DEVICE FOR LOCKING THE ROTATABLE BEZEL OF WATCHES, ESPECIALLY UNDERWATER WATCHES, AND FOR RENDERING THE WINDING BUTTON WATERTIGHT

Abstract: For application to watches provided with a rotatable bezel (1) having knurling (3) on the external circumference and a rewinding and resetting button (4), a device for ensuring the locking of the rotatable bezel (1) and the watertightness of the winding and resetting button (4), characterised in that it comprises, in combination, a plastics washer (10), which is applied to the flat surface of the button (4) in a position facing the knurling (3) of the rotatable bezel (1) and which is capable of interfering with the same, a seal (9) which is carried by the winding and resetting button (4) and which can be brought into engagement with the casing (2) of the watch in order to ensure watertightness in the area of the winding and resetting button (4), and also pressure means (11, 12, 13) which are capable of maintaining the button (4) pressed on the seal (9) and of maintaining the plastics washer (10) in engagement with the external knurling (3) of the rotatable bezel (1).

Description: Device for locking the rotatable bezel of watches , especially underwater watches , and for rendering the winding button watertight The present invention relates generally to sports or work watches for underwater use which are provided with a bezel in the form of a circular annulus and carrying reference or measurement data and information. More especially, the invention relates to a device which is suitable, first of all, for permitting watertightness of the rewinding and resetting button of such watches and, secondly, for ensuring at the same time that the rotatable bezel thereof is locked. It is known that it is difficult to achieve watertightness in the casing of instruments, especially watches, that have to be able to work - in a., fluid environment of which the penetration into the casing would damage the mechanisms contained therein. Various solutions are also known which aim to provide sealed closure of the casing and which involve a seal acting on the shaft of the winding button which has to be rendered watertight or acting on a part which is rigid with or in one piece with the shaft or which in any case constitutes a part thereof functionally. In some types of watch, for example, watches for underwater immersion or watches having a double time zone and the like, it is also known that there is a problem involved in locking the rotatable bezel carrying particular operational information, for example, the decompression times for underwater watches. This locking prevents a situation where, after the setting of the bezel in accordance with requirements, the bezel may change its ■ position accidentally, thus rendering its setting void and creating a potentially dangerous situation for the diver who no longer has the required information and, what may be worse, is unaware of the unreliability and incorrectness of the information with which the bezel nevertheless provides him. In the majority of commercial watches, this positive locking does not exist and the resistance which the bezel has to rotation owing to the friction of the resilient members which maintain the bezel in position is normally relied upon to prevent undesired rotation of the bezel . Only in some watches, which are of particularly high quality and which are therefore expensive, is the locking in question obtained by means of a special structure of the bezel, which has to be pushed downwards to disengage it from its support and to permit rotation thereof. With, regard to the watertightness of the winding button, it is provided in accordance with the present invention to apply a seal directly to the casing of the instrument and to cause it to act not on the shaft of the winding button but directly on the winding button itself, thus leaving the shaft free. In a preferred embodiment, it is then provided to apply to the casing of the watch the means by which it is possible to move the winding button from a disengaged position into a position in which it presses on the seal, by deliberate action from outside, the means being such as to leave the button free to be rotated for winding or resetting or to be moved axially into the returned position, as desired. As regards the locking of the bezel, the present invention achieves the desired effect by making use of the winding button. It is provided that the winding button carry a plastics washer which faces the circumferential knurling of the bezel and which, when the button is in the returned position, interferes with the bezel and locks it. A specific subject of the present invention, therefore, for application to watches provided with a rotatable bezel having knurling on the external circumference and a rewinding and resetting button, is a device for ensuring the locking of the rotatable bezel and the watertightness of the winding and resetting button, characterised in that it comprises, in combination, a plastics washer, which is applied to the flat surface of the button in a position facing the knurling of the rotatable bezel and which is capable of interfering with the same, a seal which is carried by the winding and resetting button and which can be brought into engagement with the casing of the watch in order to ensure watertightness in the area of the winding and resetting button, and also pressure means which are capable of maintaining the button pressed on the seal and of maintaining the plastics washer in engagement with the external knurling of the rota'table bezel. In the preferred embodiment, the means for pressing and engagement are formed by a frame mounted on the watch casing and carrying a cam lever which is pivoted on a pin and which is capable, in a first position, of holding the button against the casing in order to compress the seal between the button and the casing and to maintain the plastics washer engaged in the external knurling of the rotatable bezel and, in a second position, of releasing the button. Other details and advantages of the present invention will become clear from the following description which is given with reference to the appended drawings in which the preferred embodiment is represented purely by way of non- limiting example. Figure 1 is a partially sectioned top view showing the mechanism for locking the bezel and the mechanism for rendering the winding button watertight, Figure 2 is a sectional view of the entire watch, taken along the section line A-A of Figure 1, Figure 3 is a sectioned and enlarged vertical section, from the side, through the mechanism for locking the bezel and for rendering the button watertight in accordance with the present inventio , and Figure 4 is an enlarged top view sectioned along the line AA-AA of Figure 3 of the mechanism for locking the bezel and for rendering the button watertight in accordance with the present inventio . Referring now to the Figures and especially to Figures 3 and 4, the rotatable watch bezel mounted on the casing 2 and having the circumferential knurling 3 has been indicated with the reference numeral 1. The winding button 4 is integral with the sleeve 5 inside which slides the pin 6 which carries the spring 7 and in which a threaded hole 8 is formed in which the movement winding shaft is screwed. The seal 9 is housed in an annular seat of the sleeve 5. A plastics washer 10 is provided on the button 4, in a position facing the knurling 3 of the bezel . A frame 11 carrying the cam lever 12 which rotates on the shaft 13 and acts on the button 4 is mounted on the casing 2. When the lever 12 is rotated into the position shown by the continuous line in the Figures, the cam element of the lever presses on the button 4, pushing it towards the casing 2, and therefore the button 4, by means of the sleeve 5 integral therewith, presses the seal 9 and maintains it pres-sed against the watch casing, thus ensuring watertightness in the area of the passage of the watch winding shaft. Figures 3 and 4 also show that, when the lever 12 is in the engaged position, the plastics washer 10 is engaged with the teeth of the knurling 3 of the bezel and prevents the rotation thereof. In order to unlock both the bezel 1, in order to adjust a different setting, and the button 4, in order to wind the watch or to reset it, it is necessary only to rotate the lever 12 about its shaft 13, bringing it into the position shown by the broken line in Figure 4. In that position, the cam part of the lever 12 becomes disengaged from the button 4, thus removing the engagement pressure between the button and the seal 9. The button can thus be moved outwards, releasing the bezel 1 and the seal 9 and, being free, can be manipulated as in any other watch. The pin 6 on which the movement shaft is mounted, sliding axially inside the sleeve 5 integral with the button 4, makes it possible, in conjunction with the spring 7, to recover the working tolerances. In particular, the spring 7 prevents any free axial movement of the button 4 in the reset position. In the enlarged view of Figure 3, it is also possible to see two annular seals 14 which ensure, although to a lesser extent, the watertightness of the button 4 in the disengaged position also. A description has been given above of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, but it should be appreciated that experts in the art can introduce other variants, modifications and changes to the details and structural features without thereby departing from the scope of the present industrial invention.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. For application to watches provided with a rotatable bezel (1) having knurling (3) on the external circumference and a rewinding and resetting button (4) , a device for ensuring the locking of the rotatable bezel (1) and the watertightness of the winding and resetting button (4) , characterised in that it comprises, in combination, a plastics washer (10) , which is applied to the flat surface of the button (4) in a position facing the knurling (3) of the rotatable bezel (1) and which is capable of interfering with the same, a seal (9) which is carried by the winding and resetting button (4) and which can be brought into engagement with the casing (2) of the watch in order to ensure watertightness in the area of the winding and resetting button (4) , and also pressure means (11, 12, 13) which are capable of maintaining the button (4) pressed on the seal (9)'-and of maintaining the plastics washer (10) in engagement with the external knurling (3) of the rotatable bezel (1) . 2. A device according to Claim 1, characterised in that, in order to ensure the watertightness of the button (4) only, it comprises a seal (9) which is carried by the button (4) and which is capable of engaging with the watch casing (2) by means of the pressure means (11, 12, 13) . 3. A device according to Claim 1, characterised in that the seal (9) is carried in an annular groove formed in a sleeve element (5) connected integrally to the rewinding and resetting button (4) . 4. A device according to Claim 1, characterised in that the means for pressing and engagement are formed by a frame (11) mounted on the " watch casing (2) and carrying a cam lever (12) which is pivoted on a pin (13) and which is capable, in a first position, of holding the button (4) against the casing (2) in order to compress the seal (9) between the button (4) and the casing (2) and to maintain the plastics washer (10) engaged in the external knurling (3) of the rotatable bezel (1) and, in a second position, of releasing the button (4) in order to permit the rewinding and resetting operations. 5. A device according to Claims 1 and 4, characterised in that the sleeve (5) integral with the rewinding and resetting button (4) incorporates a spring means (7) and permits recovery of the working tolerances in the connection of the button (4) to the movement shaft . 6. A device according to any one of the preceding Claims, characterised in that the sleeve (5) has at least one other seal (14) ensuring the watertightness of the rewinding and resetting button (4) even when the latter is in its second position, released from the watch casing (2) . 7. A device for locking the rotatable bezel of watches, especially underwater watches, and for rendering the rewinding button watertight according to any one of the preceding Claims and substantially as described and illustrated.

Inventors: LATINI BRUNO, LATINI, BRUNO
Applicants: CARTIER INT BV, LATINI BRUNO, CARTIER INTERNATIONAL B.V., LATINI, BRUNO
Application year: 1997
Main classification: G04B19
IPC codes: G04B19, G04B37