CH712612B1 - Indicator member comprising at least one movable element, associated display system and timepiece comprising such a display system. - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to indicator member (1) comprising a main body (2) and at least one secondary body (3) rigid, characterized in that the secondary body (3) is integral and movable relative to the main body (2) by the 'Intermediate of a deformable link (4), the secondary body comprising an actuating pusher (5) arranged to transmit a driving force to the secondary body inducing an elastic deformation of the deformable link. The invention also relates to a display system comprising such an indicator member as well as a timepiece equipped with such a display system.

Description

Field of the invention

The invention relates to an indicator member such as an indicator needle for any analog display system preferably obtained at least partially by silicon etching and comprising a plurality of movable elements relative to each other around at minus a deformable bond.

[0002] The invention also relates to an analog display device comprising at least one indicator member as mentioned above as well as a timepiece comprising such a display device.

[0003] The indicator member and the display device of the invention find particular application in the watch industry as well as in all technical fields and devices implementing analogue needle display devices.

State of the art

Analog display systems, in particular with needles, have been known and have been used for decades in a multitude of applications in order to provide a direct indication, for example on a graduated scale, a dial or other system of representation of a measurement value of a physical quantity such as speed, temperature, pressure, current, voltage or electrical resistance, of any information, or even and probably the most widely used way for the measurement of time.

[0005] The display needles can be made of various materials and shapes. Most commonly, however, these have an elongated shape that is substantially linear and / or oblong and of fixed dimensions, the variants of shapes and dimensions being essentially dependent on specific considerations of size and appearance of the display device comprising said hands. .

In a large majority of cases, the hands of a display device consist of a rigid unitary body secured to an axis of rotation driven by a movement, for example a watch movement in the case of a timepiece. At each step of rotation of the axis of rotation the needle performs a corresponding rotation, at least one of its free ends describing a trajectory of circular section thus pointing in each of its positions on the circular trajectory a value indication information item. physical measured, of a date of time, or in general of any information to be indicated to a user. The indication is thus produced essentially in the longitudinal axis of the needle at the level of one and / or the other of its opposite ends in collaboration where appropriate with an underlying display, such as a scale by example.

Various proposals have been made, mainly in the watchmaking field, in order to introduce different aesthetic effects in the display of time on the dial of a watch, in particular when the time indications to be pointed out by the hands are not arranged regularly following a circular path.

[0008] It has thus been proposed, for example, a needle of variable length during its revolution so as to impose on its indicator tip a non-circular travel to adapt to a square, rectangular or other shaped dial. Such a variation in length can be carried out by a telescopic system, passive as described in documents US 4601585 A or JPH07318664 A or else actuated by a clockwork mechanism such as proposed in CH 697635 B1.

[0009] Document EP 2863274 A1, for its part, proposed a deformable hand formed of a flexible blade integral with barrels linked to the floor of the watch, which is rotated by a clockwork movement. An angular variation of the relative position of the guns during the rotation of the roadway generates a deformation of the flexible blade and a variation of the radial extension thereof with respect to the guns. The implementation of such a needle, however, involves the almost permanent stressing of the flexible blade on the rotating stroke of the needle requiring unnecessary energy consumption for the application and maintenance of the stress, as well as 'mechanical fatigue in the needle and the watch movement to which it is kinematically linked.

[0010] Document CH 708265 A2, for its part, describes a needle composed of two sections articulated around a pivot. A pusher and follower contact system resting on a cam system driven by a dedicated watchmaking device makes it possible to print a relative rotational movement of the two sections of the hand in order to follow a non-circular current time indication trajectory. . This display device, however, presents a great complexity of implementation due to the assembly of the many parts used. In addition, its application is limited to non-regular display devices.

On the other hand, no needles and associated display devices of simple unit structure and nevertheless allowing a possibility of animation of at least part of the very structure of the needle for purposes are known to date. aesthetic or secondary display without disturbing the main display and indication function.

Object of the invention

[0012] An object of the invention is to provide an indicator member such as a needle which allows in particular the production of an animation within a needle without altering its primary indicator function.

A particular application of the invention consists in the provision of a "cuckoo needle", comprising a movable portion symbolically reproducing the operation of the iconic Swiss cuckoo clocks.

Another object of the invention is to provide a one-piece indicator member comprising at least one movable portion in the mass of the indicator member and devoid of mechanical assembly.

Another object of the invention is to provide a display device comprising such an indicator member and a timepiece provided with such a display device.

The objects of the invention are achieved according to a first object by an indicator member.

To this end, the present invention provides an indicator member comprising a main body and at least one rigid secondary body, characterized in that the secondary body is integral and movable relative to the main body by means of a deformable connection , the secondary body comprising an actuating button arranged to transmit a driving force to the secondary body inducing an elastic deformation of the deformable connection.

In the context of the invention is meant here by rigid main and secondary body that said main and secondary body are made of a material whose Young's modulus is greater than 2.3 GPa.

[0019] Advantageously according to the invention, the main body, the secondary body and the deformable connection of the indicator member form a monolithic part. In other words, the main body, the secondary body and the deformable connection of the indicator member are integral and formed of the same material without assembly.

The indicator member of the invention can for example be produced by molding and / or machining of metal alloys, glasses, ceramics (Al2O3), hard machinable and / or photocurable polymers (epoxy, PEEK).

[0021] According to an advantageous embodiment, the indicator member of the invention is advantageously made of monocrystalline or polycrystalline silicon. The indicator member can thus advantageously be produced by deep silicon etching processes.

In one embodiment, the indicator member of the invention comprises n secondary bodies, n being an integer greater than 1, each secondary body being movable relative to the main body by means of a deformable connection and comprising an actuating button.

Advantageously in this embodiment, each secondary body of rank i is arranged to cooperate by means of its actuator with at least part of the secondary body of rank i-1, i being a lower whole number or equal to n. It is thus possible to obtain an indicator member within which a plurality of integral bodies are movable relatively to each other and cooperate with each other to cause a relative displacement with respect to the main body of the indicator member, as by domino effect.

According to one embodiment of the member of the invention at least one secondary body may include several deformable connections with the main body. The provision of several deformable links makes it possible in particular to limit the number of degrees of freedom of the secondary body with respect to the main body, for example in translation or in rotation.

[0025] According to an advantageous embodiment at least one secondary body comprises a plurality of segments secured to each other by deformable links.

According to the various embodiments of the invention, and most particularly in the context of a silicon indicator member, the deformable links are preferably made of flexible blades with a thickness between 2 and 50 micrometers l ' thickness of the main body and of the secondary body (s) being greater than 30 micrometers. This dimensioning thus effectively provides an elastic character to the flexible blades forming the deformable links, whereas the portions of greater thickness of the main body and secondary body are themselves completely rigid and devoid of elastic nature.

According to a preferred embodiment of the indicator member of the invention, the latter further comprises an orifice arranged on the main body to allow assembly of the indicator member on a training device.

[0028] Advantageously, said orifice can be formed of a metal ring assembled on the main body. Such a metal ring makes it possible in particular to locally reinforce the indicator member at its point of assembly to a drive device within a display system within which the indicator member is implemented. In the context of a monolithic indicator member made of silicon, this embodiment proves to be particularly advantageous by implementing a technology of hybridization by bonding of metal to silicon such as described in application EP 2579104 A2 in the name of the Applicant. This technology advantageously allows welding of the metal ring to the main body of the silicon indicator member without any complex assembly of mechanical parts and allows the use of the member of the invention in any measuring system implementing a analogue display by hand, in particular in the field of watchmaking.

[0029] According to a second object, the present invention also relates to a display system comprising an indicator member as described above, which is arranged in kinematic connection with a device for driving in rotation or translation and a suitable actuating device. in transmitting a motor force on the actuating button.

In a particular embodiment, the actuating device comprises a cam or a lug arranged relative to the actuating pusher to exert on the latter a thrust during a relative movement of the indicator member with respect to said cam or lug. Preferably, said cam or lug is then kinematically linked to the drive device.

In one embodiment particularly dedicated to the watchmaking field, the display system of the invention comprises two indicator members, for example intended to constitute the hour and minute hands of a timepiece. Each indicator member is advantageously kinematically linked in rotation to the drive device, for example a watch movement, by means of a barrel, said indicator members being assembled and movable coaxially in rotation relative to one another by the intermediary of their guns. A first of said indicator members is advantageously in accordance with the invention and the second indicator member then comprises said cam or lug arranged on an assembly ring on the corresponding barrel so that said cam or lug comes into contact with the pusher. actuation of the first indicator member in at least one relative rotational position of said indicator members.

[0032] Where appropriate, the actuating device can also include a plurality of cams or lugs.

In an alternative embodiment of the display system of the invention, the actuation device can also be a non-contact actuation device by electrostatic, thermal or magnetic effect on the actuator button (s). secondary body (s) of the indicator organ.

Finally, the present invention relates, in a third object, to a timepiece characterized in that it comprises a display system as described above. In this context, the display system drive device is preferably a clockwork movement and the indicator member forms a display hand of a time date.

In a preferred embodiment of the timepiece according to the invention, the display system comprises two indicator members, a first indicator member constituting a minute hand, the barrel of which is the floor of the watch movement and the second indicator member being an hour hand, the barrel of which is integral with the hour wheel of the watch movement.

This particular embodiment makes it possible in particular to implement a cuckoo hand within a timepiece of the wristwatch type. Indeed, the minute hand in accordance with the indicator member of the invention can be produced by etching of silicon, for example so as to form a secondary body in the form of a cuckoo articulated around one or more deformable links with respect to a main body. The hour hand can then advantageously include, at the level of its connecting ring to the hour barrel, a protuberance forming a cam acting on the actuator push button of the secondary body of the minute hand during the relative movements of the hour and minute hands. , thereby actuating the movement of the cuckoo relative to the main body of the minute hand.

[0037] The symbolic kinematics of a cuckoo clock in a Swiss cuckoo clock are thus reproduced within a conventional needle display.

Of course, we can provide in the timepiece of the invention a dial and other trim elements reinforcing this symbolism of the cuckoo clock if necessary.

Description of figures

The invention will be better understood on reading the detailed description of an exemplary embodiment given with reference to the appended figures, among which: <tb> - <SEP> FIG. 1 is a schematic view in longitudinal section of a needle display system comprising an indicator member according to the present invention; <tb> - <SEP> FIGS. 2A and 2B represent two variant embodiments of a display system according to FIG. 1 comprising a needle formed of an indicator member according to the invention in two particular embodiments; <tb> - <SEP> FIGS. 3A and 3B represent a display system according to the invention comprising an indicator member forming a cuckoo needle in a first embodiment in two distinct positions; <tb> - <SEP> Figures 4A and 4B show an indicator member according to the invention constituting a cuckoo needle in a second embodiment in two distinct positions.

Description of embodiments of the invention

The present invention relates to an analog indicator member such as a hand, an analog display system comprising at least one such indicator member, and a timepiece comprising such a display system. A preferred application of the invention relates to the field of watchmaking, but the invention can also be implemented in any field requiring the use of a needle display.

There is shown in Figures 1 to 3 different embodiments of analogue display systems with hands for displaying the time in a timepiece such as a watch or a clock. In all the embodiments, the display system comprises at least one of the hands, for example the minute hand, consisting of an indicator member 1 comprising a main body 2 and at least one secondary body 3 rigid, the ( s) secondary body (s) 3 being integral and mobile (s) relative to the main body 2 via at least one deformable connection 4.

The indicator member 1 of the invention is advantageously constituted by a monolithic part formed of a rigid material, which is understood in the context of the present invention as any material whose Young's modulus is greater than 2.3 GPa. As such, a preferred material for producing the indicator member 1 of the invention is silicon, monocrystalline or polycrystalline, from which it is easily possible, for example by deep etching processes (in particular DRIE - for Deep Reactive-ion Etching in English), form the main body 2 and secondary (s) 3 connected to each other by at least one deformable connection 4, resulting in particular advantageously from the formation during the deep etching process of one or more blades flexible 4, 6 with a thickness between 2 and 50 micrometers, the thickness of the main body 2 and of the secondary body (s) preferably being greater than 30 micrometers.

A simplified display system for a timepiece is shown in Figures 1, 2A and 2B. This display system comprises a small hour hand 10 preferably made of silicon, integral with a metal mounting ring, by any technique known to the watchmaker, in particular by driving, on the hour barrel of a watch. The display system also comprises a large minute hand consisting of an indicator member 1 according to the invention, consisting of a monolithic piece of silicon and the main body 2 of which is also preferably secured to a suitable metal ring. it too, in a similar manner to the small hour hand 10, to the mounting of the minute hand 1 on the minute barrel of the watch.

As is apparent from Figure 2A, the indicator member 1 forming the minute hand also comprises a secondary body 3 integral with the main body 2 and movable in rotation relative to the latter by means of a flexible blade 4, extending substantially perpendicularly to the main body 1. The secondary body 3 comprises an actuating pusher 5 arranged at one end of said secondary body 3 near the metal ring to transmit a driving force to the body secondary 3 inducing an elastic deformation of the deformable link 4 during the rotational movement of the indicator member 1 in its time indicating stroke. For this purpose, the metal ring 8 of the hour hand 10 advantageously comprises on its periphery one or more protuberances constituting a system of radial cams 91 having a function of actuating device 9 of the secondary body or bodies 3 in the member. indicator 1.

The hands are assembled and arranged on their respective barrels 11, 12 so that the pusher 5 of the secondary body of the indicator member 1 bears against the metal ring 8 of the hand 10 of the hours. The pusher 5 then acts as a cam follower contact and its passage over a protuberance forming a cam during the advance of the indicator member 1 causes the secondary body 3 to pivot around the deformable link 4 as shown in FIG. 2A. When the pusher 5 leaves the high point of the cam 9, 91, the return forces of the flexible blade 4 return the secondary body to its initial position.

An indicator member 1 is thus obtained provided with a movable part relative to the main body of the hand making it possible to introduce an animation within the indicator member simultaneously with its time indication function.

In fact, the displacement of the secondary body 3 is proportional to the displacement of the end of the pusher 5 as a function of the ratio of their respective lengths. This property can thus advantageously be used to mobilize, within an indicator member 1 according to the invention, secondary bodies 3 forming decorative or flexible indicator elements produced during the engraving of the monolithic part comprising the main body 2, the or the secondary bodies 3 and the deformable link (s) 4, as shown in Figures 3A, 3B, 4A and 4B and described below.

As shown in Figure 2B, it is possible to provide within the indicator member 1 of the invention movements of a secondary body 3 in translation, for example in a direction parallel to that of the main body 2 , by means of not a deformable link 4 but two deformable links 4, in this case two flexible blades parallel to each other. In this configuration, the secondary body 3 operates a linear movement when the cam 9, 91 cooperates with the pusher 5.

There is shown in Figures 3A and 3B an embodiment of a time display system A for a timepiece comprising a minute hand formed of an indicator member 1 according to the present invention. , comprising a plurality of secondary bodies 31, 32, 33 arranged to reproduce the principle of a cuckoo clock, a secondary body 33 comprising a figurine, in this case in the shape of a bird, movable laterally out of a small house formed by the main body 2 of indicator organ 1.

The indicator member 1 constituting the minute hand is composed of a monolithic piece of engraved silicon assembled on a metal assembly ring 8 on the minute barrel of a timepiece as previously explained in relation to Figures 1 and 2. Each of the secondary bodies 31, 32, of the indicator member 1 is secured to the main body 2 by means of a deformable connection 4 with two branches arranged in a V such that their respective ends connection to the main body 2 is closer to one another than the connection ends of said branches to the secondary body 31, 32. The secondary bodies 31, 32 are thus movable in pivoting relative to the main body 2.

The hour hand 10 comprises a mounting ring 8 having on its periphery a protuberance or protuberance forming a cam 91 as an actuator. The pusher 51 of the first secondary body 31 is arranged in contact with the peripheral surface of said ring 8 of the hour hand 10 so that when said pusher 51 passes over the cam 91 the first secondary body 31 performs a rotation around its deformable connection. 4 according to which the end of the secondary body 31 opposite the pusher 51 approaches the main body 2. During this movement the secondary body 31 comes to bear against the pusher 52 of the second secondary body 32, inducing a rotational movement in the opposite direction of the secondary body 32 around its flexible connection 4 such that the end of the latter opposite the pusher 52 moves away from the main body 2. In its course, the secondary body 32 in turn comes to bear against the pusher 53 of the last secondary body 33 comprising the figurine, y applying a traction force causing the movement of the figurine around a deformable connection 4 with flexible parallel blades, reproduced using the kinematics of a cuckoo clock within indicator member 1.

The indicator member 1 thus constitutes a "cuckoo needle", capable of adopting two indication configurations comprising a rest position (Fig. 3A) and an activated position (Fig. 3B), triggered when the pusher 51du first secondary body 31cooperates with cam 9 on ring 8 of the hour hand.

Generically, an indicator member 1 as described above with reference to Figures 3A and 3B can thus be defined as comprising a main body 2 and n secondary bodies 3i, n being an integer greater than 1 and i being a integer less than or equal to n, each secondary body 3i being movable relative to the main body 2 by means of a deformable connection 4, 6 at least, where appropriate consisting of a plurality of flexible blades formed of material with the main body 2 and secondary body (s) 3i, which each comprise an actuation pusher 5 and being arranged to cooperate via said actuation pusher 5 with at least part of the secondary body 3i-1.

Figures 4A and 4B show an alternative embodiment of the display system A of the time of Figures 3A and 3B in which the indicator member 1 forming the minute hand comprises a main body 2 and not more a plurality of secondary bodies 31, 32, 33 but a single secondary body 3 comprising a plurality of segments 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d interconnected by deformable links 6 formed of flexible blades providing mobility of the different segments 3a, 3b, 3c , 3d relative to each other and to the main body 2 under the effect of a constraint, in this case of thrust, of an actuator, not shown in FIGS. 4A, 4B, on a single pusher 5 formed by a rod movable axially through openings in the main body 2 at the level of the ring 8 for mounting on the minutes barrel (not shown).

An indicator member 1 is thus produced forming a cuckoo needle as in the example of Figures 3A and 3B with a shape memory character conferred by the flexible blades 6 interconnecting the various segments 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d of secondary body 3 of the indicator organ.

Of course, according to alternative embodiments not shown the pusher 5 could also be arranged in a different manner depending on the particular number of constituent segments of the secondary body 3 of the indicator member, but also depending on the particular structure of the actuation device necessary to actuate the push-button 5. This actuation device can easily be designed in the context of a time display system by those skilled in the art, taking into account the particular dimensioning of said system display, the hands thereof and the timepiece in which this display system is to be integrated.

It should also be noted that although in the examples shown in the figures it is considered an actuation of the pusher 5 of a secondary body 3 at the guns 11, 12 of the hours and minutes one could also consider a device actuator 9 which interacts with the secondary body or bodies 3 at any point of the travel of the indicator member 1. In particular, it is possible to envisage arranging one or more protuberances within the dial of a timepiece, said protuberances forming cams 91 cooperating with the push-button (s) 5 of the secondary body (s) 3 of the indicator member 1 in one or more positions of its indicating stroke.

It is also conceivable that the actuation device operates without contact and by electrostatic, thermal or magnetic effect on the actuating button 5 of the secondary body (s) 3 of the indicator member. In such a configuration, it will then be necessary to apply, if necessary, a surface treatment of said secondary bodies 3 in order to make them controllable by such an actuating device. In particular, a magneto-sensitive metallic coating could be applied in order to allow magnetic actuation, for example.

Claims (18)

1. Indicator member (1) comprising a main body (2) and at least one secondary body (3) rigid, characterized in that the secondary body (3) is integral and movable relative to the main body (2) via of a deformable link (4, 6), the secondary body comprising an actuating pusher (5) arranged to transmit a driving force to the secondary body inducing an elastic deformation of the deformable link. 2. Indicator member according to claim 1, characterized in that the main body (2), the secondary body (3) and the deformable connection (4, 6) form a monolithic part. 3. Indicator member according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that it comprises n secondary bodies (3), n being an integer greater than 1, each secondary body (3) being movable relative to the main body. (2) by means of a deformable connection (4) and comprising an actuating button (5). 4. Indicator member according to claim 3, characterized in that each secondary body (3) of row i is arranged to cooperate by means of its actuating button (5) with at least part of the secondary body of row i -1, i being an integer less than or equal to n. 5. Indicator member according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one secondary body (3) comprises several deformable connections (4) with the main body (2). 6. Indicator member according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one secondary body (3) comprises a plurality of segments secured to each other by deformable links (6). 7. Indicator member according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the deformable connections (4, 6) consist of flexible blades with a thickness between 2 and 50 micrometers, the thickness of the main body (2) and of the secondary body (s) (3) being greater than 30 micrometers, the thickness of the main body (2) and of the secondary body (s) (3) being greater than the thickness of the flexible blades. 8. Indicator member according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it consists of monocrystalline or polycrystalline silicon. 9. Indicator member according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a metal ring (8) arranged on the main body (2) to allow assembly of the indicator member on a drive device. 10. Display system comprising an indicator member (1) according to one of claims 1 to 9 in kinematic connection with a drive device in rotation or translation and an actuating device (9) capable of transmitting a motor force. on the actuating button (5). 11. Display system according to claim 10, characterized in that the actuating device (9) comprises a cam (91) or a lug arranged relative to the actuating pusher (5) to exert a thrust on the latter. during a relative movement of the indicator member with respect to said cam or lug. 12. Display system according to claim 11, characterized in that said cam (91) or lug is kinematically linked to the drive device. 13. Display system according to one of claims 11 or 12, characterized in that it comprises two indicator members (1, 10), each indicator member being kinematically linked in rotation to the drive device by means of 'a barrel (11, 12), said indicator members being assembled and movable coaxially in rotation relative to one another by means of their barrels, a first (1) of said indicator members being an indicator according to one of claims 1 to 9 and the second indicator member (10) comprising said cam (91) or lug arranged on an assembly ring (8) on the corresponding barrel (12) so that said cam or lug comes into contact with the push button for actuating the first indicator member in at least one relative rotational position of said indicator members. 14. Display system according to one of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that the actuating device comprises a plurality of cams (91) or lugs. 15. Display system according to claim 10, characterized in that the actuating device (9) is a contactless actuation device by electrostatic, thermal or magnetic effect on the actuator push button of the secondary body (s) ( s) of the indicating organ. 16. Timepiece characterized in that it comprises a display system according to one of claims 10 to 15. 17. Timepiece according to claim 16, characterized in that the drive device is a watch movement and the indicator member forms a display hand of a time date. 18. Timepiece according to claim 17 comprising a display system according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that the first indicator member (1) is a minute hand whose barrel (11) is a roadway. a watch movement and the second indicator member (10) is an hour hand, the barrel of which (12) is integral with an hour wheel of the watch movement.