阅读说明：本技术 配备至少一个罩盖的尤其是怀表的钟表 (Timepiece, in particular pocket watch, equipped with at least one cover ) 是由 D·胡尔尼 于 2019-06-27 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明涉及一种钟表,尤其是怀表(1),其包括由中间件(6)界定的表壳(20),该钟表还包括覆盖用于显示信息的信息显示装置的至少一个罩盖(2a),以及用于控制所述至少一个罩盖(2a)的打开的控制装置(10),该控制装置(10)包括环悬挂件(12)和指令传递构件,该环悬挂件(12)布置成使得其能被以直线方式第一次朝向中间件(6)推入第一抵接位置,然后其沿第一方向旋转到第二抵接位置,然后其被以直线方式第二次推向所述中间件(6),以便通过对指令传递构件的作用来使所述罩盖(2a)打开。(The invention relates to a timepiece, in particular a pocket watch (1), comprising a case (20) delimited by an intermediate piece (6), the timepiece further comprising at least one cover (2a) covering an information display device for displaying information, and a control device (10) for controlling the opening of the at least one cover (2a), the control device (10) comprising a loop-suspension element (12) and a command-transmitting member, the loop-suspension element (12) being arranged such that it can be pushed linearly in a first abutment position towards the intermediate piece (6) for the first time, then it can be rotated in the first direction to a second abutment position, then it can be pushed linearly in the second abutment position towards the intermediate piece (6), in order to open the cover (2a) by acting on the command-transmitting member.)

1. A timepiece, in particular a pocket watch (1), comprising a case (20) delimited by an intermediate piece (6), said timepiece further comprising at least one cover (2a) covering an information display means for displaying information, and a control device (10) for controlling the opening of said at least one cover (2a), said control device (10) comprising a loop suspension element (12) and a command transmission member, said loop suspension element (12) being arranged such that it is pushed linearly a first time into a first abutment position towards said intermediate piece (6), then it is rotated in a first direction into a second abutment position, then it is pushed linearly a second time towards said intermediate piece (6), in order to open said cover (2a) by acting on said command transmission member.

2. Timepiece according to claim 1, wherein the command-transmitting member is an actuating pin (64a), the actuating pin (64a) being arranged to move axially under the action of the ring suspension (12) and to actuate a locking spring (80a) that controls the opening of the cover (2 a).

3. Timepiece according to claim 2, wherein the control device (10) comprises an intermediate piece hanger (22), the intermediate piece hanger (22) being mounted so that it is fixed to the intermediate piece (6) of the case (20) and having an intermediate piece hanger housing (40), the ring hanger (22) being inserted in the intermediate piece hanger housing (40) and freely sliding therein.

4. Timepiece according to claim 3, wherein the control device (10) comprises an intermediate piece tube (26), the intermediate piece tube (26) being engaged in an intermediate piece suspension housing (40) of the intermediate piece suspension (22) and being fixed in an intermediate piece (6) of a case (20) of the timepiece, the control device (10) further comprising a ring tube (24) fixed in the intermediate piece tube (26), the ring suspension (12) being engaged so that it is free to slide by means of an interposed return spring (42), the return spring (42) being threaded on the intermediate piece tube (26) and being sandwiched between the ring suspension (12) and the intermediate piece (6) of the case (20) of the timepiece.

5. Timepiece according to claim 4, characterised in that the collar piece (24) is provided on its outer periphery with a first collar (30) and a second collar (32) acting as stops, the first collar (30) being arranged so that it rests on a first bearing surface (34) at the bottom of a ring hanger housing cavity (36) formed in the ring hanger (12), and the second collar (32) being arranged so that: the second collar is held against a distal end (38) of the intermediate piece tube (26) when the ring tube (24) is secured within the intermediate piece tube (26).

6. Timepiece according to claim 5, wherein the ring suspension (12) comprises, on the side of the middle part (6) of the case (20) of the timepiece, a first cylindrical portion (48) and a second cylindrical portion (50) arranged in succession, the outer diameter of the first cylindrical portion (48) being greater than the outer diameter of the second cylindrical portion (50).

7. Timepiece according to claim 6, wherein the second cylindrical portion (50) of the ring suspension (12) is provided at its base with a safety catch (54) and a peg (56a), the safety catch (54) projecting from the outer surface of the second cylindrical portion (50) and the peg (56a) continuing the second cylindrical portion (50) at the base of the second cylindrical portion (50), the safety catch (54) and the peg (56a) being arranged substantially on the same circle (C), the peg (56a) being arranged at an angle greater than 0 ° and less than 90 ° with respect to a diameter (D1) passing through the safety catch (54) and being positioned substantially opposite the safety catch (54).

8. Timepiece according to claim 7, wherein the actuation pin (64a) is inserted in an internal bore (78a) axially pierced in a second bearing surface (79) provided in the bottom of the intermediate piece suspension member housing cavity (40), the actuation pin (64a) being retained in the internal bore (78a) by its catch (66a), the catch (66a) of the actuation pin (64a) resting on the second bearing surface (79) and preventing the actuation pin (64a) from axially leaving the internal bore (78a) in the direction of the intermediate piece (6), the actuation pin (64a) resting on a locking spring (80a) arranged in the case (20) of the pocket watch (1) and controlling the opening of the cover (2a), the loop suspension (12) is arranged such that, when the loop suspension (12) is pushed in a linear manner a second time towards the intermediate piece (6), the peg (56a) of the loop suspension abuts against the actuation pin (64a) in order to open the cover (2 a).

9. Timepiece according to claim 8, wherein the control device (10) comprises a retaining plate (68) fixed within the middleware hanger housing cavity (40) so that it is located above the detent (66a) of the actuating pin (64a) and prevents the actuating pin (64a) from axially leaving the inner hole (78a) in the direction of the ring hanger (12), the retaining plate (68) being mounted so that an axial play remains between the detent (66a) and the second bearing surface (79), which axial play defines the stroke of a locking spring (80a) of the actuating pin (64a) that allows it to actuate the cover cap (2 a).

10. Timepiece according to any one of claims 1 to 9, comprising a first cover (2a) and a second cover (2b) respectively covering a first information display means and a second information display means for displaying information, and a control device (10) for controlling the opening of the first cover (2a) and the second cover (2b), the control device (10) comprising a loop suspension member (12), and a first command transmission member and a second command transmission member, the loop suspension member (12) being arranged such that it is pushed linearly a first time into a first abutment position towards the intermediate member (6), then it is rotated in a first direction into a second abutment position, then it is pushed linearly a second time towards the intermediate member (6), so as to open the first cover (2a) by acting on the first command transmission member, the loop suspension (12) is arranged such that it can be rotated in a second direction from a first abutment position to a second abutment position, and then pushed in a linear manner a second time towards the intermediate piece (6) in order to open the second cover (2b) by acting on the second command transfer member.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a timepiece, in particular a pocket watch, equipped with at least one cover covering, for example, a dial on which a set of hands move.

Background

Timepieces of the above type are known, for example, from swiss patent CH 689338 a5 filed by petek. More specifically, the timepiece described in the Patek patent is a pocket watch provided with covers on each of its faces, wherein these covers can be opened using a mechanism controlled by a pin (stud) axially sliding in the crown.

The principle of the Patek mechanism for opening both the top and bottom covers of pocket watches involves the use of an actuation pin that opens one or the other of the two covers, depending on the angular position occupied by the suspension (pendant). In the first position, the hanger is angularly locked in position in the upper position and if the user exerts pressure on the pin, this pressure causes the top cover of the wristwatch to open. If the user moves the hanger slightly from this position towards the middle piece, the hanger is angularly unlocked and the user can rotate the hanger 180 ° in one direction. When the suspension member has been rotated through 180, the user releases the suspension member, which is moved axially under the reset action and returns to the locked upper position, but 180 from its first locked position. In the second hanger locking position, a user may open the bottom cover by pushing the actuating pin.

To achieve this result, the Patek pocket watch includes, on each of its faces, a cover, a suspension, a winding and a setting mechanism comprising a crown, an hour wheel and a cylindrical winding stem. The mechanism for opening the cover comprises an actuation stud which slides axially in the winding crown and acts via a sliding stem guided by the winding mechanism on a latch which, in the normal state, keeps the cover in the closed position.

One advantage of the Patek mechanism is that it allows opening of both covers of the pocket watch. The Patek mechanism can prevent the risk of scratching the watchcase in the event of opening one of the two covers using a knife or prevent the nail from breaking due to the snap-fit of the cover, which is usually relatively hard.

However, in the applicant's view, the Patek mechanism has several disadvantages. One of these drawbacks is that the Patek opening mechanism does not seem to be very practical. More specifically, the Patek opening mechanism is always in a position in which a simple press on the actuation stud causes one of the covers to open. As a result, the risk of one of the covers opening accidentally is high, in particular in the case of a watch located in a pocket of a garment. Furthermore, it seems difficult to turn the suspension member downwards from its first locked position into the following position: in which it is unlocked and can be rotated through 180 without simultaneously actuating the unlocking position in which the operating pin and thus one of the covers is open, even if this is not intended. Finally, it also seems not very practical to have to rotate the hanger 180 ° to move it from its first locking position to its second locking position. This is a considerable movement that is not possible very conveniently with such small elements as the suspension of the Patek pocket watch. Furthermore, the use of the Patek opening mechanism is not very intuitive. More specifically, the operation mode of opening the top cover and the operation mode of opening the bottom cover are different. In the case of the top cover, its opening is achieved by pressing the actuating stud downwards. However, with the bottom cover, its opening is achieved by pushing the hanger towards the middle and then rotating the hanger 180 ° and finally pressing the actuation stud downwards. As a result, the user must perform distinct operations depending on whether he/she intends to open the top cover or the bottom cover, and must remember which operations open which cover, which is very inconvenient and not intuitive.

Disclosure of Invention

The aim of the present invention is to overcome the above mentioned problems and others by providing a timepiece, in particular a pocket watch, comprising a mechanical opening device for opening at least one cover covering a dial over which at least one hand moves or a decoration, which has a simple design and is easy to use.

To this end, the invention relates to a timepiece, in particular a pocket watch, comprising a case delimited by an intermediate piece, the timepiece further comprising at least one cover covering an information display device for displaying information, and a control device for controlling the opening of the at least one cover, the control device comprising a loop suspension member and a command transmission member, the loop suspension member being arranged such that the loop suspension member can be pushed linearly a first time into a first abutment position towards the intermediate piece, the loop suspension member then being rotated in the first direction into a second abutment position, the loop suspension member then being pushed linearly a second time towards the intermediate piece, in order to open the cover by acting on the command transmission member.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the timepiece comprises a first cover and a second cover respectively covering a first and a second information display means for displaying information, and a control device for controlling the opening of the first cover and the second cover, the control device comprising a loop suspension member, and a first command transfer member and a second command transfer member, the loop suspension member being arranged such that the loop suspension member can be pushed linearly a first time into a first abutment position towards an intermediate member, the loop suspension member then being rotated in the first direction into a second abutment position, the loop suspension member then being pushed linearly a second time towards the intermediate member to open the first cover by acting on the first command transfer member, the loop suspension member being arranged such that the loop suspension member can be rotated in the second direction from the first abutment position into the second abutment position and then being pushed linearly into the intermediate member a second time, so as to open the second cover by acting on the second command-transmitting member.

Owing to these features, the invention provides a timepiece, in particular a pocket watch, comprising at least one cover, the opening of which is controlled by the action on a suspension member which must first be moved in a linear manner towards the middle of the watch and then rotated in order to open the cover before being moved again in a linear manner towards the middle. It will thus be appreciated that any accidental opening of the cover is not possible. Furthermore, in the embodiment in which the timepiece comprises two covers, the sequence of operations that the user must perform in order to open either of the two covers is practically identical, which greatly facilitates the use of the timepiece. More specifically, the user does not need to think to determine which sequence of operations must be performed to open the desired cover. It should also be noted that the device for controlling the opening of a timepiece cover according to the invention does not involve the use of a push-button; the risk of accidental opening of the cover is thus avoided, the reliability of the control device is improved and the cost price is reduced.

Drawings

Other features and advantages of the invention will be better understood on reading the following detailed description of one exemplary embodiment of a pocket watch according to the invention, given for illustrative purposes only and not intended to limit the scope of the invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

figure 1 is a front view of the pocket watch with the first cover closed;

FIG. 2A is a top view of the pocket watch shown in FIG. 1 from the side of the loop suspension member;

figure 2B is a view similar to the view in figure 2A, wherein the ring suspension has been rotated in a first direction in order to command the opening of the first cover;

FIG. 2C is a view similar to the view in FIG. 2B, wherein the ring suspension has been rotated in a second direction opposite to the first direction in order to control the opening of the second cover;

fig. 3A is a perspective view of a pocket watch with the first and second covers open, on which the dial displaying the time and normally covered by the first cover can be seen;

fig. 3B is a perspective view of the pocket watch with the first and second covers open, on which the decorative pattern normally covered by the second cover can be seen;

figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of the control device according to the invention;

5A, 5B, 5C, 5D, 5E, 5F, 5G, 5H, 5I and 5J are views of the loop suspension element, the loop tube element, the intermediate element tube element and the actuating pin, taken on the same scale and viewed from different angles;

figures 6A and 6B are top views of the intermediate member suspension elements;

figures 7A and 7B are views of two parts of the middleware hanger cut along a vertical mid-plane;

figure 8 is a perspective view of a control device according to the invention;

figure 9 is a longitudinal section of the control device according to the invention;

fig. 10 is a perspective view of the pocket watch with the middle part removed to show the opening spring;

fig. 11A is a perspective view similar to that of fig. 10, on which the catch with the two opening springs can be seen;

fig. 11B is a detail view of the area surrounded by the circle in fig. 11A on a larger scale.

Detailed Description

The invention arises from the general inventive concept of equipping a timepiece, in particular a pocket watch, with a control device for controlling the opening of at least one cover covering a display device. The control device is not accidentally activated, avoiding any risk of accidentally opening the cover; the control device does not involve the use of buttons, making its operation more reliable and reducing its cost price; finally, in the case of a timepiece equipped with two separate covers, the sequence of operations performed to open either of the two covers is almost identical, making the use of the timepiece according to the invention very intuitive.

The pocket watch according to the invention, generally designated by reference numeral 1, comprises (see fig. 1 and 2A) a first cover 2A and a second cover 2b. These first and second covers 2a and 2B are arranged so that they can be opened and closed as desired by a user of the pocket watch 1 (see fig. 2B and 2C). For this purpose, the first cover 2a and the second cover 2b are mounted such that they rotate around the intermediate piece 6 of the pocket watch 1, for example by means of a hinge 8. When opened, the first and second covers 2a, 2b expose to the eyes of the user the means for displaying information normally covered by these first and second covers 2a, 2b. For illustrative purposes only, the first cover 2a may cover (see fig. 3A) a display means, for example a dial 9a displaying the time, on which dial 9a the hour hand 9b and minute hand 9c move, for example. The second cover 2B itself may cover (see, for example, fig. 3B) the decorative pattern 11 a. However, it should be understood that both the first cover 2a and the second cover 2b may cover dials indicating time, wherein one of these dials indicates the current time, for example by means of one set of hands, while the other dial 11b may provide an indication of the elapsed time or of the second time zone via the other set of hands 11b, 11c.

The invention will now be described with reference to a pocket watch equipped with a first cover and a second cover. However, it should be understood that the invention is in no way limited to this particular embodiment and that the invention applies in the same way to the case where the pocket watch comprises a single cover. It should also be understood that, although described with reference to a pocket watch, the invention can be applied to any type of timepiece, in particular a wristwatch, equipped with at least one cover.

The pocket watch according to the invention comprises means allowing its user to control the opening of one or more covers. The term "proximal" refers hereinafter to the elements of the control device on the side of the pocket watch middle piece, and the term "distal" refers hereinafter to the elements of the control device on the side of the ring. It should also be understood that the pipes mentioned hereinafter and more generally the control device as a whole have a longitudinal axis of symmetryX-XAs a center, the longitudinal axis of symmetry extends in a radial direction towards the center of the case of the pocket watch. Similarly, the term "upper" shall refer to elements located on the ring side and the term "lower" shall refer to elements located on the intermediate piece side.

According to the invention, pocket watch 1 is equipped with means 10 for controlling the opening of first cover 2a and second cover 2b. The control device 10 comprises (see fig. 4) a first suspension element 12, which for the sake of clarity will be referred to hereinafter as "loop suspension element" 12. The loop suspension member 12 is provided with a loop 14, which loop 14 is detachably mounted on the loop suspension member 12, for example by means of two screws 16. Finally, ring hanger 12 has crown 18 placed on top of it, crown 18 being removably fixed to ring hanger 12 and being intended in particular for winding a timepiece movement housed in a case 20 of pocket watch 1. The crown 18 will be described in more detail below.

The control device 10 further comprises a second suspension member 22, which for the sake of clarity will be referred to as "intermediate member suspension member" 22 in the following. This intermediate piece hanger 22 is fixed to intermediate piece 6 of case 20 of pocket watch 1 by any suitable means, for example by screwing or by welding.

The control device 10 also comprises a first tubular member 24, which first tubular member 24 will be referred to hereinafter for clarity as "loop member" 24. The control device 10 also comprises a second tube member 26, which second tube member 26 will be described hereinafter as "intermediate member tube member" 26 for clarity of illustration. Middle piece tube 26 is secured in middle piece 6 of case 20 of pocket watch 1 by any suitable means, such as by a threaded connection. The ring tube member 24 itself is fixed within the intermediate member tube member 26, for example by a threaded connection attributable to threads 28 provided at its distal end. The ring tube 24 is also equipped on its outer circumference with a first collar 30 and a second collar 32 acting as stops. More specifically, the first collar 30 (hereinafter "ring stop") is arranged such that it rests on a first bearing surface 34 at the bottom of a first housing cavity 36 (ring hanger housing) formed in the ring hanger at rest. Similarly, the second collar 32 (hereinafter referred to as "intermediate stop") is arranged such that when the ring tube 24 is fully screwed into the intermediate tube 26, the second collar 32 rests on the distal end 38 of the intermediate tube 26 (see fig. 8 and 9).

Ring hanger 12 is articulated so that it is free to slide by means of an interposed return spring 42, said return spring 42 being threaded on said middle piece tube 26 and being sandwiched between ring hanger 12 and middle piece 6 of case 20 of pocket watch 1.

The loop suspension element 12 and the intermediate member suspension element 22 have substantially the same shape and size as each other. In the example shown in the figures, for illustrative purposes only and not intended to limit the scope of the invention, the two hangers 12 and 22 are in the form of blocks having a substantially parallelepiped shape, the edges of which have been chamfered for purely aesthetic purposes.

As shown in FIG. 4, each small side 44 of ring suspension member 12 is pierced with a hole 46 for allowing the screws 16 required to assemble ring 14 to ring suspension member 12 to be screwed on. Furthermore, on the proximal side, i.e. when looking towards the centre of case 20 of pocket watch 1, ring hanger 12 is shown to be equipped with a first and a second cylindrical portion (48 and 50 respectively), arranged one after the other in the distal/proximal direction, the outer diameter of first cylindrical portion 48 being larger than the outer diameter of second cylindrical portion 50, which results in an annular surface 52 at the junction between these two cylindrical portions 48 and 50.

At its base, the second cylindrical portion 50 of the loop suspension 12 is provided with a safety catch 54 and with a first peg 56a and a second peg 56b, respectively (see more particularly fig. 5A to 5F). In the example shown in the figure, there are twoA stud; however, as will be understood upon reading the following description, in the case where pocket watch 1 is provided with only a single cover, ring suspension member 12 may be provided with a single peg. The safety catch 54 and the two pegs 56a and 56b are arranged substantially on the same circleCUp (see fig. 5B). A safety catch 54 is formed on the outer surface of the second cylindrical portion 50 of the loop suspension 12 at the base of the cylindrical portion 50. Thus, the safety catch 54 protrudes from the outer surface of the second cylindrical portion 50. The pegs 56a and 56b are themselves provided in continuation of the second cylindrical portion 50 at the bottom of the second cylindrical portion 50. The figure shows that two pegs 56a and 56b are arranged at 45 ° across the diameter of the safety catch 54D1And opposite the safety catch 54. This angle value is provided for illustrative purposes only, and other values greater than 0 ° and less than 90 ° are also contemplated.

The above-mentioned ring hanger 12, which is constituted by a parallelepiped block extending in the direction of the middle part 6 of the case 20 of the pocket watch 1 through the two interleaved cylindrical portions 48 and 50, is pierced with a first hole 60 formed in the parallelepiped block (see fig. 5E and 8). The inner diameter of the first bore 60 is large enough to allow a first collar 30 (also referred to as an annular stop) to pass through, which abuts against the first bearing surface 34 formed by the local narrowing of the inner diameter of the first bore 60. The second bore 62 is itself formed by a bore in the first and second cylindrical portions 48, 50, the second bore 62 having an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the second collar 32 (also referred to as an intermediate stop) so as to allow the second collar 32 to pass therethrough.

The control device 10 also comprises first and second control transmission members, for example of the type of first and second actuation pins 64a, 64b, each provided with a catch 66a, 66b, and a retaining plate 68, the function of which will be described in greater detail below. In the case where pocket watch 1 according to the invention comprises only a single cover, only one actuation pin is required.

A second housing 40, also referred to as a middleware hanger housing, passes through the middleware hanger 22 from one end to the other (see fig. 5I). The second shell cavity 40 has a diameterD2And in the longitudinal directionAxis of symmetryX-XAs the center. The second housing cavity 40 has a first edge 70a and a second edge 70B on its inner side (see fig. 6A, 6B and 7A, 7B). Each of these edges 70a, 70b having the shape of a circular arc extends substantially over 90 ° and are arranged one after the other with a gap 72 between them. Furthermore, along the longitudinal symmetry axisX-XAn extended semi-cylindrical notch 74 is formed in the inner sidewall of the second housing cavity 40 just opposite the gap 72. The semi-cylindrical recess 74 is intended to allow the safety catch 54 to pass when the ring suspension member 12 is inserted into the intermediate member suspension member 22. The semi-cylindrical recess 74 opens into a first groove 76a and a second groove 76B in the shape of circular arcs, the first groove 76a and the second groove 76B extending on both sides of the recess 74 over an angular sector of about 45 ° and each being delimited by a milling bottom stop 77A, 77B (see in particular fig. 7A and 7B). It should be understood that only one groove is needed in case the pocket watch 1 comprises only one cover. It will also be understood from reading the following description that, depending on whether the first cover 2a or the second cover 2b is to be opened, the execution of the opening operation will cause the safety catch 54 to slide in the first groove 76a or in the second groove 76b.

The first and second actuating pins 64a, 64b are inserted into first and second bores 78a, 78b, respectively, that axially penetrate a second bearing surface 79 provided in the base of the intermediate piece hanger housing cavity 40. These first 64a and second 64b actuating pins are held in the bores 78a, 78b by their catches 66a, 66b, which catches 66a, 66b rest on the second bearing surface 79 and which prevent these actuating pins 64a, 64b from axially leaving the bores 78a, 78b in the direction of the intermediate piece 6. At its end opposite to latches 66a, 66b, first and second actuating pins 64a, 64b rest on first and second locking springs 80a, 80b, said first and second locking springs 80a, 80b being arranged in case 20 of pocket watch 1 and which control the opening of respective covers 2a, 2b. The internal bores 78a, 78b are machined in the second bearing surface 79 of the intermediate member hanger housing cavity 40 such that they are diametrically opposed to each other and located approximately 90 ° on either side of the semi-cylindrical recess 74. In addition, retention plate 68 is shaped such that it is positioned over detents 66a, 66b of actuation pins 64a, 64b and prevents these actuation pins 64a, 64b from axially exiting bores 78a, 78b in the direction of ring hanger 12. The retainer plate 68 is secured in the intermediate member hanger housing cavity 40 at the point where the first and second grooves 76a, 76b intersect by means of at least one screw 82, the screw 82 being threaded into a threaded hole 84 machined perpendicular to the semi-circular recess 74. It is now important to note that the retaining plate 68 is mounted so that a slight axial clearance remains between the detents 66a, 66b and the second bearing surface 79, which clearance defines the travel of the actuating pins 64a, 64b that allow them to actuate the locking springs 80a, 80b of the first and second covers 2a, 2b.

The control device 10 is installed in the following manner: with intermediate member hanger 22 fixed to intermediate member 6 of case 20 of pocket watch 1, intermediate member tube 26 is engaged in intermediate member hanger case chamber 40 and screwed into intermediate member 6. The return spring 42 is then threaded onto the intermediate piece tube 26, the first and second actuating pins 64a, 64b are inserted into the first and second bores 78a, 78b, and the retention plate 68 is then threaded into the bottom of the intermediate piece hanger housing cavity 40 over the actuating pins 64a, 64b. The loop hanger 12 is then articulated in the intermediate piece hanger 22. To accomplish this, the ring hanger 12 must be oriented so that the safety catch 54 can penetrate the semi-cylindrical recess 74. The loop member 24 is then engaged in the loop suspension 12 and screwed into the intermediate member tube 26 until the second collar or intermediate stop 32 of the loop member 24 abuts the distal end 38 of the intermediate member tube 26. At this point in the assembly process, loop hanger 12 is not lost and is free to slide axially along intermediate member tube 26 toward the center of case 20 of pocket watch 1 against the restoring force of return spring 42. The axial travel of the loop suspension 12 is determined by the distance separating a first collar 30 of a loop member 24 from a second collar 32 of the same loop member 24. Finally, crown 18 is removably secured to the proximal end of grommet member 24 and ring 14 is secured to ring hanger 12 by means of screws 16. It is important to note that crown 18 is particularly intended for winding a timepiece movement to be housed in case 20 of pocket watch 1 and does not play any role in the functioning of control device 10 with which pocket watch 1 according to the invention is equipped. Similarly, ring 14 is present for aesthetic and technical purposes (to facilitate actuation of control device 10 and to protect crown 18 from the risk of breakage or accidental operation), but is not essential for the correct operation of control device 10.

When resting, control device 10 is in a condition in which the assembly formed by ring hanger 12 and ring 14 is pushed towards the outside of case 20 of pocket watch 1 by return spring 42. In this position, the shear pin 54 is located in its semi-cylindrical recess 74, and the first and second pegs 56a, 56a are at a distance above the first and second edges 70a, 70b. From this position, for example, a user who wishes to open first cover 2a of pocket watch 1 must press ring hanger 12 down toward the center of case 20 of pocket watch 1 against the restoring force of return spring 42. Under the effect of this pressing action, the loop hanger 12 moves close to the middle 6 of the case of the pocket watch 1 and the pegs 56a, 56b are positioned next to the first and second rims 70a, 70b. The safety catch 54 itself is located at the level of the first and second grooves 76a, 76b after removal from its semi-cylindrical recess 74. It is assumed that the ring suspension 12 must be rotated in a clockwise direction in order to open the first cover 2a. In this case, the safety catch 54 will pass through the first groove 76a and the ring suspension 12 will be able to rotate approximately 45 ° until the safety catch 54 abuts the stop 77a at the bottom of the first groove 76 a. During this rotational movement, the first and second pegs 56a, 56b, which initially rest on their first and second edges 70a, 70b, respectively, will also rotate by 45 ° such that the second peg 56b becomes positioned perpendicular to the gap 72, while the first peg 56a is positioned perpendicular to the first actuation pin 64a. The height of first groove 76a in which safety catch 54 is located after this position has been reached is sufficient for the user to press ring hanger 12 downwards by counteracting the restoring force of return spring 42 in order to be able to move ring hanger 12 axially towards middle part 6 of case 20 of pocket watch 1. During this movement, second peg 56b passes through gap 72 and has no effect, while first peg 56a comes into contact with first actuating pin 64a and forces it to move axially towards middle part 6 of case 20 of pocket watch 1. It should be appreciated that in order for the first peg 56a to contact the first actuator pin 64a, the diameter of the return spring 42 should be less than the diameter of the circle C on which the first peg 56a lies. It should also be borne in mind that the axial movement of the first actuating pin 64a may be achieved by: the retaining plate 68 is mounted such that a slight axial gap remains between the detents 66a, 66b of the actuating pins 64a, 64b and a second bearing surface 79 formed in the intermediate piece hanger housing cavity 40, which gap defines the travel of the actuating pins 64a, 64b that allows them to actuate the springs 80a, 80b to lock the first and second covers 2a, 2a. Thus, by moving, the first actuation pin 64a will actuate the first locking spring 80a, which in turn will command the opening of the first cover 2a in a manner known per se. More specifically, fig. 10 shows that the pocket watch 1 according to the invention is equipped with two opening springs 86a and 86b, which are associated respectively with the first cover 2a and the second cover 2b and which each comprise a peg 88a and 88b. When in the closed position, covers 2a and 2b rest on pegs 88a and 88b of opening springs 86a and 86b and bend these opening springs 86a, 86b in a direction perpendicular to the plane in which the movement of pocket watch 1 extends. In this case, the opening springs 86a, 86b are thus tensioned, but prevented from being released into their rest position as the covers 2a, 2b are held closed by the locking springs 86a and 86b. More specifically, as shown in fig. 11A and 11B, each of the two opening springs 80a and 80B is equipped with a catch 90a and 90B, respectively, which protrudes into a corresponding cavity formed on the inner surface of each cover 2a, 2B. However, when the user wishes to open first cover 2a and push ring hanger 12 towards middle 6 of case 20 of pocket watch 1, for example, first actuating pin 64a pushes opening spring 80a slightly towards the inside of case 20 of pocket watch 1, so that catch 90a leaves the cavity formed in the inner surface of cover 2 a; at this point, the cover 2a is no longer held, which allows the opening spring 86a to relax and return to its rest position and rotate the cover 2a upward. The above description of the opening of the first cover 2a applies in the same way to the opening of the second cover 2b.

It will be appreciated that the opening of the second cover 2b follows the same rules as the opening of the first cover 2a described above. Ring hanger 12 is rotated 45 deg. so that safety catch 54 abuts the bottom of second groove 76b. During this movement, the first peg 56a will be positioned over the gap 72, while the second peg 56b will be positioned over the second actuation pin 64b. Then, ring hanger 12 is pushed axially toward middle part 6 of case 20 of pocket watch 1 against the restoring force of return spring 42. First peg 56a will pass through gap 72 without any effect, while second peg 56b will abut against second actuation pin 64b and move it axially towards middle part 6 of case 20 of pocket watch 1. By moving, the actuating pin 64b will actuate the second locking spring 80b, which second locking spring 80b in turn will control the opening of the second cover 2b in a manner known per se.

It is clear that the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but that several simple alternatives and modifications are conceivable to a person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. It should be noted in particular that once cover 2a or 2b is opened, in order to rotate control device 10 into the inactive position, ring suspension 12 must simply be rotated 45 ° backwards in order to bring safety catch 54 into semi-cylindrical recess 74 and allow ring suspension 12 to be pushed backwards into its distal position under the action of the released return spring 42.

List of reference numerals

1. Pocket watch

2a. first cover

Second cover

6. Intermediate piece

8. Hinge assembly

X-X. longitudinal axis of symmetry

9a. dial plate for displaying time

9b. hour hand

9c. minute hand

10. Control device

11b. dial plate

11b, 11c. pointer assembly

12. Ring hanger

14. Ring (C)

16. Screw nail

18. Watch crown

20. Watch case

22. Intermediate member suspension member

24. Annular pipe fitting

26. Intermediate pipe fitting

28. Screw connection

30. Annular stop

32. Intermediate stop

34. First bearing surface

36. Ring suspension member shell cavity

38. Distal end

40. Intermediate member suspension member shell cavity

42. Reset spring

44. Small end face

46. Hole(s)

48. A first cylindrical part

50. Second cylindrical portion

52. Annular surface

54. Safety catch

56a. first peg

56b. second stud

C. Round (T-shaped)

D1. Diameter of

60. First hole

62. Second hole

64a. first actuating pin

64b. second actuating pin

66a. first catch

66b. second catch

68. Retaining plate

D2. Diameter of

70a, 70b, first and second edges

72. Gap

74. Semi-cylindrical recess

76a, 76b, first and second grooves

77a, 77b milling bottom stops

78a, 78b, first and second bores

79. Second bearing surface

80a, 80b, first and second locking springs

82. Screw nail

84. Threaded hole

86a, 86b. opening spring

88a, 88b. pegs

90a, 90b