EP1305675B1 - Timepiece - Google Patents

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

The present invention relates to a timepiece comprising a display of 0 to 12 hours, a display of 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 hours display, an AM / PM display for distinguishing the hours preceding those following the passage of the sun to the meridian, an indicator for indicating which of the two time zones displayed the hours are those before or after the meridian passage, step-by-step drive members of said time displays and AM / PM indications, and a simultaneous correction scale of time, time zone and AM / PM displays 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 one is located. This is how the FR 2 752 628 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 local hours corresponding to those of the different cities, on a scale of 24. hours. Cities representative of different time zones are carried by a rotating disk. A correction mechanism, intended to switch from one time zone to another, connects the 24-hour disk, the disk of the time zones bearing the indication of the cities and the time switch so as to make 1/24 ^th of turn to the disk of the cities and to that of the hours to each correction.

Such a system makes it possible to know the local time of the different places of the planet by looking at the disc 24 hours and corresponding cities. One of the disadvantages of this type of display comes from the fact that in most countries of the world, especially in all English-speaking countries, people are not used to counting the hours of the day over 24 hours. Even in other countries, generally speaking, it is easier to speak 2 hours in the afternoon than 14 hours for example, so that a watch displaying the hours on a 24 hour scale does not give not a universally usual indication, even if it is understandable.

Another drawback 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 respective time zones is extremely small and therefore the indications must be written in very small characters and are therefore difficult to read.

But the major disadvantage of the known systems essentially comes from the correction mechanism. Indeed, when changing the time zone, it is necessary to press 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 is a direct result of the pressure exerted on the correction pushbutton controlling a rocker arranged to drive the entire drive train intended for the simultaneous correction of the two indicators, the time and the time zone.

It can happen, under actuation conditions certainly incorrect, but however possible, that only one of the two indicators is corrected, thus inducing an error in the display of the time in all time zones. If such an error occurs, it can not be corrected by the time zone correction button. We are then obliged to correct it by the winding and setting rod, losing the advantages of quick pusher correction. This error results in fact from an incomplete pressure of the correction pusher. Indeed, the correction resulting directly from the stroke of the pusher, it is always possible that one time or the other, a user does not exert enough pressure so that the simultaneous correction does not occur. Even if this risk is low, the consequence is annoying since it can only be corrected by the winding stem.

The object of the present invention is to overcome, at least in part, the aforementioned drawbacks.

For this purpose, the present invention relates to a timepiece of the aforementioned type, as defined by claim 1.

The essential advantage of the solution proposed by this invention lies 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 arming of the return spring and only if this arming is complete, that is to say if the finger of the correction lever is brought out of the toothing of the drive member step by step of the movable 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 finger of the rocker does not pass beyond the tooth of the toothing of this drive member step by step of the movable display elements, the return spring disarms without drive the drive unit and without any correction occurring. In this case, the user will immediately notice that no correction has been made and it will suffice to press the pusher more thoroughly for the correction to take place. As a result, there is no accidental misalignment between the time display and the time zone indication. may occur following the actuation of the correction button.

Another advantage is that the hours are displayed on a twelve hour scale and two time zones 180 degrees apart are displayed simultaneously, the AM / PM display and the indicator showing which time zone these AM / PM indications relate to. , allows to avoid any error in the reading of the time indications without resorting to a scale of 24 hours.

• La figure 1 est une vue en perspective éclatée des mécanismes d'affichage de cette forme d'exécution;
• la figure 2 est une vue en perspective assemblée des mécanisme de la figure 1 avec le cadran et les aiguilles en éclaté;
• la figure 3 est une vue en perspective des mécanismes d'affichage partiellement assemblés avec arrachement de certaines parties;
• la figure 4 est une autre vue en perspective des mécanismes d'affichage partiellement assemblés avec un arrachement;
• les figures 5-7 sont des vues partielles en plan des mécanismes d'affichage dans trois phases du processus de correction;
• les figures 8-10 sont des vues en plan des différents affichages durant les phases de correction illustrées par les figures 5-7.

The following description is made with the aid of the accompanying drawings which illustrate, schematically and by way of example, an embodiment of the mechanism of the timepiece object of the present invention.

• The figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of the display mechanisms of this embodiment;
• the figure 2 is an assembled perspective view of the mechanism of the figure 1 with the dial and needles burst;
• the figure 3 is a perspective view of partially assembled display mechanisms with tearing of parts;
• the figure 4 is another perspective view of partially assembled display mechanisms with tearing;
• the Figures 5-7 are partial plan views of display mechanisms in three phases of the correction process;
• the Figures 8-10 are plan views of the different displays during the correction phases illustrated by the Figures 5-7 .

The timepiece illustrated by the 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 watch movement 1 has, in the usual way, a timer train comprising a 4 and a timer wheel 5. The remainder of the watch movement itself is quite conventional and need not be described, since it is not part of the invention and is not not necessary for his understanding. The connection between the pinion 5a of the timer wheel 5 and the barrel wheel 6 carrying the hour hand 7 ( figure 2 ) is produced 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 teeth of twelve teeth of a pinion 13 fixed under the barrel wheel 6 ( figure 3 ). Thanks to this link between the clockwork 4, 5 and the 6, the wheel can be detached from the wheel during the change of time zone and regain the angular position it occupied at the time of correction, shifted a multiple of 30 ° after the change of time zone, whereas it is otherwise driven normally by the clock wheel 4, 5, 5a.

As illustrated by figure 3 , the barrel wheel 6 is engaged with a wheel 14 carrying a drive finger 14a intended to engage with each turn of the wheel 14, that is to say every twelve hours, with a star pinion 15 ( figure 7 ) carrying a disc 16 on which are indicated alternately AM / PM (according to the abbreviation Anglo-Saxon meaning that it is the hours before the passage of the sun to the meridian, respectively after this passage). These indications appear in a window 17 of the dial 18 ( figures 2 , 8-10 ) and change every twelve hours.

All indications of time or derived from the time described so far are kinematically connected to the usual clockwork 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 very usual way.

The timepiece described has two additional displays, both independent of the clockwork 4, 5, 5a, but which, during the correction of the time zone must be kinematically integral with the hour hand 7 and AM disc / PM 16. This 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 rings. The diametrically opposed cities of the outer and inner rings respectively appear in two wickets 21, 22 arranged with respect to twelve hours, respectively at six o'clock of the dial 18 ( figure 2 ). The outer crown towns located 180 ° from a city in the inner ring are in two time zones 180 ° apart, so that the hours indicated by the hour hand 7 correspond to the hours before the sun passes through. meridian for one of the two cities and the hours after the meridian crossing for the other of these cities. It is also worth mentioning the presence of a drive pin 19b which protrudes from the surface of the ring 19 and whose function will be explained later.

To know which of the two cities relates to the indication AM, PM, an indicator consisting of a disk bearing arrows 23a is pivotally mounted on an axis 24. The lower face of this disk is secured to a pinion with star teeth. 25 likewise positioned by a jumper 26. Similarly, the pinion gear 15 integral with the disc 16 is positioned by a jumper 27 ( figure 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 ( figure 4 ) and this toothing 19a is positioned by a jumper 30 biased by a spring 31. The pinion 28 is integral and concentric with a pinion 32 in engagement with a pinion 33, integral and concentric with a correction star 34 ( Figures 3-7 This correction star 34 is intended to engage with the barrel wheel 6. However, as illustrated by FIG. figure 3 in particular, when it is positioned by the jumper 35, its teeth are outside the trajectory of the toothing of the barrel wheel 6, so that it can rotate freely.

As illustrated by figure 3 and by Figures 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 push-button ( not shown). In the rest position, the correction lever 36 occupies the position illustrated by the figure 5 , in which position his driving finger 36a ( figures 3 and 5 ) is engaged in the teeth of the correction star 34.

In normal operation of the watch, the hands of hours 7 and minutes m ( figure 2 ) turn normally by turning one turn in twelve hours and sixty minutes respectively. Whenever the hour hand 7 and the barrel wheel 6 that carries it turn, the wheel 14 and its drive finger also turn, so that the star gear 15 carrying the AM / PM disc is driven a step. The indication AM or PM that 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 at 180 ° from each other are visible in the windows 21 and 22, the arrows 23a appearing through a window 39 ( figures 2 , 8-10 ) indicate to which of the cities displayed in the windows 21 or 22 the AM or PM indication appearing in the window 17.

It is obvious that as long as the time zone does not change, the indications appearing in the wickets 21, 22 and 39 do not change either, 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 indicated cities are arranged in adjacent time zones with the exception of Noumea followed by London and diametrically opposite, Fiji followed by Azores, which are respectively in spindles separated by 180 °.

We will now explain how the passage between these time zones separated by twelve time zones is Figures 5-7 and to Figures 8-10 , which respectively show the positions of the different displays during the steps of the correction illustrated by the Figures 5-7 .

The figure 5 shows the mechanism at rest, all the star gear, 15, 25, 34 and the toothing 19a being positioned by the respective jumpers, 26, 27, 30 and 35. The indications appearing then in the counters 17, 21, 22 and 39 being those illustrated by the figure 8 . By pressing on the actuating lever 38, the correction lever 36 is moved from its rest position, illustrated by the figure 5 , at a second limit position illustrated by the figure 6 . By moving from the position of the figure 5 to that of the figure 6 , the drive finger 36a of the correction lever 36 encounters, at the end of its stroke, a tooth of the correction star 34, so that it slightly displaces this star 34 by a fraction of its pitch. After passing the finger 36a, the jumper 35 returns the correction star 34 to its initial position, as can be seen on the figure 6 . During this race of the correction lever 36, the return spring 37 is armed. We can notice on the figure 6 at the end of the race of the correction lever 36, its drive finger 36a is just behind the tooth of the correction star 34 that this finger moved during his run from his rest position to his 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 into the position illustrated by FIG. figure 6 , the drive finger 36a of this rocker 36 would then be not behind the tooth of the correction star 34, as illustrated by the figure 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 by FIG. figure 5 without any correction having occurred.

For the correction to take place, it is therefore necessary that the correction lever 36 reaches the position illustrated by the figure 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 in solidarity with one step of the star 34. The figure 7 illustrates the mechanism during this displacement and the 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 F ₁ . 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 at the meridian, the drive finger 14a will move the AM / PM disc one step of the star gear 15 in the direction of the arrow F ₃ . Thanks to the pawl 11 and the spring 12, the barrel wheel 6 can move relative to the clock train 4, 5, 5a ( figure 1 ), without moving the minute hand m.

Simultaneously with the correction of the time, the pinion 33 integral with 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 timezone change described here is the one that skips twelve time zones from the Nouméa to London spindle, the ankle 19b that protrudes from the surface of the toothed ring 19 encounters during this trip. the toothed ring 19 in the direction of the 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 engage with the disk 23 and drive it by changing the direction of the arrow 23a in the window 39. As can be seen in the Figures 8 and 10 , the direction of the arrow in the window 39 was reversed from the spindle of Noumea / Azores to that of London / Fiji. This means that on the figure 8 , the indication PM related to Azores, so that at the same time the hours of Nouméa corresponded to the hours before the passage of the sun to the meridian. Since passing from the Nouméa time zone to the London time zone crosses not one but twelve time zones, the arrow 23a appearing in the counter 39 has been reversed indicating that the AM / PM indication for the hours displayed by the time zone. hour hand 7 no longer concerns 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 bears only an ankle 19b for this purpose. In all other cases, the change corresponds to a change of one hour, so that only the hour hand 7 is moved 30 °. If the hour hand is between eleven and twelve o'clock, the disk 16 AM / PM will also be moved, and simultaneously, the toothed ring 19 and the ring of cities 20 which is secured to it will move 30 ° making appear indications of cities of two other time zones distant 180 ° from each other, in wickets 21, 22.

Claims (4)

1. Timepiece comprising a 0 to 12 hours display, a minutes display, a time zone display for two geographical locations situated in two time zones separated by 180° from one another, corresponding to the hours displayed by the said hours display, an AM/PM display for distinguishing between the hours preceding and those following the crossing of the meridian by the sun, an indicator (23, 39) for indicating for which of the two time zones displayed the hours are those before or after the crossing of the meridian, stepwise drive members (6, 14, 15) for the moving elements (7, 16) of the said hour display and AM/PM indications and a rocker (36) for the simultaneous correction of the hour display, time zone display and AM/PM indicator, capable of moving between two limit positions, and held in one of the said limit positions by a restoring spring (37), characterized in that a toothed correcting gear (33, 34), in engagement with means of angular positioning (35), kinematically links the said stepwise drive members (14, 15) with a time zone indicator gear (19, 20), toothing (34) of the said correcting gear being in engagement with a drive finger (36a) of the said correcting rocker (36), in the position of rest of this rocker, corresponding to the relaxing of its restoring spring (37), the trajectory described by this rocker (36), for bringing it from this position of rest into its other limit position, passing via one of the teeth of the said correcting gear (34), this trajectory being chosen so that this tooth is reset into its initial angular position once this rocker (36) has moved into its other limit position, the return of this rocker, from this other limit position to its position of rest via the relaxing of the said restoring spring, causing the driving by one step of the said toothing (34) of the said correcting gear by the said drive finger (36a).
2. Timepiece according to Claim 1, characterized in that the said correcting gear (33, 34) is not in engagement with the said stepwise drive members (6, 14, 15) outside of the time zone changing procedure.
3. Timepiece according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the said correcting gear comprises two concentric pinions (33, 34) tied to one another, the one linked kinematically to the said stepwise drive members (6, 14, 15), the other linked kinematically to the moving member (19) of the said time zone display and to the moving member (23) of the said indicator (39) for indicating for which of the two time zones displayed, the hours are those before or after the crossing of the meridian.
4. Timepiece according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the said correcting rocker (36) is actuated by an actuating rocker (38).

Images