Hinge with indexing mechanism, in particular for timepieces

Abstract

The invention relates to a hinge (10) with an indexing mechanism, particularly for a watch component (100), comprising a first part (20) and a second part (40) pivotally mounted on the first part (20). The first part (20) includes a wing (22), a support (26), and at least one indexing component (56a, 56b) mounted on the support (26) and having front teeth (64) defining a plurality of angular indexing positions. The front teeth (64) are oriented in a general plane orthogonal to the pivot axis of the hinge. The second part (40) comprises a wing (42), a support (46a, 46b), and at least one counter-piece (66a, 66b) mounted on the support (46a, 46b) and having a front toothing (74) arranged to cooperate with the front toothing (64) of said at least one indexing piece. One of the indexing piece (56a, 56b) and the counter-piece (66a, 66b) is mounted to be able to move in translation along the pivot axis of the hinge.This further includes at least one constraining member (52) arranged to be able to move one of the indexing piece (56a, 56b) and the counter piece (66a, 66b) so that their respective front teeth (64, 74) can either be engaged under the constraint of the constraining member (52), or spread apart, against the constraining member (52), to allow one of the first part (20) and the second part (52) to be moved angularly from one angular indexing position to another.

Description

technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to a hinge, particularly for a timepiece comprising a main case containing a basic watch movement and a secondary case containing at least one horological function or indication. The hinge is characterized by an indexing mechanism providing various indexed positions of the secondary case relative to the main case. The hinge according to the present invention can also be used for jewelry. State of the art

[0002] Pocket watches often include models with a flip-top cover. This cover protects the watch crystal from scratches, impacts, and dust. The cover is connected to the watch case by a hinge, allowing it to be opened and closed. Among the various hinges used in these pocket watches, those with a tapered pin are common.

[0003] Conical pin hinges, however, have several drawbacks, particularly regarding their robustness and the stability of the cover. These problems are especially noticeable in watches where the cover is made from solid materials, or when the cover is quite thick to accommodate, for example, one or more complications in timepieces with a multitude of features.

[0004] More specifically, when the lid is too heavy, the hinge is subjected to increased stress with each opening and closing. The extra weight puts excessive pressure on the tapered pin, thus increasing wear at the friction points between the pin and the hinge's bearing surfaces. This wear on the pin weakens the hinge and prevents it from securely holding the lid, which could eventually lead to play in the joint or even hinge failure.

[0005] Furthermore, this type of hinge does not allow the cover to be held stably and precisely in different angular positions relative to the watch case. However, for timepieces whose cover is designed to house a mechanism that informs the user about a specific function, it is desirable to allow the user to adjust the cover's opening angle among several stable positions to obtain optimal visibility of the watch's function. Brief summary of the invention

[0006] One aim of the present invention is therefore to provide a hinge, in particular for a watch part, free from at least some of the aforementioned limitations.

[0007] More particularly, one aim of the present invention is to provide a hinge comprising a robust indexing mechanism offering different stable indexed positions, in particular of a case relative to a cover or secondary case of a watch part.

[0008] According to the invention, this objective is achieved, at least in part, by means of a hinge with an indexing mechanism, particularly for watch parts, comprising two parts mounted pivoting relative to each other. The first part includes a wing, a support, and at least one indexing piece mounted on the support and having front teeth defining a plurality of angular indexing positions. The front teeth are oriented in a plane orthogonal to the pivot axis of the hinge. The second part includes a wing, a support, and at least one counter-piece mounted on the support and having front teeth arranged to cooperate with the front teeth of said at least one indexing piece. One of the indexing piece and the counter-piece is mounted to be able to move in translation along the pivot axis of the hinge.This further includes at least one constraining member arranged to be able to move one of the indexing part and the counter-part so that their respective front teeth can either be engaged under the constraint of the constraining member, or spread apart, against the constraining member, to allow one of the first part and the second part to be moved angularly from one angular indexing position to another.

[0009] In one embodiment, the hinge comprises two pairs of front-toothed parts. Each pair includes an indexing part and a counter-part.

[0010] In one embodiment, the support for the first part of the hinge further comprises one or two recesses. The indexing piece or pieces are arranged, at least partially, in the recess or one of the recesses.

[0011] In one embodiment, the indexing part or parts comprise a body arranged in the housing or one of the housings of the central support. The body and the housing are of complementary shapes and are configured to prevent any relative rotation between them.

[0012] According to one embodiment, the body of the indexing part or each indexing part has a shoulder intended to butt against a wall of the housing when the part or each indexing part is in the unlocked position.

[0013] In one embodiment, the support for the second part of the hinge is in the form of two receptacles arranged on either side of the support for the first part of the hinge. The counter-pieces are arranged in this support.

[0014] According to one embodiment, each receptacle includes a housing that partially receives the indexing piece and the counter-piece.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the hinge further comprises at least one rod passing at least partially through the support of the first part, through the indexing piece or each indexing piece and at least partially through the counter piece or each counter piece.

[0016] In one embodiment, the second part of the hinge comprises two side walls, each having a hole coaxial with the pivot axis of the hinge. Each counter-piece has a hub arranged in the hole of its respective wall so as to be driven into rotation about the pivot axis when the first and second parts of the hinge are pivoted relative to each other.

[0017] According to one embodiment, the hub of each counterpiece and the corresponding hole in the side wall are of complementary shapes and are configured so that each counterpiece can be mounted in a determined angular position in order to define the different positions of the plurality of indexed angular positions.

[0018] According to one embodiment, the constraining member is arranged around the rod.

[0019] According to one embodiment, the counter-piece or one of the counter-pieces is fixed to the rod so that the pivoting of the second part relative to the first part of the hinge causes the rod to rotate around its axis.

[0020] In one embodiment, the indexing piece or each indexing piece has an internal housing in which a seal is fixed. The seal is mounted around the rod so that the rotation of the rod about its axis is dampened by the friction of the seal on the rod.

[0021] According to one embodiment, the profile of the front teeth of each indexing part is determined so that the angular pitch between the different positions of the plurality of indexed angular positions is constant and within a range of 10° to 30°.

[0022] Another aspect of the invention relates to a timepiece comprising a case, a cover, and a hinge according to one of the aforementioned embodiments. The wings of the first and second parts of the hinge are integral, respectively, with the case and the cover.

[0023] According to one embodiment, the case is a main case containing a basic watch movement, while the cover is a secondary case containing at least one watch function or indication.

[0024] Another aspect of the invention relates to a piece of jewelry comprising the hinge according to one of the aforementioned embodiments Brief description of the figures

[0025] Examples of implementation of the invention are shown in the description illustrated by the accompanying figures, in which: there figure 1 illustrates a perspective view of a watch case comprising a secondary case hinged to a main case by a hinge, according to one embodiment; the figure 2 illustrates a perspective view of the hinge of the figure 1 ; there figure 3 illustrates an exploded view of the hinge of the figure 2 ; there figure 4illustrates an enlarged view of an indexing part of the figure 3 ; there figure 5 illustrates an enlarged view of a counter-piece of the figure 3 ; there figure 6 illustrates a top view of the hinge of the figure 2 in a closed configuration, the figure 7 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the hinge of the figure 6 According to AA, the figure 8 illustrates a top view of the hinge of the figure 2 in an open configuration, and the figure 9 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the hinge of the figure 8 according to BB. Examples of embodiments of the invention

[0026] According to a preferred embodiment and with particular reference to figures 1 to 3The timepiece 100 comprises a main case 110 containing a basic movement (not shown), a secondary case 120 containing a horological function, preferably a horological complication (not shown), and a hinge 10 connecting the main case 110 to the secondary case 120. The horological function or complication may include, in particular, a lunisolar calendar, a perpetual calendar, a moon phase display mechanism, or any other mechanism that provides the user with time information. It should be noted that such a mechanism does not necessarily require coupling to a movement.

[0027] The hinge 10 comprises a first part 20 with a wing 22 fixed to the main housing 110 and a second part 40 with a wing 42 fixed to the secondary housing 110. With regard to the figure 3, the wing 22, 42 of the first and second parts 20, 40 of the hinge has two fixing holes, preferably two counterbores 24, 44, for their fixing respectively to the main and secondary housing by means of screws.

[0028] The first part 20 of the hinge further comprises a central support 26 integral with the wing 22. The central support 26 includes a substantially cylindrical portion. This portion has a through hole 28 ( Fig. 7 ) and two housings 29 arranged on either side of the through hole. A rod 50 is arranged partly in the through hole 28. A constraint member 52, typically a compression spring, is arranged inside the through hole 28 around the rod 50 while two indexing pieces 56a, 56b are arranged in their respective housing 29 against the respective ends of the constraint member.

[0029] According to the figure 4Each indexing piece comprises a body 58 and a front toothing 64, typically metallic, situated in a plane substantially orthogonal to the pivot axis of the hinge, which corresponds to the longitudinal axis of the stem 50 in this embodiment. The body 58 is substantially cylindrical and has two diametrically opposed flats 60. Each indexing piece 56a, 56b also includes an axial hole 63 to support and guide the stem 50 around its axis of rotation when the timepiece is opened.

[0030] It should also be noted that a passage 62 runs completely through the body 58 at the level of the flats. This passage is intended to temporarily accommodate a pin during the assembly of the hinge, as will be seen later. The peripheral wall of the housing 29 has a shape complementary to that of the body 58 and thus comprises two diametrically opposed flat surfaces against which the flats 60 of the body of the respective indexing piece 56a, 56b are positioned in order to allow translational movement of the indexing piece along the rod 50 while preventing its rotation about the axis of the rod 50. The body 58 of the indexing piece, as well as the peripheral wall of the housing 29, may have other non-circular cross-sections in order to prevent the indexing piece from rotating.

[0031] Referring again to the figure 3The second part 40 comprises two receptacles 46a, 46b arranged on either side of the central support 26 of the first part 20. Two counter-pieces 66a, 66b are arranged in the respective receptacles. According to the figure 5 Each counter-piece comprises a hub 68, a disc 75 integral with the hub 68, and a front tooth 74, typically metallic. The front tooth 74 is arranged on one face of the disc 75 in a plane substantially orthogonal to the pivot axis of the hinge, in this case in a plane substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the rod 50 according to the present embodiment, so as to mesh with the front tooth 64 of the corresponding indexing piece 56a, 56b under the action of the clamping member 52. Each counter-piece 66a, 66b also comprises an axial hole 73 for the passage of the rod 50.

[0032] In one embodiment, one end of the rod 50 is driven into the axial hole 73 of the first counter-piece 66a, while the other end of the rod 50 is mounted freely for rotation in the axial hole 73 of the second counter-piece 66b to allow assembly of the hinge as described below. The diameter of the axial hole of the second counter-piece 66b is thus slightly larger than the diameter of the rod 50.

[0033] Like the body of the indexing parts, the hub 68 of the counter-parts 66a, 66b is substantially cylindrical with two diametrically opposed flats 70. The two receptacles 46a, 46b each have a side wall 49 with a hole 48 into which the hub 68 of the respective counter-part is fixed, for example by pressing. Since the first counter-part 66a is integral with the rod 50, the rod is rotationally fixed to the second part 40 of the hinge.

[0034] The hole 48 in the side wall 49 of each receptacle 46a, 46b has two diametrically opposed flat surfaces arranged to correspond with the flats 70 of the hub 68. This allows the counter-pieces 66a, 66b to be angularly positioned so that the angular pitches of their front teeth 74 are positioned according to a reference, in particular so that the teeth of the counter-pieces mesh with those of the corresponding indexing pieces when the main inner surfaces of the housings 110, 120 are closest to each other. The various indexed positions can thus be chosen according to the angular orientation of the counter-pieces to correspond to the desired opening angles of the secondary housing 120 relative to the main housing 110, as will be seen later.

[0035] According to the figure 7The ends of the compression spring 52 constrain the indexing pieces 56a, 56b into an axial locking position in which their front teeth 64 engage with the front teeth 74 of the counter pieces 66a, 66b, thus immobilizing the hinge 10 to prevent any relative pivoting between the first and second parts 20, 40. The housing 29 of each indexing piece 56a, 56b is dimensioned so that the annular wall 30 is recessed relative to an annular shoulder 61 of the body 58 of the indexing pieces 56a, 56b. This recess allows axial movement of the indexing pieces along the rod 50 into an unlocked position in which the shoulder 61 abuts against the wall 30.

[0036] Thus, the two indexing pieces 56a, 56b are moved into the unlocked position by the action of the front teeth 74 of the counter-pieces 66a, 66b against the front teeth 64 of the indexing pieces when the second part 40 is pivoted relative to the first part 20 around the axis of the stem 50 during the pivoting of the secondary case 120 relative to the main case 110 of the timepiece. Since the front teeth of the indexing pieces and counter-pieces are made of a hard material, the axial displacement of the indexing pieces is caused by the interaction of their respective front teeth during the opening / closing of the timepiece 100.

[0037] It should be noted that the properties of the constraint element 52 are chosen in order to find a fair balance between the stability of the secondary case 120 in any of the indexed positions relative to the main case 110 while allowing easy handling of the timepiece when opening and closing it.

[0038] The hinge 10 allows the secondary housing 120 to pivot relative to the main housing 110 through an angle greater than 90°, preferably within a range of 90° to 180°. The user can pivot the secondary housing relative to the main housing until the desired angle is reached, for example, around 120°. The indexing parts 56a, 56b are then returned to the locking position to immobilize the hinge in an indexed position.

[0039] It should be noted that the profile of the front teeth 64, 74 of the indexing pieces and counter-pieces is configured so that the force exerted on the two parts 20, 40 of the hinge 10 is relatively high enough to cause a relative pivoting between these two parts. This prevents the secondary case 120 from unintentionally dislodging itself from one of the indexed angular positions. The teeth have faces with a desired inclination to achieve a compromise between the stability of the secondary case 120 in each indexed angular position and the force required to open / close the timepiece.

[0040] Indeed, the greater this inclination, the greater the force required to induce a translational movement in the indexing parts in order to pivot the secondary housing 120 relative to the main housing 110. Conversely, the smaller this inclination, the less force is required to cause a translational movement of the indexing parts, which can affect the stability of the secondary housing in an indexed position. The inclination of the front teeth can vary depending on the properties of the constraint element, which also influence the stability of the indexed positions, as mentioned previously.

[0041] The number of indexed positions is determined by the profile of the front teeth of the indexing parts and counter-parts. The front teeth are as illustrated in the figure 4It has twelve teeth to allow an angular displacement of 30° between two indexed positions. Thus, the two flats 70 of the hub 68 of the counter-pieces 66a, 66b allow the latter to be angularly positioned so that the different indexed positions can lock the hinge when the secondary housing 120 preferably forms an angle of 90°, 120°, 150° and 180° with respect to the main housing 110. It goes without saying that the profile of the front teeth of the indexing pieces and counter-pieces can be modified to have a different angular pitch between two indexed positions, for example an angular pitch of 15° instead of 30° in order to offer a wider choice of indexed positions.

[0042] We will note according to the figures 7 to 9 that the front teeth of the indexing parts 56a, 56b are arranged in the receptacles 46a, 46b of the second part 20 of the hinge.

[0043] The hinge may optionally include a friction system to slow the opening of the timepiece 100. For this purpose, each indexing piece 56a, 56b has an internal housing 59 in which an O-ring 54a, 54b is fixed. Each O-ring is mounted on the stem 50. Thus, when the secondary case 120 is pivoted relative to the main case 110, the pivoting of the second part 40 of the hinge relative to the first part 20 causes the stem 50 to rotate around its axis. This rotation is slowed by the friction created by the O-rings 54a, 54b on the stem.

[0044] In view of the figure 7 The roughly cylindrical portion of the support has two assembly holes at its base to allow for easy assembly of the hinge. The hinge is preferably assembled as follows.

[0045] The constraint member 52 is first positioned in the through hole 28 of the central support 26 of the first part 20 of the hinge. The two indexing pieces 56a, 56b are then mounted in their respective housings 29 and temporarily held in their unlocked position by means of a pin inserted into the passage 62 of the body 58 of each indexing piece through the assembly holes 32. The ends of the pin are housed in two diametrically opposed cavities formed in the flat surfaces of the peripheral wall of the respective housing 29 in order to lock the indexing pieces against translation.

[0046] The counter-pieces 66a, 66b are then placed in the two receptacles 46a, 46b of the second part 40 of the hinge, and their respective hubs 68 are fixed, preferably by pressing, into the holes 48 located in the side walls 49 of the second part. This is then positioned relative to the first part 20 of the hinge 40 so that the two receptacles 46a, 46b are positioned on either side of the central support 26 of the first part, with the axial hole 73 of each counter-piece 66a, 66a located opposite the axial hole 63 of the respective indexing piece.

[0047] The two pins are then removed from the indexing parts 56a, 56b through the assembly holes 32, causing the indexing parts to move axially under the action of the compression spring 52 until the front teeth 64 of each indexing part are aligned with the front teeth 74 of the respective counter-part 66a, 66b. With regard to the figures 3 to 5 , the rod 50 is then successively threaded into the axial hole 73 of the second counter piece 66b, into the axial hole 63 of the second indexing piece 56b, into the through hole 28 of the central support 26 inside the compression spring 52, into the axial hole 63 of the first indexing piece 56a and finally the end of the rod 50 is driven into the axial hole of the first counter piece 66a.

[0048] Other embodiments of the invention, briefly described below, may be envisaged without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the attached claims.

[0049] In one embodiment, the hinge may consist of only one indexing piece. This piece may be mounted on the first part of the hinge and arranged to cooperate with a counter-piece mounted on the second part of the hinge. This indexing piece may be mounted in a support integral with the first part and comprising a constraint acting on the indexing piece so that it can be moved axially to lock the second part in different angular indexing positions relative to the first part, according to the same principle as the embodiment illustrated and described previously.The first and second parts of the hinge can be fixed together by different means, for example by a rod one end of which is fixed to the counter-piece while the other end is mounted pivotally in an opening provided in the support of the first part while being axially blocked.

[0050] According to another embodiment, the indexing piece, or each indexing piece in the case of a hinge comprising two indexing pieces similar to the preferred form described previously, can be mounted in a fixed translational manner, while the counter-piece or each counter-piece can be mounted to move in translation and to cooperate with a constraint member.

[0051] In another embodiment, the hinge may have structural features similar to the illustrated embodiment but without a stem. The indexing pieces and counter-pieces may thus lack an axial hole. In this case, the hinge has no friction system. However, care must be taken to adapt the dimensions of the pieces and counter-pieces so that they can be held securely enough to pivot around the hinge's pivot axis or to move along this axis without requiring a supporting stem.

[0052] This hinge can also be used for timepieces with a conventional cover, that is, a cover without a clockwork mechanism, unlike the preferred embodiment described above. Finally, this hinge can also be used for jewelry. List of references

[0053] Hinge 10 First part 20 Wing 22 Mounting holes 24 (e.g., counterbores) Central support 26 Through hole 28 Housings 29 Wall 30 Assembly holes 32 Second part 40 Wing 42 Mounting holes 44 (e.g., counterbores) Receptacles 46a, 46b Housings 47 Hole 48 Side wall 49 Stem 50 Elastic element 52 (e.g., compression spring) Seals 54a, 54b Indexing parts 56a, 56b Body 58 Internal housing 59 Flat 60 Shoulder 61 Passage 62 Axial hole 63 Front teeth 64 Counter pieces 66a, 66b Hub 68 Flat 70 Axial hole 73 Front teeth 74 Disc 75 Clockwork part 100 Main case 110 Secondary 120 box

Claims

1. Hinge (10) with an indexing mechanism, particularly for a watch component (100), comprising a first part (20) having a wing (22), a support (26) and at least one indexing piece (56a, 56b) mounted on the support (26) and having a front toothing (64) defining a plurality of angular indexing positions, said front toothing (64) being oriented in a general plane orthogonal to the pivot axis of the hinge, a second part (40) comprising a wing (42), a support (46a, 46b) and at least one counter-piece (66a, 66b) mounted on the support (46a, 46b) and having a front toothing (74) arranged to cooperate with the front toothing (64) of said at least one indexing piece, in which one of the indexing pieces (56a, 56b) and the counter-piece (66a, 66b) is mounted to be able to move in translation along said pivot axis,said hinge further comprising at least one constraining member (52) arranged to be able to move one of the indexing piece (56a, 56b) and the counter piece (66a, 66b) so that their respective front teeth (64, 74) can either be engaged under the constraint of the constraining member (52), or spread apart, against the constraining member (52), to allow one of the first part (20) and the second part (52) to be moved angularly from one angular indexing position to another.

2. Hinge (10) according to claim 1, comprising two pairs of front toothed parts (64, 74), each pair comprising an indexing part (56a, 56b) and a counter part (66a, 66b).

3. Hinge (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the support (26) of said first part (20) further comprises one or two housings (29), the indexing piece or each indexing piece (56a, 56b) being arranged, at least in part, in the housing or one of the housings (29).

4. Hinge (10) according to claim 3, wherein the indexing piece or each indexing piece (56a, 56b) comprises a body (58) arranged in the housing or one of the housings (29) of the central support (26), the body (58) and the housing (29) being of complementary shapes and configured to prevent any relative rotation between them.

5. Hinge (10) according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the support of said second part (40) is in the form of two receptacles (46a, 46b) arranged on either side of the support (26) of said first part (20) and in which the counter pieces (66a, 66b) are arranged.

6. Hinge (10) according to the preceding claim, in which each receptacle (46a, 46b) has a housing (47) receiving in part the indexing piece (56a, 56b) and the counter piece (66a, 66b).

7. Hinge according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising at least one rod (50) passing at least partially through the support (26) of said first part (20), passing through the indexing piece or each indexing piece (56a, 56b) and at least partially through the counter piece or each counter piece (66a, 66b).

8. Hinge (10) according to claim 7, in which the second part (40) comprises two side walls (49) each having a hole (48) coaxial with said pivot axis, each counter-piece (66a, 66b) comprising a hub (68) arranged in the hole (48) of the respective wall (49) so as to be driven in rotation about said pivot axis when said second part (40) is pivoted relative to said first part (20).

9. Hinge (10) according to the preceding claim, wherein said hub (68) and said hole (48) are of complementary shapes and are configured so that each counter-piece (66a, 66b) can be mounted in a determined angular position in order to define the different positions of said plurality of indexed angular positions.

10. Hinge (10) according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the constraining member (52) is arranged around the rod (50).

11. Hinge (10) according to any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein the counter-piece or one of the counter-pieces (66a, 66b) is integral with the rod (50) so that the pivoting of said second part (40) relative to said first part (20) causes said rod (50) to rotate about its axis.

12. Hinge (10) according to the preceding claim, in which the indexing piece or each indexing piece (56a, 56b) is provided with an internal housing (59) in which a seal (54a, 54b) is fixed, the seal being mounted around the rod (50) so that the rotation of the latter around its axis is braked by the friction of the seal (54a, 54b) on the rod (50).

13. Hinge (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the profile of the front teeth (64) of each indexing piece (56a, 56b) is determined so that the angular pitch between the different positions of said plurality of indexed angular positions is constant and within a range of 10° to 30°.

14. A watch part (100) comprising a case (110), a cover (120) and the hinge according to any one of the preceding claims, the wings (22, 42) of said first part (20) and second part (40) being integral, one with the case (110) and the other with the cover (120).

15. Timepiece (100) according to the preceding claim, wherein the case is a main case (110) containing a basic timekeeping movement while the cover is a secondary case (120) containing at least one timekeeping function or indication.

Images