Timepiece or jewelry hinge assembly
By introducing mating structures of screws and tube nuts into the hinges and the use of specific materials, the fatigue problem of small hinges under bending and torsional stress is solved, improving its reliability and wear resistance in high-end timepieces and jewelry.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202410922181.7
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2023-07-10
- Filing Date
- 2024-07-10
- Publication Date
- 2025-01-10
AI Technical Summary
The bending and torsional stresses of existing small hinges at joints lead to fatigue and wear, making it difficult to meet the long-term operating reliability requirements of high-end timepieces and jewelry components.
A component including an outer hinge and an inner hinge is designed, through the mating of screws and tube nuts, the axial clearance and density are adjusted using an angle indexing device and an axial stop device, and the use of polyamide or polytetrafluoroethylene material Made tube nuts and guide tubes to reduce stress and wear.
The hinge's resistance to bending, torsion and wear is achieved, improving its reliability and wear resistance in high-end timepieces and jewelry.
Smart Images
Figure CN119288972A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The invention relates to a watch or jewelry hinge assembly, which comprises, on the one hand, an outer hinge having a first joint and a second joint integral with an outer base plate, and the first joint and the second joint respectively comprising a first hole and a second hole aligned along an axis, and the watch or jewelry hinge assembly comprises, on the other hand, an inner hinge having a single joint integral with an inner base plate, the single joint being insertable between the first joint and the second joint with minimal clearance, and the inner hinge comprising a third hole, the third hole being alignable with the first hole and the second hole along the axis in an operating position, wherein the outer hinge and the inner hinge are mounted relative to each other This pivots around a screw which, on the one hand, passes through a guide tube for the screw, which is intended to be inserted into the first hole and comprises a first angular indexing device, which is intended to cooperate with a complementary first angular indexing device included in the external hinge at the first joint, and which, on the other hand, passes through a tube nut, which is intended to be inserted into the second hole, the screw comprising a head for axial fixation thereof in the guide tube and a thread intended to cooperate with an internal thread included in the tube nut, the cooperation between the thread and the internal thread making it possible to adjust the axial play or tightness between the external hinge and the internal hinge.
[0002] The present invention relates to the field of hinged fasteners for timepieces or jewellery and in particular to safety hinges. Background Art
[0003] Small hinges are known which include double-jointed outer hinges and single-jointed inner hinges, wherein the friction of the hinge can be increased by tightening a hinge screw which holds the outer hinge and the inner hinge together and forms a pivot guide axis.
[0004] Very small hinges, such as those used in the watch and jewellery industry, have a guide body at the joint with a diameter of less than 2 mm, which generally cannot withstand fatigue. External hinges are generally formed in a U-shape, and the bending stress area at the inner vertex of the U-shape generally means that the hinge must be oversized, which is not always compatible with the watch or jewellery component in which it is incorporated.
[0005] Furthermore, in addition to the bending stresses in the plane passing through the hinge axis, torsional stresses are generated by the cooperation of the axial screw and its nut. Finally, the friction in the bore of the joint rapidly leads to wear that should not be neglected, especially for top-grade or luxury components that may have moving parts made of titrable materials (especially gold and / or platinum alloys or the like) and carry precious stones or other gemstones.
[0006] The aim is to ensure the long-term operational reliability of such hinges. Summary of the invention
[0007] The object of the present invention is to provide a hinge of very small dimensions which is intended to resist bending, twisting and wear and is very reliable for the user.
[0008] To this end, the invention relates to a timepiece or jewelry hinge assembly, which comprises, on the one hand, an outer hinge having a first joint and a second joint integral with an outer base plate, and the first joint and the second joint respectively comprising a first hole and a second hole aligned along an axis, and the timepiece or jewelry hinge assembly comprises, on the other hand, an inner hinge having a single joint integral with an inner base plate, the single joint being insertable between the first joint and the second joint with a minimum clearance hole, and the inner hinge comprising a third hole, the third hole being alignable with the first hole and the second hole along the axis in an operating position, in which the outer hinge and the inner hinge are mounted so as to be relative to each other. For pivoting about the screw with respect to each other, the screw, on the one hand, passes through a guide tube for the screw, the guide tube being intended to be inserted into the first hole and comprising a first angular indexing device, the first angular indexing device being intended to cooperate with a complementary first angular indexing device included in the outer hinge at the first joint, and the screw, on the other hand, passes through a tube nut, the tube nut being intended to be inserted into the second hole, the screw comprising a head for axial fixation thereof in the guide tube and a thread for cooperating with an internal thread included in the tube nut, the cooperation between the thread and the internal thread making it possible to adjust the axial clearance or tightness between the outer hinge and the inner hinge.
[0009] According to the invention, said tube nut comprises second angular indexing means arranged to cooperate with complementary second angular indexing means comprised by said external hinge at said second joint.
[0010] Another aspect of the invention relates to manufacturing the tube nut and / or the guide tube from polyamide 11 or polyamide 6-6 or polytetrafluoroethylene or high-density polyethylene. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] The objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0012] Figure 1 An exploded perspective view of a hinge according to the present invention is schematically shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0013] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a watch or jewelry hinge assembly 100 according to the present invention is shown.
[0014] The hinge assembly 100 includes, on the one hand, an outer hinge 1 having a first joint 11 and a second joint 110, which are integral with the outer base plate 10 and respectively include a first hole 12 and a second hole 120 aligned along the axis D, and on the other hand, includes an inner hinge 2 having a single joint 21, which is integral with the inner base plate 20 and can be inserted between the first joint 11 and the second joint 110 with a minimum gap.
[0015] The single joint 21 comprises a third hole 26 which can be aligned along the axis D with the first hole 12 and the second hole 120 in the operating position, in which the outer hinge 1 and the inner hinge 2 are mounted to pivot relative to each other around a screw 5 which passes, on the one hand, through a guide tube 4 for the screw 5 arranged to be inserted in the first hole 12 and, on the other hand, through a tube nut 3 arranged to be inserted in the second hole 120.
[0016] The guide tube 4 comprises first angular indexing means 43 arranged to cooperate with complementary first angular indexing means 13 included at the first joint 11 in the outer hinge 10. The screw 5 has a head 51 for axially fixing it in the guide tube 4, and a thread 55 arranged to cooperate with the internal thread 35 in the tube nut 3. The cooperation between the thread 55 and the internal thread 35 makes it possible to adjust the axial clearance or tightness between the outer hinge 10 and the inner hinge 20. More specifically, the head 51 of the screw 5 has a flat bearing surface 52 arranged to cooperate adjacently with the counterbore 42 formed at the bottom of the recess 41 around the hole 44 formed for the passage of the screw 5 in the guide tube 4. Preferably, in the operating position, the outer surface of the screw head 51 is retracted from or flush with the front surface of the guide tube 4, and this front surface of the guide tube 4 itself is retracted from or flush with the first front surface 17 of the outer hinge 1. Similarly, the front surface 37 of the tube nut 3 is also retracted from or flush with the second front surface 117 of the outer hinge 1. In the free state without the screw, the first inner front surface 48 of the guide tube 4 is away from the second inner front surface 38 of the tube nut 3; when the screw 5 is tightened in the internal thread 35, any contact between the first inner front surface 48 of the guide tube 4 and the second inner front surface 38 of the tube nut 3 prevents any damage to the hinge by preventing further tightening.
[0017] According to the invention, the tube nut 3 comprises second angular indexing means 33 arranged to cooperate with complementary second angular indexing means 133 comprised at the second joint 110 in the outer hinge 10 .
[0018] More specifically, the guide tube 4 comprises first axial stop means 430 arranged to cooperate with complementary first axial stop means 130 comprised at the first joint 11 in the outer hinge 10 .
[0019] More specifically, the guide tube 4 includes a first cylindrical body 46 that can be inserted into the first hole 12 in the first joint 11, and the first angle transfer device 43 includes a first radial boss of the guide tube 4, which protrudes radially relative to the first cylindrical body 46 and is arranged to cooperate with a first radial recess in the first joint 11 included in the complementary first angle transfer device 13.
[0020] Even more specifically, the first radial boss carries the first axial stop means 430 at the front, and the complementary first axial stop means 130 of the first knuckle 11 comprises a first front bearing surface at the inner end of a first radial recess in the first knuckle 11 , which is a blind hole.
[0021] More specifically, the tube nut 3 includes a second cylindrical body 36 that can be inserted into the second hole 120 in the second joint 110, and the second angular rotation device 33 includes a second radial boss of the tube nut 3, which protrudes relative to the second cylindrical body 36 and is arranged to cooperate with a second radial recess in the second joint 110 included in the complementary second angular rotation device 130.
[0022] More specifically, the tube nut 3 comprises second axial stop means 330 arranged to cooperate with complementary second axial stop means 1300 at the second joint 110 comprised in the external hinge 10. Thus, the hinge is more resistant to torsion distributed over the solid area of the joint.
[0023] More specifically, the second radial boss carries the second axial stop 330 at the front, and the complementary second axial stop 1300 of the second joint 110 comprises a second front bearing surface at the inner end of a second radial recess in the second joint 110 , which is a blind hole.
[0024] More specifically, the outer hinge 1 comprises a first lug 17 and a second lug 170, which project axially from a first inner front surface 19 of the first joint 11 and comprise a first rotational abutment surface 14, and a second lug 170, which project axially from a second inner front surface 190 of the second joint 110 and comprise a second rotational abutment surface 140, between the first joint 11 and the second joint 110 and face each other. The first rotational abutment surface 14 and the second rotational abutment surface 140 are arranged to cooperate in an abutting position with a complementary first rotational abutment surface 24 and a complementary second rotational abutment surface 240, respectively, comprised by the inner hinge 2 on both sides of a single joint 21, when the inner hinge 2 is in the same angular position relative to the outer hinge 1. More specifically, the first lug 17 comprises a first lug guide surface 16 arranged to guide the guide tube 4, and the second lug 170 comprises a second lug guide surface 160 arranged to guide the tube nut 3.
[0025] Even more specifically, the first rotational abutment surface 14 and the second rotational abutment surface 140 are continuous with each other, and the complementary first rotational abutment surface 24 and the complementary second rotational abutment surface 240 are continuous with each other. More specifically, the complementary first rotational abutment surface 24 and the complementary second rotational abutment surface 240 are formed with a first gap 29 and a second gap 290, which limit the angular travel of the first lug 17 and the second lug 170, respectively.
[0026] Advantageously, in order to reduce stress and wear, the tube nut 3 and / or the guide tube 4 are made of polyamide 11 or polyamide 6-6 or polytetrafluoroethylene or high-density polyethylene.
[0027] More specifically, the first hole 12 and the second hole 120 of the outer hinge 1 have an inner coating of polyamide 11 or polyamide 6-6 or polytetrafluoroethylene or high-density polyethylene.
[0028] More specifically, the third hole 26 of the inner hinge 2 has an inner coating of polyamide 11 or polyamide 6-6 or polytetrafluoroethylene or high-density polyethylene.
[0029] In short, the hinge can be adjusted by screwing in a screw passing through it, which makes it possible to adjust the hardness or mechanical friction of the brake, and the special arrangement of the rotatably indexable guide tube and tube nut makes it possible to optimally distribute the stresses in the hinge without exceeding the bending and torsion limits; the choice of guide tube and tube nut made of a material with a very low coefficient of friction or coated with such a material improves the wear resistance.
[0030] The result is a very small, highly reliable hinge that can be used in high-end timepieces and jewelry.
Claims
1. A timepiece or jewellery hinge assembly (100), comprising, on the one hand, an outer hinge (1) having a first joint (11) and a second joint (110), the first joint and the second joint being integral with the outer base plate (10) and respectively comprising a first hole (12) and a second hole (120) aligned along an axis (D), and, on the other hand, an inner hinge (2) having a single joint (21), the single joint being integral with the inner base plate (20) and being insertable between the first joint (11) and the second joint (110) with minimal clearance, the single joint comprising a third hole (26) which in an operating position is alignable with the first hole (12) and the second hole (120) along the axis (D), wherein the outer hinge (1) and the inner hinge (2) are mounted around a screw (5) Pivoting relative to each other, the screw (5) on the one hand passes through a guide tube (4) for the screw (5), the guide tube being arranged to be inserted into the first hole (12) and comprising a first angular indexing device (43), the first angular indexing device being arranged to cooperate with a complementary first angular indexing device (13) included in the outer hinge (10) at the first joint (11), and the screw (5) secondly passes through a tube nut (3) intended to be inserted into the second hole (120), the screw (5) comprising a head (51) for axially fixing it in the guide tube (4) and a thread (55) intended to cooperate with an internal thread (35) in the tube nut (3), the cooperation between the thread (55) and the internal thread (35) making it possible to adjust the axial clearance or tightness between the outer hinge (10) and the inner hinge (20), characterized in that The tube nut (3) comprises a second angular indexing device (33) arranged to cooperate with a complementary second angular indexing device (133) included in the external hinge (10) at the second joint (110).
2. The watch or jewelry hinge assembly (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that: The guide tube (4) comprises first axial stop means (430) arranged to cooperate with complementary first axial stop means (130) comprised by the outer hinge (10) at the first joint (11).
3. The timepiece or jewelry hinge assembly (100) according to claim 2, characterized in that: The guide tube (4) includes a first cylindrical body (46), which can be inserted into the first hole (12) in the first joint (11), and the first angle transfer device (43) includes a first radial boss of the guide tube (4) and protrudes radially relative to the first cylindrical body (46), and the first angle transfer device is arranged to cooperate with a first radial recess in the first joint (11), and the complementary first angle transfer device (13) includes the first radial recess.
4. The timepiece or jewellery hinge assembly (100) according to claims 2 and 3, characterized in that: The first radial boss carries the first axial stop (430) at the front, and the complementary first axial stop (130) of the first joint (11) comprises a first front bearing surface at the inner end of the first radial recess in the first joint (11), the first radial recess being a blind hole.
5. The timepiece or jewelry hinge assembly (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The tube nut (3) includes a second cylindrical body (36) capable of being inserted into the second hole (120) in the second joint (110), and the second angular transfer device (33) includes a second radial boss of the tube nut (3) and protrudes relative to the second cylindrical body (36), and is arranged to cooperate with a second radial recess in the second joint (110), and the complementary second angular transfer device (130) includes the second radial recess.
6. The timepiece or jewelry hinge assembly (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The tube nut (3) comprises second axial stop means (330) arranged to cooperate with complementary second axial stop means (1300) comprised by the external hinge (10) at the second joint (110).
7. The timepiece or jewellery hinge assembly (100) according to claims 5 and 6, characterized in that: The second radial boss carries the second axial stop (330) at the front, and the complementary second axial stop (1300) of the second joint (110) comprises a second front bearing surface at the inner end of the second radial recess in the second joint (110), the second radial recess being a blind hole.
8. The timepiece or jewelry hinge assembly (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The outer hinge (1) comprises a first lug (170) and a second lug (171) between the first joint (11) and the second joint (110) and facing each other, the first lug protruding axially from the first inner front surface (19) of the first joint (11) and comprising a first rotational abutment surface (14), the second lug protruding axially from the second inner front surface (190) of the second joint (110) and comprising a second rotational abutment surface (140), the first rotational abutment surface (14) and the second rotational abutment surface (140) being arranged to cooperate in a stop position with a complementary first rotational abutment surface (24) and a complementary second rotational abutment surface (240) respectively included in the inner hinge (2) on both sides of the single joint (21) when the inner hinge (2) is in the same angular position relative to the outer hinge (1).
9. The timepiece or jewellery hinge assembly (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The tube nut (3) and / or the guide tube (4) are made of polyamide 11 or polyamide 6-6 or polytetrafluoroethylene or high-density polyethylene.
10. The timepiece or jewellery hinge assembly (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The first hole (12) and the second hole (120) of the outer hinge (1) include an inner coating of polyamide 11 or polyamide 6-6 or polytetrafluoroethylene or high-density polyethylene.
11. The timepiece or jewelry hinge assembly (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that: The third hole (26) of the inner hinge (2) comprises an inner coating of polyamide 11 or polyamide 6-6 or polytetrafluoroethylene or high-density polyethylene.