove ( 14 A, 14 B) formed on the annular wall ( 10 ) of the middle part ( 4 ), said groove ( 14 A, 14 B) extending perpendicularly with respect to the back cover ( 20 ) of said case ( 2 ).

6. The watch case ( 2 ) according to claim 5 , wherein the at least one groove ( 14 A, 14 B) of each removable sliding attachment comprises a pair of grooves ( 14 A, 14 B).

7. The watch case ( 2 ) according to claim 6 , wherein the first pair and the second pair of grooves ( 14 A, 14 B) are respectively arranged on either side of the median plane.

8. The watch case ( 2 ) according to claim 7 , wherein the first pair and the second pair of grooves ( 14 A, 14 B) are arranged symmetrically on either side of the median plane.

9. The watch case ( 2 ) according to claim 6 , wherein the grooves ( 14 A, 14 B) of the first pair or of the second pair of grooves are arranged symmetrically on either side of a plane orthogonal to the median plane and to the longitudinal direction of the watch band.

10. The watch case ( 2 ) according to claim 5 , wherein the annular wall ( 10 ) has a cylindrical shape having a reference axis.

11. The watch case ( 2 ) according to claim 5 , wherein a plane passing through the reference axis and through one of the grooves ( 14 A, 14 B) of the middle part ( 4 ) forms an angle of between 10 and 45° with respect to the median plane.

12. The watch case ( 2 ) according to claim 5 , wherein each groove ( 14 A, 14 B) is closed by a stop surface.

13. The watch case ( 2 ) according to claim 12 , wherein the stop surface is arranged on the back ( 20 ) of the case ( 2 ) and extends in a circumferential direction of the watch case.

14. The watch case ( 2 ) according to claim 13 , wherein the stop surface is defined by one portion of an edge of the back cover ( 20 ).

15. The watch case ( 2 ) according to claim 5 , wherein each groove ( 14 A, 14 B) is open on an upper portion of the middle part.

16. The watch case ( 2 ) according to claim 5 , wherein each side member ( 6 A, 6 B) comprises a pair of ribs ( 16 A, 16 B, 16 C, 16 D) of complementary shape intended to be inserted into each corresponding groove ( 14 A, 14 B) formed in the middle part ( 4 ).

17. The watch case ( 2 ) according to claim 16 , wherein each side member ( 6 A, 6 B) has an elongated arc shape and the pair of ribs ( 16 A, 16 B, 16 C, 16 D) is formed on an inner surface of said side member, said wall being delimited on either side by each rib of the pair of ribs ( 16 A, 16 B, 16 C, 16 D).

18. The watch case ( 2 ) according to claim 17 , wherein each side member ( 6 A, 6 B) comprises two slots ( 26 A, 26 B, 26 C, 26 D) arranged on said wall and adjacent to the two respective ribs ( 16 A, 16 B, 16 C, 16 D).

19. The watch case ( 2 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the median portion of each of the side members ( 6 A, 6 B) ends at both ends thereof in a terminal portion forming attachment horns ( 24 A, 24 B, 24 C, 24 D), each horn being adapted to receive one end of a watch band pin.

20. The watch case ( 2 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the middle part ( 4 ) is fabricated with a first material and the two side members ( 6 A, 6 B) with a second material, the first material being identical to or different from the second.

21. The watch case ( 2 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the middle part ( 4 ) or each side member ( 6 A, 6 B) has a coating layer.

22. The watch case ( 2 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the case middle ( 4 ) and the side members ( 6 A, 6 B), respectively, have coating layers.

23. The watch case ( 2 ) according to claim 22 , wherein the composition of the coating layer of the middle part ( 4 ) is different from or identical to the composition of each of the coating layers of the two side members ( 6 A, 6 B).

24. The watch case ( 2 ) according to claim 23 , wherein one of the two side members ( 6 A, 6 B) can comprise a notch ( 28 ) for the passage of a winding stem.

25. A wristwatch case comprising a watch case ( 2 ), wherein the watch case ( 2 ) comprises:
a middle part ( 4 ) comprising a side wall ( 10 ) having two sides ( 12 A, 12 B) arranged on either side of a median plane extending in a longitudinal direction of a watch band;
two side members ( 6 A, 6 B) arranged on either side of the middle part ( 4 ), each side member ( 6 A, 6 B) having opposing end portions extending beyond the space occupied by the middle part ( 4 ) in the longitudinal direction of the watch band and having a median portion of complementary shape to the corresponding side ( 12 A, 12 B) of the middle part ( 4 ) which is continuous with the opposing end portions, each side member ( 6 A, 6 B) being slidably and removably attached to the middle part ( 4 );
a bezel ( 8 ) secured to the middle part ( 4 ) on an upper face of the middle part ( 4 );
a back cover ( 20 ) attached to a lower face of the middle part ( 4 );
wherein each side member ( 6 A, 6 B) is blocked in translation in the direction of sliding on the middle part ( 4 ) by the bezel ( 8 ).

Assignees

• Swatch Group Res & Dev Ltd

Inventors

• Jeker Daniel
• Tschumi Philipp
• Maziarz Francois

Classifications

• 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

• G04B37/05 Primary

  Fixed mountings for pocket or wrist watches · CPC title

• G04B37/1486

  Arrangements for fixing to a bracelet (building watches into bracelets (montre marquise) G04B37/12; arrangements for hanging pocket- or other watches on chains G04B37/1446) · CPC title

• G04B37/0008 Primary

  for pocket watches and wrist watches · CPC title

• A44C5/14 Primary

  characterised by the way of fastening to a wrist-watch or the like · CPC title