Horology: time measuring systems or devices – Combined with disparate device – Ambient condition detector
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-08
2002-05-07
Miska, Vit (Department: 2859)
Horology: time measuring systems or devices
Combined with disparate device
Ambient condition detector
C073S291000, C073S299000, C073S732000, C073S741000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06385134
ABSTRACT:
FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a watch, in particular a dive watch, having a movement which is arranged in a watch case and can be used to drive an hour hand via an hour tube, and a minute hand and, if appropriate, a second hand via a minute tube in a fashion sweeping over a dial, as well as having a pressure detecting device for detecting the ambient pressure outside the watch case and a display for representing the detected pressure values.
It is known in dive watches to detect the ambient pressure by means of electric or electronic sensors and to convert it in an electronic evaluation device into signals for driving a dive depth display. Both the detection and the representation of the ambient pressures require a battery as power supply. If the battery performance drops, the dangerous situation arises for the diver that the sensors and the display can still function to a certain extent, with the result that the user assumes he has a fully functional dive watch. However, because of the no longer adequate power supply both the values detected and the values displayed are incorrect.
It is possible thereby for situations which endanger the diver's health or even life-threatening situations to occur, for example due to diving deeper than intended or ascending more rapidly than permissible.
FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore the object of the invention to create a watch of the type mentioned at the beginning in which these disadvantages of known watches are avoided.
This object is achieved according to the invention there is arranged in the watch case a mechanical pressure transducer to which the ambient pressure outside the watch case can be applied and by means of which a mechanical depth measurement mechanism of a mechanical display can be driven. Since none of the watch components for displaying the dive depth depends on a supply of electric or mechanical power, all the disadvantages based on reduction in power and power loss are avoided. The depth display of the watch is completely autonomous and thus always operational and fully functional.
In a simple design, the mechanical depth measurement mechanism can have a display shaft which can be rotatably driven by the pressure transducer and carries a depth hand which can sweep over a depth scale.
A low overall size is achieved by virtue of the fact that the display shaft is arranged coaxially with the hour tube and minute tube, and the depth scale is arranged on the dial.
If the scale division of the depth scale corresponds to the scale division of the minute scale, the display on the depth scale can be taken in just as quickly and easily as is already usual from habit in the case of minute scales on analog watches.
A further contribution to reducing the overall size results when the display shaft projects coaxially through the hour and minute tubes and, if appropriate, the second tube.
The pressure transducer can be connected to the environment via a measuring opening.
If a measuring opening in the watch case is constructed such that it can be closed manually in order to connect the pressure transducer to the environment, a depth measurement can consciously be performed only if the measuring opening is opened for this purpose. If the watch is also used in other regions in which substantially higher pressures prevail than for the measuring range suitable for the pressure transducer, the pressure transducer is protected by closing the measuring opening.
As an alternative to this, a closing device of the measuring opening can be constructed as a pressure-reducing valve by means of which the measuring opening can be closed upon overshooting of a specific ambient pressure.
In a simple design, the measuring opening can in this case be closed manually by a screwed crown.
If it is possible to apply the ambient pressure outside the watch case to the mechanical pressure transducer via an incompressible medium, it is impossible for it to be damaged by pollutants and aggressive substances such as, for example, also sea water, which reach the pressure transducer from outside.
The incompressible medium can be a liquid such as, for example, water, in particular distilled water, or oil.
In a simple way, the ambient pressure can be applied to the incompressible medium via a movable wall.
If in this case the movable wall is a diaphragm which is clamped permanently and tightly at its circumferential edge on a housing, the result is simultaneously to achieve a tight separation of the region filled with the incompressible medium from the environmental region.
The purpose of transmitting the ambient pressure directly, and thus without impairment, to the pressure transducer is furthered when there is constructed in the watch case a measuring opening which serves for the application of the ambient pressure to the pressure transducer and leads to a chamber which is filled with the incompressible medium and of which one wall is the movable wall to which the ambient pressure can be applied.
A design which is particularly simple and not prone to defects consists in that the pressure transducer is an annular spring pressure gauge with an annular Bourdon spring of which one end is fastened on the watch case and is connected to the measuring opening and of which the other end, which can be freely swiveled radially, can drive in a movable fashion the depth measurement mechanism by means of which the pivoting movement of the free end of the Bourdon spring can be converted into a movement which can drive the display shaft rotatably.
For the purpose of protection against overloading, the capacity of the free end of the Bourdon spring to swivel radially can be limited by stops.
It is preferable for the Bourdon spring to be arranged surrounding the movement in the watch case, with the result that only a small overall space is required. If, in this case, the Bourdon spring is arranged with play in an annular chamber of the watch case, the walls of the annular chamber forming the stops, the Bourdon spring is simultaneously protected against overloading in conjunction with a small overall size.
The purpose of directly transmitting the ambient pressure to the Bourdon spring is furthered when the interior of the Bourdon spring is connected to the chamber via the measuring opening and is filled with the incompressible medium. In this case, the chamber with the movable wall serves at the same time as a volume-equalizing chamber for the volume of the Bourdon spring, which increases with rising pressure owing to widening of the curvature.
If the movable wall can be subjected to the action of a manually displaceable pusher in a fashion reducing the volume of the chamber, it is possible by applying a specific force to the pusher to simulate a specific dive depth, and thus to check the functionality and accuracy of the display.
Moreover, the pusher forms a support surface for the movable wall, which is constructed, in particular, as a diaphragm.
In order to define the position of the movable wall under standard ambient pressure, the capacity of the pusher to be displaced in the direction of which the volume of the chamber is increased is limited by a stop. If the stop can be set adjustably in the displacement direction of the pusher in this case, the pressure transducer can be adjusted by the pusher.
For the purpose of simple assembly, the chamber and/or the pusher can advantageously be arranged in a crown.
Since the position of the depth hand depends only on the position of the end piece, fixed to the case, of the Bourdon spring, in the case of changes in air pressure, an adjustment of the hand already comes about which falsifies the actual dive depth during a dive. In order to be able to set the depth hand exactly to zero before a dive, the end of the Bourdon spring fastened on the watch case can be adjusted radially.
For this purpose, in a simple construction the end of the Bourdon spring is fastened on the watch case via a shaft projecting radially out of the watch case, the shaft being adjustable in the direction
Habring Richard
Klaus Kurt
Lange Jürgen
Speichinger Ferdinand
Farber Martin A.
IWC International Watch Co. AG
Miska Vit
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