CH624819GA3 - Electrical or electronic timepiece, especially clock or small clock, with chiming hours - Google Patents

Abstract

With a view to simplifying the electromechanical construction whilst ensuring synchronisation between the electrical device for the chiming hours and the position of the manually movable hands, a multi-contact rotary device (14, 15, 17) recognises the positions of the hour hand (11a), at the full hours on the one hand and at the intermediate positions on the other. All the intermediate positions are set up identically to one of the full hour positions, and control-contact means (4-9) are arranged not only in order to accurately set up the instant of chiming, but in order to distinguish appropriately the fraction of an hour positions and the hour positions set up identically, within the electrical information delivered by the rotary device (14, 15, 17) and processed by electronic means in order to cause a loudspeaker (16) to deliver an appropriate and pleasant clock chime, possibly being in particular of the "Westminster" type or also being able to pick out the various types of chime through various vibratos. Such an electronic clock is advantageously produced with the aid of a customary electrical movement without chime, to which only a minimum of electromechanical and electronic equipment has to be added. <IMAGE>