Arrangement for fastening glass of timepiece

Abstract

The invention relates to a timepiece comprising a housing defining an internal volume in which a movement of the timepiece is arranged and a glass, the timepiece comprising means for fastening the glass to the housing at the periphery of the glass. The timepiece further comprises means for connecting the glass, comprising at least one support stud arranged in the interior volume in a fixed manner with respect to the housing and by contacting the lower surface of the glass, the fastening device is in contact with the glass, in particular in the central region of the glass, and is joined to the glass outside the periphery of the glass fastened by the fastening device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to an arrangement for fixing a glass of a timepiece and to a timepiece itself, in particular to an ultra-flat timepiece. The invention also relates to a method for fixing a glass of a timepiece, which method belongs to a more general method for manufacturing a timepiece. Background Art

[0002] In order to produce a timepiece of small thickness, it is necessary to take into account the fact that glass easily deforms under external pressure. In particular, reducing the thickness of the timepiece can rely on reducing the thickness of the glass and / or bringing it closer to the movement and / or the hands. As a result, the effects of deformation of the glass become problematic, since it must be prevented from coming into contact with the movement or the hands so as not to interrupt the operation of the timepiece or even damage the movement. Furthermore, if the glass is weakened, it must also be ensured that it does not break in the event of deformation.

[0003] Document CH706978 describes a solution that consists in using the surface of the frame of a watch movement to form a stopper that reduces the travel of the glass in the event of deformation so as to prevent the glass from coming into contact with the pointer. This solution works in extreme cases where the glass is severely deformed. In the normal configuration of the watch, this stopper has no effect. Therefore, this solution makes it possible to avoid certain extreme problems, but it still has shortcomings. For example, the glass may still experience slight deformations that make it come into contact or not with the stopper, such as micro-vibrations, so it is necessary to use sufficiently strong glass, in particular glass with a suitable thickness. Summary of the invention

[0004] The general object of the present invention is to propose a solution for fixing a glass to a case of a timepiece, said solution being particularly suitable for timepieces of small thickness.

[0005] Therefore, the invention is defined by the following claims.

[0006] In particular, the invention is based on an arrangement for fixing the glass of a timepiece comprising a case, comprising fixing means for fixing the glass to the case at the periphery of the glass, wherein it comprises connecting means for connecting the glass, the connecting means comprising at least one supporting stud which interacts with the glass remote from the periphery of the glass or remote from the watch case, in particular in the central region of the glass.

[0007] The at least one stud may comprise a lower portion for mounting on a timepiece and an upper portion in contact with the lower surface of the glass.

[0008] The arrangement may comprise a plurality of support studs, in particular 1 to 10 support studs, and a plurality of support studs in contact with the glass in a central region of the glass.

[0009] The arrangement for fixing the glass may comprise a plurality of support studs substantially evenly distributed over a central area of ​​the glass and / or in the vicinity of parts of the movement intended to be positioned at a very small distance from the glass, such as a wheel or a hand.

[0010] The invention also relates to a timepiece comprising a crystal and a case, wherein the timepiece comprises an arrangement for fixing the crystal to the case as defined above.

[0011] At least one supporting stud may be fixed to a bridge of a timepiece movement.

[0012] At least one support stud may be fixed to the head of a screw of a plate of a timepiece movement. The support stud may comprise an annular shape capable of interacting with a protrusion of the screw of the plate of the timepiece movement.

[0013] At least one supporting stud may be fastened in a height-adjustable manner so as to be able to ensure its contact with the glass.

[0014] The thickness of the glass may be less than or equal to 0.4 mm, or even less than or equal to 0.35 mm, in particular between 0.2 mm and 0.4 mm, and / or the diameter of the glass may be greater than or equal to 30 mm, or even greater than or equal to 30 mm, and / or less than or equal to 45 mm, or even less than or equal to 40 mm.

[0015] The total thickness of the timepiece may be less than or equal to 2 mm, or even less than or equal to 1.9 mm, or even less than or equal to 1.85 mm.

[0016] The invention also relates to a method for fixing the glass of a timepiece, wherein the method comprises the following steps:

[0017] - fixing the glass at its periphery to the case of the timepiece;

[0018] The glass is connected using at least one supporting stud which is in contact with or optionally fixed to the glass in an area remote from the periphery of the glass or remote from the casing, in particular in a central part of the glass. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Other advantages and characteristics will appear more clearly from the following description of a particular embodiment of the invention, given by way of non-limiting example and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0020] Figure 1 A top view of a timepiece according to one embodiment of the invention is shown.

[0021] Figure 2A view showing a vertical section at a bridge of a timepiece according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0022] Figure 3 A vertical cross-sectional view at a support stud of a timepiece according to an embodiment of the invention is shown.

[0023] Figure 4 A perspective view showing a screw of a timepiece according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 5 A perspective view showing a support stud of a timepiece according to an embodiment of the invention is shown.

[0025] Figure 6 A perspective view showing the assembly of a support stud on a screw of a timepiece according to an embodiment of the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] To simplify the description, by convention, the term "horizontal direction" will be used for any direction parallel to the glass of the timepiece. The term "vertical direction" will be used for any direction perpendicular to the glass of the timepiece. The adjectives "upper" and "lower" will be used to indicate elements or surfaces that are located, respectively, on the side viewed by the user of the timepiece and on the opposite side, such as on the side facing the wearer's wrist in the case of a wristwatch, relative to the vertical.

[0027] Figure 1 A top view of a timepiece 1 according to an embodiment of the invention is shown. The timepiece 1 is a watch comprising a case 2 including lugs 3 for fixing a strap string not shown.

[0028] The housing 2 comprises a bottom or plate and a housing middle part, and a frame 4 arranged on the housing middle part on the periphery of the housing 2. As a variant, any other architecture of the housing 2 is conceivable.

[0029] The timepiece 1 also includes a glass 10, which is Figure 1 The watch is not easily visible and is first fixed in a conventional manner at its periphery by means of fixings on the housing 2 and more specifically on the middle of the housing and / or on the frame 4. This first fixing means can be adhesive or mechanical. The frame is fixed in a conventional manner from the bottom of the watch to the middle of the housing, for example using screws, for example octagonal head screws. Thus, this rather conventional fixing means involves the peripheral area of ​​the glass and a corresponding area on the watch housing.

[0030] The timepiece 1 also comprises a timepiece movement fixed in the upper part using a bridge 5. It also comprises at least one dial 6 and at least one hand 7. The case 2 and the glass completely or partially delimit the internal volume of the timepiece in which the timepiece movement is arranged.

[0031] Figure 2 A cross-sectional view through a vertical plane of a timepiece 1 is shown. According to this embodiment, the timepiece is ultra-flat. Advantageously, the total thickness of the timepiece is less than or equal to 2 mm, or even less than or equal to 1.9 mm, or even less than or equal to 1.85 mm. The thickness may be greater than or equal to 1.7 mm.

[0032] As a result, first of all, the glass 10 is selected to have a very small thickness, for example a thickness of about 0.3 mm. Advantageously, the thickness of the glass is less than or equal to 0.4 mm, or even less than or equal to 0.35 mm. It is also advantageously greater than or equal to 0.2 mm, or even greater than or equal to 0.25 mm. The thickness is preferably constant. As a variant, it can be variable, in which case the above values ​​are minimum or average values. In addition, the diameter of the glass 10 is greater than or equal to 30 mm, or even greater than or equal to 35 mm. In addition, the diameter of the glass 10 is less than or equal to 45 mm, or even less than or equal to 40 mm. Its profile can be circular. As a variant, it can have any other shape: square, rectangular, oval, etc. In all cases, its area can be kept within the same values ​​as those resulting from the above diameter ranges. The glass 10 can be made of any known material, for example, made of sapphire.

[0033] Furthermore, the glass 10 is located near the movement in order to minimize the overall thickness of the timepiece. Figure 2 As schematically shown in FIG. 1 , the interval 11 between the lower surface of the glass 10 and the upper surface of the plate 5 or the pointer 7 of the movement may be very small, for example, less than or equal to 0.1 mm.

[0034] By the dimensions defined above, if the glass 10 were fixed only by the fixing means described above, the glass 10 would be susceptible to deformation in a non-negligible manner and this deformation would be sufficient to bring said glass into contact with the movement (in particular the plate), which could result in the gear train and / or the hands 7 being clamped. For this reason, according to this embodiment, the glass 10 is also held by one or more support studs 20, which are in contact with the lower surface of the glass 10. In other words, the glass 10 is pressed against one or more support studs 20. Moreover, such a glass, due to its reduced thickness, is susceptible to various vibrations and deformations (even with very low amplitudes), without necessarily being in contact with the movement or the hands. These deformations easily lead to wear and weakening of the glass. One or more support studs 20 make it possible to eliminate or reduce this phenomenon.

[0035] According to one embodiment, the support stud 20 is advantageously arranged on the upper plate 5 of the movement, or even on the plate. It thus extends vertically from such a plate 5 until it comes into contact with the lower surface of the glass 10. As a variant, it can be fixed to any other surface of the movement or clock. Preferably, it is fixed away from the pin of the movement so as not to risk damaging the rotation of such a pin. Therefore, it advantageously extends from a fixed surface without being connected to the rotating pin of the movement. Therefore, it is separated from the pin of the watch movement or from the moving element of the watch movement. Therefore, unlike the parts of the watch movement (such as the gear train and the pivot pin) and unlike the easily deformable elements, such a support stud 20 is installed in a fixed manner relative to the watch (more precisely, relative to the watch case 2).

[0036] The function of the support studs 20 is to complement the means for fixing the glass provided at the periphery of the glass by forming all or part of the connecting means, said connecting means being positioned in an area away from the periphery of the glass or away from the case, i.e. away from the periphery of the glass and the area of ​​the case on which the means for fixing the glass are used. Thus, the support studs add elements for holding the glass which are separate and complementary to the conventional fixing means.

[0037] The support stud is therefore preferably arranged in a central area of ​​the glass 10. Such a central area can be defined as a disk of radius R / 2 or 3R / 4 of the glass, centered on the center of the glass, where R is the radius of the glass. If the glass is not in a shape with a circular profile, the same principle can be applied by considering the disk with the smallest radius in which the glass is inscribed. The support stud is therefore positioned in the internal volume of the timepiece and comprises a lower part fixed to the timepiece, for example a plate or bridge of the movement, and an upper part in contact with the lower surface of the glass.

[0038] The connection means, which include one or more support studs, have the function of preventing deformation of the glass 10, at least at the support studs 20. This configuration allows the glass to be fixed by combining the fixing means and the connection means so that it is hardly deformed, if at all, so that it is not in contact with the movement or the hands. More generally, it undergoes hardly any deformation, if any.

[0039] according to Figure 1 In the embodiment shown, two support studs 20 are used. Advantageously, the connection device comprises a plurality of support studs 20, for example 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6, or more generally any number between 1 and 10.

[0040] Furthermore, according to one embodiment, these support studs are advantageously distributed fairly evenly and at least partially away from the periphery of the glass. Preferably, they are located on the central part of the timepiece. Thus, a plurality of support studs 20 may advantageously be positioned at a disk of radius R / 2 or even of radius 3R / 4 of the glass 10, where R is the radius of the glass. In other words, the central area is defined by a circle of radius 3R / 4 or even R / 2, where R is the radius of the circle in which the glass 10 is inscribed. As a variant or supplement, one or more support studs 20 may be positioned near the surface of the splint 5 and / or of the pointer 7 closest to the glass 10. The support studs 20 may be identical or different.

[0041] according to Figure 3 In the preferred embodiment shown, the support stud 20 is fixed to a screw 11 of the movement, more precisely to the head 12 of the screw 11, which is fixed to the bridge 5 of the movement. To this end, the head 12 of the screw 11 is designed to include first interaction means capable of interacting with the support stud 20, such as a central pin.

[0042] in this regard, Figures 4 to 6 An exemplary assembly of a screw 11 and a supporting stud 20 of a bridge of a movement is shown. Figure 4 A screw 11 is shown. The screw 11 comprises on its head a cylindrical 12 protrusion 12 extending about a vertical axis coinciding with the axis of the screw 11. A notch 13 is provided on the periphery of the screw head in order to be able to insert a tool and possibly actuate the screw 11. Figure 5 A support stud 20 is shown, which has an annular shape and dimensions corresponding to the screw 11 so as to be able to interact with its head (eg Figure 6 As shown), and can protrude above the head in terms of height by accurately filling the gap between the screw 11 and the glass 10 so as to contact with the glass 10 (as shown in FIG. Figure 3 shown).

[0043] In such an embodiment, support studs 20 of different heights can be provided, which can be customized so as to perfectly fill the height between plate 5 and glass 10. According to such an embodiment, support studs 20 thus have a height calculated to correspond precisely to the distance between movement and glass, in particular in cases where the construction gap is small or negligible.

[0044] The support stud 20 advantageously has sufficient rigidity to prevent deformation of the glass, while having sufficient flexibility to not form hard spots on the glass that would risk damaging the glass. To this end, the support stud 20 is preferably made of a rubber material or a rigid polymer (e.g., transparent silicone).

[0045] According to a variant embodiment, not shown, the positioning of the support stud 20 may be height-adjustable. To this end, it may comprise a lower mounting portion that is screwed onto the movement, for example onto the bridge 5, so that its height can be varied by screwing. As a variant, any other mechanical height adjustment solution is conceivable. Such an embodiment makes it possible to compensate for any clearances and / or ensure contact with the glass in all cases with any desired pressure, even when the construction clearances are not negligible.

[0046] It should be noted that in all cases, the lower surface of glass 10 may include a coating at the contact points with support studs 20. Such a coating may have a first function of reinforcing the glass at the contact points and a second aesthetic function of hiding the contact studs from the user of the timepiece.

[0047] The invention thus relates to an arrangement as described above for fixing a glass 10 of a timepiece. It also relates to the timepiece itself. As described above, it is particularly suitable for timepieces, in particular watches, of very small thickness.

[0048] It should also be noted that the arrangement has been described as comprising at least one support stud in contact with the glass so as to maintain its position at a constant height so as to prevent it from deforming in the event of stresses exerted on its upper surface. As implicitly emerges from the preceding description, this contact is formed with the glass in its rest position, i.e., undeformed position. In other words, the contact between the support stud and the glass is thus a permanent contact. As a variant, the support stud 20 can be fixed to the glass, for example by adhesive or mechanical means, and thus form a second means for fixing the glass.

[0049] In all cases, therefore, the behavior of the support stud is different from that of the stop described in document CH706978, which has no effect on the glass except when it is most significantly deformed. The support stud of the invention acts as an element to hold the glass in its initial, undeformed position and acts permanently on it in order to keep it in this initial position. It therefore effectively contributes to the fixing of the glass as a whole to the timepiece.

[0050] The invention also relates to a method for fixing a glass to a timepiece, wherein the method comprises the following steps:

[0051] - fixing the glass 10 to the case 2 of the timepiece at the periphery of the glass 10;

[0052] - Attaching the glass 10 using at least one supporting stud 20 in contact with or optionally fixed to the glass 10 in an area away from the periphery of the glass 10 fixed in the previous step, in particular in the central part.

[0053] Advantageously, the method comprises a step of adjusting the height of at least one supporting stud 20 to ensure its contact with the glass 10 .

[0054] This method for fixing a glass is incorporated into a more general method for assembling a timepiece and for manufacturing a timepiece.

Claims

1. A timepiece, comprising a housing (2) and a glass (10) defining an internal volume, wherein a movement of the timepiece is arranged in the internal volume, the timepiece comprising fixing means for fixing the glass (10) to the housing (2) at the periphery of the glass (10), wherein the timepiece further comprises connecting means for connecting the glass (10), the connecting means comprising at least one supporting stud (20), the at least one supporting stud (20) being arranged in the internal volume in a fixed manner relative to the housing (2) and interacting with the glass by contacting the lower surface of the glass (10), in particular in the central region of the glass (10), away from the periphery of the glass fixed by the fixing means.

2. A timepiece according to the preceding claim, wherein said at least one supporting stud (20) is in permanent contact with or fixed to said lower surface of said glass (10) so that said glass remains in position.

3. Timepiece according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said at least one supporting stud (20) comprises a lower portion for mounting on the timepiece such that it is mounted fixed relative to said case (2).

4. A timepiece according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the timepiece comprises a plurality of support studs (20), in particular 1 to 10 support studs (20), and a plurality of support studs (20) in contact with the glass (10) in a central area of ​​the glass (10), the central area being delimited by a circle with a radius of 3R / 4 or even R / 2, where R is the radius of the circle in which the glass (10) is inscribed.

5. A timepiece according to the preceding claim, wherein the timepiece comprises a plurality of support studs (20) which are substantially evenly distributed over the central area of ​​the glass (10) and / or in the vicinity of parts of the movement intended to be positioned at a very small distance from the glass (10), such as a wheel or a hand (7).

6. Timepiece (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said at least one supporting stud (20) is fixed to a bridge (5) of the timepiece movement or to a plate of the timepiece.

7. Timepiece (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein said at least one supporting stud (20) is fixed to the head of a screw (11) of a plate (5) of said movement of said timepiece.

8. Timepiece (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein said at least one supporting stud (20) comprises an annular shape capable of interacting with a protrusion (12) of said screw (11) of said bridge (5) of said movement of said timepiece.

9. Timepiece (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, in which said at least one supporting stud (20) is fixed in a height-adjustable manner so as to be able to ensure its contact with said glass (10).

10. A timepiece (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the thickness of the glass (10) is less than or equal to 0.4 mm, or even less than or equal to 0.35 mm, in particular between 0.2 mm and 0.4 mm, and / or wherein the diameter of the glass (10) is greater than or equal to 30 mm, or even greater than or equal to 30 mm, and / or less than or equal to 45 mm, or even less than or equal to 40 mm.

11. Timepiece (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the total thickness of the timepiece is less than or equal to 2 mm, or even less than or equal to 1.9 mm, or even less than or equal to 1.85 mm.

12. Timepiece (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said at least one supporting stud (20) is separate from a pin of the timepiece movement or from a moving element of the timepiece movement.

13. A method for fixing a glass (10) of a timepiece, wherein the method comprises the following steps: - fixing the glass (10) at its periphery to the case (2) of the timepiece; - connecting the glass (10) using at least one supporting stud (20), which is in contact with the glass (10) or optionally fixed to the glass (10) in an area away from the periphery of the glass (10) fixed in the previous step, in particular in the central part of the glass (10).

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