ES2374542T3 - PIECE OF WATCH WITH A DOUBLE SMILE MECHANISM. - Google Patents

Abstract

The timepiece has an hour indication mechanism comprising striking parts producing striking corresponding to a time of home time (HT) or Greenwich mean time (GMT) time zone based on a choice. The parts are supplied with energy by a striking barrel via control units comprising a winding lever (204). The control units trigger striking corresponding to time of one of the time zones. The barrel is charged independent or non-independent of the functioning of the parts. A control rod permits to charge the barrel for providing a drive force for the parts.

Description

Watchmaking piece with a double sound mechanism.

Technical field

The present invention relates to the field of mechanical watchmaking. It refers, more especially, to a piece of watchmaking with a double sound mechanism.

State of the art�

The usual minute repetition mechanisms allow you to indicate, on request, the time almost per minute, by means of blows given by two hammers in two different bells. The hammers are operated by parts fixed to the exhaust anchor that are lifted by a sounding mechanism. This has a piece for the hours, another for the rooms and another for the minutes, equipped with respectively twelve, three and fourteen teeth to sound the hours, the rooms and the minutes.

In order to regulate the displacement of these pieces, an Archimedes screw for the hours is arranged in a star of twelve teeth, which advances one step every hour, while an Archimedes screw for the rooms and another for the minutes are adjusted in the small seat post located on the axis of a wheel or flywheel of the pinion on which the minute hand rests. Three scales, each equipped with a probe that cooperates with these Archimedes screws, allow to determine the travel of the pieces of the hours, of the rooms and of the minutes and to adjust the number of blows given.

In addition, certain old mechanisms such as those presented in patents CH 15933 or CH 22775 have three bells and three hammers to sound the rooms in three different bells.

Other details on this type of complications will be found, especially on the driving force of the repetition or at the stage of disengagement, that is to say on the firing of the sound, in the book "Theory of watchmaking". Reymondin et al., Federation of Technical Schools 1998, ISBN 2-940025-10-X, pages 219 to 224.

On the other hand, some watchmaking pieces are equipped with mechanisms that allow you to visualize a different time from the place of residence of the wearer (also called HT by Home Time), the time of a second time zone (also called GMT by Greenwich Meridian Time , also called Local Time). It is clearly understood that, for a piece of watchmaking provided with both a minute repeater mechanism and a visual representation of a second time zone it is particularly interesting to be able to make the HT time or the GMT time sounded.

It could simply be feasible to set up two complete minute repeater modules, one giving the HT time and the other giving the GMT time. But this solution, technically uninteresting, would result in a piece whose thickness would make it difficult to carry.

The present invention has the purpose of proposing a mechanism of repetition of minutes that allows to give both the local time and the time of a second time zone, thus obtaining a mechanism of a reasonable thickness by bringing together a certain number Of elements.

Disclosure of the invention

More precisely, the invention relates to a piece of mechanical watchmaking that comprises a mechanism for indicating the time of a first and a second time zone, provided with a sounding device that allows to produce, at choice, a corresponding sound at the time of the first or second time zone.

According to the invention, the sonar device is supplied with energy by a single sent sonic barrel, to supply energy to the sonar device by means of control organs intended to fire a sonor corresponding to the time of the first and second time zones.

Depending on the mode of realization of the invention, the sound barrel is charged independently or not of the operation of the sound.

Advantageously, the control organs comprise first and second control levers, respectively intended to trigger a sound corresponding to the time of the first and second time zones. The sound barrel is loaded by means of a single rack whose control levers are independent.

Brief description of the drawings

Other details will become more apparent after reading the description that follows, made in reference to the attached drawing, in which:

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 Figure 1 represents the essential mechanism according to the invention;

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Figures 2 and 3 are views from above of the firing organs, respectively, of the repetition associated with the time of the first time zone, and of the repetition associated with the time of a second time zone;

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Figure 4 is a three-dimensional view of the firing organs of the two repetitions;

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Figure 5 shows in broad strokes and seen from above the device that allows to ensure the selection between one and the other of the soneries; Y

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Figures 6, 7 and 8 are schematic views of alternative embodiments of the invention.

Mode or modes of realization of the invention

The essential parts of a sounding mechanism according to the invention, intended to be mounted on the frame of a base movement or of a complementary module fixed on the base movement, are shown in FIG. Without further explanation being necessary, the person skilled in the art can easily, for example, arrange the base movement of a first side of a stage, while the sound mechanism will be mounted on the other side of this stage.

The movement comprises a display mechanism of a first and a second time zone, that is to say it comprises a first wheel of the hours relative to the hour HT dragged by a set of conventional minute wheels, and a second wheel of the relative hours at the time GMT also dragged by the wheelset of the minute store and provided with independent means of correction.

The sonar mechanism essentially has a system of Archimedes screws comprising an Archimedes screw 10 minutes, a Archimedes screw 12 of the rooms mounted coaxial on the Archimedes screw 10 minutes. The person skilled in the art may also recognize in the drawing a non-essential surprise device of the invention and which will not be described in detail. Likewise, both the minute and room sound pieces and the motor elements of the sound, rack pinion (not visible in the drawing), sound barrel 15 (visible in Figure 2) are of the classic type.

The device also includes first and second hammers 14 and 16, moved by pieces 18 fixed in the exhaust anchor actuated by the sound pieces. The hammers hit the bells 20 wrapped around the movement. The first hammer 14 is intended, as will be understood later, to sound the hours HT and the rooms. The second hammer 16, intended to strike one of the notes of the sound of the rooms and the note of the sound of the minutes, is of the conventional type. A third hammer 17, which can be seen in figures 3 to 5, allows the GMT hours to be sounded in a third bell. The two hammers 14 and 17 of the hours are located in two different planes and are substantially superimposed.

According to the invention, the elements intended for the sounding of the HT and GMT hours are particular. The mechanism comprises two screws of Archimedes of the hour, one first 100 and one second 200 destined respectively to provide information relative to the time HT and the time GMT.

The Archimedes screw 100 of the HT hours is coaxially arranged in a star 102 with twelve teeth, dragged one step per hour by means of a pin 22 carrying the Archimedes screw 12 of the rooms. The adjustment of the HT hour by means of the crown post gives rise to the rotation of the piece on which the minute hand rests and, therefore, that of the Archimedes screw of the rooms. Pin 22 therefore draws, if the amplitude of the adjustment made requires it, the star 102 and places, in an adapted way, the Archimedes screw 100 of the HT hours.

The Archimedes screw 200 of the GMT hours is coaxially arranged in a star 200 with twelve teeth, dragged one step per hour by a finger 204, which is dragged at the rate of one turn per hour by the GMT system wheel set. Thus, when the GMT time is corrected by means of a conventional corrector, the finger 204 performs a corrected hourly revolution and the Archimedes screw 200 of the hours therefore advances one step. Its position therefore remains constantly in accordance with the GMT time indication, without influencing the HT time. On the other hand, since the wheelset of the GMT system is dragged by the HT time mechanism, it is easily understood that the GMT time is also corrected during the HT time setting by means of the seat post crown.

Next, the control elements that allow the sounding of the HT time and the GMT time to be triggered will be described with reference to Figures 2 to 4.

The HT time trigger mechanism is comparable to a classic minute repetition mechanism. As detailed in Figure 2, it has an assembly lever 104, pivotally mounted on the stage around a BB axis and which can be operated by the user in a first direction from outside the watch case by means of a pin. This lever 104 carries a probe 106 intended to cooperate with the Archimedes screw 100 of the HT hours to take information relative to the HT time and define the travel of the lever 104.

A rack 108 provided with a circular toothed sector 108a is pivotally mounted around the axis BB, on the lever 104. This has an excess thickness 104a located in the plane of the rack 108 and arranged so that it can push the latter into rotation. around the BB axis. As will be better understood later, it is important, especially in the described embodiment, that the lever 104 is independent of the rack 108 and is not fixed thereto, as it is generally in the state of the art. The toothed sector 108a of the rack cooperates, by means of a rack pinion, with the barrel of sound 15, which can be seen in Figure 1, to load it and supply the necessary driving force for the sound. The kite of sound is therefore charged at the time of the shot of the sound.

A pin 110 is caught on the 106 hour probe. It freely passes through the rack 108 and cooperates with a finger 111 pivotally mounted on the lever 104. The finger 111 acts on a scale 112 called "all or nothing". pivotally mounted on the stage. As the person skilled in the art knows, the all or nothing scale is intended to prevent the sound pieces of the rooms and the minutes from falling on their respective Archimedes screw before the sound barrel is sufficiently armed to allow a sound complete. Thus, when the bearer of the watch fires the HT sound and the lever 104 has been sufficiently armed, the scale 112 releases, in a classic way, the sound pieces of the rooms and the minutes to allow its operation.

The scale 112 is provided with a spring 114 intended to rest on a shoulder of the stage to ensure the positioning of the scale 112 against the finger 111.

A ratchet wheel of hours 116 is arranged coaxially to the pinion of the rack. The ratchet wheel 116 has in one part of the circumference twelve pointed teeth intended to cooperate with the part 18 of the hours fixed in the exhaust anchor that pivots freely on its axis. This piece 18 fixed to the exhaust anchor drives the hammer 14 of the HT hours which sounds in the bell of the HT hours.

The trigger mechanism of the GMT sound is especially represented in Figure 3. It has a second arming lever 204, pivotally mounted on a DC axis and which can be operated by the user from outside the watch case by means of a Second pin In the example described here, this second lever is located at approximately 1200 with respect to the first lever 104 and can be operated in the direction opposite to the first lever. This lever 204 has, at its end located in the movement, a finger 204a which is placed in an oblong opening arranged in a scale 208. This scale 208 is pivotally mounted around the axis BB in the stage. It carries a probe 206 intended to cooperate with the Archimedes screw 200 of the GMT hours to take information relative to the GMT time and define the path of the lever 204.

In this way, the actuation of the lever 204 causes the rotation of the scale 208 concentrically with the rack 108 by means of the finger 204a that pushes it sliding in the oblong opening, and the pivoting of the probe 206 to be supported on the Archimedes screw 200 of GMT hours.

A pin 216 is fixed on the rack 108 and is arranged so that it cooperates with the scale 208 so that the movement of said scale by the action of the lever 204 rotates the rack around the axis BB in the same direction as when it is actuated by the first lever 104. As for the HT hour sound, the rack 108 allows the sonar barrel to be loaded to provide the necessary driving force in the sound. On the other hand, the scale 208 ends in a hook 208a whose task will be seen later.

As for the first lever 104, the second lever 204 is independent of the rack 108 and is not fixed thereto. Thus, the operation of the rack by one of the levers does not imply the displacement of the other lever. Only the probe that must take information in the chosen time zone travels and the rack makes an adapted route at the time to be sounded.

The scale 208 cooperates with a second all or nothing scale 212 arranged above and parallel to the all or nothing scale 112 of the HT sound. These two elements are joined by a pillar 214. A pin 210 is caught on the 206 hour probe. It freely crosses the scale 208 and cooperates with a finger 211 pivotally mounted on the scale 208, which acts on the scale 212.

Thus, when the bearer of the watch fires the GMT sound and the lever 204 has been sufficiently armed, the scale 212 integrally carries the scale 112 that releases the pieces of sound from the rooms and the minutes, common with the sound of the HT time, to allow its activation.

As explained above, the rack drive pivots the ratchet wheel 106 of the hours cooperating with the part 18 of the hours set in the exhaust anchor. To sound the bell of the GMT hours, a GMT intermediate cam 219, which can best be seen in Figure 4, is movably mounted in rotation coaxially with the piece 18 fixed in the anchor of the hours with which it has been made integral by a plug 217 that joins one and another of these pieces. Piece 219 drives the hammer 17 of the GMT hours that hits the bell of the GMT hours.

Thus, it is understood that during the activation of the sound of the HT hour or the GMT time, the two hammers, respectively of the HT and GMT hours, are actuated. Not to sound more than the bell

The mechanism, especially of the invention, comprises a bell selector 22 described in detail below.

In the state of the art each hammer is equipped with a pin that cooperates with a spring that makes it fall again when it has been lifted by its part fixed in the exhaust anchor, and with a counter spring that acts in the opposite direction so that the hammer no longer keep in touch with the bell and the latter may sound. The separation of the hammers with respect to the bell is regulated by a cone-shaped stop against which the counter-springs are supported. Generally, this stop is screwed on the stage. Depending on the sinking of the stop, the counter-rests rely on different levels of the conical part. Their position is therefore defined and also the resting position of the hammers. For a more complete explanation you can consult the book " Complicated clocks " by Frangois Lecoultre, in the Watchmaking Editions, pp 115-122.

In the device according to the invention, hammers 14 and 17, respectively, of the HT and GMT hours are also each provided with a stop 130 and 230. The latter are superimposed and each is constituted by a mobile arm around the same DD axis that is orthogonal to them. They are held in support against a set screw 132 and 232 by a spring 134 and 234, respectively. Each stop cooperates, at one of its first ends 130a and 230a, with a pin 136 and 236 arranged in the hammers 14 and 17, respectively, of the HT and GMT hours and, at its second end 130b and 230b, with the bell selector 22 mentioned above.

As shown especially in Figure 5, the selector 22 has an axis provided with a first cam 138 intended to cooperate with the stop 130 of the hammer of the HT hours, and a second cam 238 destined to cooperate with the stop 230 of the hammer of GMT hours.

The first cam 138 has a parallelepipedic shape and has small sides 138a and large 138b whose dimensions are adjusted so that the cam can evolve between:

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a first position in which the stop 130 of the hammer of the hours HT is free with respect to it, this stop being then held supported on its adjustment screw 132 by its spring 134, which thus allows the hammer 14 to normally strike its bell, and

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a second position in which the stop 130 of the hammer of the hours HT is supported on it, this stop then acting on the pin 136 of the hammer of the hours HT 14 to prevent it from hitting its bell.

The second cam 238 has a notch 238a whose purpose will be seen later and different circular parts of the first curve 238b and second 238c whose shape is respectively adjusted so that the cam can evolve between:

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a first position in which the stop 230 of the GMT hours hammer is resting on it, this stop acting then on the pin 236 of the hammer 17 of the GMT hours to prevent it from hitting its bell, and

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a second position in which the stop 230 of the GMT hours hammer is free from it, this stop being then supported on its adjusting screw 232 by its spring 234, which thus allows the hammer 17 to normally strike its bell .

The cams 138 and 238 are arranged in the bell selector 22 so that they are together in their first and second positions, which respectively define first and second positions of the bell selector. Thus, when the selector 22 is in its first position, only the hammer 14 of the HT hours can hit its bell, the hammer 17 of the GMT hours being blocked by its stop 230. On the contrary, when the selector 22 In its second position, only hammer 17 of GMT hours can hit its bell when hammer 14 of HT hours is blocked by its stop 130.

The spring 234 of the top of the GMT hours is more powerful than the spring 134 of the top of the hours HT. Due to the shape of the first circular sector 238b, it exerts a return torque on the bell selector 22 which, at rest, keeps the latter in its first position.

In order for the bell selector 22 to move from its first to its second position, the hook 208a of the scale cooperates with the notch 238a of the cam 238. Once the scale 208 has brought the selector to its second position, it is thus maintained in support against the scale 208 by the effect of spring 234 GMT. Then, when it has completely completed its drive path, it returns to its initial position simultaneously at rack 108 and, when not in contact with the bell selector 22, returns to its first position due to the effect of spring 234 of stop 230 of GMT hours.

Depending on the shape of the scale 208, and especially of the length of the part intended to be in contact with the bell selector 22, the person skilled in the art can choose for the GMT time sound:

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that the selector returns to its resting position after the sound of the GMT hours, but before the sound of the rooms, in which case the rooms are played with the hammer 14 on the bell of the hours HT and with the hammer 16 or

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that the selector returns to its resting position after the sound of the rooms, in which case they are blown with the hammer 17 on the bell of the GMT hours and with the hammer 16.

In operation, when the carrier operates the lever 104 to obtain information about the HT time, it pulls the rack 108. With the bell selector 22 being in its first position the GMT hour bell is not active. The hour, the rooms and the minutes are then made to sound similar to a repetition of minutes of the classic type on the bell of the hours HT and on that of the minutes.

When the carrier operates the lever 204 to obtain GMT time information, it drags the scale 208 and the rack without moving the lever 104. The movement of the scale takes the bell selector to its second position, the bell being of the hours HT then inactive. The time is then played on the GMT hours bell, the rooms on the minute bell and, as explained above, either on the GMT hours bell or on the HT hours bell, and the minutes on the bell of the minutes.

In this way, a mechanism has been proposed that allows one or another hour of the hours of two different time zones to be sounded, in which a large number of pieces are common to the two spindles.

It is very clear that the above description has been given only by way of illustration. The person skilled in the art could in a very simple way provide that the two operating levers of the two spindles are substantially overlapping and can be operated in the same direction. In this case, for example, each lever can act on a rack, each cooperating with a rack pinion whose teeth cover the two zippers. Also in this case the levers are independent of their zipper so that only one of the two probes is active at a time.

In another variant illustrated schematically in Figure 6 the two levers 104, 204 are actuated in the same direction. They are outdated and each can act according to a 308 and 408 zipper from which they are independent. Each rack directly drives the rack pin 50 and each lever carries a probe 106, 206 that will take its information in its respective Archimedes screw, not finding the Archimedes screws 100 and 200, respectively, of the hours HT and GMT, not in this case necessarily overlapping.

It is also possible not to foresee a pin through which the wearer can play the HT and GMT hours. In this case, a flat bolt 51 located on the outside of the watch case allows to select which of the two hours it should sound. This result can be obtained, by way of example, by the mechanism outlined in Figure 7. In this version the two levers 104, 204 are superimposed. The pin acts on one or the other of the levers by means of a mobile cam 52 in the direction of the thickness of the movement. The cam 52 has an endless screw 54 driven by the flat selection bolt 51. The operation of the flat bolt 51 implies the displacement of the screw 54 and of the cam 52 in the direction of the thickness of the movement, that is to say that the cam is in a first position of the flat bolt 51, at the level of the first lever 104 and, in a second position of the flat bolt 51 at the level of the second lever 204. The pin therefore does not drag more than one of the two levers, which, like what has been explained before, triggers the chosen sound.

The flat selection bolt can also act directly on the probe. The latter is double and has, pivotally mounted at its end, a scale equipped with two points located on two different levels, each being able to cooperate respectively with the Archimedes screws of the HT hours and GMT hours, these being superimposed last. A blade positions the scale on which the flat bolt acts.

In another variant shown in Figure 8 it is possible to have no more than a single lever 104 and a single pin. In this case even, a flat selection bolt 51 allows the bearer to select which of the two hours should be sounded. The flat bolt acts on a scale 56 that carries, in an outdated way, the two screws of Archimedes 100 and 200, respectively, of the hours HT and GMT. Depending on the position of the flat bolt 51, one or the other of the Archimedes screws is located in the trajectory of the hour probe 106. The stars of the hours that the Archimedes screws carry are dragged into two different levels.

Alternatives to the bell selector level are also possible. The person skilled in the art can provide, in a slightly less interesting way that has not been described before, that the bell selector does not act on the hammer stops, but on mutes that choke the bell that should not sound. In this case it is understood that the two hammers hit their bell, but only the one in function produces a clear sound.

On the other hand, the mechanism can be adapted to any type of sound, rooms or great sound. In the latter case, the sounding kite is charged regardless of the sounding operation, that is, the sounding kite is not charged at the time of the sounding shot. The principle of the operation of a great sound is given in the work " Complicated clocks " already cited. From a classical system, the person skilled in the art may, for example, adapt a flat selection bolt such as that proposed in Figure 8, so that, during the firing of the sound (by step or by hand), the screw From Archimedes of the selected hours, cooperate with the time probe.

In short, in an economic variant the device may not have a bell selector. In this case, the mechanism has no more than two bells and two hammers by means of which the HT and GMT hours are sounded. The carrier is the one who knows, depending on the lever that operates, if the HT or GMT time is played.

Claims (12)

one.

Mechanical watch piece comprising a mechanism for indicating the time of a first and a second time zone, provided with a sounding device that allows to produce, on an election, a sound corresponding to the time of the first or second time zone , said sounding device being powered by energy by a single barrel of sound sent, to supply power to the sounding device, by means of control organs intended to fire a sound corresponding to the time of the first and second time zone.

2.

Clockwork piece according to claim 1, characterized in that said sounding barrel is arranged to be charged independently or not of the operation of the sounding.

3.

Clockwork piece according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the control organs comprise a first (104) and a second (204) control levers, intended respectively to fire a sound corresponding to the time of a first and a second time zone, and because the barrel of the sound is arranged to be loaded by means of a single rack (108), said levers (104, 204) being independent of said rack.

Four.

Watch piece according to claim 3, characterized in that said second lever (204) and said zipper

(108) can be operated in opposite directions, and because said second lever is arranged to drag said rack by means of a scale (208).

5.

Clockwork piece according to one of claims 1 to 4, which also has a piece of room sound that participates in the first hour and second time zone soneries, held in rest position by a first scale " all or nothing " (112) which has the function of preventing said room sound piece from falling on its Archimedes screw before the sound barrel is sufficiently charged to allow complete sounding, said scale being able to be operated "all or nothing" for the first and second levers.

6.

Watch piece according to claim 5, characterized in that said second lever (204) acts on a second scale "all or nothing" (212) noticeably superimposed on the first scale "all or nothing" (112) and solidarity with her.

7.

Clockwork piece according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it has a first hammer (14) intended to strike a first bell to sound the time of the first time zone, a second hammer

(16) destined to strike a second bell to blow the minutes, a third hammer (17) destined to strike on a third bell to sound the hour of the second time zone, the rooms being blown by the second hammer (16) and by the first (14) or the third (17) hammer. 8. Clockwork piece according to claim 7, characterized in that it has a bell selector (22) capable of evolving between a first position in which said selector is arranged so that only the first hammer

(14)

of the hours produce a clear sound in your bell and a second position in which only the third hammer

(17)

produce a clear sound in your bell.

9. Watch piece according to claim 8, characterized in that the first position of the bell selector (22) is elastically maintained, and because the passage of said selector from its first to its second position is commanded by said second lever (204). 10. Clockwork piece according to claim 9, wherein each hammer is associated with a stop (130, 230), characterized in that said bell selector (22) has an axis provided with a first cam (138), intended to cooperate with the stop (130) of the first hammer of the hours, and of a second cam (238), intended to cooperate with the stop (230) of the second hammer of the hours, said cams being shaped and arranged with respect to each other so that:

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when the selector (22) is in its first position, only the first hammer (14) of the hours can hit its bell, the second hammer (17) of the hours blocked by its stop (230), and

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when the selector (22) is in its second position only the second hammer (17) of the hours can hit its bell, the first hammer of the hours (14) being blocked by its stop (130).

eleven.

Watch piece according to claims 4 and 10, characterized in that one of the cams (138, 238) of the bell selector (22) is provided with a notch (238a) intended to cooperate with a hook (280a), which is provided said scale (208), to pass said bell selector from its first to its second position.

12.

Watch piece according to one of claims 10 and 11, characterized in that said stops (130, 230) are each held in support against a set screw (132, 232) by a spring (134, 234), the relationship being determined of the forces of said springs so as to ensure elastic maintenance of the first position of the bell selector.