Support for a watch middle

Abstract

The support comprises a support head (11) including a plate (25) for receiving a watch case (1), the support head also including a foot (27) provided with a transverse rod (30). The support further includes a tubular portion (15) which has an open end and a closed end with a spring (31) inside the tubular portion. At its open end, the wall of the tubular portion is provided with a pair of notches (16) configured to receive the ends of the transverse rod after compression of the spring and pivoting of the foot, thus creating a bayonet connection between the support head (11) and the tubular portion (15). The invention thus allows the transfer of watch cases from one machine to another without requiring the unscrewing and rescrewing of the cases.

Description

technical field

[0001] The invention relates to production methods in the field of watchmaking. The invention relates in particular to the polishing of watch cases. Technological background

[0002] In the watchmaking industry, the polishing of certain parts, such as the metal cases of watches, is often carried out using mechanochemical polishing, also known as tribofinishing or trivalization. According to this method, the parts are immersed in a container containing an abrasive mixture. The mixture consists of a liquid such as water or oil, to which abrasive components are added in the form of a powder or paste and / or as abrasive elements called 'chips'. The container containing the parts to be polished and the mixture is subjected to vibrations or other types of movement, which result in the polishing of the parts through interaction with the abrasives present in the mixture.

[0003] Particularly for watch cases, various mechanochemical polishing machines have been developed and often the polishing process applies several steps carried out in different machines, so as to subject the cases to several different abrasive mixtures.

[0004] In the machines, the frames are attached to supports that are specific to each type of machine. However, transferring the frames from one machine to another requires handling the individual frames, first to detach them from one type of support and then to attach them to a second type of support.

[0005] Since most connections between case and supports are now made by screwing, this transfer represents a long interruption of the process, requiring a large number of unscrewing and rescrewing operations by the machine operator, with the risk of case not being properly secured on the supports.

[0006] It would therefore be desirable to have a solution that allows for faster and safer changes in frame sizes. Summary of the invention

[0007] The invention aims to provide a solution to the problems described above. This objective is achieved by a support and its use according to the attached claims.

[0008] The invention relates to a support for a watch case in a mechanochemical polishing machine. The support comprises a support head including a platform for receiving a watch case, the support head also including a foot equipped with a transverse rod. The support further comprises a tubular portion having an open end and a closed end with a spring inside the tubular portion. At its open end, the wall of the tubular portion is provided with a pair of notches configured to receive the ends of the transverse rod after compression of the spring and pivoting of the foot, thus creating a bayonet connection between the support head and the tubular portion. The invention thus allows the transfer of watch cases from one machine to another without requiring the unscrewing and rescrewing of the cases.The support heads with the attached frames are transferred and their mounting in different types of machines can be carried out in a short time thanks to the bayonet connections.

[0009] In specific embodiments, the support is provided with a locking system for the bayonet connection. A specific locking system according to one embodiment of the invention comprises a sleeve disposed around the tubular portion and pivotable between two positions configured respectively to lock or release the bayonet connection.

[0010] The invention also relates to a configuration of several mechanochemical polishing machines of different types comprising different support structures to support a plurality of watch cases and in which each of said structures comprises a plurality of supports according to the invention, the supports of the different machines being adapted to receive the same support head by said bayonet connection. Brief description of the figures

[0011] The invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, given by way of non-limiting examples, in which: There figure 1 This represents an example of a known prior art configuration for the mechanochemical polishing of several watch cases. figures 2 to 4 represent 3D views of a medium according to one embodiment of the invention. The figure 5represents an exploded view of the different components of the support shown in figures 2 to 4 . THE figures 6a and 6b demonstrate the operation of a bayonet connection security system according to one embodiment of the invention. Detailed description of the invention

[0012] In the known configuration of the prior art and represented in the figure 1Each carve 1 is attached to one end of a rod-shaped support 2. The other ends of the supports 2 are removably attached to holes provided in a pallet 3. The pallet 3, carrying the supports 2 with the carves 1, will be installed in the container of a chemical polishing machine containing an abrasive mixture, to polish the carves. The carves 1 are attached to their respective supports 2 by screw connections (not visible in the drawing), which are the source of the problems mentioned in the introduction. This configuration is presented as an example. The same problems occur in other types of machines in which the carves are screwed to other types of supports.

[0013] THE figures 2 to 5 represent a support 5 according to one embodiment of the invention, the support being adapted to be installed on a pallet as illustrated in the figure 1The form of execution represented in figures 2-5 This does not limit the scope of the invention, which is determined solely by the independent claims. As will be explained later, some details are optional and / or replaceable by alternatives.

[0014] To figures 2 and 3 We can see that the support 5 comprises a rod-shaped base 10 and a support head 11 that is detachable from the base. The base includes a sleeve 12 that is pivotable between two angular positions marked 'C' and 'O' on the surface of the sleeve. The function of the sleeve 12 will be explained later in the text.

[0015] There figure 4 represents a view of the support without sleeve 12 to clearly visualize the number of components. All the support components are visible in the exploded view shown in the figure 5 .

[0016] The base 10 comprises a solid portion 13 adapted to be inserted into the holes of the pallet 3, and which is provided with a high-diameter collar 14 that acts as a stop for the sleeve 12. The base 10 also comprises a tubular portion 15, i.e., a hollow cylinder, opposite the solid portion 13 with respect to the collar 14. The tubular portion 15 is closed at its end adjacent to the collar 14, and open at the other end. At this open end, the wall of the tubular portion 15 is further provided with a pair of L-shaped notches 16, comprising a longitudinal portion oriented along the central axis 9 of the tubular portion 15 and a radial portion oriented perpendicular to the central axis 9 and provided at its end with a circular and concave seat 17. The tubular portion 15 further includes a groove 18 adjacent to the collar 14, and configured to receive a toroidal ring 19. At the figure 5We can see that a spring 31 is arranged inside the tubular portion 15.

[0017] The support head 11 comprises a circular plate 25 having openings 26 on its upper face and a cylindrical foot 27 on its lower face, the foot being fixed to or integral with the plate 25 and arranged coaxially with the plate 25. The openings 26 are threaded inside to allow the attachment by screwing of a watch case onto the upper face of the plate 25.

[0018] In the specific and non-limiting embodiment shown in the figures, the foot 27 comprises a first portion 27a directly adjacent to the plate 25 and a second portion 27b with a diameter smaller than the diameter of the first portion. The first portion 27a is provided with two grooves 28 in which two O-rings 29 are arranged. The second portion 27b is provided with a transverse rod 30 fixed to or integral with the portion 27b, and oriented perpendicularly with respect to the central axis 9' of the foot 27. The rod 30 extends by the same length on both sides of the second portion 27b of the foot 27.

[0019] We see at the figure 4that the entire spring assembly 31, the notches 16, the foot 27 and the cross rod 30 is adapted to allow the attachment of the support head 11 to the base 10 by a bayonet connection. To this end, and in the absence of a locking condition described later in this text, the foot 27 is inserted into the tubular portion 15 at the open end of the latter, and during the insertion of the foot 27, the ends of the transverse rod 30 are inserted into the longitudinal parts of the notches 16. Then, by rotating the foot, said ends of the transverse rod 30 pass through the radial parts of the notches 16 and finally settle onto the concave seats 17. The insertion of the foot 17 requires the compression of the spring 31. After the rotation of the foot, the spring 31 pushes the ends of the rod 30 against the concave surface of the seats 17, thus creating a bayonet connection between the support head 11 and the base 10.To release the support head 11, simply push the head 11 into the tubular part to compress the spring 31 and push the ends of the cross rod 30 out of their respective seats 17, before pivoting the foot 27 and releasing said ends of the rod 30 from the notches 16.

[0020] The bayonet connection characterizes any support according to the invention. This type of connection allows for the exchange of multiple frames from one machine to another without requiring the frames to be unscrewed and rescrewed, provided that each machine is equipped with support bases to which the same support head 11 can be attached. These support bases are characterized by the presence of a tubular portion 15 allowing the insertion of the foot 27 of the head 11 in the manner described above. The way in which the tubular portion 15 is installed in a machine will, however, depend on the type of machine. In the case of a machine configured to receive the pallet 3, the tubular portions 15 are mounted on solid portions 13 as illustrated in the figures. Other configurations will be applicable in other types of machines.For example, in certain types of machines, the bearing bodies are mounted at the ends of several arms of a star-shaped structure, the arms extending from the center of the structure. Several 'stars' loaded with bearing bodies are then mounted vertically in the machine. To adapt this type of machine so that the support head 11 can be attached to the arms of the stars, the stars could, for example, be produced with tubular sections 15 fixed to the ends of the arms. In this case, the support according to the invention is part of the star-shaped structure, i.e., this structure comprises several supports according to the invention. Apart from the supports themselves, the invention also relates to the use of the support head 11 in a plurality of mechanochemical polishing machines of different types, the machines being adapted to receive the same support head by the same type of bayonet connection.

[0021] As previously mentioned, the support 5, according to the non-limiting embodiment shown in the figures, further comprises the sleeve 12 arranged around the cylindrical portion 15. The sleeve 12 is part of an optional set of components for locking the bayonet connection. This set is indeed optional, i.e., the invention is not limited to supports equipped with a locking system.

[0022] To the figure 5It can be seen that inside the tubular portion 15 of the base 10, the spring 31 is arranged between two T-shaped pieces 35 and 36 (cross-sectional view), with the vertical legs of the 'T's inserted into the spring on one side and the other. The two T-shaped pieces 35 and 36 are hereafter referred to as the proximal piece 35 (mounted at the bottom of the tubular portion 15) and the distal piece 36 (mounted near the open end of the tubular portion 15). The pieces 35 and 36 are axisymmetric except at their ends located opposite each other inside the spring 31, these ends being provided with right-angled cutouts 37. The pieces 35 and 36 are visualized in figures 6a and 6b without showing the spring to clearly illustrate the operation of these components.

[0023] When the foot 27 of the support head 11 is inserted into the tubular portion 15 with the ends of its transverse rod 30 inserted into the longitudinal portions of the notches 16, the end of the foot 27 comes into contact with the T-shaped distal piece 36. To close the bayonet connection, it is necessary to be able to push the foot 27 forward, against the elastic force of the spring 31, in the direction of the proximal piece 35, and then rotate the foot so that the spring can push the ends of the transverse rod 30 against the concave seats 17. Similarly, to open the connection and separate the foot 27 from the tubular portion 15, it is necessary to be able to compress the spring 31 to push the ends of the transverse rod 30 out of their respective seats 17, before rotating the foot 27.

[0024] Due to the functionality of the locking system, these actions are only permitted depending on the angular position of the sleeve 12. The heads of parts 35 and 36 are provided with transverse holes, in which transverse rods 38 and 39 are arranged. In the assembled support, the ends of the rod 38 are inserted into a pair of radial openings 40 in the wall of the tubular portion 15, i.e., elongated openings oriented perpendicular to the central axis 9. The ends of the rod 39 are inserted into a pair of longitudinal openings 41 in the wall of the tubular portion 15, i.e., elongated openings oriented parallel to the central axis 9. The widths of the openings 40 and 41 relative to the diameters of the rods 38 and 39 allow only pivoting of the proximal part 35 around the central axis 9 and linear displacement of the distal part. 36.

[0025] The ends of the rod 38 inserted into the proximal part 35 extend beyond the wall of the tubular portion 15 and are inserted into two holes 45 provided in the sleeve 12. Rotating the sleeve 12 will cause the proximal part 35 to pivot relative to the distal part 36 along an angular path determined by the length of the radial openings 40. This path extends between two positions of the sleeve 12, marked C (Closed) and O (Open) on the outer surface of the sleeve. The relative positions of parts 35 and 36, which correspond to the angular positions C and O of the sleeve 12, are illustrated in the following figures. figures 6a and 6b .

[0026] To the figure 6a(position `C'), the ends of parts 35 and 36 are touching, thus preventing part 36 from moving towards part 35, a movement necessary to compress spring 31 and close the bayonet connection. This position of the sleeve 12 prevents foot 27 from entering the tubular portion 15.

[0027] In the 'O' position ( figure 6bThe right-angled cutouts 37 are located on both sides of the central axis 9, so that the cutouts intersect when the distal piece 36 is pushed towards the proximal piece 35, thus compressing the spring 31, which is required to close the bayonet connection. The movement of the distal piece 36 is made possible by the movement of the ends of the rods 39 within the longitudinal openings 41. The ends of the rods 39 do not extend beyond the wall of the tubular portion 15, and their position is therefore independent of the position of the sleeve 12. The length of the longitudinal openings 41 allows the piece 36 to move along a predefined longitudinal path, enabling the bayonet connection to be opened and closed.

[0028] After the bayonet connection is closed (with the sleeve in the 'O' position), the sleeve 12 is pivoted to the 'C' position to lock the connection. In this position of the sleeve 12, the compression of the spring 31 required to separate the ends of the rod 30 from the concave seats 17 is prevented by the position of parts 35 and 36 as illustrated in the figure 6a . To remove the support head 11 from the base 10, it is therefore necessary to first turn the sleeve 12 towards the 'O' position.

[0029] The toroidal rings 19 and 29 have a sealing function by contact with the inner surface of the sleeve 12, i.e. they serve to separate the inside of the sleeve 12 from the abrasive mixture when the supports loaded with watch cases are immersed in this mixture in a mechanochemical polishing machine.

[0030] In the embodiment shown in the figures, an additional element is included. A rod 46 with a spring ball 47 is inserted into a transverse hole 48 provided in the tubular portion 15, near the collar 14. In positions 'C' and 'O' of the sleeve, the ball 47 fits into one of two cavities, for example blind holes (not shown) provided in the inner surface of the sleeve 12. The force of the spring inside the rod 46 does not prevent manual pivoting of the sleeve 12, but this force prevents such pivoting by the forces exerted on the sleeve during the mechanochemical process.

[0031] As noted, the invention is not limited to the set of elements of the embodiment shown in the figures. Locking the bayonet connection, achieved for example by pivoting the sleeve 12 in the illustrated embodiment, is considered preferable or necessary depending on the composition of the mechanochemical mixture. A mixture containing large 'chips' will exert significant forces on the supports, which could cause the unlocked bayonet connections to disengage during the process. A mixture consisting only of powders is unlikely to have these effects and allows the use of supports equipped only with the bayonet connection, without a locking system.A support of this type could include the tubular portion 15, provided with its spring 31 and its parts 35 and 36 as in the form illustrated in the figures, but without the cutouts 37 and with a distance between the parts 35 and 36 that allows the connection to be opened and closed independently of the angular position of the proximal part 35. Said proximal part 35 will preferably be stationary relative to the tubular portion 15 in this embodiment. The sleeve 12 may still be present, as well as the O-rings 19 and 29, to ensure sealing, but the sleeve must not be pivotable relative to the tubular portion 15. Alternatively, another sealing system could be applied.

[0032] Without limiting the scope of the invention, most of the different components of a support according to the invention are preferably made of metallic materials.

[0033] A configuration of mechanochemical polishing machines of different types according to the invention is characterized by the presence of supports according to the invention in each of the machines, the supports of the different machines being adapted to receive the same support head via the same bayonet connection. For example, a configuration according to the invention may include a machine configured to receive a pallet 3 as illustrated in the figure 1 , responsible for supports 5 according to the execution form of the figures 2-5 . A second machine includes several star-shaped support structures, each with tubular portions 15 at the end of the star's arms. The supports 5 of the first machine include the same type of tubular portion 15. This configuration allows the rapid transfer of the support heads 11 loaded with watch cases from one machine to the other.

Claims

1. A support (5) for a watch case (1) in a mechanochemical polishing machine, the support comprising: - a base (10) forming part of a support structure of said machine or adapted to be removably attached to the support structure, the base having a tubular portion (15) having an open end and a closed end, - a support head (11) having: • a plate (25) having an upper face and a lower face, the plate being adapted to receive the watch case (1) detachably attached to its upper face, • a foot (27) fixed centrally on the lower face of the plate (25), the foot having a transverse rod (30), in which: - the tubular portion (15) includes a spring (31) inside said tubular portion and a pair of notches (16) in the wall of the tubular portion, at its open end, - the entire spring (31), the notches (16),The foot (27) and the transverse rod (30) are adapted to allow the attachment of the support head (11) to the base (10) by means of a bayonet connection.

2. A support according to claim 1, in which the spring (31) is disposed between two T-shaped pieces (35, 36), seen in section in a plane which passes through the central axis (9) of the tubular portion (15), the portions of said pieces which represent the vertical legs of the T being inserted into the spring (31), the two pieces consisting of a proximal piece (35) mounted at the bottom of the tubular portion (15) and a distal piece (36) mounted near the open end of the tubular portion (15).

3. A support according to claim 2, in which the distal part (36) comprises a removable transverse rod (39) whose ends are inserted into elongated openings (41) oriented parallel to the central axis (9) of the tubular portion (15), so as to limit a longitudinal movement of said distal part (36) relative to the tubular portion to a predefined longitudinal path.

4. A support according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a sleeve (12) disposed around the tubular portion (15) and in which the tubular portion is provided with grooves (18, 28) with O-rings (19, 29) installed in the grooves to seal the bayonet connection by contact between the inner surface of the sleeve (12) and the O-rings.

5. A support according to claim 3, further comprising a sleeve (12) disposed around the tubular portion (15), and wherein: - the T-shaped proximal piece (35) comprises a removable transverse rod (38) whose ends are inserted into a pair of holes (45) provided in the sleeve (12), such that pivoting the sleeve relative to the tubular portion (15) causes the proximal piece (35) to pivot relative to the distal piece (36), - said ends of the transverse rod (38) belonging to the proximal piece (35) are also inserted into a pair of elongated openings (40) in the wall of the tubular portion (15), said openings (40) being oriented perpendicular to the central axis (9) of the tubular portion, so as to limit the pivoting of the sleeve (12) and the proximal piece (35) to a predefined angular path extending between two positions of the sleeve, - the ends T-shaped pieces (35,36) which face inside the spring (31) are provided with cutouts (37), - the cutouts (37) are arranged such that: • in the first of the two angular positions of the sleeve (12), the approach of the distal piece (36) towards the proximal piece (35) is blocked, so as to lock the bayonet connection when the connection is closed, • in the second of the two angular positions of the sleeve (12), the approach of the distal piece (36) towards the proximal piece (35) is made possible, said approach being necessary to close or open the bayonet connection.

6. A support according to claim 5, further comprising a rod (46) provided with a spring ball (47), the rod being inserted transversely in the tubular portion (15), the ball being configured to fit into one or the other of two cavities inside the sleeve (12), to indicate the attainment of one or the other of the two angular positions of the sleeve.

7. A support according to claim 5 or 6, in which the tubular portion (15) is provided with grooves (18, 28) with O-rings (19, 29) installed in the grooves to seal the bayonet connection by contact between the inner surface of the sleeve (12) and the O-rings.

8. A support according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the base (10) of the support comprises a rod-shaped portion (13), the tubular portion (15) being fixed to or integral with the rod-shaped portion (13), and wherein the rod-shaped portion (13) is adapted to be installed in a hole provided in a pallet-shaped support structure (3) of a mechanochemical polishing machine.

9. A support according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the base (10) of the support is part of a support structure of a mechanochemical polishing machine.

10. A support according to claim 9, wherein the support structure comprises several arms emanating from the center of the star-shaped structure and wherein the base (10) of the support is fixed to or integral with one of the arms.

11. A configuration of several mechanochemical polishing machines of different types comprising different support structures to support a plurality of watch cases (1) and in which each of said structures comprises a plurality of supports according to any one of the preceding claims, the supports of the different machines being adapted to receive the same support head (11) by said bayonet connection.

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