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
  • G04B17/00—Mechanisms for stabilising frequency
  • G04B17/20—Compensation of mechanisms for stabilising frequency
  • G04B17/28—Compensation of mechanisms for stabilising frequency for the effect of imbalance of the weights, e.g. tourbillon
  • G04B17/285—Tourbillons or carrousels

Definitions

• the present invention relates to the field of mechanical watchmaking. It relates in particular to a new watch movement and a new escapement forming part of such a watch movement, intended to be mounted in particular in a watch or a clock, and in particular a wristwatch type watch. It also relates to a timepiece equipped with such a watch movement or such an escapement.
• the invention relates to a timepiece movement comprising an energy source, a distribution member, a transmission member arranged to transmit energy from the energy source to the distribution member, and a regulating member, the distribution member comprising an escapement formed from an escape wheel and an anchor.
• At least one energy source such as a barrel transmits energy to a counting organ via a transmission organ comprising a gear train.
• This energy is transmitted to a distribution organ generally comprising an escapement, formed of an escape wheel and an anchor and kinematically linked to a regulating organ.
• the regulating organ generally comprises a balance wheel and a balance spring forming a balance-spring assembly.
• the escapement wheel pivots around a rotation axis which itself rotates around a tourbillon axis.
• the anchor pivots around a pivot axis which pivots around this same tourbillon axis.
• This movement of the escape wheel's rotation axis serves to compensate for the effects of Earth's gravity on the movement of the regulating organ.
• a tourbillon escapement As a Potter tourbillon, comprises an escape wheel secured to the frame or a plate of a timepiece. This escape wheel may have internal or external teeth cooperating with an anchor. Since the escape wheel is secured to the plate, it is fixed and immobile relative to this plate or relative to the timepiece in which it is mounted.
• the Potter tourbillon also includes a moving assembly comprising an anchor cage, an anchor, a sprung balance and a drive wheel.
• the moving assembly includes an axis having one end mounted in the base plate or frame and another end held in a bridge secured to this frame or the base plate.
• the anchor receives energy from the barrel on the drive wheel, via the gear train.
• the moving assembly is pivoted around its axis, the rotation of this moving assembly being managed by the anchor cooperating with the teeth of the escape wheel, and by the sprung balance.
• Moving a moving object of a certain mass over a given distance in a given time involves a certain amount of energy consumption. It might be advantageous to reduce the energy consumed by the movement of the timepiece.
• the present invention provides a tourbillon based on a Potter tourbillon.
• This embodiment presents an unusual appearance and a particular animation of the movement containing such an escapement. Furthermore, according to certain specific embodiments, it is possible to reduce the energy consumption of the movement.
• the energy required to move the anchor cage depends on its mass, the distance traveled, and the acceleration. This acceleration, in turn, depends on the distance traveled and the time taken to travel this distance. By moving the anchor cage a shorter distance without changing the travel time and by moving the escape wheel so that it meets the anchor, it is possible to reduce the energy consumed. This energy, however, depends on the mass to be moved with the escape wheel.
• the aims of the invention can be achieved by the fact that not only is the anchor carried by a cage that is mobile in rotation, but also that the escape wheel is carried by a cage, which is also mobile in rotation around the same axis as the cage of the anchor.
• the angle traveled by the tourbillon cage is reduced by half by allowing the escape wheel to meet the latter by traveling the other half of this angle.
• the aim of the invention is also achieved by a timepiece comprising a movement and/or an escapement as defined above.
• the escapement as presented in this document is also interesting because it can be positioned in different places in the movement, which allows, for example, to free up space for other elements of a watch movement or to modify the aesthetics of such a movement.
• the escapement itself allows the movement to be animated, creating a new and unusual aesthetic effect.
• the clockwork movement as described can improve the energy efficiency of the clockwork and in particular makes it possible to produce a new movement using an escape wheel with internal or external teeth similar to a Potter escape wheel.
• clockwork movement according to the invention is not shown in its entirety in the figures.
• the elements of a clockwork movement that are conventional or that differ from these conventional elements in a minor and/or predictable way are not necessarily shown, for the sake of clarity of the drawings. Only the part useful for understanding the escapement of the invention is shown.
• the watch movement described in this document comprises a power source which may comprise one or sometimes several barrels 10.
• the watch movement comprises a distribution member 11 comprising an escapement 12 formed in particular by an escape wheel 13 and an anchor 14, described in more detail below.
• the watch movement also comprises a regulating member 15 comprising a balance 16 and a balance spring 17 forming a balance-spring assembly 18.
• This movement further comprises a transmission member 19 comprising a gear train 20 of which only a part is shown.
• the watch movement according to the invention further comprises a drive assembly 21.
• the rotation of the toothed crown 22 around its axis of rotation has the effect of pivoting the drive pinions 23a, 23b around their common axis of rotation 26, in two opposite directions of rotation.
• the escapement 12 includes in particular the escape wheel 13 and the anchor 14 mentioned above.
• This escapement can be considered as essentially formed of two parts, called respectively the escape wheel subassembly 29 and the anchor subassembly 30.
• the escape wheel 13 has an internal toothing of the Potter escape wheel type.
• This escape wheel has a central symmetry around an axis of symmetry coincident with the axis of rotation 26 of the drive pinions 23a, 23b.
• the anchor 14 comprises a fork cooperating with the balance spring 18 so as to maintain the movement of the timepiece.
• the rotation of the toothed crown 22 causes the rotation in two opposite directions of the drive pinions 23a, 23b and consequently of the escape wheel cage 31 and the anchor cage 34.
• the rotation of the crown 22 has the effect of pivoting one of the drive pinions 23a, 23b in one direction and the other drive pinion in the opposite direction.
• the rotation of the drive pinion 23b of the anchor subassembly 30 has the effect of pivoting this subassembly so that one of the pallets of the anchor 14 comes into contact with the escape wheel 13.
• the position of the anchor and more precisely its pivoting around its pivot axis being managed by the balance-spring 18, one of the pallets of this anchor comes to bear against one of the teeth of the escape wheel, thus blocking the subassembly of the escape wheel 29 and therefore the toothed crown 22.
• the cycle begins again when the balance-spring 18 pivots the anchor again around its pivot axis.
• the toothed crown 22 is rotatable while the drive pinions 23a, 23b are held in place by the bases 25 secured to the plate 24.
• the toothed crown 122 is held on the plate 24 of the clockwork movement and therefore does not pivot.
• the drive pinions 23a, 23b perform a rotational movement along an axis of rotation perpendicular to the plane of the toothed crown 122.
• the escape wheel subassembly 29 and the anchor subassembly 30 are identical in both embodiments. However, instead of being held by fixed bases 27, the drive pinions 23a, 23b are carried by a holding cage 40.
• the holding cage comprises two bases 125 whose function is to receive the drive pivots 23a, 23b while allowing them to pivot about their axis of rotation 26.
• This holding cage 40 further comprises an upper pivot 42a and a lower pivot 42b. These two pivots 42a, 42b define an axis of rotation 43 of the holding cage. This axis of rotation 43 is perpendicular to the axis defined by the drive pinions 23a, 23b.
• One of the pivots 42a is inserted into a suitable housing made in an arm 44 secured to the plate.
• the other pivot 42b is secured to a toothed pinion 45 meshed with the gear train 20 of the watch movement.
• This pivot is also inserted into a suitable housing made in the arm 44 secured to the plate.
• energy is transmitted from an energy source such as a barrel, to the pinion 45 of the cage 40 via the gear train 20 of the timepiece.
• This energy has the effect of pivoting the holding cage 40 about its axis of rotation 43.
• the rotation of the holding cage 40 about this axis causes the drive pinions 23a, 23b to also move about this axis of rotation 43.
• the illustrated embodiments allow for improved use of available energy. Indeed, instead of having to move a component by a predefined step For a fixed time, two components are moved half a step in opposite directions. They also give the movement a new and unusual aesthetic appearance. They also provide a new movement of the clockwork, which gives it an unusual aesthetic appearance.

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• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Gears, Cams (AREA)

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Citations (2)

• 2024
  • 2024-02-26 EP EP24159696.4A patent/EP4607290A1/de active Pending

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