Watertight Watch Case

Abstract

In a watch, the joint between the watch crystal and the frame for said crystal is rendered water-tight by placing a gasket therebetween and providing means for pressing said crystal toward said frame in an axial or diametral direction. A second gasket may be used for joining said frame to the watch case water-tightly.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It has been conventional to join the watch crystal of a watch to the frame for said crystal by means of a material such as cement. Unfortunately, as the cement ages, its dimensions change and its bond to the frame and the crystal may deteriorate to such an extent that water either as liquid or as vapor may penetrate to the interior of the watch. Furthermore, in the event that the watch crystal is broken or otherwise defaced, it becomes necessary to provide a new frame as well as a new crystal or else to go through the labor of removing pieces of crystal still adhering to the frame as well as all traces of cement. As is evident, it would be desirable, especially from the standpoint of cost, to be able to replace the crystal alone and to be able to re-establish a water-tight joint in the replacement process. This point becomes especially important when the crystal and frame are other than circular in shape. At the present time, watches are manufactured in oval shape, square shape, egg shape, etc. For such non-circular shapes, the cost of the frame is greater than for a circular frame, so that the saving in cost resulting from the elimination of the need to replace the frame when a crystal is broken becomes particularly important.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In a water-tight watch case the joint between the watch crystal and the frame for said crystal is made water-tight by providing a gasket therebetween and means for pressing said crystal toward said frame. Further, the joint between said crystal frame and the watch case body is made water-tight by providing another gasket between said frame and said case body. Means are also provided for pressing together said frame and said case body in an axial direction. Means for pressing said crystal toward said frame may consist of a pin passing through coincident openings in a bezel and said frame when said bezel is pressed toward said frame, and a snap fit between a bezel and a frame. Other means are screws drawing said bezel toward said frame and a leaf spring pressing said frame toward said bezel.

An object of the present invention is a watch case of improved water-tightness wherein the watch crystal and a frame around said watch crystal are pressed together in a water-tight joint.

Another object of the present invention is a watch case of improved water-tightness wherein a gasket is provided between the watch crystal and the frame of said watch and means are provided to press said crystal toward said frame.

A further object of the present invention is a watch case of improved water-tightness wherein the method of making the waterproof joint between the watch crystal and the frame is applicable to circular glasses, polygonal glasses, elliptical glasses, egg-shaped glasses, and free-formed glasses in general.

Yet another object of the present invention is a watch case of improved water-tightness where said water-tightness does not deteriorate with age or with change in temperature.

An important object of the present invention is a watch case of improved water-tightness wherein the tendency of the watch crystal to break under shock is decreased.

A significant object of the present invention is a watch case of improved water-tightness wherein in the event of breakage of the watch crystal, only the watch crystal need be replaced, thereby reducing the cost of replacement.

Still other objects and advantages of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part be apparent from the specification.

The invention accordingly comprises an article of manufacture possessing the features, properties, and the relation of elements which will be exemplified in the article hereinafter described, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a fuller understanding of the invention, reference is had to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a partial sectional view of a watch in accordance with the prior art;

FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view of a watch case in accordance with the present invention wherein a bezel and a frame are held together in a snap fit;

FIG. 3 is another embodiment of the present invention wherein a bezel and a frame are held together by a projection fitting into a groove;

FIG. 4 is another embodiment of the present invention wherein a bezel and a frame are held together with a screw;

FIG. 5 is another embodiment of the present invention wherein a bezel and a frame are held together by a pin; and

FIG. 6 is an embodiment of the present invention wherein a bezel and a frame are held together by a leaf spring.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A sectional view of a watch in accordance with the prior art is shown in FIG. 1 where watch crystal 3 is held to crystal frame 6 by means of cement. Further, frame 6 is pressed against inner watch case 2 by outer watch case 1. Between frame 6 and inner watch case 2 is positioned gasket 4 of a resilient material such as rubber to provide a water-tight seal between these two elements of the structure. Axial compression by outer watch case 1 is provided as a result of leaf spring 5a having pin 5 on the end thereof which protrudes into opening 1a. Leaf spring 5a is disposed in groove 1b; pin 5 can enter opening 1a only when outer watch case 1 is pressed downward sufficiently. Pin 5 then maintains pressure in an axial direction between members 6 and 2. The principal difficulty with this construction is the cement bond between crystal 3 and crystal frame 6; this bond deteriorates with age and eventually becomes permeable to water or to water vapor. Moreover, as aforenoted, if crystal 3 is broken, it becomes necessary to replace frame 6 as well as crystal 3. Alternatively, all fragments of crystal adhering to frame 6 must be removed and all vestiges of cement must be removed from the upper surfaces of frame 6 before a new crystal can be cemented thereto. Obviously, either method of repair involves a substantial expense.

The cement bond of the conventional construction can be replaced with a gasket as shown in FIG. 2. Here gasket 18 rests in a groove in crystal frame 16. The lower surface of crystal 13 is pressed against gasket 18 by means of bezel 17. Bezel 17 is engaged in a snap fit with frame 16 and the relative dimensions of members 13, 16, 17 and 18 are such that when bezel 17 snaps into position on frame 16 pressure is exerted in an axial direction on gasket 18, thereby establishing water tight seals at the interfaces between gasket 18 and crystal 13 and gasket 18 and frame 16. A water tight seal is established between gasket 14 and inner case body on the one hand and gasket 14 and frame 16 on the other hand by means of outer case body 11 using the same arrangement of a leaf spring in a groove in inner case body 12 and a pin 15 fitting into an opening 11a in outer case body 11.

Use of a flexible and resilient gasket between the watch crystal and the crystal frame eliminates the necessity for replacing the frame when the crystal is broken or, alternatively eliminates the necessity for removing all traces of crystal and cement from the frame 16 before bonding thereto another crystal.

Consequently, the replacement of crystal 13 only involves disengagement of bezel 17 from frame 16, an operation in which only a small amount of labor is involved. A further advantage is the fact that gasket 18 is resilient so that crystal 13 can absorb a shock which would shatter a crystal directly bonded to its frame.

FIG. 3 shows an embodiment in which bezel 37 has a projection or tongue 37a and frame 36 has a mating groove 36a. Projection 37a can be held in 36a in a snap fit or by threading or by the use of cement. However, it should be noted that if cement is used it need not be waterproof since the seal between crystal 33 and frame 36 is established by gasket 38. It should be noted that the pressure of bezel 37 against gasket 38 results in sealing in a radial direction as well as in an axial direction.

FIG. 4 is an embodiment in which frame 46 is held to bezel 47 by means of screw 40. In holding frame 46 and bezel 47 together pressure is applied by the shoulder of bezel 47 against the diagonal surface of crystal 43 and thereby against gasket 48 establishing the needed water-tight seal.

In the embodiment of FIG. 5, applying downward pressure to bezel 57 aligns openings in bezel 57 and frame 56 so that pin 50 can be inserted, thereby maintaining pressure on crystal 53 and on gasket 58. Again, downward pressure on gasket 58 results in both a radial and axial pressure against crystal 53.

The embodiment of FIG. 6 is similar in construction to that of FIG. 4 except that the pressure holding bezel 67 and frame 66 together is applied by leaf spring 60.

As is evident, the shape of the gaskets in all of the embodiments of the present invention could be varied so that either an axial seal alone results or a combination of an axial and a radial seal results.

It is important to note that all of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 2 through 6 are applicable to crystals and crystal frames of any of the aforenoted shapes, with one exception. The single exception is that in which projection 37a is threaded into groove 36a.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained and, since certain changes may be made in the above article without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention, which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. An improved water-tight crystal mounting for a watch of the type having a frame for supporting a watch crystal, a gasket respectively overlying and underlying said frame, an inner case body releasably connected to said underlying gasket, a bezel retaining said crystal against said overlying gasket and an outer casing cooperatively connecting said frame and said inner case body, said improvement comprising an auxiliary means for releasably connecting said frame and said bezel for thereby reinforcing the seal of said crystal against said overlying gasket, said reinforced seal being undisturbed by successive releases of said outer casing and said inner case body for access to an encased movement.

2. The improvement as claimed in claim 1, said frame including an axially upstanding rim provided with a blind groove seat, a shoulder radially outside of and below said rim on which a lip of said outer casing is seated, a leg radially outside of and below said rim terminating in an upstanding foot, said leg providing a seat for said overlying gasket, said gasket having a recess for the periphery of said crystal, said bezel overlying said frame, overlying gasket, and the periphery of said crystal and including an axially depending rim snap-fit into and seated in said frame groove seat, said snap-fit bezel thereby compressing said crystal against said gasket supported on said frame for a reinforced water-tight seal, said outer casing being disconnectable from said frame shoulder without concurrently disconnecting the sealed members.

3. The improvement as claimed in claim 1, said frame including substantially linear recessed and raised portions, said raised portion thereof terminating at its interiorly extending end in an upstanding flange, said recessed portion of said frame having a through hole therein, said bezel being mounted on said recessed portion of said frame and upstanding thereon, said bezel including a widened base, and a narrowed upstanding body portion terminating in a radially extending flange, a lip of said outer casing being releasably connected to said widened base portion of said bezel, said widened base portion of said bezel having a blind threaded hole located in the underside surface thereof extending upwardly through said base into said narrowed body portion, said blind threaded hole being registered with said through hole, said overlying gasket overlying said raised portion of said frame and being secured against a side wall of said bezel by said upstanding flange, said crystal overlying said gasket and being compressed thereagainst by said radially extending flange of said bezel, and a screw upstanding in said through hole and threaded into said blind hole for compressing said crystal into said supported gasket for a reinforced water-tight seal, said outer casing being disconnectable from said frame base without concurrently disconnecting the sealed members.

4. The improvement as claimed in claim 1, said frame including an exterior side wall continuously engaging an interior side wall of said bezel, said frame and said bezel being contiguous, said frame including a substantially flat upper surface terminating in an upstanding flange for securing said overlying gasket in a seat formed between said frame and said bezel, said bezel upstanding adjacent said frame and upwardly beyond said frame, said bezel including a widened base portion and a narrowed neck terminating in an inwardly radially extending rim simultaneously compressing said overlying gasket and engaging a chamfered exterior edge of said crystal for compressing said crystal into said overlying gasket, a lip of said outer casing being releasably connected to said widened base portion of said bezel, said bezel further including a radial through hole through the base portion thereof and said frame further including a blind hole therein registrable with said through hole, and a pin tightly fit through said through hole and said blind hole for radially compressing said overlying gasket into said neck of said bezel and simultaneously axially downwardly compressing said overlying gasket and said crystal into said gasket for a reinforced water-tight seal, said outer casing being disconnectable from said bezel base portion without concurrently disconnecting the sealed members.

5. The improvement as claimed in claim 1, said frame including a radially outwardly extending shoulder and a groove seat in the upper surface thereof, said overlying gasket being overfitted into said groove seat, said bezel upstanding on said shoulder of said frame and including an outer stepped surface defining first and second shoulders therein, said first shoulder of said bezel being substantially aligned and contiguous with said shoulder of said frame, said bezel terminating in a radial inwardly extending flange engaged to a chamfered edge of said crystal and compressing said crystal axially downwardly into said overlying gasket, a lip of said outer casing being releasably connected to said second shoulder of said bezel, and a continuous compression spring abutting aligned ends of said shoulder provided in said frame and said first shoulder provided in said bezel and compressing said shoulders for reinforcing the compressive force of said radial inwardly extending flange of said bezel against said chamfered edge of said crystal for a reinforced water-tight seal, an edge of said compression spring abutting the interior surface of said outer casing, said abutting edge being bevelled so as to permit disconnection of said outer casing from said bezel without concurrently disconnecting the sealed members.