Watertight control device for watches

• US 5,383,166 A
• Filed: 02/03/1993
• Issued: 01/17/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Montres Rolex SA (Rolex SA)
• Original Assignee: Montres Rolex SA (Rolex SA)
• Inventors: Gallay, Jacques-Andre
• Primary Examiner(s): Miska, Vit W.
• Application Number:
  US08/013,082
• Time in Patent Office: 713 Days
• Field of Search: 368/286-290, 368/318-320
• US Class Current: 368/288
• CPC Class Codes: G04B 37/103 by screwing the crown onto the case

Abstract

A watch control device comprises a crown with a central cavity surrounded by an annular cavity in the bottom of which is formed a groove. The lateral external face of the annular cavity has a thread adapted to be screwed onto a thread formed on the lateral external face of an external part of a tube screwed into a watch casing. An injected thermoplastic elastomer seal is disposed in the annular cavity. This seal comprises two parts of the same external diameter, but of different internal diameter, the portion of greater diameter engaging in the groove and the portion of smaller diameter being that on which the tube acts in the screwed up position of the crown.

Claims

1. In a watertight control device for watches, comprising a crown with a central cavity surrounded by an annular cavity, a watertight seal disposed in the said annular cavity, a sleeve fixed at one end thereof in said central cavity, a watch control rod disposed inside said sleeve, said watch control rod and the other end of said sleeve having complementary coupling means for driving said rod in rotation and translational movement, a spring located in said sleeve between said one end thereof fixed in the said central cavity and the end of the control rod for engaging said coupling means, and a tube fixed to the casing of the watch, in the interior of which tube said sleeve is free to move and having a projecting part adapted to be screwed into said annular cavity of the crown and, in the screwed-up position, to compress said watertight seal at its end, the improvement wherein said watertight seal is an injected part made of thermoplastic elastomer having a cross section complementary to that of said annular cavity, said annular cavity comprising a groove formed in its bottom, said seal comprising two annular portions of the same external diameter, but diameter internal diameters, the annular portion of greater diameter engaging in said groove and the portion of smaller diameter being that on which the tube acts in the screwed-up position of the crown.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein said seal is of generally L-shaped cross section.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein said thermoplastic elastomer has a base of 55% by weight of soft segments of PTHF glycol with a molecular weight of about 1000 and 45% by weight of hard segments derived from 1,4-butanediol and methylterephthalate.

4. A device according to claim 3, wherein the thermoplastic elastomer is Hytrel®

5526.

5. A device according to claim 1, wherein the seal is glued with the aid of a dual-component single layer adhesive system with a polyurethane base resistant to oil and solvent abrasion, deposited on the elastomer and a dual-component single layer adhesive agent that is placed on the bottom of the metallic surface of the said annular cavity of the crown against which it is desired to glue the said seal.