A clock head configured for assembly and disassembly from both opposite directions, and a method for assembling and disassembling the clock head.

Abstract

This invention relates to a watch head that can be assembled from the top and disassembled from the bottom. [Solution] The watch head includes a pre-assembled case 2 comprising: a middle 3 defining an inner bed 3a and a movement rest 5 mounted flush with the lower surface of the middle, the pre-assembled case having reversible fastening means in the middle attached to a case back 4; a movement 7 mounted on the movement rest inside the pre-assembled case; a dial 8 mounted on the movement; and a glass 10 closing the pre-assembled case at the end opposite the case back, wherein the dial and the movement have dimensions less than or equal to the dimensions of the bed inside the middle so that they can pass through the middle from above and below.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a watch head configured to be assembled from the top and disassembled / reassembled from the bottom.

Background Art

[0002] When assembling a watch head, the designer has to decide whether to assemble from the top or from the bottom, i.e., from the bezel side or from the back cover side. In fact, for a watchmaker, disassembly will be done in the same direction, i.e., from the top or from the bottom.

[0003] Assembling in one direction and disassembling in the other direction has never been envisaged. However, assembling and disassembling in both opposite directions provides the watchmaker with greater freedom. This is particularly advantageous for battery-powered watches. Because, by disassembling from the bottom, it is possible to quickly access the battery that is fixed inside the watch case but is not placed in the battery compartment of the back cover.

Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention aims to overcome the preconceptions held by those skilled in the art by proposing a new configuration of a watch head that enables assembly from the top and disassembly / reassembly from the bottom.

[0005] For this purpose, a pre-assembled watch case is provided with a back cover assembled by reversible fastening means such as a bayonet connection in the middle.

[0006] More specifically, the present invention relates to a watch head that can be assembled from the top and disassembled from the bottom, the bottom defining a lower position facing the back cover, the top defining an upper position opposite to the lower position, and the watch head comprising [[ID=an]] - A pre-assembled case comprising a middle defining an inner bed and a movement rest mounted flush with the lower surface of the middle, wherein a reversible fastening means in the middle is attached to the back cover, - The movement mounted on the movement rest within the pre-assembled case, - The dial mounted on the aforementioned movement, - The glass that closes the pre-assembled case at the end opposite to the back cover Includes, The dial and the movement have dimensions less than or equal to the dimensions of the bed inside the middle, so that the middle can pass through from above and below.

[0007] This configuration allows the watch head to be turned over and disassembled or reassembled from the bottom. This ensures flexibility in assembly and disassembly.

[0008] In the case of quartz movements, it becomes possible to create new and advantageous modifications, such as eliminating the battery compartment and fixing the battery inside the watch head.

[0009] Furthermore, it becomes possible to design the case back separately from the middle section. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1A] This shows a disassembled view of the various parts of a pre-assembled case. [Figure 1B] The image shows a top view of the movement rest. [Figure 1C] The diagram of the back cover is shown. [Figure 2] This shows a pre-assembled case. [Figure 3] This diagram schematically shows the assembly of external components and the movement from above in a pre-assembled case. [Figure 4] The watch head obtained through assembly is shown. [Figure 5] This diagram shows a schematic of the disassembly of the watch head from underneath. [Figure 6] This shows a partial vertical cross-section of the movement rest, which is mounted flush with the middle section. [Figure 7] This shows the dial attached to the movement. [Figure 8] A three-dimensional diagram of a bolt relating to one modified example is shown. [Figure 9] A horizontal cross-sectional view of a clock head having a modified version of this bolt is shown. [Figure 10] The image shows a partial vertical cross-sectional view of a modified version of this bolt within the watch head, along with the positioning of the tool for removing the bolt. [Figure 11] A horizontal cross-sectional view of a clock head equipped with a bolt relating to another modification is shown, along with an enlarged view of the bolt at the bayonet connection. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] The present invention relates to a watch head 1 that can be assembled from the top, i.e., from the bezel side, and disassembled and reassembled from the bottom, i.e., from the case back side. The present invention also relates to a method of assembly and disassembly. Hereinafter, the position facing the case back will be referred to as the bottom position, and the position facing the bezel will be referred to as the top position.

[0012] The watch head 1 is assembled from a pre-assembled watch case 2. The watch head shown in the exploded view in Figure 3 is formed from the pre-assembled case 2, the movement 7 mounted inside the case, the dial 8 and hands 9, the glass 10 that closes the watch head, and optionally the bezel 11. The pre-assembled case 2, similarly shown in the exploded view in Figure 1A, includes a case back 4, a middle 3, a movement rest 5, and a sealing joint 6 such as an O-ring. The middle 3 and case back 4 of the pre-assembled case can be made from a composite material, in other words, plastic or metal, and the bezel of the watch head can be made from the same material as the middle and case back, or from a different material.

[0013] The pre-assembled case 2 is closed by a back cover 4 mounted on the middle 3 by reversible fastening means. Preferably, the back cover 4 is assembled to the middle 3 by a bayonet connection. Other fastening means such as screws can also be used, but they take up more space and require metal elements, making it impossible to have a 100% plastic back cover, and are therefore less desirable. Preferably, the pre-assembled case 2 includes bolts 22 to prevent rotational movement of the back cover relative to the middle. Preferably, these are positioned between the horns 23 of the middle 3 so that they are hidden after the wristlet is attached.

[0014] To ensure a secure bayonet connection, the case back 4 includes a groove 12 formed in a flange 13 that extends in an arc toward the middle around the peripheral edge 4a of the case back 4. The groove 12 is open at one end of the arc, allowing a flange 14 protruding into the middle 3 to engage, and optionally the other end is closed by a stopper (not shown). Figure 6 shows a cross-sectional view of this bayonet connection, where the flange 14 in the middle 3 engages with the groove 12 of the case back 4. Preferably, there are multiple flanges 13 and 14 around the peripheral edge 4a of the case back and inside the middle 3, respectively. In the illustrated example, there are two opposite flanges 13 and 14.

[0015] The middle section 3 shown in Figure 1A includes a through-bed 3a that houses the movement rest 5 and the O-ring 6, with one end of the bed 3a closed by the back cover 4. A flange 14 is provided on the side wall of the bed 3a, extending radially from the lower end of the side wall. A rim 17 is recessed in this side wall. The joint 6 is pressed against the rim 17, so that the movement rest 5 is flush with the rim 17.

[0016] The movement rest 5 having a substantially annular shape has a peripheral portion 5a. The frustoconical portion 5b seen in FIGS. 1A and 6 extends from this peripheral portion 5a on the lower surface of the movement rest. On the opposite surface, that is, the upper surface seen in FIG. 1B, a shoulder 5c is recessed in the peripheral portion 5a, and a wall 5d is mounted thereon. The shoulder 5c is pressed against the rim 17 of the middle 3 to ensure that the movement rest 5 is flush-mounted with the middle 3. As shown in FIG. 6, the shoulder 5c is pressed against the peripheral portion of the rim 17 together with a joint 6 mounted in the space between the back cover 4, the middle 3, and the movement rest 5. According to the present invention, the frustoconical portion 5b of the movement rest 5 facilitates sliding beyond the peripheral portion 5a when the joint 6 is mounted. According to the present invention, the internal shape of the movement rest conforms to the shape of the movement it holds.

[0017] The movement rest 5 includes a plurality of guide marks 18 in the form of notches or tabs on its wall 5d. These guide marks 18 are arranged in complementary-shaped guide marks 19, 20 in the middle 3 (FIG. 1A) and the movement 7 (FIG. 5) respectively to index the movement rest relative to the middle and the movement during assembly. Further, a plurality of openings 21 can be provided in the wall 5d to impart flexibility to the movement rest 5.

[0018] According to the present invention, the movement rest is attached flush with the lower surface in the middle and enables assembly and disassembly only from the back cover. On the other hand, the dial and the movement have the feature of enabling assembly and disassembly from both directions. According to the present invention, the dial 8 and the movement 7 have dimensions less than or equal to the dimensions of the bed 3a inside the middle 3 so that they can pass through the middle 3 from above and below. When the movement and the dial are substantially circular in shape, the movement 7 and the dial 8 each have diameters D1 and D2 less than or equal to the inner diameter D3 of the middle. The diameters D1 and D2 are interpreted to mean the diameters of the largest circles virtually drawn around the movement and the dial. The diameter D3 refers to the diameter of the smallest circle virtually drawn inside the middle. Therefore, when there is a protruding portion inside the middle, the circle is 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 FIG. 7.

[0019] As described above, the bayonet connection of the pre-assembled case can be locked by the bolt 22, which is an accessory or an integrated part attached to the back cover. In the first modification example shown in FIGS. 1A to 2 and FIGS. 8 to 9, the bolt 22 is a part attached to the middle 3 and the back cover 4. For this purpose, the groove 12 of the back cover 4 communicates with the notch 26 (FIG. 1C) of the flange 13. The notch 26 is designed to be arranged facing the opening 27 (FIG. 1A) provided in the wall of the middle 3 for receiving the bolt 22. The opening 27 optionally penetrates the wall of the middle 3 at the center of the flange 14.

[0020] The bolt 22 in the first modification shown in Figure 8 is in the form of a flexible component having two hooks 22a, 22b at both ends, which hook onto both ends 13a, 13b of the flange 13 that frames the notch 26 of the back cover. To add this flexibility to the component, the bolt 22 has three recesses 22c in this example. The bolt 22 may also include a central tab 22d that separates the two recesses 22c near the two hooks 22a, 22b. To lock the bayonet connection in place, the bolt is tightened so that the two hooks 22a, 22b are brought closer together and inserted together into the middle opening 27 and the notch 26 of the back cover. The two hooks 22a, 22b then return to their original positions and hook onto both ends 13a, 13b of the flange. To remove the bolt, a tool 28 must be inserted into the slot 29 (Figure 1A) of the back cover 4. As shown in Figure 10, the tool 28 pushes tab 22d and the wall 22e below tab 22d, which causes the bolt hook to retract and be pushed out from the middle.

[0021] In the second modification, the bolt 22 is positioned directly on the case back 4. Instead of a notch 26, the case back 2 is provided with a flexible projection 30 extending radially outward from the case back 4 at one of several flanges 13 (Figure 11). The projection 30 is flexible due to a recess 30a provided in part of the flange 13 and optionally in part of the projection 30. As a result, the case back does not have a notch 26 for receiving the bolt, while the middle 3 has an opening 27 for receiving the projection 30. When assembled by bayonet connection, the projection is compressed against the side wall of the bed 3a of the middle and then drops into the opening 27 of the case to regain its shape. To remove the bolt, a tool (not shown) is inserted from the side into the opening 27 of the middle to compress the projection 30 and rotatably release the case back.

[0022] Once the bolts are removed, the pre-assembled case can be disassembled by inserting a tool into the slot 31 or circular hole (not shown) in the back cover 4 and rotating the back cover (Figure 1A).

[0023] The watch head is assembled as follows: First, the case 2 is pre-assembled according to the following steps: The movement rest 5 is positioned within the middle 3 by aligning the guide mark 18 on the movement rest 5 with the guide mark 19 on the middle 3. The joint 6 is positioned around the movement rest 5, and then the case 2 is closed by the case back 4. Multiple flanges 13 are positioned on the rim 17 where there are no flanges 14. Then, one end of the flange 14 engages with the opening end of the groove 12 by rotating the case back 4 relative to the middle 3, for example, using a tool inserted into the slot 31. Then, if bolts are present, they are embedded in the notches 26 of the case back and the opening 27 of the middle, or, according to other variations of the bolts, only in the opening 27 of the middle.

[0024] Once case 2 is pre-assembled, the movement and external components are assembled from the opposite side of the case back, as shown in Figure 3. The movement 7 is inserted into the case so that its guide marks align with the guide marks 18 on the movement rest 5. Preferably, the dial 8 is pre-attached to the movement 7 so that it is inserted into the case and joined together (Figure 7). The dial can be heat-welded to the movement. In a quartz watch, the movement 7 may include a compartment 7a for housing a removable energy source 32, such as a battery. The hands 9, crystal 10, and bezel 11 are then attached. The crystal may be soldered to the middle, with the bezel concealing the solder joint. The bezel may also be attached to the middle, for example, by ultrasonic welding. The crystal and bezel may also be bonded together as a single piece, or there may be no bezel at all.

[0025] The resulting watch head 1 is shown in Figure 4. The disassembly shown in Figure 5 is performed from the bottom. The watch head is turned over to allow easy access to the bottom 4. If a lock is present, it is first removed as described above. The case back 4 is then removed from the watch case 2 using a tool located in slot 31. Removing the case back 4 allows the movement rest 5 to be removed. The movement 7 and dial can then be removed through the bottom of the middle. Reassembly is also performed from the bottom, first by mounting the movement 7 onto the bed 3a of the middle 3. The guide marks 20 on the movement are aligned with the guide marks on the middle. The movement rest 5 is then positioned using its guide marks 18, and finally, the case back 4 is attached to the middle 3 using a bayonet connection, including bolts if possible, or any reversible connection.

Claims

1. A clock head (1) that can be assembled from the top and disassembled from the bottom, The bottom portion defines a lower position facing the back cover (4), the top portion defines an upper position opposite to the lower position, and the watch head (1) is, - A pre-assembled case (2) comprising a middle (3) defining an inner bed (3a) and a movement rest (5) mounted flush with the lower surface of the middle (3), wherein the reversible fastening means of the middle (3) is attached to the back cover (4), - The movement (7) mounted on the movement rest (5) inside the pre-assembled case (2), - The dial (8) mounted on the movement (7), - The glass (10) that closes the pre-assembled case (2) at the end opposite to the back cover (4) Includes, The dial (8) and the movement (7) have dimensions less than or equal to the dimensions of the bed (3a) inside the middle (3) so that they can pass through the middle (3) from above and below, respectively, the clock head (1).

2. The watch head (1) according to claim 1, wherein the reversible fastening means is formed by a bayonet connection.

3. The watch head (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the case back (4) includes at least a first flange (13) through which a groove (12) penetrates its peripheral edge (4a), the middle (3) includes at least a second flange (14) protruding into the middle (3), the groove (12) is open at one end so that the second flange (14) can engage when the case back (4) rotates, and the engagement of the second flange (14) in the groove (12) forms the bayonet connection.

4. The watch head (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the pre-assembled case (2) includes a bolt (22) positioned at the bayonet connection to prevent any relative rotational movement between the middle (3) and the back cover (4).

5. The clock head (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the bolt (22) is positioned between the plurality of horns (23) of the middle (3).

6. The watch head (1) according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the bolt (22) is a flexible component attached to the middle (3) and the back cover (4), and the opening (27) is made to pass through the second flange (14), the groove (12) is in communication with a notch (26) made in the first flange (13), and the notch (26) is positioned on the opposite side of the opening (27) to jointly receive the bolt (22).

7. The watch head (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the bolt (22) includes two hooks (22a, 22b) for hooking each of the ends (13a, 13b) of the first flange (13) that frames the notch (26) in the back cover (4).

8. The watch head (1) according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the back cover (4) has a first slot (29) through which a first tool (28) for applying force to the bolt (22) is received in order to ensure that the bolt (22) is removed from the pre-assembled case (2).

9. The watch head (1) according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the bolt (22) forms an integral part of the case back (4) and has a flexible portion (30) that protrudes radially outward from the case back (4), and has an opening (27) that penetrates the second flange (14), and the flexible portion (30) is pressed against the middle (3) during assembly with the bayonet connector, then falls into the opening (27) of the middle (3) to recover its shape and secure the lock, and the lock is reliably released by a second tool introduced into the opening (27) of the middle (3) to compress the flexible portion (30).

10. The watch head (1) according to claim 2, wherein the visible surface of the case back (4) includes a second slot (31) or orifice for positioning a third tool for assembling and disassembling the case back (4), ensuring its rotation relative to the middle (3).

11. The watch head (1) according to claim 1, wherein the movement rest (5) includes a first guide mark (18) which engages in conjunction with a second guide mark (19) in the middle (3) and a third guide mark (20) in the movement (7).

12. The watch head (1) according to claim 1, wherein the lower surface of the middle (3) includes a rim (17) recessed in the side wall defining the inner bed (3a) of the middle (3), a shoulder (5c) is cut out from the upper surface of the peripheral edge (5a) of the movement rest (5), and the shoulder (5c) is pressed against the rim (17) to assemble the movement rest (5) flush with the middle (3).

13. The watch head (1) according to claim 1, wherein a detachable energy source (32) is housed in a compartment (7a) of the movement (7).

14. The watch head (1) according to claim 1, wherein the dial (8) and the movement (7) have the same dimensions.

15. The dial (8) is soldered to the movement (7), the watch head (1) according to claim 1.

16. A method for assembling and disassembling the watch head (1) according to claim 1, Regarding the aforementioned assembly, - A step in which the watch case (2) is pre-assembled, - Assembling the movement rest (5) flush with the lower surface of the middle (3), - The joint (6) is attached around the movement rest (5), - The middle section (3) is reversibly closed by the back cover (4) to obtain a pre-assembled case (2), - Optionally, the bolt (22) may be installed to prevent any relative rotational movement between the back cover (4) and the middle (3). This consists of a pre-assembly process and - To obtain the watch head (1), the process involves assembling at least the movement (7), the dial (8), the glass (10), and optionally the bezel (11) from the top. Includes, - Regarding disassembly, - If the bolt (22) is present, the process involves removing the bolt (22), - The process of disassembling the back cover (4) of the watch case (2), - A step of disassembling at least the joint (6), the movement rest (5), and the movement (7) from the bottom. Methods that include...

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