Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G04—HOROLOGY
  • G04B—MECHANICALLY-DRIVEN CLOCKS OR WATCHES; MECHANICAL PARTS OF CLOCKS OR WATCHES IN GENERAL; TIME PIECES USING THE POSITION OF THE SUN, MOON OR STARS
  • G04B19/00—Indicating the time by visual means
  • G04B19/02—Back-gearing arrangements between gear train and hands
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G04—HOROLOGY
  • G04B—MECHANICALLY-DRIVEN CLOCKS OR WATCHES; MECHANICAL PARTS OF CLOCKS OR WATCHES IN GENERAL; TIME PIECES USING THE POSITION OF THE SUN, MOON OR STARS
  • G04B27/00—Mechanical devices for setting the time indicating means
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G04—HOROLOGY
  • G04B—MECHANICALLY-DRIVEN CLOCKS OR WATCHES; MECHANICAL PARTS OF CLOCKS OR WATCHES IN GENERAL; TIME PIECES USING THE POSITION OF THE SUN, MOON OR STARS
  • G04B19/00—Indicating the time by visual means
  • G04B19/24—Clocks or watches with date or week-day indicators, i.e. calendar clocks or watches; Clockwork calendars
  • G04B19/243—Clocks or watches with date or week-day indicators, i.e. calendar clocks or watches; Clockwork calendars characterised by the shape of the date indicator
  • G04B19/247—Clocks or watches with date or week-day indicators, i.e. calendar clocks or watches; Clockwork calendars characterised by the shape of the date indicator disc-shaped
  • G04B19/25—Devices for setting the date indicators manually

Definitions

• Timepiece displaying the current time and comprising at least a first and a second display device of a time-related magnitude
• the present invention relates to a mechanism for adjusting a device of a time magnitude. More specifically, the present invention relates to an adjustment mechanism for ensuring that a display device of a time value such as a date display device will increment as close as possible to the midnight neighborhood. .
• Timepieces which, in addition to the current time, are capable of providing at least two time-related indications such as the date and the day are already known in the state of the art.
• An example of such a type of timepiece is shown in connection with Figures 1 and 2 appended to this patent application and which respectively correspond to a plan view of the dial of the timepiece and a view in terms of the display mechanism of the temporal magnitudes.
• the timepiece comprises in its center a spindle switch formed by an hour hand 5a, a minute hand 5b and a second hand 5c which move over 7.
• the spindle mechanism has already been described in the European patent application EP 1544691 in the name of the applicant and will therefore not be described further here.
• the timepiece whose time display mechanism is shown in plan in FIG. 2 is a spindle watch comprising a 24-hour retrograde display corresponding to the local time of the place where the wearer of the watch habitually resides and a 12 hour display corresponding to the time of the time zone where the wearer of the watch is staying temporarily.
• Watch 3 is completed by:
• a retrograde date display formed by a needle 9a which moves in front of a graduation 9b in an arc which extends between the
• a 24-hour retrograde display formed by a needle 13a which moves along a graduation 13b in an arc extending between "0" and "24".
• the display of the watch is completed by a small seconds indication 15.
• the mechanism for displaying temporal quantities comprises in particular at its center a reference 1 which is integral with a wheel of hours 1a.
• the reference 1 rotates in a clockwise direction and performs a complete revolution in twelve hours.
• This reference 1 meshes with a date drive wheel 2 which rotates counterclockwise at the rate of one turn in twenty-four hours.
• This driving wheel of date 2 carries a finger 4 by which it drives at a rate of one step per day a date wheel 6 which is indexed by a jumper 8 and which carries a cam 10.
• the cam 10 has an abrupt flank 12 marking the passage between the date of the last day of a given month and the date of the first day of the following month, in other words between the date "31" and the date
• the mechanism for displaying temporal quantities is completed by a control lever 14 provided at one of its ends with an arm 16 by which it bears against the cam 10 during normal operation, and comprising at its other end a rake 18 by which it meshes with a date display wheel 20 which carries the date indicator 9a (not visible in Figure 2).
• the control lever 14 is pivoted at 22 while a second rocker said return lever 24 is pivoted at 26.
• This return lever 24 has a similar structure to that of the control lever 14 including in particular a rake 28 by which it meshes with the date display wheel 20.
• the return lever 24 is constrained by a spring member 30 which tends to rotate in the clockwise direction. In turn, the return lever 24 thus tends to turn the control lever 14 clockwise and to hold its arm 16 against the profile of the cam 10.
• the spring element 30 comes from material with the return lever 24 and bears against a stop 32 for its pre-arming. To achieve this result, one can achieve this latch for example by a photoengraving technique LIGA. It goes without saying, however, that the spring member 30 could be made in the form of a separate part of the return lever 24.
• the time display mechanism shown in FIG. FIG. 2 comprises a day display device which, for the most part, has the same structure as the date display device. More specifically, this day display mechanism comprises a driving wheel of days 2a which rotates counterclockwise by being driven by the return 1.
• This drive wheel 2a days carries a finger 4a by which it drives at a rate of not by day a wheel of days 6a which has fourteen teeth and thus performs a full turn in fourteen days.
• the wheel of days 6a carries a cam 10a which has a double cam profile with two steep sides 12a. and 12a 2 which are symmetrical with respect to the geometric center of said cam 10a. Each of them - AT -
• steep sides 12a- ⁇ and 12a 2 of the cam 10a marks the passage of the indicator of the days of the last day of a week to the first day of the following week, namely from Sunday to Monday.
• the wheel of the days 6a is indexed by a jumper 8a.
• the day display device is completed by a control lever 14a which by its arm 16a bears against the profile of the cam 10a and which meshes with its rake 18a with a display wheel 20a days.
• a biasing latch 24a constrained by a spring 30a and which, at one of its ends, comprises a rake 28a by which it meshes with the display wheel 20a days.
• the watch also includes a 24 hour local time display. Therefore, when correcting the position of the hour and minute hands, you must also be able to correct the 24 hour indication.
• the 24-hour display device comprises a gear 34 driven by the movement of the watch and which meshes with a 24 hour wheel 6b which carries a cam 10b. In one place of its profile, this cam 10b has an abrupt flank 12b which marks the passage between the twenty-fourth hour of a day and the first hour of the following day.
• a control lever 14b is not resting its arm 16b against the profile of the cam 10b and meshes with a display wheel 24 hours 20b via its rake 18b.
• a return latch 24b constrained by a spring member 30b meshes with its rake 28b with the display wheel 24 hours 20b.
• a watch provided with a single device for indicating a temporal magnitude such as a watch which only has a switch for displaying the current time and a date indicator hand does not pose any particular problem. Indeed, the precision of the jump from the date indication of a date to the next day around midnight is ensured by the precision with which the date indicator needle is driven on its axis. This is not the case with a watch which includes, for example, a 24-hour display and a date display device with a needle. Indeed, in this case, at the time of assembly, it must be ensured that the arm 16b of the control lever 14b has fallen well along the steep side 12b of the cam 10b. This position of the arm 16b of the control lever 14b corresponds precisely to midnight.
• the object of the present invention is to overcome this problem by providing a mechanism for precisely adjusting the instant of the jump of a display device of a time value in a timepiece.
• the present invention relates to a timepiece displaying the current time and comprising at least a first and a second display devices of a magnitude related to time, these first and second display devices being each driven by a drive mechanism comprising a driving wheel itself driven by the movement of the timepiece, at least the driving wheel of one of the drive mechanisms carrying a finger by which it drives the display device corresponding, the timepiece being characterized in that the finger is frictionally mounted on the driving wheel.
• the present invention provides a timepiece in which the jumps of information provided by the first and second display devices can be synchronized very accurately to occur almost simultaneously. Indeed, during the assembly of the timepiece, the first display device of a quantity related to the time is synchronized with the display of the current time so that the displayed quantity is incremented by one. not at the passage of a certain time, typically midnight.
• the second display device one can adjust the position of the finger relative to the position of the driving wheel which is determined by the position of the kinematic chain which connects the driving wheel movement by moving the finger relative to the board of the driving wheel, which is made possible by their friction coupling. In doing so, the position of the finger relative to the display device is also modified. it drives, which allows to precisely adjust the moment when the displayed size will increment.
• a first display device may be a date display device
• a second display device may be a day display device
• a third display device may be a display device. 24-hour display, the timepiece comprising any combination of at least two of these display devices.
• the display devices each comprise a pointer indicator.
• the finger is secured to a spring by a first pin around which it can pivot, the pivoting angle of said finger being limited by a second pin which it is secured and which is engaged in a light made in the board of the driving wheel, the spring holding the finger in a position in which it is engaged with the toothing of a driven wheel of the display device to drive the wheel clockwise or counterclockwise, the spring being mounted frictionally on the drive wheel to be able to catch any play, an opening being made for this purpose in the board of the drive wheel to be able to engage a tool for moving said spring relative to the board the driving wheel.
• FIG. 3 is a plan view of a drive mechanism of a display device of a time-related quantity according to the invention
• FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the mechanism of FIG. 3
• FIG. 5 is a plan view of a simplified embodiment of the invention.
• the present invention proceeds from the general inventive idea which consists in providing a timepiece capable of displaying at least two temporal quantities in addition to the current time, the display of these temporal quantities being linked to that of the current time and to be modified simultaneously at the passage of a specific time, typically midnight.
• the display devices of a time scale may be a date display device, a day display device, a 24-hour display device or the like.
• the accuracy with which the time value, for example the date, displayed by the first display device is incremented by one step at midnight, is only a function of the precision with which the date indicator hand is driven on its axis.
• the instant when the time value, for example the day, displayed by the second display device is incremented by one step at midnight is determined by the position of the driving wheel of the display device of the day. and therefore by the position of the center wheel.
• the present invention provides a drive mechanism comprising a driving wheel which is driven by the work train of the timepiece and which itself drives a device. display of a time value via a finger frictionally mounted on the driving wheel.
• the finger Due to the fact that the finger is frictionally mounted on the driving wheel, its position relative to the latter can be modified, and therefore the moment when this finger will actuate the display device of the time size can be adjusted. It is therefore possible, by precise driving of the indicator pointer of the first display device and adjustment of the relative position of the driving wheel and the finger driving the second display device, to ensure that the indications provided by the two display devices will be incremented at the desired time simultaneously or almost simultaneously.
• the present invention will be described in connection with the date display device shown in connection with Figures 1 and 2 described above. It goes without saying that this example is given purely for illustrative purposes only, and that the present invention may apply identically to the day display device also shown in Figures 1 and 2 appended to this patent application. More generally, the present invention applies to any type of display of a quantity related to time as well as the indication of the month of the year or the moon phases.
• the drive mechanism according to the invention is shown in plan and in section respectively in Figures 2 and 3 appended to this patent application. Designated as a whole by the general reference numeral 36, this mechanism comprises a date driving wheel 2 which is driven by the hour wheel 1a of the movement of the timepiece via the reference 1 and which in turn drives via the finger 4 the date wheel 6 of the date display device.
• the finger 4 is carried by the driving wheel 2.
• the finger 4 has an oblong opening 38 through which it is engaged on a hub 40 of said driving wheel 2.
• a spring 42 holds the finger 4 in a position in which this finger 4 is engaged with the teeth of Ie date wheel 6 to drive it clockwise or counterclockwise.
• the spring 42 is disposed between the board 5 of the driving wheel 2 and the finger 4.
• the spring 42 has a circular opening 44 having two ears 46a and 46b diametrically opposed by which it is engaged frictionally on the hub 40 of said driving wheel 2. It will be noted that in normal operating mode, the spring 42 is stationary relative to the driving wheel 2.
• the friction fitting of said spring 42 on said driving wheel 2, enabled by the presence of the two ears 46a and 46b, is provided to allow fine adjustment of the drive mechanism 36 according to the invention as described below.
• the finger 4 is coupled with the spring 42 by means of a pin 48.
• This pin 48 is driven into the finger 4 but is free to pivot in an opening in the spring 42 in which it is engaged.
• This pin 48 is the pivot point of the finger 4.
• a second pin 50 also driven into the finger 4 and which is engaged in an oblong opening 52 formed in the driving wheel 2 in which the pin 50 is free to move .
• the pin 50 is positioned in a recess 54 provided towards the free end 56a of a substantially circular elastic arm 56 of the spring 4.
• the finger 4 In normal operating mode as shown in Figure 3 of the drive mechanism 36 according to the present invention, the finger 4 must be rigid. By this is meant that the finger 4 must be able to drive the date wheel 6 clockwise as counterclockwise without arming itself in the manner of an instantaneous or semi-instantaneous spring mechanism. It is also recalled that normal operating mode means the periods when the reference 1 drives the driving wheel 2 either because this reference 1 is driven by the movement of the timepiece clockwise, or because this reference 1 is trained clockwise or counterclockwise by actuating a winding stem for a time setting for example. In other words, in normal operating mode, the reference 1 rotates and drives the driving wheel 2 which itself drives the date wheel 6.
• the spring 42 exerts on the finger 4 a sufficient retaining torque to allow said finger 4 to overcome the slight torque exerted by the date wheel 6.
• the finger 4 is abutted by the semicircular portion 38a of its oblong opening 38 against the hub 40 of the wheel 2.
• the spring 42 is mounted almost permanently on the hub 40 of the driving wheel 2 so that only a tool 58 engaged in an opening 60 formed in said driving wheel 2 at the a notch 62 of the spring 42, allows to slightly move said spring 42 relative to said hub 40 by a few degrees in the clockwise or counterclockwise to catch any games and synchronize the date jump with the sa day.
• the mechanism is then advanced until the rake of the display device, which, if any, is not equipped with the device according to the invention, is ready to fall along the steep side of the cam, then we adjust the position of the finger of the other display device so that the corresponding rake is also ready to fall along the steep profile of the cam against which it is supported.
• both display devices of a temporal size are both equipped with a finger mounted friction, just observe which of the two rakes falls first and then adjust the position of the finger of the other display device so that the corresponding rake falls at the same time or almost as the other rake. Finally, it is sufficient to drive the indicator hands on their respective axes.
• the finger 64 is mounted directly to friction on the hub 40 of the driving wheel 2 via an opening 66. It is thus possible to dispense with the spring 42, which substantially simplifies the construction of the mechanism and therefore allows to save money in terms of cost.
• the finger 64 must, however, be slightly modified in order to have a recess 68 in which the tool 58 can be engaged in order to allow the fitter to slightly rotate the finger 64 by a few degrees in the clockwise or counterclockwise direction and thus to ensure a almost perfect synchronism of jumps of indicators of a temporal magnitude.

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• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Electromechanical Clocks (AREA)
• Electric Clocks (AREA)
• Measurement Of Current Or Voltage (AREA)
• Measurement Of Unknown Time Intervals (AREA)
• Devices For Indicating Variable Information By Combining Individual Elements (AREA)

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• 2007
  • 2007-01-30 AT AT07001959T patent/ATE460690T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2007-01-30 DE DE602007005214T patent/DE602007005214D1/de active Active
  • 2007-01-30 EP EP07001959A patent/EP1953611B1/de active Active
• 2008
  • 2008-01-24 US US12/018,880 patent/US7645068B2/en active Active
  • 2008-01-28 JP JP2009546776A patent/JP5254995B2/ja active Active
  • 2008-01-28 WO PCT/EP2008/050973 patent/WO2008095813A2/fr not_active Ceased
  • 2008-01-28 CN CN2008800035588A patent/CN101611356B/zh active Active
  • 2008-01-28 US US12/525,268 patent/US8937850B2/en active Active
  • 2008-01-28 KR KR1020097015929A patent/KR101418625B1/ko active Active
  • 2008-01-28 EP EP08708291A patent/EP2115537B1/de active Active
  • 2008-01-30 CN CN2008100090515A patent/CN101236402B/zh active Active
  • 2008-01-30 JP JP2008018758A patent/JP5139821B2/ja active Active
• 2014
  • 2014-12-04 US US14/561,076 patent/US9778621B2/en active Active

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