Setting crown for timepieces

• US 10,152,024 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2017
• Issued: 12/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meco SA (The Swatch Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Meco SA (The Swatch Group AG)
• Inventors: Baebler, Jean, Olvaszto, Christian, Waeckerlin, Simon
• Primary Examiner(s): Leon, Edwin A.
• Application Number:
  US15/666,979
• Publication Number:
  US 20180059620A1
• Time in Patent Office: 496 Days
• Field of Search: 368319, 368308, 368320-321
• CPC Class Codes: G04B 3/041 Construction of crowns for rotating movement; connection with the winding stem; winding stems
• CPC Class Codes: G04B 37/10 of winding stems construction of winding crowns G04B3/041; in combination with hermetic sealing G04B37/081
• CPC Class Codes: G04B 37/103 by screwing the crown onto the case

Abstract

A crown for timepieces which has improved sealing regardless of its position. To achieve this, the crown includes a tube; a cap including a cover and an axial skirt; a sealing gasket disposed between the screwed or pressed-in tube and the axial skirt of the cap; a pipe fixed to the cap, the pipe and the cap forming an assembly able to be placed in different axial positions relative to the screwed or pressed-in tube; wherein the crown further includes a guide ring integral with one end of the screwed or pressed-in tube, the guide ring including a bearing surface arranged to exert an axial pressure on the sealing gasket in one of the axial positions of the cap.

Claims

1. A setting crown for timepieces comprising:

a tube;

a cap including a cover and an axial skirt;

a sealing gasket disposed between the tube and the axial skirt of the cap;

a pipe fixed to the cap, the pipe and the cap forming an assembly able to be placed in different axial positions relative to the tube; and

a guide ring integral with one end of the tube, the guide ring including a bearing surface arranged to exert an axial pressure on the sealing gasket in one of the axial positions of the pipe/cap assembly, when the crown is in a pulled-out position.

2. The crown according to claim 1, wherein the bearing surface is oblique.

3. The crown according to claim 1, wherein the bearing surface is disposed in the continuity of an outer surface of the tube, the bearing surface and the outer surface of the tube forming an obtuse angle.

4. The crown according to claim 1, further comprising a spacer disposed inside the axial skirt of the cap, the guide ring including a lateral surface arranged to slide against the spacer.

5. The crown according to claim 4, wherein the coefficient of friction between the lateral surface of the guide ring and the spacer is less than or equal to 0.2.

6. The crown according to claim 1, wherein the guide ring is made of a thermoplastic material.

7. The crown according to claim 1, wherein the guide ring is made of ceramic.

8. The crown according to claim 1, wherein the guide ring is made of metal.

9. The crown according to claim 1, wherein the guide ring is pressed onto the end of the tube.

10. The crown according to claim 1, wherein the tube includes a guide conduit arranged to move into abutment against a guide surface of the pipe over a residual length comprised between 0.2 mm and 1.5 mm.

11. A timepiece comprising the crown according to claim 1.

12. The crown according to claim 10, wherein the residual length is between 0.2 mm and 1.0 mm.