EP1125172A1

EP1125172A1 - Clock

Info

Publication number: EP1125172A1
Application number: EP00954245A
Authority: EP
Inventors: John C. Ermel; Robert Greubel; Stephen Forsey
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1999-09-02
Filing date: 2000-09-01
Publication date: 2001-08-22
Anticipated expiration: 2020-09-01
Also published as: JP2003508793A; ATE448510T1; AU6679600A; HK1042343B; US6809992B1; HK1042343A1; CA2347860A1; CN1154027C; EP1125172B1; JP4471548B2; CN1335947A; DE50015790D1; WO2001018612A1

Abstract

A clock with a twenty four hour display includes a minute hand, a second hand, a minute scale, a date display, and an hour scale on a first conchoid. The first conchoid includes an outer loop for the hours of the day from 6-18 hours and an inner loop for the hours of the day from 18-6. A crossing point of the inner and outer loops is established at the hours of 6 and 18. To achieve unambiguous indication, the hour hand is made variable in length. In a second conchoid offset by a constant amount radially inwards with respect to the first conchoid, which for instance is milled in the form of a groove in the dial, a guiding element is moved azimuthally through the inner part of the hour hand, which receives an overlay of radial movement owing to the shape of the second conchoid. The second conchoid and the guiding element may be covered by a disc joined to the inner part of the hour hand and turning with it.

Description

Clock

The present invention relates to a clock driven by a mechanical, electrical or electronic motor with an analog and unambiguous 24-hour display according to the preamble of claim 1. Several clocks with an analog and unambiguous 24-hour display are known, for example from DE 267 810 (Dl), US 5,696,740 (D2), WO 91/03774 (D3). In both D1 and D2, the 24-hour uniqueness is resolved with two concentric dials, each 12 hours, where the first 12-hour group sets the time from 0 ^ -12: 00, the second 12-hour group sets that of 12-- 12 a.m. The hour hand changes its position abruptly during the transition from one scale to the other; it is either extended jerkily or shortened as well.

In D3, the uniqueness of the hour display is solved in such a way that two 12-hour scales, which are concentric with each other, are also arranged on the dial, but at the same time there is a transparent disc which has a rotation time of 24 hours and - in one exemplary embodiment - has two semicircular covers that cover the hourly values that do not apply. Other documents that are not considered here (see DE 33 05 414 and DE 40 376 57) show clocks with a so-called pseudo-analog display, where a clear 24-hour display is generated using electronic aids such as LEDs and liquid crystal displays.

The devices for length change of the hour hand disclosed in D1 and D2 either require additional energy from the clock motor to tension a spring (Dl) or an additional energy source (D2). The solution proposed in D3 shows the hours on two halves of the circle with different radius at all times of the day and night. Neither the technical feasibility nor the market acceptance were solutions that were able to prevail.

BESTATIGUNGSKOPIE Although this would be possible with the means described, the transition from one scale was never chosen differently than at noon and at midnight.

Furthermore, clocks have become known which have non-circular scales, for example in DE 196 41 885 (D4), DE 299 03 950 (D5) and DE 299 04 451 (D6). While in D4 an hour display element is moved on any curve as a guide element, in D5 the display element is guided on cycloids by means of an additional gear and in D6 the display element moves on curves that are generated by a four-bar gearbox, means are described here that to move said display element on non-circular orbits, but a 24-hour display of a clear nature is not disclosed thereby. It is therefore an object of the present invention to move the display element marking the hours - be it the hour hand or some other clear and unmistakable element - on such a path which clearly assigns the position of the display element to one of the 24 hours of the day's run permitted and thus, due to its position, causes a noticeable difference in the display between the day and night hours, without having to change the usual pointer angle positions. The solution to the stated problem is given in the characterizing part of patent claim 1 with regard to its most important features, and in the following patent claims with regard to further inventive developments. Based on the attached drawing, the inventive idea is explained in more detail in several exemplary embodiments.

Show it:

1 is a top view of a first exemplary embodiment,

FIG. 2 shows a detail from FIG. 1, with a first exemplary embodiment of a guide element, 3 shows a longitudinal section through the exemplary embodiment from FIG. 1,

Fig. 4 shows a detail of Fig. 3 with a second exemplary _^ h- approximately example of a Fuhrungselementes

Fig. 5 shows a second exemplary embodiment in a schematic longitudinal section

FIG. 6 shows the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 5 m in a schematic plan view.

1 is a top view of a first exemplary embodiment of a watch according to the invention. In addition to conventional elements adopted here, such as minute hand 1, second hand 2, date display 3 and a conventional circular minute scale 4, an hour display element according to the invention is shown in the form of a long changeable hour hand 5. The tip of the hour hand 5 runs on a double-loop closed curve 7 with an outer loop 8 and an inner loop 9, which have a crossing point 6. Daytime hours from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. are assigned to outer loop 8 and night hours from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. to inner loop 9. Since this assignment is only graphical in nature, it can of course also be reversed. Such a double-loop closed curve is, for example, the conchoid, also called Pascal's snail (described, for example, in Karel Rektorys, Applicable Mathematics, Cambridge, Mass., USA, 1969). 1 shows the representation of a second conchoid 10, which emerges from curve 7 with an outer loop 8 and an inner loop 9 by a constant radial offset. This second conchoid 10 is shown in dashed lines, since it can be covered by a disk 11; it is designed as a guide curve and explained in more detail together with the guide elements in FIG. 2. Fig. 2 is the representation of only the inventive part of the clock. The disk 11 is only shown in broken lines and transparently and gives a clear view of the conchoid 10 underneath and covered by the disk 11. As can already be seen from FIG. 1, the hour hand 5 is made in two parts. Its outer part, numbered 13, is pivotally connected to a sliding element 12; this sliding element 12 lies in the, for example, groove-shaped conchoid 10 and follows the path of this conchoid 10 in the circumference of the inner part of the hour hand 5. The inner part of the hour hand 5 mentioned bears the number 14 and is firmly connected to the disk 11. The disc 11 thus, together with the inner part 14 of the hour hand 5, makes one revolution in 12 hours. In this exemplary embodiment, the sliding element 12 is shaped like a sickle in such a way that the radius of curvature of the outer surface is smaller than the smallest radius of curvature of the outer surface of the conchoid 10, and that of the inner surface is larger than the largest radius of curvature of the inner surface of the conchoid 10 The longitudinal extension of the sliding element 12 measured in the tangential direction is so large that at the intersection of the two loops of the conchoid 10 (which bear the numbers 15, 16) the sliding element 12 is guided securely from the outer loop 15 onto the inner loop 16 , or from the inner loop 16 to the outer loop 15.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through the exemplary embodiment of Fig. 1, for example by 24 h. In the sense of a non-restrictive example, a dial 24 serves here as an assembly platform for all the other elements mentioned and still to be mentioned. This element, which is referred to below as dial 24, can be both factory and house-related. It is only essential that the reference to the actual dial is fixed when the watch is in operation. The conchoid 10 with its outer loop 15 and its inner loop 16 is worked into the dial 24, for example by milling. In the dial 24, a, called hour tube 18, hollow shaft is mounted, with which the disc 11 and the inner Part 14 of the hour hand 5 are firmly connected. For reasons of stability, the inner part 14 of the hour hand 5 is, for example, still connected to the disk 11 with a support 19. The disk 11 has a radial slot 20, running parallel to the inner part 14 of the hour hand 5. In this slot 20, a guide pin 12 is movable, with which the outer part 13 of the hour hand is connected to the sliding element 12. The sliding element 21 is thus moved in the azimuthal direction through the disk 11. The guide pin 21 is, for example, firmly connected to the sliding element 12 and is rotatably mounted in the outer part 13 of the hour hand 5 about its longitudinal axis. According to the invention, however, this can also be solved in such a way that the guide pin 21 is fixedly connected to the outer part 13 of the hour hand 5 and is rotatably mounted in the sliding element 5 about its longitudinal axis.

The outer part 13 of the hour hand 5 is arranged so that it can move slowly with respect to its inner part 14, for which arrangement several solutions which are not described here are known.

The other elements, such as minute tube 22 with minute hand 1 and second axis 23 with second hand 2 are known and are only given for the sake of completeness. The term dial is to be interpreted broadly here; the decision as to which and if any digits should appear on it is purely aesthetic. The technical relevance of the dial 24 lies in its property as a base plate for all of the aforementioned elements in the sense of what has been said above. FIG. 4 shows a section of the conchoid 10 together with a further exemplary embodiment of a guide element 17 mentioned in FIGS. 2, 3. This consists of a support body 25 and here, for example, three wheels 26, 27 rotatably mounted in it. 28. Their arrangement is chosen so that the middle wheel 26 is on the outside so that it can touch the outer surface of the conchoid 10; the other two wheels 27, 28 can touch the inner surface of the conchoid 10. The arrangement of the three wheels 26, 27, 28 is further designed so that the guide member 17 in both that part of the conchoid 10 with the largest radius of curvature, as well as in that with the smallest with radial play is movable in the tangential direction. In the area of the middle wheel 26, the supporting body 25 carries the guide pin 21, for which the same applies, as said in this regard in FIG. 3.

Also shown in Fig. 4 - but dashed - is a variant of the support body 25. An arm 29 of the support body 25 is designed as a spiral spring 30, so that all three wheels 26, 27, 28 always touch the side surface of the conchoid 10 assigned to them. Alternatively, both arms of the support body 25 can be designed as spiral springs 30, with which the contact pressure of the wheels 26, 27, 28 on the side surfaces can be metered better. The length of the guide member 17, that is to say the distance between the outer wheels 27, 28, is selected such that the crossing point of the two loops 15, 16 of the conchoid 10 can be passed in the correct sense. The number of wheels 26, 27, 28 can of course be selected differently, for example larger, with the corresponding adjustments to the shape and structure of the support body 25.

5 and 6 are illustrations of a second embodiment for the management of. Tip of the hour hand 5 on the provided double-loop curve 7. FIG. 5 is a section perpendicular to the plane of the dial 24, FIG. 6 is a plan view. FIG. 5 is designed so for the purpose of better understanding that all subsequent axes lie in the same plane, which ^'is actually never the case. 6, a two-loop curve (also called a Pascal screw) 31 with an outer loop 40 and an inner loop 41 and a crossing point 42 is shown in dashed lines. This corresponds functionally to the conchoid 10 from FIG. 2 and also insofar as it represents the path of the guide pin 21 at least indirectly insofar as radial displacement by a constant as well as a variable - for example proportional - amount are naturally included in the inventive concept. In this exemplary embodiment, this curve 31 is The gear wheels and guide arms effect as follows:

Fixed to the dial 24 - or the mounting platform corresponding to it - is a gear A arranged coaxially to the hour tube 18 with radius r (A). The hour tube 18 carries an arm 32 which rotates with it and in which an axis 36 of a second gear wheel B with a radius r (B) is mounted, where applicable

r (B) = 2r (A) Eq. (1)

Furthermore, these radii and the point of intersection 42 of the two loops 40, 41 of curve 31 - whose distance from the center of the hour tube is designated by d (31) - are connected such that the following applies

r (A) + r (B) = d (31) Eq. (2)

As can also be seen from FIG. 6, the arm 32 can be a component which is flat in a plane parallel to those of the gearwheels. Here it carries, firmly connected to it, a third gear C with radius r (C), which meshes with a fourth gear Dl with radius r (Dl), which is supported by an axis 33. This is supported in a second arm 34. The second arm 34 sits firmly on the axis 36 of the second gear B and therefore rotates with it. The axis 33 of the fourth gear D1 carries - also firmly connected to it - a fifth gear D2 with radius r (D2), which meshes with a sixth gear E with radius r (E). This sixth gear wheel E is mounted on an axle 35 which is attached to the second arm 34 at a distance d (E) from the axle 36 and runs parallel to all the axles mentioned above. The sixth gear E carries the guide pin 21, which runs parallel to the axes 33, 36, at a distance d (F) from the axis 35.

The following relationships apply to the other radii and distances mentioned: r (Dl) = ₂ r (C) Eq. (3) r (E) = r (D2) Eq. (4) d (E) = d (F) Eq. (5)

During the crossing point 42 of the two loops 40, 41 by Eq. (2) is defined, first define Eq. (3), (4), _ (5) and (6) the two loops 40, 41 themselves:

d (40) - d (41) = 4d (E) Eq. (6)

The choice of r (C) is not dependent on r (A), but is given purely opportunistically by the space available, with the restriction that - if the hour tube 18 is assigned the radius r (18) -

r (C) <r (A) + r (B) - r (18) Eq. (7)

Not shown in FIGS. 5, 6 are the disk 11 and the outer and inner parts 13, 14 of the hour hand 5. All these elements can be arranged as shown in the first exemplary embodiment.

As a variant of this, the actual dial 24 can be at least partially transparent and can be arranged such that the minute and second hands 1, 2 run over it, but the hour display below. Instead of the guide pin 21, the toothed wheel E then carries a marking which is particularly emphasized by its brightness or color - for example a round disc - which rotates on the double-loop curve 31. This disc then replaces the tip of the hour hand 5. The latter, as well as the disc mentioned, are then display elements.

Of course, other arrangements of gearwheels and, if appropriate, these supporting arms can be realized for the transmission specialist and are contained in the inventive concept, which fulfill the task of generating the desired conchoid as a path of the display element with a guide pin 21 or a component corresponding to it.

Claims

claims

1. Clock, with a mechanical, electrical or electronic clock motor, with analog and clear 24-hour display, with at least one display element for the hours, which is driven by an hour tube (18), characterized in that

- The display element (5) revolves for the hours on a double-loop closed curve (7, 31) called a conchoid or Pascal screw, from which each point is touched by the display element (5) exactly once in 24 hours, said curve (7, 31) having an outer loop (8, 40) and an inner loop (9, 41) with a crossing point (42) of the two loops (8, 40; 9, 41),

- Means are present to guide the display element (5) on said double-loop curve (7, 31),

- The angular position of the display element (5) with respect to the time zero at 12 h and 24 h, which is familiar with known mistakes.

2. Clock according to claim 1, characterized in that

- The means for guiding the display element on said double-loop curve (7, 31) consist of the following elements, a groove which is at least indirectly connected to the dial (24) and which is also designed as a double-loop closed curve in the form of a conchoid (10) is - a guide member (12, 17) which is longitudinally movable in the said conchoid (10) and carries a guide pin (21), an element (11, 14) which is firmly connected to the hour tube (18) and which at least indirectly Guide element (12, 17) moves in the conchoid (10), an indicator element (13), which in the radial direction through the guide pin (21), in azimuthal Direction is moved by the element (11, 14) fixedly connected to the hour tube (18).

3. Clock according to claim 2, characterized in that - a long changeable hour hand (5) is provided with an inner part (14) and an outer part (13), the inner part (14) with the one with the hour tube (18) firmly connected element can be connected, - the outer part (13) of the hour hand (5) is displaceable in the radial direction with respect to the inner part (14) and is moved by the latter in the azimuthal direction,

- The radial movement of the outer part (13) of the hour hand (5) is caused by the guide pin (21) which is at least indirectly engaged with the said outer part (13),

- The display element is the tip of the outer part (13) of the hour hand (5).

4. Clock according to claim 3, characterized in that the guide member which carries the guide pin (21) is a crescent-shaped sliding element (12) which is movable azimuthally with radial play in the groove-shaped conchoid (10), the outer radius of curvature of the crescent-shaped sliding element (12) is smaller than the smallest radius of curvature of the outer surface of the groove-shaped conchoid (10) and the inner radius of curvature of the crescent-shaped sliding element (12) is larger than the largest radius of curvature of the inner surface of the groove-shaped conchoid (10).

5. Clock according to claim 3, characterized in that

- The guide element which carries the guide pin (21) is a guide element (17) with at least three wheels (26, 27, 28) with parallel axes perpendicular to the plane of the dial (24) with two arms (29) , also a supporting body (25) available in which the three mentioned wheels (26, 27, 28) are mounted, each of the two arms (29) carrying one wheel (26, 28) each, and the third wheel (27) between the two wheels (26, 28) is mounted in the supporting body (25),

- The wheels (26, 27, 28) in the direction of the path of the conchoid

(10) are arranged one behind the other in such a way that the first and third wheels (26, 28) can touch the inner surface of the conchoids (10) and the middle wheel (27) can touch the outer surface of the conchoids (10),

- The said three wheels are further arranged so that there is sufficient radial play both at the location of the conchoid (10) with the largest and the one with the smallest radius of curvature to enable an unconstrained azimuthal movement of the guide member (17),

- The guide pin (21) in the area of the middle wheel

(27) is arranged.

6. Clock according to claim 5, characterized in that

* At least one of the arms (29) between the middle wheel (27) and the outer wheels (26, 28) is designed as a spiral spring (30) acting in the radial direction.

7. Clock according to claim 1, characterized in that the means for guiding the display element on the said two-loop curve (7, 31) consist of gear wheels and, if necessary, supporting arms.

8. Clock according to claim 7, characterized in that

- The means to guide the display element on said double-loop curve (7, 31) consist of the following elements

a first gearwheel (A) with radius r (A), which is arranged concentrically to the hour tube (18) with radius r. (18) and is at least indirectly firmly connected to the dial (24), - A with the hour tube (18) and radially outwardly extending first arm (32), in which a first axis (36) of a second gear (B) with radius r (B) is rotatably mounted, - the second gear (B) lies in the same plane as the first gear (A) and meshes with it,

- A third gear (C) with radius r (C) is present and arranged concentrically to the second gear (B) and is firmly connected to the first arm (32), • - A second arm (34) is present and also on the same axis (36) how the second gear (B) is attached,

a fourth gear (Dl) with radius r (Dl) is present, which lies in the same plane as the third gear (C) and meshes with it,

- The fourth gear (Dl) on a parallel to the axis

(36) of the second gear (B) extending axis (33) which is rotatably mounted in the second arm (34), - the second arm (34) at a distance d (E) from the axis (36) which it is attached to carries an axis (35) running parallel to it,

a fifth gear wheel (E) is present, which is rotatable about the last-mentioned axis (35) and carries the guide pin (21) arranged parallel to it at a distance d (F) therefrom,

- A sixth gear (D2) with radius r (D2) is present, which is arranged in the same plane as the fifth gear (E) and meshes with it, the sixth gear (D2) on the same axis

(33) how the fourth gear (Dl) is attached coaxially to this,

- for the radii r (A), r (B), r (C), r (Dl), r (D2) the following relationships apply:

r (B) = 2r (A) r (C) = 2r (Di; r (E) = r (D2)

9. Clock according to claim 8, characterized in that

- The crossing point (42) of the two loops (40, 41) of the two-loop curve (31) is at a distance d (31) from the center of the hour tube (18), where:

r (A) + r (B) = d (31)

- The greatest radial distance of each of the two loops (40, 41) of the two-loop curve (31) is d (40) and d (41) and is connected to the distances d (E) and d (F) by the following relationships:

d (E) = d (F) d (40) - d (41) = 4d (E)

- The hour tube has an outer radius r (18), which together with r (A), r (B) and r (C) defines the restriction that

r (C) <r (A) + r (B) - r (IS

10. Clock according to claims 3 and 7, characterized in that - the element firmly connected to the hour tube (18) is a disc (11) arranged concentrically to this,

- A long changeable hour hand (5) is provided with an inner part (14) and an outer part (13), wherein the inner part (14) can be connected to the disc (11),

- The outer part (13) of the hour hand (5) is displaceable in the radial direction with respect to the inner part (14), - The radial movement of the outer part (13) of the hour hand (5) by the guide pin (21) caused, which is at least indirectly engaged with said outer part (13), - The display element is the tip of the outer part (13) of the hour hand (5),

- The disc (11) is set up so that it can cover the underlying components for the guidance of the display element (5).

11. Clock according to claim 10, characterized in that the disc (11) has a radially extending slot for the guide pin (21).

12. Clock according to claim 9, characterized in that

- The display element in place of the guide pin (21) is a mark placed on the gear (E),

- The two-loop curve (31), which describes the path of the guide pin (21) is as large as the two-loop closed curve (7) of the path of the display element.