Crown-Push-Button Spring Cage With Click Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Crown-push-button springs in timepieces experience premature wear due to relative movement with rotating components, leading to scratching and reduced lifespan, and the lack of mechanical resistance during rotation can give users a false impression of rotating in a vacuum.
Innovation Solution
A spring cage with protuberances and corresponding cells on a washer is designed to provide a clicking sensation during rotation, ensuring the crown-push-button is actively being turned while maintaining normal friction and avoiding resonance, thus adjusting torque and preventing premature wear.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the spring is positioned around the rod of the crown and allowed to rotate with the crown, then the spring is protected from scratching and premature wear, but the user experiences no mechanical resistance and may have the false impression of rotating in a vacuum
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary click-generating mechanism consisting of a click element with protrusions and corresponding recesses in the crown push-button. This intermediary structure provides tactile feedback to the user during rotation without causing relative movement between the spring and rotating components, thus maintaining both spring protection and user feedback.
2Ease of operation
If protuberances and cells are added to create a clicking sensation during rotation, then user feedback is improved, but the system may go into resonance or block the crown due to spring force
Solution Approach 1:
The patent carefully adjusts parameters including the number, shape, and distribution of protuberances and cells to optimize the clicking sensation while avoiding resonance. The design parameters were determined by finite elements and tested against theoretical rotational speeds to prevent resonance and ensure reliable operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The click element is designed to engage with the crown push-button in a controlled manner that prevents blocking. The geometry and positioning of protrusions and recesses are predetermined to ensure smooth operation throughout the rotation range, preventing the crown from becoming blocked by spring force.
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 solution enhances user feedback by providing a tactile click during rotation, maintains spring longevity by eliminating relative movement with rotating components, and ensures continuous drive without mechanical resistance, improving the overall functionality and user experience of the crown-push-button.
Implementation Method 1
the spring being arranged within the cage so as to be rotated with the cage. This arrangement of the spring within a cage allows to avoid a scraping effect between the spring and the recess bottom of the crown
Implementation Method 2
The rotation of the crown-push-button is then accompanied by a click as the protuberances pass in the cells
Implementation Method 3
since the cage has faces with a shape similar to that of the faces on which it bears, a normal friction is present in the bearing area, which ensures continuous drive of the crown
Data Source
AI summary
A crown-push-button (3) provided with a spring (10) disposed within a cage (11) integral in rotation with the movement of the head (4) of the crown-push-button (3), the spring (10) being arranged within the cage (11) so as to be rotated with the cage. The base (13c) of the spring cage is provided with cells (18) cooperating with protuberances (17) formed in a washer (14) disposed on the seat (6a) of the tube (6) of the crown-push-button, the rotation of the crown-push-button being then accompanied by a click as the protuberances (17) pass in the cells (18), which allows the user to ensure that the desired functions have been activated.