US 11,703,802 B2
Device for controlling a timepiece
Hervé Avril, Les Breuleux (CH); Gregory Kissling, La Neuveville (CH); Rémy Thiry, Maiche (FR); Valon Hoti, Bienne (CH); and Samuel Geiser, Bienne (CH)
Assigned to MECO SA, Grenchen (CH)
Filed by MECO SA, Grenchen (CH)
Filed on Aug. 11, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/399,316.
Claims priority of application No. 20217969 (EP), filed on Dec. 31, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0206435 A1, Jun. 30, 2022
Int. Cl. G04B 3/04 (2006.01); G04B 37/06 (2006.01)
CPC G04B 3/046 (2013.01) [G04B 3/045 (2013.01); G04B 37/06 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A timepiece comprising a case (1), a mechanical or electronic movement disposed in the case, and a crown (4) rotatably coupled to a control rod (7) passing through a wall (14) of the case so as to actuate at least one function of the timepiece by rotation of the control rod around its central axis (6), said rotation being carried out by rotating the crown (4), wherein:
the case (1) is provided with a rotary knurling-roller (5) provided with a bore which is central and coaxial with the central axis (6), and operable in rotation about said central axis, the knurling-roller being mounted on the case (1) so as to be stationary in an axial direction,
the crown (4) is integral with a cylindrical crown body (18) disposed inside a tube (15), the crown body and the tube being coaxial with the central axis (6),
the tube (15) passes through the bore of the knurling-roller and is coupled to the rotary knurling-roller (5) so that the rotation of the knurling-roller causes a rotation of the tube around the central axis (6), as well as a translation of the tube in the axial direction,
the crown (4) is free to rotate relative to the tube (15),
the crown is arranged to be integral in translation with the tube in the axial direction,
so that the rotation of the knurling-roller (5) causes a translation of the crown (4) in the direction of the central axis (6), the crown (4) being driven by the translation of the tube (15), between a rest position according to which the crown (4) is housed in a cavity (10) provided in said wall (14) of the case (1), and at least one control position according to which the crown (4) is projecting from said wall (14), thus allowing actuation of said at least one function.