Watch head configured for mounting and dismounting in opposite directions

Abstract

The invention relates to a watch head (1) which can be mounted from the top and dismounted from the bottom, the watch head (1) comprising: - a pre-assembled case (2) having a case middle (3) delimiting an internal compartment (3a), the back (4) mounted with reversible fixing means on said case middle (3) and a movement support (5) mounted to a stop on an underside of the case middle (3), - a movement (7) mounted on the movement support (5) within the pre-assembled case (2), - a dial (8) mounted on the movement (5), - a crystal (10) closing the pre-assembled case (2) at the end opposite the back (4), said dial (8) and said movement (7) having dimensions less than or equal to those of the dimensions of the internal compartment (3a) of the case middle (3) so as to be able to pass through the case middle (3) from the top and from the bottom.

Description

Technical field of the invention

[0001] The invention relates to a watch head configured for mounting from the top and disassembly / reassembly from the bottom. Technological background

[0002] When mounting a watch head, designers must decide whether to mount it from the top or the bottom, that is, from the bezel or the case back. Consequently, for the watchmaker, disassembly will be carried out in the same direction, namely from the top or the bottom respectively.

[0003] It is never considered a matter of assembling in one direction and disassembling in the other. However, assembling and disassembling in opposite directions offers greater freedom for the watchmaker. This is particularly advantageous for battery-powered watches, as disassembly from the bottom allows quick access to a battery that is securely housed inside the watch case, rather than being located in a battery compartment in the back. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present invention aims to overcome a prejudice among those skilled in the art by proposing a new arrangement of the watch head allowing assembly from the top and disassembly-reassembly from the bottom.

[0005] For this purpose, a pre-assembled watch case is made available with a case back fitted with reversible fastening means such as a bayonet connection, on the case.

[0006] More specifically, the present invention relates to a watch head that can be mounted from the top and dismounted from the bottom, with the bottom defining a lower position facing a case back and with the top defining a higher position opposite the lower position, the watch head comprising: a pre-assembled case comprising a case defining an internal compartment, the back mounted with reversible fixing means on said case and a movement support mounted to a stop on an underside of the case, a movement mounted on the movement support within the pre-assembled case, a dial mounted on the movement, a crystal closing the pre-assembled case at the end opposite the back, said dial and said movement having dimensions less than or equal to those of the internal housing of the case so as to be able to pass through the case from the top and from the bottom.

[0007] This design allows the watch head to be turned over and disassembled and reassembled from the bottom. This provides greater freedom in assembly and disassembly.

[0008] This also allows quartz movements to achieve a new and advantageous variant in order to eliminate the battery well and secure the battery inside the watch head.

[0009] Furthermore, this allows for a design of the base that is independent of that of the case. Brief description of the figures

[0010] There Figure 1A This represents an exploded view of the different parts of the pre-assembled box. figure 1B represents a view of the top face of the movement support and the figure 1C represents a view of the bottom. The figure 2 represents the pre-assembled box. The figure 3 This schematically illustrates the top-mounted assembly of the case components and the movement onto the pre-assembled case. figure 4 represents the watch head from the assembly. The figure 5 This schematically illustrates the disassembly of the watch head from the bottom. figure 6represents a partial vertical cross-sectional view of the movement support mounted to a stop on the case. figure 7 represents the dial fixed to the movement. The figure 8 represents a three-dimensional view of the lock according to one variant. figure 9 represents a horizontal cross-sectional view of the watch head with this lock variant. Figure 10 This represents a partial vertical cross-sectional view of this lock variant within the watch head, showing the positioning of the tool for removing the lock. figure 11 represents a horizontal cross-sectional view of the watch head fitted with the lock according to another variant, with an enlargement at the level of the bayonet link lock. Detailed description of the invention

[0011] The invention relates to a watch head 1 that can be mounted from the top, namely from the bezel side, and disassembled and then reassembled from the bottom, namely from the case back side. The invention also relates to the method of assembly and disassembly. Hereafter, the lower position will be used for the head facing the case back, and the upper position for the head facing the bezel.

[0012] The watch head assembly 1 is made from a pre-assembled watch case 2. The watch head is visible in the exploded view at the figure 3 consists of the so-called pre-assembled case 2, the movement 7, the dial 8 and the hands 9 mounted in the case, the crystal 10 closing the watch head and possibly a bezel 11. The pre-assembled case 2 is also visible in exploded view at the Figure 1AIt comprises a case back 4, a case middle 3, a movement support 5, and a sealing gasket 6, for example an O-ring. The case middle 3 and the case back 4 of the pre-assembled case can be made of a synthetic material, or in other words plastic, or metal, and the bezel of the watch head can be made of the same material as the case middle and the case back or of a different material.

[0013] The pre-assembled case 2 is closed by the case back 4, which is mounted on the case middle 3 by reversible fastening means. Preferably, the case back 4 is attached to the case middle 3 with a bayonet fitting. Other fastening methods, such as screws, are possible but less desirable because they are more cumbersome and require metal components, thus precluding a case back made entirely of plastic. Preferably, the pre-assembled case 2 includes a locking mechanism 22 that prevents any rotational movement of the case back relative to the case middle. Preferably, this mechanism is positioned between the lugs 23 of the case middle 3 so as to be concealed after the strap is fitted.

[0014] To ensure the bayonet connection, the case back 4 has a groove 12 formed in a rim 13 extending in an arc around the perimeter 4a of the case back 4 towards the case. The groove 12 is open at one end of the arc to allow the engagement of a rim 14 projecting inside the case 3 and may be closed at the other end by a stop (not shown). The figure 6 This represents a cross-sectional view of this bayonet joint with the rim 14 of the case 3 engaged in the groove 12 of the case back 4. The rims 13 and 14 are preferentially present in greater numbers around the perimeter 4a of the case back and inside the case 3, respectively. In the illustrated example, there are two rims 13 and 14, diametrically opposed.

[0015] The 3-frame size visible at the Figure 1AIt comprises a through-hole 3a receiving the movement support 5 and the O-ring seal 6, with the housing 3a closed at one end by the bottom 4. The side wall of the housing 3a is provided with flanges 14 extending radially from the lower end of the side wall. A rim 17 is cut into this side wall, against which the seal 6 bears and against which the movement support 5 is mounted as a butt.

[0016] The motion support 5, which is substantially annular in shape, has a perimeter 5a. From this perimeter 5a on the underside of the motion support, extends a frustoconical portion 5b, visible at Figures 1A And 6 On the opposite side visible to the figure 1B That is to say, on the upper face, a shoulder 5c, surmounted by a wall 5d, is cut out at the level of the perimeter 5a. The shoulder 5c bears against the edge 17 of the case 3 to ensure the butt mounting of the movement support 5 against the case 3. As shown in the figure 6 The shoulder 5c rests on the periphery of the edge 17 with the seal 6 positioned in the space between the base 4, the case 3, and the movement support 5. According to the invention, the frustoconical portion 5b of the movement support 5 facilitates the sliding of the seal 6 beyond the periphery 5a during its placement. According to the invention, the internal geometry of the movement support is adapted to the geometry of the movement it supports.

[0017] The movement support 5 has on its wall 5d reference points 18 in the form of notches or lugs which are positioned in reference points 19, 20 of complementary shape respectively in the frame 3 ( Figure 1A ) and in movement 7 ( figure 5 ) so as to index the movement support relative to the frame and the movement during assembly. Openings 21 can also be provided in the wall 5d, giving flexibility to the movement support 5.

[0018] According to the invention, the movement support is mounted against a stop on the underside of the case, allowing it to be mounted and dismounted only from the back. However, the dial and movement have features that allow them to be mounted and dismounted in both directions. According to the invention, the dial 8 and the movement 7 have dimensions less than or equal to the dimensions of the housing 3a inside the case 3, so that they can pass through the case 3 from both the top and the bottom. If the movement and dial are substantially circular, the movement 7 and the dial 8 have diameters D1 and D2, respectively, equal to or less than the inner diameter D3 of the case. Diameters D1 and D2 are understood to be the diameter of the largest circle virtually drawn around the movement and the dial. Diameter D3 is understood to be the diameter of the smallest circle virtually drawn inside the case.Thus, if there is a protruding portion inside the case, the circle will be drawn from the end of the protruding portion. Ideally, the diameter D2 of the dial 8 corresponds to the diameter D1 of the movement 7 as shown in the figure. figure 7 .

[0019] As previously mentioned, the bayonet connection of the pre-assembled box can be locked with a lock 22, which is either an added part or a part integral with the base. In a first variant visible at figures 1A-2 And 8-9 , the lock 22 is an added part on the frame 3 and on the base 4. For this purpose, the groove 12 of the base 4 communicates with a notch 26 made in the rim 13 ( figure 1C ). The notch 26 is intended to be positioned opposite an opening 27 made in the wall of the frame 3 to receive the bolt 22 ( Figure 1A ). Said opening 27 passes through the wall of the frame 3 at the level of the rim 14, possibly in the middle of the rim 14.

[0020] Lock 22 according to the first variant visible at the figure 8 The device is a flexible piece with two hooks 22a, 22b at its lateral ends that engage the ends 13a, 13b of the rim 13, which frame the notch 26 in the base. The lock 22 has three recesses 22c in this example to provide the piece with this flexibility. The lock 22 may also include a central tab 22d that separates two recesses 22c at the level of the two hooks 22a, 22b. To lock the bayonet connection from rotation, the lock is pinched to bring the two hooks 22a, 22b together and is simultaneously inserted into the opening 27 in the case and the notch 26 in the base. The two hooks 22a, 22b then return to their position to engage the ends 13a, 13b of the rim. To remove the lock, it is necessary to insert a tool 28 into a slot 29 made through the bottom 4 ( Figure 1A ). As shown in the Figure 10 , tool 28 presses on the tongue 22d and on a wall 22e below the tongue 22d, which will retract the hooks of the lock and push the latter out of the frame.

[0021] The lock 22, according to a second variant, is provided directly in the bottom 4. In place of the notch 26, the bottom 2 is provided with a flexible projecting portion 30 extending radially outwards from the bottom 4 at the level of one of the edges 13 ( figure 11The projecting portion 30 is made flexible by a recess 30a formed within a part of the rim 13 and possibly the projecting portion 30. The case back therefore does not have a notch 26 for receiving the locking mechanism, while the case body 3 has its opening 27 to receive the projecting portion 30. During assembly with the bayonet fitting, the projecting portion is compressed against the side wall of the recess 3a in the case body before falling into the opening 27 in the case body and regaining its shape. To remove the locking mechanism, a tool (not shown) is inserted laterally into the opening 27 in the case body to compress the projecting portion 30 and release the case back by rotation.

[0022] After removing the lock, the pre-assembled box can be disassembled by inserting a tool into slot 31 or into circular holes (not shown) in the bottom 4 in order to impart a rotational movement to the bottom ( Figure 1A ).

[0023] The watch head assembly proceeds as follows. First, case 2 is pre-assembled following these steps. The movement support 5 is placed within the case 3 by aligning the marks 18 of the movement support 5 with the marks 19 of the case 3. The gasket 6 is positioned around the movement support 5, and then the bottom 4 closes the case 2. The rims 13 are positioned on the edge 17 in the areas lacking the rims 14. Then, rotating the bottom 4 relative to the case 3, for example using a tool placed in the slot 31, engages one end of the rim 14 with the open end of the groove 12. Then, if there is a lock, it is housed in the notch 26 of the bottom and in the opening 27 of the case, or, according to the other lock variant, only in the opening 27 of the case.

[0024] Once the pre-assembled case 2 is in place, the movement and case components are mounted from the side opposite the back, as illustrated in the figure 3 The movement 7 is inserted into the case with its markers indexed to the markers 18 of the movement support 5. Preferably, the dial 8 is fixed beforehand to the movement 7 so that they are inserted together into the case ( figure 7For example, the dial can be heat-sealed to the movement. For a quartz watch, the movement 7 may include a compartment 7a housing a removable power source 32, such as a battery. The hands 9, crystal 10, and bezel 11 are then attached. The crystal can be welded to the case, with the bezel concealing the weld. The bezel can also be attached to the case by ultrasonic welding, for example. It is also possible for the crystal and bezel to be a single piece bonded together, or for there to be no bezel at all.

[0025] The watch head 1 thus obtained is shown in the figure 4 For the visible disassembly at the figure 5The winding is performed from below. The watch head is turned over to easily access the case back 4. If there is a lock, it is first removed as described above. Then, the case back 4 is removed from the watch case 2 using the tool positioned in the slot 31. Removing the case back 4 allows the movement holder 5 to be removed. Next, the movement 7 and the dial can be extracted from the bottom of the case. Winding is also carried out from below by first placing the movement 7 in the slot 3a of the case 3 with the movement's markings 20 aligning with the markings on the case. The movement holder 5 is then also positioned using its markings 18, and finally, the case back 4 is attached to the case 3 using the bayonet fitting or any reversible fitting, possibly with the lock.

Claims

1. Watch head (1) that can be mounted from the top and dismounted from the bottom, with the bottom defining a lower position facing a case back (4) and with the top defining a higher position opposite the lower position, the watch head (1) comprising: - a pre-assembled case (2) having a case middle (3) delimiting an internal compartment (3a), the case back (4) mounted with reversible fastening means on said case middle (3) and a movement support (5) mounted against a stop on an underside of the case middle (3), - a movement (7) mounted on the movement support (5) within the pre-assembled case (2), - a dial (8) mounted on the movement (7), - a crystal (10) closing the pre-assembled case (2) at the end opposite the case back (4), said dial (8) and said movement (7) having dimensions less than or equal to those of the internal compartment (3a) of the case middle (3) so as to be able to pass through the case middle (3) from above and from below.

2. Watch head (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein the reversible fastening means are formed by a bayonet connection.

3. Watch head (1) according to the preceding claim, in which the case back (4) has on its periphery (4a) at least a first rim (13) through which a groove (12) passes and in which the case (3) has at least a second rim (14) projecting inside said case (3), said groove (12) being open at one end to allow the engagement of the second rim (14) when rotating the case back (4), the engagement of the second rim (14) in the groove (12) forming the bayonet connection.

4. Watch head (1) according to the preceding claim, in which the pre-assembled case (2) has a lock (22) disposed at the bayonet connection to prevent any relative rotational movement between the case middle (3) and the case back (4).

5. Watch head (1) according to the preceding claim, in which the lock (22) is positioned between lugs (23) of the case (3).

6. Watch head (1) according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the lock (22) is a flexible part attached to the case (3) and the case back (4), an opening (27) being provided through the second rim (14) and the groove (12) communicating with a notch (26) made in the first rim (13), said notch (26) being positioned opposite the opening (27) to jointly receive the lock (22).

7. Watch head (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein the lock (22) has two hooks (22a,22b) intended to hook respectively the ends (13a,13b) of the first rim (13) which frame the notch (26) of the bottom (4).

8. Watch head (1) according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the base (4) is traversed by a first slot (29) to accommodate a first tool (28) in order to apply a force on said lock (22) ensuring its removal from the pre-assembled case (2).

9. Watch head (1) according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the lock (22) is an integral part of the case back (4) and is in the form of a flexible portion (30) projecting radially outwards from the case back (4), and in which an opening (27) is provided through the second rim (14), said flexible portion (30) being compressed against the case (3) during assembly with the bayonet link before falling into the opening (27) of the case (3) and resuming its shape to ensure locking, unlocking being ensured by a second tool introduced into the opening (27) of the case (3) to compress the flexible portion (30).

10. Watch head (1) according to any one of claims 2 to 9, wherein the case back (4) has on its visible face a second slot (31) or orifices for the positioning of a third tool for mounting and dismounting the case back (4) ensuring its rotation relative to the case (3).

11. Watch head (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the movement support (5) has first markers (18) cooperating jointly with second markers (19) of the case (3) and third markers (20) of the movement (7).

12. Watch head (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said lower face of the case (3) has an edge (17) cut into a side wall delimiting the inner housing (3a) of the case (3) and wherein a shoulder (5c) is cut into an upper face of the periphery (5a) of the movement support (5) with said shoulder (5c) bearing against the edge (17) for the stop mounting of the movement support (5) on the case (3).

13. Watch head (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a removable power source (32) is housed in a compartment (7a) of the movement (7).

14. Watch head (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the dial (8) and the movement (7) have the same dimensions.

15. Watch head (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the dial (8) is welded to the movement (7).

16. A method for assembling and disassembling the watch head (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising, for assembly, the steps of: - Pre-assembly of the watch case (2), pre-assembly consisting of: • Mounting the movement support (5) against the underside of the case middle (3), • Placing the gasket (6) around the movement support (5), • Reversibly closing the case middle (3) with the case back (4) to obtain the pre-assembled case (2), • Optionally placing the locking mechanism (22) to prevent any relative rotational movement between the case back (4) and the case middle (3), • Mounting from above at least the movement (7), the dial (8), the crystal (10) and optionally a bezel (11) to obtain the watch head (1), - and, for disassembly, the steps of: • Removing the locking mechanism (22) if there is one, • Removing the case back (4) from the watch case (2), • Disassembly by the bottom of at least the joint (6), the movement support (5) and the movement (7).

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