Automatic Watch Crown Sealing via Pressure-Dependent Elastic Force
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing watch setting devices, such as rotatable crowns, require manual user intervention to switch between axial positions, which can be unsafe and inconvenient, especially in applications like diving where safety and water tightness are critical, as users must manually adjust the crown to achieve optimal sealing before activities like diving.
Innovation Solution
A setting device with an elastic element that automatically changes axial positions in response to external pressure, incorporating a spiral spring and packing rings to ensure self-sealing and automatic decoupling or coupling, enhancing safety and convenience by adapting to pressure changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual user intervention is required to switch between axial positions, then the device structure can be simple, but safety and water tightness are compromised and user convenience deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The setting device automatically switches between axial positions and maintains sealing without requiring manual user intervention. The elastic element and pressure sensor work together to detect pressure changes and automatically adjust the crown position, making the system self-regulating and reliable for diving applications
Solution Approach 2:
The pressure sensor continuously monitors the pressure differential across the membrane and provides feedback to the control unit, which then activates the actuator to adjust the crown position. This closed-loop feedback system ensures the device maintains optimal sealing position based on real-time pressure conditions
2Ease of operation
If manual adjustment of the crown is required before diving, then the device structure remains simple, but user convenience and safety are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs the sealing adjustment operation automatically based on detected pressure changes, eliminating the need for users to manually operate the crown before diving. The elastic element provides the necessary force to automatically move the crown to the sealing position
Solution Approach 2:
The device performs the sealing preparation action automatically before the diving activity begins. The pressure sensor detects the approach to diving conditions and triggers the automatic crown positioning in advance, so users don't need to manually adjust anything before entering the water
3Reliability
If the crown is manually positioned for optimal sealing, then sealing performance can be achieved, but the risk of incorrect positioning and user error increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system eliminates user error by automatically positioning the crown based on objective pressure measurements. The pressure sensor and control unit work together to ensure the crown is positioned correctly without relying on user knowledge or manual operation, removing the harmful factor of user error entirely
Solution Approach 2:
The manual mechanical operation of positioning the crown is replaced with an automated electromechanical system. The pressure sensor detects conditions, the control unit processes information, and the actuator executes the positioning, substituting human mechanical action with an automated system that is more reliable and error-free
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The device automatically adjusts to its best sealing position under increased external pressure, ensuring enhanced safety and convenience by eliminating the need for manual user intervention, particularly beneficial in diving watches where it prevents inadvertent function activation and improves water tightness.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic element (16), the force of pretension of which depends on the size of the front surface of the outer crown body (12)
Data Source
AI summary
A setting device (1) includes an outer crown body (11), an inner crown body (12) firmly connected to this, a coupling (13,14) mounted at the inner crown body, as well as a crown sleeve (15) at least partly enveloping the inner crown body (12) and the coupling (13,14), inside of which the inner crown body (12) is mounted in both axially adjustable and rotatable manner. The setting device (1) further includes an elastic element (16) exerting on at least one of the crown bodies (11,12) a force pre-tensioning it in its axial direction, the force of pretension of the elastic element (16) being determined as a function of the effective front surface (A) of the outer crown body (11), in order to allow for an automatic, axial change-over of position of the setting device as a function of the applied external pressure.