EP0931282B1 - Device for regulating the minute hand of a clock having at least a minute hand and a second hand - Google Patents

Abstract

An arrangement for setting the minute hand of a timepiece which has at least minute and second hands 29, having a setting stem 1 which can be moved axially out of a normal position into a setting position. In this case, upon movement of the setting stem 1 out of the normal position into the setting position, a zero setting drive of the second hand 29 can be driven such that it moves the latter into its zero position and the seconds stem 28, which bears the second hand 29, can be driven via a seconds-display drive mechanism 30 of the movement mechanism of the timepiece. The seconds-display drive mechanism 30 has a blocking device which can be actuated, by virtue of the setting stem 1 being moved in the direction of the setting position, such that the seconds-display drive mechanism 30 is blocked before the second hand 29 is moved into the zero position.

Description

The invention relates to a device for setting the minute hand of a watch having at least minute and second hands, with an actuating shaft that can be moved by axial movement from a normal position into an actuating position, wherein when the actuating shaft is moved from the normal position into the actuating position, a zero actuator of The second hand can be driven to its zero position and the second wave carrying the second hand can be driven by the clockwork of the clock via a second indicator drive (see CH-A-632 373).

In such a known device, the zero actuator is a cardiac zero drive which, depending on the position of the heart curve, brings the second hand clockwise or counterclockwise to the zero position. Due to manufacturing tolerances, there is always play in the gear train leading to the second display gear, which must be overcome when the second hand is reset to the counterclockwise direction. If the second hand is then driven again in normal operation, the play in the gear train must first be overcome again before the second hand is moved. This leads to a delay in the start of the second hand and thus to an incorrect display of one to two seconds.

The object of the invention is therefore to provide a device of the type mentioned by which a correct start of the second hand is ensured after an adjustment process.

This object is achieved in that the second display gear has a blocking device which can be actuated by the movement of the setting shaft in the direction of the setting position such that the second display gear is blocked leading to the movement of the second hand in the zero position.

Thus, before the second hand is reset, the second display gear is blocked, so that it always remains free of play in the normal drive direction and ensures correct start of the second hand after an adjustment process.

The adjusting shaft can only be used to reset the second hand.

If the setting shaft is a minute setting shaft of the clock and the setting position is the minute setting position in which the minute hand can be manually moved by turning the setting shaft, the setting shaft fulfills both the function of triggering the zero setting drive and the function for actuating the minute position. Simply moving the adjusting shaft to its minute setting position automatically causes the second hand to be reset. In order to be able to reset the second hand without affecting the drive of the clockwork, the second shaft can be non-positively coupled to the clockwork of the clock. For this purpose, a preloaded dome spring can be arranged in a simple design between the second shaft and a second display drive of the clockwork, which is frictionally engaged in at least one of the parts of the second shaft and the second display drive.

A space-saving design is achieved in that the second display gear is freely rotatably mounted on the second shaft, the dome spring being able to be arranged axially between the second shaft and the second display gear without significant space requirement.

Both to a simple structure of the dome spring and to a concentric loading of the components acted upon by the dome spring results when the dome spring is a spring having one or more radially directed spring arms, one spring arm end of which is arranged on the second shaft and the second spring arm end of which is on the front side Second display gear is supported, wherein the second spring arm end can be supported on a radially directed flange-like extension of the gear.

In a simple embodiment, the blocking device can have a blocking lever which can be pivoted about a pivot axis, by means of which a movable drive part of the second display drive can be acted upon by force and / or form and / or friction.

In dual function and thus saving installation space, the movable drive part can be the flange-like extension of the second display gear, the radially circumferential surface of which can be acted upon by the blocking lever.

A particularly reliable blockage of the second display mechanism is achieved in that the radially circumferential circumferential surface has a radially circumferential approximately V-shaped groove into which the blocking lever, which can be pivoted about the pivot axis parallel to the axis of rotation of the second display mechanism, can be pivoted with an approximately corresponding V-shaped blocking region.

A simply designed and safely functioning structure is achieved if the zero actuator is a cam disk drive, the cam disk of which is firmly arranged on the second shaft carrying the second hand and can be driven to move from a zero adjustment lever into the zero position when the actuating shaft is moved in the direction of the actuating position, for which purpose the cam disk drive is preferably one Heart curve zero actuator is. If the cam can be locked in the zero position by the zeroing lever, these components serve not only to move in the zero position but also to hold the second hand in the zero position.

Only a small installation space is required if the zeroing lever is a lever which acts on the radially circumferential surface of the cam disc about an axis parallel to the second shaft.

A simple and space-saving actuator is achieved in that the zero actuator has a swivel lever which can be swiveled about a pivot axis parallel to the second shaft between a normal position and a zero position, which is spring-loaded into its zero position and by means of which the zero lever can be moved against the cam from its normal position spaced from the cam is acted upon.

If the blocking lever can be pivotally driven by the pivoting lever, the pivoting lever serves several functions simultaneously.

The advance of the blockage of the second display drive before the movement of the second hand into the zero position is achieved in a simple structure in that the pivot axis of the blocking lever and the axis of the zero lever are arranged axially to one another and the blocking engagement direction of the blocking lever and the zeroing direction of the zeroing lever are directed approximately the same.

If the blocking lever is acted upon by a blocking spring both in the blocking engagement direction and against the swivel lever in the zero position, the blocking lever can easily be released from the swivel lever after its blocking engagement and this can move further to the cam disk of the cam disk drive. For this purpose, there is a simple structure in that the blocking lever is acted upon by the blocking spring in abutment with a stop of the pivot lever or the zeroing lever, whereby when the blocking lever and pivoting lever are pivoted in the direction of blocking engagement or zeroing direction from the blocking lever, the blocking position before the zero position is reached by the zeroing lever is achieved.

Figur 1

eine Vorrichtung zum Einstellen des Minutenzeigers einer Minutenzeiger und Sekundenzeiger aufweisenden Uhr in Normalposition

Figur 2

die Vorrichtung nach Figur 1 in Stellposition

Figur 3

einen Ausschnitt der Vorrichtung nach Figur 1 in einer Zwischenstellung zwischen Normalposition und Stellposition

Figur 4

eine Seitenansicht im Schnitt entlang der Linie II-II in Figur 2

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawing and will be described in more detail below. Show it:

Figure 1

a device for setting the minute hand of a minute hand and second hand clock in the normal position

Figure 2

the device of Figure 1 in the position

Figure 3

a section of the device of Figure 1 in an intermediate position between normal position and position

Figure 4

a side view in section along the line II-II in Figure 2

The device shown has an actuating shaft 1 which can be moved axially between a normal position (FIG. 1) and an actuating position (FIG. 2).

The actuating shaft is coupled in its actuating position in a minute hand drive, not shown, and can adjust the position of a minute hand, also not shown, by rotating the actuating shaft 1 about its axis of rotation.

A pin 2 of an angle lever 4 pivotable about an axis 3 engages transversely to the axis of rotation of the actuating shaft 1 in a radially circumferential groove 5 formed in the actuating shaft 1. By axially moving the control shaft 1, the angle lever 4 is pivoted about its axis 3 via the pin 2.

A catch spring 7 engages a projection 6 arranged on the protruding lever 4 in such a way that depending on its pivot position into its rest position, the lever 4 is acted upon via its release position into a pointer setting position. The snap spring 7 consists of a spring arm 8 which is fixedly arranged at one end and has a tooth 9 at its other end.

In the rest position, the tooth 9 rests on the shoulder 6 with its one flank and in the trigger position with its other flank. When the angle lever 4 is pivoted, the spring arm 8 is deflected so that the tooth 9 is moved over the extension 6 (FIG. 3).

The angle lever 4 carries on its lever arm opposite the actuating shaft 1 a pin 10 which projects into a groove 11 of a switching disk 12.

The switching disk 12 can be pivoted about an axis 13 parallel to the axis 3 of the angle lever 4, the pivoting path being limited by the ends of the groove 11, against which the pin 10 comes to rest. The groove 11 is formed at an equidistant distance from the axis 13.

The switching disk 12 has a switching curve 14, which is also equidistant from the axis 13. This switching curve 14, which is designed as an arc section, interacts with an action surface 15 of a pivoting lever 16 which can be pivoted about a pivot axis 17 by the switching curve 14.

For this purpose, the loading surface 15 is designed as an incline which is inclined with respect to a radial to the pivot axis 17 of the pivot lever 16. Switching curve 14 and loading surface 15 are inclined at such an angle to one another that self-locking of the two parts sliding on one another is excluded.

The pivot lever 16 is permanently spring-loaded in the direction of the switching curve 14 by the free end of a pretensioned spring arm 18 with an acting surface 15 and is biased in the normal position (FIG. 1) with the acting surface 15 on the switching curve 14.

A sliding along the switching curve 14 on the loading surface 15 and thus a pivoting of the pivot lever 16 is only possible if the angle lever 4 is pivoted by moving the actuating shaft 1 from the normal position into the actuating position. The switching curve 14 slides under the force of the spring arm 18 on the swivel lever 16 along the actuating surface 15 until it disengages from the actuating surface 15 at the end of its swivel path, since the swiveling capability of the swivel lever 16 is limited.

The pivot lever 16 is designed as a two-armed lever, on one lever arm of which the loading surface 15 is arranged. The other lever arm is branched into a zero setting arm 19 and a stopping arm 20. A zeroing lever 22 is arranged in a plane parallel to the zeroing arm 19 about an axis 21 parallel to the pivoting axis 17. In this case, the axis 21 is located at one end of the zeroing lever 22, while at the other end of the zeroing lever 22 a positioning surface 23 is arranged in the pivoting direction.

A pin 24, which extends parallel to the axis 21 and extends into the pivoting range of the pivot lever 16, is arranged on the zero setting lever 22 approximately centrally between the positioning surface 23 and the axis 21. The pin 24 is gripped by a fork-shaped end 25 of the zeroing arm 19 and the pivoting position of the zeroing lever 22 is thus determined by the zeroing arm 19.

When pivoting the pivot lever 16 from the normal position into the zero position, the fork-shaped end 25 of the zero arm 19 pivots the zero lever 22 until it rests against a stop 26. Here, the footprint 23 comes into the area of a heart cam 27, which rotates in a parallel manner to the axis 21 Second wave 28 is arranged.

By the radial circumferential surface of the heart cam 27 being acted upon by the positioning surface 23, the heart cam 27 is pivoted until the positioning surface 23 has reached the axis of rotation of the heart cam 27 at the radially smallest point. However, this also moves the second hand 29 arranged on the second shaft 28 into its zero position.

This pivoting of the second shaft 28 is possible without hindrance, since a second display gear 30 of the clockwork gear train is freely rotatable mounted on the second shaft 28 and is non-positively coupled to the second shaft 28 only by a dome spring 31. The second shaft 28 can thus be rotated by overcoming the frictional engagement of the coupling fields 31 without being blocked by the second display gear 30.

The dome spring 31 is designed in the manner of a leaf spring with a central part 33 from which three radially extending spring arms 34 protrude from the plane of the central part 33. With a bore 35 formed in the central part 33, the dome spring 31 is arranged on the second shaft 28. The central part 33 is supported on the heart cam 27, while the free ends of the spring arms 34 are pretensioned on a radially directed, flange-like extension 36 of the second display mechanism 30. By relative rotation of the heart cam 27 and the second display gear 30 with sufficient force, the frictional coupling between the central part 33 of the dome spring 31 with the heart cam 27 and the second indicator gear 30 can be overcome.

The stopping arm 20 of the pivoting lever 16 has at its free end a pin 37 projecting transversely to its pivoting plane. This pin 37 acts against the force of a spring 40 together with a stopping lever 39 which can be pivoted about a pivot axis 38. One free end of the stopping lever 39 is designed as a spring arm 41 and can be moved by pivoting the stopping lever 39 through the spring 40 to bear against the radially circumferential contour of a balance 42. Due to the resilient contact of the spring arm 41 on the balance 42, the latter can be stopped in its rotational movement. The pin 37 of the stop lever 39 is in the normal position of the pivot lever 16 on a stop surface 43 of the stop lever 39 in contact and thus holds the spring arm 41 of the stop lever 39 against the force of the spring 40 at a distance from the balance 42 so that they move freely can.

By pivoting the pivot lever 16 into the zero position, the pin 37 of the stopping arm 20 is disengaged from the stopping lever 39, so that the spring 40 swivels the stopping lever 39 and the spring arm 41 comes under pressure against the radial circumferential contour of the balance 42 and blocked the movement of the balance 42. The clockwork is also out of operation.

A blocking lever 45 is arranged pivotably about a pivot axis 44 parallel to the axis 21 of the zeroing lever 22.

By means of a blocking spring 46, the blocking lever 45 can be moved with its free end against the radially circumferential outer surface of the flange-like extension 36. At this free end, the blocking lever 45 has an approximately V-shaped blocking region 47, with which it can be pivoted into an approximately corresponding V-shaped groove 48, which is formed in a radially circumferential manner on the radially circumferential circumferential surface of the extension 36.

In the normal position (FIG. 1), the blocking lever 45 is held out of engagement with its blocking region 47 by the groove 48 by the pin 24 of the zeroing lever 22 against the force of the blocking spring 46.

If the zeroing lever 22 is pivoted from the normal position into the zeroing position by the pivoting lever 16, the blocking lever 45 supported on the pin 24 follows until it engages with its blocking region 47 in the groove 48 and thus blocks the second display mechanism 30.

The zeroing lever 22 is then moved further by the pivoting lever 16 until it comes to rest with its footprint 23 on the heart cam 27 and rotates it until the footprint 23 is at the radially lowest Point of the heart cam 27 rests and so the second hand 29 is in its zero position.

The second display mechanism 30 is blocked before the heart cam 27 is adjusted.

To set the clock to the exact time, the setting shaft 1 is first pulled upwards from the normal position shown in FIG. 1 into the setting position shown in FIG. 2 by means of a crown (not shown). Thus, the angle lever 4 is pivoted counterclockwise and transmits its movement to the switching disc 12. Until the intermediate position shown in Figure 3 is reached, the angle between the switching curve 14 and the loading surface 15 is such that there is self-locking of the two adjacent parts. During the further pivoting of the switching curve 14 there is also a pivoting of the pivot lever 16, so that the angle between the switching curve 14 and the loading surface 15 changes such that self-locking of these two adjacent parts is now excluded. Under the force of the spring arm 18, the pivoting lever 16 then automatically slides with its actuating surface 15 along the switching curve 14 and pivots so that it moves the zeroing lever 22 with its fork-shaped end 25 via the pin 24 and releases the blocking lever 45 so that it is under the action of the locking spring 46 follows the zero lever 22.

This blocks the second display gear first. Subsequently, the actuating surface 23 acts on the heart cam 27 by the zero setting lever 22 and, while overcoming the frictional forces of the dome spring 31, moves it directly into the zero position and holds it there.

At the same time, the stopping arm 39 of the pivoting lever 16 pivots the stopping lever 39 with its spring arm 41 against the balance 42 and stops it.

Now, by turning the setting shaft 1, a minute hand (not shown) and an hour hand (also not shown) are set to the correct time, e.g. of the next time signal.

If this time signal sounds, the actuating shaft 1 is shifted back into the normal position, as a result of which the angle lever 4 and, after passing through a certain free travel of the angle lever 4 via the switching disk 12, the pivoting lever 16 and the zeroing lever 22 are moved back to their normal position with its positioning surface 23, whereby the heart cam 27 is released.

Subsequently, the pin 24 lifts the blocking lever 45, so that its blocking region 47 moves out of the groove 48 and the second display mechanism 30 is released.

At the same time, the stopping arm 20 acts on the stop surface 43 of the stopping lever 29, lifts its spring arm 41 from the balance 42 and releases it.

The clockwork runs freely and the hands move synchronously.

An eccentric 50 on the swivel axis 17 for the swivel lever 16, an eccentric 51 on the stop 26 of the zeroing lever 22 and an eccentric 52 on the swivel axis 44 of the blocking lever 45 serve to adjust the lever paths.

It is understood that the second display gear to be blocked does not necessarily have to be the drive seated on the second shaft, but can also be a gearwheel close to this drive in the gear train leading to this drive. It is optimal, however, if the impulse sitting on the second wave is blocked.

Claims (19)

1. Arrangement for setting the minute hand of a timepiece which has at least minute and second hands, having a setting stem which can be moved axially out of a normal position into a setting position, it being the case that, upon movement of the setting stem out of the normal position into the setting position, a zero setting drive of the second hand can be driven such that it moves the latter into its zero position and the seconds stem, which bears the second hand, can be driven via a seconds-display drive mechanism of the movement mechanism of the timepiece, characterized in that the seconds-display drive mechanism (30) has a blocking device which can be actuated, by virtue of the setting stem (1) being moved in the direction of the setting position, such that the seconds-display drive mechanism (30) is blocked before the second hand (29) is moved into the zero position.
2. Arrangement according to Claim 1, characterized in that the setting stem (1) is a minute setting stem of the timepiece and the setting position is the minute setting position, in which, by virtue of rotation of the setting stem (1), the minute hand can be driven such that it can be moved manually.
3. Arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the seconds stem (28) is coupled to the movement mechanism of the timepiece with a force fit.
4. Arrangement according to Claim 3, characterized in that arranged between the seconds stem (28) and a seconds-display drive mechanism (30) of the movement mechanism is a prestressed coupling spring (31) which butts against at least either the seconds stem (28) or the seconds-display drive mechanism (30) with a friction fit.
5. Arrangement according to Claim 4, characterized in that the seconds-display drive mechanism (30) is mounted on the seconds stem (28) in a freely rotatable manner.
6. Arrangement according to Claims 4 and 5, characterized in that the coupling spring (31) is arranged axially between the seconds stem (28) and seconds-display drive mechanism (30).
7. Arrangement according to Claim 6, characterized in that the coupling spring (31) is a spring which has one or more radially directed spring arms, of which one spring-arm end is arranged on the seconds stem (28) and the second spring-arm end is supported on the end side of the seconds-display drive mechanism (30).
8. Arrangement according to Claim 7, characterized in that the second spring-arm end is supported on a radially directed flange-like widened section (36) of the seconds-display drive mechanism (30).
9. Arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the blocking device has a blocking lever (45) which can be pivoted about a pivot spindle (44) and which can act on a moveable drive part of the seconds-display drive mechanism (30) with a force fit and/or form fit and/or friction fit.
10. Arrangement according to Claim 9, characterized in that the moveable drive part is the flange-like widened section (36) of the seconds-display drive mechanism (30), of which the radially peripheral lateral surface can have the blocking lever (45) acting on it.
11. Arrangement according to Claim 10, characterized in that the radially peripheral lateral surface has a radially peripheral, approximately V-shaped groove (48) into which the blocking lever (45), which can be pivoted about the pivot spindle (44), parallel to the axis of rotation of the gear wheel, can be pivoted by way of an approximately V-shaped blocking region (47).
12. Arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the zero setting drive is a cam-plate drive, of which the cam plate is arranged fixedly on the seconds stem (28), which bears the second hand (29), and, upon movement of the setting stem (1) in the direction of the setting position, can be driven such that it can be moved into the zero position by a zero setting lever (22).
13. Arrangement according to Claim 12, characterized in that the cam-plate drive is a heart-cam zero setting drive.
14. Arrangement according to Claim 13, characterized in that the zero setting lever (22) is a lever which can be pivoted about a spindle (21) parallel to the seconds stem (28) and which acts on the radially peripheral lateral surface of the cam plate.
15. Arrangement according to Claims 12 to 14, characterized in that the zero setting drive has a pivot lever (16) which can be pivoted, about a pivot spindle (17) parallel to the seconds stem (28), between a normal position and a zero setting position, which is forced into its zero setting position by spring action and which can act on the zero setting lever (22) such that it can be moved out of its normal position, in which it is spaced apart from the cam plate, against the cam plate.
16. Arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the blocking lever (45) can be driven such that it can be pivoted by the pivot lever (16).
17. Arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pivot spindle (44) of the blocking lever (45) and the spindle (21) of the zero setting lever (22) are arranged axially with respect to one another, and the blocking engagement direction of the blocking lever (45) and the zero setting direction of the zero setting lever (22) are oriented in approximately the same way.
18. Arrangement according to Claim 17, characterized in that the action of a blocking spring (46) forces the blocking lever (45) both in the blocking engagement direction and against the pivot lever (16), such that the latter is forced into the zero setting position.
19. Arrangement according to Claim 18, characterized in that the action of the blocking spring (46) forces the blocking lever (45) into abutment against a stop of the pivot lever (16) or of the zero setting lever (22), it being the case that, when the blocking lever (45) and pivot lever (16) are respectively pivoted in the blocking engagement direction and the zero setting direction, the blocking lever (45) reaches the blocking position before the zero setting lever (22) reaches the zero setting position.