Corrector button and method for assembling such a corrector button on a watch case

Abstract

One aspect of the invention relates to a corrector button (100) for a watch case (200) comprising: a sleeve (110) with an axis of revolution (XX) having a thread (11) formed on the outer periphery of a portion (12a) intended to be mounted by screwing onto a watch case (200), and having a cavity (70) extending between a first end (13) of the sleeve (110) and a second end (12b) of the sleeve (110); a movable control rod (120) engaged in the cavity (70) of the sleeve (110) and movable in translation along said axis of revolution (XX), said movable control rod (120) comprising a push rod (20), having a rotating drive member (23), and a push button (30) integral with said push rod (20);said corrector button (100) being characterized in that said cavity (70) has a portion (16) of polygonal cross-section, and in that said push rod (20) of said movable control rod (120) has a portion with polygonal cross-section complementary to said portion (16) of polygonal cross-section of said cavity (70), so that the rotational drive of the push rod (20) via the rotational drive member (23) causes the rotation of said bushing (110).;

Description

Technical field of the invention

[0001] The field of the invention relates to small watch corrector buttons, also called correctors, embedded in the middle of a watch case as well as the mounting of such a corrector button on a watch case middle. Technological background

[0002] Some watches, especially those with multiple complications, offer their users so many functions that it is not possible to correct them all using a single winding and correction crown. For this reason, such watches include additional correction means such as corrector buttons.

[0003] Corrector buttons are typically miniature push buttons that are embedded in the case of the watch and are usually operated using a small, generally pointed instrument.

[0004] These corrector buttons, also called correctors, typically comprise an external sleeve driven, glued or screwed into an opening made in the case of the watch, and a cylindrical control stem capable of sliding freely in the sleeve to activate a control of a watch movement.

[0005] Correction operations, via these correction buttons, are traditionally carried out by pushing the control rod into the socket against a return force from a return element, and using a pointed instrument.

[0006] These correction buttons have reduced dimensions, which saves space and makes them easier to install on the caseband, particularly compared to push-button type controls. In addition, these correction buttons do not protrude from the surface of the caseband, so they have the advantage of not being able to be activated unintentionally.

[0007] Although these correction buttons are small in size, their multiplication on the case can pose implementation difficulties. Therefore, there is a need to further miniaturize these correction buttons so that they can be implemented more easily.

[0008] In addition, these small corrector buttons can be difficult to assemble on the case middle of a watch case. Therefore, their multiplication on watches with many complications further complicates the assembly of the watch. Therefore, there is also a need to simplify and improve the method of mounting these corrector buttons. Document EP 3 451 071 A1 shows a push-piece device comprising a central rod that can be rotated by means of a tool inserted into a slot, from inside the case middle, to rotate the push-piece head. Summary of the invention

[0009] In this context, the invention proposes a new architecture of a corrector button making it possible to simplify the method of mounting / dismounting such a corrector button and to facilitate maintenance operations.

[0010] The new corrector button architecture according to the invention makes it possible to carry out a modular assembly of a complete corrector button, the functional characteristics of which have been previously tested by the corrector button manufacturing workshop before assembly on the case middle of the watch.

[0011] The new corrector button architecture according to the invention makes it possible to simplify the method of mounting such a corrector button and to allow rapid mounting on the caseband with a single operation.

[0012] The corrector button according to the invention also makes it possible to embed the corrector button in a case of lesser thickness compared to known solutions of the state of the art.

[0013] To this end, the invention relates to a corrector button for a watch case comprising: a revolution axis socket having a thread provided on the outer periphery of a portion intended to be mounted by screwing onto a watch case, and having a cavity extending between a first end of the socket and a second end of the socket; a movable control rod engaged in the cavity of the socket and movable in translation along said revolution axis, said movable control rod comprising a push rod, having a rotation drive member, and a push button secured to said push rod; said corrector button being characterized in that said cavity has a portion of polygonal section, and in that said push rod of said movable control rod comprises a portion of polygonal section complementary to said portion of polygonal section of said cavity, so that the rotational drive of the push rod via the rotational drive member causes the rotation of said socket.

[0014] In addition to the characteristics mentioned in the preceding paragraph, the corrector button according to the invention may have one or more additional characteristics among the following, considered individually or according to all technically possible combinations: the push rod comprises a push rod head forming a first end of said push rod, said push rod head comprising an imprint forming said member for driving said push rod in rotation; the imprint is a slot capable of cooperating with a male part of a driving tool; the push rod is driven with said push button; the push button comprises an annular groove configured to receive a sealing member, said sealing member ensuring sealing between said push button and said socket; the push button comprises, at its upper surface, an imprint configured to promote the positioning of one end of a tool; the imprint of said push button is of conical shape;the corrector button comprises a return member for repositioning said movable control rod in a rest position, said return member being arranged between a first fixed stop and a second movable stop provided at said push button; said fixed stop is formed by a bottom provided at said cavity of the socket; the portion of the socket comprising said thread provided on the outer periphery is a middle portion positioned between said first end of the socket and said second end of the socket; the thread provided on the outer periphery of the portion of the socket has a right-hand thread.

[0015] The invention also relates to a watch case comprising a housing, having a threaded portion, and a corrector button according to the invention, said corrector button being screwed into said housing of said caseband.

[0016] Advantageously, said corrector button is embedded in said case middle, so that it does not protrude from the case middle.

[0017] The invention also relates to a method for assembling a corrector button according to the invention to a watch case. The assembly method comprises a step of screwing said corrector button into a housing having a threaded portion and arranged at the level of the middle of said watch case, the screwing step being carried out by inserting a rotational drive tool inside the watch case, said rotational drive tool acting on said push rod by engaging said rotational drive tool in the rotational drive member, the rotational drive of said push rod causing the rotation of said sleeve and the screwing of said corrector button. Brief description of the figures

[0018] The aims, advantages and characteristics of the present invention will appear on reading the detailed description below with reference to the following figures: there figure 1 represents a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a corrector button according to the invention; the figure 2 represents a top view of the example embodiment of the corrector button illustrated in figure 1 ; there figure 3 represents a partial sagittal sectional view of the embodiment illustrated in figure 1 , in a resting position; the figure 4 represents a partial sagittal sectional view of the embodiment illustrated in figure 1 , in an activated position; the Figure 5 is a cross-section along the AA axis shown in figure 3 , of the example of realization of the corrector button illustrated in the figure 1 ; there figure 6illustrates the assembly of the example of the realization of the corrector button illustrated in the figure 1 to a watch case.

[0019] In all figures, common elements bear the same reference numbers unless otherwise specified. Detailed description of the invention

[0020] There figure 1 illustrates, in a perspective view, an exemplary embodiment of a corrector button 100 according to the invention.

[0021] There figure 2 illustrates a top view of this corrector button 100.

[0022] There figure 3 represents a partial sagittal sectional view of the embodiment illustrated in figure 1 , in a resting position.

[0023] In reference to the figures 1 to 3 , the corrector button 100 comprises a socket 110 comprising a tubular part 12 and a head 13, the head 13 forming a first end of the socket 110.

[0024] The tubular part 12 has a threaded portion having a thread 11 for its assembly to a watch case 200 (shown in figure 6 ), for example at the level of a case 210 of the watch case 200.

[0025] For this purpose, the watch case 200 comprises assembly means configured to receive the socket 110 of the corrector button 100, and more particularly the threaded portion of the socket 110. The assembly means of the watch case are in the form of a tapped hole.

[0026] The thread 11 is provided on a middle portion 12a of the tubular part 12 of the sleeve 110, so that the thread 11 is not produced over the entire length L of the tubular part 12 of the sleeve 110. Thus, a distal portion 12b of the tubular part 12 opposite the head 13 does not have a thread. This distal portion 12b forms the second end of the sleeve 110.

[0027] The head 13 has a diameter greater than the diameter of the tubular part 12, so that a shoulder 14 separates the head 13 from the tubular part 12. The shoulder 14 thus forms a bearing surface intended to come into contact with a relief of a housing 211 for mounting the middle 210 of the watch case 200 during the mounting of the corrector button 100.

[0028] The tubular-shaped sleeve 110 comprises a cavity 70 extending between the first end of the sleeve 110 and the second end of the sleeve 110, in other words between the head 13 and the distal portion 12b of the tubular part 12.

[0029] Cavity 70 comprises: a first portion 15, formed in the upper part of the socket 110, opening at the first end of the socket 110, i.e. at the head, and a second portion 16, formed in the lower part of the socket 110, opening at the second end of the socket 110, and in particular at a lower surface 18 of the socket 110.

[0030] The two portions 15 and 16 of the cavity 70 communicate with each other inside the socket 110, and have a different section so that the first portion 15 of the cavity 70 has a bottom 17.

[0031] The first portion 15 of the cavity 70 has a circular section and is similar to a blind hole opening at the level of the head 13 of the socket 110.

[0032] The first portion 15 extends mainly at the level of the head 13 of the socket 110 and the middle portion 12a comprising the thread 11 of the tubular part 12.

[0033] The second portion 16 of the cavity 70, of smaller dimensions than the first portion 15, has a non-circular section.

[0034] The second portion 16 of the cavity 70 extends mainly at the level of the distal portion 12b of the tubular part 12, and more particularly between the bottom 17 and the lower surface 18 of the sleeve 110.

[0035] The corrector button 100 further comprises a movable control rod 120, sliding in the socket 110, that is to say movable in translation inside the socket 110, along an axis XX corresponding to the axis of revolution of the socket 110. The movable control rod 120 comprises a push button 30 and a push rod 20, integral with said push button 30.

[0036] The push rod 20 is for example driven onto the push button 30.

[0037] The push button 30 comprises an indentation 32 formed at the level of the upper face 33 of the push button 30, the upper face 33 being the face visible to the user when the corrector button 100 is mounted on the watch case 200. The indentation 32 has a shape adapted to receive and to promote the holding in position of a tool allowing the manipulation of the corrector button 100.

[0038] For example, the imprint 32 is conical in shape so as to allow centering of the pointed tool and to prevent any slipping of the tool when applying force to the push button 30.

[0039] The push button 30 comprises an annular groove 31 formed on the periphery of the push button 30. The annular groove 31 forms a housing for receiving a sealing member 40, for example an O-ring type seal. The sealing member 40 ensures sealing between the push button 30 and the inside of the sleeve 110.

[0040] The push button 30 is intended to move longitudinally in the first portion 15 of circular section of the cavity 70, under the action of a user.

[0041] The push rod 20 is intended to actuate a control mounted inside the watch case 200 when the user pushes in the movable control rod 120.

[0042] The push rod 20 comprises a push rod body 24 and a push rod head 22 capable of actuating a control, a lever or other of a watch mechanism.

[0043] The push rod head 22 also comprises a member for driving the push rod 20 in rotation but also the corrector button 100 as a whole. The push rod head 22 has a shape equivalent to a shape of a screw head, such that the push rod head 22 is slightly wider than the push rod body 24 and the second portion 16 of the cavity 70 of the sleeve 110.

[0044] The push rod head 22 comprises a recess 23, forming the rotational drive member of the push rod 20, into which the male end 221 of a tool 220 can be inserted to rotate the push rod 20. Advantageously, the recess 23 is a recess corresponding to a common tool widely available on the market and which any watchmaker, repairer, or DIY enthusiast can possess. For example, the recess 23 is a slot adapted to receive a flat bit of a flat screwdriver. However, the recess 23 could also be a cruciform or six-pointed star recess.

[0045] A return member 50, for example a return spring, is housed inside the socket 110 of the corrector button 100, and more particularly at the level of the first portion 16, of circular section, of the cavity 70 of the socket 110.

[0046] The return member 50 is positioned around the movable control rod 120, more particularly around the push rod body 24 and the lower portion 35 of the push button 30.

[0047] The return member 50 tends to extend between a first fixed stop formed by the bottom 17 of the first portion 15 of the cavity 70 of the socket 110 and a second movable stop formed by a collar 36 of the push button 30.

[0048] In the exemplary embodiment, the collar 36 is advantageously formed by the lower portion of the annular groove 31 receiving the sealing member 40.

[0049] There figure 3 represents the rest position of the corrector button 100 in which the return member 50 is not compressed and the push rod head 22 is returned to bear on the lower surface 18 of the sleeve 110 by the return member 50.

[0050] There figure 4represents the activated position of the corrector button 100 in which the return spring 50 is compressed between the bottom 17 formed at the cavity 70 of the sleeve 110 and the collar 36 of the push button 30. In this configuration the push rod 20 projects relative to the sleeve 110, the distance between the push rod head 22 and the lower surface 18 of the sleeve 110 representing the stroke d of the corrector button 100.

[0051] As represented by the Figure 5 , illustrating a sectional view along the axis AA, the push rod body 24 has at least one portion of polygonal section, for example of square or hexagonal shape as shown in the Figure 5 Advantageously, the entire push rod body 24 is of polygonal shape.

[0052] For this purpose, the second portion 16 of the cavity 70 of the sleeve 110 has a complementary polygonal section. The dimensions of the second portion 16 of the cavity 70 are determined so as to allow axial movement of the push rod 20 along the axis XX, that is to say that a minimum operating clearance is achieved.

[0053] The polygonal section portion of the push rod body 24 thus makes it possible to rotate the sleeve 110 when rotating the push rod head 22 using a conventional tool.

[0054] The corrector button 100 according to the invention, as detailed previously, thus makes it possible to simplify and facilitate the mounting by screwing of the complete corrector button 100 at the level of a caseband 210 of watch case 200.

[0055] The corrector button 100 is mounted in the following manner: the sleeve 110 of the corrector button 100 is positioned at a housing 211 having a threaded portion of a watch case 200 from the outside of the caseband 210. The corrector button 100 is screwed to the caseband 210 via the thread 11 provided on the threaded middle portion 12a of the tubular portion 12 of the sleeve 110. The corrector button 100 is screwed in from the inside of the watch case 200 using a conventional tool 220, for example a flat screwdriver. For this, the male end 221 of the tool 220 is engaged at the level of the female imprint 23 of the push rod head 22, here by an example a slot, then the tool is turned in a first direction of rotation allowing the engagement of the thread 11 in the housing 211 having a tapped portion 211 of the middle 210.Due to the polygonal shape of the push rod body 24 and the second portion 16 of the cavity 70 of the sleeve 110, the rotation exerted on the push rod head 22 causes the sleeve 110 to rotate, thus allowing it to be mounted by screwing and tightened onto the caseband 210 of a watch case 200.

[0056] Advantageously, the housing 211 has a shape complementary to the corrector button 100. More particularly, the housing 211 has a threaded portion for screwing the sleeve 110, and more particularly the tubular part 12 of the sleeve 110 and a counterbore to receive the head 13 of the sleeve 110. The bottom of the counterbore forms a shoulder constituting a positioning stop making it possible to facilitate the correct positioning of the corrector button 100 in the middle 210 and to ensure the desired tightening.

[0057] In a particular form of the invention, the pitch of the thread 11 of the socket 110 can be chosen to be right-handed so that the direction of rotation of the tool 220 is the conventional screwing direction, i.e. clockwise, when screwing the corrector button 100. However, a left-hand thread pitch is also envisaged.

Claims

1. Corrector button (100) for a watch case (200) comprising: - a socket (110) of axis of revolution (X-X) having a threading (11) arranged on the outer rim of a portion (12a) intended to be fitted by screwing onto a watch case (200), and having a cavity (70) extending between a first end (13) of the socket (110) and a second end (12b) of the socket (110); - a movable control rod (120) engaged in the cavity (70) of the socket (110) and movable in translation along said axis of revolution (X-X), said movable control rod (120) comprising a push-rod (20), having a rotation organ (23), and a push-button (30) rigidly connected to said push-rod (20); said corrector button (100) being such that said cavity (70) has a portion (16) of polygonal cross-section, and that said push-rod (20) of said movable control rod (120) comprises a portion having a complementary polygonal cross-section in respect of said portion (16) of polygonal cross-section of said cavity (70), such that the rotation of the push-rod (20) via the rotation organ (23) drives the rotation of said socket (110).

2. Corrector button (100) for a watch case (200) according to the preceding claim characterised in that the push-rod (20) comprises a push-rod head (22) forming a first end of said push-rod (20), said push-rod head (22) comprising an impression (23) forming said rotation organ of said push-rod (20).

3. Corrector button (100) for a watch case (200) according to the preceding claim characterised in that said impression (23) is a slot capable of cooperating with a male part (221) of a drive tool (220).

4. Corrector button (100) for a watch case (200) according to one of the preceding claims characterised in that said push-rod (20) is integral with said push-button (30) by chasing.

5. Corrector button (100) for a watch case (200) according to one of the preceding claims characterised in that the push-button (30) comprises an annular groove (31) configured to receive a sealing organ (40), said sealing organ ensuring the sealing between said push-button (30) and said socket (110).

6. Corrector button (100) for a watch case (200) according to one of the preceding claims characterised in that the push-button (30) comprises, at the top surface (33) thereof, an impression (32) configured to promote the positioning of one end of a tool.

7. Corrector button (100) for a watch case (200) according to the preceding claim characterised in that said impression (32) of said push-button (30) is of conical shape.

8. Corrector button (100) for a watch case (200) according to one of the preceding claims characterised in that it comprises a return organ (56) for repositioning said movable control rod (120) into a rest position, said return organ (56) being disposed between a first fixed banking (17) and a second movable banking (36) arranged at said push-button (30).

9. Corrector button (100) for a watch case (200) according to the preceding claim characterised in that said fixed banking (17) is formed by a bottom arranged at said cavity (70) of the socket (110).

10. Corrector button (100) for a watch case (200) according to one of the preceding claims characterised in that said portion (12a) of the socket (110) comprising said threading (11) arranged on the outer rim is a median portion (12a) positioned between said first end (13) of the socket (110) and said second end (12b) of the socket (110).

11. Corrector button (100) for a watch case (200) according to one of the preceding claims characterised in that said threading (11) arranged on the outer rim of the portion (12a) of the socket (110) has a right-hand thread.

12. Watch case (200) comprising a middle (210) having a bed (211), having a tapped portion, and a corrector button (100) according to one of the preceding claims, said corrector button (100) being screwed into said bed (211) of said middle (210).

13. Watch case (200) according to the preceding claim characterised in that said corrector button (100) is embedded in said middle (210).

14. Method for assembling a corrector button (100) according to one of claims 1 to 11 with a watch case (200) characterised in that it comprises a step of screwing said corrector button (100) into a bed (211) having a tapped portion and arranged at the middle (210) of said watch case (200), the screwing step being performed by inserting a rotation tool (220) inside the watch case (200), said rotation tool (220) acting upon said push-rod (20) by engaging said rotation tool (220) into the rotation organ (23), the rotation of said push-rod (20) driving the rotation of said socket (110) and the screwing of said corrector button (100).

Images