Oil-Bath Quartz Watch Layout for Easy Battery Replacement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing watches with quartz movement in an oil bath face challenges in user-friendly cell replacement and thermal expansion compensation, with existing systems requiring professional intervention and ineffective thermal expansion compensation.
Innovation Solution
The watch design positions the charge cell outside the oil bath, allowing easy replacement and uses a compensation bubble for thermal expansion, with a fluid-tight electrical connection through a conductive pin, maintaining the seat isolated from the oil bath.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the charge cell is immersed in the oil bath, then the watch has a compact structure, but the cell replacement requires emptying the oil bath and professional intervention
Solution Approach 1:
The watch is divided into two separate compartments: an oil-tight capsule containing the oil bath and motor, and a separate seat for the charge cell. This segmentation allows the cell to be replaced independently without affecting the oil bath, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The charge cell is extracted from the oil bath environment and placed in a separate, easily accessible seat. This extraction enables users to replace the cell without dealing with the oil bath, improving ease of operation while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
2Ease of operation
If the charge cell is positioned outside the oil bath for easy replacement, then cell replacement becomes user-friendly, but electrical connection becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
A conductive pin serves as an intermediary element, fluid-tightly connecting the charge cell seat to the motor while allowing electrical signal transmission. This intermediary solution enables both easy cell replacement and reliable electrical connection without increasing overall system complexity.
3Reliability
If mineral oil is used for lubrication, then gear lubrication is effective, but thermal expansion differential between oil and watch parts causes volume changes
Solution Approach 1:
A compensation bubble is introduced into the oil bath to compensate for the thermal expansion differential between the mineral oil and the watch parts. The bubble expands and contracts with temperature changes, maintaining stable pressure and volume within the sealed capsule, thus resolving the thermal expansion stability issue while preserving effective gear lubrication.
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
Enables user-friendly cell replacement and effective thermal expansion compensation, ensuring reliable electrical transmission and preventing contamination during maintenance.
Implementation Method 1
the mineral oil used is a natural insulator which tends to change in volume as the temperature changes. For this reason, in order to compensate for the different thermal expansion between oil and the various parts of the watch
Implementation Method 2
electrical transmission means 9 are provided capable of transmitting the electrical signal from the battery 8 to an electrical contact point 14 of the motor 10
Data Source
AI summary
Watch with quartz movement with oil bath lubrication, comprising a case body (2) arranged between a transparent cap (3) and a closure element (18) so as to delimit a fluid-tight capsule (1) in an oil bath; a dial (11) arranged inside the capsule (1) below the cap (3); a motor body (10) arranged inside the oil bath capsule (1) and comprising an electrically powered motor for performing the movement of the watch and gears (12) for transmitting the movement to the dial (11); a seat (13) arranged externally and fluid-tight with respect to said capsule to house an electric battery (8) for powering the motor.