DE1523917A1 - Steering wheel contact system for electrical clocks - Google Patents

Description

P 15 23 917.5
Hamilton Watch Company

t β, Nov. 1968

Steigrad-Kontaktsystan for electric watches

The invention relates to battery-powered el eic tr i- |

see clocks and especially an improved ^ ontaiit- and climbing wheel system therefor.

In the case of electric wristwatches of the vibrating arm type, The periodic coil excitation takes place as proposed by the applicant and brought into the trade usually with the help of an .Irt of spring commutation system, as described, for example, in the American patent specification 2,000,908. Included It is absolutely essential for a successful watch exercise decisive for the proper functioning of this contact system type, although experience has shown that its adjustment etiias Icritical, is. i

The balance is used in the aforementioned type of electric watch as a driving power source, and ea must be a climbing gear mechanism be created by the inruhschwingusgsbewegung Drive experiences and converts this into one-way rotary motion. Generally speaking, one has this with The help of a toothed Hades obtained by periodic Contact with a stone sitting on the balance wheel is incremented.

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BATH ORIGINAL

It has now been found according to the invention that you can completely omit the aforementioned spring contact system and the The unruh can use the incremental function to do this switch over during the initial switching period and without any additional energy consumption permit. Because of this peculiar design of the contact system, no more adjustment is required at all, and the critical point mentioned earlier is avoided. By eliminating the entire spring contact system . also requires fewer parts and thus a room cladding

* reduction and thus a flatter gait.

In addition, experience has shown that the contact achieved in this way is more reliable than the one that can be achieved with the spring contact system.

It is true that at least one other expert in the watch field has proposed a combined steering wheel and contact system for an electric watch. The nature of this proposal, however, was such that it was unusable for a highly qualified time measurement. One reason for this was the failure to create a system in which the friction occurring during operation was kept as small as possible and at the same time stable. In other words, the friction that is represented by the drive stress on the part of the watch movement should not only be as small as possible, but also be kept as uniform as possible over the life of the watch. If this latter condition is not met by and large, the result is a watch that operates irregularly and is not able to keep the exact time. Another in watchmaking itself

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self-presenting demand is directed towards the downsizing especially the thickness of the movement. Not only does it switch certain earlier suggestions as usable Solutions for the contact climbing wheel problem, but also creates further problems with regard to protection against irregular gait as a result of unintentional closing of the excitation circuit at undesired system operating times.

The contact steering wheel arrangement according to the invention solves this ^

the problems mentioned above in a way that is now to be described

se and creates the first, economically successful Contact climbing wheel system ever designed for an electric wristwatch.

The primary aim of the invention is therefore to provide an improved contact and climbing wheel system for an electric wheel, in particular of the type in which a reciprocating jog wheel is used to impart unidirectional movement to a climbing wheel. and the energy required for this is used at the same time to create the periodic electrical contact . such a contact and climbing wheel system | should furthermore require practical adjustment, have minimal and stabilized friction and provide positive protection against unwanted contact with a minimal number of 33 uelenipiates.

The iiontaKt and oteigTad system according to the invention should ftuch to be almost self-starting and therefore just moving which can be set to you in ü-ang. It should too

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be made up of fewer parts than previously seemed necessary , making the movement smaller and the watch as a whole flatter. Pernerhin to set an over earlier proposals more reliable contact and controlled use of a peculiar electrical circuit that requires no more the Movement as a component and can be stored in Steinen both the balance as the ratchet wheel.

Another goal of the invention of particular advantage is "in the creation of a contact and steering wheel system

a climbing wheel arrangement, in which a part with the pointer mechanism is in electrical contact and another part is isolated from the first, but periodically in the Circuit of the clock is switched on.

The invention also aims to provide a peculiar one and improved climb gear assembly for an electric watch.

These as well as other objects and advantages of the invention are from the following description, the claims and the accompanying drawings. Show it:

Fig. 1 is a vertical partial section through an electric clock, from which the contact according to the invention and climbing wheel system is recognizable,

Fig. 2 is a schematic plan view showing the beginning of the Incremental and contact cycle,

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3 is a schematic plan view showing the end of the hold and contact cycle;

Pig. 4 is a schematic plan view showing the return movement the balance shows, with which neither is advanced nor contact is given,

5 shows a schematic plan view of a further embodiment the contact and climbing wheel system,

6 shows a schematic plan view of yet another embodiment of the contact and climbing wheel system, and

Fig. 7 is a partial view of the contact wheel, which is the preferred Tooth shape shows.

In Fig. 1 you can see a support plate 10, which together with a bridge, not shown, the balance shaft 12 carries. The one not shown sits at this point Balance wheel on which a bobbin of the American patent 2 d06 908 described, general type mounted and a Steigradscheibe I ^ is attached, the For example, a slit collar according to the aforementioned patent and one fitted therein with friction, semicylindrical stone Io may have. On the underside of the pane an iiontaktplatte 20 is attached by means of a suitable insulating adhesive such as epoxy resin, which has a has exactly matching passage opening for the stone 16.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, it protrudes from the contact plate

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20 a half-cylindrical xvontakt 18 downwards out, which forms one piece with her entvreder, for example in the form of a pressed out D-pin, or is firmly connected, for example, by welding. The semi-cylindrical contact 18 sits stoop-to-back on the stone 16 and can be attached to it with a suitable adhesive. The stone diameter is made now to be explained reasons, greater than that of contact. A wire 2k runs from the coil through a tube 25 on the disk 1A ″ to the plate 20, to which it is connected in a suitable manner, for example afterwards

Passage through it on the underside by means of solder 22, is electrically connected. The tube 25 does not serve only as protection for the wire, but also works with a not shown in order to limit the oscillation erblock together.

From Fig. 1 it can also be seen that the support plate and Räderv / Erkbrücke 3ü bearing blocks 32 and "} k soiie carry the steering wheel arrangement generally designated 3ό.

the

These Lai'prs fceine reduce the friction occurring during the operation of the climbing gear arrangement to a minimum. The Steigradanordnung 3ό itself consists of Steigradritzel 38, 40 and Steigradnabe hl. The shaft 4u has a wedge-toothed, thickened end piece WV euf, cIps sits in a recess kS in the ijnbe kZ and serves to provide the epoxy resin 48 filling the recess with a larger area. The spline by means of V-shaped grooves can also be given in any other way that creates an enlarged space. Vovz ugsvieise you choose something like a / Jannform to create a lock with the adhesive. the

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Stelgradnabe carries a track pin 45 which rests against a contact pad 47 which is preferably made of a precious or semi-precious metal alloy and which is carried by a battery line or spring 49 which is fastened to the support plate 10 in some way in an electrically insulated manner.

The Stelgradnabe 42 carries a generally designated 50 Steigradkombination of an upper toothed contact wheel 52 and an adjoining it, slightly smaller, lower g, likewise toothed wheel 54 em from erromagneti- f sch material. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the two baths are arranged with their teeth offset from one another. The ferromagnetic wheel 54 has a basic shape similar to a star wheel with teeth that are symmetrical on a radius hii. The alloy contact wheel 52, on the other hand, has the asymmetrical tooth shape best seen in FIG. 7. Each number has an undercut guide sflank 60 which, with the radius assigned to the tooth tip 61, forms an angle A which, in a preferred embodiment, is approximately 13 °. The trailing tooth flank 62, on the other hand, forms a much larger angle i B with the aforementioned reference radius, which in a preferred embodiment is approximately 27 °. All ten points are rounded. The meaning of this tooth shape will now be explained in more detail. The contact wheel 52 protrudes with its teeth into the work team of the stone-contact combination Ιό-Id carried by the balance shaft, while the teeth of the magnetic Steigrade :? 54 stay outside this path.

Two small, cylindrical. Steigradmegiiete 56 and ; Y / stuck

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rait friction fit in the support plate 10 and pull it over the magnetic Steigrad 5 ^ · the entire Steigradanordnung 36 down to the track pin k $ to the contact pad 47 to adhere to the Batterieleifcung ^ 4-9 in -elektrischem permanent contact. These magnets are also used to rotate and lock the climbing wheel in the manner described below. Obviously, instead of the illustrated and also preferred two magnets, a single one is basically sufficient to drive the arrangement according to the invention. However, the use of a pair of magnets ensures a more direct and uniform pulling down of the track pin ij-5 and thereby keeps it in secure contact with the cushion W].

In the case of electrical devices of the type described in US Pat. No. 2 Öü6 908, it is desirable to cause the electrical excitation of the balance coil for a short time while the balance and the shaft are swinging in one direction, but normally not to allow any contact to occur during the swing back, although, of course, there is no contact can construct electrical clocks with one inch in each direction. The contact and stone wheel arrangement according to the invention is constructed in such a way that it converts the unruhscliwing movement into a unidirectional rotary movement of the compound climbing wheel 50 and, when the balance wheel swings out, produces a uniform, brief excitation of the coil carried by the balance wheel only in one direction ο rruf t. Curr end rl i <ses Au ss chwungs is also the ^ ortschalten of Steigrndes.

iig. 2 shows di'- uir.diwelle when swinging out in arrow

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BAD OR; "^ AL

direction A and stone 16, contact 18, Steigrad 50 and Steigradmagnet 56 on a greatly enlarged scale. In FIG. 2, the climbing wheel system 50 is currently in the boom position, the magnetic bath 54 being centered with a tooth 64 above the climbing wheel magnet 56 and consequently being held in place by the magnetic attraction between the two.

In a similar manner, the second climbing wheel magnet 57 exercises g

another, on the opposite side of the magnetic rise wheel 54 located tooth magnetic attraction.

When the balance shaft and disk 14 in the direction of the arrow

the end
A according to Pig. 2 / swings, the semicircular edge of the contact 18 engages the rounded tip 6l of a tooth 58 and thereby closes a current path from the battery - not shown - via line 49, contact pad 47, track pin 45 of the climbing wheel hub 42, contact wheel 52, contact 18, contact plate 20 and line 24 to dan one end of the coil carried by the balance, the other end of which is grounded via the connection to the balance spring against the "Uhrrahraen" so that contact wheel 52 and contact 18 represent the only moving parts.

Mean balance shaft 12 and steering wheel disk 14 swing in the direction of arrow A, the contact Id rotates the rising wheel against the holding force of magnets 56 and 57 until the in Pig. 3 position shown reached. Pi ^. 3 thus shows contact 18, climbing wheel stone l6 and climbing wheel 5 <o in the position that marks the end of the contact period, and when the movement continues in the same direction from

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balance and steering wheel, the contact between the tooth 58 and the semicircular edge of the contact 18 ceases.

~ hs is to be noted that in this position according to Flg. 3 the tooth 65 of the magnetic climbing wheel 5 ^ is closer to the climbing wheel magnet 50 than the tooth 6 * 1- and is therefore subject to stronger magnetic attraction, so that as a result the magnet rotates the climbing wheel 50 in the direction of arrow B until the tooth 65 is the same position, vfie it used to be the case with tooth 6 ^ according to FIG. 2, centered over the magnet. First of all , the same effect occurs between the steering wheel magnet 57 and two other teeth on the steering wheel 5 ^. Thus, the pitch wheel was shifted one tooth position and at the same time the contact to the coil was closed by the actual rapid movement.

From ι " ¹ 'ig. L'- the back swing of the balance shaft and steering wheel disc can be seen, in which the stone 16 completely passes ani union 5''of the contact wheel, which had moved on counterclockwise during the previous balance swing, vtIp from Fig. 2 and the comparison between the Janderweg of the stone 16 marked with G and the position of the tooth 59. As shown in FIG 5Ö in Fig, 2 is, and shifts this tooth slightly counterclockwise.

Caused on the backswing by the abutment of stone 16 and in Fig. K by the arrow D angrdeutete

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However, the total movement of the climbing wheel 50 is less than the Lö during the forward swing as a result of contact with contact evoked and in EJg. 2 and 3 indicated steering wheel twist. This steering wheel twist from the position according to Pig. 2 into the according to Pig. 3 is enough to get the Tooth 6 * 4 · to be brought into a box, in which he is from underneath located magnet is pulled forward. In the backswing, on the other hand, the steering wheel displacement is not sufficient Port switching by the Steigradraagnet off, and therefore

the tooth returns to its ^ when it comes free from the stone

Rest position above the magnet back. Granted in the end result So the back and forth movement of the balance wheel dan Jteigrad a unidirectional rotary movement.

From Pig. 2 it can also be seen that at the moment when contact 18 and tooth 58 on contact wheel 50 touch each other for the purpose of exciting the coil in the drive system, this contact takes place between a curved surface on contact 18 and pinem curved part of oil of tooth 58. If the contact Id is now located in the direction of the arrow A, the contact surfaces will actually roll and slide, the route of the Ä

Contact Id l'mgs of tooth 5d bl «-iot or, in other words, the tooth flank ^{segment underlying a ul is:} extremely short. It has been found that this creates a slight amount of friction and, apart from that, keeps the loss of roibos at practically the same rate during the aging of the clock. This arrangement turned out to be superior to the previously proposed, reversed arrangement, in which a ..contact pin with df ^j r

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62 creates electrical contact and during the electrical Impulse slides along on her. Through this Experience has shown that the tooth flanks and this in turn increases the friction caused by Zahn to tooth is variable and diminishes the watch's ability to keep accurate time.

If you like the form of a undercut the contact tooth is the most expedient

* staltung means that ten forms can also be used with

where the leading tooth flank is generally radial. i-ian therefore expediently uses a contact wheel whose teeth are designed asymmetrically with respect to a radius passing through the tooth tip so that the angle A between the radius and the leading tooth flank is smaller than the corresponding angle C auiöCiiea radius and the trailing tooth flank. According to the invention, the contact should take place on a section of the surface of the leading tooth flank. As already said, it deserves a undercut s preference tooth, but it is within the scope of the invention to arrange this leading edge in the general NEN radially or even co, that the angle A in accordance with ^ i g. 7 even a small angle that goes beyond the radius. The expression "generally radial" is intended to include this reach.

It can be seen from FIGS. 2 to 11 that the diameter of the stone Io, which is greater than that of the contact Ib, places the radially outer stone section at a further distance from the stone. brings nruhwelleachse as the corresponding contact section. This creates a -cr.-utis ^ egen a

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created unwanted contact when the balance is swung back and if the watch is shaken.

Although the shape of the contact 18 shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 is the preferred one with a generally semicircular edge, contact members of other shapes can also be used. For example, FIG. 5 shows another embodiment of the invention in which similar elements have similar reference numerals. Here g

the contact does not have the semicircular shape according to Fig. 1 to 4, but consists of a wedge with truncated Diagonal edge 72 and vertical end face 74.

In Fig. 6, a further modification of the invention is shown in which this time the contact from a flat strip 76 with stone 16 glued on. Obviously work the two arrangements according to FIGS. 5 and 6 practically exactly as above with respect to the embodiment according to FIGS. 1 to 4 was described.

Due to the above-described operation of the contact and steering rod system according to the invention, the steering wheel of an electric watch can be driven by the oscillating movement of the balance shaft and this drive energy can also be used to create electrical contact with a coil carried by the balance shaft. As a result, considerably fewer parts are required than was previously necessary for this contact generation, and the construction of a flatter, el eic tric clockwork is possible. In addition, the adjustment required for the known spring contact is omitted, and real time becomes Ίχ

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iLontakt reliability increases. This contact system also makes the clock according to the invention your own Starting up en, since even a slight movement of the clock touches the contact 16 one of the teeth ara Kontakrade 52 and thereby start the clock. But when the clock is running has begun, every such clock movement disturbs the course ν / eg en of the kinetic ones inherent in the individual parts No more energy.

Of course, the person skilled in the art also has other embodiments close to the invention and should therefore be covered by the scope of the patent claims. So it would be for example possible, the composite climbing wheel by a magnetiahes Had to replace had that is plated or coated with a highly conductive alloy. One can do this also provide a magnetic wheel with highly conductive inserts. Instead of the contacts against the steering wheel disk To insulate, you can also form the disk from insulating material or insulated metal.

The invention can also be deviated from without departing from the spirit or essence Features of the invention to come off are embodied in a variety of other forms. Therefore, the above-specified embodiments in any Relationship as illustrative and & at the same time limiting of protection and all modifications within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are intended be mibtcescliübzt.

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Claims (1)

Claims 1. Clockwork in the form of a wristwatch, in whose housing the drive battery, the pointer mechanism, its drive in the form of a swinging balance wheel with coil, associated magnets and contacts for periodic coil excitation by the battery as well as a steering wheel driven by the balance wheel are housed, which is the latter Has a shaft mounted on both sides as a carrier for the pointer drive pinion on the one hand and a vertical link contact combination on the other hand, characterized in that the gear shaft consists of a first section (^ K) carrying the drive pinion (38) and a second section (50) bearing section (Ί-2), the two sections (40 and hl) are electrically isolated from each other. 2. L'hrwerk according to claim 1, characterized in that the one shaft section ( ² JO) is seated at one end in a recess (4 · $) on a lüde of the other shaft section (42) and fastened therein by means of insulating putty (48) is. 3. .hrvjcrk according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that cjpii pinion (18) avid associated V / ellrnabschnitt ('K)) electrically separated from ^ pttoriekreis aid Kombinat i ο; (5ü) nebet ζ . <Belonging em yellenabcclmitt (<i2) are connected with iijj-.i el eic tr is ch. -Ιό- New Uruerlaoen ν * χ. ■ - · - - ^ w *** - v.4.ai * · 909838/0558 b; x g ;. left Movement according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that a battery with a gear (52) by means of a preferably resiliently on the bearing (k-5, 4-7) of the second shaft portion (4-2) adjoining the connecting member (^ 9 ) the mating contact, and the other battery pole is electrically connected to a raised by the balance (12) contact member (18). 5. Movement according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the combination (50) of a first gear (52) as a counter-contact for the carried by the balance (12) contact member (18) and a second coaxial gear (5 ^) as Steering wheel for pointing; Erk consists. 6. Clockwork according to claim 5, characterized in that the first gear (52) has asymmetrically shaped teeth, each with a longer (62) and a shorter (60) flank, of which only the shorter with that carried by the balance (12) Contact member (18) in electrical i, comes on tact. 7. Movement according to claim 6, characterized in that the tooth flank (60) contacted by the contact member (12) is generally radially aligned with respect to the shaft axis and is preferably undercut . 8. Clockwork according to one of claims 5 to 7, characterized ^ indicates that the contact member (12) touched Tooth flank (60) with the one through the tooth tip -17- 909838/0558 g eh end en Badlus forms a smaller angle than the other tooth flank (62). 9. Movement NaOH any one of claims 5 to 8, characterized in that the teeth of the first gear (52) have rounded tips, which the unruh supported contact member (1.8) are periodic with _k in electrical contact. 10. Clockwork according to one of claims 5 to 9, characterized gekennzeiohnet that the first gear (52) consists of non-magnetic material and has electrically conductive teeth, while the second gear (5M has a shorter diameter than the first gear (52) from consists of magnetic material and is under the influence of a housing-fixed Mognets (56 or 57) via at least one tooth. 11. Clockwork according to claim 10, characterized in that the contact member (18) opposite the balance wheel (12) electrically is isolated. 12. Clockwork according to one of the preceding claims with contact means carried by the balance wheel, which consist of a first, electrically conductive part and a second, electrically insulating part, thereby characterized in that the first part (18) with respect to the balance axis is radially shorter than the second part (16) is and both parts during the balance chv; ingings with the mating contact wheel (52) periodically in contact come. -18- 909838/0558 13. Clockwork according to one of the preceding claims, the pitch wheel of which is advanced only at every second balance half-oscillation "wiisd, characterized in that the insulating part (16) and electrically conductive part (18) of the balance-bearing contact means form the longitudinal halves of a pin and in this way with respect to the riser gear arrangement (38, 40, 42, 50, 54) are arranged that their riser link contact combination (50) during at least part of the driving balance swing from the conductive pin part (18) and during the non-driving balance return only from the insulating pin part (16) is touched. 14. Clockwork according to claim 13, characterized in that an edge of the non-conductive pin portion (16) of the balance axis has a greater axial distance than the outermost edge of the conductive pin part (18). 15. Clockwork according to claim 14, characterized in that both pin parts (l6 or 18) are designed to be semi-cylindrical and lie against one another with their flat sides, the diameter of the insulating part (16) being longer than that of the conductive part (18). & 0SS38 / 0S58 BAD Empty e Ue