System for fixing a timepiece movement in a watch case

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11604436-B2
Application number	US-201816184113-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 8, 2018
Priority date	Nov 13, 2017
Publication date	Mar 14, 2023
Grant date	Mar 14, 2023

Abstract

The system (10) for fixing a timepiece movement (2) to a watch case (30) element (3) includes at least one clamp (1), in particular at least two clamps, preferably three clamps or four clamps, which is intended to come into contact firstly with the movement and secondly with the watch case element, and a device (2a′; 3a′) for modifying the stiffness of the at least one clamp, particularly for modifying the bending stiffness of the at least one clamp, when the movement is fixed and/or displaced relative to the watch case element.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for fixing a timepiece movement to a watch case element, the system comprising:
at least one clamp, which is configured to bend due to coming into contact with a surface of the movement and with a surface of the watch case element a) when the movement is pressed under action of the screw during assembly and/or b) when the movement and the watch case element are relatively displaced in an axial direction of the movement such as to press the at least one clamp between said surface of the movement and said surface of the watch case,
a fixing element that fixes a position of the clamp relative to the movement or to the watch case, and
a device for modifying the bending stiffness of the at least one clamp, when the movement is pressed under action of a screw during assembly and/or displaced in an axial direction relative to the watch case element,
wherein the device for modifying the stiffness of the at least one clamp is arranged so that the bent length of the at least one clamp is modified when the movement is fixed to the watch case element or displaced relative to the watch case element from a rest position in which a first surface of the movement abuts against a second surface of the case element,
wherein the device for modifying the stiffness of the at least one clamp is arranged so that the bent length of the at least one clamp is modified so that the bent length of the at least one clamp is reduced when the movement is fixed to the watch case element or displaced relative to the watch case element from the rest position in which the first surface of the movement abuts against the second surface of the case element,
wherein the device for modifying the stiffness of the at least one clamp is arranged so that the bent length of the at least one clamp is modified so that the bent length of the at least one clamp is reduced in response to the movement being fixed to the watch case element or displaced relative to the watch case element from the rest position in which the first surface of the movement abuts against the second surface of the case element.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the bearing force or the contact of a first bent end of the at least one clamp against the movement and/or the bearing force or the contact of a second bent end of the at least one clamp against the case element is/are modified when the movement is fixed to the watch case element or displaced relative to the watch case element from a rest position in which a first surface of the movement abuts against a second surface of the case element.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the device for modifying the stiffness of the at least one clamp comprises, in a state where the movement is fixed to the case element and the movement is in a rest position in which a first surface of the movement abuts against a second surface of the case element:
a first clearance between the clamp and a point of the movement against which the clamp can come into contact via bending of the clamp, the value of the first clearance being less than Lc1, and/or the value of the first clearance being greater than Lc1/60, with Lc1 being a length of a projection in the plane of the movement of a third surface against which the clamp can bear and the length Lc1 being between Lf/10 and Lf with Lf being the bent clamp length, and/or
a second clearance between the clamp and a point of the case element against which the clamp can come into contact via bending of the clamp, the value of the second clearance being less than Lc2, and/or the value of the second clearance being greater than Lc2/60, with Lc2 being a length of a projection in the plane of the movement of a fifth surface against which the clamp can bear and the length Lc2 being between Lf/10 and Lf with Lf measured in a rest state.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the device for modifying the stiffness of the at least one clamp comprises:
a third surface forming a first nonzero angle with a fourth surface against which the clamp bears when the movement is in a rest position in which a first surface of the movement abuts against a second surface of the case element, and/or
a fifth surface forming a second nonzero angle with a sixth surface against which the clamp bears when the movement is in a rest position in which a first surface of the movement abuts against a second surface of the case element.

5. The system as claimed in claim 4 ,
wherein the first angle is less than 45°, and/or is greater than 1°, and/or
wherein the second angle is less than 45°, and/or is greater than 1°.

6. The system as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the first surface is planar and/or the second surface is planar and/or the third surface is planar and/or the fourth surface is planar and/or the fifth surface is planar and/or the sixth surface is planar.

7. The system as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the third surface is rounded, and/or the fifth surface is rounded.

8. The system as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the third surface is a cylinder portion, and/or the fifth surface is a cylinder portion.

9. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one clamp comprises a cross-section, the second moment of area of which changes along a longitudinal axis so that a profile of maximum stresses is constant or substantially constant over at least part of a length of the at least one clamp.

10. The system as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the at least one clamp comprises a cross-section, the second moment of area of the cross section of the at least one clamp changes along a longitudinal axis in width and/or in thickness.

11. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one clamp is made of a superelastic alloy and/or of a shape memory alloy and/or of a nickel alloy.

12. A timepiece unit comprising a system as claimed in claim 1 .

13. The timepiece unit as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the watch case element is a middle.

14. The timepiece unit as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the third surface is produced on the movement and/or the fourth surface is produced on the case element.

15. The timepiece unit as claimed in claim 12 ,
wherein the case element comprises a casing ring and/or the fourth surface is produced at least partially on a casing ring, or
wherein the movement comprises a casing ring and/or the third surface is produced at least partially on a casing ring.

16. A timepiece comprising a unit as claimed in claim 12 .

17. The system as claimed in claim 1 , comprising at least two clamps.

18. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one clamp is configured to bend due to coming into contact with a surface of the movement and with a surface of the watch case element when the movement and the watch case element are relatively displaced in an axial direction of the movement such as to press the at least one clamp between said surface of the movement and said surface of the watch case.

19. The system of claim 1 , further including that the device for modifying the stiffness of the at least one clamp is configured such that when the bent length of the at least one clamp is reduced, a restoring force of the clamp is increased.

Assignees

• Rolex Sa

Inventors

• Junod Benoit
• Rejzner James

Classifications

• G04B37/05 Primary

  Fixed mountings for pocket or wrist watches · CPC title

• G04B37/052 Primary

  with shock damping means not related to the winding stem (shock damping bearings G04B31/02; shock protection G04B43/002) · CPC title