Timepiece Crown Head Safety Valve with Anti-Separation Shoulder
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing safety valves in timepieces, particularly in diving watches, allow complete unscrewing of the crown head cap, leading to potential loss or improper reattachment, compromising the seal and causing difficulties in fluid discharge.
Innovation Solution
A crown head design with a safety valve and blocking means, including a piston, elastic member, and pressure regulator, which prevents complete unscrewing by using a shoulder and rim configuration to secure the cap and tube, and a pressure-regulating mechanism to control fluid discharge.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the crown head cap is made unscrewable for adjustment access, then ease of operation is improved, but the cap can be completely unscrewed and lost
Solution Approach 1:
The blocking means is segmented into two parts: a shoulder on the tube and a rim on the central pipe. This segmentation allows the blocking function to be distributed across multiple components, preventing complete unscrewing while maintaining adjustment capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The blocking means acts as an intermediary element between the cap and the tube, providing a mechanical stop that prevents complete separation. The shoulder and rim configuration creates an intermediate blocking state that maintains cap retention while allowing adjustment movements.
2Reliability
If a blocking means is added to prevent cap separation, then cap retention is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The blocking means is merged with existing crown head components. The shoulder is integrated into the tube structure and the rim is integrated into the central pipe, combining the blocking function with structural elements already present in the crown head assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The shoulder and rim configuration serves multiple functions: it provides the blocking means to prevent cap separation, maintains structural integrity of the crown head, and works in conjunction with the sealing gasket system. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated blocking components.
3Reliability
If the sealing gasket is placed between the tube and axial skirt, then sealing is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing gasket is positioned beforehand between the tube and axial skirt to provide a cushioning effect that compensates for minor manufacturing variations. This pre-positioned gasket creates a forgiving sealing interface that tolerates small dimensional deviations.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing gasket material properties are selected to provide compliance and adaptability, allowing the sealing interface to accommodate variations in manufacturing precision. The gasket's elastic properties enable it to conform to slight irregularities in the mating surfaces.
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
Prevents cap separation from the tube, ensures proper sealing, and effectively manages pressure and fluid discharge, enhancing the operational reliability and safety of the timepiece.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic member designed to cooperate with the piston, which is configured to be displaced axially according to the pressure variations inside the case
Implementation Method 2
The ball is arranged on the ball seat such as to obstruct the passage of a fluid in the discharge channel when the internal pressure upstream from the ball is lower than a predetermined value. The ball is dislodged from its seat when the said internal pressure exceeds the predetermined value
Implementation Method 3
a membrane which is designed to be permeable to gases, and to establish fluid communication from the inside of the case to the outside, when the said internal pressure exceeds a predetermined value, and which membrane is impermeable to liquids which circulate from the outside of the case to the inside of the case
Data Source
AI summary
A crown head for a timepiece includes a cap, a tube secured in a timepiece case, a central pipe engaged with the tube, and a safety valve with a discharge channel in fluid communication with the inside of the case when the valve is in an open configuration, to discharge excess fluid. The safety valve also includes a piston fitted inside the central pipe and an elastic member to cooperate with the piston, which can be displaced axially according to the pressure variations inside the case. The crown head also includes a blockage which prevents separation of the cap and the tube. The blockage includes a shoulder arranged on the inner wall of the tube, and includes a support surface against which part of the piston can abut, and a rim provided at the base of the central pipe to abut against a shoulder on the piston.