EP1305675A1

EP1305675A1 - Timepiece component

Info

Publication number: EP1305675A1
Application number: EP01951851A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Jean-Pierre Dalloz
Original assignee: Daniel Roth et Gerald Genta Haute Horlogerie SA
Current assignee: Daniel Roth et Gerald Genta Haute Horlogerie SA
Priority date: 2000-07-31
Filing date: 2001-07-26
Publication date: 2003-05-02
Anticipated expiration: 2021-07-26
Also published as: EP1178373A1; US6597635B2; US20030112706A1; JP2004505259A; WO2002010864A1; ATE417304T1; AU2001272698A1; DE60136932D1; EP1305675B1

Abstract

The invention concerns a toothed correction gear train (33, 34), engaged with angular positioning means (35), kinematically linking step-by-step driving members (14, 15) of display members, with a gear train (19, 20) indicating time zones, teeth (34) of said correction gear train being engaged with an impulse finger (36a) of a correction lever (36), in neutral position of said lever, corresponding to its return spring (37) release, the path described by said lever (36), to bring it in its other limit position, passing through one of the teeth of said correction gear train (34), said path being selected so that said tooth is reset in its initial angular position once said lever (36) displaced in its other limit position, the return of said lever into its neutral position by said return spring release, causing said teeth of said correction gear train (14) to be driven by one step by the impulse finger (36a).

Description

WATCHMAKING PIECE

The present invention relates to a timepiece comprising a display from 0 to 12 hours, a display of the minutes, a display of the time zone of two geographical locations located in two time zones separated by 180 ° from each other , corresponding to the hours displayed by said hour display, an AM / P display to distinguish the hours preceding from those following the passage from the sun to the meridian, an indicator to indicate for which of the two time zones displayed the hours are those before or after passage to the meridian, step-by-step driving elements of the movable elements of said time display and AM / PM indications and a rocker for simultaneous correction of the time, time zone and indicator displays AM / PM, capable of moving between two limit positions, and maintained in one of said limit positions by a return spring.

There are several kinds of mechanisms for the selective display of the time according to the time zone in which we are. FR 2 752 628 thus relates to a watch of this type in which the hours are displayed on the one hand by a hand, on the other hand by a disc which indicates the corresponding local hours. to those of different cities, on a 24 hour scale. The representative cities of the different time zones are carried by a rotating disc. A correction mechanism, intended to change from one time zone to another, connects the 24-hour disc, the time zone disc showing the cities and the time switch so as to operate l / 24 ^th turn to the cities disc and to the hours disc with each correction.

Such a system makes it possible to know the local time of the various places of the planet by looking at the disc 24 hours and the corresponding cities. One of the drawbacks of such a display mode is that in most countries of the world, especially in all English-speaking countries, people are not used to counting the hours of the day on 24 hours. Even in other countries, generally, in everyday parlance, we speak more easily of 2 o'clock in the afternoon than of 2 o'clock for example, so that a watch displaying the hours on a 24-hour scale does not a universal indication - the usual ent, even if it is understandable.

Another disadvantage comes from the fact that with a division into 24 time zones, the angular space is only 15 °, so that in the case of a wristwatch, the indications of the cities belonging to the time zones remain Pectifs is extremely reduced and consequently, the indications must be written in very small characters and are therefore difficult to read.

However, the major drawback of known systems comes essentially from the correction mechanism. Indeed, when changing the time zone, it is necessary to press on a correction button to move the indication of the hours and that of the time zone. The kinematic connection in the known mechanisms is obtained by wheels and levers. The correction results directly from the pressure exerted on the correction pusher controlling a rocker arranged to drive the entire kinematic chain intended for the simultaneous correction of the two indicators, the time and the time zone.

It may happen, under actuation conditions that are certainly incorrect, but nevertheless possible, that only one of the two indicators is corrected, thus inducing an error in the display of the time in all of the time zones. If such an error occurs, then it is not possible to correct it using the time zone correction button. We are therefore obliged to correct it by the winding and time-setting rod, thus losing the advantages of rapid push-button correction. This error actually results from an incomplete pressure of the correction button. Indeed, the correction resulting directly from the stroke of the pusher, it is always possible that once or the other, a user does not exert sufficient pressure so that the simultaneous correction does not occur. Even if this risk is low, the consequence is troublesome insofar as it cannot be corrected except by the winding stem.

The object of the present invention is to remedy, at least in part, the above-mentioned drawbacks.

To this end, the subject of the present invention is a timepiece of the aforementioned type, as defined by claim 1.

The essential advantage of the solution proposed by this invention resides in the fact that the correction does not result directly from the pressure exerted on the correction pusher, but that it is produced by the winding of the return spring and only if this reinforcement is complete, that is to say if the finger of the correction lever is brought out of the teeth of the drive member step by step of the mobile elements of the display in which it is engaged, passing beyond a tooth of this toothing. If the pressure on the pusher is incomplete and the rocker finger does not pass beyond the tooth of the toothing of this step by step drive of the movable display elements, the return spring disarms without drive the drive member and without any correction occurring. In this case, the user will immediately see that no correction has been made and it will suffice for him to press the pusher further for the correction to be carried out. Therefore, no accidental difference between the time display and the time zone indication may occur following the actuation of the correction button.

Another advantage comes from the fact that the hours are displayed on a twelve-hour scale and two time zones 180 ° apart are displayed simultaneously, the AM / PM display and the indicator showing which time zone these AM / PM indications relate to. , makes it possible to avoid any error in reading the time indications without using a 24-hour scale. The description which follows is made with the aid of the appended drawings which illustrate, schematically and by way of example, an embodiment of the mechanism of the timepiece subject of the present invention.

Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of the display mechanisms of this embodiment; Figure 2 is an assembled perspective view of the mechanism of Figure 1 with the dial and the needles exploded; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the display mechanisms partially assembled with parts broken away; Figure 4 is another perspective view of the display mechanisms partially assembled with a cutaway; Figures 5-7 are partial plan views of the display mechanisms in three phases of the correction process; Figures 8-10 are plan views of the various displays during the correction phases illustrated in Figures 5-7.

The timepiece shown in Figure 1 comprises a conventional movement 1 on which a plate 2 of the universal time display mechanism is attached and held by screws 3. The motion ^'watch 1 has, in the usual manner, a timer cog comprising a pavement 4 and a timer wheel 5. The rest of the watch movement itself is entirely conventional and need not be described, since it is not part of the invention and is not not necessary for him to understand. The connection between the pinion 5a of the timer wheel 5 and the barrel wheel 6 carrying the hour hand 7 (Figure 2) is formed by a wheel 8 (Figure 1) meshing with the pinion 5a of the timer wheel 5a , on which a disc 9 is fixed by screws 10. This disc 9 carries a pawl 11 pressed by a spring 12 in the star toothing of twelve teeth of a pinion 13 fixed under the barrel wheel 6 (Figure 3). Thanks to this connection between the timer train 4, 5 and the barrel wheel 6, the latter can be dissociated from this train when changing the time zone and return to the angular position it occupied at the time of the correction, offset a multiple of 30 ° after the time zone change, when it is otherwise normally driven by the clockwork 4, 5, 5a.

As illustrated in Figure 3, the barrel wheel 6 is engaged with a wheel 14 carrying a drive finger 14a intended to come into engagement with each revolution of the wheel 14, that is to say every twelve hours , with a star pinion 15 (FIG. 7) carrying a disk 16 on which are alternately indicated AM / PM (according to the English abbreviation meaning that these are hours before the passage of the sun to the meridian, respectively after this passage) . These indications appear in a window 17 on the dial 18 (Figures 2, 8-10) and change every twelve hours.

All the time indications or derivatives of the time described so far are therefore kinematically linked to the usual timer train 4, 5, 5a of the watch. They can be modified if necessary by the conventional time-setting mechanism (not described or shown here), in a completely usual manner. The timepiece described also has two additional displays, both independent of the timing train 4, 5, 5a, but which, when correcting the time zone, must be kinematically integral with the hour hand 7 and the AM disc / PM 16. It is a ring 19 provided with an internal toothing 19a on which is fixed a ring 20 bearing the names of different cities representative of the twenty-four time zones, arranged in two concentric crowns. The diametrically opposite cities of the external and internal crowns appear respectively in two apertures 21, 22 arranged opposite twelve o'clock, respectively at six o'clock on the dial 18 (FIG. 2). The outer crown cities located 180 ° from an inner crown city are in two time zones 180 ° apart, so that the hours indicated by the hour hand 7 correspond to the hours before the sun goes through. meridian for one of the two cities and at the hours after the passage to the meridian for the other of these cities. Mention should also be made of the presence of a drive pin 19b which projects from the surface of the ring 19 and the function of which will be explained later.

To find out which of the two cities the indication AM, PM relates to, an indicator consisting of a disc carrying arrows 23a is pivotally mounted on an axis 24. The underside of this disc is integral with a pinion with star teeth 25 positioned by a jumper 26. Likewise, the pinion 15 with star teeth fixed to the disc 16 is positioned by a jumper 27 (FIG. 7). The ring 19 is guided on the plate 2 by rollers 29 engaged with its outer edge. The internal toothing 19a of this ring 19 is engaged with a pinion 28 (FIG. 4) and this toothing 19a is positioned by a jumper 30 urged by a spring 31. The pinion 28 is integral and concentric with a pinion 32 in taken with a pinion 33, integral and concentric with a correction star 34 (FIGS. 3-7) positioned by a jumper 35. This correction star 34 is intended to come into engagement with the barrel wheel 6. However, as illustrated by FIG. 3 in particular, when 'It is positioned by the jumper 35, its teeth are outside the path of the teeth of the barrel wheel 6, so that it can rotate freely.

As illustrated in FIG. 3 and in FIGS. 5-7, the correction star 34 is engaged with a correction lever 36 which is engaged, on the one hand with a return spring 37 and, on the other hand , with an actuating lever 38 controlled by a pusher (not shown). In the rest position, the correction lever 36 occupies the position illustrated in FIG. 5, position in which its drive finger 36a (FIGS. 3 and 5) is engaged in the teeth of the correction star 34.

In normal watch operation, the hour hands 7 and minute hands m (Figure 2) rotate normally, making one revolution in twelve hours and sixty minutes respectively. Each time the hour hand 7 and the barrel wheel 6 which carries it make a turn, the wheel 14 and its drive finger also make a turn, so that the star pinion 15 carrying the AM / PM disc is stepped. The indication AM or PM which appeared in the window 17 of the dial 18 changes, since these indications are alternated on the disc 16. Since two cities located in two time zones located 180 ° from each other are visible in the counters 21 and 22, the arrows 23a appearing through a counter 39 (FIGS. 2, 8-10) indicate to which of the cities displayed in the counters 21 or 22 relates the indication AM or PM appearing in the counter 17.

It is obvious that as long as the time zone does not change, the indications appearing in the counters 21, 22 and 39 also do not change, only the indication AM, PM changing every twelve hours.

As can be seen by looking at the inscriptions carried by ring 20 (Figure 2), the cities indicated are arranged in adjacent time zones with the exception of Noumea followed by London and diametrically opposite, by Fiji followed by Azores, who are respectively located in spindles separated by 180 °.

We will now explain how the passage between these time zones separated by twelve time zones takes place, referring to Figures 5-7 and Figures 8-10, which respectively show the positions of the different displays during the correction steps illustrated by Figures 5-7. FIG. 5 shows the mechanism at rest, all the pinions with star teeth, 15, 25, 34 and the teeth 19a being positioned by the respective jumpers, 26, 27, 30 and 35. The indications then appear in the windows 17, 21, 22 and 39 being those illustrated in FIG. 8. By pressing the actuating lever 38, the correction lever 36 is moved from its rest position, illustrated in FIG. 5, to a second limit position illustrated by Figure 6. Passing from the position of Figure 5 to that of Figure 6, the drive finger 36a of the correction lever 36 meets, at the end of its travel, a tooth of the correction star 34 , so that it slightly displaces this star 34 by a fraction of its pitch. After the passage of the finger 36a, the jumper 35 returns the correction star 34 to its initial position, as can be seen in FIG. 6. During this stroke of the correction lever 36, the return spring 37 is armed. It can be noted in FIG. 6 that at the end of the stroke of the correction lever 36, its drive finger 36a is located just behind the tooth of the correction star 34 that this finger has moved during its course from its rest position to its other limit position illustrated by this figure 6.

Assuming that the pressure exerted on the actuating lever 38 is not sufficient to bring the correction lever 36 in the position illustrated in FIG. 6, the drive finger 36a of this lever 36 would then be not behind the tooth of the correction star 34, as illustrated in FIG. 6, but in front of this tooth. By releasing the pressure exerted on the actuating lever 28, the return spring 37 then returns the correction lever 36 to the position illustrated in FIG. 5 without any correction having occurred.

In order for correction to take place, it is therefore necessary for the correction lever 36 to reach the position illustrated in FIG. 6. At this moment, when the actuating lever 38 is released, the return spring 37 disarms by driving the correction lever 36. The drive finger then moves the correction star 34 and the coaxial pinion 33 which is integral with a step of the star 34. FIG. 7 illustrates the mechanism during this movement and Figure 9 shows the corresponding positions of the different displays.

The correction star 34 rotating 60 ° in the direction of the arrow F drives the barrel wheel 6 by 30 ° in the direction of the arrow Fi. The wheel 14 which is in a ratio of 1/1 with the barrel wheel 6 and its drive finger 14a also rotates 30 ° in the direction of the arrow F ₂ . If this correction is made near the passage of the sun to the meridian, the drive finger 14a will move the disk 16 AM / PM by one step of the star pinion 15 in the direction of the arrow F ₃ . With the pawl 11 and the spring 12, the barrel wheel 6 can move relative to the clockwork 4, 5, 5a (Figure 1), without moving the minute hand m. Simultaneously with the time correction, the pinion 33 secured to the correction star 34 drives the pinion 32. The gear ratio is chosen so that the pinion 33 moves 60 ° in the direction of the arrow F, the pinion 32 moves 90 ° in the direction of the arrow F ₄ , so that the pinion 28 drives the toothed ring 19 by 30 ° in the direction of the arrow F ₅ .

Since the change of time zone described here is that which jumps twelve time zones while passing from the Noumea zone to that of London, the ankle 19b which projects on the surface of the toothed ring 19 encountered during this displacement of the toothed ring 19 in the direction of arrow F ₅ the edge of the disc 23 carrying the arrows 23a. The edge of this disc 23 has cutouts 23b with which the pin 19b can come into engagement with the disc 23 and drive it while changing the direction of the arrow 23a in the window 39. As can be seen in Figures 8 and 10, the direction of the arrow in the window 39 was reversed when passing from the Noumea / Azores zone to that of London / Fiji. This means that in Figure 8, the indication PM related to Azores, so that at the same time the hours of Noumea corresponded to the hours before the passage of the sun to the meridian. Given that when passing from the Noumea to London time zones one crosses not one but twelve time zones, the arrow 23a appearing in the window 39 is reversed indicating that the indication AM / PM for the hours displayed by the 'hour hand 7 no longer relates to the bottom window 22, but the top window 21. It is obvious that this correction of the arrow 23a appearing in the window 39 only occurs during this passage corresponding to twelve time zones. The toothed ring 19 only carries a pin 19b for this purpose. In all other cases, the change corresponds to a change of one hour, so that only the hour hand re 7 is moved 30 °. If the hour hand is between eleven and twelve o'clock, the 16 AM / PM disc will also be moved, and simultaneously, the toothed ring 19 and the city ring 20 which is attached to it will move 30 ° making appear the indications of the cities of two other time zones 180 ° apart from each other, in the counters 21, 22.

Claims

1. Timepiece including a display from 0 to 12 hours, a display of the minutes, a display of the time zone of two geographical locations located in two time zones separated by 180 ° from each other, corresponding to the hours displayed by said hour display, an AM / PM display to distinguish the hours preceding from those following the passage of the sun to the meridian, an indicator (23, 39) to indicate for which of the two time zones displayed the hours are those before or after passage to the meridian, step-by-step drive members (6, 14, 15) of the movable elements (7, 16) of said time display and AM / PM indications and a simultaneous correction rocker (36) of the displays time, time zone and AM / PM indicator, capable of moving between two limit positions, and maintained in one of said limit positions by a return spring (37), characterized in that a mobile of toothed correction (33 , 34), in engagement with angular positioning means (35), kinematically connects said stepping drive members (14, 15) with a mobile (19, 20) indicating time zones, a toothing (34 ) of said correction mobile being engaged with a drive finger (36a) of said correction lever (36), in the rest position of this lever, corresponding to the disarming of its return spring (37), the path described by this rocker (36), to bring it from this rest position to its other limit position, passing through one of the teeth of said correction mobile (34), this trajectory being chosen so that this tooth is returned to its angular position initial once this rocker (36) moved to its other limit position, the return of this rocker, from this other position limit to its rest position by disarming said return spring, causing driving said toothing (34) of said correction mobile by one step by said drive finger (36a).

2. Timepiece according to revendicatio ^• 1, characterized in that said movable and correction is not engaged with said drive member not step outside the time zone change process.

3. Timepiece according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said correction mobile comprises two concentric pinions (33, 34) integral with one another, one kinematically connected to said drive members step by step (6, 14, 15), the other kinematically connected to the movable member (19) of said time zone display and to the movable member (23) of said indicator (39) to indicate for which of the two time zones times displayed, the times are those before or after passing the meridian.

4. Timepiece according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said correction lever (36) is actuated by an actuating lever (38).