Rear-Crimp Support for Timepiece Decorative Inserts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bezel systems for timepieces and jewelry conceal the pavilion of gemstones, affecting brilliance, and require highly ductile materials to prevent springback and ensure proper crimping, limiting design freedom and manufacturing complexity.
Innovation Solution
A support system with a portion to be crimped on the rear face, allowing for plastic deformation to securely fix the decorative insert without visible deformation on the front face, featuring a bearing surface for controlled crimping and a lip or petals for distributed force, ensuring robust and aesthetic fixing while maintaining brilliance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a tab is folded down on the pavilion to crimp the gemstone, then the gemstone is fixed on the support, but the pavilion is concealed which affects the brilliance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional crimping approach by performing the crimping operation from the rear face of the support rather than from the front. The portion to be crimped is arranged on the rear face and is plastically deformed onto the decorative insert from behind, allowing the front face and exposure opening to remain clear and visible, thus maintaining brilliance while achieving secure fixation
2Reliability
If a tab is folded down to crimp the gemstone, then the gemstone is fixed, but springback occurs causing poor crimping and movement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter by specifying that the support be made of a material with low elastic deformation characteristics. This parameter change ensures that when the portion to be crimped is plastically deformed onto the decorative insert, minimal springback occurs, resulting in precise and reliable crimping without movement of the inserted element
3Ease of manufacture
If sheet metal is used to manufacture the support, then the support can be produced, but the shapes are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material state parameter by specifying that the support be made of a material that is moldable, allowing the support to be formed through molding processes. This enables the production of supports with diverse and complex shapes that would be difficult or impossible to achieve with traditional sheet metal fabrication methods
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 provides a robust, repeatable, and aesthetically pleasing fixation of decorative inserts with minimal impact on brilliance, allowing for precise positioning and orientation, and simplifies the crimping process while enhancing mechanical strength and design freedom.
Implementation Method 1
a portion to be crimped, preferably from the rear face, intended to be plastically deformed on the decorative insert positioned against the mount, in order to produce a crimp of the decorative insert
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a support for a timepiece or item of jewellery, the timepiece or item of jewellery comprising the support and a decorative insert crimped on the support, the support comprising:a front face,a rear face,at least one through housing intended to receive the decorative insert, comprising:an exposure opening provided on the front face in order to make the decorative insert visible to an observer,an insertion opening provided on the rear face in order to introduce the decorative insert into the through housing,a mount intended for positioning the decorative insert,characterised in that the support comprises a portion to be crimped intended to be plastically deformed on the decorative insert positioned against the mount, in order to produce a crimp of the decorative insert.