Locking device for locking a push button on a portable watch case

Abstract

To provide a locking device that enables the ease of use of a push button when a portable watch is worn while making it safe to operate.SOLUTION: A locking device (10) for locking a push button in a rest position includes a push button (100) intended to be slidably engaged in a middle portion (21) between an active position and the rest position, and a control member (110). The control member (110) cooperates with a block element (120), the block element (120) fixes the push button (100) in the rest position when the control member (110) is in a locking position, and the block element (120) enables the push button (100) to move from the rest position when the control member (110) is in a release position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of watches (e.g. wristwatches, pocket watches), in particular watch cases, and in particular to a locking device for locking a push button on a watch case. [Background technology]

[0002] A watch with a watch movement having several complications may have at least one push-button, the purpose of which is to select, activate or modify the functions of the watch movement.

[0003] The most common push buttons are those that extend outside the middle section. These push buttons are easily and quickly accessible when the watch is being worn. However, because they protrude, they can be easily operated unintentionally.

[0004] To solve this problem, some push buttons are configured with a collector that is flush with the face of the watch's middle. Such push buttons require activation with the tip of a special tool to prevent accidental activation. With the same purpose in mind, some push buttons are located in relatively inaccessible locations on the watch case, requiring the watch to be removed from the user in order to be activated. Therefore, using such push buttons can be particularly cumbersome.

[0005] Clearly, a compromise must be found between ease of use of the push buttons when wearing a watch and the safety of their operation.

[0006] The present invention aims to solve such problems. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To this end, the invention relates to a locking device for locking a push button in a rest position, comprising a push button intended to be slidably engaged in a middle part between an active position and a rest position, and a control member, said control member cooperating with a blocking element, which fixes said push button in the rest position when said control member is in the locked position, and which allows said push button to move from the rest position when said control member is in the released position.

[0008] The invention thus makes it easy to lock and unlock the push button while allowing it to be applied to a push button that can be quickly and easily used when the watch is being worn, without the need for a tool to activate it.

[0009] The lock device is also very easy to build since it requires only a very small number of components.

[0010] In particular embodiments, the invention may further comprise one or more of the following features, considered alone or in any technically possible combination:

[0011] In certain embodiments, when the control member is in the release position, the blocking element is held against the control member under the influence of a resilient return force.

[0012] In a particular embodiment, the push button has a protrusion that is intended to engage a cavity formed in the middle portion and that is complementary in shape to the protrusion when the push button is in an active position, and the control member causes the blocking element to close the cavity when the control member is in a locked position, and the cavity is released when the control member is in a released position.

[0013] In a particular embodiment, the blocking element is formed by an elastic blade extending between two ends, a first end of which is arranged against the control member and a second end of which is intended to open or close the cavity depending on the position of the control member.

[0014] In certain embodiments, the blocking element is configured such that when the control member moves toward a locked position, the control member applies a force to the first end of the blocking element that deforms the blocking element, causing the second end of the blocking element to translate in a first direction, and when the control member moves toward a released position, the blocking element deforms under the influence of a resilient return force that causes the second end of the blocking element to translate in a second direction opposite the first direction.

[0015] In a particular embodiment, the control member is formed by a crown secured to the free end of the winding stem, the control member having a skirt against which the blocking element rests.

[0016] According to another object, the invention also relates to a watch case comprising a middle, a crystal and a case back, which form an interior space intended to receive a watch movement, said watch case further comprising the above-mentioned locking device, said middle being adapted to guide the movement of said blocking element, said blocking element being arranged outside said interior space.

[0017] Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a reading of the following detailed description, given by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, which, for the sake of clarity, are not necessarily drawn to scale, in which: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 shows a detailed view of a watch case with a locking device for locking a push button according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the push button being in a rest position and the control member being in a release position allowing movement of the push button from the rest position to the active position. [Figure 2] 2 shows a detailed view of FIG. 1 with the control member in a locked position securing the push button in a rest position. [Figure 3] 2 shows a detail view of FIG. 1 with the push button in the active position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] The invention relates to a locking device (10) for locking a push button of a watch case in a rest position, and to a watch case (20) equipped with said locking device (10).

[0020] The watch case 20 defines an interior space 22 intended to accommodate a watch movement, in a manner known to those skilled in the art. In particular, the interior space 22 is defined in particular by the middle 21, the crystal and the back of the watch case 20.

[0021] The locking device 10 according to the invention comprises a push button 100 intended to engage in a sliding movement in the middle part 21 of the watch case 20 in a direction pointing towards the interior space 22 of the case. The push button 100 is intended to be activated by the user to an active position, as shown in Fig. 3, and to act on the watch movement, for example to select, activate or modify a function of the watch movement. As shown in Fig. 1, the push button 100 is biased to a rest position by a spring (not shown) or the like, in a manner known to those skilled in the art.

[0022] The locking device 10 further comprises a control member 110, which is intended to engage in the middle part 21 so as to be rotatable and / or pivotable between a locked position and an unlocked position.

[0023] In particular, the locking device 10 includes a blocking element 120 that interfaces with the control member 110 such that when the control member 110 is in the released position, the blocking element 120 allows movement of the push button 100 from the rest position shown in FIG. 1 toward the active position shown in FIG. 3, and when the control member 110 is in the locked position as shown in FIG. 2, the blocking element 120 secures the push button 100 in the rest position.

[0024] In one preferred embodiment, the push button 100 has a protrusion 101 in the form of a stud or the like that is intended to engage within a complementary shaped cavity 210 formed in the middle part 21 of the case when the push button 100 is in the active position, as shown in Figure 3. A blocking element 120 is configured to close this cavity 210 when the control member 110 is in the locked position, as shown in Figure 2. The blocking element 120 thus forms a stop against which the protrusion 101 rests.

[0025] Advantageously, when the control member 110 is in the released position, the blocking element 120 is held against said control member 110 under the influence of a resilient return force, so that the control member 110 deforms the blocking element 120 against the resilient return force when moving towards the locked position.

[0026] Preferably, the blocking element 120 is formed by an elastic blade extending between two ends, the first end 121 of which is arranged to oppose the control member 110 and the second end 122 of which is intended to open and close the cavity 210.

[0027] In particular, the blocking element 120 is configured such that when the control member 110 moves towards the locked position, a force is applied to a first end 121 of the blocking element 120 to deform the blocking element 120, causing a second end 122 of the blocking element 120 to translate in a first direction to close the cavity 210. In a complementary manner, when the control member 110 moves towards the released position, the blocking element 120 is configured to deform under the influence of a resilient return force, causing the second end 122 to translate in a second direction opposite the first direction to open the cavity 210, i.e., so that the blocking element 120 no longer faces the cavity 210.

[0028] Preferably, the control member 110 is formed by a crown secured to the free end of the winding stem. The crown has a skirt 111 against which a first end 121 of a blocking element 120 rests. Therefore, regardless of whether the crown moves according to a helical or linear path, the blocking element 120 behaves similarly when the crown is screwed in / unscrewed or when the crown is retracted / pushed out. In particular, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, when the control member is in the locked position, it is closer to the middle than when it is in the released position.

[0029] Advantageously, as shown in Figures 1 to 3, the movement of the block element 120 is guided by the middle part 21, which is arranged outside the interior space 22. In particular, the middle part 21 of the case is configured to form a guide track that ensures the guiding of the block element 120 while ensuring a secure fastening of the block element 120 to the case.

[0030] It should be noted that in the present invention there is no kinematic connection between the push button 100 and the control member 110. This configuration allows the locking device 10 to be as simple as possible.

[0031] Furthermore, the arrangement of the blocking element 120 outside the interior space 22 allows the invention to be adapted to existing watch movements without modification.

[0032] More generally, the implementations and embodiments considered above are described as examples, and other variations are therefore also possible.

[0033] For example, the invention can have a number of push buttons and a similar number of blocking elements, each of which can lock one push button in its rest position. In particular, the invention can have two push buttons, one on each side of the crown, with the blocking elements acting symmetrically to lock the push buttons simultaneously. [Explanation of symbols]

[0034] 10 Lock Device 20 Portable watch case 21 Middle Section 22 Interior Space 100 push buttons 101 Protrusion 110 Control Members 111 Skirt Club 120 Block Elements 121 First Edge 122 Second End 210 Cavity

Claims

1. A locking device (10) for locking a push button in a rest position, comprising: a push button (100) intended to be slidably engaged in the middle part (21) between an active position and a rest position; a control member (110), The control member (110) is associated with a blocking element (120) such that when the control member (110) is in the locked position, the blocking element (120) fixes the push button (100) in a rest position, and when the control member (110) is in the released position, the blocking element (120) allows the push button (100) to move from the rest position; The push button (100) has a protrusion (101), the protrusion (101) is intended to engage in a cavity (210) formed in the middle part (21) and having a shape complementary to the protrusion (101) when the push button (100) is in the active position; The control member (110) causes the blocking element (120) to close the cavity (210) when the control member (110) is in a locked position; the cavity (210) is released when the control member (110) is in a released position; The blocking element (120) is formed by an elastic blade extending between two ends, the first end (121) of which is arranged against the control member (110) and the second end (122) of which is intended to open or close the cavity (210) depending on the position of the control member (110). A locking device (10) characterized in that:

2. When the control member (110) is in the release position, the blocking element (120) is held against the control member (110) under the influence of an elastic return force.

2. A locking device (10) according to claim 1.

3. the blocking element (120) is configured such that when the control member (110) is in a release position, the blocking element (120) is held against the control member (110) under the influence of an elastic return force, and when the control member (110) moves towards a locking position, the control member (110) applies a force to the first end (121) of the blocking element (120) that deforms the blocking element (120) so that the second end (122) of the blocking element (120) translates in a first direction; The block element (120) is configured such that, when the control member (110) moves toward the release position, the block element (120) deforms under the influence of an elastic return force, causing the second end (122) of the block element (120) to translate in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

2. A locking device (10) according to claim 1.

4. said control member (110) being formed by a crown secured to the free end of the winding stem; The control member (110) has a skirt (111) against which the blocking element (120) rests.

2. A locking device (10) according to claim 1.

5. A watch case (20) comprising a middle (21), a crystal and a back, which form an interior space (22) intended to receive a watch movement, The watch case (20) further comprises a locking device (10) according to claim 1, The middle part (21) is configured to guide the movement of the block element (120), The block element (120) is disposed outside the interior space (22). A portable watch case (20) characterized by:

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