Method for testing the water resistance of a timepiece

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9977404-B2
Application number	US-201615210003-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 14, 2016
Priority date	Jul 22, 2015
Publication date	May 22, 2018
Grant date	May 22, 2018

Abstract

Method for testing the water resistance of at least one timepiece, wherein it comprises the following stages:
E1—Measuring the rate of the timepiece when subjected to a first external pressure, in particular atmospheric pressure, in order to obtain a first reference rate value;
E2—Measuring the rate of a timepiece when subjected to a second external pressure inside a pressurization chamber, in order to obtain a second rate value under pressure;
E3—Comparing the rate value under pressure and the reference rate value in order to deduce therefrom the presence or otherwise of a deficiency in the water resistance in the event of a variation in excess of a predefined threshold.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for testing water resistance of at least one timepiece, wherein the method comprises:
measuring a first rate of the timepiece subjected to a first external pressure, so as to obtain a first reference rate value;
measuring a second rate of the timepiece subjected to a second external pressure inside a pressurization chamber, so as to obtain a second rate value under pressure;
at least one of the two operations of measuring the rate of the timepiece includes measuring a time-related difference between two display values for the timepiece provided by two status reports for the timepiece, compared with a time between said two status reports measured by a reference clock; and
comparing the rate value under pressure and the reference rate value so as to deduce therefrom presence of or otherwise deficiency in water resistance of the timepiece in an event of a variation between the rate value under pressure and the reference rate value exceeding a predefined threshold.

2. The method for testing water resistance as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first external pressure is atmospheric pressure.

3. The method for testing the water resistance as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the status reports comprise recorded images associated with a time indicated by the reference clock.

4. The method for testing the water resistance as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the time between the two status reports for the timepiece is greater than or equal to one hour.

5. The method for testing the water resistance as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the measuring of the rate of the timepiece subjected to a second external pressure includes pressurizing the timepiece inside the pressurization chamber at a maximum value of the second external pressure in a range of from 2 to 5 bar.

6. The method for testing the water resistance as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the measuring of the second rate of the timepiece subjected to a second external pressure includes slowly pressurizing the timepiece inside the pressurization chamber at an average rate of increase in the pressure in a range of from 1 to 4 bar/hour.

7. The method for testing the water resistance as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the method comprises testing water resistance of a plurality of timepieces simultaneously, the timepieces being housed simultaneously inside the pressurization chamber.

8. The method for testing the water resistance as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the status reports for the timepiece enabling an average rate of the timepiece subjected to the second external pressure to be determined are produced outside the pressurization chamber, before introduction and after removal of the timepiece from the pressurization chamber.

9. The method for testing water resistance as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the status reports comprise recorded images associated with a time indicated by the reference clock.

10. The method for testing water resistance as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the time between the two status reports for the timepiece is in a range of from 2 to 8 hours.

11. The method for testing the water resistance as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the status reports produced after the removal of the timepiece from the pressurization chamber are completed within a period of less than or equal to 30 minutes.

12. The method for testing water resistance as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the status reports comprise recorded images associated with a time indicated by the reference clock.

13. A method for manufacturing a timepiece, wherein the method comprises the method for testing the water resistance as claimed in claim 1 .

14. A system for testing the water resistance of a timepiece for implementing the method for testing the water resistance as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the system comprises a device for measuring the rate of a timepiece and a pressurization chamber defining a mounting for accommodating at least one timepiece.

15. The system for testing water resistance of a timepiece as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the device for measuring the rate of a timepiece comprises a mechanism for producing the status reports for the timepiece including an optical image recording apparatus coupled to the reference clock.

16. The system for testing water resistance of a timepiece as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the device for measuring the rate of a timepiece is disposed entirely outside the pressurization chamber.

17. The system for testing water resistance of a timepiece as claimed in claim 16 , wherein a housing inside the pressurization chamber comprises a space adapted for simultaneous housing of a plurality of timepieces.

18. The system for testing water resistance of a timepiece as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the device for measuring the rate of a timepiece comprises a mechanism for producing the status reports for the timepiece including an optical image recording apparatus coupled to the reference clock.

19. The system for testing water resistance of a timepiece as claimed in claim 14 , wherein a housing inside the pressurization chamber comprises a space adapted for simultaneous housing of a plurality of timepieces.

20. The system for testing water resistance of a timepiece as claimed in claim 19 , wherein the device for measuring the rate of a timepiece comprises a mechanism for producing the status reports for the timepiece including an optical image recording apparatus coupled to the reference clock.

Assignees

• Rolex Sa

Inventors

• Dupertuis Jean-Samuel

Classifications

• G01M3/26 Primary

  by measuring rate of loss or gain of fluid, e.g. by pressure-responsive devices, by flow detectors · CPC title

• G04D7/007 Primary

  with regard to the sealing of the case · CPC title

• G01M3/02

  by using fluid or vacuum · CPC title