CH720770A2 - Device for conditioning a lubricant for watch parts - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a packaging device for a lubricant, the device comprising a hollow capillary tube (1) intended to contain the lubricant (2), the tube comprising on the one hand a first opening closed by a piston arranged to cooperate with a rod (4) movable longitudinally in the capillary tube, and on the other hand, a second free opening through which the lubricant flows when pressure is exerted on the piston by means of the movable rod. The invention also relates to a packaging kit comprising such a packaging device and a method for filling the capillary tube of the packaging device.

Description

Technical field of the invention

[0001] The invention relates to a device for conditioning a lubricant for watch parts.

[0002] The invention relates to the field of tools for fine mechanics, and in particular tools for watchmakers, and more particularly for the tasks of lubricating watches or watch parts.

Technological background

[0003] The lubrication of a timepiece is an essential operation, for which there is little tooling, apart from the automatic oiler and the oiler, and packaging means for the different oils used. However, some tools such as packaging means are not adapted to the needs of watchmakers, in particular in relation to the quantity of packaging bottles and the quantity used by watchmakers.

[0004] The packaging means used in the prior art generally comprise a volume of lubricant that is too large for the operator, the lubricant then remaining for extended periods in the bottle. This results in storage that is not optimal and a degradation of the properties of the lubricant over time once the bottle is opened, and implicitly a loss when the lubricant remaining in the bottle is no longer usable and must be discarded. In addition, to take a small quantity from the bottle, the watchmaker can use a screwdriver, which can lead to contamination of the lubricant in the bottle and increase the speed of degradation of the lubricant.

Summary of the invention

[0005] The invention aims in particular to overcome the various drawbacks of the prior art.

[0006] More specifically, an objective of the invention is to provide a device for packaging a lubricant for watchmaker interventions for which there is no good compact solution allowing the secure transport of clean oil, easily identifiable without risk of confusion, while limiting as much as possible the degradation of the lubricant over time.

[0007] The invention also proposes providing the watchmaker with a device for packaging a very small volume lubricant.

[0008] For this purpose, the invention relates to a packaging device for a lubricant, the device comprising a hollow capillary tube intended to contain lubricant, the tube comprising on the one hand a first opening closed by a piston arranged to cooperate with a rod movable longitudinally in the capillary tube, and on the other hand, a second free opening through which the lubricant flows when pressure is exerted on the piston by means of the movable rod.

[0009] According to other advantageous variants of the invention: – the capillary tube is made of glass; – the piston is made from a wax; – the movable rod is made of plastic; – the capillary tube has a length of between 20 mm and 150 mm; – the capillary tube has an internal diameter of between 0.6 mm and 2 mm; – the capillary tube comprises a colored foolproofing device; – the length of the capillary is greater than the sum of the length of the rod and the length of the piston.

[0010] The invention also relates to a lubrication kit comprising a packaging device for a lubricant according to the invention, and plugs arranged at each of the openings of the capillary tube to keep the capillary tube sealed during its transport.

[0011] The invention also relates to a method for filling a capillary tube of a packaging device for a lubricant according to the invention, comprising the following steps: – providing a capillary tube with first and second openings; – forming a colored keying device near the first opening; – depositing between 0.02 ml and 0.1 ml of lubricant into the capillary tube through the first opening; – inserting a piston at the first opening of the capillary tube; – optionally, placing a stopper on the first and second openings of the capillary tube.

Brief description of the figures

[0012] Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description given by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the appended drawings in which: – Figure 1 shows a top view of a capillary tube of a packaging device according to the invention; – Figure 2 shows a top view of a packaging device used according to the invention; – Figure 3 shows a sectional view of a capillary tube of a packaging device according to the invention; – Figure 4 shows a view of a packaging kit of a device according to the invention.

Detailed description of the invention

[0013] Figure 1 illustrates a schematic representation from above of a packaging device according to the invention.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1, the packaging device for a lubricant 2 comprises a hollow capillary tube 1 intended to contain a lubricant 2. The tube 1 comprises on the one hand a first opening 10 closed by a piston 3, and on the other hand, a second free opening 11 through which the lubricant 2 flows. The piston 3 is arranged to cooperate with a rod 4 movable longitudinally in the capillary tube 1 to allow the evacuation of the lubricant 2 through the second free opening 11 when pressure is exerted on the piston 3 by means of the rod 4.

[0015] The lubricant 2 contained in the packaging device can be either an oil or a grease.

[0016] The capillary tube 1 receiving the lubricant 2 is made of glass. Such a material makes it possible to have a packaging device that is inert with respect to the lubricant 2 contained in the tube 1.

[0017] The piston 3, for its part, is made from a synthetic or natural wax or from a polymer material. The piston 3 must occupy the volume of the tube in which it is placed so as to prevent the lubricant 2 from passing behind the piston 3 when pressure is exerted on the latter. In addition, such a piston makes it possible to guarantee that the tube will only be opened and used once.

[0018] According to the invention, the rod 4 is made from a plastic material. The latter must be sufficiently rigid to be able to exert sufficient pressure on the piston 3. To facilitate the handling of the rod 4, the latter has a head 40 wider than the rod 4. Unlike the capillary tube 1, the rod 4 can be reused with other tubes subsequently.

[0019] The length of the capillary tube 1 is between 20 mm and 150 mm, and the internal diameter of the tube is between 0.6 mm and 2 mm. Such dimensions make it possible to accommodate between 0.02 ml and 0.1 ml of lubricant in the capillary tube 1, i.e. a quantity much lower than that of the bottles usually used which contain 2 ml. It is therefore understood that the very small volume present in the tube 1 makes it possible to use all the lubricant present in a relatively short period of time and without the lubricant losing its qualities/properties.

[0020] According to the invention, the capillary tube comprises a colored decoder 5 near the first opening 10. The decoder 5 allows the operator to quickly identify where the piston 3 is located and thus place the tube 1 in the correct direction directly.

[0021] It is also possible to color the lubricant 2 to help the operator determine the correct lubricant to use. Indeed, many lubricating oils or greases are used by watchmakers or operators during the assembly and maintenance of timepieces, each oil having particular properties depending on where it is deposited in the timepiece. It is therefore interesting for the watchmaker or operator to be able to identify the category of lubricant to use quickly via a color code. Thus the lubricant can be colored green, blue, purple or even red to quickly and visually identify the category of lubricant to use.

[0022] According to a particularly advantageous aspect of the invention, the length L of the capillary tube 1 is greater than the sum of the length Lt of the rod 4 and the length Lp of the piston 3. Such an arrangement makes it possible to ensure that the lubricant 2 is extracted over almost the entire capillary tube 1, leaving a tiny portion of the lubricant 2 on the last millimeter of the tube 1 to avoid using lubricant potentially contaminated by the wax piston.

[0023] Thus, thanks to these characteristics, it is possible to obtain a very small volume packaging device for a lubricant 2 having a compact construction and allowing the oil to be used in a relatively short period of time to prevent the latter from degrading over time.

[0024] The invention also relates to a packaging kit comprising a packaging device according to the invention, as well as stoppers 6 arranged at each of the openings of the capillary tube 1 to keep the capillary tube sealed during its transport.

[0025] Thus, the device can be marketed in a pack of ten or more devices. The separation of the lubricant into such small quantities makes it possible to both facilitate the deposit of the lubricant in the oiler, to avoid contamination (for example using a screwdriver to take lubricant from a bottle), and to ensure freshness of the lubricant (avoid keeping an already opened bottle for several years).

[0026] With such a device, the watchmaker extracts all of the lubricant into an oiler each time a capillary tube is opened and uses this quantity with an oil pick during the week. The watchmaker can then use a new capillary each week and work with a lubricant that has preserved all of its qualities.

[0027] The invention also relates to a method for filling a capillary tube 1 of a packaging device according to the invention, comprising the following steps: – providing a capillary tube 1 with a first opening 10 and a second opening 11; – forming a colored foolproofing device 5 near the first opening 10; – depositing between 0.02 ml and 0.1 ml in the capillary tube 1 through the first opening; – inserting a piston 3 through the first opening 10 of the capillary tube 1; – optionally, placing a stopper 6 in the first and second openings 10, 11.

Claims (10)

1. Packaging device for a lubricant, comprising a hollow capillary tube (1) intended to contain the lubricant (2), the tube comprising on the one hand a first opening (10) closed by a piston (3) arranged to cooperate with a rod (4) movable longitudinally in the capillary tube (1), and on the other hand, a second free opening (11) through which the lubricant (2) flows when pressure is exerted on the piston (3) by means of the rod (4). 2. Packaging device according to claim 1, in which the capillary tube (1) is made of glass. 3. A packaging device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the piston (3) is made from a wax or a polymer material. 4. Packaging device according to one of claims 1 to 3, in which the movable rod (4) is made of plastic. 5. Packaging device according to one of claims 1 to 4, in which the capillary tube (1) has a length of between 20mm and 150mm. 6. Packaging device according to one of claims 1 to 5, in which the capillary tube (1) has an internal diameter of between 0.6mm and 2mm. 7. Packaging device according to one of claims 1 to 6, in which the capillary tube (1) comprises a colored foolproofing device (5). 8. Packaging device according to one of claims 1 to 7, in which the length (L) of the capillary tube (1) is greater than the sum of the length (It) of the rod (4) and the length (Ip) of the piston (3). 9. Packaging kit comprising a packaging device according to one of claims 1 to 8, and stoppers 6() arranged at each of the openings (10, 11) of the capillary tube (1) to keep the capillary tube (1) sealed during its transport. 10. A method of filling a capillary tube (1) of a packaging device according to one of claims 1 to 8, comprising the following steps: – providing a capillary tube (1) with a first opening (10) and a second opening (11); – forming a colored foolproofing device (5) near the first opening (10); – depositing between 0.02 ml and 0.1 ml of a lubricant (2) into the capillary tube (1) through the first opening (10); – inserting a piston (3) through the first opening (10) of the capillary tube (1); – optionally, placing a stopper (6) on the first and second openings (10, 11) of the capillary tube (1).