US 11,796,963 B2
External control mechanism for a timepiece
Valon Hoti, Bienne (CH); Rémy Thiry, Les Bréseux (FR); and Samuel Geiser, Bienne (CH)
Assigned to MECO SA, Grenchen (CH)
Filed by MECO SA, Grenchen (CH)
Filed on Dec. 8, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/545,455.
Claims priority of application No. 21169502 (EP), filed on Apr. 20, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0334537 A1, Oct. 20, 2022
Int. Cl. G04B 27/02 (2006.01); G04B 19/24 (2006.01); G04B 37/10 (2006.01)
CPC G04B 27/023 (2013.01) [G04B 19/24 (2013.01); G04B 37/103 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An external control device (100) for a timepiece (1000), including a crown (1) arranged to be operated by a user, to control, through a driver (7), a rotation of a component (70, 71, 72, 73, 74) internal to said timepiece (1000),
said device (100) including a tube (4) arranged to pass through an outer wall of said timepiece (1000) and to be fastened thereto while ensuring the water-resistant retention of said external control device (100),
said crown (1) carrying a first barrel (2) screwed onto said tube (4), and said first barrel (2) and/or said tube (4) guiding, along an axis (D), a second barrel (3) which is coaxial with said first barrel (2) and which is movable only in rotation about said axis (D) and which includes said driver (7) at a distal end arranged to be inserted into said timepiece (1000), said first barrel (2) being movable axially in the direction of said axis (D) and in rotation around said axis (D), wherein:
said first barrel (2) includes a first unidirectional toothing (9),
said second barrel (3) includes a second unidirectional toothing (8) coaxial and opposing said first unidirectional toothing (9),
said tube (4) contains at least one elastic return means (11) bearing on a lower front surface (101) of said tube (4) or of a bearing element (10) attached to said tube (4), said at least one elastic return means (11) tending to move said first barrel (2) away from said driver (7) by bearing on an upper front surface (211, 911) included in said first barrel (2) or said first unidirectional toothing (9),
said first unidirectional toothing (9) and said second unidirectional toothing (8) are in the position of maximum separation from one another when said crown (1) is completely screwed onto said tube (4) as close as possible to said driver (7), and are in a position of meshing with each other when said crown (1) is completely unscrewed and is farthest from said driver (7), the cooperation between said first unidirectional toothing (9) and said second unidirectional toothing (8) allowing to rotate said second barrel (3) in a first single direction of rotation of said crown (1), and preventing the rotation of said second barrel (3) in a second direction opposite to said first direction by jumping against said elastic return means (11) in the manner of a pawl.