US3447311A - Electronic timepiece - Google Patents

Electronic timepiece Download PDF

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Publication number
US3447311A
US3447311A US620510A US3447311DA US3447311A US 3447311 A US3447311 A US 3447311A US 620510 A US620510 A US 620510A US 3447311D A US3447311D A US 3447311DA US 3447311 A US3447311 A US 3447311A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
resonator
rigid
timepiece
centre
counting device
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US620510A
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English (en)
Inventor
Andre Beyner
Rene Besson
Remy Chopard
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Ebauches SA
Original Assignee
Ebauches SA
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Ebauches SA filed Critical Ebauches SA
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Publication of US3447311A publication Critical patent/US3447311A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
    • F16H—GEARING
    • F16H31/00—Other gearings with freewheeling members or other intermittently driving members
    • F16H31/003—Step-by-step mechanisms for rotary motion
    • F16H31/005—Step-by-step mechanisms for rotary motion with pawls driven by a reciprocating or oscillating transmission member
    • 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
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G04—HOROLOGY
    • G04C—ELECTROMECHANICAL CLOCKS OR WATCHES
    • G04C3/00—Electromechanical clocks or watches independent of other time-pieces and in which the movement is maintained by electric means
    • G04C3/08—Electromechanical clocks or watches independent of other time-pieces and in which the movement is maintained by electric means wherein movement is regulated by a mechanical oscillator other than a pendulum or balance, e.g. by a tuning fork, e.g. electrostatically
    • G04C3/10—Electromechanical clocks or watches independent of other time-pieces and in which the movement is maintained by electric means wherein movement is regulated by a mechanical oscillator other than a pendulum or balance, e.g. by a tuning fork, e.g. electrostatically driven by electromagnetic means
    • G04C3/101—Electromechanical clocks or watches independent of other time-pieces and in which the movement is maintained by electric means wherein movement is regulated by a mechanical oscillator other than a pendulum or balance, e.g. by a tuning fork, e.g. electrostatically driven by electromagnetic means constructional details
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G04—HOROLOGY
    • G04C—ELECTROMECHANICAL CLOCKS OR WATCHES
    • G04C3/00—Electromechanical clocks or watches independent of other time-pieces and in which the movement is maintained by electric means
    • G04C3/08—Electromechanical clocks or watches independent of other time-pieces and in which the movement is maintained by electric means wherein movement is regulated by a mechanical oscillator other than a pendulum or balance, e.g. by a tuning fork, e.g. electrostatically
    • G04C3/10—Electromechanical clocks or watches independent of other time-pieces and in which the movement is maintained by electric means wherein movement is regulated by a mechanical oscillator other than a pendulum or balance, e.g. by a tuning fork, e.g. electrostatically driven by electromagnetic means
    • G04C3/101—Electromechanical clocks or watches independent of other time-pieces and in which the movement is maintained by electric means wherein movement is regulated by a mechanical oscillator other than a pendulum or balance, e.g. by a tuning fork, e.g. electrostatically driven by electromagnetic means constructional details
    • G04C3/102—Electromechanical clocks or watches independent of other time-pieces and in which the movement is maintained by electric means wherein movement is regulated by a mechanical oscillator other than a pendulum or balance, e.g. by a tuning fork, e.g. electrostatically driven by electromagnetic means constructional details of the mechanical oscillator or of the coil

Definitions

  • An electronic timepiece including mechanical resonator, the oscillations of which are maintained electronically, a counting device actuated by the resonator that transforms the oscillating movements of the resonator into rotary movements of a counting wheel, the resonator being constituted by a symmetrical flexion-type oscillator having a U-shaped portion with two arms thereof participating in flexion in the fashion of a tuning fork and with two rigid limbs thereof adapted to compensate for gravity position effects, each rigid limb being connected to one of the flexible arms in the vicinity of the free end thereof, the counting device being attached to the resonator at a selected point of at least one of the rigid limbs of such resonator as the limb is submitted to a vibratory oscillating movement under the effect of the vibrations of the flexible arm with which such rigid limb is associated, the counting device being practically insensitive to accelerations resultant from shocks to which the timepiece is subjected.
  • the present invention relates to an electronic timepiece comprising a mechanical resonator, the oscillations of which are maintained electronically, and actuating a counting device which transforms the oscillating movements of the resonator into rotary movements of a counting wheel.
  • Timepieces of the above-mentioned type are already known, in particular timepieces in which the resonator comprises a tuning fork which, by means of the click, actuates a ratchet-Wheel which constitutes the counting wheel.
  • the drawback of such known timepieces rests in the fact that they are sensitive to shocks, which are liable to cause the click to jump several teeth on the counting Wheel, thereby obviously rendering the counting inaccurate.
  • An object of the present invention is to provide a timepiece, the running of which is practically insensitive to sudden accelerations arising due to the effect of shocks, and which nevertheless does not suffer from the disadvantages mentioned above.
  • the resonator is constituted by a symmetrical flexion-type oscillator having a U-shaped part, the two arms of which participate in flexion in the fashion of a tuning fork, and also having two rigid limbs adapted to compensate for changes in the position or orientation of the oscillator in the field of gravity, each such limb being connected to one of the flexible arms in the vicinity of the free end of the latter.
  • Such an arrangement has the advantage that the resonator is practically insensitive to gravity position effects, that is, to modifications in frequency which, under the effect of gravity, are brought about by alterations in positions or orientation of the resonator.
  • the present invention provides a timepiece the running of which is insensitive both to gravity position effects, by reason of the design of the resonator equipped with rigid compensating limbs, and to shocks.
  • the timepiece is characterized by the fact that the counting device is attached to the resonator at a point of at least one of the rigid limbs of the latter, which limb is actuated by a vibratory oscillating movement, under the effect of the vibrations of the flexible arm with which this rigid limb is associated, the arrangement being such that the counting device is practically insensitive to acceleration effects, more especially those due to shocks, to which the timepiece is subjected.
  • FIG. 1 is a plan view of a portion of a timepiece in which only those elements necessary for an understanding of the invention are shown,
  • FIG. 2 is a view in elevation of a detail in FIG. 1, and
  • FIGS. 3 to 8 illustrate the principle on which the invention is based.
  • FIG. 1 represents a mechanical resonator comprising two arms formed by elastic flexible blades 1 connected by a median portion 1a rigid with a tongue 1b, attached at 2 to the frame of the timepiece.
  • the tongue 1b is connected to the median portion la by an elastic portion 10 the purpose of which is to suppress any type of eddy vibrations of a frequency corresponding to the frequency of the desired type of vibrations, during which the two flexible blades 1 vibrate in opposite phase.
  • These blades 1 bear, at their free ends, electro-dynamic transducers 3 which serve to maintain the resonators oscillations. As the means for maintaining these oscillations is extraneous to the present invention, it will not be described herein.
  • Each of the flexible blades 1 bears, attached to its free end, a rigid limb 4 which vibrates with the blade with which it is associated and which is itself equipped, at its free end, with a balancing mass or counter-weight 5.
  • the blades 1 and the limbs 4 are located in two different planes, for the purpose of reducing the surface dimensions of the resonator.
  • the transducers 3 may be located instead at the position of the balancing masses 5, that is, at the free ends of the rigid limbs 4.
  • the elastic blades 1 will bear balancing masses at their free ends. It would likewise be possible to have, located at the free ends of the elastic blades and the rigid limbs, four transducer parts which would balance each other.
  • One of the rigid limbs 4 bears, attached to it at 6, a click formed by an elastic blade 7 provided with a beak 8 that engages with the toothing of a ratchet-Wheel 9 which constitutes a counting wheel.
  • This counting wheel 3 stituted by jewels, for example.
  • the counting wheel 9 transmits its movement to the indicating element of the timepiece through the intermediary of a gear train, not shown herein.
  • the elastic blade 7 of the driving click is attached to the rigid limb 4 of the resonator, and not to the flexible arm 1 of such resonator, and, furthermore, is connected to a particular point on such rigid limb, the running of the timepiece is not affected by acceleration effects, more especially those due to shocks, to which the timepiece may be subjected.
  • the resonator may be shown diagrammatically in the manner represented in FIG. 3, in which the same ref-,
  • a mechanical resonator formed of two elastic blades .1, each fixed at one end and free at the other, and two. rigid masses 4, each connected rigidly to the free end of one of the elastic blades 1.
  • the device applied to the driving of the indicator elements of a timepiece through the intermediary of a counting device, may function in the desired maner, that is, may be insensitive to shocks, it is necessary for the point of attachment of the counting device to the resonator to be located on the centre of deformation C and, furthermore, for the centre of oscillation C not to coincide with the centre C
  • the point of attachment 6 of the counting device coincides with the centre of deforma tion C it is clear that said device will not be influenced by shocks.
  • the counting device must not be attached to the resonator at a point 6 coinciding with the centre of oscillation C of the latter.
  • condition set out above is compatible with the demands the resonator must meet for its frequency to be independent of its position in the field of gravity.
  • r and r do not coincide, so that, in the vibrational state, the amplitude C is not nil, and so that the position of C in relation to a fixed point on the frame remains unaltered, Whatever the size and direction of the acceleration effects to which the complex may be subjected.
  • an electronic timepiece comprising a mechanical resonator, the oscillations of which are maintained electronically, a counting device actuated by the said resonator, that transforms the oscillating movements of the resonator into rotary movements of :a so-called counting wheel, and in which said resonator is constituted by a symmetrical fiexi-on-type oscillator having a U-shaped portion the two arms of which participate in fiexion, in the fashion of a tuning fork, and having two rigid limbs adapted to compensate for gravity position effects and each connected to one of the said flexible arms, in the vicinity of the free end of the latter, in such a timepiece, the said counting device attached to the said resonator at a selected point of at least one of said rigid limbs of such resonator, which limb is submitted to a vibratory oscillating movement, under the effect of the vibrations of the flexible arm with which this rigid limb is associated, the arrangement being such that the counting device is practically insensitive to accelerations, more
  • the point of attachment of the said counting device to the said resonator coincides with the center of deformation of the complex formed by the rigid limb actuating said counting device and the flexible arm associated with it, in the displacements of such complex which are due to the efiects of accelerations, such center of deformation being distinct from the center of oscillation of said complex in its displacements that are due to vibratory oscillations.
  • the said counting device is constituted by a click mechanism that actuates a ratchet wheel which constitutes the said counting wheel, (a center of deformation on each rigid limb about which the mass turns in deformation of the resonator under subjection to acceleration effects, such click mechanism comprises at least one click attached to one of the rigid limbs at a point which coincides with said center of deformation of the complex formed by iaict) rigid limb 'and the flexible arm bearing such rigid 4.
  • 'a.timepiece as claimed in claim 1, including an elastic portion interconnecting the two arms of the oscillator and the respective rigid limb for supressing eddy vibrations of a frequency corresponding to the frequency of the desired vibrations, the resonator being fixed on its support through the intermediary of the elastic portion terminating in the U-shaped transverse portion which connects the fiexi'ble arms, the said elastic portion being located at the level of the point of attachment of the counting device to the resonator, along the axis of symmetry of the latter.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Electromagnetism (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Electric Clocks (AREA)
  • Measurement Of Distances Traversed On The Ground (AREA)
  • Electromechanical Clocks (AREA)
  • Measurement Of Mechanical Vibrations Or Ultrasonic Waves (AREA)
US620510A 1966-03-29 1967-03-03 Electronic timepiece Expired - Lifetime US3447311A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CH474466A CH466993A (fr) 1966-03-29 1966-03-29 Pièce d'horlogerie électromécanique

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3447311A true US3447311A (en) 1969-06-03

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Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US620510A Expired - Lifetime US3447311A (en) 1966-03-29 1967-03-03 Electronic timepiece

Country Status (3)

Country Link
US (1) US3447311A (fr)
CH (2) CH466993A (fr)
GB (1) GB1121424A (fr)

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3546500A (en) * 1968-05-29 1970-12-08 Bulova Watch Co Inc Elastic resonator for timekeeping instruments
EP2574994A1 (fr) 2011-09-29 2013-04-03 Asgalium Unitec SA Resonateur a diapason pour mouvement horloger mecanique
EP2942673A1 (fr) 2014-05-05 2015-11-11 Asgalium Unitec S.A. Oscillateur mécanique à diapason pour mouvement horloger
US9465363B2 (en) 2015-02-03 2016-10-11 Eta Sa Manufacture Horlogere Suisse Timepiece oscillator mechanism
US9983549B2 (en) 2015-02-03 2018-05-29 Eta Sa Manufacture Horlogere Suisse Isochronous timepiece resonator

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP3054356B1 (fr) * 2015-02-03 2017-12-13 ETA SA Manufacture Horlogère Suisse Résonateur isochrone d'horlogerie

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US694778A (en) * 1901-10-16 1902-03-04 David Perret Electromagnet apparatus.
US3184981A (en) * 1961-01-19 1965-05-25 Bulova Watch Co Inc Electronically-controlled timepiece and motion transformer therefor
FR1469345A (fr) * 1966-02-11 1967-02-10 Citizen Watch Co Ltd Vibrateur mécanique ainsi que mécanisme d'horlogerie, notamment montre, équipé avec un vibrateur conforme ou similaire au précédent

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US694778A (en) * 1901-10-16 1902-03-04 David Perret Electromagnet apparatus.
US3184981A (en) * 1961-01-19 1965-05-25 Bulova Watch Co Inc Electronically-controlled timepiece and motion transformer therefor
FR1469345A (fr) * 1966-02-11 1967-02-10 Citizen Watch Co Ltd Vibrateur mécanique ainsi que mécanisme d'horlogerie, notamment montre, équipé avec un vibrateur conforme ou similaire au précédent

Cited By (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3546500A (en) * 1968-05-29 1970-12-08 Bulova Watch Co Inc Elastic resonator for timekeeping instruments
EP2574994A1 (fr) 2011-09-29 2013-04-03 Asgalium Unitec SA Resonateur a diapason pour mouvement horloger mecanique
WO2013045573A1 (fr) 2011-09-29 2013-04-04 Asgalium Unitec Sa Resonateur a diapason pour mouvement horloger mecanique
JP2014531594A (ja) * 2011-09-29 2014-11-27 アスガリウム ユニテク エスアー 機械式クロックムーブメント用の音叉共振器
US9134705B2 (en) 2011-09-29 2015-09-15 Asgalium Unitec Sa Tuning-fork resonator for mechanical clock movement
EP2942673A1 (fr) 2014-05-05 2015-11-11 Asgalium Unitec S.A. Oscillateur mécanique à diapason pour mouvement horloger
WO2015169708A2 (fr) 2014-05-05 2015-11-12 Asgalium Unitec Sa Oscillateur mecanique a diapason pour mouvement horloger
US9465363B2 (en) 2015-02-03 2016-10-11 Eta Sa Manufacture Horlogere Suisse Timepiece oscillator mechanism
US9983549B2 (en) 2015-02-03 2018-05-29 Eta Sa Manufacture Horlogere Suisse Isochronous timepiece resonator

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB1121424A (en) 1968-07-24
CH466993A (fr) 1969-02-14
DE1673734B2 (de) 1975-06-19
CH474466A4 (fr) 1968-09-13
DE1673734A1 (de) 1971-02-25
CH485145A (fr) 1970-01-31

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