CH719883A2 - SURPRISE MECHANISM OF A BELL MECHANISM - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a surprise mechanism (200) of a striking mechanism, comprising a quarter snail (65), a surprise board and a minute snail mounted coaxially, the surprise board being loosely connected to the coaxially mounted minute snail. minutes, characterized in that the surprise board is elastically connected to the quarter snail (65) and in that the surprise board comprises a spring (2004), coming in one piece with the surprise board and connected by a first from its ends to a branch of said surprise board.

Description

Technical area

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of watchmaking. It relates more particularly to a surprise mechanism of a striking mechanism of the minute repeater or grande sonnerie type. This type of mechanism allows, at the request of the user or in passing respectively, to produce a ringing giving information allowing the current time to be coded audibly, thanks to sensors which will “read” the time on cams, and hammers which strike gongs according to a number of strokes which identify the hours, quarters and minutes. The surprise is a safety mechanism, which makes it possible to shorten step 0 typically of the minute cam, to prevent the probe from hitting the side of the cam when it is at the bottom of step 14 and the cam advance. The surprise gives sufficient length to step 0 for the probe to rest on it when triggered at the start of a shift.

State of the art

[0002] Chiming watches are among the most complex and difficult complications to produce, in particular because of the large number of parts to be produced and assembled in a small space. Although known for a very long time, striking watches initially made it possible to know the time in the dark, the generalization of wrist watches implies a miniaturization of parts which means that striking watches are still very exclusive today. .

[0003] Also, most brands which offer this type of mechanism implement traditional mechanisms, which have proven themselves, by optimizing the quality of the sound, by playing on the timbres or the casing. It is indeed difficult to have quality sounds, clear and audible, with a small box. It is rare to completely question the very architecture of the repetition mechanism.

[0004] By way of example, document EP1429214 describes a traditional repetition mechanism. When triggered, a user activates a winding lever, by which he arms a striking barrel and simultaneously drives a feeler which reads the hour information on an hour cam. An hour strike part is activated simultaneously and is positioned opposite a strike lift, with ratchet teeth to strike the hours. In doing so, the quarter and minute striking parts fall until their feeler rests on their respective cams, the striking parts also being provided with ratchet teeth to strike the quarters and minutes respectively.

The striking barrel, armed when triggered, then drives the hour striking part, as well as a driving finger, which in turn drives the quarter striking part. A locking system secures the quarter striker part and the minute striker part. During their movement under the action of the striking barrel, the striking pieces activate their respective hammers, a number of times corresponding to the number of teeth which, when the striking pieces fell, passed the hammer lifts, this number of teeth being defined by the position of the respective cams.

[0006] We can refer to the aforementioned document for details on the operation of a traditional mechanism.

[0007] A ringing mechanism may include a surprise mechanism. This is a safety device connected to the quarter snail, to prevent false ringing (counting down) when switching from one quarter to another. The surprise in fact has the function of extending, just after the change of quarters and during the first minute, the 0 minute level of the minute spiral which is shortened for reasons of safety and space. In this way, we prevent the minutes beak from going to take the information on step 14, while the quarter snail 42 has already advanced and presents its next step to its feeler.

[0008] The surprise is connected to the quarter snail by a spring, interposed between the surprise board and the quarter snail. It is a very small spring, the assembly of which is delicate and the adjustment of the force as well. It adds a level in the assembly of the elements.

The aim of the present invention is to propose an improved construction of the surprise mechanism.

Disclosure of the invention

[0010] More precisely, the invention relates to a surprise mechanism comprising a quarter snail, a surprise board and a minute snail mounted coaxially, the surprise board being connected with play to the minute snail. According to the invention, the surprise board is elastically connected to the quarter snail and the surprise board comprises a spring, coming in one piece with the surprise board and connected by a first of its ends to a branch of said surprise board .

[0011] Thus, the spring is in the thickness of the surprise board, which makes it possible to reduce the thickness of the mechanism. It does not require assembly operations, and it is carried out in a repeatable manner, which facilitates adjustment.

Preferably, the spring is connected by a second end to the quarter snail.

[0013] The second end of the spring includes an eyelet which cooperates with a pin secured to the quarter part.

[0014] The minute snail comprises a pin, engaged in a circular sector opening provided in the surprise, so as to allow relative movement between the surprise and the minute snail.

[0015] Advantageously, the spring has a succession of meanders, which makes it possible to optimize its active length and for the latter to be sufficient to increase the plastic deformation threshold of the spring.

Brief description of the drawings

[0016] Other details of the invention will appear more clearly on reading the description which follows, made with reference to the appended drawing in which: – Figure 1 illustrates more particularly the parts participating in the triggering of a striking mechanism according to the invention, - Figure 2 illustrates the striking train of a striking mechanism according to the invention, - Figures 3 and 4 are respectively top and perspective views, illustrating more particularly the parts participating in the ringing hours, - Figures 5 and 6 are perspective views illustrating more particularly the parts participating in the striking of the quarters and minutes, and - Figures 7 and 8 illustrate more particularly certain details of the invention.

Mode of carrying out the invention

A ringing mechanism, here of the repeater type, being complex, the description which follows, with reference to the figures, will present the different components in functional subassemblies, in order to simplify reading.

[0018] In Figure 1, we can observe a trigger lever 10, pivoting on the movement frame (not shown) and accessible from outside the box by a user. The trigger lever 10 is integral with a winding rack 102 engaged with a winding pinion 14. The latter is mounted square on a shaft 16, which is the main pivot axis of the mechanism according to the invention .

The shaft 16 is connected to a striking spring (not visible in the drawing), housed directly in a recess made in an element of the frame, in this case a bridge 18 (fig. 2). More precisely, one of the ends of the striking spring is fixed on the shaft, while the other is attached to the frame. The torque of the spring is thus applied to the shaft, which is rotated by the spring, when it is armed. The shaft 16 also carries a first mobile 20, comprising a unidirectional connection obtained by a latching system, between a ratchet 201 secured to the shaft 16, with which cooperates a pawl spring 203, fixed on a board 205. board 205 is connected to a regulator 22 by a striking gear 24, which is driven when the striking spring unwinds via the board 205 with which it meshes. Thanks to the unidirectional connection, the striking gear 24 is not driven when the striking spring is wound.

[0020] Fixed on the shaft 16, a 40 hour striking part (also called 40 hour part) equipped with a ratchet sector with twelve teeth, is arranged to cooperate with a hammer lift, not shown, allowing to strike the hours. The number of hours to strike will depend on the angular position of the 40 hour striking piece, when triggered. As can be seen in Figure 3, this is defined by an hours feeler 104. This hours feeler 104 is pivotally mounted on the axis of the trigger lever 10. It includes a nozzle 106 which will read the information relating to the current time on a twelve-step hour snail 42, secured to an hour star 44. The hour feeler 104 is connected to the trigger lever 10 by a pin 108, secured to the lever 10 and passing through a opening 110 in the shape of a circular sector formed in the feeler 104 which allows clearance between these two parts. The hours feeler 104 also includes a finger 112, the role of which will appear below.

The trigger lever 10 also carries a cam 114 of particular shape and designated in certain works by the name of bird or diabla, and which is part of a system known to those skilled in the art under the name of All Or Nothing. It requires the user to fully operate the trigger lever for the full ringing to take place. The cam 114 is screwed freely onto the lever 10 and includes a lift 116 on which a locking rocker 46 is held in support by an invisible spring. This presses the cam 114 against the finger 112 by a flank 118 which the cam 114 comprises.

The locking lever 46 is pivoted on the frame and comprises a lock 462, capable of cooperating with a hook 502 of a quarter striking part 50, which will be described in detail below. A spring not shown tends to keep the lock 462 of the locking lever 46 engaged with the hook 502.

[0023] Thus, when a user activates the trigger lever 10, it pivots until the beak 106 comes into contact with the hour snail 42. The striking spring is thus armed and the striking part hours 40 takes an angular position which corresponds to the number of hours to strike. The user maintaining his pressure, the trigger lever 10 continues its travel, while the feeler 104 remains in position, which causes the rotation of the cam 114, which will pivot the locking rocker 46.

We will now focus on describing the quarter striking part 50 (also called quarter part 50) and its operation, particularly with reference to Figure 5. It is freely pivoted on the shaft 16 and is subject to the action of a spring 51 which tends to rotate the quarter piece 50 in the direction of clockwise, with reference to Figures 4 and 5. The spring 51 is advantageously of the spiral type, wound around the tree 16, between the quarter room and the hour room. The quarter part 50 has a series of teeth 504 intended to cooperate with the lifting of hammers to sound the quarters. In the example illustrated, it is a Westminster type strike, the teeth of the quarter piece are arranged on circular sectors, concentric with the shaft 16, located in different planes, four in this case , to cooperate with four lifts and play the so-called Westminster melody.

[0025] Concentrically with the shaft 16, the quarter piece 50 has teeth 52, with which the rack 600 of a quarter feeler 60 meshes. This pivots on the frame and has a nozzle 602, arranged to cooperate with a quarter snail 65. It is the spring 51 which exerts a torque which tends to bring the feeler into contact with the snail.

The quarter piece 50 still includes the hook 502 mentioned above. It also includes a minute hook 510 (fig. 6), pivotally mounted on the quarter part, for example between two lugs 512 arranged on the parts which carry the teeth 504. This minute hook 512 comprises two studs 514 oriented in the direction of the shaft 16 and it is subjected to a spring which tends to bring said studs 514 closer to the shaft 16.

[0027] For driving the quarter piece 50 during a strike, the hour piece 40 includes a pin 402 (fig. 4), fixed in the hour piece 40. The pin 402 is located at least partially in the plane of the quarter piece 50, which means that, during counterclockwise rotation (with reference to the figures) of the hour striking piece 40, under the action of the striking spring which relaxes, the quarter part 50 is also driven in this same movement when the pin 402 comes to rest against the edge of the quarter part 50. It will be noted that, given that the hour striking part 10 and that of the quarters 50 are pivoted around the shaft 16, the transmission of torque between the pin 402 and the edge of the quarter piece takes place without slipping and therefore without loss of energy.

[0028] For the minute strike, the mechanism includes a 100 minute strike part (also called a 100 minute part). It is also freely pivoted on the shaft 16 and is subject to the action of its spring (not visible in the drawing) which tends to make it pivot clockwise, with reference to Figures 4 to 6. This spring is also, advantageously, of the spiral type, arranged between the minute part and a fixed element, in this case in connection with the shaft 16. The minute part 100 has a series of fourteen teeth 1002 intended to cooperate with a raising of hammers to strike the minutes.

[0029] Concentrically with the shaft 16, the minute part 100 has teeth 1004, with which the rack 1100 of a minute feeler 110 meshes. This pivots in the plate and has a nozzle 1102, arranged to cooperate with a minute snail 120. It is the spring of the minute part which exerts a torque which tends to bring the nozzle 1102 into contact with the minute snail 120.

[0030] The minute snail is associated with a surprise mechanism 200, better visible in Figure 5. This type of mechanism is a safety device connected to the quarter snail 42, to prevent false ringing (counting down) at the time of the transition from one quarter to another. The surprise actually has the function of extending, just after the change of shifts and during the first minute, the 0 minute level of the 120 minute snail which is shortened for reasons of safety and space. Thus, we prevent the minutes beak 1102 from going to take the information on step 14, while the quarter snail 42 has already advanced and presents its next step to its probe. For this purpose, the surprise 200 comprises a board having a conventional general shape, comprising four arms, distributed at 90, ending with a rung 2001 located at the level of rung 0 of each branch of the minute snail 120. When triggered of the ringing, a surprise jumper 122 is activated and, when the surpise is in the angular position corresponding to the first minute of a quarter, it is in the path of the surprise jumper 122 which pushes it and shifts it relative to the minute snail, to extend step 0.

[0031] According to an interesting aspect of the construction, the surprise 200 is connected with play to the minute snail 120. The latter includes a pin 1200, engaged in an opening 2002 in the form of a circular sector formed in the surprise board, so as to to allow a relative movement between the surprise and the minute snail. Furthermore, the surprise board is elastically connected to the quarter snail. To do this and according to the invention, the surprise comprises a spring 2004, coming in one piece with the surprise board and connected by a first of its ends to a branch of said board.

[0032] The board and its spring are advantageously manufactured by microfabrication techniques of the LIGA type, or wire electroerosion, for example. The 2004 spring has a succession of meanders, which makes it possible to extend its active length and increase its plastic deformation threshold, which is advantageous given the very small dimensions of the part. Indeed, the spring would otherwise risk plastic deformation. At its other end, the spring is connected to the quarter snail, for example via an eyelet 2006 which it includes and which cooperates with a pin secured to the quarter part.

[0033] Thus, when a strike is triggered during the first minute of a quarter, the surprise jumper 122 for the surprise 200 which then extends step 0 of the hour snail, by tensioning the spring. When the surprise jumper returns to its rest position, it leaves the surprise 200 free which, under the action of the spring 2004, returns to its initial position in relation to the minute snail, with the pin in motor contact with the opening 2002.

[0034] To release the minute part 100 or to drive it, as will be understood below, the minute part comprises a second toothing 1006, provided with ratchet teeth, arranged to cooperate with the crampons 514 of the hook of the minutes. minutes 510. The fact of having two studs is advantageous in that it allows the pressures which can be significant to be distributed when the striking barrel is armed.

[0035] This second set of teeth 1006 comprises fifteen tooth bases, each corresponding to a quarter minute, and participating in determining the travel of the minute part 100. In order to control the position of the minute hook 510 and determine whether it is engaged in the second toothing 1006 or kept out of reach, the mechanism comprises a flange 130 mounted freely on the shaft 16 and located in the plane of the minute hook 510 (see Figures 7 and 8). As will be described subsequently, the flange 130 is held in a determined angular position and the shaft 16 pivots freely relative to it.

This flange 130 essentially comprises two portions of different radii, concentric with the shaft 16, a first portion 1302 whose radius is less than the radius of the vertices of the second toothing 1006, and a second portion 1304 whose radius is greater at the radius of the vertices of the second toothing 1006. Thus, when the minute hook 510 is located with its two studs facing the first portion 1302, it enters the second toothing 1006, making the minutes striking parts 100 and of the quarters 50, while, when at least one stud of the minute hook 510 is located opposite the second portion 1304, the minute hook 510 remains resting against the flange 130, leaving the minute striking part 100 free by compared to that of the quarters 50. Between the two portions 1302 and 1304, an inclined plane is provided allowing the hook to pass easily from one portion to the other.

[0037] The minute hook 510, the teeth 1006, the flange 130 and the spring member which presses the minute hook against the flange form disengageable connection means between the quarter striking part and the minute striking part , capable of evolving between a disengaged state in which the quarter and minute striking parts are free relative to each other, and an engaged state in which the quarter and minute striking parts are integral in rotation around said shaft.

[0038] Thus, at rest, the minute hook 510 is located opposite the first portion 1302 of the flange 130 and is engaged in the teeth 1006 and the striking parts of the quarters 50 and the minutes 100 are coupled and united in rotation . When a strike is triggered, when the quarter piece 50 falls, the minute striking piece 100 is therefore also driven, by the quarter piece 50, under the action of the spring 51 and by its own spring, until the moment when the minute hook 510 rests against the flange 130, facing the second portion 1304. The minute part 100 is then separated from the quarter part 50 and can fall onto its snail 120, under the effect of its own jurisdiction. When then, the quarter part 50 is driven by the hour part 40, to strike the quarters, the minute hook 510 which it carries passes from its support on the flange 130, to a position engaged in the second toothing 1006 , passing from a position facing the second portion 1304 to a position facing the first portion 1302. The relative position of the minute part 100 has in the interval changed, depending on the position of the minute cam, and the 50 quarter piece can then drive the 100 minute piece to strike the minutes.

[0039] If this type of operation is effective, it may be useful to be able to precisely adjust the moment when the minute hook 510 engages with the second toothing 1006, in order to ensure that the minute hook 510 engages the bottom toothing corresponding to the number of minutes to strike. Indeed, with the relative speeds between the minute hook and the rotations of the 100 minute and 50 quarter parts, adjustment may be necessary.

[0040] Thus, as shown in Figure 8, the flange 130 is integral with a movable bridge 150, pivoted freely on the shaft 16, but whose travel is limited by two windows 152, concentric with the shaft 16 and in which guide screws 154 are arranged. The movable bridge 150 comprises an arm terminated by a fork 156, in which an eccentric 158 is placed. The latter makes it possible to adjust the angular position of the movable bridge 150 by a few degrees, in order to adjust the engagement of the minute hook 510 in the second toothing 1006. Thus, by adjusting the adjustment of the eccentric 158, it is possible to adjust the angular position of the flange 130 and therefore to precisely adjust the moment when the minute hook engages with the teeth.

The present description has been given by way of non-limiting illustration of the invention. Those skilled in the art will be able to derive a certain number of variants, the scope of protection being determined by the claims. In particular, a surprise mechanism according to the invention can be adapted for a surprise on the quarter cam.

Claims (5)

1. Surprise mechanism of a striking mechanism, comprising a quarter snail, a surprise board and a minute snail mounted coaxially, the surprise board being connected with play to the minute snail, characterized in that the surprise board surprise is elastically connected to the quarter snail and in that the surprise board comprises a spring, coming in one piece with the surprise board and connected by a first of its ends to a branch of said surprise board. 2. Surprise mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that said spring is connected by a second end to the quarter snail. 3. Surprise mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that the second end of the spring comprises an eyelet which cooperates with a pin secured to the quarter piece. 4. Surprise mechanism according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the minute cochlea comprises a pin, engaged in an opening in a circular sector provided in the surprise board, so as to allow relative movement between the surprise and the minute snail. 5. Surprise mechanism according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the spring has a succession of meanders.