CH719628A2 - Chime bell attached to a timepiece crystal - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to an assembly comprising a striking bell (1) of a timepiece, a heel (2) secured to the striking bell and a crystal (3) of the timepiece, the crystal (3) comprising an opacified surface (30) and the stamp (1) being fixed to the glass (3) by gluing the heel (2) to the opacified surface (30). The invention also relates to a timepiece comprising such an assembly and optionally a watch case bezel or a watch back on which the crystal (3) is fixed. A fixing method for assembling such an assembly is also claimed.

Description

The present invention relates to an assembly comprising a striking bell and a timepiece crystal, in which the bell is fixed to the crystal. The present invention also relates to a timepiece comprising such an assembly and a method of fixing a striking bell on a timepiece crystal.

[0002] The gong(s) of a strike of a timepiece, for example of a minute repeater, must be housed in the box of the timepiece and are often fixed on the plate of the watch movement for obvious reasons of ease of assembly and adjustment or sound creation. However, this way of doing things muffles or reduces the volume of the sound emitted because it is not directly transmitted to an element of the case of the timepiece and the transmission of sound between the gong, the plate then a part of the box is carried out in poor conditions.

[0003] Patent CH698533B1 proposes fixing the gong(s) to the crystal of the timepiece to allow better transmission of the sounds emitted by the strike to the air surrounding the timepiece. The heels of the stamps are screwed onto a steel glass support which is welded to the glass. Thanks to the fixing of the stamp(s) on the crystal, the sound waves due to the vibration of the stamps are transmitted directly to the crystal which is an external element of the timepiece, thus reducing energy losses and consequently increasing the volume and power of the sound perceived by the user. A limitation of this method, however, lies in the method of fixing the stamps to the ice. Welding does not allow all materials, in particular all metals, to adhere to the crystal with sufficient strength to guarantee the timepiece, in particular the striking device, resistance and satisfactory longevity. This is for example the case for gold whose shear resistance of the solder to a timepiece crystal is relatively low, of the order of a few kg. Another disadvantage is that the heat released during welding can induce premature oxidation of the material of the ice-welded element. In addition, the heat released during welding can modify the mechanical properties of the element welded to the ice by undesired heat treatment.

[0004] An aim of the present invention is therefore to propose an assembly comprising a striking gong and a timepiece crystal which allows satisfactory retention of the fixing of the gong on the ice whatever the material used for the gong. or its fixing element and/or for ice. An aim of the present invention is also to propose a timepiece comprising such an assembly and a method of assembling such an assembly.

[0005] This aim and other advantages are achieved by an assembly according to claim 1, a timepiece according to claim 6 and/or a method according to claim 9.

[0006] This aim and other advantages are achieved in particular by an assembly comprising a striking bell of a timepiece, a heel secured to the striking bell and a crystal of the timepiece, the crystal comprising an opacified surface and the stamp being fixed to the glass by gluing the heel to the opacified surface.

[0007] The heel being fixed to the ice by gluing, the quality and resistance of the fixing in particular to shear forces can be optimized, preferably maximized, by the selection of an adhesive material adapted to the materials of the heel and of ice, in particular at their surface energies. Gluing the heel to an opacified surface of the ice makes it possible to hide possible traces of adhesive material and/or to adjust the surface energy of the ice at this location in order to optimize the bonding force. The heel is for example in gold.

[0008] The heel is for example stuck to the ice using an adhesive material placed between the heel and the opacified surface in a recess in the heel, thus allowing better control of the placement of the adhesive material.

[0009] The heel is preferably glued to the ice using a film of adhesive material cut and placed between the heel and the opacified surface. The quantity of adhesive material can thus be controlled and adjusted optimally. The film of adhesive material is for example housed in a recess in the heel.

[0010] The adhesive material is for example an epoxy resin configured to harden at a temperature above 40°C, for example at a temperature between 100°C and 200°C, preferably at 130°C. The hardening of the adhesive material can thus be easily controlled by heating the assembly, the temperature however preferably remaining lower than a typical welding temperature, thus avoiding any degradation, in particular premature oxidation of the heel material.

[0011] This goal and other advantages are also achieved by a timepiece comprising such an assembly.

[0012] The timepiece comprises for example a bezel or a watch back on which the crystal is fixed. The bezel or the watch back preferably comprises a housing on its interior perimeter to at least partially accommodate the heel when the timepiece is assembled.

[0013] The bezel or the watch back may comprise a decorative pattern on its interior perimeter which is preferably taken up by the heel, so that the decorative pattern of the heel is essentially aligned with the decorative pattern of the bezel or of the watch back when the timepiece is assembled.

[0014] The material of the heel is preferably the same as the material of the bezel or the watch back.

[0015] The aim mentioned above and other advantages are further achieved by a fixing method for assembling such an assembly, the ringing bell being secured to the heel before or after the following steps: – formation of 'an opaque surface on the ice; – deposition of adhesive material on the opacified surface and/or on the heel; – bonding of the heel to the opacified surface, the adhesive material being at least partially between the heel and the opacified surface.

[0016] The bonding step preferably comprises a step of heating the adhesive material to a temperature between 100°C and 200°C, preferably to a temperature equal to 130°C.

[0017] The invention will be better understood on reading the description below, illustrated by the figures, where: Figure 1 is a perspective view of an assembly according to one embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is an exploded view of the assembly of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the assembly of Figure 1 associated with a watch bezel; Figure 4 is an exploded view of the assembly of Figure 1 associated with the watch bezel. Figure 5 is a partial schematic section of an assembly according to the invention.

[0018] Figures 1 and 2 illustrate an embodiment of the assembly according to the invention, comprising a timepiece crystal 3, two striking device gongs 1 and a heel 2.

[0019] The glass 3 is preferably configured to close in a known manner one side of a case of a timepiece, for example on the dial side to allow reading of the time, or on the back side to allow observation the internal parts of the timepiece. Crystal 3 is for example a sapphire crystal. Other materials for the glass 3 are however possible in the context of the invention, for example mineral glasses, acrylic glasses or other transparent crystalline elements.

The striking device, of which only the gongs 1 and the heel 2 are shown in the figures, is configured to be integrated in a known manner in the timepiece, for example in a wristwatch. In known manner, the striking device preferably comprises its own energy source, for example a barrel, and is triggered on demand by a user or at times determined by the watch movement of the timepiece.

According to the embodiment illustrated by way of example, the striking device comprises two gongs, for example an hour gong and a minute gong, cooperating with corresponding hammers. Other types of striking devices are possible in the context of the invention, in particular striking devices comprising a different number of gongs, for example three gongs: an hour gong, a quarter gong and a minute gong; or a single timbre, or ringing devices comprising other types of timbres, for example a music box comb, a vibrating alarm element, etc.

The gongs 1 of the ringing device are for example steel resonant blades. Other shapes or materials of stamp are however possible within the framework of the invention. The timbres 1 preferably each produce a sound of a different tone when struck by a hammer.

The heel 2 is preferably made of metal, for example gold or gold alloy, or platinum or platinum alloy. According to the invention, the heel 2 is preferably fixed on the interior face of the crystal 3, that is to say on the face of the crystal 3 oriented towards the interior of the timepiece when the part d The clockwork is assembled. The heel 2 is therefore at least partially visible through the crystal 3 when the timepiece is assembled. The material of the heel 2 is preferably chosen in relation to the material of the case, the dial and/or other visible elements of the timepiece so as to match them. The heel 2 is preferably glued to a flat surface of the glass 3. The glass 3 comprises for example on its inner face a flat peripheral annular part 31 on which the heel 2 is glued.

The stamps 1 are configured to be secured to the heel 2. The stamps 1 are for example configured to be fixed to the heel 2 using screws 6. According to the mode of execution shown by way of example on the figures, the two stamps 1 are fixed on the same heel 2 by the screws 6. The stamps 1 are preferably separated from each other by a spacer 7 which prevents them from being in direct contact with each other. other, in particular that their resonant parts come into contact with each other, when they are mounted on the heel 2. Alternatively, a gong, or the gongs, and the heel form a single piece assembly.

Other configurations of the stamp(s), the heel(s) and/or their assembly are possible within the framework of the invention. According to other embodiments, for example, each stamp is attached to its own heel. Each stamp and its heel, for example, form a single piece. Alternatively, each stamp is fixed to its own heel according to a process known to those skilled in the art, for example welded, screwed, riveted, etc. The number of heels is then equal to the number of stamps. When assembling the striking device, the heels of the different gongs are preferably assembled together and fixed to each other for example using screws, the heel intended to be closest to the glass being fixed to the latter according to the method of the invention described below. For aesthetic reasons, the heels are then preferably of similar, identical and/or complementary shapes, and assembled so as to give a unitary appearance to their assembly, at least for the part visible through the glass when the timepiece went up. Alternatively, each stamp is fixed to the ice by gluing its own heel to one or more opacified, for example metallized, surfaces of the ice.

According to the invention, the stamps 1 are fixed to the lens 3 via the heel 2 which is fixed to the lens 3 by gluing. The lens 3 comprises one or more opacified surfaces 30, for example metallized, and the heel 2 is glued to the lens 3 on the opacified surface(s) 30 using a layer of adhesive material 4. In the example illustrated , the glass 3 comprises two rectangular opacified surfaces 30 of identical sizes. The opacified surfaces 30 are preferably formed on a flat surface of the glass 3, for example on the annular part 31. Other configurations are however possible within the framework of the invention by varying for example the number, the size and/or or the shape of the opacified surfaces.

The opacified surface(s) 30 are formed for example: – by physical vapor deposition (PVD), for example of a metallic element, for example gold, silver or titanium; – by chemical vapor deposition (CVD), for example of nitride, oxide or carbide of a metallic element; – by plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition (Plasma Assisted Chemical Vapor Deposition, PACVD) for example of adamantine carbon (Diamond-like Carbon, DLC); – by deposition of atomic layers (Atomic Layer Deposition, ALD), for example of a metallic element, – by application of a layer of varnish; – by texturizing the ice material; – by laser engraving; and/or by any other appropriate method.

The thickness of the coating and/or the texturization of the opacified surfaces 30 is for example of the order of 1 µm, for example between 0.3 µm and 2 µm. According to certain embodiments, the opacified surfaces 30 are for example coated with gold, titanium, silver, or any other suitable material, for example metal. According to certain embodiments, the opacified surfaces 30 are coated with several materials, for example several metals.

The opacified surfaces 30 make it possible to locally opacify the crystal 3 and thus hide possible traces of adhesive material 4 from the view of a user of the timepiece when the heel 2 is stuck to the crystal 3 on these surfaces. Preferably, the light transmission factor τv of the opacified surfaces 30 as defined according to standard CIE 15:2018, Chapter 7 is less than 10%, preferably less than 5%. The parameters for the digital integration of the spectral transmittance factor are: illuminant D65 and reference observer 2°, measurement interval not exceeding 10 nm and range from 380 nm to 780 nm.

[0030] The choice of the material(s) deposited on the opacified surfaces 30 and/or the texturization or engraving of these surfaces also makes it possible to modify the surface energy of the opacified surfaces 30 in order to optimize, typically to maximize, the adhesion force of the adhesive material 4 on the opacified surfaces 30. The formation of one or more opacified surfaces 30 also makes it possible to create decorative and/or indicative patterns, for example a logo or a brand, visible from the exterior surface ice 3. The patterns are for example created by the use of color pigments mixed with the material, for example metal, deposited or by the selective deposition of several materials, for example several metals of different colors.

The adhesive material 4 is preferably an adhesive material whose action can be controlled for example by temperature and/or subjection to specific radiation. The adhesive material 4 is for example an epoxy resin comprising a hardener whose action is triggered from a determined temperature, preferably from a temperature above ambient temperature, which is typically between 15°C and 30°C. °C, but below a temperature which could present a risk of deterioration, for example oxidation, of the elements to be bonded. The temperature for triggering the hardening of the adhesive material is preferably greater than 40°C, for example between 100°C and 160°C, for example 130°C. The adhesive material 4 is for example packaged in a film of an appropriate thickness, for example between 40 µm and 150 µm, for example 100 µm, and cut into pellets of shape and dimensions adapted to the shape and dimensions of the opacified surfaces 30 , thus making it possible to easily control the quantity of adhesive material deposited on each opacified surface 30 and/or on each complementary surface of the heel 2. The adhesive material 4 is for example deposited in a recess 20 of the heel 2, as illustrated schematically in Figure 5. This makes it possible to position the adhesive material precisely, thus preventing, for example, bulges of this material from forming around the edge of the heel 2 when it is stuck to the glass 3.

[0032] According to other embodiments, the adhesive material is deposited on the opacified surface of the glass and/or on the heel, for example in a recess in the heel provided for this purpose, in the form of a drop of a preferably precisely controlled volume.

[0033] According to the invention, the stamps 1 are fixed on the lens 3 by gluing the heel 2 on the opacified surfaces 30 of the lens 3 according to the method described below.

[0034] A timepiece crystal 3 is selected according to the timepiece on which it will be assembled and its location on the timepiece. Glass 3 is for example a front glass or a back glass of a wristwatch. One or more opacified surfaces 30 are formed on the ice 3, for example by physical vapor deposition, and/or by any other appropriate process, as explained above. The material deposited is for example a metal, for example gold, platinum, silver, or any other suitable material offering the desired aesthetic appearance. Optionally, the coating phase, for example deposition, may include a phase of formation of one or more patterns on one or more opacified surfaces 30, which will preferably be visible from the external face of the glass 3. The patterns are for example formed by selective deposition of pigmented material, for example pigmented metal, for example using a template, a stencil or a mask. A layer of material, for example metal, of different color and/or non-pigmented is then deposited on the pattern(s) to form the opacified surface(s) 30. The thickness of the coating and/or texturization of the opacified surfaces 30 is preferably of the order of 1 µm. Other thicknesses are however possible within the framework of the invention, for example with a view to obtaining a particular visual appearance.

[0035] A layer of adhesive material 4 is then applied to the opacified surface(s) 30 and/or to the complementary surface(s) of the heel 2, for example in a recess 20 of the heel 2 provided for this purpose. The heel 2 is then positioned and held against the ice to carry out the bonding operation. The stamp(s) 1 are fixed to the heel 2 before or after gluing the heel 2 to the glass 3. The adhesive material is preferably a material whose hardening is triggered at a temperature higher than the ambient temperature which is typically order of 15°C to 30°C. The bonding operation thus comprises, for example, passing through an oven the assembly comprising the heel 2 held against the glass 3 for a period and at a temperature appropriate for the complete hardening of the adhesive material. The bonding temperature is preferably greater than 40°C, for example between 100°C and 160°C, preferably 130°C. Other bonding processes are however possible within the framework of the invention, for example the use of a two-component adhesive material which hardens when the two components come into contact with one another, of a polarizing adhesive material when is exposed to ultraviolet radiation, etc.

The assembly comprising the crystal 3, the heel 2 and the stamp(s) 1 secured to the heel 2 is then integrated into a timepiece, for example a wristwatch. The crystal 3 is for example fixed on a watch case, either directly or via a bezel or a watch back.

Figures 3 and 4 illustrate the assembly comprising the stamps 1, the heel 2 and the crystal 3 associated with a bezel 5, for example a watch case bezel. In known manner, the crystal 3 is for example glued or driven onto the bezel 5 during assembly of the timepiece. Preferably, the bezel 5 comprises a housing 50 on part of its interior perimeter to at least partially accommodate the heel 2 when the bezel 5 and the assembly comprising the stamps 1, the heel 2 and the crystal 3 are assembled. The at least partial insertion of the heel 2 in the housing 50 of the bezel 5 makes it possible to minimize its visual impact when the timepiece is assembled, for example its bulk on the dial if it is stuck on the dial side crystal.

Preferably, the heel 2 at least partially takes up the aesthetic appearance of the bezel 5, for example the material, the decoration, the shape, etc. According to the embodiment shown in Figures 3 and 4, the bezel 5 includes for example on its interior perimeter a decorative pattern 8, for example grooves. The decoration pattern 8 is interrupted on the segment of the interior perimeter of the bezel 5 occupied by the housing 50. The decoration pattern 8 is however repeated on the heel 2 and arranged so that when the timepiece is assembled and that the heel 2 is at least partially housed in the housing 50, the decoration pattern 8 on the heel is essentially aligned with the decoration pattern 8 on the interior perimeter of the bezel 5 so as to offer a certain visual continuity to the user of the assembled timepiece. Other decorative patterns are possible within the framework of the invention, for example patterns formed by engraving, chasing, enamelling, metal deposition, application of stones and precious metals and/or any other technique known to those skilled in the art. job.

The example illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 shows the assembly comprising the stamps 1, the heel 2 and the crystal 3 associated with a watch case bezel 5 to be mounted on the dial side of a watch. Those skilled in the art will, however, understand that it is perfectly possible within the framework of the invention to associate this assembly in a similar manner with a watch back for its mounting on the back side of the watch.

Claims (10)

1. Set including: – a striking gong (1) of a timepiece; – a heel (2) secured to the ringing bell; And – a glass (3) of the timepiece; characterized in that the lens (3) comprises an opacified surface (30) and in that the patch (1) is fixed to the lens (3) by bonding the heel (2) to the opacified surface (30). 2. Assembly according to the preceding claim, in which the opacified surface (30) is a metallized surface. 3. Assembly according to one of the preceding claims, in which the heel (2) is stuck to the glass (3) using an adhesive material (4) placed between the heel (2) and the opacified surface ( 30) in a recess in the heel (2). 4. Assembly according to one of the preceding claims, in which the heel (2) is glued to the ice (3) using a film of adhesive material (4) cut and placed between the heel (2) and the opacified surface (30). 5. Assembly according to one of claims 3 and 4, in which the adhesive material (4) is an epoxy resin configured to harden at a temperature above 40°C, for example at a temperature between 100°C and 200° C, preferably at 130°C. 6. Timepiece comprising an assembly according to one of the preceding claims. 7. Timepiece according to the preceding claim, further comprising a bezel (5) or a watch back, the crystal (3) being fixed to the bezel (5) or to the watch back, the bezel or the back of the watch watch comprising a housing (50) on its interior perimeter to at least partially accommodate the heel (2) when the timepiece is assembled. 8. Timepiece according to the preceding claim, in which the bezel (5) or the watch back comprises a decorative pattern (8) on its interior perimeter and the heel (2) comprises the same decorative pattern (8) , so that the decoration pattern (8) of the heel (2) is essentially aligned with the decoration pattern of the bezel (5) or the watch back when the timepiece is assembled. 9. Fixing method for assembling an assembly according to one of claims 1 to 5, the bell (1) being secured to the heel (2) before or after the following steps: – formation of an opacified surface (30) on the ice (3); – deposition of adhesive material (4) on the opacified surface and/or on the heel (2); – bonding of the heel (2) to the opacified surface (30), the adhesive material (4) being at least partially between the heel (2) and the opacified surface (30). 10. Fixing method according to the preceding claim, in which the bonding step comprises a step of heating the adhesive material (4) to a temperature above 40°C, for example at a temperature between 100°C and 200 °C, preferably equal to 130°C.