EP0950213B1 - Large size calendar date indicating mechnism for watch or small clock movements and movement incorporating the same - Google Patents

Abstract

A. Description: a) a cambered toothed ring (1) of 31 more or less long and high slots are urged to replace the initial date ring; b) an 8-toothed star (10) topped with a disk (11) is used for indicating the tens of the month through an open window (16) in the dial (15); c) a 10-toothed star (7) topped with a disk (8) is used to indicate the units of the month through an open window (16) in the dial (15). d) a spring cam jumper (13) maintains the stars in position; e) a main plate (5) of the movement diameter is urged to be fixed on the watch movement to assemble together the whole set of said components. B. Function mode: a) the toothed ring (1) rotates completely in 31 days; b) the cambered slots of said ring drive each star forward by one tooth at a time; c) the stars co-operate with the ring each at a different level; d) when a slot is shorter or less high, it doe not drive the star and the latter stays put; e) such that the ring is programmed for the disks to indicate through the dial the days of the month from 1 to 31 and automatically shift from 31 to 1.

Description

A. Introduction

The object of the present invention is to produce a date display mechanism large format for all watch movements, in particular watches and clocks, allowing an easy reading of the date, whose construction is simple since it requires and combines a reduced number of parts and mobiles.

This invention also aims to reduce the volume (in particular by reducing height) of the above-described mechanism and render it, once the mobiles are pre-assembled easily adaptable to all existing watch movements with a traditional date indication by crown, since this mechanism can be driven by the date crown of the movement of the watch concerned which will be modified accordingly.

The subject of this invention is a large format date display mechanism for all movements of watches and clocks to achieve the above-described goal and comprising the characteristics defined in claim 1.

B. State of the art

The large format date display mechanisms produced to date are very complex, bulky, therefore very difficult to achieve due to said complexity and the large number of useful parts, so the costs of production of such mechanisms are extremely heavy.

The direct consequences of the above are the difficulties of mounting on existing movements as well as the consequent increase in volume of said movements which often detracts from the aesthetic appearance of watches and prevents marketing of these watches at affordable costs.

Most existing systems are limited by the small size of the numbers date indication and must be fitted with magnifying glasses for more accurate reading Easy.

C. Technical description

The accompanying drawing schematically illustrates in an exploded view the display mechanism large date format with three mobiles.

- Plan A :

mouvement de montres

- Plan B :

couronne de quantième initiale programmée ou combinaison de la couronne de quantième initiale et d'une couronne programmée (premier mobile)

- Plan C :

platine entourant la (les) couronne(s) du plan B destinée à être fixée sur le mouvement de montre

Plan D :

système comportant trois vis axiales verticales soutenant respectivement une étoile dentée (4 branches) fixée à un disque échancré sur la surface duquel sont inscrit quatre chiffres de 0 à 3, un sautoir et un ressort de blocage.

- Plan E :

cadran de la montre percé de deux guichets de grand format

The mechanism can be illustrated by the following five plans:

- Plan A:

watch movement

- Plan B :

programmed initial date crown or combination of initial date crown and programmed crown (first mobile)

- Plan C:

plate surrounding the crown (s) of plane B intended to be fixed to the watch movement

Plan of :

system comprising three vertical axial screws respectively supporting a toothed star (4 branches) fixed to a notched disc on the surface of which are written four digits from 0 to 3, a jumper and a locking spring.

- Plane :

watch face pierced with two large format windows

1. Description of plan A :

It is an ordinary watch movement with a date indication traditional by crown which does not require any special remarks, except that the traditional date crown can be replaced by a initial date combined with a programmed toothed crown.

2. Description of plan B :

The mechanism firstly comprises a programmed crown 1 intended either for replace the original crown of date 2, or to be fixed on this crown of original date 2.

This programmed crown 1, that is 1/2, has a toothing 4 composed of four teeth.

The programmed crown 1 includes, just like the date crowns usual, the inscription of a series 3 of 31 figures arranged tangentially, i.e. figures 1,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,0,1,2,3,4 , 5,6,7,8,9,0, distributed uniformly which are intended to indicate the units of the date. Unlike usual date crowns, the programmed crown 1, i.e. 1/2, does not include no digit representing the tens

A kinematic chain drives this crown 1, or 1/2, at the rate of one step per day at from the hour wheel of the watch movement (plane A) to perform a complete rotation in 31 days.

This training is discontinuous and the step takes place around midnight each day.

This programmed crown 1, or 1/2, could also be driven by a stepper motor (quartz movement) and a gear driven by this motor, motor piloted by an electronic movement timekeeper.

3. Description of Plan C :

Plan C consists of a plate 5 surrounding the programmed crown and intended for be fixed to the watch movement (plan A).

This plate 5 comprises a light in an arc of a circle 6 allowing the passage of the date crown (1 or combination 1, 2 of the programmed crown), platinum which is fixed to the watch movement by screws 7.

4. Description of Plan D :

This mechanism includes a dozen mobile.

The tens mobile is composed of a star 8 with four branches or teeth, a indented tens display disc 9 having on its upper surface numbers from 0 to 3 arranged tangentially and evenly distributed.

This tens 8/9 mobile pivots on the plate 5 and is held by an axial screw 10; it is positioned so that the teeth of the tens 8 star are at the same level as the path formed by the toothing 4 of the programmed crown 1, i.e. 1/2.

A jumper 11 is fixed to the plate 5 by an axial screw 12 and comes into contact with the branches of the star 8 located at the same level to keep blocked the parts angular between two successive actuations.

A locking spring 13 is fixed to the plate 5 by an axial screw 14 and maintains the jumper between two successive actuations.

The tens 8/9 mobile is entirely dependent on the programmed crown 1, or 1/2.

5. Description of plan E :

The mechanism is provided with a dial 15 pierced by a large window 16 with 2 windows of a dimension, in principle minimum 2 x 4 mm, dial covering the entire mechanism and is fixed using feet 17 (4 in number) on the plate 5.

D. Operation

By the formation of the tens star 8 with the teeth 4 of the crown programmed 1, that is 1/2, the tens disc 9 advances by one step every ten days of so that the number corresponding to the tens of the date appears in the window 16 of the dial 15 next to the numbers of the units 3 arranged on the crown programmed 1, i.e. 1/2.

The tens disc rotates completely in one month.

E. Display disc layout

This mechanism makes it possible to have the large window 16 of the dial 15 in numerous points of the dial surface 15 provided that the two display discs are symmetrically fixed on each side of an axis so that the tens and the units meet and be displayed respectively to the left and right of the tangent.

The possibility of topological implantation of the mechanism, object of this invention, allows a variation of layout of the window going on an open angle between 11H and 1H on the top of the dial and on an open angle between 5H and 7H on the bottom of the dial.

F. Advantage of the mechanism

The mechanism has a very limited number of parts and only three mobiles (two mobiles on plane D and one mobile on plane B). It can be fully assembled and pre-shown on plate 5 with the exception of the programmed crown 1 which is place on the movement.

Once fixed on the movement, the plate is then equipped with the dial which will allow display of the large date calendar.

The window 16 is twice as large as that of a conventional window,

In addition, the volume of the mechanism is very low which allows adaptation on all the currently existing movements providing for the date display.

This mechanism is remarkable for its simplicity, its limited number of parts, its reliability, and the low cost of its manufacture.

Furthermore, it is evident that the object of this invention is to manufacture and produce a movement of watches or clocks provided with a mechanism for displaying the large format calendar as described above.

Claims (14)

1. Large size date display mechanism for watch and miniature clock movements, characterised in that it includes a dial provided with a large aperture; a units wheel set including a programmed initial date toothed ring or a combination of the initial date toothed ring and a programmed toothed ring bearing 31 numerals, namely, 1, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0 and a toothing with four teeth; a tens wheel set including a tens-ring bearing the numerals 1 to 3, secured to a tens-star wheel; in that, unlike conventional date toothed rings, the programmed toothed ring does not bear composite numerals indicating the tens; in that the numerals borne by the programmed toothed ring and the tens-ring appear in succession respectively in the right half and left half of the large aperture in the dial; in that the tens-star wheel is dependent upon and directly driven by the corresponding toothing carried by the programmed toothed ring, which is driven step by step, at a rate of thirty-one steps per complete revolution, by the clockwork movement.
2. Mechanism according to claim 1, characterised in that, just like conventional date toothed rings, the programmed toothed ring includes the marking of a series of 31 numerals arranged tangentially, namely the uniformly distributed numerals 1, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0, which are intended to indicate the units of the date and in that, unlike conventional date toothed rings, the programmed toothed ring does not include numerals representing the tens.
3. Mechanism according to claim 1, characterised in that the programmed toothed ring can either replace the original date toothed ring, or be fixed onto said original date toothed ring.
4. Mechanism according to the preceding claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the programmed toothed ring includes a toothing with four teeth for driving the star-wheel and ring which indicate the tens of the date.
5. Mechanism according to claim 1, characterised in that the tens wheel set is pivoted along a parallel axis on a plate and located at the same level as the toothing of the programmed toothed ring.
6. Mechanism according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the large aperture of the dial is located between the centre of the dial and respectively 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock.
7. Mechanism according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the toothing carried by the tens-star wheel includes four teeth co-operating with the four teeth of the programmed toothed ring.
8. Mechanism according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the tens-star wheel toothing includes four teeth which coincide with the dates located at 1, 10, 20 and 30 of the units toothing of said toothed ring and in that the tens-star wheel includes four teeth.
9. Mechanism according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the numerals borne by the programmed toothed ring are arranged tangentially and are uniformly distributed along its periphery.
10. Mechanism according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the numerals borne by the tens-ring are arranged tangentially in a cross.
11. Mechanism according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that it also includes a jumper spring fixed to the plate by an axial screw which comes into contact with the branches and/or the teeth of the tens-wheel located at the same level to keep the angular parts locked between two successive activations.
12. Mechanism according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that it further includes a locking spring fixed to the plate by an axial screw which holds the jumper spring between two successive activations and in a stable angular position between each activation.
13. Mechanism according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the toothed ring constitutes the date toothed ring of a movement.
14. Clockwork movement including a step-by-step drive train for a toothed ring effecting one complete revolution in thirty-one steps, characterised in that this train drives a toothed ring of the mechanism according to any of claims 1 to 13.

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