Horological Control Device With Retractable Control Member Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing horological control devices require complex assembly processes due to the need to mount the control member and detector after the horological movement is installed, limiting the space available for the movement and electronic modules within the watch case.
Innovation Solution
A control device with a rotatable part, gripping member, and support that allows the control member to be partially or fully retracted into a cavity within the watch case, enabling assembly of the detector and movement from the back, with a removable element to secure the control member in place.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the control member is mounted on the shaft after the horological movement is installed, then the assembly process becomes simpler, but the available space inside the watch case is reduced and assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control member is mounted on the shaft in a nested configuration where the shaft is inserted through the support from the back of the watch case, allowing the control member to be positioned within the existing structure without requiring additional external space. This nesting approach enables the control member to be assembled after the horological movement while maintaining adequate space for both components.
Solution Approach 2:
The shaft is designed to extend through the support in the axial direction, allowing the control member to be mounted from the back of the watch case rather than from the front. This dimensional change in the assembly direction enables simpler assembly processes while preserving the available volume inside the watch case for the horological movement and electronic modules.
2Ease of manufacture
If the control member is mounted before the detector, then the assembly process is simplified, but the detector cannot be properly positioned
Solution Approach 1:
The shaft is pre-mounted through the support with the control member attached, creating a preliminary assembly structure. This preliminary action allows the detector to be subsequently positioned and mounted from the back of the watch case, ensuring proper positioning while simplifying the overall assembly process. The pre-mounted shaft serves as a reference for accurate detector placement.
3Ease of operation
If the shaft diameter is increased to accommodate the control member, then the control member can be mounted more easily, but the available space for the horological movement is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The shaft is designed with optimized local dimensions at different positions. The shaft has a diameter that is sufficiently large to accommodate the control member mounting requirements at the support location, while maintaining minimal diameter elsewhere to preserve space for the horological movement. This local quality optimization allows easy control member mounting without reducing the overall available volume.
Data Source
AI summary
A control device (2) mounted in an opening (20) in a middle (16) and including a support (14) and a rotatable part, which has a shaft (12), a gripping member (4) and a control member (6) forming a rotation sensor (26). The sensor includes a magnetic detector provided inside the watch case in a radial peripheral region of the control member. On a first side of a circular opening (22), the support has a cavity (24) which is open in the axial direction. The cavity is configured to house the control member fixedly mounted on the shaft, such that this control member can be momentarily retracted, at least for the most part, into the cavity following an axial movement of the shaft into a position in which the magnetic detector is mounted inside the watch case.