Watch Case With Multiple Internal And External Rotatable Dials

Abstract

A watch case comprises two adjacent annular graduated discs rotatably mounted inside a caseband. The discs are supported on an annular frame member including an upper flange for guiding the inner disc and a lower flange clamped between the caseband and a bottom.

Description

The invention relates to watch cases comprising at least one and preferably two annular discs rotatably mounted inside a caseband, and more specially the arrangement of guiding and support means for these discs.

Watch cases are already known comprising an internal turning annular disc or "bezel" supported by an annular frame, one edge of which corresponds in shape with a part of the internal periphery of the bezel. Driving of the bezel is provided either by gearing means, or by friction of a knurled winding button on a disc in plastic material integral with the bezel.

The known guiding and support means for a bezel is not suitable to provide means for independantly driving two internal rotatable bezels, and assembly is difficult.

The invention aims to provide a watch case in which at least one, and preferably two, annular discs are simply inserted through the bottom of the case and rotatably mounted on a support member held between the watch case and bottom.

A watch case according to the invention comprises a caseband and a bottom removably fitted together, at least one annular disc rotatably mounted inside the caseband, an annular frame member for supporting and guiding said at least one disc, and exterior control means for rotating said at least one disc, in which said annular frame member comprises a lower flange clamped between the caseband and the bottom, a main body comprising an upper surface supporting said at least one disc, and an upper flange adjacent said upper surface and having an outwardly facing surface cooperating with an inwardly facing surface of said at least one disc.

The said frame member preferably has at least one cut-away for the passage of at least one knurled winding crown gearing with the at least one disc.

Amongst the advantages of the watch case according to the invention is the possibility of using the two discs bearing graduations of any kind, separate or cooperating with one another, according to whether they are driven by one or two winding crowns.

This discs of the watch case of the invention can bear graduations for any time measurements necessitating one or two mobile graduated scales.

The invention will be better understood with reference to the following description and to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a watch case according to the invention ;

FIG. 2 is a cross-section along line II--II of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 3 is a cross-section along line III-III of FIG. 1 ; and

FIG. 4 is a cross-section of the annular frame member along a line angularly spaced from lines II--II and III--III of FIG. 1.

FIG. 1 schematically shows a watch case 1 bearing for example, four moving scales constituted by two adjacent concentric rotatable external bezels 2 and 3, drivable by hand, and by two adjacent concentric rotatable internal discs (or bezels) respectively called an inner disc 4 and an outer disc 5, drivable by exterior control means, namely two knurled winding crowns 6 and 7. An additional crown, not shown, is provided for winding the movement and setting the hands in a conventional manner.

Referring to FIG. 2, the two external bezels 2 and 3 are mounted on a caseband 8 and separated on their adjacent sides by a joint 9. A bottom 10 and a glass 11 are fixed in a traditional manner on the caseband 8.

The outer disc 5 has a shoulder 12 facing a shoulder 13 of the caseband 8, and is held against a rim 14 of the caseband. A lower surface of the disc 5 is cut with a contrate toothing 15. In a variant, this contrate toothing 15 can be replaced by a disc of anti-friction plastic material. The disc 5 is machined in such a way that there is a minimum of friction between the shoulder 12 and the shoulder 13; for example, chamfers are provided on the edges of these elements.

The disc 5 has an inwardly directed shoulder 16 opposite the shoulder 12 and which espouses an upper edge of the disc 4. All the parts in contact with the discs 4,5 and caseband 8 are machined and made in materials to reduce frictional losses. For example, the discs and the caseband can be provided in three different materials with low mutual coefficients of friction.

Discs 4 and 5 are imbricated in such a way that their upper surfaces bearing graduations form an approximately continuous surface.

The disc 4 also has contrate toothing 17 on its lower surface, and which meshes with a toothed pinion 18 driven by the knurled crown 7. The pinion 18 passes through a cavity 19 of an annular frame member 20 which supports and guides discs 4 and 5 on an upper peripheral edge 21. As shown in FIG. 4, apart from in the vicinity of cavities 19 and 30 for the winding crown pinions, the surface 21 of this annular frame member 20 extends continuously around the member. In the vicinity of cavity 19, the shaft of pinion 18 contributes to the support of disc 5.

Frame 20, also has an upper flange 22 directed towards the center of the case and which has outwardly and upwardly facing surfaces which mate with an inwardly facing surface and with a non-toothed part of a lower surface of the disc 4 respectively. This frame member 20 is machined like the discs 4 and 5 and the caseband 8 in order to give rise to a minimum of friction. The support of disc 5 in the vicinity of the cavity 19 by means of the shaft of pinion 18 is not essential in view of the relatively small dimension of cavity 19 compared with the circumference of the member 20.

The upper flange 22 can be extended towards the center of the case in order to support a frame 24, for example a disc. The frame member 20 is supported by an external peripheral edge of a lower flange 25 which is clamped between the caseband 8 and the bottom 10 with insertion of a packing seal. Of course, a varied embodiment could be provided where the frame member 20 is firstly fixed either to the bottom 10 or to the caseband 8, and then clamped between the bottom and the caseband.

A main body 26 of the frame member 20 can serve to center a movement 27, as shown in FIG. 4. It could also serve to centrally support a fitting circle 28 for a movement 27, as shown in FIG. 2.

Referring now to FIG. 3, a toothed pinion 29 rotatable by means of the crown 6 is housed in a cavity 30 of the frame 20 and meshes with the contrate toothing 15 of the disc 5. The disc 4 remains supported by a part 31 of the shoulder 21 and is thus not driven with the disc 5 during rotation of the crown 6.

In a varied embodiment, a single winding crown and pinion could be provided, capable of moving between two positions to mesh with either disc 4 or 5. It would also be possible to simultaneously turn the two discs 4 and 5 by means of two pinions driven by a single crown. In this latter case, the two pinions could have different diameters in order to make the two discs turn simultaneously at different speeds.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A watch case comprising a caseband and a bottom removably fitted together, at least one annular disc rotatably mounted inside the caseband, an annular frame member for supporting and guiding said at least one disc, and exterior control means for rotating said at least one disc, in which said annular frame member comprises a lower flange clamped between the caseband and the bottom, a main body comprising an upper surface supporting said at least one disc, and an upper flange adjacent said upper surface and having an outwardly facing surface cooperating with an inwardly facing surface of said at least one disc.

2. A watch case according to claim 1, in which said main body includes at least one cut-away extending in said upper surface, said control means comprising at least one pinion housed in said at least one cut-away and meshing with teeth on a lower surface of at least one disc.

3. A watch case according to claim 1, in which a movement is centrally housed in said main body.

4. A watch case according to claim 1, in which said upper flange of said main body comprises an inwardly directed part with an upwardly facing surface, said upwardly facing surface supporting a part of a disc.

5. A watch case according to claim 4, in which said inwardly directed part of the flange supports a dial.

6. A watch case according to claim 1, comprising two adjacent annular discs rotatably mounted in the caseband, upper surfaces of said discs bearing graduations and forming a substantially continuous surface.

7. A watch case according to claim 6, in which said main body includes a cut-away extending in said upper surface, said control means comprising a pinion housed in said cut-away and selectively meshing with teeth on lower surfaces of said two adjacent discs.

8. A watch case according to claim 6, in which said main body comprises a cut-away housing first and second pinions meshing with teeth on the lower surface of a first of said two discs and a second of said two discs respectively.

9. A watch case according to claim 6, in which said main body includes first and second cut-aways extending in said upper surface, said control means comprising first and second pinions housed in said first and second cut-aways and meshing with teeth on the lower surfaces of a first of said two discs and a second of said two discs respectively.

10. A watch case according to claim 9, in which at least a part of one of said pinions contributes to the support of a disc with which said one pinion is not in driving relationship in the vicinity of the cut-away for said one pinion.