CH714728B1 - Striking mechanism for watch movement. - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a striking mechanism comprising a control lever (48) comprising a first board (56), carrying a rack (58), the rotation of which makes it possible to charge an energy source of the mechanism and a second board (60). , carrying an hour feeler (52), movable between a rest position and a stop position against an hour snail, the first and second boards (56, 60) being arranged relative to each other in such a manner that they have the same displacement when the hour feeler (52) is between its rest position and its stop position, while the first board (56) moves alone in one direction or the other when the hour feeler hours (52) is in its stop position. The invention also relates to a watch movement and to a timepiece comprising such a striking mechanism.

Description

Technical area

The present invention relates to a striking mechanism, for a watch movement, comprising a control lever arranged for: - in a first phase, winding, to be moved in response to a predefined action of a user on a member of external control and - charge a source of mechanical energy, - move an hour feeler from a rest position to a stop position in which it is resting against the periphery of an hour snail, before - starting a cycle strike by releasing a lifting of the hours, then - in a second phase corresponding to the strike cycle, receive mechanical energy returned by the mechanical energy source to move the hour sensor from its stop position to its position of rest, by causing a ratchet of the hours arranged to cooperate with the lifting of the hours.

[0002] The present invention also relates to a watch movement and to a timepiece comprising such a striking mechanism.

State of the art

Ringing mechanisms of this type are known from the state of the art.

[0004] By way of example, the work entitled "Theory of horology", by C.-A. Reymondin et al., Edited by the Fédération des Ecoles Techniques (Switzerland), ISBN 2-940025-10-X, describes and illustrates a minute repeater mechanism meeting the above characteristics, on pages 219 to 224.

In particular, we learn that the control lever carries a rack as well as the hour feeler, the rack being arranged in engagement with a rack pinion to ensure the load of a barrel spring during the phase of 'armage. When the hour feeler comes into abutment against the hour snail, the control lever acts on a lock to neutralize it and thus free a quarter piece which locks the hours raising when it is held in its rest position by the lock. A ratchet of the hours, undergoing a permanent tension of the barrel spring, can then actuate the lifting of the hours to strike the hours.

Disclosure of the invention

A main object of the present invention is to provide an alternative construction to the known constructions for producing a striking mechanism, in particular to allow a distinction between the members ensuring the transmission of the mechanical energy necessary for the operation of the mechanism and the members carriers of temporal information.

To this end, the present invention relates more particularly to a striking mechanism of the type mentioned above, characterized by the fact that the control lever comprises a first board, carrying a rack arranged in engagement with a toothing whose rotation makes it possible to charge the energy source during the first phase, and a second board, carrying the hour feeler , and in that the first and second boards are arranged relative to each other in such a way that they exhibit the same displacement when the hour feeler is between its rest position and its stop position, while the first board moves alone in one direction or the other when the hour feeler is in its stop position.

[0008] Thanks to these characteristics, the first board ensures the transfer of the mechanical energy necessary for the operation of the striking mechanism while the second board ensures the transmission of the time information to be indicated by the mechanism. If the number of components necessary for the implementation of the construction according to the present invention is greater with reference to the previous striking mechanisms, the number of adjustments essential to ensure the correct functioning of the mechanism according to the present invention is on the other hand lower in reference to previous mechanisms.

[0009] According to an alternative embodiment, provision can be made for the first board to be arranged to be capable of neutralizing a lock arranged to lock the lifting of the hours.

Preferably, this lock can be a part of a multiple of minutes carrying a feeler of the number of these multiples capable of being moved, under the effect of the action of an elastic member, between a position rest position and a stop position in which it rests against the periphery of a multiple snail, the minute multiple piece having a portion ensuring the locking of the hours lift in its rest position.

By multiple of the minutes, it is necessary to understand a number of minutes strictly greater than one, which is typically fifteen in a conventional minute repeater mechanism or which is ten in a decimal minute repeater mechanism. Five-minute repetition mechanisms are also already known. The implementation of the present invention is not limited to a particular value of this multiple.

In general, one can advantageously provide that the first board carries a retractable actuator arranged to exert pressure on the second plank during the first phase of winding to move it, and to present a retracted state when the hour feeler is in its stop position, and allow the first board to continue its movement to release the hours lift.

In this case, the actuator, when it is in its retracted state, is preferably arranged to neutralize an additional lock intended to hold the coin of the multiple of minutes in its rest position.

Furthermore, it is advantageously provided that the first board has a stop surface arranged to act on the second board during the second phase and move the hour sensor from its stop position to its rest position.

In this case, one can advantageously provide that the second board comprises a pin on which, on the one hand, the retractable member and, on the other hand, the abutment surface of said first board are capable of apply a pressure.

In general, provision can be made for the second board to carry a rack arranged in engagement with a pinion fixed in rotation to the ratchet of the hours.

[0017] Furthermore, provision is preferably made for the control lever to be intended to be assembled to a frame element of the watch movement so as to be able to pivot with reference to the latter, the first and second boards having the same axis of rotation.

In this case, the first and second boards advantageously have circular grooves of the same radius defining guide grooves in connection with a cylindrical stud having a thickness such that it cooperates simultaneously with the two grooves.

Brief description of the drawings

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will emerge more clearly on reading the detailed description of a preferred embodiment which follows, made with reference to the accompanying drawings, given by way of non-limiting examples and, wherein: FIGS. 1 to 3 represent the same simplified front view of a striking mechanism according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, in three successive states; Figure 4a shows a front view similar to that of Figures 1 to 3 of a part of the striking mechanism illustrated in Figures 1 to 3, in the same state as that illustrated in Figure 3; Figure 4b shows a simplified perspective view of the striking mechanism of Figures 1 to 4a, in the same state as that illustrated in Figure 4a, and FIG. 5 represents a front view similar to that of FIGS. 1 to 3, in a fourth state following that illustrated in FIG. 3.

Mode (s) for carrying out the invention

Figures 1 to 3 show the same simplified front view of a striking mechanism 1 according to a first preferred embodiment of the invention, in three successive states. FIG. 4a represents the same simplified view of the striking mechanism 1, in the state illustrated in FIG. 3, but with certain components removed to make others visible, while FIG. 5 represents a view similar to that of FIG. 4a, the striking mechanism 1 being in a fourth state. Finally, FIG. 4b represents the striking mechanism 1 in a perspective view corresponding to the view of FIG. 4a, the perspective making certain characteristics more particularly visible.

The striking mechanism illustrated and described here is of the decimal minute repeater type, according to a preferred embodiment which is illustrative and not limiting. More precisely, this mechanism is intended to indicate the current time, at the request of a user, by striking a number of strokes corresponding to the hours on a first gong, by striking a number of double strokes corresponding to the number of tens of minutes elapsed since the start of the current hour on the first gong and on a second gong, and striking a number of strokes corresponding to the number of minutes that have elapsed since the start of the ten minutes in progress on the second gong.

All the construction details of this striking mechanism will not be described for reasons of brevity. Only the elements necessary for an understanding of the present invention will be presented in detail.

The striking mechanism 1 comprises a first mobile 2 including, integral in rotation with one another, a snail of tens of minutes 4 and a snail of minutes 6. The first mobile 2 is intended to be driven by a watch movement ( not shown) to make a complete revolution in one hour.

The snail of tens of minutes 4 presents six sectors each of which corresponds to ten minutes of each hour while the snail of minutes 6 presents six arms each of which has ten segments each of which corresponds to one minute, in a conventional manner.

The first mobile 2porte a finger (not visible) intended to ensure the training of a second mobile 8d'un step for each complete revolution, so once per hour. The second mobile 8 comprises a twelve-pointed star 10, arranged to cooperate with the finger of the first mobile 2, and an hour snail 12 having twelve segments, in a known manner. The second mobile 8 is thus driven by the first mobile 2 to make a complete revolution in twelve hours.

A jumper 14 is associated with the star 10 to ensure the angular positioning of the second mobile 8.

The striking mechanism 1comporte a source of mechanical energy (not visible) which can typically be a spring housed in a barrel, by way of non-limiting illustration.

The striking barrel carries a plurality of mobiles arranged to be able to rotate along the same axis of rotation defined by a screw 16, some of these mobiles being intended to transfer energy and others temporal information.

A first pinion 18 (Figures 4a and 4b) is integral with a barrel shaft 20de and loads the barrel spring when it is driven under the effect of a predefined action of a user.

A second pinion 22 (Figures 4a and 4b) is integral with a ratchet hours 24destined to actuate a lifting of the hours 26l when it is rotated during a ringing cycle.

A third pinion 28 is arranged in engagement with the internal teeth of a part 30 of tens of minutes, to memorize the angle of rotation traversed by the part 30 of tens of minutes at the start of the ringing cycle, when it moves from its rest position, illustrated in FIG. 1, to a stop position, when its feeler 32 for tens of minutes is positioned resting against the periphery of the snail for tens of minutes 4.

The third pinion 28 carries a pin 34 intended to cooperate with a finger 36 rotatably secured to the barrel shaft 20, such that the energy restored by the barrel spring during the striking cycle brings the part 30 tens of minutes in its resting position.

When the part 30 of tens of minutes is returned to its rest position (in the direction of clockwise rotation in the illustrated views), it actuates two lifts of tens of minutes, only one of which is visible in the figures, by means of two external teeth 40, 42, each of which is associated with one of the lifts, in a conventional manner.

The part 30des tens of minutes further carries a rocker 44destined to actuate a minute part not shown, in a known manner, to strike the minutes after having struck the tens of minutes.

Finally, it will be noted that the barrel here also carries a wheel 46destined to be engaged with a speed control gear, not shown. Typically, this regulating gear can include an inertial brake or an escapement to regulate the unwinding speed of the striking barrel, in a known manner.

The ringing mechanism 1 according to the present invention comprises a control lever 48destined to allow a user to trigger a ringing on demand. To this end, the control lever 48 has a portion 50 intended to be arranged outside the case of the timepiece in which the striking mechanism is housed, to be connected to an external control member, generally having the shape of a bolt (not illustrated).

Typically, the control lever 48 is arranged for: - in a first phase, winding, to be moved in response to a predefined action of a user on the external control member and - to load the barrel spring, - move a 52 hours feeler from a rest position (figure 1) to a stop position (figures 3, 4a, 4b, 5) in which it is resting against the periphery of the 12 o'clock snail, before - triggering a striking cycle by releasing the lifting of hours 26, then - in a second phase corresponding to the striking cycle, receiving mechanical energy returned by the barrel spring to move the hours feeler 52 from its stop position to its position of rest, driving the 24 hour ratchet arranged to cooperate with the 26 hour lifting.

Figures 1 to 3 then 5illustrate the ringing mechanism 1 in four successive states when a ringing cycle is triggered. It emerges from this that the control lever 48 is arranged here to be assembled on a frame element of the watch movement (not shown), by means of a bearing screw 54, in order to be able to pivot in the direction of clockwise rotation with reference to this. latest.

The control lever 48 comprises a first board 56, carrying a first rack 58 arranged in engagement with the first pinion 18 to ensure in particular the winding of the barrel spring during the winding phase.

The control lever 48 comprises a second board 60, carrying a second rack 62 arranged in engagement with the second pinion 22 to ensure in particular the driving of the ratchet 24 hours during a ringing cycle. The second board 60 also carries the 52 hour feeler.

The first and second boards 56, 60 are arranged relative to each other in such a way that they have the same displacement when the hour feeler 52 is between its rest position and its stop position, while the first board 56 moves alone in one direction or the other when the hour feeler 52est in its stop position.

For this purpose, the second board 60 carries a pin 64 intended to cooperate with the first board 56 in such a way that the two boards move together when the hour feeler 52 is between its rest position and its stop position against the 12 hour snail (Figures 1 to 3).

The first board 56 comprises a retractable actuator 66 arranged to cooperate with the pin 64 in the winding phase, that is to say to drive the second board 60 in rotation in the direction of clockwise rotation, until that the hours feeler 52 comes into abutment on the hour snail 12. The retractable member 66 then retracts to allow the first board 56 to continue its course alone. For this purpose, the retractable member 66 is rotatably mounted on the first board 56 by means of a screw 68.

The first board 56 furthermore comprises a fixed abutment surface 70 arranged to exert pressure on the pin 64 of the second board 60 during a ringing cycle, that is to say in the anti-clockwise direction of rotation .

When the hour sensor 52 is in its stop position and the first board 56 continues its course, the retractable member 66 rotates further (Figures 3, 4a then 5) and acts on a lever 72 to rotate it in the direction of anti-clockwise rotation with reference to the frame of the watch movement. The rocker 72 carries a terminal beak 74 fulfilling a lock function for the part 30 for tens of minutes throughout the winding phase, the latter itself comprising an arm 76 ensuring the locking of the lifting of hours 26 in the rest position of room 30 for tens of minutes.

When the rocker 72 frees the part 30 tens of minutes, the latter can pivot under the effect of the action of a suitable elastic member, until its feeler 32 comes into abutment against the periphery of the snail 4 tens of minutes. In doing so, the arm 76 releases the 26 hours lifting which can be put into action later, under the effect of the rotation of the 24 hour ratchet, once the first board 56 has reached the end of its travel before changing direction. movement to rotate in the anti-clockwise direction of rotation and when the stop surface 70 comes into contact with the pin 64 to set the second board 60 in motion.

When the ratchet of the hours 24 has finished striking the hours, via the lifting of the hours 26, the part 30 of the tens of minutes is brought back to its rest position by ringing first the tens of minutes and then by causing the minute coin to strike the minutes.

At the end of the ringing cycle, the ringing mechanism 1se again in the configuration illustrated in Figure 1.

It will be noted that the first and second boards 56, 60 have circular grooves 78 of the same radius defining guide grooves in connection with a cylindrical stud 80 having a thickness such that it cooperates simultaneously with the two grooves 78.

It emerges from the above that the ringing mechanism 1 as it has been described above implements two kinematic chains in parallel, one to transfer mechanical energy and the other to transfer time information.

The foregoing description attempts to describe a particular embodiment by way of nonlimiting illustration and the invention is not limited to the implementation of certain particular characteristics which have just been described and illustrated, such as for example the exact construction of the striking mechanism which has been described from the point of view of the locking interactions or of the elastic members implemented to ensure return or positioning functions, or even from the point of view of the value the multiple of the minutes mentioned in the present description.

Those skilled in the art will not encounter any particular difficulty in adapting the content of the present disclosure to their own needs and implementing a striking mechanism, a watch movement or a timepiece comprising such a mechanism. bell, only partially meeting the characteristics described, comprising in particular a control lever comprising two boards capable of being synchronized during certain operating phases of the mechanism and of exhibiting a relative displacement during other operating phases of the striking mechanism , without departing from the scope of the invention defined in the claims.

Claims (12)

1. Striking mechanism (1), for a watch movement, comprising a control lever (48) designed for: - in a first phase, arming, be moved in response to a predefined action of a user on an external control member and - charge a source of mechanical energy, - moving an hour feeler (52) from a rest position to a stop position in which it rests against the periphery of an hour snail (12), before - trigger a ringing cycle by releasing an hour lift (26), then - in a second phase corresponding to said ringing cycle, receiving mechanical energy returned by said source of mechanical energy to move said hour feeler (52) from its stop position to its rest position, by driving a ratchet hours (24) arranged to cooperate with said lifting of hours (26), characterized in that said control lever (48) comprises a first board (56), carrying a rack (58) arranged in engagement with a toothing (18), the rotation of which makes it possible to charge said energy source during said first phase, and a second board (60), carrying said hour feeler (52), and in that said first and second boards (56, 60) are arranged relative to each other in such a way that they exhibit the same displacement when said hour feeler (52) is between its rest position and its position stop, while said first board (56) moves alone in one direction or the other when said hour feeler (52) is in its stop position. 2. Mechanism (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that said first board (56) is capable of neutralizing a lock arranged to lock said lifting of the hours (26). 3. Mechanism (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that said lock is a part (30) of a multiple of minutes carrying a sensor (32) of the number of these multiples capable of being moved, under the effect from the action of an elastic member, between a rest position and a stop position in which it rests against the periphery of a snail (4) of the multiples, said piece (30) of the multiple of the minutes having a portion (76) ensuring the locking of said hour lifting (26) in its rest position. 4. Mechanism (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said first board (56) carries a retractable actuator (66) arranged - to exert pressure on said second board (60) during said first winding phase aimed at moving it, and - To present a retracted state when said hour feeler (52) is in its stop position, and allow said first board (56) to continue its movement to release said hours lift (26). 5. Mechanism (1) according to claims 3 and 4, characterized in that said retractable actuator (66), when in its retracted state, is further arranged to neutralize an additional lock (74) intended to hold said coin (30) of the multiple of minutes in its rest position. 6. Mechanism (1) according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that said first board (56) has a stop surface (70) arranged to act on said second board (60) during said second phase and move said feeler. hours (52) from its stop position to its rest position. 7. Mechanism (1) according to one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that said second board (60) comprises a pin (64) on which, on the one hand, said retractable actuator (66) and, on the other hand, said abutment surface (70) of said first board (56) are capable of exerting pressure. 8. Mechanism (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said second board (60) carries a rack (62) arranged in engagement with a pinion (22) integral in rotation with said hour ratchet (24). 9. Mechanism (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said control lever (48) is intended to be assembled to a frame member of the watch movement so as to be able to pivot with reference to the latter, said first and second boards (56, 60) having the same axis of rotation. 10. Mechanism (1) according to claim 8, characterized in that said first and second boards (56, 60) have circular grooves (78) of the same radius defining guide grooves in connection with a cylindrical stud (80) having a thickness such that it cooperates simultaneously with said two grooves (78). 11. Watch movement comprising a striking mechanism (1) according to one of claims 1 to 10. 12. Timepiece comprising a striking mechanism (1) according to one of claims 1 to 10.