EP1525515A2

EP1525515A2 - Displaying device

Info

Publication number: EP1525515A2
Application number: EP03720064A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Ludwig Oechslin
Original assignee: Ulysse Nardin SA
Current assignee: Ulysse Nardin SA
Priority date: 2002-07-31
Filing date: 2003-05-08
Publication date: 2005-04-27
Anticipated expiration: 2023-05-08
Also published as: WO2004013708A3; ATE529784T1; EP1525515B1; WO2004013708A2; AU2003223813A1

Abstract

The inventive displaying device comprises a first disc (2) provided with a lunar image (20) and a second disc (3) provided with a marking (30) which is embodied in the form of a sequence of light and dark zones. Each disc is mounted on a rotatable shaft which is actuated by a set of gears (402, 204, 201, 403, 304, 301, 303). A judicious definition of said gears makes it possible to perform the high-accuracy display of the moon phases. An additional disc (4) provided with the image of the sun (40) and actuated by the same set of gears, and the marking of tides (21, 22, 41, 42) on said discs makes it possible to estimate a tidal effect for a determined region of the ocean surface.

Description

DISPLAY DEVICE.

The present invention relates to a device for displaying the current lunar phase visible at a determined point on the earth's surface as well as the amplitude of the current tide at a given location on the surface or on a sea coast.

Numerous devices are known for displaying the lunar phases, in particular on a wristwatch. These devices generally consist of a disc driven in regular rotation by the movement of the watch, carrying one or more representations of a circle representing the moon and visible through an opening of a particular shape arranged in the dial. The visible portion of the circle through the opening of the dial gives an approximate image of the current phase of the moon.

Since the moon phase, visible at a given point on the earth's surface, depends on the relative positions of the sun, the moon and the earth, as well as the position of observation on the earth, the above-mentioned device can only give a very approximate representation of the moon phase since it does not take into account all these parameters.

A first object of the invention is therefore to propose a device for displaying the current phase of the moon improved with respect to known devices, that is to say the representation of which takes account of the relative movements of the sun, of the moon. and the earth, as well as the position of observation on the earth.

Another object of the invention is to propose a device for displaying the current phase of the moon, the representation of which takes account of the local time of observation.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a device for displaying the current phase of the moon, the display accuracy of which is improved compared with known devices. We also know that the movement of the tides depends

1 first relative positions of the moon and the earth as well as relative positions of the sun and the earth. The amplitude of the tides therefore depends on the relative positions between these three stars.

Another object of the invention is therefore to propose a device for displaying the amplitude of the tides.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a device for displaying the amplitude of the tides for a given location on the surface or the sea coast.

Yet another object of the invention is to propose that one and / or the other of the above display devices be associated with a timepiece movement.

Yet another object of the invention is to propose that one and / or the other of the above display devices be integrated into a wristwatch.

These various aims are obtained by a display device as described in claim 1, particular variants and embodiments being described in the dependent claims.

An embodiment of a display device according to the invention is described in more detail below, this description being to be considered with regard to the appended drawing comprising the figures where:

FIG. 1 represents a general view of an embodiment of the display device according to the invention,

FIG. 2 schematically represents in section the various mobile components of the display device of the previous figure,

FIGS. 3A to 3 C represent 3 examples of display of the phases of the moon, FIG. 4 shows a disc bearing the representation of the moon and the effect of the moon on the tide,

FIG. 5 shows a disc carrying the representation of the sun as well as the effect of the sun on the tide, and

FIGS. 6A, 6B and 6C represent 3 examples of display of the amplitude of the tide.

The display device 1 visible in FIG. 1 comprises a series of superimposed mobile disks. The first movable disc 2, starting from the top of the device, carries a representation of the moon 20. Immediately below the disc 2, there is a hidden disc 3 bearing a marking 30 having a regular succession of dark areas and areas clear and the usefulness of which will be described below. Immediately below the cache disc 3, there is the disc 4 carrying a representation of the sun 40. The disc 4 may have a time scale 43, going from 1 to 24 counterclockwise, the 12 corresponding to the position of the sun 40 The usefulness of this graduation will be described below. This last disc 4 has a diameter greater than the diameter of the discs 2 and 3, so that the representation of the sun 40 is always visible. On the other hand, the diameters of the discs 2 and 3 are preferably equal, the width of the marking 30 of the disc 3 corresponding to the diameter of the representation 20 of the moon. This last representation preferably being constituted by a circular opening in the disc 2, we will therefore see through this opening, according to the relative positions of the two discs 2 and 3, either a light area, or a dark area or a partially clear area and partially dark, actually depicting the phases of the moon. In order to improve this display of the lunar phases, provision may be made for lighting the bottom of the housing, which will be visible through the circular opening 20 representing the moon.

A fixed disc 5, placed above the stack of discs 2, 3 and 4 seen above, carries a representation of the earth 50, seen from the north pole. The disc 5 is fixed, it is wedged in such a way that the 0 ° meridian, either the Greenwich 51 meridian or aligned at the 12 o'clock position. of the hourly dial, this latter dial not being shown in the figures.

The display device 1 can be completed with a rotating bezel 6, which can be provided with locking notches, movable by the user and which can carry a graduation 60 of 24 hours. The glass 61 of the device rotates with the bezel 6 and carries a diametrical reference mark 62 wedged between the 12h and 24h graduations. Such a rotating bezel, with its graduation 60 and its reference 62 is generally known in the art; in the present application, it is conventionally used for time zone transfers, time readings in different time zones, and time difference readings between different time zones, this in combination with the own reading possibilities display according to the invention, which will be described below.

The device 1 can be completed with a time display, shown diagrammatically by the set of hands 7, the dial whether or not carrying a corresponding graduation (not shown in the figures).

FIG. 2 schematically shows the mechanism for driving in rotation the various mobile disks mentioned above. A clockwork movement 10 provides a shaft 400 with a rotation movement of 1 revolution / 24 hours. This shaft 400 carries the disc 4 provided with the representation of the sun 40 and two toothed wheels 402 and 403. The first of these wheels 402 meshes on a wheel 204 of a first train of toothed wheels, driving a first shaft 200 of the first train and carrying another wheel 201. This meshes on a wheel 202, which directly carries the disc 2 carrying the representation 20 of the moon. The second wheel 403 of the shaft 400 meshes with a wheel 304 of a second train of toothed wheels, driving a first shaft 300 of the second train and carrying another wheel 301. The latter meshes with a wheel 303, which bears directly the disc 3 carrying the cover 30. The fixed disc 5, the rotating bezel 6, the crystal 61 and the set of needles 7 have not been shown in this figure.

In order to determine the rotational speeds of the various elements mentioned above, the following calculation parameters are defined:

VROTN = disc rotation speed N [t / 24h]

NDn = number of teeth of the gear wheel n

Starting from the fact that the disc 4 as well as the toothed wheels 402 and 403 make 1 t 24h, (VROT4 = 1) the rotational speeds of the other discs are established as follows:

VROT2 = VROT4 * (ND402 / ND204) * (ND201 / ND202)

VROT3 = VROT2 * (ND403 / ND304) * (ND301 / ND303)

Furthermore, we know that the duration of the synodic revolution of the moon around the earth takes 29.5305881 days.

On the device according to the invention, this duration of revolution will be:

DRLM = 1/1 - VROT2 [days]

The error relative to the theoretical value will therefore be:

EDRLM = (1 - DRLM) / 29.5305881 [%]

We can calculate the time taken by the representation 20 of the moon to pass from a cache of the disc 3 to another:

DRLC = (1 / VROT2 - VROT3) / 5 [days)

The division by 5 comes from the fact that the disc 3 includes 5 successive caches of the moon.

As before, the error relative to the theoretical value will be:

EDRLC = 1 - (DRLM / DRLC) [%] These different parameters were calculated for 5 different sets of gear wheels; the results of the calculations are summarized in the following tables, table 1 presenting the different sets of toothed wheels while table 2 gives the results calculated for each of these games.

Table 1

Table 2

It can be seen in these tables that the display errors of the EDRLM and EDRLC lunar phases are very small; for example for game No 2 presenting the greatest value for EDLRC, we observe an error of half a lunation, that is to say the indication of a full moon instead of a new moon, or vice versa, after more than 1 ^* 800 years for the representation of the rotation of the moon around the dial and more than 100OOO years for the representation of the phases in relation to the cache disk 3. We therefore note the considerable improvement in the accuracy of representations of the lunar phases by the cooperation of a mobile disc in rotation with the representation disc of the moon, relative to the representation comprising a fixed cover. It is obvious that for each of the sets of toothed wheels above, the same disc movements and errors can be obtained with a set of toothed wheels carrying toothed wheels provided with the same multiple of teeth as the original set.

The following figures show some examples of displaying the moon phase and their interpretation for a specific location, for example Bern.

In FIGS. 3A, 3B and 3C, the user of the device has rotated the telescope 6 so as to bring the reference 62 passing directly above the place chosen for reading, for example Bern.

In FIG. 3A, according to the position of the graduation 43 and the reading made on the reference 62, it can be deduced therefrom that the solar time at the place of observation is a few minutes before 6 pm. In this same figure, a clear area of the cover 30 of the disc 3 is completely visible through the opening 20 representing the moon on the disc 2, so we are in the full moon period. FIG. 3B shows another configuration where it is 8:35 pm (solar time) in Bern, and where the cover 30 is only partially visible through the opening 20, thus representing a quarter of the moon. In the present case, seen from the observation point, we are in the presence of a waning moon. Figure 3C shows another possibility where only a dark area of the cover 30 is visible through the aperture 20, thus indicating a new moon phase, when it is 3:20 am (solar time) in Bern.

We also know that the tides are caused by the attraction effect of the moon as well as the sun, each point on the sea surface being subjected to a combination of these two attraction effects. When the moon and the sun are aligned with respect to a point on the sea surface, the effects of the two stars are maximum and we are in the presence of a tide of very high amplitude.

On the other hand, if there is a high tide effect for a determined point on the sea surface, it is because said point is aligned on a right connecting the center the earth to that of the star, moon or sun, cause of this high tide, it has also been observed that there is also a high tide effect for the point on the sea surface opposite to the point previous, that is to say located just at the antipode. This second tidal effect is of smaller amplitude than the main tidal effect described first.

In order to take account of these different effects, the discs 2 and 4 are modified and bear additional markings, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 so as to allow an assessment of the amplitude of the tide at any point on the surface or from the maritime coast.

ι In addition to the representation of the moon 20, the disc 2 of FIG. 4 includes a first tide marking 21 such that the maximum amplitude corresponds to the alignment of the center of the moon 20 with the center of the earth represented by the center of the disc 2. In contrast, there is the marking 22 whose amplitude is less than that of the marking 21 and which is aligned with the latter on the center of the earth, respectively of the disc 2. It can be assumed that the maximum amplitude of the antipodic tidal effect represented by the marking 22 is approximately 90% of the amplitude of the main tidal effect represented by the marking 21.

For any meridian, such as that represented by the reference 62, the amplitude of the tide along this meridian will correspond to the thickness of the marking 21 or 22 on this reference.

The disc 2 may include an additional marking 23 consisting of a graduation going from 0 to 28, in the counterclockwise direction.

This graduation makes it possible to predict the next high tide, as explained below.

Figure 5 shows the markings 41 and 42 equivalent to those described above appearing on the disc 4 representing the sun 40. In this case, the maximum amplitude of the tide due to the influence of the sun is about 50% of that due to the moon, the maximum amplitude of the antipodic tide being always around 90% of that of the main tide. In order to simplify the figure, the time marking 43 described above has not been reported in this figure and the following.

FIGS. 6A, 6B and 6C show some examples of display 5 of the tides and their interpretation. In order to simplify the representation, the cache disk 3, respectively, of the moon phases is not taken into account in these examples.

The conjunction of the moon 20 and the sun 40, as shown in FIG. 6A shows that, at this given moment, there is a high tide of

10 very high amplitude on the east coast of the USA, whose amplitude can be estimated by the addition of markings 21 and 41, another relatively high high tide on the opposite meridian, for example on the coast of BanglaDesh, shown by l addition of markings 22 and 42, while there are low tides for example on the west coast of

15 Africa and the east coast of Asia.

FIG. 6B shows another conjunction of the moon 20 and the sun 40 according to which, at this given moment, there is a high tide of fairly large amplitude on the east coast of the USA, but of less amplitude than in the previous example, another important tide, more important 20. than in the previous example on the coast of BanglaDesh as well as low tides on the same coasts as in the previous example.

Figure 6C shows yet another example of conjunction, where we have four meridians along which we have high tides,

25 relatively small amplitude and four other meridians along which there are low tides. We have a first tide, the highest, due to the direct effect of the moon on the coast of Pakistan, that due to the antipodic effect of the moon along the meridian passing through the west coast of the USA, the tide due to the direct effect of the sun acting along the meridian

30 connecting Greenland and the Northeast of Brazil and that due to the antipodic effect of the sun exerting on the Japanese coast, while the Low tides are found along the meridians covering the west coast of Africa, the west coast of South America, Alaska and Indonesia.

By considering the marking 23 on the disc 2, it can be seen in this FIG. 6C that the sun 40 is aligned on the graduation 22 of said marking. This means that the next strong high tide due to the direct combined effect of the moon and the sun, a configuration similar to that of Figure 3A, along the meridian passing through Greenland and Northeast of Brazil will occur in 22 days. Similarly, and for the same meridian, we see that in 7 days there will be a tide due to the same effect as in Figure 3B. By this graduation, it is therefore possible not only to evaluate the effect of a tide at the time of the observation, but to evaluate when the next high and low amplitude tides will take place.

The display device as described above according to a first embodiment where there is only a representation of the phases of the moon and according to a second embodiment where there is also a representation of the amplitude of the tide is very simple to execute, since it essentially consists of a series of superimposed discs driven by sets of toothed wheels. Such a device is generally associated with a clockwork movement responsible for providing the axis 400 seen above with a rotation movement of 1 t / 24 h. Given the simplicity of execution of the device, it can be integrated into a timepiece, in particular a wristwatch.

A simplified embodiment of a device for displaying the phases of the moon may include only discs 2 and 3, with the exclusion of disc 4 carrying the representation of the sun 40.

Forms of execution of larger dimensions can be provided, either for a didactic representation of the lunar phases, or then, for the form of execution with display of the tide, in the form of a display instrument wedged on a determined place of a maritime coast and displaying the amplitude of the local tide. As regards the construction of the display device, a description of the continuation of different sets of toothed wheels has been proposed only as a possible embodiment, this proposal being supported by five variants of different sets of toothed wheels. It is understood that other sets of cogwheel trains, carrying more or less cogwheels than the proposal made here, each train carrying cogwheels with a number of teeth different from the proposals made, can be envisaged.

Furthermore, the series of display discs and their marking are described above only by way of example, the succession of discs on the display device may be different than that mentioned, the number of light or dark areas of the disc marking 3 may be different from five.

Similarly, the fixed disc 5 has been described as carrying a graphic representation of the earth's surface seen from the north pole; it is obvious that for an inhabitant of the southern hemisphere, the geographic representation could be a view of the south pole. The graphic representation of the earth's surface could be replaced by a graduation of the meridians or time zones or else by a list of cities or countries judiciously distributed, so that by superimposing the reference 62 on the chosen indication, we can read the display of the moon phase and / or the tide at this location.

Claims

1. Display device (1) for the phase of the moon characterized in that it comprises: a first disk (2) carrying a representation of the moon (20), rotated at a first speed by a first train toothed wheels (402, 204, 201, 202), a second disk (3) bearing a marking (30) presenting a regular succession of dark zones and light zones, rotated at a second speed different from said first speed, by a second train of toothed wheels (403, 304, 301, 303), the two discs being in rotation around a common axis of rotation, the representation of the moon (20) superimposed on the dark or light areas of the marking (30 ) of said second disk giving a representation of the current phase of the moon.

2. Display device according to claim 1, characterized in that it is completed with a third disk (4) carrying a representation of the sun (40), said disk being mounted on a shaft (400) rotated by a clockwork mechanism at a speed of 1 t / 24 hours.

3. Display device according to claim 2, characterized in that the shaft (400) carrying the third disk (4) also carries the first toothed wheel (402, 403) of said first and second sets of toothed wheels.

4. Display device according to claim 3, characterized in that the first set of gears comprises a first gear of the first gear (402) meshing with a second gear of the first gear (204) mounted with a third gear of first train (201) on a first train shaft (200), said third first train gear (201) meshing with a fourth first train gear (202) mounted on the same shaft as said first disc (2) carrying a representation of the moon (20), and in that the second set of gears comprises a first second gear gear (403) meshing with a second second gear gear (304) mounted with a third second gear gear (301) on a second gear shaft (300), said third second gear gear (301) meshing with a fourth second gear gear (303) mounted on the same shaft as said second disc (3) bearing a marking (30).

5. Display device according to claim 4, characterized in that the two gear trains are constituted as follows: the first toothed wheel of the first train (402) comprises 64 teeth, the second toothed wheel of the first train (204) comprises 43 teeth, the third first gear gear (201) has 37 teeth the fourth first gear gear (202) has 57 teeth the first second gear gear (403) has 91 teeth the second second gear gear (304) has 47 teeth, the third second gear gear (301) has 55 teeth, the fourth second gear gear (303) has 111 teeth.

6. Display device according to claim 4, characterized in that the two gear trains are constituted as follows: the first toothed wheel of the first train (402) comprises 83 teeth, the second toothed wheel of the first train (204) comprises 27 teeth, the third first train gear (201) comprises 11 teeth, the fourth first train gear (202) comprises 35 teeth, the second second gear first gear (403) comprises 37 teeth, the second gear second gear (304) has 38 teeth, the third second gear gear (301) has 67 teeth, the fourth second gear gear (303) has 68 teeth.

7. Display device according to claim 4, characterized in that the two gear trains are constituted as follows: the first toothed wheel of the first train (402) comprises 83 teeth, the second toothed wheel of the first train (204) includes 27 teeth, the third first gear gear (201) comprises 11 teeth, the fourth first gear gear (202) comprises 35 teeth, the first second gear gear (403) comprises 54 teeth, the second second gear gear ( 304) has 37 teeth, the third second gear gear (301) has 94 teeth, the fourth second gear gear (303) has 143 teeth.

8. Display device according to claim 4, characterized in that the two gear trains are constituted as follows: the first toothed wheel of the first train (402) comprises 139 teeth, the second toothed wheel of the first train (204) comprises 143 teeth, the third first set gear (201) comprises 164 teeth, the fourth first set gear (202) comprises 165 teeth, the first second set gear (403) comprises 64 teeth, the second gear second gear (304) has 49 teeth, the third second gear gear (301) has 83 teeth, the fourth second gear gear (303) has 113 teeth.

9. Display device according to claim 4, characterized in that the two gear trains are constituted as follows: the first toothed wheel of the first train (402) comprises 103 teeth, the second toothed wheel of the first train (204) comprises 74 teeth, the third first train gear (201) comprises 59 teeth, the fourth first train gear (202) comprises 85 teeth, the second second gear first gear (403) comprises 83 teeth, the second gear second gear (304) has 113 teeth, the third second gear gear (301) has 64 teeth, the fourth second gear gear (303) has 49 teeth.

10. Display device according to one of claims 5 to 9, characterized in that the two gear trains comprise toothed wheels each having the same multiple of the number of teeth mentioned in the claim in question.

1. Display device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is completed with a fixed central disc (5) carrying one or more geographical indications as well as a rotating bezel (6) carrying a mark (62), the central disc (5) as well as the marker (62) being arranged in such a way that by superimposing said marker on a determined geographical indication, a representation of the phase of the moon as well as the position is obtained. of the sun at this moment and for this specific place.

12. Display device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first disk (2) carrying the representation of the moon (20) as well as the third disk (4) carrying the representation of the sun, each carry a first additional marking (21, 41) representing the variation in tidal amplitude due to the direct attraction of the star (20, 40) considered as well as a second additional marking (22, 42) representing the variation in tidal range at the antipode.

13. Display device according to claim 12, characterized in that an estimation of the amplitude of the tide at a determined point on the maritime surface is made by placing the marker (62) above the geographical indication of said determined point, then adding the thicknesses of the markings (21, 22, 41, 42) of the tidal variations along this mark.

14. Display device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is associated with a timepiece.

15. Display device according to one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that it is associated with a wristwatch.