Holding and indexing device for timepieces

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9588494-B2
Application number	US-201414526133-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 28, 2014
Priority date	Oct 30, 2013
Publication date	Mar 7, 2017
Grant date	Mar 7, 2017

Abstract

A holding and indexing device for integration in a setting device of timepieces, including a fixedly-attached bushing, an axially-displaceable and rotatable shaft mounted within the bushing, a transmission element attached to the shaft end directed into the interior of the timepiece and allowing the drive of a timepiece part in the interior, and a resilient element exerting a preload force in the axial direction of the shaft. The device additionally includes an indexing ring attached to the shaft in an axially-sliding manner and having an indexing toothing. The transmission element, on a side face directed towards the ring, includes a side toothing engaged with the indexing toothing due to the force of the resilient element. In at least one direction of rotation of the shaft, applying force onto the indexing ring causes disengagement of the indexing and side toothings, thus allowing a position indexing of the timepiece part.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A holding and indexing device for integration in a setting device of a timepiece, wherein the device comprises:
a bushing fixedly attached to a case of said timepiece,
a shaft mounted within the bushing so as to be both axially displaceable and rotatable,
a transmission element attached to an end of the shaft directed into an interior of the timepiece, and the transmission element allows a drive of a timepiece part located in the interior of the timepiece, and
at least one resilient element exerting a preload force acting in the axial direction of the shaft,
an indexing ring mounted on said shaft in an axially sliding manner and having an indexing toothing,
wherein said transmission element comprises, on a side face thereof directed towards the indexing ring, a side toothing engaged with said indexing toothing due to an effect of the preload force of the resilient element, and
wherein, in at least one direction of rotation of the shaft, an application of a force of a predefined magnitude onto the indexing ring causes a disengagement between the indexing toothing and the side toothing and thus allows a position indexing of said timepiece part.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the bushing, at the end directed into the interior of the timepiece, comprises a toothed end face, wherein a height of teeth at the end face is greater than a thickness of the indexing ring and the associated indexing toothing, such that the indexing ring is attached to said shaft in an axially sliding manner, as well as secured against rotation due to engagement of the indexing toothing with said toothed end face of the bushing, wherein a stroke of the axial movability corresponds to the difference between the height of the end-face teeth and the thickness of the indexing ring.

3. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the indexing toothing of the indexing ring comprises rectangular teeth.

4. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the side toothing engaged with the indexing toothing, on the side face of said transmission element directed towards the indexing ring, consists of a first Breguet toothing securing against any rotation in one direction of rotation or consists of a triangle toothing allowing a bidirectional rotation.

5. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the transmission element comprises a carrier pinion fixedly attached to the shaft and a carrier disc rotatable about the shaft, between which a coupling in the form of a second Breguet toothing arranged on a side face of the carrier disc directed towards the carrier pinion in conjunction with a carrier toothing on the carrier pinion engaged with said second Breguet toothing is mounted, wherein the side toothing engaged with the indexing toothing, on the side face of said transmission element directed towards the indexing ring, consists of a first Breguet toothing on a side face of the carrier disc directed towards the indexing ring and securing against any rotation in one direction of rotation.

6. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the transmission element comprises a carrier pinion fixedly attached to the shaft, wherein the side toothing engaged with the indexing toothing, on the side face of said transmission element directed towards the indexing ring, consists of a triangle toothing on a side face of the carrier pinion directed towards the indexing ring and allowing a bidirectional rotation.

7. The device according to claim 1 , wherein at least one resilient element, which exerts a preload force acting in the axial direction of the shaft, is formed as a balance-spring arranged between the shaft and the indexing ring and/or as an annular expanding leaf spring arranged between the shaft and at least part of the transmission element, wherein the preload force of the resilient element loads the indexing ring and the transmission element with respect to one another.

8. A setting device for timepieces, wherein said setting device comprises a holding and indexing device according to claim 1 , wherein the setting device comprises an outer setting element, which is fixedly attached to the shaft of the holding and indexing device and which allows a setting of said timepiece part, and the preload force of at least one resilient element is determined in accordance with an effective end face of the setting element in order to allow an automatic, axial position switchover of the setting device in accordance with the external pressure applied.

9. The setting device according to claim 8 , wherein at least one ring seal is fitted between the bushing and the outer setting element and cooperates with an associated chamfer in such a way that, with an automatic, axial position switchover of the setting device depending on the external pressure applied, one of the ring seals is compressed in order to automatically increase the tightness, wherein the ring seals are arranged on an outer face of the bushing and the associated chamfer is arranged on the inner face of the setting element.

10. The setting device according to claim 8 , wherein the outer setting element is formed as a setting cap with a drive toothing, which is engaged with a toothed rim of an outer bezel of the timepiece.

11. The setting device according to claim 8 , wherein the outer setting element is formed as a setting crown manually actuatable by a user of the timepiece.

12. A timepiece, comprising a setting device according to claim 8 , wherein the timepiece comprises an outer bezel which serves to set said timepiece part of the timepiece.

13. The timepiece according to claim 12 , wherein said timepiece part of the timepiece, which is set by means of the setting device and of which the position is indexed by the holding and indexing device, is kinematically connected to said transmission element and is selected from the group containing an inner bezel, a date disc, a world time disc, a moon disc, an alarm clock disc, a tachymeter disc and an indexing pointer disc.

14. A timepiece, wherein said timepiece comprises a setting device according to claim 8 , and wherein the timepiece has an outer crown which serves to set said timepiece part of the timepiece.

15. A setting device for timepieces, comprising a holding and indexing device according to claim 1 , wherein the setting device comprises an outer setting element which is fixedly attached to the shaft of the holding and indexing device and which allows a setting of said timepiece part, and wherein an axial displaceability of the shaft is prevented.

16. The setting device according to claim 15 , wherein the outer setting element is formed as a setting cap with a drive toothing, which is engaged with a toothed rim of an outer bezel of the timepiece.

17. The setting device according to claim 15 , wherein the outer setting element is formed as a setting crown manually actuatable by a user of the timepiece.

18. A timepiece, comprising a setting device according to claim 15 , wherein the timepiece comprises an outer bezel which serves to set said timepiece part of the timepiece.

19. The timepiece according to claim 18 , wherein the timepiece comprises a diving watch.

20. A timepiece, wherein said timepiece comprises a setting device according to claim 15 , and wherein the timepiece has an outer crown which serves to set said timepiece part of the timepiece.

21. The timepiece according to claim 20 , wherein said timepiece part of the timepiece, which is set by means of the setting device and of which the position is indexed by

Assignees

• Richemont Int Sa

Inventors

• Speichinger Ferdinand

Classifications

• G04B3/041 Primary

  Construction of crowns for rotating movement; connection with the winding stem; winding stems · CPC title

• G04B37/10

  of winding stems {(construction of winding crowns G04B3/041; in combination with hermetic sealing G04B37/081)} · CPC title

• G04B19/283

  on rotatable rings, i.e. bezel (for graduations on the bezels G04B19/18) · CPC title

• G04B27/08 Primary

  by using parts of the case {(winding by using parts of the case G04B3/08)} · CPC title

• G04B19/18

  Graduations on the crystal or glass, on the bezel, or on the rim · CPC title