Abstract:
A crown setting device for a timepiece comprising: a case; a bezel attached to the case; a setting stem in axially slideable communication with the case; a crown shaft, the crown shaft comprising: a first end; a second end; a first portion of the crown shaft abutting the first end; a second portion of the crown shaft abutting the second end; and wherein the first end is in fixed communication with the setting stem; a crown in fixed communication with the second end; and wherein the second portion is at an angle α with respect to the first portion, and wherein the angle α is between about 90° and about 175°.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This invention relates generally to timepieces, and more particularly to an improved crown setting device for setting the time, setting an alarm, or setting the date of a timepiece. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Crown setting devices for timepieces are well known in the art. Usually, a timepiece movement, whether it be mechanical or a quartz analog type powered by an energy cell, has a separate internal set of gears connected between the hands and a special setting gear for rotating the timepiece hands to perform a setting function. The setting function, as is well known in the art, is generally carried out by manually operating a watch “crown” which protrudes from the side of the watch case. The crown is connected to an axially slideable, rotatable setting stem having a pinion on its inner end which engages the special setting gear when the crown is pulled out. The crown is knurled or corrugated with grooves to provide gripping teeth to assist in turning the crown. This can become a tedious process when the watch hands must be rotated through several revolutions and is also hard on the fingers when the crown is small in diameter. 
     Simple time-setting crowns having only two axial positions have evolved and been improved, wherein more than one crown may be used, one to set the time and another to set an alarm time. Also the setting crowns may be provided with more than two axial positions by the use of multiple detents, so as to engage a second internal set of gears to set calendar and/or day/date rings as well as the time of day. 
     As previously indicated, rotation of crown through many revolutions to set either the time or the alarm rings of the watch can be tiresome and hard on the fingers. In addition, if the crown is small in diameter, or closely set to the watch case, the crown may be difficult to access. 
     Thus there is a need for a crown setting device that overcomes the above listed and other disadvantages. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The disclosed invention relates to a crown setting device for a timepiece comprising: a case; a bezel attached to the case; a setting stem in axially slideable communication with the case; a crown shaft, the crown shaft comprising: a first end; a second end; a first portion of the crown shaft abutting the first end; a second portion of the crown shaft abutting the second end; and wherein the first end is in fixed communication with the setting stem; a crown in fixed communication with the second end; and wherein the second portion is at an angle α with respect to the first portion, and wherein the angle α is between about 90° and about 175°. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present disclosure will be better understood by those skilled in the pertinent art by referencing the accompanying drawings, where like elements are numbered alike in the several figures, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is sectional view of a flexible shaft embodiment of the disclosed angled crown setting device; 
         FIG. 2  is a sectional view of the angled crown setting device of  FIG. 1 , with the crown pulled out a certain distance from the case; 
         FIG. 3  is a close-up side sectional view of the angled crown setting device from  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a sectional view of the angled crown setting device of  FIG. 2 , illustrating the rotation of the crown and the setting stem; 
         FIG. 5  is a sectional view of a universal joint embodiment of the disclosed angled crown setting device; 
         FIG. 6  is a sectional view of the disclosed angled crown setting device from  FIG. 5 , with the crown pulled out a certain distance from the case; 
         FIG. 7  is a sectional view of the angled crown setting device of  FIG. 6 , illustrating the rotation of the crown and the setting stem; 
         FIG. 8  is a sectional view of a angled gear embodiment of the disclosed angled crown setting device: 
         FIG. 9  is a sectional view of the disclosed angled crown setting device from  FIG. 8 , with the crown pulled out a certain distance from the case; 
         FIG. 10  is a sectional view of a spring embodiment of the disclosed angled crown setting device; 
         FIG. 11  is a sectional view of the spring embodiment of the disclosed angled crown setting device from  FIG. 10 , with the crown pulled out a certain distance from the case; 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view of one embodiment of the crown; and 
         FIG. 13  is a side view of the crown from  FIG. 10 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a timepiece  10 . The timepiece comprises a case  14  and a crown setting device  18 .  FIG. 1  also shows a bezel  15  and a crystal (or glass, or any other suitable material for displaying the time and protecting the timepiece movement)  16 . The crown setting device  18  comprises a setting stem  22 . The setting stem is in communication with a flexible shaft  26 . The flexible shaft may be made out of any suitable material, including but not limited to: woven steel mesh, flexible plastic of appropriate durometer, rubber and plastic combinations, and combinations of woven steel mesh and rubber/plastic material. The flexible shaft  26  has an angle α. The angle α may range from about 90° to about 175°. In the embodiment shown the angle α is about 135°. The flexible shaft  26  is attached to a crown  30 . The crown  30  is attached to a crown barrel  34 , the crown barrel  34  is slideably engaged with the case  14 . A setting stem seal  38  may be located in the case  14  and about the setting stem  22 , in order to prevent contaminants from entering the timepiece movement, or in other words from entering the interior of the case from the barrel and crown side of the case. In this disclosure, the phrase crown shaft shall refer to the entire flexible shaft and the portion of the shaft that is parallel to the setting stem, and to the portion of the shaft that is at an angle α to the setting stem. 
       FIG. 2  shows the timepiece  10  from  FIG. 1 , however in this view the flexible shaft  26 , crown  30 , and crown barrel  34  has been moved to the right in the direction of the arrow  42  with respect to the case  14 . The direction of the movement, as shown by arrow  42 , is generally parallel to the bezel  15  and/or the crystal  16 . Thus, as the crown  30  moves away from the case  14 , a user will have more room to grip or touch the crown with his or her fingers and turn the crown in order to adjust the time, date, and or alarm. When the user rotates the crown, the flexible shaft  26  rotates, which in turns rotates the setting stem  22 . The amount of movement in the direction of the arrow  42  can be associated with one or more positions. For example, in one embodiment a first position would allow one to change the date by rotating the crown, and a second position would allow one to change the time by rotating the crown. The amount of movement in the direction  42  is shown by D, and may be range from about 1 mm to about 3 mm, and preferably be about 1 mm for a first position, and about 2 mm for a second position. 
     It should be noted that the crown  30  has a bottom surface  46  that is generally planar. In addition, case  14  has an angled surface  50 , that is at an angle β, where angle β is generally supplementary to angle α. This configuration of angles α and β, allows the bottom surface  46  to be generally parallel to angled surface  50 . Also, the angled surface  50  of the case  14 , has a section removed that is generally adjacent to the portion of the crown bottom surface  46  of the crown  30  that extends past the barrel (see  FIG. 4 ). In another embodiment, the angled surface  50  may not extend generally past the crown barrel  34 , see  FIG. 3 . 
       FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of the timepiece  10  from  FIG. 1 . In  FIG. 3  it can be seen that a user&#39;s finger  54  has room to pull the crown  30  in the direction of the arrow  42 , by pulling out on the crown bottom surface  46 , due to the space made by the angled surface  50  not extending past the barrel  34 , or in another embodiment, by their being a cutout of the angled surface generally adjacent to that portion of crown bottom surface  46  that extends below the barrel  34 . With the crown  30  extended away from the case  14 , it will be easy for the user to adjust the time, date, alarm, or any other settings of the timepiece  10  by rotating the crown  30  about its axis. When done adjusting the time, date, alarm, or any other settings, the user can simply push the crown back into the case  14 . 
       FIG. 4  shows a partial cross-sectional view of the time piece from  FIG. 2 . In this figure, it can be seen that when the crown is rotated in a counter-clockwise direction as shown by the arrow  58  the flexible shaft  26  also rotates in a generally counter-clockwise direction as shown by the arrow  62  when looking from the crown  30  down the shaft  26 . Similarly, if the crown is rotated in a clockwise direction, then the flexible shaft  26  will also rotate in a clockwise direction when looking from the crown  30  down the shaft  26 . 
       FIG. 5  shows another embodiment of the disclosed timepiece  70 . In this embodiment, the flexible shaft  26  as disclosed in  FIGS. 1-4 , is replaced by two generally inflexible shafts connected by a universal joint connector. The timepiece  70  comprises a case  14  and a crown setting device  18 . The timepiece  70  also comprises a bezel  15  and a crystal (or glass, or any other suitable material for displaying the time and protecting the timepiece movement)  16 . The crown setting device  18  comprises a setting stem  22 . The setting stem is in communication with a first generally inflexible shaft  74 . A second generally inflexible shaft  78  is attached to a crown  30 . A universal joint connector  82  connects the first generally inflexible shaft  74  to the second generally inflexible shaft  78 . Thus, when the crown  30  is rotated, it causes the second generally inflexible shaft  78  to rotate, and even though the first generally inflexible shaft  74  is at an angle α with respect to the second generally inflexible shaft  78 , the first generally inflexible shaft will rotate also. The crown  30  is attached to a crown barrel  34 , the crown barrel  34  is slideably engaged with the case  14 . A setting stem seal  38  may be located in the case  14  and about the setting stem  22 , in order to prevent contaminants from entering the timepiece movement. 
       FIG. 6  shows the timepiece  70  from  FIG. 5 , however in this view the two generally inflexible shafts  74 ,  78 , universal joint connector  82 , crown  30 , and crown barrel  34  has been moved to the right in the direction of the arrow  42  with respect to the case  14 . The direction of the movement, as shown by arrow  42 , is generally parallel to the bezel  15  and/or the crystal  16 . Thus, as the crown  30  moves away from the case  14 , a user will have more room to grip or touch the crown  30  with his or her fingers and turn the crown  30  in order to adjust the time, date, and or alarm. When the user rotates the crown, the two generally inflexible shafts  74 ,  78 , universal joint connector  82  rotate, which in turns rotates the setting stem  22 , see  FIG. 7 . The amount of movement in the direction of the arrow  42  can be associated with one or more positions. For example, in one embodiment a first position would allow one to change the date by rotating the crown, and a second position would allow one to change the time by rotating the crown. The amount of movement in the direction  42  is shown by D, and may be range from about 1 mm to about 3 mm, and preferably by about 1 mm for a first position, and about 2 mm for a second position. In this disclosure, the phrase crown shaft shall also refer to the two generally inflexible shafts  74 ,  78 , and universal joint connector  82 . 
     As similarly discussed with respect to  FIGS. 1 and 2  above, it should be noted that the crown  30  has a bottom surface  46  that is generally planar. In addition, case  14  has an angled surface  50 , that is at an angle β, where angle β is generally supplementary to angle α. This configuration of angles α and β, allows the bottom surface  46  to be generally parallel to angled surface  50 . Also, the angled surface  50  of the case  14 , has a section removed that is generally adjacent to the portion of the crown bottom surface  46  of the crown  30  that extends past the barrel. In another embodiment, the angled surface  50  may not extend generally past the crown barrel  34 . 
       FIG. 8  shows another embodiment of the disclosed timepiece  90 . In this embodiment, a first angled gear  94  is in communication with the setting stem  22 . The gear  94  meshes with a second angled gear  98 . The second angled gear is in communication with an angled shaft  102 , and the angled shaft  102  is in fixed communication with the crown  30 . In this embodiment, the interior of the crown barrel  34  has a positioning member  106 . The positioning member  106  is configured to fit in a slot  110  located in the body of the first angled gear  98 . Thus, when the crown  30  is pulled out in the direction of the arrow  42 , the angled shaft  102  and crown barrel  34  also moves in the direction in the arrow  42 , and because the positioning member  106  is attached to the barrel  34 , and is also in communication with the slot  110 , the positioning member  106  pulls the first angled gear  94  and the setting stem  22  in the direction of the arrow  42 . In other embodiments, the slot  110  may be located directly in the setting stem, with the positioning member  106  configured to fit in the slot. The crown  30  is attached to a crown barrel  34 , the crown barrel  34  is slideably engaged with the case  14 . A setting stem seal  38  may be located in the case  14  and about the setting stem  22  in order to prevent contaminants from entering the timepiece movement. In this disclosure, the phrase crown shaft shall also refer to the first angled gear  94 , the second angled gear  98 , and the angled shaft  102 . The angled shaft  102  is at an angle α with respect to the setting stem  22 . 
       FIG. 9  shows the timepiece  90  from  FIG. 8 , however in this view the two angled gears  94 ,  98 , crown barrel  34 , setting stem  22  and crown have been moved to the right in the direction of the arrow  42  with respect to the case  14 . The direction of the movement, as shown by arrow  42 , is generally parallel to the bezel  15  and/or the crystal  16 . Thus, as the crown  30  moves away from the case  14 , a user will have more room to grip or touch the crown  30  with his or her fingers and turn the crown  30  in order to adjust the time, date, and or alarm. When the user rotates the crown, the angled shaft  102 , two angled gears  94 ,  98  rotate, which in turn rotates the setting stem  22 . The amount of movement in the direction of the arrow  42  can be associated with one or more positions. For example, in one embodiment a first position would allow one to change the date by rotating the crown, and a second position would allow one to change the time by rotating the crown. The amount of movement in the direction  42  is shown by D, and may be range from about 1 mm to about 3 mm, and preferably by about 1 mm for a first position, and about 2 mm for a second position. 
     As similarly discussed with other embodiments above, it should be noted that the crown  30  has a bottom surface  46  that is generally planar. In addition, case  14  has an angled surface  50 , that is at an angle β, where angle β is generally supplementary to angle α. This configuration of angles α and β, allows the bottom surface  46  to be generally parallel to angled surface  50 . Also, the angled surface  50  of the case  14 , has a section removed that is generally adjacent to the portion of the crown bottom surface  46  of the crown  30  that extends past the barrel. In another embodiment, the angled surface  50  may not extend generally past the crown barrel  34 . 
       FIG. 10  shows another embodiment of the disclosed timepiece  120 . In this embodiment, a spring  124  is in communication with a spring base  128 . The spring base is in communication with the setting stem  22 . The spring  124  is also in fixed communication with the crown  30 . The crown  30  is attached to a crown barrel  34 , the crown barrel  34  is slideably engaged with the case  14 . A setting stem seal  38  may be located in the case  14  and about the setting stem  22  in order to prevent contaminants from entering the timepiece movement. In this disclosure, the phrase crown shaft shall also refer to the spring  124 , and the spring base  128 . The spring allows the crown  30  to be at an angle α with respect to the setting stem  22 . The use of the spring  124  allows the crown  30  to be angled with respect to the setting stem  22 . 
       FIG. 11  shows the timepiece  120  from  FIG. 10 ; however in this view the spring  124 , spring base  128 , setting stem  22  and crown have been moved to the right in the direction of the arrow  42  with respect to the case  14 . The direction of the movement, as shown by arrow  42 , is generally parallel to the bezel  15  and/or the crystal  16 . Thus, as the crown  30  moves away from the case  14 , a user will have more room to grip or touch the crown  30  with his or her fingers and turn the crown  30  in order to adjust the time, date, and or alarm. When the user rotates the crown, the spring  124  and spring base  128  rotate, which in turn rotates the setting stem  22 . The amount of movement in the direction of the arrow  42  can be associated with one or more positions. For example, in one embodiment a first position would allow one to change the date by rotating the crown, and a second position would allow one to change the time by rotating the crown. The amount of movement in the direction  42  is shown by D, and may be range from about a 1 mm to about 3 mm, and preferably by about 1 mm for a first position, and about 2 mm for a second position. 
     As similarly discussed with other embodiments above, it should be noted that the crown  30  has a bottom surface  46  that is generally planar. In addition, case  14  has an angled surface  50 , that is at an angle β, where angle β is generally supplementary to angle α. This configuration of angles α and β, allows the bottom surface  46  to be generally parallel to angled surface  50 . Also, the angled surface  50  of the case  14 , has a section removed that is generally adjacent to the portion of the crown bottom surface  46  of the crown  30  that extends past the barrel. In another embodiment, the angled surface  50  may not extend generally past the crown barrel  34 . 
       FIG. 12  shows a detailed perspective view of one embodiment of the crown  30 . In this view it can be seen that the crown has a generally paraboloid shape. In particular, one embodiment of the crown  30 , has one or more fins  114  extending generally orthogonally from the crown.  FIG. 13  is a side view of the crown  30  and barrel  34  from  FIG. 10 . The fins  114  may assist a user in rotating the crown  30  when setting the time, date, alarm, or any other settings of the timepiece. In another embodiment, the crown may omit the fins  114 . In addition, the barrel  34  may have rib members  200  located on the barrel&#39;s outer surface. The rib members  200  are configured to be slideably engaged with slots on the case  14 . This allows the barrel  34  to be slideably moveable with respect to the case  14 , but prevents the barrel  34  from rotating with respect to the case  14 . 
     The disclosed invention has many advantages. It allows a wearer of the timepiece to easily pull the crown out a certain distance, in order to adjust the time, date, alarm, or any other settings of the timepiece without necessarily removing the timepiece from a wearer&#39;s wrist. The bottom surface of the crown is easily accessible to the wearer, and the wearer can simply pull up on the bottom surface of the crown in order to move the crown to a first or a second position for adjustment of the timepiece. The crown is designed to allow for easy rotation by the wear, due to its shape and/or the presence of the fins. 
     It should be noted that the terms “first”, “second”, and “third”, and the like may be used herein to modify elements performing similar and/or analogous functions. These modifiers do not imply a spatial, sequential, or hierarchical order to the modified elements unless specifically stated. 
     While the disclosure has been described with reference to several embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the disclosure. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the disclosure without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the disclosure not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this disclosure, but that the disclosure will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.