CH712128B1 - Timepiece comprising a tourbillon mechanism. - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a timepiece comprising a tourbillon mechanism comprising: a first fixed wheel (8) fixedly mounted on a frame in a plane parallel to the plane of the frame, a first cage (10) intended to be driven by a source energy and rotatably mounted on said frame, along a first axis perpendicular to the plane of the frame, said first cage (10) carrying a second fixed wheel (12), a second cage (14) pivotally mounted on the first cage ( 10) along a second axis, via a pinion in mesh with the first fixed wheel, said second cage (14) carrying an escape mechanism pivoted on at least one cage bridge and comprising in particular a balance (24) and a pinion d 'exhaust (26) engaged with the second fixed wheel (12). According to the invention, said first axis and said second axis are perpendicular, and the balance (24) is pivoted along an axis parallel to the second axis.

Description

Technical area

The present invention relates to the field of watchmaking. It relates more particularly to a timepiece comprising a tourbillon mechanism comprising: <tb> <SEP> a first fixed wheel fixedly mounted on a frame in a plane parallel to the plane of the frame, <tb> <SEP> a first cage intended to be driven by an energy source and mounted to be movable in rotation on said frame, along a first axis perpendicular to the plane of the frame, said first cage carrying a second fixed wheel, <tb> <SEP> a second cage mounted to pivot on the first cage along a second axis, via a pinion meshing with the first fixed wheel, said second cage carrying an escapement mechanism pivoted on at least one cage bridge and comprising in particular a balance and an exhaust pinion engaged with the second fixed wheel.

State of the art

Since the invention of the tourbillon by Breguet, intended to average errors due to the influence of terrestrial gravity on the operation of a conventional escapement, and to make the latter occupy successive positions, according to a rotation around d 'a specific axis, this complication has given rise to numerous adaptations, particularly in recent years.

The rotation around an axis is not sufficient to really offer a walk almost independent of terrestrial gravity, we sought to achieve vortices rotating around two or three axes. A large number of variant mechanisms have already been produced, but some have not yet been proposed. The object of the present invention is to propose a new alternative for a tourbillon with two axes.

Disclosure of the invention

[0004] More precisely, the invention relates to a timepiece as defined in the claims.

Brief description of the drawings

[0005] Other details of the invention will emerge more clearly on reading the following description, made with reference to the appended FIG. 1, showing the essential elements of a timepiece according to an embodiment of the 'invention.

Embodiment of the invention

There is shown in Figure 1 a tourbillon mechanism of a timepiece according to one embodiment of the invention. The other elements which are not part of the tourbillon are conventional and do not need to be represented or described.

[0007] The tourbillon thus comprises a first fixed wheel 8 fixedly mounted on a frame in a plane parallel to the plane of this frame. The first fixed wheel 8 has field teeth, projecting from the plane of the fixed wheel.

[0008] The tourbillon also comprises a first cage 10 intended to be driven by an energy source and mounted to be movable in rotation on the frame, along a first axis perpendicular to the plane of the frame. In other words, the bridges forming the first cage 10 are located in planes essentially parallel to the plane of the frame. The first cage 10 carries a second fixed wheel 12, the role of which will appear later. The first cage 10 is integral with a cage pinion, not visible in the figure, kinematically connected to the barrel of the timepiece.

[0009] The tourbillon also comprises a second cage 14 pivotally mounted on the first cage 10 along a second axis. To do this, a shaft 16 is pivoted in two bearings arranged in two bridges 18 integral with the first cage 10 and extending projecting from the general plane of the first cage 10. The second fixed wheel 12 is mounted fixedly on a bridges 18, for example on a tube 20 fixed to the bridge, in which the shaft 16 is guided. The second cage 14 is pivoted via a pinion in engagement with the first fixed wheel, integral with the shaft 16. One could also imagine that the second cage is mounted flying, that is to say that it is pivoted only on a pivoting means, cantilever.

The second cage 14 carries an escape mechanism pivoted on at least one cage bridge 22 and comprising in particular a balance 24 and an escape pinion 26 in engagement with the second fixed wheel 12.

The first axis and the second axis are perpendicular, and the balance 24 is pivoted about an axis parallel to the second axis. Thus, the balance 24 and the other components of the escapement are positioned in planes perpendicular to the plane of the frame of the timepiece, while pivoting, both around their own axis of rotation, parallel to the second axis and while performing a revolution around the first axis. It will be noted, in particular, that the axis of the balance 24 is parallel to the axis of the exhaust pinion 26, that is to say that the set can be of the conventional type, without having cooperation between the moving parts which work in perpendicular planes.

Preferably, the first cage 10 is mounted to fly on the frame of the timepiece, that is to say that it is pivoted either on one side or by guide means or lateral pivoting. There is therefore no bearing masking the escapement, at least on the side of the dial of the timepiece, or on both sides if the first cage 10 is pivoted laterally.

Those skilled in the art will be able to choose the gear ratios of the different elements of the tourbillon so that the first and second cage 14 rotate at different speeds around their respective axis, for example at a rate of 1 revolution in 10 minutes for the first cage 10 and 1 turn in 60 seconds for the second cage 14.

[0014] Thus, in operation, the first cage 10 is rotated by the barrel, along the first axis. In its rotation, it drives the pivoting of the second cage 14 along the second axis, by the engagement of the pinion with the first fixed wheel. The rotation of the second cage 14 generates the rotation of the exhaust mobile by meshing of the exhaust pinion 26 with the second fixed wheel 12 and thus brings a torque to the escapement, making it possible to maintain the oscillations of the balance 24.

Claims (5)

1. Timepiece comprising a tourbillon mechanism comprising: a first fixed wheel (8) fixedly mounted on a frame in a plane parallel to the plane of the frame, a first cage (10) intended to be driven by an energy source and mounted to be movable in rotation on said frame, along a first axis perpendicular to the plane of the frame, said first cage (10) carrying a second fixed wheel (12), a second cage (14) pivotally mounted on the first cage (10) along a second axis, via a pinion meshing with the first fixed wheel, said second cage (14) carrying an escape mechanism pivoted on at least one bridge of cage (22) and comprising in particular a balance (24) and an exhaust pinion (26) in engagement with the second fixed wheel (12), characterized in that said first axis and said second axis are perpendicular, and in that the balance (24) is pivoted along an axis parallel to the second axis. 2. Timepiece according to claim 1, characterized in that the axis of the balance (24) is parallel to the axis of the exhaust pinion (26). 3. Timepiece according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first cage (10) is mounted flying. 4. Timepiece according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first (10) and second (14) cages are arranged to rotate at different speeds. 5. Timepiece according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second cage is pivoted in a flying manner on the first cage.