Abstract:
A watch, for example a diving watch, with at least a watch case and a watch base, the watch being at least in an unsealed state and in a sealed state, wherein the change from one state to another is made by a movement of the case relatively to the base.

Description:
REFERENCE TO CORRESPONDING APPLICATION 
       [0001]    The present application claims priority to earlier Swiss patent application No 01677/13 filed on Oct. 1, 2013 in the name of ROLAND ITEM MECHANICAL LUXURY SA the content of this earlier application being incorporated by reference in its entirety in the present application. 
       TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The present invention concerns a diving watch and similar devices. 
       BACKGROUND ART 
       [0003]    Diving watches are known per se in the art of watch making. Such watches must be able to withstand a certain underwater pressure and they usually have a unidirectionally rotatable ring that is able to mark certain moment of the dive (for example the start of the dive) so that the user may easily calculate his dive time. 
         [0004]    Some watches, in addition to the classical crown, carry a valve that allows to regulate the pressure inside the watch thus avoiding any damage to the watch if the pressure difference between the inside of the watch and the outside of the watch is too high. 
         [0005]    In order to provide a watertight position of the crown with respect to the watch case, numerous systems have been developed with O-rings and screwable crowns. 
         [0006]    One example used by the company Panerai™ is illustrated in  FIGS. 1 to 3B  and detailed hereunder. 
         [0007]    There is a watch case  1  with a crown  2 , a base  3  mounted on the case, the base carrying a crown sealing lever  4  that is used to push the crown towards the case  1  and seal its position in the case  1 . This diving watch further comprises a ring  5  which can be turned anticlockwise, a dial  6 , watch pointers  7  (seconds, minutes and hours) and a watch strap  8 . 
         [0008]      FIG. 2  illustrates the unsealed position of the crown  2  with the lever  4  being pushed upwards. 
         [0009]    This system allows an easy manipulation of the crown by comparison to watches on which the crown is screwed for reaching a sealed position. 
         [0010]      FIGS. 3A and 3B  illustrate one problem one is faced with when using a lever  4  for sealing the crown  2  in the case  1  by showing two different fingers  9  of a user. In  FIG. 3A , the nail of the finger  9  is sufficiently short to allow an actuation of the lever  4 , whereas in  FIG. 3B , the nail is too long and the lever  4  cannot be reached and actuated properly. 
         [0011]    One is also faced with other actuation problems when the crown  2  is sealed by screwing on the case  1 . In this design, one may screw the crown “too much” and then it becomes very difficult to unscrew. In such an embodiment, the use of the crown  2  is also impaired and this can be problematic for the user if he fails to be able to unscrew the crown. 
         [0012]    Finally, it is also difficult for a user to determine whether the crown has been sufficiently turned to ensure a proper sealing so that a user will tend to “force” the screwing of the crown to be sure. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0013]    Accordingly, one aim of the present invention is to improve the known devices and systems. 
         [0014]    More specifically, on aim of the present invention is to provide a system for sealing a crown that is easy to use and safe. 
         [0015]    In one embodiment, the invention concerns watch, for example a diving watch, with at least a watch case and a watch base and a watch strap, wherein said watch may be placed at least in an unsealed state and in a sealed state, wherein the change from one state to another state is made by a movement of the case relatively to the base. 
         [0016]    In one embodiment, the movement may be a rotation or the case with respect to the base. 
         [0017]    In one embodiment, the case and the base are in the same plane in the sealed state and in the unsealed state. 
         [0018]    In one embodiment, the case and the base are not in the same plane in the sealed state and in the unsealed state. 
         [0019]    In one embodiment, the sealed state includes a closing of the watch case with at least one crown. 
         [0020]    In one embodiment, the sealed state is a locked position of the case with respect to the base ensured by locking means. 
         [0021]    In one embodiment, the watch comprises at least one protection unit to protect each crown. 
         [0022]    In one embodiment, the crown(s) is (are) used to adjust an element of the watch. This may be a mechanical element or a digital element, for example appearing on a screen of the watch. 
         [0023]    The present invention also concerns a watch comprising an hours pointer, a minutes pointer and a seconds pointer, and wherein the minutes pointer forms a bridge under which the seconds pointer passes, the seconds pointer have the shape of a snail, such as the seconds value to be read in indicated on the minutes pointer. 
         [0024]    The pointer system of the invention may be applied to any type of watch, as the mechanism allowing to form a sealed state and an unsealed state. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0025]      FIGS. 1 to 3B  illustrate a diving watch of the prior art; 
           [0026]      FIGS. 4A to 4D  illustrate the principle of the invention in a first embodiment; 
           [0027]      FIGS. 5A to 5C  illustrate schematically the different parts of the watch in a first embodiment; 
           [0028]      FIGS. 6A to 6D  illustrate schematically the watch according to an embodiment in different positions; 
           [0029]      FIGS. 7A to 7C  illustrate partially cut side views of the watch in different positions; 
           [0030]      FIGS. 8A to 8C  illustrate details of the locking of the crown  20  according to the present invention; 
           [0031]      FIG. 9A to 9CD  illustrates possible embodiments of locking means; 
           [0032]      FIGS. 10A to 10C and 11A to 11D  illustrate another embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0033]      FIGS. 12A to 12C  illustrate side views in partial cut of the second embodiment; 
           [0034]      FIGS. 13A to 13E  illustrate a particular embodiment of pointers to indicate time for example. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0035]    The principle of the invention is illustrated in the figures corresponding to several embodiments of the present invention. 
         [0036]    In the present description, the same elements will be identified by the same references for the sake of clarity and simplicity. 
         [0037]    According to the invention, the watch case  100  is mounted in a watch case base  10  and allowed to rotate relatively to said base  10  via an axle  11 . It is therefore possible to rotate the case in different positions as illustrated in  FIGS. 4A to 4D  and explained in more detail hereunder, some position of the case  1  being such that the crown  20  is sealed. 
         [0038]      FIGS. 5A to 5C  illustrate the different parts of a first embodiment of the invention. It comprises a watch case base  10  with a watch case base axle  11 , two watch base springs  12  each with a spring connection  13 , two opening levers  14  which are mounted on a sealing wall  15 . 
         [0039]    In  FIG. 5B , one sees the watch case  100  from the front side and it carries (in this example) two crowns  20 , a dial  6 , a 20 minutes crown  50  that may be adjusted by one of the crowns  20 , two locking spring units  140  and a crown deformation protection unit  200 . 
         [0040]      FIG. 5C  illustrates the watch case  100  from the back with its axle  110  and holes  130  for connection of the case  100  to the spring connectors  13 . 
         [0041]      FIG. 6A  illustrates a front view of the watch of a first embodiment in a sealed state, meaning the crowns  20  are pushed towards the case  100  by the rotation of the case  100  relatively to the base  10  around axle  11 , the pushing effect being imparted by the walls  15 . The inner side of the walls  15  (which act on the crowns  20 ) may have a small slope to progressively push the crowns  20  towards the case  100  and thereby reach the sealed position. The watch case  100  is in a locked (and sealed) position in  FIGS. 6A / 6 B by virtue of the springs  140  cooperating with the walls  15 . To unlock the case  100  and allow its rotation (for example as illustrated in  FIGS. 6C / 6 D), the user pushes on opening levers  14  which pushing frees the case  100  and allows its rotation around axle  11  (compare  FIGS. 6A and 6C ). 
         [0042]      FIG. 6B  is a back view of  FIG. 6A  with the case  100  in sealed position showing the axle  11  and the spring  12  ends  13  connected to the case  100 . 
         [0043]    The wall  200  is used as a crown protection unit that prevents any side pressure or constraint being applied directly to the crown  20  itself and thus avoid a deformation of the crowns  20 . 
         [0044]      FIGS. 6C and 6D  illustrate front and back views of the watch in a second position which is unsealed. The case  100  has been rotated clockwise of about 30° and the crowns  20  are now in an unsealed position. As explained above, the case may be allowed to rotate from the position of  FIG. 6A  by pushing the levers  14  that press on the springs  140 . 
         [0045]      FIGS. 7A to 7C  Illustrate partially cut side views of the watch in different positions;  FIG. 7A  in an unsealed position (such as in  FIG. 6C ),  FIG. 7B  still in an unsealed position (such as a position between  FIGS. 6C and 6A ) and  FIG. 7C  in a sealed position (such as in  FIG. 6A ) 
         [0046]      FIGS. 8A to 8C  illustrate partial details of the locking of the crown  20  according to the present invention. As illustrated in  FIGS. 8A-8C , by rotation of the case  100  relatively to the base  10 , the crown  20  is pushed towards the case  100  by wall  15  such that the crown  20  has an axial movement relatively to the case  100 , said movement allowing to compress a sealing means  22  for example an O-ring or any other equivalent means to lock the case and render it watertight. The final (sealed) position is illustrated in  FIG. 8C  and an unsealed position is illustrated in  FIG. 8A . 
         [0047]      FIG. 9A to 9CD  illustrates possible embodiments of locking means  14 ,  140  used to lock the case relatively to the base  10  in accordance with the principle of the present invention. Locking spring unit  140  may comprise a spring acting on a ball and to unlock the system, lever  14  pushes the ball against the spring and once the ball is sufficiently pushed backwards ( FIG. 9C ), the system is unlocked ( FIG. 9D ). This example allows an “automatic” locking ( FIG. 9A - FIG. 9B ) since the ball is pushed by a slope on wall of base  10 , but only a “manual” unlocking ( FIG. 9B - FIG. 9C - FIG. 9D ) by an action (pushing) on lever  14 . 
         [0048]      FIGS. 10A to 10C  illustrate another embodiment of the present invention. Here, the idea is again the lock the crown  20  by a relative movement of the watch case  100  with respect to the watch base  10  but the relative motion is not the same axial rotation as in previous embodiments discussed above where the case  100  and base  10  remain in the same parallel planes. 
         [0049]    In this second embodiment, the rotation axis  110  is in the plane of the base such that the rotation of the case  100  moves one side of the case  100  away (or towards) the base  10 . This is illustrated in more detail in  FIGS. 11A and 11C, 11A  illustrating the sealed position and  11 C the unsealed position in which a side of the case  100  is rotated upward around axis  110 . 
         [0050]      FIGS. 11B and 11D  illustrated the back side of this embodiment in the two positions. 
         [0051]    The case  100  may be maintained in the sealed position of  FIG. 11A  by a locking mechanism as illustrated in  FIGS. 9A to 9D  (see references  14  and  140  in  FIG. 11A ). Of course, other equivalent means are possible. 
         [0052]    As described herein, in the sealed position, the crown  20  is pushed towards the case  100  to carry out the sealing effect discussed above. 
         [0053]      FIGS. 12A to 12C  illustrate side views in partial cut of the second embodiment. In  FIG. 12A , the case  100  is in an unsealed position (as in  FIG. 11C ), in  FIG. 12B , the case  100  is pushed and rotates towards the base  10  (but not in the sealed position) and in  FIG. 12C , the case  100  is in the sealed position (as in  FIG. 11A ). The rotation of the case  100  towards the base  10  acts on the spring  12  that is pushed downwards, i.e. loaded (compare  FIG. 12A  with  12 B/ 12 C), the spring  12  helping the watch case  100  to move back into the unsealed position of  FIG. 11C . 
         [0054]      FIGS. 13A to 13E  illustrate a particular embodiment of the pointers of the watch, this embodiment being applicable to all watches and embodiments described herein. 
         [0055]    Specifically,  FIG. 13A  illustrate a known way of making a watch dial  6  with its pointers  7  (for the hours),  71  (for the minutes),  72  (for the seconds). 
         [0056]      FIGS. 13B  illustrates the different parts used to form the new indicators. If the hours pointer  7  does not change, the minutes pointer  710  comprises a part forming a bridge over the seconds pointer  720  that has a “snail” shape so that it may properly indicate the seconds with respect to the minutes pointer  710  bridge. This construction allows to keep the same order of pointers (a standard order: hours-minutes-seconds which allows the use of standard watch movements) but gives a really improved reading of the time. The user does not have to look for several pointers (three) to read time. Only two is sufficient here, the seconds being read on the minutes. This principle may also be applied to the hours pointer and minutes pointer to indicate time in the same manner. 
         [0057]    The drawing on the right side of  FIG. 13B  illustrates the pointer system as described herein in a mounted state. 
         [0058]      FIGS. 13C and 13D  illustrate the pointer system as described herein in the watch of the first embodiment described above, in unsealed state ( FIG. 13C ) and sealed state ( FIG. 13D ). 
         [0059]      FIG. 13E  illustrates a side view of the pointer system described herein in assembled state. 
         [0060]    The crowns  20  described herein may have several functions: adjustment of time or date, as in standard watches, other parameters as desired on the watch 
         [0061]    For example, one crown  20  may be used for rotating a part in the watch, of a part of the dial (like date) but for another purpose (timing) which may be of interest for a user etc. For example, this system may be used to replace the ring of the watch. Other functions of the watch may be adjusted by the crowns as desired. In the case of a digital watch or a watch with a screen, the crown may also be used to navigate in menus provided by the watch, for example on the screen. Of course, the crown may be used for any mechanical adjustments as well. 
         [0062]    The examples given in the present specification are only for illustrative purposes and should not be construed in a limiting manner. Other constructions are possible using equivalent means and within the spirit and scope of the present invention. The different embodiments and their technical features may be combined between them according to circumstances. Also, the present invention is not limited to an application in a watch but may be used in other devices.