Control device for a timepiece

• US 9,052,696 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2014
• Issued: 06/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Manufacture D'Horlogerie Audemars Piguet SA
• Original Assignee: Socit Anonyme de la Manufacture D'horlogerie Audemars Piguet Cie
• Inventors: Breuillot, Julien, Hodebourg, Marc
• Primary Examiner(s): Kayes, Sean
• Application Number:
  US14/316,290
• Publication Number:
  US 20150023142A1
• Time in Patent Office: 348 Days
• Field of Search: 368/103, 368/139, 368288-290
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G04B 27/026 for several clockworks or pairs of hands and/or supplementary functions
• CPC Class Codes: G04B 3/041 Construction of crowns for rotating movement; connection with the winding stem; winding stems
• CPC Class Codes: G04B 3/046 Operation by rotation and axial movement with extra function of axial shift of operating element, e.g. crown combined with push button winding up by push button G04B3/001
• 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 control device for a timepiece, the device including a primary crown adapted to be rotated and pulled, having at least two axial positions, and also including a secondary crown arranged coaxially with respect to the primary crown, the primary crown including a crown head and a control rod fixed rigidly to the crown head and adapted to be coupled to or decoupled from a winding rod of a movement of the timepiece in order to control functions of the timepiece, and the secondary crown including a crown body. The control device distinguishes in that the secondary crown is adapted be rotated and pulled, has at least two axial positions, and includes a kinematic link adapted to control at least one additional function of the timepiece, the primary crown and secondary crown being actuatable independently of one another. The invention also includes a timepiece having such a control device.

Claims

1. A control device for a timepiece, the device comprising a primary crown adapted to be rotated and pulled, having at least two axial positions, and also comprising a secondary crown arranged coaxially with respect to the primary crown, said primary crown comprising a crown head and a control rod fixed rigidly to the crown head and adapted to be coupled to or decoupled from a winding rod of a movement of said timepiece in order to control functions of the timepiece, and said secondary crown comprising a crown body, wherein said secondary crown is adapted to be rotated and pulled, having at least two axial positions, and comprises a kinematic link adapted to control at least one additional function of said timepiece, said primary crown and secondary crown being actuatable independently of one another.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein said kinematic link of the secondary crown comprises a coupling portion and a mobile element, the coupling portion being adapted to be coupled to or decoupled from the mobile element so as to allow to control a function of the movement of said timepiece and/or of another element of said timepiece.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein said coupling portion is formed by a control tube fixed rigidly to the crown body of the secondary crown, and said mobile element is formed by a mobile tube housed within the control tube so as to be able to turn freely, the control tube and the mobile tube each comprising a coupling part adapted to engage with one another by a movement of translation of the control tube so as to allow the transfer of a movement in rotation of the control tube to the mobile tube.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein said coupling parts adapted to engage with one another provided on the control tube and on the mobile tube are polygonal in section, preferably hexagonal in section.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein said coupling parts are hexagonal in section.

6. The device according to claim 3, wherein said control tube of the secondary crown is housed, such that the secondary crown is adapted to be rotated and pulled and has at least two axial positions, in a fixed tube mounted in a middle of a case of the timepiece into which the device is to be integrated, said mobile tube being housed within the control tube of the secondary crown and within said fixed tube so as to be actuatable in rotation but not displaceable in translation.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein said secondary crown comprises a blocking portion allowing blockage of the secondary crown on said timepiece.

8. The device according to claim 6, wherein said blocking portion is formed by substantially hook-shaped slits formed on an outer end of the fixed tube and by at least one pin mounted on an outer surface of the control tube of the secondary crown and adapted to engage with one of said slits.

9. The device according to claim 3, wherein said mobile tube comprises, on an end oriented towards the inside of the timepiece into which the device is to be integrated, a pinion adapted to drive in rotation a horological component so as to control a function of the movement of said timepiece and/or of another element of said timepiece.

10. The device according to claim 3, wherein the secondary crown comprises a pretensioning spring housed between the mobile tube and control tube and exerting a pretensioning force trying to move away the control tube from the mobile tube.

11. The device according to claim 1, wherein said primary crown comprises a blocking portion allowing blockage of the primary crown on said timepiece.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein said blocking portion is formed by a first threading provided on an inner surface of the crown head of the primary crown and by a second threading provided on a side oriented towards an outside of the crown body of the secondary crown.

13. The device according to claim 1, wherein said primary crown comprises a piston and a return spring, said piston being mounted slidingly and so as to be displaceable in rotation in the control rod fixed rigidly to the crown head and being adapted to be mounted rigidly on the winding rod of the movement of said timepiece, said return spring exerting a pretensioning force trying to move away the piston from the crown head.

14. The device according to claim 1, wherein the primary crown is adapted to be rotated and pulled and has three axial positions in which the primary crown can be actuated and one blocked position in which the primary crown cannot be actuated.

15. A timepiece, preferably a mechanical wrist watch, wherein the timepiece comprises a control device according to claim 1.

16. The timepiece according to claim 15, wherein the timepiece is a mechanical wrist watch.

17. The timepiece according to claim 15, wherein it comprises a bezel, of which a position can be adjusted by movement of the secondary crown of said control device.