CH716149B1 - Clock movement comprising at least one gong. - Google Patents

Abstract

The subject of the present invention is a clock movement (1) comprising at least one gong (2), said gong (2) comprising at least a first and a second portion (23, 24), the first portion (23) s extending in a first plane and the second portion (24) extending in a different second plane but substantially parallel to the first. The first plane in which the first portion (23) of said at least one gong extends is a bottom-side movement plane (F), while the second plane in which the second portion (24) of said at least one extends gong is a plane of the movement on the dial side (C), said at least one gong thus extending on either side of the movement.

Description

The present invention relates to a clockwork comprising at least one gong, and in particular such a movement comprising a striking mechanism such as a minute repeater, a small or large ringtone or an alarm clock.

[0002] More particularly, the subject of the invention is a clock movement comprising a stamp of the cathedral stamp type favoring low-pitched sounds. Such cathedral gongs comprise a vibrating member, one end of which is embedded in a heel and which is rolled up on itself following a spiral-shaped curve often comprising more than one turn, generally two turns.

[0003] The integration between the box and the movement of these stamps, comprising a vibrating member generally making more than one turn on itself, is relatively complex. Difficulties are encountered in providing a free radial space around the periphery of the movement in order to accommodate, for example, control members actuating functions of the movement.

[0004] The object of the present invention is to produce a clockwork movement comprising a gong, in particular a gong of the cathedral gong type, which makes it possible to obtain good acoustic quality while freeing up an area around the movement and preserving the aesthetics of the watch.

The present invention relates to a clock movement comprising at least one gong according to claim 1.

[0006] The accompanying drawings illustrate schematically and by way of example embodiments of the timepiece movement according to the invention. Figure 1 is a view of a clock movement according to the invention equipped with two gongs. Figures 2a to 2c illustrate the first gong of the movement of figure 1, called the minute gong. FIGS. 3a to 3c illustrate the second gong of the movement of FIG. 1, called the hour gong.

[0007] The clockwork movement according to the invention may in particular comprise a striking mechanism such as a minute repeater, a small or large strike or an alarm clock.

[0008] In the example illustrated, the clock movement 1 comprises two gongs of the cathedral gong type, a gong for the minutes 2 and a gong for the hours 3.

[0009] Each of the minute 2 and hour 3 gongs comprises a vibrating member comprising an embedding end 21, 31 and a free end 22, 32. The embedding end 21, 31 is intended to be embedded in a respective heel 20, 30. Said heel 20, 30 is for its part intended to be fixed on a fixed part 11 of the timepiece movement 1 or on a part of the watch case in which the movement 1 is housed, such as the crystal, the bezel, the back or the middle. Of course, the vibrating organ of each of the 2 minute and 3 hour gongs could have come in one piece with its respective 20, 30 bead.

According to the invention, the vibrating member of each of the minute 2 and hour 3 gongs comprises a first portion 23, 33 extending after the embedding end 21, 31 in a first plane . A second portion 24, 34 extends in a separate second plane but parallel to the first and is connected to the first portion 23, 33 by a transition portion 25, 35 in which the gong and its vibrating member gradually changes plane to pass from foreground to background.

As illustrated in Figure 1, once fixed by their respective heel 20, 30 on the clock movement 1, the gongs minutes 2 and hours 3 each extend on either side of the movement 1 , back side and dial side. Thus, the first portions 23, 33 of the minute 2 and hour 3 gongs extend in a first plane preferably corresponding to the plane of the movement on the back side F. The second portions 24, 34 meanwhile extend in a second plane corresponding to the plane of the movement on the dial side C. Portions of planes C and F are represented schematically in figure 1.

[0012] In the illustrated embodiment, the minute stamp 2 has a particular geometry. As illustrated in FIGS. 2a to 2c, the first and second portions 23, 24 of the minute gong 2 are also connected by a cusp 26 arranged after the transition portion 25. This cusp 26 performs a turning of substantially 180° along an axis perpendicular to the first and second planes in which the first and second portions 23, 24 of the minute gong 2 extend.

In general, with a stamp according to the invention, the first and second portions 23, 33, 24, 34 can be superimposed that the stamp includes a cusp 26 or not.

The figures illustrate a preferred embodiment in which the first portions 23, 33 of each of stamps 2, 3 have a respective winding radius r1, R1 different from the winding radius r2, R2 of the second portions 24 , 34. Preferably, the rolling radius r1, R1 of the first portion 23, 33 of the minute 2 and hour 3 gongs is smaller than the rolling radius r2, R2 of the second portion 24, 34 of said stamps 2, 3. Thus, as can be seen in particular in Figures 2b and 3b, the first and second portions 23, 24 and 33, 34 of the stamps of minutes 2 and hours 3 are not superimposed. This makes it possible to prevent the free end 22, 32 of each stamp 2, 3, which is the zone having the largest deformation arrow, from touching another part of the stamp in the event of an impact inflicted on movement 1.

In the illustrated embodiment, the movement according to the invention comprises two gongs, a minute gong and an hour gong. In variants, the movement could comprise only one gong or even more than two gongs.

The vibrating member of a gong equipping a movement according to the invention may have a circular or polygonal cross section and this cross section may be of constant or variable magnitude along the first portion and/or the second portion. stamp.

[0017] In non-illustrated variants, the gong equipping a movement according to the invention could comprise a third portion integral with the first or the second portion by a cusp and/or by a second transition zone in which takes place a new change of plane of the vibrating organ of the gong. This third portion could therefore extend in the same plane as the first or second portion or in a separate third plane but parallel to the first and second planes. It is thus possible to further increase the length of the stamp.

In the example illustrated, the first portion (23, 33) of the gong equipping the movement according to the invention, which directly follows the embedding end (21, 31) of the gong, extends in a first plane corresponding to the plane of the movement on the back side F. The second portion (24, 34) (and therefore the free end 22, 32 of the gong) for its part extends in a second plane corresponding to the plane of the movement on the dial side C. A person skilled in the art will have no difficulty inverting the two planes and positioning the first portion (23, 33) of the gong (and its embedding end) at the level of the plane of the movement on the dial side C and the second portion (24 , 34) (and therefore the free end) of said at least one stamp at the level of the plane of movement on the bottom side F.

[0019] In general, the plane of the movement on the dial side C can be the plane passing through the last bridge (outermost bridge) of the movement on the dial side or an intermediate plane between the plane passing through the last bridge of the movement and the plane of the dial and essentially parallel to them. Similarly, the plane of the bottom side movement F can be the plane passing through the last bridge (outermost bridge) of the bottom side movement or an intermediate plane between the plane passing through the last bridge of the movement and the plane of the cover of the watch case housing the movement and essentially parallel to these. The plane of the movement on the dial side C (back side F) can still be a plane essentially parallel to the plane of the last bridge on the dial side (back side) and located just below the latter (set back towards the inside of the movement).

[0020] The present invention makes it possible to equip a clockwork movement with gongs of considerable length which therefore offer a richer sound, that is to say a greater number of specific modes of audible vibration. In addition, the arrangement of the gong makes it possible to free up part of the circumference of the movement, an area which can then be dedicated to actuating the functions of the movement with, for example, control elements 12 (pusher, stem, trigger, etc.). .

[0021] In addition, by equipping a watch movement with one or more stamps extending on either side of the movement, on the bottom side and on the dial side, this or these stamps can then be visible offering a particular aesthetic and interesting to the clockwork.

Finally, in the embodiment of the watch movement 1 illustrated, the arrangement of the minute 2 and hour 3 gongs, in particular the presence of the cusp 26 on the minute 2 gong, makes it possible to away the free ends 22, 32 of each of the stamps of minutes 2 and hours 3 and to reduce the risk of shock between said stamps.

Claims (4)

1. Clock movement (1) comprising at least one gong (2), said gong (2) comprising at least a first and a second portion (23, 24), the first portion (23) extending in a first plane and the second portion (24) extending in a different second plane but substantially parallel to the first, characterized in that the first plane in which the first portion (23) of the said at least one stamp extends is the plane of the movement on the back side (F), while the second plane in which the second portion (24) of said at least one gong extends is the plane of the movement on the dial side (C), said at least one gong thus extending on either side and on the other side of the movement (1). 2. Clock movement (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the first and second portions (23, 24) of the gong (2) are connected by a cusp (26) performing a turn of substantially 180 ° along an axis perpendicular to the first and second planes of said first and second portions (23, 24). 3. Clock movement (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the winding radius (r1) of the first portion (23) of the gong (2) in the first plane is different from the radius winding (r2) of the second portion (24) of the stamp (2) in the second plane. 4. Clock movement (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that it comprises at least two gongs (2, 3); and by the fact that one of the two gongs (2) has a cusp (26).