Thermal protection case for timepiece

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12386316-B2
Application number	US-202218048997-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 24, 2022
Priority date	Dec 28, 2021
Publication date	Aug 12, 2025
Grant date	Aug 12, 2025

Abstract

A thermal protection case for timepiece, including, in a casing, a device for holding a case of a timepiece, including first elastic pistons with mobile supports each including at least one component thermally less conductive than the casing and the case and creating a thermal barrier between them, and opposite second supports each including a pillar each with at least one component thermally less conductive than the casing and the case and creating a thermal barrier between them constituting a fixed banking support, or by a second elastic piston including a second mobile support arranged to come to bear on the case and including at least one component thermally less conductive than the casing and than the case and creating a thermal barrier between the casing and the second mobile support.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A thermal protection case for a timepiece, comprising, within a casing, a holding mechanism for holding a timepiece case of the timepiece, wherein said holding mechanism includes, in order to come to bear on a same first side of said timepiece case at least two first elastic pistons each including a first mobile support arranged to come to bear on said first side of said timepiece case and each including at least one component thermally less conductive than said casing and than said timepiece case and creating a thermal barrier between said casing and said timepiece case, and wherein said holding mechanism further includes, in order to come to bear on a same second side of said timepiece case opposite said first side, at least three second supports each consisting of, either a pillar made of material thermally less conductive than said casing and than said timepiece case and constituting a fixed banking support, or of a second elastic piston including a second mobile support arranged to come to bear on said timepiece case and including at least one component thermally less conductive than said casing and than said timepiece case and creating a thermal barrier between said casing and said second mobile support.

2. The thermal protection case according to claim 1 , wherein said casing includes at least one insulator casing and a back arranged to cooperate with one another in a water-resistant closing position under an action of closing means, said insulator casing and/or said back including or carrying a crystal fastened in a water-resistant manner and arranged for observation of one said timepiece enclosed in said thermal protection case.

3. The thermal protection case according to claim 2 , wherein said insulator casing and/or said back and/or said crystal constitutes a double-walled Arsonval-Dewar vessel with an inner vacuum between two walls of said double-walled Arsonval-Dewar vessel.

4. The thermal protection case according to claim 2 , wherein said insulator casing includes housings each arranged to house a first elastic piston and including a banking bearing surface of one end of said first elastic piston.

5. The thermal protection case according to claim 2 , wherein at least one said first mobile support operates like a piston, and is arranged to push one said timepiece case, under an action of an elastic return means included in said first elastic piston, the at least one said first mobile support is held in a housing by a plate, the plate being fastened by screws and pins on a bearing surface to ensure a positioning, so that, when one said timepiece case is installed in said thermal protection case, said pistons are compressed and are not abutting against said plates and wherein the at least one said plate is fastened on a bearing surface included in said insulator casing.

6. The thermal protection case according to claim 2 , wherein said back includes at least one shock-resistant lower banking made of material thermally less conductive than said timepiece case and which is, in a nominal unlocked position, at a distance from one said timepiece bearingly mounted on said at least three second supports, and which is arranged to constitute a banking limiting a travel of said timepiece during a shock unpoising it in relation to said second supports.

7. The thermal protection case according to claim 6 , wherein said thermal protection case includes at least three first elastic pistons, of which at least two are identical and constitute a pair arranged to exert distant and symmetrical presses on one said timepiece case, the at least one said shock-resistant lower banking is elastic, or constitutes, with a crosspiece supporting transverse bankings, a chamber containing an elastic return means.

8. The thermal protection case according to claim 6 , wherein said thermal protection case includes at least four first elastic pistons, constituting two pairs arranged to exert distinct presses on one said timepiece case located on either side of said timepiece, the at least one said shock-resistant lower banking includes an elastic axial banking support for a longitudinal positioning of one said timepiece along a plane of symmetry of horns of said timepiece.

9. The thermal protection case according to claim 1 , wherein at least one said first mobile support is arranged to push one said timepiece case, under an action of an elastic return means included in said first elastic piston.

10. The thermal protection case according to claim 1 , wherein at least one said first mobile support is arranged to push one said timepiece case, under an action of an elastic return means included in said first elastic piston, the at least one said first mobile support is held in a housing by a plate, the plate being fastened by screws and pins on a bearing surface to ensure a positioning, so that, when one said timepiece case is installed in said thermal protection case, said pistons are compressed and are not abutting against said plates.

11. The thermal protection case according to claim 1 , wherein said thermal protection case includes at least three first elastic pistons, of which at least two are identical and constitute a pair arranged to exert distant and symmetrical presses on one said timepiece case.

12. The thermal protection case according to claim 1 , wherein said thermal protection case includes at least four first elastic pistons, constituting two pairs arranged to exert distinct presses on one said timepiece case located on either side of said timepiece.

13. The thermal protection case according to claim 1 , wherein said casing includes at least one communication port between an inner volume of said casing and an outside environment, that can be enclosed in a water-resistant manner and arranged to extract gas contained in said casing, or inject gas into said casing.

14. The thermal protection case according to claim 1 , wherein said casing includes at least one control port between an inner volume of said casing and an outside environment arranged to receive in a water-resistant manner an actuator for an action of a user on a crown or a push-piece or a control pull-out piece included in said timepiece.

15. The thermal protection case according to claim 1 , wherein the components made of material thermally less conductive than said timepiece case are made of PTFE, or of infusible crystalline structure polyimide.

16. A timepiece assembly a comprising the thermal protection case according to claim 1 , and the timepiece including the timepiece case of a geometry compatible with said first mobile supports and with said second supports included in said thermal protection case.

Assignees

• Omega Sa

Inventors

• Nussbaumer Billy

Classifications

• G04B43/005 Primary

  Protection against temperature influences · CPC title

• G04B37/005

  with cover or protection device which can be completely removed, either by lifting off or by sliding, or by turning (protection covers, protection cases also against humidity) · CPC title

• G04B37/0409 Primary

  Fixed mounting relating to wall clocks and pendulums · CPC title