Patent Publication Number: US-11048213-B2

Title: External assembly element with integrated communication circuit

Description:
The present invention relates to an external assembly element of a timepiece made from a first material. 
     TECHNOLOGICAL BACKGROUND 
     The present invention relates to a rotating bezel for a timepiece. 
     Bezel systems that rotate or not are known. A rotating bezel system comprises an annular bezel having an upper face and a lower face, the upper face being the face visible to the user. This bezel comprises a toothing system that cooperates with a spring element for rotating bezel systems. This cooperation between the spring element and the toothing of the bezel enables provision of a bezel that is rotatable in a stepwise manner. 
     As the development of communication functions progressed, it was necessary to find spaces for the communication circuits. One solution was to integrate these communication circuits into the bezel. A bezel fitted with a hollow space forming a slot, in which the communication circuit and the antenna are placed, is known for this. The whole assembly is then sealed with a cover. 
     The slot can be filled with a resin to restrict movement of the communication circuit and the antenna therein. 
     However, this construction has the disadvantage of being complex, since it requires a cover for close the slot and also communication devices in two component parts: circuit on the one hand and antenna on the other. Moreover, this is a construction that is easy to disassemble for an ill-intentioned person who might wish to retrieve the communication circuit and the data stored on it. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The aim of the invention is to remedy the disadvantages of the prior art by proposing to provide a bezel system fitted with a communication circuit that is simple, sealed and secure. 
     For this purpose, the invention relates to an external assembly element of a timepiece made from a first material, characterised in that it comprises a groove, in which a communication circuit is arranged, wherein said communication circuit is over-moulded with a polymer material filling said groove. 
     In a first advantageous embodiment the external assembly element additionally comprises a dial train element enabling indication of the minutes, wherein this dial train element comprises a strip made from a second material, this strip having areas of excess thickness forming index numbers. 
     In a second advantageous embodiment the second material forming the strip is a transparent material, wherein the dial train element additionally comprises a second strip made from a luminescent material. 
     In a third advantageous embodiment the dial train element is positioned between the communication circuit and the over-moulding of polymer material and is arranged so that the areas of excess thickness are flush with the surface of the over-moulding. 
     In a fourth advantageous embodiment the communication circuit is covered by a first over-moulding, on which the dial train element is positioned, a second over-moulding being arranged on the dial train element, and the first and second over-mouldings are arranged so that the areas of excess thickness are flush with the surface of the second over-moulding. 
     In a fifth advantageous embodiment the dial train element is made from a material chosen from the following list: metal, ceramic, wood, rock. 
     In a sixth advantageous embodiment the dial train element is made from a material comprising a polymer, into which a luminescent pigment is mixed. 
     In a seventh advantageous embodiment the polymer material forming the over-moulding is over-moulded in order to form hollow spaces and said hollow spaces are filled with a luminescent material. 
     The invention additionally relates to a timepiece comprising a case comprising a middle part closed by a back and a glass and fitted with a bezel, characterised in that the bezel is the external assembly element according to one of the preceding claims. 
     In a first advantageous embodiment the bezel and the middle part only form one and the same single piece. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
       The aims, advantages and features of the bezel system according to the present invention will become clearer in the following detailed description of at least one embodiment of the invention given solely as a non-restrictive example and illustrated by the attached drawings: 
         FIG. 1  shows a general view of the present invention; 
         FIGS. 2 and 3  show detailed views of the bezel serving as external assembly element according to the present invention; 
         FIGS. 4 and 5  show a first alternative of a first embodiment of the invention according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  shows a second alternative of a first embodiment of the invention according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  shows as variant of the first embodiment of the invention according to the present invention; 
         FIGS. 8 and 9  show a second embodiment according to the present invention; and 
         FIG. 10  shows the invention when the middle part of the bezel only forms a single piece. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present invention proceeds from the general inventive idea consisting of providing a rotating bezel system that is simpler to assemble. 
       FIGS. 1 and 2  show an external assembly element  10  such as a bezel  100  according to the invention, this bezel  100  being mounted on a timepiece  1  comprising a case  2  closed by a back  3  and a glass  4 . This bezel  100  is a piece with an annular shape, which comprises an upper face  100   a  visible to the user and a lower face  100   b . This bezel  100  could be made from a plastic or ceramic material or any other electrically non-conductive material. 
     This bezel  100  can be mounted to be rotating or not at the level of the middle part. In the case of a rotating bezel  100 , a spring-catch assembly or a ratchet locking system (not shown) is provided. This spring-catch assembly comprises spring means and a toothed element. One of the elements of the spring-catch assembly will be angularly fixed to the middle part, whereas the other will be angularly fixed to the bezel  100  in order to allow the bezel to be indexed angularly in relation to the middle part. 
     For assembly of the bezel  100  the timepiece comprises a middle part  20 , in which a shoulder  21  is arranged, this shoulder  21  being defined by a side wall  22  and a base  23 . This shoulder serves as a seating for the bezel. In general, the side wall  22  comprises a protuberance  24  extending over the entire perimeter of the side wall  22 . This protuberance  24  in cooperation with the base  23  and the wall  22  allows definition of a holding groove  25 . This holding groove  25  enables the bezel to be inserted and held therein during its eventual assembly. 
     Advantageously, according to the invention the bezel  100  is fitted with a communication circuit  102 , as visible in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . For this, the bezel is configured so that it is provided with a groove  104  at the level of the upper face  100   a , and this groove  104  is also annular, i.e. extends along the upper face  100   a . A communication circuit  102  comprises a support, i.e. a printed circuit that has a shape similar to that of the groove  104  arranged on the bezel, i.e. is ring-shaped. In the present case the printed circuit serves as substrate for a spiral antenna and the different electronic components that enable the system to function are arranged there. 
     The entire assembly is then placed in the groove  104  of the bezel  100  that serves as seating. 
     To close the entire assembly, a rubber-type polymer material is over-moulded directly into the groove  104  forming an over-moulding  106 , as visible in  FIG. 3 . This classic over-moulding operation is intended to completely cover the communication circuit  102  in the shape of a ring. This complete coverage, on the one hand, enables the system to be well sealed, since the polymer material is inserted into the entire groove  104 , thus preventing any liquids from entering. 
     A second advantage of this arrangement is that it allows the security of this bezel to be improved. In fact, the communication circuits  102  for this bezel  100  can use non-contact NFC type communication protocols or other wireless telecommunication means. This system can also be used as an electronic tag for product recognition (or tracking). This protocol is principally used for payment functions which means that these circuits contain sensitive data. Consequently, it is necessary to protect them. Since the non-contact communication protocols have extremely close ranges, the recovery of sensitive data occurs directly on the circuit. Consequently, the fact that a polymer is over-moulded onto the communication circuit  102  makes the recovery of information more difficult, because the polymer will have to be dissolved before gaining access to the communication circuits  102 . 
     Moreover, the presence of an over-moulding operation means an adaptive bezel can be provided, i.e. it is conceivable to not have just a communication circuit. In fact, it is conceivable to add dial train indications and/or other technical or decorative indications at the level of the bezel. 
     According to an advantageous embodiment the bezel  100  according to the invention additionally comprises a dial train element  108 . This dial train element  108  is provided in the form of a strip or lamella  109 , the dimensions of which allow it to be positioned in the groove  104  of the bezel  100 , as visible in  FIG. 4 . In the case of the bezel  100  the strip  109  is annular in shape. This strip  109  is provided in the form of a ring made from a plastic or metallic material or organic material such as wood or from a crystalline material such as sapphire or ruby or ceramic or from a polymer material incorporating a luminescent—phosphorescent or fluorescent—element. Dial train index numbers  110  are then configured in relief, i.e. in areas of excess thickness. This ring  109  is then deftly placed in the groove. 
     Two alternatives are possible for this installation of the dial train ring  108 . 
     The first alternative consists of dimensioning the groove  104  so that, when the dial train element  108  is positioned in the groove  104 , the reliefs  110  are flush with the plane of the upper surface  100   a  of the bezel  100 . The whole assembly is then over-moulded by the polymer forming the over-moulding  106 . The flush arrangement of the index numbers  110  during the over-moulding results in reliefs that are visible to the user, as visible in  FIG. 5 . 
     A second alternative consists of over-moulding a first polymer layer or over-moulding  106   a  on the communication circuit  102  before installing the dial train element  108 . A second over-moulding operation is then conducted to deposit a second polymer layer or over-moulding  106   b  to hold the dial train element  108  in the groove  104  of the bezel  100 . The thickness of the first deposited polymer layer  106   a  will be defined so that the reliefs of the dial train element  108  are flush with the plane of the upper surface  100   a  of the bezel  100 , as visible in  FIG. 6 . 
     In a variant of the two alternatives, the dial train element  108  is designed to comprise a first dial train strip  109  made from a transparent material and a second leaf  111  arranged below the dial train strip  109  that will be a luminescent leaf. Thus, it is possible to have a luminescent appearance in the case where a mixture of the material of the dial train strip  109  and the luminescent pigment is not possible, as visible in  FIG. 7 . 
     According to another advantageous embodiment visible in  FIGS. 8 and 9  a dial train marking is present on the bezel  100 . For this, the over-moulding of the groove with a polymer is conducted in order to form hollows  107  on its surface. These hollows  107  preferably have the shapes of dial train index numbers. The purpose of these hollows  107  is to be filled by a layer  112  of a material such as an ink. This can also be deposited by spraying or silk screen printing. This ink could be luminescent or not, depending on requirements. The hollow spaces can also be filled with a metal such as an amorphous metal. 
     In another embodiment visible in  FIG. 10  it is conceivable that the bezel is integrated. For this purpose, the middle part is configured so that at least one of its faces can serve as bezel, and this middle part is then referred to as a bezel middle part. In this embodiment the face of the middle part serving as bezel is provided with the hollow space, in which the communication circuit is positioned. 
     It will be understood that various modifications and/or improvements and/or combinations evident to the person skilled in the art can be made to the different embodiments of the invention outlined above without departing from the framework of the invention defined by the attached claims.