EP1677165B1 - Timepiece with a mechanical Chinese calendar - Google Patents

Timepiece with a mechanical Chinese calendar Download PDF

Info

Publication number
EP1677165B1
EP1677165B1 EP04031017A EP04031017A EP1677165B1 EP 1677165 B1 EP1677165 B1 EP 1677165B1 EP 04031017 A EP04031017 A EP 04031017A EP 04031017 A EP04031017 A EP 04031017A EP 1677165 B1 EP1677165 B1 EP 1677165B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
year
moving part
calendar
indicator
cam
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Active
Application number
EP04031017A
Other languages
German (de)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP1677165A1 (en
Inventor
Alain Vuilleumier
Frédéric Meylan
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Asulab AG
Original Assignee
Asulab AG
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority to EP04031017A priority Critical patent/EP1677165B1/en
Application filed by Asulab AG filed Critical Asulab AG
Priority to AT04031017T priority patent/ATE532111T1/en
Priority to KR1020077015998A priority patent/KR101247937B1/en
Priority to US11/813,267 priority patent/US7773462B2/en
Priority to CN200580047468A priority patent/CN100593142C/en
Priority to JP2007548811A priority patent/JP4757265B2/en
Priority to PCT/EP2005/057148 priority patent/WO2006069981A1/en
Priority to EP05823675A priority patent/EP1877872A1/en
Priority to CH01346/06A priority patent/CH710390B1/en
Priority to TW094147632A priority patent/TWI353493B/en
Publication of EP1677165A1 publication Critical patent/EP1677165A1/en
Priority to HK08104238.6A priority patent/HK1114427A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP1677165B1 publication Critical patent/EP1677165B1/en
Active legal-status Critical Current
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical

Links

Images

Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G04—HOROLOGY
    • G04B—MECHANICALLY-DRIVEN CLOCKS OR WATCHES; MECHANICAL PARTS OF CLOCKS OR WATCHES IN GENERAL; TIME PIECES USING THE POSITION OF THE SUN, MOON OR STARS
    • G04B19/00—Indicating the time by visual means
    • G04B19/26—Clocks or watches with indicators for tides, for the phases of the moon, or the like
    • G04B19/268—Clocks or watches with indicators for tides, for the phases of the moon, or the like with indicators for the phases of the moon
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G04—HOROLOGY
    • G04B—MECHANICALLY-DRIVEN CLOCKS OR WATCHES; MECHANICAL PARTS OF CLOCKS OR WATCHES IN GENERAL; TIME PIECES USING THE POSITION OF THE SUN, MOON OR STARS
    • G04B19/00—Indicating the time by visual means
    • G04B19/26—Clocks or watches with indicators for tides, for the phases of the moon, or the like

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a timepiece of the kind comprising a clockwork movement, time indicator organs, a moon indicator member, driven by the watch movement and performing a turn during an integer number of lunations, indicator members calendar that are movable relative to the dial, and a calendar mechanism driven from the watch movement.
  • the usual calendar watches are arranged to indicate the quantities specific to a solar calendar, more particularly the Julian calendar or the Gregorian calendar.
  • the calendar mechanism is arranged essentially to total the number of days suitable for each month, and if necessary count the months and increment a counter of the years every twelve months. This mechanism is therefore simply driven once a day by the watch movement, by means of a wheel driven by the hour wheel with a ratio of 1: 2.
  • the present invention aims to incorporate into a timepiece indicator organs of the traditional Chinese calendar, which is still used today to set the date of certain festivals and for Chinese astrology. But this calendar is very different in that it is primarily based on lunations, the average duration of which is not equal to a whole number of days.
  • the known mechanisms for displaying the magnitudes of the Julian calendar or another solar calendar can not be used for this purpose.
  • the Chinese calendar is of the luni-solar type, in that it is based on lunar months that correspond to lunations, while the Chinese years have a variable duration in order to get as close as possible to the tropical years. that is to say, the apparent movement of the sun on the ecliptic.
  • This calendar includes a nineteen-year cycle, called the Chang cycle, which roughly comprises whole numbers of lunations (235) and tropical and Chinese years (19) and whose origin is fixed in such a way. to satisfy the historical condition setting the Chinese New Year at the second new moon following the winter solstice, with rare exceptions.
  • Each of these periods of nineteen Chinese years includes twelve ordinary years of twelve lunar months and seven so-called leap years of thirteen lunar months.
  • the leap years are typically numbers 1, 4, 7, 10, 12, 15 and 18. These years include an extra lunar month also having the duration of a lunation, which will be called here "the month bis". This month is inserted between two ordinary months, in a non-cyclical position which depends on the astronomical data and which therefore varies from one leap year to another. The following lunar months keep the same name or number as in an ordinary year.
  • an ordinary year in the Chinese calendar may be 353, 354, or 366 days, while a leap year may be 383, 384, or 385 days.
  • the present invention relates to a timepiece that can be made in the form of a mechanical calendar watch and capable of indicating the cycles of twelve and thirteen lunar months of the Chinese years.
  • the mechanical calendar should also be able to indicate the names of the Chinese years, in particular the celestial trunks and the terrestrial branches defining the sexagesimal cycle of the years of the Chinese calendar.
  • a timepiece of the kind indicated in the introduction characterized in that said calendar is a luni-solar calendar, comprising ordinary years comprising twelve lunations and leap years including thirteen lunations, and in that the calendar mechanism includes a lunar motive, driven by the moon motive so as to take a turn by ordinary year and by leap year.
  • the motive of lunations is associated with a lunar indicator and the moon motive is associated with an indicator of the age of the moon. So, we can read on the dial the respective numbers of the lunar day, that is to say the age of the moon, and the lunar month which is indicated by the indicator of lunations.
  • the calendar mechanism includes a latch arranged to abut against a so-called Chang cam comprising nineteen, or a multiple of nineteen, sectors. angularly of respective small or large heights to represent twelve or thirteen lunar years, the Chang cam being driven by the motive of the lunations so as to rotate by an angle corresponding to a sector at the end of each turn of said mobile.
  • the flip-flop is actuated once by lunation by a cam connected to the moon mobile and comprises a first spout arranged to advance the mobile of lunations by a thirteenth of a turn each time the flip-flop is actuated, and in addition the flip-flop is provided with a second spout arranged to engage in a recess of the mobile lunations to advance this mobile an additional thirteenth of a turn in each year that the rocker rests against a small radius sector of the cam of Chang .
  • said recess is on a spiral-shaped cam forming part of the mobile lunations, the second spout being formed by a pawl mounted on the rocker and biased by a spring to be resiliently supported against said cam.
  • the timepiece preferably comprises other calendar indicator bodies, which are driven by the motive unit and include: a first year indicator, which takes a turn in twelve years and indicates the terrestrial branches, a second indicator of years, which makes a turn in ten years and indicates the celestial trunks and the term Yang or Yin, and a third indicator of years, which is related to Chang's cam and indicates the position of the current year in the cycle of nineteen years.
  • the combined indications of the first and second year indicators form in sixty years the complete cycle of denominations of years in the Chinese calendar.
  • the third year indicator allows the user to see if the current year is leap and a watchmaker to adjust the positions of the elements of the mechanism, if any.
  • the wristwatch 20 shown in the figure 1 comprises conventionally, on its upper face, a dial 21 associated with a plurality of rotary indicator members such as needles or discs which rotate opposite corresponding graduations affixed to the dial 21. These indicator organs are driven from the watchmaking movement of the watch 20, which may be mechanical or electromechanical.
  • the watch comprises the usual control members of a calendar watch, in particular a control rod provided with an outer ring 22 and calendar correction means. In the example described below, all the indicator bodies rotate clockwise.
  • the display members firstly comprise an analog time display, by means of a 24 hour hand and a minute hand 25, for which the graduation is a usual time lapse 26.
  • a second hand may also be provided, but it is not present in this example.
  • An indicator of the phases and age of the moon conventionally includes a moon disk 27 making a U-turn by lunation.
  • the disk 27 is visible in a special shaped window 28 and carries two images 29 of the moon and two indexes 30 moving one after the other next to a semi-circular graduation 31 of the dial, which represents 29 , 5 days and allows to read the lunar date.
  • a lunation indicator 33 comprises a needle 34 (or a disk on which is represented a needle) which makes one turn per year opposite a graduation 35, divided into thirteen equal numbered fields which represent the numbers of the lunations, in other words the lunar months.
  • An indicator 36 of the nineteen-year cycle, or Chang cycle indicates by a needle 37 (or a disc on which is represented a needle) the rank of the Chinese year in the cycle on a scale 38 to nineteen equal fields.
  • the letter B added to some of the year numbers indicates that they are leap years, that is, thirteen lunations. Needle 37 takes a turn in nineteen Chinese years.
  • a central hand 40 making a turn in twelve Chinese years indicates the terrestrial branches on a graduation 41 divided into twelve equal fields which correspond to the twelve terrestrial branches, that is to say to the twelve constellations of the Chinese zodiac, traversed in twelve years by Jupiter and bearing the names of twelve animals.
  • the same fields of the graduation 41 are used to indicate the zodiac signs of the Chinese hours by means of another central hand 42 making a turn in twenty-four hours legal.
  • the twelve fields of the graduation 41 are each facing one of the intervals of the hour turn 26, to simplify the appearance of the dial, but it is not essential.
  • the names of the animals are indicated here in English and in Chinese transcription; they mean respectively rat (RAT), ox (OX), tiger (TIGER), hare (RABBIT), dragon (DRAGON), snake (SNAKE), horse (HORSE), goat (GOAT), monkey (MONKEY), rooster ( CHICKEN), dog (DOG) and pig (PIG).
  • a needle of the celestial trunks 44 takes a turn in ten Chinese years and indicates the celestial trunks on a graduation 45 having ten equal fields, formed by five fields of the elements (wood, fire, earth, metal, water), each of which is divided into two equal parts Yang and Yin.
  • the combination of the successive indications of the two needles 40 and 44 forms the sixty-year cycle of the Chinese calendar.
  • FIG. 1 there is further shown a needle 47 making a tour per tropical year to represent the movement of the sun on the ecliptic, opposite four symbols 48 of the equinoxes and solstices.
  • This indication is independent of the lunar calendar and can be obtained by means of a 1: 365.25 transmission from one element making one revolution per day.
  • the figure 2 shows the mechanism 50 driving the indicators 27, 34, 37, 40 and 44 of the luni-solar calendar from the hour wheel 51 of the watch movement of the watch, this wheel being secured to the hour hand 24.
  • the wheel 51 meshes with a wheel 52 making a turn in twenty-four hours and having a finger 53 which advances by one step per day the toothing 54 to fifty-nine teeth of the moon disc 27, whose position is stopped by a jumper spring 55.
  • the disc 27 makes a U-turn at 29, 5 days.
  • the moon disk 27 is provided with a cam 56 having two spiral arms 57 arranged symmetrically, each of which corresponds to a lunation. Against this cam rests a finger 58 of a rocker 60 whose pivot axis is indicated by 61. In order to yield elastically beyond a certain support force, the finger 58 is mounted on the rocker 60 pivotally 91 and it comprises a spring blade 92 bearing against a pin 93 of the rocker. A not shown spring tends to pivot the rocker 60 in the direction of the arrow A, to maintain its finger 58 constantly bearing against the cam 56.
  • Another finger 62 of flip-flop 60 serves as a feeler against a Chang 63 cam which represents the nineteen-year Chang cycle.
  • the periphery of the cam 63 is divided into nineteen sectors having the same angular extension, but a radius which can have either a low value, representing an ordinary year at twelve lunations as the sector 64, or a high value corresponding to a leap year at thirteen lunations, as does the sector 65.
  • the cam 63 is secured to the needle 37 ( figure 1 ) and a nineteen-toothed wheel 66 which meshes with an intermediate wheel 67 whose number of teeth is an integer multiple of nineteen, in this case thirty-eight teeth.
  • the lunar hand 34 shown in figure 1 is integral with a lunar motive 70 making one turn per year of the Chinese lunisolar calendar, this year being able to count twelve or thirteen lunations as indicated by the cam 63.
  • the mobile 70 comprises a thirteen-toothed wheel 71 held in position by a jumper spring 72, a spiral cam 73 having a recess 74, a pinion 75 and a finger 76 which, once a year, advances the wheel 67 of a tooth and thus rotates a nineteenth turn the Chang 63 cam and the needle 37 associated therewith.
  • the rocker 60 has a first spout 77 arranged to advance one step the wheel 71, and a second spout 78 forming a pawl articulated on the rocker 79 and biased by a spring 80 which maintains it bears against the cam 73.
  • the spouts 77 and 78 allow the rocker to rotate the mobile 70 step by step in the direction of the arrow B in the following manner.
  • the latch 60 is activated once by lunation by the cam 56 and then pivots in the opposite direction to the arrow A, until its feeler finger 62 builds against that of sectors 64 and 65 which represents the current Chinese year.
  • the feeler finger 62 and the rocker are stopped by a high sector 65 of the Chang cam, then the other finger 58 of the rocker is elastically pushed by the cam 56 which continues its rotation.
  • Its pawl 78 then makes a relatively large movement along the cam 73 and, at the time of the year when this movement is made near the recess 74 of the cam, it advances an additional step the motive of the lunations 70, just before the normal step produced by the spout 77.
  • the lunar needle 34 thus advances two steps and is placed on the value 1 of the graduation 35.
  • the finger 76 is placed on the mobile 70 in a position such that it advances the wheels 67 and 66 under the action of the latch 60 at the end of the last lunation of the Chinese year.
  • the Chinese New Year passage is indicated by the needle 34 jumping to the first lunation and the needle 37 jumping to the next year on the graduation 38 of the Chang cycle. This movement is instantaneous since it accompanies that of the mobile 70.
  • the needle 40 represented in figure 1 is attached to a central wheel land branches 82 which makes a turn in twelve years.
  • This wheel is driven by the mobile 70 with a transmission ratio of 1:12 by means of an intermediate mobile comprising a wheel 83 which meshes with the pinion 75 and a wheel 84 which meshes with the wheel 82.
  • the numbers of teeth of the elements 75, 83, 84 and 82 can be respectively 13, 52, 26 and 78 teeth.
  • the needle 40 takes thirteen steps each Chinese year, two of which are done on the same day in an ordinary year.
  • the needle 44 represented in figure 1 is secured to a wheel of the celestial trunks 86 which is driven from the central wheel 82 so as to make a turn in ten years, by means of a return wheel comprising two wheels 87 and 88.
  • a return wheel comprising two wheels 87 and 88.
  • the numbers of teeth of the wheels 82, 87, 88 and 86 may for example be respectively 78, 13, 9 and 45.
  • the wheel 86 could be driven from the mobile 70 with a ratio of 1:10.
  • the needle 42 indicating the Chinese hours makes a turn in twenty-four hours legal, which is also the speed of rotation of the wheel 52.
  • This needle can be secured to a wheel central not shown, which meshes with a wheel 89 of the same diameter, integral with the wheel 52.
  • the position of the needle 42 could be based either on the lunar hour of Beijing, or on the lunar time local, or on any time zone, it would be desirable to interpose a friction device in the transmission driving the needle, to allow to adjust its position relative to the hour hand 24 depending on the location of the wearer of the watch.
  • the calendar mechanism represented in figure 2 may be equipped with various correctors for putting the different indicator organs in the desired position, especially after a period of stopping the watch.
  • Devices of this type operated by means of small pushers housed in the middle of the case, are well known in the field of calendar watches and do not need to be described in detail here.
  • the calendar mechanism described above therefore automatically reproduces the 19 and 60-year cycles of the Chinese calendar, so that it can be described as perpetual.
  • the figures 3 and 4 schematically represent a simplified embodiment of the invention.
  • the display according to the figure 3 is greatly simplified compared to the version of the figure 1 , by deleting the index 30 and the needles 37, 40 42 44 and 47, as well as corresponding graduations.
  • the index 30 is replaced by a lunar date hand 101 capable of making a turn in thirty days opposite a circular graduation 102. In this case, it is planned to display in a window 103 of the dial 21 the number ( reference 104) of the month bis during a Chinese year leap. During an ordinary year, the wicket may remain empty or display a sign of normality instead of this number.
  • the lunar months are indicated by a needle 105 on a circular graduation 106 which has only twelve positions in this example.
  • the corresponding mechanism, represented in figure 4 is obviously devoid of cogs driving the needles of the first embodiment which are deleted here, but it also has several differences.
  • the moon disk 27 actuated by the finger 53 has 60 teeth on its periphery. It carries a wheel 108 for driving, via a two-wheel return gear 109, 110 with a transmission ratio of 2, a wheel 111 integral with the lunar date hand 101.
  • a conventional hand-held concealer, not shown, allows to advance step by step the disc 27 and with it the needle 101.
  • a rocker 114 pivoted at 115 is biased in the direction of the arrow A by a not shown spring, so that its finger 116 remains constantly in sliding support against the cam 56 secured to the disk 27.
  • the rocker has a spout 117 which actuates step by step the mobile lunations 120.
  • This is greatly simplified compared to the mobile 70 of the previous example, since it comprises only one wheel 121, having twelve teeth instead of thirteen, carrying the needle 105 and a finger 122 and held in position by a jumper spring 123.
  • a ring of the years 124 provided with an internal toothing not shown, has on its upper face any number N of fields equal appear successively in the box 103 and can each carry an indication specific to the Chinese year concerned. As mentioned above, it is intended in this example to indicate in the window the number 104 of the month bis of each leap year of the Chinese calendar.
  • the ring 124 can only be used for N years, then it must be replaced by a ring bearing the indications specific to the next N years.
  • the number N of the fields of the ring can go to at least about sixty without the indication 104 becoming too small.
  • the moon disk 27 advances one step per day under the action of the finger 53 and its cam 56 raises little by little the rocker 114 during a lunation.
  • the disc drives the needle 101 at the speed of a turn in thirty days to indicate the age of the moon, in other words the lunar date.
  • the lunation extends only twenty-nine solar days, the user of the watch must act on the corrector on the day of the new moon, so that the needle 101 makes that day an additional step in order to pass from 29 to 1 on the 102 graduation. This correction can be made at the moment chosen by the user.
  • the end of the arm 57 of the cam 56 reaches the finger 116 of the rocker 114, the spout 117 attacks the teeth of the wheel 121, the latter and the needle 105 advance one step, then the finger 116 falls into the next recess of the cam 56.
  • the finger 122 is next to the teeth of the ring 124 and it thus advances this ring one step to show the characteristic indication of the new year in the box 103.
  • the number 104 of the extra lunar month (called month bis) is indicated to the user in the window 103.
  • the needle 105 arrives at the next month's number, the user must move back
  • One step is the motive of lunations 120 by means of a conventional corrector (not shown) so that the needle 105 returns to the number of the month bis, since this number must be repeated for the next lunar month.
  • the last lunar month of the leap year will always have the number 12 and the finger 122 will play its role at the right moment, but the mobile 120 has been activated thirteen times by the rocker during this year.
  • the latch 114 has a dragging effect on the mobile 120. Nevertheless, it would be possible to use in this mechanism an instantaneous lever, of the kind of the latch 60 described above, but it would occupy more space.
  • the figure 5 represents an embodiment comprising the same elements as that of figures 3 and 4 but complemented by Chinese calendar indications that exist in the first embodiment, illustrated by the figures 1 and 2 , namely: the needle 40 indicating the terrestrial branch of the year next to the graduation 41 according to a cycle of twelve years, the needle 44 indicating the element and the sign yang or yin of the year on the graduation 45 according to a ten-year cycle, and the needle 42 indicating the zodiac sign of the Chinese time on the graduation 41.
  • the corresponding wheels are the same as in the figure 2 and are driven by the pinion 75, added for this purpose to the mobile lunations 120 shown in FIG. figure 4 .
  • the figure 6 represents an embodiment similar to that of the figure 2 and operating in the same way, with the differences described below.
  • the Chang 63 cam of the figure 2 is replaced by an annular Chang cam designated here by 130, the inner side of which has a toothing 131 and low 132 and high 133 sectors of the same angular extension, respectively representing the ordinary years and leap years of the Chinese calendar.
  • the cam has three nineteen of these sectors and will complete a complete turn in fifty-seven years, three cycles of Chang.
  • the finger 62 of the rocker 60 rotated 61 will abut against the sector corresponding to the current year when the rocker is sufficiently raised by the cam 56 of the moon indicator, as in the first embodiment.
  • a two-wheeled double-wheeled gearwheel 135 and 137 the first of which is attacked at each Chinese New Year by the finger 76 of the mobile of lunations 70, while the second is in permanent engagement with the toothing 131 of the
  • This ring may furthermore bear indications characteristic of the Chinese year, in particular the indication 104 of the number of the month bis for the display in the box 103, as in the example of the figures 3 and 4 .
  • the figures 7 and 8 represent a variant of the embodiment illustrated by the figure 6 .
  • This variant includes the indication of the month bis, which is carried out here by means of a needle 140 of the retrograde type opposite a graduation 141 made of a sector of circle graduated from 1 to 12, and the indication of number of the current year 142 in the Chang cycle, appearing in a wicket 143.
  • the appropriate mechanism takes up all the elements of that of the figure 6 , except that the indication 104 is replaced by that 142 of the number of the year, by inscriptions on the ring of the cam of Chang 130.
  • a second annular cam 150 Under this cam is a second annular cam 150 whose inner edge comprises a number M of bleachers 151 whose height represents the number of the month bis in a Chinese leap year (ie twelve possible heights), with in addition a thirteenth zero height corresponding to the ordinary years.
  • This cam of months 150 has an internal toothing 152 allowing it to be driven from the toothing 131 of the cam 130 via a double-wheeled return gear 154 and a reversing wheel 155. These two cams therefore advance once a year. simultaneously, but not at the same angle.
  • the retrograde hand 140 is integral with a wheel 156 meshing with the rack 157 of a rake 158 pivoted at 159 and biased by a spring in the direction of the arrow C.
  • a finger 160 of the rake will thus abut against the steps 151 of the cam 150 which corresponds to the current Chinese year. If the height of this step is zero, it means that the year is normal and the needle shows it being located opposite a specific mark 162 at the end of the scale 141. If the Chinese year is leap, the step has a non-zero height which determines the proper positions of the rake and the needle 140 to indicate the number of the month bis. The wearer of the watch uses this indication in combination with the indication of the lunar months by the needle 34.
  • the fall of the rocker 60 will produce instantaneous motions of the motions of the lunations 70, the wheels 135 and 137 driven by the finger 76, as well as the two annular cams 130 and 150. It is therefore necessary, at this moment, briefly back the rake 158 to release the finger 160 of the cam 150.
  • the base of the rake is provided with a wheel 164 (which can be reduce to a sector toothed) which is attacked by a rack 165 of a lever 166 hinged at 167 on the rocker 60.
  • This device backs the rake at the beginning of the movement of the rocker in the direction of the arrow A and holds the rake to the stage where the finger 76 of the mobile 70 has completed its action.
  • the rack 165 is then disengaged from the wheel 164, so that the rake is returned by its spring against the new step 151 of the cam 150.
  • the figure 9 represents an embodiment where a Chinese calendar display according to the present invention, particularly in the version of the figure 7 , is combined in the same watch with a Julian calendar display by means of a classic perpetual calendar mechanism.
  • This mechanism can be of a well-known type, driven from the hour wheel, and is therefore not represented here.
  • the display of the ten-year Chinese cycle by the needle 44 and the graduation 45 ( figure 7 ) is replaced by two concentric indicators, namely a needle 170 indicating the calendar julien next to a graduation 171 and a needle 172 indicating the julien month opposite a graduation 173.
  • a needle 174 making a turn in four years indicates the year in the four-year Julian cycle, next to a graduation 175 with a LY sign that identifies a Julian leap year.

Landscapes

  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Astronomy & Astrophysics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Electromechanical Clocks (AREA)
  • Electric Clocks (AREA)
  • Adornments (AREA)

Abstract

The wristwatch has a calendar mechanism (50) driven by a moon indicator and actuating Chinese calendar indicators. The mechanism has a month mobile (70) driven by a lever (60) so as to complete one revolution for every common year of twelve months and for every leap year of thirteen months. The moon indicator displays a lunar date on a scale and is driven by clock movement to complete one revolution over one or two synodic lunations.

Description

Arrière-plan de l'inventionBackground of the invention

La présente invention concerne une pièce d'horlogerie du genre comportant un mouvement d'horlogerie, des organes indicateurs horaires, un organe indicateur de lune, entraîné par le mouvement d'horlogerie et effectuant un tour durant un nombre entier de lunaisons, des organes indicateurs de calendrier qui sont mobiles par rapport au cadran, et un mécanisme de calendrier entraîné à partir du mouvement d'horlogerie.The present invention relates to a timepiece of the kind comprising a clockwork movement, time indicator organs, a moon indicator member, driven by the watch movement and performing a turn during an integer number of lunations, indicator members calendar that are movable relative to the dial, and a calendar mechanism driven from the watch movement.

Les montres à calendrier habituelles sont agencées pour indiquer les grandeurs propres à un calendrier solaire, plus particulièrement le calendrier julien ou le calendrier grégorien. Le mécanisme de calendrier est agencé essentiellement pour totaliser le nombre de jours convenable pour chaque mois, et le cas échéant compter les mois et incrémenter un compteur des années tous les douze mois. Ce mécanisme est donc simplement entraîné une fois par jour par le mouvement d'horlogerie, au moyen d'une roue entraînée par la roue des heures avec un rapport de 1:2.The usual calendar watches are arranged to indicate the quantities specific to a solar calendar, more particularly the Julian calendar or the Gregorian calendar. The calendar mechanism is arranged essentially to total the number of days suitable for each month, and if necessary count the months and increment a counter of the years every twelve months. This mechanism is therefore simply driven once a day by the watch movement, by means of a wheel driven by the hour wheel with a ratio of 1: 2.

Un dispositif de ce genre est divulgué dans le document US 4,674,889 .A device of this kind is disclosed in the document US 4,674,889 .

La présente invention vise à incorporer à une pièce d'horlogerie des organes indicateurs du calendrier traditionnel chinois, lequel est encore utilisé de nos jours pour fixer la date de certaines fêtes et pour l'astrologie chinoise. Or ce calendrier est très différent par le fait qu'il est avant tout basé sur les lunaisons, dont la durée moyenne n'est pas égale à un nombre entier de jours. Les mécanismes connus pour l'affichage des grandeurs du calendrier julien ou d'un autre calendrier solaire ne sont donc pas utilisables dans ce but.The present invention aims to incorporate into a timepiece indicator organs of the traditional Chinese calendar, which is still used today to set the date of certain festivals and for Chinese astrology. But this calendar is very different in that it is primarily based on lunations, the average duration of which is not equal to a whole number of days. The known mechanisms for displaying the magnitudes of the Julian calendar or another solar calendar can not be used for this purpose.

Le calendrier chinois est du type luni-solaire, en ce sens qu'il se base sur des mois lunaires qui correspondent aux lunaisons, tandis que les années chinoises ont une durée variable afin de se rapprocher dans la mesure du possible des années tropiques, c'est-à-dire du mouvement apparent du soleil sur l'écliptique. Ce calendrier comporte un cycle de dix-neuf ans, dit cycle de Chang, qui comporte à peu de chose près des nombres entiers de lunaisons (235) et d'années tropiques et chinoises (19) et dont l'origine est fixée de manière à satisfaire la condition historique fixant le Nouvel An chinois à la deuxième nouvelle lune qui suit le solstice d'hiver, sauf de rares exceptions. Chacune de ces périodes de dix-neuf années chinoises comprend douze années ordinaires de douze mois lunaires et sept années dites bissextiles de treize mois lunaires. Si l'on numérote les années dans le cycle de Chang, les années bissextiles portent typiquement les numéros 1, 4, 7, 10, 12, 15 et 18. Ces années comportent un mois lunaire supplémentaire ayant aussi la durée d'une lunaison, qu'on appellera ici « le mois bis ». Ce mois bis est intercalé entre deux des mois ordinaires, à une position non cyclique qui dépend des données astronomiques et qui varie donc d'une année bissextile à une autre. Les mois lunaires qui le suivent conservent le même nom ou numéro que dans une année ordinaire. Selon l'heure de la nouvelle lune de chaque Nouvel An concerné, une année ordinaire du calendrier chinois peut comporter 353, 354 ou 366 jours, tandis qu'une année bissextile peut comporter 383, 384 ou 385 jours.The Chinese calendar is of the luni-solar type, in that it is based on lunar months that correspond to lunations, while the Chinese years have a variable duration in order to get as close as possible to the tropical years. that is to say, the apparent movement of the sun on the ecliptic. This calendar includes a nineteen-year cycle, called the Chang cycle, which roughly comprises whole numbers of lunations (235) and tropical and Chinese years (19) and whose origin is fixed in such a way. to satisfy the historical condition setting the Chinese New Year at the second new moon following the winter solstice, with rare exceptions. Each of these periods of nineteen Chinese years includes twelve ordinary years of twelve lunar months and seven so-called leap years of thirteen lunar months. If we number the years in the Chang cycle, the leap years are typically numbers 1, 4, 7, 10, 12, 15 and 18. These years include an extra lunar month also having the duration of a lunation, which will be called here "the month bis". This month is inserted between two ordinary months, in a non-cyclical position which depends on the astronomical data and which therefore varies from one leap year to another. The following lunar months keep the same name or number as in an ordinary year. Depending on the time of the new moon of each New Year concerned, an ordinary year in the Chinese calendar may be 353, 354, or 366 days, while a leap year may be 383, 384, or 385 days.

Pour plus de données sur le calendrier chinois, le lecteur pourra se référer à l'ouvrage de Nachum DERSHOWITZ et Edward M. REINGOLD, Calendrical Calculations, Cambridge University Press, 1997 ; ainsi qu'aux publications de Helmer ASLAKSEN : The Mathematics of the Chinese Calendar, 13 May 2004, et LeapMonths.nb, Mathematica package, 1999, disponibles sur le site www.math.nus.edu.sg. On se limitera ici à mentionner que les années chinoises ne sont pas identifiées par un numéro, mais par une dénomination formée par combinaison de deux termes comprenant un tronc céleste et un rameau terrestre. Il y a dix troncs terrestres, formés chacun par l'association d'un des cinq éléments (bois, feu, terre, métal, eau) avec le terme « Yang », puis avec le terme « Yin » l'année suivante, ce qui donne un cycle de dix années. Par ailleurs il y a douze rameaux terrestres, portant les noms d'animaux des douze constellations du zodiaque chinois, qui sont traversées en douze ans par Jupiter. Par la combinaison des deux cycles de dix et douze ans, les dénominations des années chinoises se répètent selon un cycle de soixante années.For more information on the Chinese calendar, readers may refer to Nachum DERSHOWITZ and Edward M. REINGOLD, Calendrical Calculations, Cambridge University Press, 1997; and Helmer ASLAKSEN's publications: The Mathematics of the Chinese Calendar, 13 May 2004, and LeapMonths.nb, Mathematica package, 1999, available at www.math.nus.edu.sg. We will limit ourselves here to mentioning that the Chinese years are not identified by a number, but by a denomination formed by a combination of two terms including a celestial trunk and a terrestrial branch. There are ten terrestrial trunks, each formed by the association of one of the five elements (wood, fire, earth, metal, water) with the term "Yang", then with the term "Yin" the following year, this which gives a cycle of ten years. On the other hand, there are twelve earthly branches, bearing the names of animals of the twelve constellations of the Chinese zodiac, which are traversed in twelve years by Jupiter. By the combination of the two cycles of ten and twelve, the denominations of the Chinese years are repeated in a cycle of sixty years.

Résumé de l'inventionSummary of the invention

La présente invention a pour objet une pièce d'horlogerie pouvant être réalisée sous la forme d'une montre à calendrier mécanique et capable d'indiquer les cycles de douze et treize mois lunaires des années chinoises. A titre additionnel, le calendrier mécanique devrait aussi pouvoir indiquer les dénominations des années chinoises, en particulier les troncs célestes et les rameaux terrestres définissant le cycle sexagésimal des années du calendrier chinois.The present invention relates to a timepiece that can be made in the form of a mechanical calendar watch and capable of indicating the cycles of twelve and thirteen lunar months of the Chinese years. In addition, the mechanical calendar should also be able to indicate the names of the Chinese years, in particular the celestial trunks and the terrestrial branches defining the sexagesimal cycle of the years of the Chinese calendar.

A cet effet, il est prévu une pièce d'horlogerie du genre indiqué en introduction, caractérisée en ce que ledit calendrier est un calendrier luni-solaire, comportant des années ordinaires comprenant douze lunaisons et des années bissextiles comprenant treize lunaisons, et en ce que le mécanisme de calendrier comporte un mobile des lunaisons, entraîné par le mobile de lune de façon à faire un tour par année ordinaire et par année bissextile.For this purpose, there is provided a timepiece of the kind indicated in the introduction, characterized in that said calendar is a luni-solar calendar, comprising ordinary years comprising twelve lunations and leap years including thirteen lunations, and in that the calendar mechanism includes a lunar motive, driven by the moon motive so as to take a turn by ordinary year and by leap year.

De préférence, le mobile des lunaisons est associé à un indicateur de lunaisons et le mobile de lune est associé à un indicateur de l'âge de la lune. Ainsi, on peut lire sur le cadran les numéros respectifs du jour lunaire, c'est-à-dire l'âge de la lune, et du mois lunaire qui est indiqué par l'indicateur de lunaisons.Preferably, the motive of lunations is associated with a lunar indicator and the moon motive is associated with an indicator of the age of the moon. So, we can read on the dial the respective numbers of the lunar day, that is to say the age of the moon, and the lunar month which is indicated by the indicator of lunations.

Selon une construction préférée permettant d'obtenir le fonctionnement susmentionné de l'indicateur de lunaisons, le mécanisme de calendrier comporte une bascule agencée pour s'appuyer contre une came dite de Chang comprenant dix-neuf, ou un multiple de dix-neuf, secteurs angulaires de hauteurs respectives petites ou grandes pour représenter des années à douze ou treize lunaisons, la came de Chang étant entraînée par le mobile des lunaisons de façon à tourner d'un angle correspondant à un secteur à la fin de chaque tour dudit mobile. La bascule est actionnée une fois par lunaison par une came liée au mobile de lune et comporte un premier bec agencé pour faire avancer le mobile de lunaisons d'un treizième de tour à chaque actionnement de la bascule, et en outre la bascule est pourvue d'un second bec agencé pour s'engager dans un décrochement du mobile des lunaisons pour faire avancer ce mobile d'un treizième de tour supplémentaire au cours de chaque année où la bascule s'appuie contre un secteur de petit rayon de la came de Chang. De préférence, ledit décrochement se trouve sur une came en forme de spirale faisant partie du mobile des lunaisons, le second bec étant formé par un cliquet monté sur la bascule et sollicité par un ressort pour pouvoir s'appuyer élastiquement contre ladite came.According to a preferred construction for obtaining the aforementioned operation of the lunar indicator, the calendar mechanism includes a latch arranged to abut against a so-called Chang cam comprising nineteen, or a multiple of nineteen, sectors. angularly of respective small or large heights to represent twelve or thirteen lunar years, the Chang cam being driven by the motive of the lunations so as to rotate by an angle corresponding to a sector at the end of each turn of said mobile. The flip-flop is actuated once by lunation by a cam connected to the moon mobile and comprises a first spout arranged to advance the mobile of lunations by a thirteenth of a turn each time the flip-flop is actuated, and in addition the flip-flop is provided with a second spout arranged to engage in a recess of the mobile lunations to advance this mobile an additional thirteenth of a turn in each year that the rocker rests against a small radius sector of the cam of Chang . Preferably, said recess is on a spiral-shaped cam forming part of the mobile lunations, the second spout being formed by a pawl mounted on the rocker and biased by a spring to be resiliently supported against said cam.

La pièce d'horlogerie comporte de préférence d'autres organes indicateurs de calendrier, qui sont entraînés par le mobile de lunaisons et comprennent : un premier indicateur d'années, qui fait un tour en douze années et indique les rameaux terrestres, un deuxième indicateur d'années, qui fait un tour en dix années et indique les troncs célestes et le terme Yang ou Yin, et un troisième indicateur d'années, qui est lié à la came de Chang et indique la position de l'année courante dans le cycle de dix-neuf années. Les indications combinées des premier et deuxième indicateurs d'années forment en soixante ans le cycle complet des dénominations des années dans le calendrier chinois. Le troisième indicateur d'années permet à l'utilisateur de voir si l'année en cours est bissextile et à un horloger de régler les positions des éléments du mécanisme, le cas échéant.The timepiece preferably comprises other calendar indicator bodies, which are driven by the motive unit and include: a first year indicator, which takes a turn in twelve years and indicates the terrestrial branches, a second indicator of years, which makes a turn in ten years and indicates the celestial trunks and the term Yang or Yin, and a third indicator of years, which is related to Chang's cam and indicates the position of the current year in the cycle of nineteen years. The combined indications of the first and second year indicators form in sixty years the complete cycle of denominations of years in the Chinese calendar. The third year indicator allows the user to see if the current year is leap and a watchmaker to adjust the positions of the elements of the mechanism, if any.

Description sommaire des dessinsBrief description of the drawings

D'autres caractéristiques et avantages de la présente invention ressortiront de la description suivante, qui présente à titre d'exemple non limitatif un mode de réalisation avantageux en se référant aux dessins annexés, dans lesquels :

  • la figure 1 représente la face supérieure d'une montre-bracelet, en particulier ses organes d'affichage, selon un premier mode de réalisation de l'invention,
  • la figure 2 est une vue en transparence représentant schématiquement le mécanisme de calendrier de la montre de la figure 1,
  • les figures 3 et 4 sont des vues analogues aux figures 1 et 2 et représentent un deuxième mode de réalisation de l'invention,
  • la figure 5 est une vue analogue à la figure 1 et représente un troisième mode de réalisation de l'invention,
  • la figure 6 est une vue analogue à la figure 2 et représente un quatrième mode de réalisation de l'invention,
  • les figures 7 et 8 sont des vues analogues aux figures 1 et 2 et représentent un cinquième mode de réalisation de l'invention, et
  • la figure 9 est une vue analogue à la figure 1 et représente un sixième mode de réalisation de l'invention.
Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will emerge from the following description, which, by way of nonlimiting example, shows an advantageous embodiment with reference to the appended drawings, in which:
  • the figure 1 represents the upper face of a wristwatch, in particular its display members, according to a first embodiment of the invention,
  • the figure 2 is a transparency view schematically showing the calendar mechanism of the watch of the figure 1 ,
  • the figures 3 and 4 are views similar to figures 1 and 2 and represent a second embodiment of the invention,
  • the figure 5 is a view similar to the figure 1 and represents a third embodiment of the invention,
  • the figure 6 is a view similar to the figure 2 and represents a fourth embodiment of the invention,
  • the figures 7 and 8 are views similar to figures 1 and 2 and represent a fifth embodiment of the invention, and
  • the figure 9 is a view similar to the figure 1 and represents a sixth embodiment of the invention.

Description détaillée d'un mode de réalisationDetailed description of an embodiment

La montre-bracelet 20 représentée à la figure 1 comporte de manière classique, sur sa face supérieure, un cadran 21 associé à une pluralité d'organes indicateurs rotatifs tels que des aiguilles ou des disques qui tournent en regard de graduations correspondantes apposées sur le cadran 21. Ces organes indicateurs sont entraînés à partir du mouvement d'horlogerie de la montre 20, lequel peut être mécanique ou électromécanique. La montre comporte les organes de commande habituels d'une montre à calendrier, notamment une tige de commande pourvue d'une couronne extérieure 22 et des moyens de correction du calendrier. Dans l'exemple décrit ci-dessous, tous les organes indicateurs tournent dans le sens horaire.The wristwatch 20 shown in the figure 1 comprises conventionally, on its upper face, a dial 21 associated with a plurality of rotary indicator members such as needles or discs which rotate opposite corresponding graduations affixed to the dial 21. These indicator organs are driven from the watchmaking movement of the watch 20, which may be mechanical or electromechanical. The watch comprises the usual control members of a calendar watch, in particular a control rod provided with an outer ring 22 and calendar correction means. In the example described below, all the indicator bodies rotate clockwise.

Les organes d'affichage comprennent d'abord un affichage analogique de l'heure, au moyen d'une aiguille des heures 24 et d'une aiguille des minutes 25, pour lesquels la graduation est un tour d'heures habituel 26. Bien entendu, une aiguille des secondes peut également être prévue, mais elle n'est pas présente dans cet exemple.The display members firstly comprise an analog time display, by means of a 24 hour hand and a minute hand 25, for which the graduation is a usual time lapse 26. Of course a second hand may also be provided, but it is not present in this example.

Un indicateur des phases et de l'âge de la lune comporte de manière classique un disque de lune 27 faisant un demi-tour par lunaison. Le disque 27 est visible dans un guichet de forme spéciale 28 et il porte deux images 29 de la lune et deux index 30 se déplaçant l'un après l'autre en regard d'une graduation semi-circulaire 31 du cadran, qui représente 29,5 jours et permet donc de lire la date lunaire.An indicator of the phases and age of the moon conventionally includes a moon disk 27 making a U-turn by lunation. The disk 27 is visible in a special shaped window 28 and carries two images 29 of the moon and two indexes 30 moving one after the other next to a semi-circular graduation 31 of the dial, which represents 29 , 5 days and allows to read the lunar date.

Les autres organes indicateurs représentés sur la figure 1 sont des indicateurs propres au calendrier chinois. Un indicateur de lunaison 33 comporte une aiguille 34 (ou un disque sur lequel est représentée une aiguille) qui fait un tour par an en regard d'une graduation 35, divisée en treize champs égaux numérotés qui représentent les numéros des lunaisons, autrement dit les mois lunaires.The other indicator organs represented on the figure 1 are indicators specific to the Chinese calendar. A lunation indicator 33 comprises a needle 34 (or a disk on which is represented a needle) which makes one turn per year opposite a graduation 35, divided into thirteen equal numbered fields which represent the numbers of the lunations, in other words the lunar months.

Un indicateur 36 du cycle de dix-neuf ans, ou cycle de Chang, indique par une aiguille 37 (ou un disque sur lequel est représentée une aiguille) le rang de l'année chinoise dans le cycle sur une graduation 38 à dix-neuf champs égaux. La lettre B ajoutée à certains des numéros d'années indique qu'il s'agit d'années bissextiles, c'est-à-dire comportant treize lunaisons. L'aiguille 37 fait un tour en dix-neuf années chinoises.An indicator 36 of the nineteen-year cycle, or Chang cycle, indicates by a needle 37 (or a disc on which is represented a needle) the rank of the Chinese year in the cycle on a scale 38 to nineteen equal fields. The letter B added to some of the year numbers indicates that they are leap years, that is, thirteen lunations. Needle 37 takes a turn in nineteen Chinese years.

Une aiguille centrale 40 faisant un tour en douze années chinoises indique les rameaux terrestres sur une graduation 41 divisée en douze champs égaux qui correspondent aux douze rameaux terrestres, c'est-à-dire aux douze constellations du zodiaque chinois, traversées en douze ans par Jupiter et portant les noms de douze animaux. Les mêmes champs de la graduation 41 sont utilisés pour indiquer les signes zodiacaux des heures chinoises au moyen d'une autre aiguille centrale 42 faisant un tour en vingt-quatre heures légales. On remarque que les douze champs de la graduation 41 se trouvent chacun en regard d'un des intervalles du tour d'heures 26, pour simplifier l'aspect du cadran, mais ce n'est pas indispensable.A central hand 40 making a turn in twelve Chinese years indicates the terrestrial branches on a graduation 41 divided into twelve equal fields which correspond to the twelve terrestrial branches, that is to say to the twelve constellations of the Chinese zodiac, traversed in twelve years by Jupiter and bearing the names of twelve animals. The same fields of the graduation 41 are used to indicate the zodiac signs of the Chinese hours by means of another central hand 42 making a turn in twenty-four hours legal. Note that the twelve fields of the graduation 41 are each facing one of the intervals of the hour turn 26, to simplify the appearance of the dial, but it is not essential.

Les noms des animaux sont indiqués ici en anglais et en transcription du chinois ; ils signifient respectivement rat (RAT), boeuf (OX), tigre (TIGER), lièvre (RABBIT), dragon (DRAGON), serpent (SNAKE), cheval (HORSE), chèvre (GOAT), singe (MONKEY), coq (CHICKEN), chien (DOG) et porc (PIG).The names of the animals are indicated here in English and in Chinese transcription; they mean respectively rat (RAT), ox (OX), tiger (TIGER), hare (RABBIT), dragon (DRAGON), snake (SNAKE), horse (HORSE), goat (GOAT), monkey (MONKEY), rooster ( CHICKEN), dog (DOG) and pig (PIG).

Une aiguille des troncs célestes 44 fait un tour en dix années chinoises et indique les troncs célestes sur une graduation 45 ayant dix champs égaux, formés par cinq champs des éléments (bois, feu, terre, métal, eau), dont chacun est divisé en deux parties égales Yang et Yin. La combinaison des indications successives des deux aiguilles 40 et 44 forme le cycle de soixante ans du calendrier chinois.A needle of the celestial trunks 44 takes a turn in ten Chinese years and indicates the celestial trunks on a graduation 45 having ten equal fields, formed by five fields of the elements (wood, fire, earth, metal, water), each of which is divided into two equal parts Yang and Yin. The combination of the successive indications of the two needles 40 and 44 forms the sixty-year cycle of the Chinese calendar.

Une variante permettant d'obtenir le même résultat consisterait à remplacer les champs Yang et Yin de la graduation 45 par un indicateur distinct, affichant alternativement Yang ou Yin. Cette solution pourrait permettre des inscriptions plus grandes sur le cadran, mais le mécanisme serait plus compliqué.A variant to obtain the same result would be to replace the Yang and Yin fields of the graduation 45 by a separate indicator, alternately displaying Yang or Yin. This solution could allow larger inscriptions on the dial, but the mechanism would be more complicated.

Dans la figure 1, on a représenté en outre une aiguille 47 faisant un tour par année tropique afin de représenter le mouvement du soleil sur l'écliptique, en regard de quatre symboles 48 des équinoxes et des solstices. Cette indication est indépendante du calendrier lunaire et elle peut être obtenue au moyen d'une transmission à rapport de 1:365,25 à partir d'un élément faisant un tour par jour.In the figure 1 , there is further shown a needle 47 making a tour per tropical year to represent the movement of the sun on the ecliptic, opposite four symbols 48 of the equinoxes and solstices. This indication is independent of the lunar calendar and can be obtained by means of a 1: 365.25 transmission from one element making one revolution per day.

La figure 2 montre le mécanisme 50 entraînant les indicateurs 27, 34, 37, 40 et 44 du calendrier luni-solaire à partir de la roue des heures 51 du mouvement d'horlogerie de la montre, cette roue étant solidaire de l'aiguille des heures 24. La roue 51 s'engrène avec une roue 52 faisant un tour en vingt-quatre heures et ayant un doigt 53 qui fait avancer d'un pas par jour la denture 54 à cinquante-neuf dents du disque de lune 27, dont la position est arrêtée par un ressort-sautoir 55. Ainsi, le disque 27 fait un demi-tour en 29,5 jours. Bien entendu, on peut prévoir un autre rapport de transmission que 1:59, par exemple 16:945, pour que la durée d'une demi-révolution du disque de lune 27 corresponde plus précisément à la durée moyenne d'une lunaison synodique.The figure 2 shows the mechanism 50 driving the indicators 27, 34, 37, 40 and 44 of the luni-solar calendar from the hour wheel 51 of the watch movement of the watch, this wheel being secured to the hour hand 24. The wheel 51 meshes with a wheel 52 making a turn in twenty-four hours and having a finger 53 which advances by one step per day the toothing 54 to fifty-nine teeth of the moon disc 27, whose position is stopped by a jumper spring 55. Thus, the disc 27 makes a U-turn at 29, 5 days. Of course, it is possible to provide another transmission ratio of 1:59, for example 16: 945, so that the duration of a half-revolution of the moon disk 27 corresponds more precisely to the average duration of a synodic lunation.

Le disque de lune 27 est muni d'une came 56 ayant deux bras en forme de spirale 57 disposés symétriquement, dont chacun correspond à une lunaison. Contre cette came s'appuie un doigt 58 d'une bascule 60 dont l'axe de pivotement est indiqué par 61. Afin de pouvoir céder élastiquement au-delà d'une certaine force d'appui, le doigt 58 est monté sur la bascule 60 de façon pivotante en 91 et il comporte une lame ressort 92 s'appuyant contre une goupille 93 de la bascule. Un ressort non représenté tend à faire pivoter la bascule 60 dans le sens de la flèche A, afin de maintenir son doigt 58 constamment en appui contre la came 56.The moon disk 27 is provided with a cam 56 having two spiral arms 57 arranged symmetrically, each of which corresponds to a lunation. Against this cam rests a finger 58 of a rocker 60 whose pivot axis is indicated by 61. In order to yield elastically beyond a certain support force, the finger 58 is mounted on the rocker 60 pivotally 91 and it comprises a spring blade 92 bearing against a pin 93 of the rocker. A not shown spring tends to pivot the rocker 60 in the direction of the arrow A, to maintain its finger 58 constantly bearing against the cam 56.

Un autre doigt 62 de la bascule 60 sert de palpeur allant s'appuyer contre une came de Chang 63 qui représente le cycle de Chang de dix-neuf années. A cet effet, le pourtour de la came 63 est divisé en dix-neuf secteurs ayant une même extension angulaire, mais un rayon qui peut avoir soit une valeur basse, représentant une année ordinaire à douze lunaisons comme le fait le secteur 64, ou une valeur haute correspondant à une année bissextile à treize lunaisons, comme le fait le secteur 65. La came 63 est solidaire de l'aiguille 37 (figure 1) et d'une roue 66 à dix-neuf dents qui s'engrène avec une roue intermédiaire 67 dont le nombre de dents est un multiple entier de dix-neuf, en l'occurrence trente-huit dents.Another finger 62 of flip-flop 60 serves as a feeler against a Chang 63 cam which represents the nineteen-year Chang cycle. For this purpose, the periphery of the cam 63 is divided into nineteen sectors having the same angular extension, but a radius which can have either a low value, representing an ordinary year at twelve lunations as the sector 64, or a high value corresponding to a leap year at thirteen lunations, as does the sector 65. The cam 63 is secured to the needle 37 ( figure 1 ) and a nineteen-toothed wheel 66 which meshes with an intermediate wheel 67 whose number of teeth is an integer multiple of nineteen, in this case thirty-eight teeth.

L'aiguille des lunaisons 34 représentée à la figure 1 est solidaire d'un mobile des lunaisons 70 faisant un tour par année du calendrier luni-solaire chinois, cette année pouvant compter douze ou treize lunaisons comme l'indique la came 63. Le mobile 70 comprend une roue à treize dents 71 maintenue en position par un ressort-sautoir 72, une came en spirale 73 ayant un décrochement 74, un pignon 75 et un doigt 76 qui, une fois par an, fait avancer la roue 67 d'une dent et fait donc tourner d'un dix-neuvième de tour la came de Chang 63 et l'aiguille 37 associée à celle-ci.The lunar hand 34 shown in figure 1 is integral with a lunar motive 70 making one turn per year of the Chinese lunisolar calendar, this year being able to count twelve or thirteen lunations as indicated by the cam 63. The mobile 70 comprises a thirteen-toothed wheel 71 held in position by a jumper spring 72, a spiral cam 73 having a recess 74, a pinion 75 and a finger 76 which, once a year, advances the wheel 67 of a tooth and thus rotates a nineteenth turn the Chang 63 cam and the needle 37 associated therewith.

La bascule 60 comporte un premier bec 77 agencé pour faire avancer d'un pas la roue 71, ainsi qu'un second bec 78 formant un cliquet articulé sur la bascule en 79 et sollicité par un ressort 80 qui le maintient en appui contre la came 73. Les becs 77 et 78 permettent à la bascule de faire pivoter le mobile 70 pas à pas dans le sens de la flèche B de la manière suivante.The rocker 60 has a first spout 77 arranged to advance one step the wheel 71, and a second spout 78 forming a pawl articulated on the rocker 79 and biased by a spring 80 which maintains it bears against the cam 73. The spouts 77 and 78 allow the rocker to rotate the mobile 70 step by step in the direction of the arrow B in the following manner.

La bascule 60 est activée une fois par lunaison par la came 56 et pivote alors dans le sens opposé à la flèche A, jusqu'à ce que son doigt palpeur 62 s'appuie contre celui des secteurs 64 et 65 qui représente l'année chinoise en cours. Durant chaque lunaison d'une année bissextile, le doigt palpeur 62 et la bascule sont arrêtés par un secteur haut 65 de la came de Chang, puis l'autre doigt 58 de la bascule est repoussé élastiquement par la came 56 qui poursuit sa rotation.The latch 60 is activated once by lunation by the cam 56 and then pivots in the opposite direction to the arrow A, until its feeler finger 62 builds against that of sectors 64 and 65 which represents the current Chinese year. During each lunation of a leap year, the feeler finger 62 and the rocker are stopped by a high sector 65 of the Chang cam, then the other finger 58 of the rocker is elastically pushed by the cam 56 which continues its rotation.

Au moment où l'avance du disque de lune 27 correspond à une nouvelle lune, l'extrémité du bras en spirale 57 de la came 56 passe au-delà du doigt 58, de sorte que la bascule 60 est libérée et pivote rapidement dans le sens de A autour du point 61 sous l'effet de son ressort non représenté. Son bec 77 entre alors en contact avec la denture de la roue 71 et fait avancer d'un treizième de tour le mobile 70 et l'aiguille des lunaisons 34 de manière instantanée. Durant une année normale (à douze lunaisons), le doigt 62 de la bascule 60 peut s'appuyer contre la came de Chang 63 dans un secteur 64 de petit rayon, de sorte que la bascule 60 pivote avec une grande amplitude. Son cliquet 78 effectue alors un mouvement relativement grand le long de la came 73 et, au moment de l'année où ce mouvement s'effectue à proximité du décrochement 74 de la came, il fait avancer d'un pas supplémentaire le mobile des lunaisons 70, juste avant le pas normal produit par le bec 77. L'aiguille des lunaisons 34 avance ainsi de deux pas et se place sur la valeur 1 de la graduation 35.At the moment when the advance of the moon disk 27 corresponds to a new moon, the end of the spiral arm 57 of the cam 56 passes beyond the finger 58, so that the rocker 60 is released and pivots rapidly in the sense of A around the point 61 under the effect of its spring not shown. Its spout 77 then comes into contact with the toothing of the wheel 71 and advances a thirteenth of a turn the mobile 70 and the lunar needle 34 instantaneously. During a normal year (at twelve lunations), the finger 62 of the flip-flop 60 can lean against the Chang 63 cam in a sector 64 of small radius, so that the flip-flop 60 pivots with a large amplitude. Its pawl 78 then makes a relatively large movement along the cam 73 and, at the time of the year when this movement is made near the recess 74 of the cam, it advances an additional step the motive of the lunations 70, just before the normal step produced by the spout 77. The lunar needle 34 thus advances two steps and is placed on the value 1 of the graduation 35.

Par contre, durant une année bissextile (c'est-à-dire à treize lunaisons), le doigt 62 de la bascule 60 s'appuie contre la came de Chang 63 dans un secteur 65 de grand rayon, de sorte que le pivotement subséquent de la bascule dans le sens de A n'a qu'une faible amplitude et le cliquet 78 ne peut pas buter contre le décrochement 74. Il faut alors treize mouvements de la bascule 60 pour produire un tour du mobile des lunaisons 70.By cons, during a leap year (that is to say, thirteen lunations), the finger 62 of the latch 60 rests against the Chang 63 cam in a sector 65 of large radius, so that the subsequent pivoting the rocker in the direction of A has a small amplitude and the pawl 78 can not abut against the recess 74. It then takes thirteen movements of the latch 60 to produce a tour of the mobile lunations 70.

Le doigt 76 est placé sur le mobile 70 dans une position telle qu'il fait avancer les roues 67 et 66 sous l'action de la bascule 60 à la fin de la dernière lunaison de l'année chinoise. A ce moment, le passage au Nouvel An chinois est indiqué par l'aiguille 34 sautant à la lunaison no 1 et l'aiguille 37 sautant à l'année suivante sur la graduation 38 du cycle de Chang. Ce mouvement est instantané puisqu'il accompagne celui du mobile 70.The finger 76 is placed on the mobile 70 in a position such that it advances the wheels 67 and 66 under the action of the latch 60 at the end of the last lunation of the Chinese year. At this time, the Chinese New Year passage is indicated by the needle 34 jumping to the first lunation and the needle 37 jumping to the next year on the graduation 38 of the Chang cycle. This movement is instantaneous since it accompanies that of the mobile 70.

L'aiguille 40 représentée en figure 1 est solidaire d'une roue centrale des rameaux terrestres 82 qui fait un tour en douze ans. Cette roue est entraînée par le mobile 70 avec un rapport de transmission de 1:12 au moyen d'un mobile intermédiaire comprenant une roue 83 qui s'engrène sur le pignon 75 et une roue 84 qui s'engrène sur la roue 82. Par exemple, les nombres de dents des éléments 75, 83, 84 et 82 peuvent être respectivement 13, 52, 26 et 78 dents. Ainsi, dans chacun des douze champs de l'échelle 41 représentant les rameaux terrestres, l'aiguille 40 effectue treize pas chaque année chinoise, deux de ces pas étant faits le même jour au cours d'une année ordinaire.The needle 40 represented in figure 1 is attached to a central wheel land branches 82 which makes a turn in twelve years. This wheel is driven by the mobile 70 with a transmission ratio of 1:12 by means of an intermediate mobile comprising a wheel 83 which meshes with the pinion 75 and a wheel 84 which meshes with the wheel 82. for example, the numbers of teeth of the elements 75, 83, 84 and 82 can be respectively 13, 52, 26 and 78 teeth. Thus, in each of the twelve fields of the scale 41 representing the terrestrial branches, the needle 40 takes thirteen steps each Chinese year, two of which are done on the same day in an ordinary year.

L'aiguille 44 représentée en figure 1 est solidaire d'une roue des troncs célestes 86 qui est entraînée à partir de la roue centrale 82 de façon à faire un tour en dix ans, par l'intermédiaire d'un mobile de renvoi comprenant deux roues 87 et 88. Pour assurer le rapport de transmission de 5:6, les nombres de dents des roues 82, 87, 88 et 86 peuvent par exemple être respectivement de 78, 13, 9 et 45. Selon une variante, la roue 86 pourrait être entraînée à partir du mobile 70 avec un rapport de 1:10.The needle 44 represented in figure 1 is secured to a wheel of the celestial trunks 86 which is driven from the central wheel 82 so as to make a turn in ten years, by means of a return wheel comprising two wheels 87 and 88. To ensure the transmission ratio of 5: 6, the numbers of teeth of the wheels 82, 87, 88 and 86 may for example be respectively 78, 13, 9 and 45. According to one variant, the wheel 86 could be driven from the mobile 70 with a ratio of 1:10.

Comme on l'a mentionné plus haut, l'aiguille 42 indiquant les heures chinoises fait un tour en vingt-quatre heures légales, ce qui est aussi la vitesse de rotation de la roue 52. Cette aiguille peut donc être solidaire d'une roue centrale non représentée, qui s'engrène sur une roue 89 de même diamètre, solidaire de la roue 52. Toutefois, comme la position de l'aiguille 42 pourrait être basée soit sur l'heure lunaire de Pékin, soit sur l'heure lunaire locale, soit sur un fuseau horaire quelconque, il serait souhaitable d'interposer un dispositif à friction dans la transmission entraînant cette aiguille, pour permettre de régler sa position par rapport à l'aiguille des heures 24 en fonction du lieu où se trouve le porteur de la montre.As mentioned above, the needle 42 indicating the Chinese hours makes a turn in twenty-four hours legal, which is also the speed of rotation of the wheel 52. This needle can be secured to a wheel central not shown, which meshes with a wheel 89 of the same diameter, integral with the wheel 52. However, as the position of the needle 42 could be based either on the lunar hour of Beijing, or on the lunar time local, or on any time zone, it would be desirable to interpose a friction device in the transmission driving the needle, to allow to adjust its position relative to the hour hand 24 depending on the location of the wearer of the watch.

Bien entendu, le mécanisme de calendrier représenté à la figure 2 peut être équipé de divers correcteurs permettant de mettre les différents organes indicateurs dans la position voulue, notamment après une période d'arrêt de la montre. Des dispositifs de ce genre, actionnés au moyen de petits poussoirs logés dans la carrure du boîtier, sont bien connus dans le domaine des montres à calendrier et n'ont pas besoin d'être décrits en détail ici.Of course, the calendar mechanism represented in figure 2 may be equipped with various correctors for putting the different indicator organs in the desired position, especially after a period of stopping the watch. Devices of this type, operated by means of small pushers housed in the middle of the case, are well known in the field of calendar watches and do not need to be described in detail here.

Le mécanisme de calendrier décrit ci-dessus reproduit donc automatiquement les cycles de 19 ans et de 60 ans du calendrier chinois, si bien qu'il peut être qualifié de perpétuel.The calendar mechanism described above therefore automatically reproduces the 19 and 60-year cycles of the Chinese calendar, so that it can be described as perpetual.

On décrira maintenant d'autres exemples de réalisation de l'invention en se référant aux figures 3 à 9 et en utilisant les mêmes numéros de référence pour les éléments équivalents à ceux de l'exemple décrit ci-dessus.Other embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the following Figures 3 to 9 and using the same reference numbers for elements equivalent to those of the example described above.

Les figures 3 et 4 représentent schématiquement une forme de réalisation simplifiée de l'invention. L'affichage selon la figure 3 est fortement simplifié par rapport à la version de la figure 1, par suppression de l'index 30 et des aiguilles 37, 40 42 44 et 47, ainsi que des graduations correspondantes. L'index 30 est remplacé par une aiguille de date lunaire 101 capable de faire un tour en trente jours en regard d'une graduation circulaire 102. Dans ce cas, il est prévu d'afficher dans un guichet 103 du cadran 21 le numéro (référence 104) du mois bis durant une année chinoise bissextile. Durant une année ordinaire, le guichet peut rester vide ou afficher un signe de normalité à la place de ce numéro. Les mois lunaires sont indiqués par une aiguille 105 sur une graduation circulaire 106 qui n'a que douze positions dans cet exemple.The figures 3 and 4 schematically represent a simplified embodiment of the invention. The display according to the figure 3 is greatly simplified compared to the version of the figure 1 , by deleting the index 30 and the needles 37, 40 42 44 and 47, as well as corresponding graduations. The index 30 is replaced by a lunar date hand 101 capable of making a turn in thirty days opposite a circular graduation 102. In this case, it is planned to display in a window 103 of the dial 21 the number ( reference 104) of the month bis during a Chinese year leap. During an ordinary year, the wicket may remain empty or display a sign of normality instead of this number. The lunar months are indicated by a needle 105 on a circular graduation 106 which has only twelve positions in this example.

Le mécanisme correspondant, représenté en figure 4, est évidemment dépourvu des rouages entraînant les aiguilles du premier mode de réalisation qui sont supprimées ici, mais il présente en outre plusieurs différences. Le disque de lune 27 actionné par le doigt 53 comporte 60 dents sur son pourtour. Il porte une roue 108 pour entraîner, via un engrenage de renvoi à deux roues 109, 110 avec un rapport de transmission de 2, une roue 111 solidaire de l'aiguille de date lunaire 101. Un correcteur manuel classique à poussoir, non représenté, permet d'avancer pas à pas le disque 27 et avec lui l'aiguille 101. Une bascule 114 pivotée en 115 est sollicitée dans le sens de la flèche A par un ressort non représenté, de sorte que son doigt 116 reste constamment en appui glissant contre la came 56 solidaire du disque 27. La bascule a un bec 117 qui actionne pas à pas le mobile des lunaisons 120. Celui-ci est fortement simplifié par rapport au mobile 70 de l'exemple précédent, car il ne comporte qu'une roue 121, ayant douze dents au lieu de treize, portant l'aiguille 105 et un doigt 122 et retenue en position par un ressort sautoir 123. Un anneau des années 124, pourvu d'une denture intérieure non représentée, comporte sur sa face supérieure un nombre quelconque N de champs égaux qui apparaissent successivement dans le guichet 103 et peuvent porter chacun une indication propre à l'année chinoise concernée. Comme on l'a mentionné ci-dessus, il est prévu dans cet exemple d'indiquer dans le guichet le numéro 104 du mois bis de chaque année bissextile du calendrier chinois. Comme la série de ces numéros n'est pas cyclique, l'anneau 124 n'est utilisable que durant N années, puis il doit être remplacé par un anneau portant les indications propres aux N années suivantes. Le nombre N des champs de l'anneau peut aller au moins jusqu'à environ soixante sans que l'indication 104 devienne trop petite.The corresponding mechanism, represented in figure 4 , is obviously devoid of cogs driving the needles of the first embodiment which are deleted here, but it also has several differences. The moon disk 27 actuated by the finger 53 has 60 teeth on its periphery. It carries a wheel 108 for driving, via a two-wheel return gear 109, 110 with a transmission ratio of 2, a wheel 111 integral with the lunar date hand 101. A conventional hand-held concealer, not shown, allows to advance step by step the disc 27 and with it the needle 101. A rocker 114 pivoted at 115 is biased in the direction of the arrow A by a not shown spring, so that its finger 116 remains constantly in sliding support against the cam 56 secured to the disk 27. The rocker has a spout 117 which actuates step by step the mobile lunations 120. This is greatly simplified compared to the mobile 70 of the previous example, since it comprises only one wheel 121, having twelve teeth instead of thirteen, carrying the needle 105 and a finger 122 and held in position by a jumper spring 123. A ring of the years 124, provided with an internal toothing not shown, has on its upper face any number N of fields equal appear successively in the box 103 and can each carry an indication specific to the Chinese year concerned. As mentioned above, it is intended in this example to indicate in the window the number 104 of the month bis of each leap year of the Chinese calendar. Since the series of these numbers is not cyclic, the ring 124 can only be used for N years, then it must be replaced by a ring bearing the indications specific to the next N years. The number N of the fields of the ring can go to at least about sixty without the indication 104 becoming too small.

Comme dans l'exemple précédent, le disque de lune 27 avance d'un pas par jour sous l'action du doigt 53 et sa came 56 soulève petit à petit la bascule 114 durant une lunaison. En même temps, le disque entraîne l'aiguille 101 à la vitesse d'un tour en trente jours pour indiquer l'age de la lune, autrement dit la date lunaire. Quand la lunaison ne s'étend que sur vingt-neuf jours solaires, l'utilisateur de la montre doit agit sur le correcteur le jour de la nouvelle lune, pour que l'aiguille 101 fasse ce jour-là un pas supplémentaire afin de passer de 29 à 1 sur la graduation 102. Cette correction peut être faite au moment choisi par l'utilisateur.As in the previous example, the moon disk 27 advances one step per day under the action of the finger 53 and its cam 56 raises little by little the rocker 114 during a lunation. At the same time, the disc drives the needle 101 at the speed of a turn in thirty days to indicate the age of the moon, in other words the lunar date. When the lunation extends only twenty-nine solar days, the user of the watch must act on the corrector on the day of the new moon, so that the needle 101 makes that day an additional step in order to pass from 29 to 1 on the 102 graduation. This correction can be made at the moment chosen by the user.

A chaque nouvelle lune, au moment où l'aiguille 101 va se placer en face du chiffre 1 de la graduation 102, l'extrémité du bras 57 de la came 56 atteint le doigt 116 de la bascule 114, le bec 117 attaque la denture de la roue 121, celle-ci et l'aiguille 105 avancent d'un pas, puis le doigt 116 retombe dans le creux suivant de la came 56. A la nouvelle lune du Nouvel An chinois, le doigt 122 se trouve en regard de la denture de l'anneau 124 et il fait ainsi avancer cet anneau d'un pas pour faire apparaître l'indication caractéristique de la nouvelle année dans le guichet 103.At each new moon, when the needle 101 will be placed opposite the number 1 of the graduation 102, the end of the arm 57 of the cam 56 reaches the finger 116 of the rocker 114, the spout 117 attacks the teeth of the wheel 121, the latter and the needle 105 advance one step, then the finger 116 falls into the next recess of the cam 56. At the new moon of New Chinese year, the finger 122 is next to the teeth of the ring 124 and it thus advances this ring one step to show the characteristic indication of the new year in the box 103.

Durant toute une année chinoise bissextile, le numéro 104 du mois lunaire supplémentaire (appelé mois bis) est indiqué à l'utilisateur dans le guichet 103. Lorsque l'aiguille 105 arrive sur le numéro de mois suivant, l'utilisateur doit faire reculer d'un pas le mobile des lunaisons 120 au moyen d'un correcteur classique (non représenté) afin que l'aiguille 105 revienne sur le numéro du mois bis, puisque ce numéro doit se répéter pour le mois lunaire suivant. Ainsi, le dernier mois lunaire de l'année bissextile aura toujours le numéro 12 et le doigt 122 jouera son rôle au bon moment, mais le mobile 120 aura été actionné treize fois par la bascule au cours de cette année.During a Chinese leap year, the number 104 of the extra lunar month (called month bis) is indicated to the user in the window 103. When the needle 105 arrives at the next month's number, the user must move back One step is the motive of lunations 120 by means of a conventional corrector (not shown) so that the needle 105 returns to the number of the month bis, since this number must be repeated for the next lunar month. Thus, the last lunar month of the leap year will always have the number 12 and the finger 122 will play its role at the right moment, but the mobile 120 has been activated thirteen times by the rocker during this year.

On notera que la bascule 114 a un effet traînant sur le mobile 120. On pourrait néanmoins utiliser dans ce mécanisme une bascule à effet instantané, du genre de la bascule 60 décrite plus haut, mais elle occuperait plus de place.Note that the latch 114 has a dragging effect on the mobile 120. Nevertheless, it would be possible to use in this mechanism an instantaneous lever, of the kind of the latch 60 described above, but it would occupy more space.

La figure 5 représente un mode de réalisation comportant les mêmes éléments que celui des figures 3 et 4, mais complété par des indications de calendrier chinois qui existent dans le premier mode de réalisation, illustré par les figures 1 et 2, à savoir : l'aiguille 40 indiquant le rameau terrestre de l'année en regard de la graduation 41 selon un cycle de douze ans, l'aiguille 44 indiquant l'élément et le signe yang ou yin de l'année sur la graduation 45 selon un cycle de dix ans, et l'aiguille 42 indiquant le signe zodiacal de l'heure chinoise sur la graduation 41. Les rouages correspondants sont les mêmes que dans la figure 2 et sont entraînés par le pignon 75, ajouté à cet effet au mobile des lunaisons 120 représenté en figure 4.The figure 5 represents an embodiment comprising the same elements as that of figures 3 and 4 but complemented by Chinese calendar indications that exist in the first embodiment, illustrated by the figures 1 and 2 , namely: the needle 40 indicating the terrestrial branch of the year next to the graduation 41 according to a cycle of twelve years, the needle 44 indicating the element and the sign yang or yin of the year on the graduation 45 according to a ten-year cycle, and the needle 42 indicating the zodiac sign of the Chinese time on the graduation 41. The corresponding wheels are the same as in the figure 2 and are driven by the pinion 75, added for this purpose to the mobile lunations 120 shown in FIG. figure 4 .

La figure 6 représente un mode de réalisation analogue à celui de la figure 2 et fonctionnant de la même manière, avec les différences décrites ci-dessous. La came de Chang 63 de la figure 2 est remplacée par une came de Chang annulaire désignée ici par 130, dont le côté intérieur porte une denture 131 et des secteurs bas 132 et haute 133 de même extension angulaire, représentant respectivement les années ordinaires et les années bissextiles du calendrier chinois. Dans cet exemple, la came comporte trois fois dix-neuf de ces secteurs et va faire un tour complet en cinquante-sept ans, soit trois cycles de Chang. Le doigt 62 de la bascule 60 pivotée en 61 va buter contre le secteur correspondant à l'année en cours lorsque la bascule est suffisamment soulevée par la came 56 de l'indicateur de lune, comme dans le premier mode de réalisation. Pour entraîner la came 130 une fois par année à la place des roues 66 et 67 de la figure 2, il est prévu un rouage à deux mobiles à double roue 135 et 137, dont le premier est attaqué à chaque Nouvel An chinois par le doigt 76 du mobile des lunaisons 70, tandis que le second est en prise permanente avec la denture 131 de l'anneau de la came 130. Cet anneau peut en outre porter des indications caractéristiques de l'année chinoise, notamment l'indication 104 du numéro du mois bis pour l'affichage dans le guichet 103 comme dans l'exemple des figures 3 et 4.The figure 6 represents an embodiment similar to that of the figure 2 and operating in the same way, with the differences described below. The Chang 63 cam of the figure 2 is replaced by an annular Chang cam designated here by 130, the inner side of which has a toothing 131 and low 132 and high 133 sectors of the same angular extension, respectively representing the ordinary years and leap years of the Chinese calendar. In this example, the cam has three nineteen of these sectors and will complete a complete turn in fifty-seven years, three cycles of Chang. The finger 62 of the rocker 60 rotated 61 will abut against the sector corresponding to the current year when the rocker is sufficiently raised by the cam 56 of the moon indicator, as in the first embodiment. To drive the cam 130 once a year instead of wheels 66 and 67 of the figure 2 , there is provided a two-wheeled double-wheeled gearwheel 135 and 137, the first of which is attacked at each Chinese New Year by the finger 76 of the mobile of lunations 70, while the second is in permanent engagement with the toothing 131 of the This ring may furthermore bear indications characteristic of the Chinese year, in particular the indication 104 of the number of the month bis for the display in the box 103, as in the example of the figures 3 and 4 .

Les figures 7 et 8 représentent une variante du mode de réalisation illustré par la figure 6. Cette variante comporte l'indication du mois bis, qui s'effectue ici au moyen d'une aiguille 140 du type rétrograde en regard d'une graduation 141 faite d'un secteur de cercle gradué de 1 à 12, et l'indication du numéro de l'année en cours 142 dans le cycle de Chang, apparaissant dans un guichet 143.The figures 7 and 8 represent a variant of the embodiment illustrated by the figure 6 . This variant includes the indication of the month bis, which is carried out here by means of a needle 140 of the retrograde type opposite a graduation 141 made of a sector of circle graduated from 1 to 12, and the indication of number of the current year 142 in the Chang cycle, appearing in a wicket 143.

Le mécanisme approprié reprend tous les éléments de celui de la figure 6, sauf que l'indication 104 est remplacée par celle 142 du numéro de l'année, par des inscriptions sur l'anneau de la came de Chang 130. Sous cette came se trouve une seconde came annulaire 150 dont le bord intérieur comporte un nombre M de gradins 151 dont la hauteur représente le numéro du mois bis dans une année chinoise bissextile (soit douze hauteurs possibles), avec en plus une treizième hauteur nulle correspondant aux années ordinaires. Cette came des mois bis 150 a une denture intérieure 152 permettant son entraînement à partir de la denture 131 de la came 130 via un engrenage de renvoi à double roue 154 et une roue d'inversion 155. Ces deux cames avancent donc une fois par année simultanément, mais pas du même angle.The appropriate mechanism takes up all the elements of that of the figure 6 , except that the indication 104 is replaced by that 142 of the number of the year, by inscriptions on the ring of the cam of Chang 130. Under this cam is a second annular cam 150 whose inner edge comprises a number M of bleachers 151 whose height represents the number of the month bis in a Chinese leap year (ie twelve possible heights), with in addition a thirteenth zero height corresponding to the ordinary years. This cam of months 150 has an internal toothing 152 allowing it to be driven from the toothing 131 of the cam 130 via a double-wheeled return gear 154 and a reversing wheel 155. These two cams therefore advance once a year. simultaneously, but not at the same angle.

L'aiguille rétrograde 140 est solidaire d'une roue 156 s'engrenant sur la crémaillère 157 d'un râteau 158 pivoté en 159 et sollicité par un ressort dans le sens de la flèche C. Un doigt 160 du râteau va ainsi buter contre celui des gradins 151 de la came 150 qui correspond à l'année chinoise en cours. Si la hauteur de ce gradin est nulle, cela signifie que l'année est normale et l'aiguille le montre en étant située en regard d'une marque spécifique 162 au bout de la graduation 141. Si l'année chinoise est bissextile, le gradin a une hauteur non nulle qui détermine les positions adéquates du râteau et de l'aiguille 140 pour indiquer le numéro du mois bis. Le porteur de la montre utilise cette indication en combinaison avec l'indication des mois lunaires par l'aiguille 34.The retrograde hand 140 is integral with a wheel 156 meshing with the rack 157 of a rake 158 pivoted at 159 and biased by a spring in the direction of the arrow C. A finger 160 of the rake will thus abut against the steps 151 of the cam 150 which corresponds to the current Chinese year. If the height of this step is zero, it means that the year is normal and the needle shows it being located opposite a specific mark 162 at the end of the scale 141. If the Chinese year is leap, the step has a non-zero height which determines the proper positions of the rake and the needle 140 to indicate the number of the month bis. The wearer of the watch uses this indication in combination with the indication of the lunar months by the needle 34.

Au moment du Nouvel An chinois, la chute de la bascule 60 va produire des mouvements instantanés du mobile des lunaisons 70, des rouages 135 et 137 entraînés par le doigt 76, ainsi que des deux cames annulaires 130 et 150. Il faut donc, à ce moment-là, reculer brièvement le râteau 158 pour dégager le doigt 160 de la came 150. Dans ce but, la base du râteau est munie d'une roue 164 (pouvant se réduire à un secteur denté) qui est attaquée par une crémaillère 165 d'un levier 166 articulé en 167 sur la bascule 60. Ce dispositif fait reculer le râteau dès le début du mouvement de la bascule dans le sens de la flèche A et retient le râteau jusqu'au stade où le doigt 76 du mobile 70 a achevé son action. La crémaillère 165 est alors dégagée de la roue 164, de sorte que le râteau est ramené par son ressort contre le nouveau gradin 151 de la came 150.At the time of the Chinese New Year, the fall of the rocker 60 will produce instantaneous motions of the motions of the lunations 70, the wheels 135 and 137 driven by the finger 76, as well as the two annular cams 130 and 150. It is therefore necessary, at this moment, briefly back the rake 158 to release the finger 160 of the cam 150. For this purpose, the base of the rake is provided with a wheel 164 (which can be reduce to a sector toothed) which is attacked by a rack 165 of a lever 166 hinged at 167 on the rocker 60. This device backs the rake at the beginning of the movement of the rocker in the direction of the arrow A and holds the rake to the stage where the finger 76 of the mobile 70 has completed its action. The rack 165 is then disengaged from the wheel 164, so that the rake is returned by its spring against the new step 151 of the cam 150.

La figure 9 représente un mode de réalisation où un affichage de calendrier chinois selon la présente invention, en particulier dans la version de la figure 7, est combiné dans la même montre avec un affichage de calendrier julien au moyen d'un mécanisme classique de calendrier perpétuel. Ce mécanisme peut être d'un type bien connu, entraîné à partir de la roue des heures, et n'est donc pas représenté ici. L'affichage du cycle chinois de dix ans par l'aiguille 44 et la graduation 45 (figure 7) est remplacé par deux indicateurs concentriques, à savoir une aiguille 170 indiquant le quantième julien en regard d'une graduation 171 et une aiguille 172 indiquant le mois julien en regard d'une graduation 173. Par ailleurs, une aiguille 174 faisant un tour en quatre ans indique l'année dans les cycle julien de quatre ans, en regard d'une graduation 175 comportant un signe LY qui identifie une année bissextile julienne.The figure 9 represents an embodiment where a Chinese calendar display according to the present invention, particularly in the version of the figure 7 , is combined in the same watch with a Julian calendar display by means of a classic perpetual calendar mechanism. This mechanism can be of a well-known type, driven from the hour wheel, and is therefore not represented here. The display of the ten-year Chinese cycle by the needle 44 and the graduation 45 ( figure 7 ) is replaced by two concentric indicators, namely a needle 170 indicating the calendar julien next to a graduation 171 and a needle 172 indicating the julien month opposite a graduation 173. Moreover, a needle 174 making a turn in four years indicates the year in the four-year Julian cycle, next to a graduation 175 with a LY sign that identifies a Julian leap year.

Claims (15)

  1. A timepiece comprising a timepiece movement, a dial (21), time indicator members (24, 25, 42), a lunar moving part (27, 101) driven by the timepiece movement and performing one revolution during an integral number of synodic months, calendar indicator members (34, 37, 40, 44, 47, 105, 124, 140) which are movable relative to the dial, and a calendar mechanism (50) driven from the timepiece movement, characterized in that the said calendar is a lunar-solar calendar comprising ordinary years comprising twelve synodic months and leap years comprising thirteen synodic months, and in that the calendar mechanism (50) comprises a moving part (70, 120) for synodic months, driven by the lunar moving part (27, 101) in such a manner as to make one revolution per ordinary year and per leap year.
  2. A timepiece according to claim 1, characterized in that the synodic month moving part (70, 120) is associated with a synodic month indicator (34, 105).
  3. A timepiece according to claim 1, characterized in that the hangar moving part (27) is associated with and indicator (30, 101) of the age of the moon
  4. A timepiece according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the calendar mechanism comprises a rocking lever (60) arranged to beer against a cam (63, 130) called a Chang cam comprising nineteen, or a multiple of nineteen, angular sectors (64, 65) each with a height small or large to represent years of twelve or thirteen synodic months, the Chang cam being driven by the synodic month moving part so as to turn through an angle corresponding to one sector at the end of each revolution of the said moving part, in that the rocking lever (60) is actuated once per lunar month by a cam (56) connected to the lunar moving part (27, 101) and has a first nose (77) arranged to advance the synodic month moving part (70) by a thirteenth of a revolution on each actuation of the rocking lever and in that the rocking lever is provided with a second nose (78) arranged to engage in a recess (74) of the month moving part (70) to advance this moving part by a supplementary thirteenth of a revolution in the course of each year in which the rocking lever bears against a sector (64) of small height of the Chang cam (63, 130).
  5. A timepiece according to claim 4, characterized in that the said recess (74) is located on a cam (73) in the form of a spiral forming part of the synodic month moving part (70), the second nose (78) being formed by a pawl mounted on the rocking lever (60) and biased by a spring so as to be applied elastically against said cam (73).
  6. A timepiece according to claim 4, characterized in that the synodic month moving part (70) comprises a wheel (71) with thirteen teeth on which the first nose (77) of the rocking lever acts, a finger (76) arranged to advance the Chang cam (63) by one step per year, and a pinion (75) adapted to drive at least one year indicator (40,44).
  7. A timepiece according to claim 6, characterized in that the calendar indicator members comprise a first year indicator (40) driven by the synodic month moving part (70) and performing one revolution in twelve years.
  8. A timepiece according to claim 7, characterized in that the calendar indicator members comprise a second year indicator (44) which performs one revolution in ten years.
  9. A timepiece according to claim 8, characterized in that the second year indicator (44) is driven from a wheel (82) of the first year indicator (40).
  10. A timepiece according to claim 4, characterized in that the calendar indicator members comprise a third year indicator (37, 142) which is coupled to the Chang cam (63) and indicates the position of the current year against a scale (38) of nineteen years in which the leap years are distinguished from the ordinary years, or in window (143) of the dial.
  11. A timepiece according to claim 1, characterized in that the calendar indicator members comprise an indication of the number (104) of the leap synodic month in the leap years, this number being placed on a year rotary element moved by one step each year and appearing in a window (103) of the dial.
  12. A timepiece according to claim 4, characterized in that the calendar indicator members comprise an indicator of the number of the leap synodic month in the leap years by means of a retrograde hand (140) controlled by a rack (158) which senses a cam (150) moved by one step each year.
  13. A timepiece according to claim 3, characterized in that the indicator of the age of the moon comprises a hand (101) which is driven step by step by the timepiece movement in such a manner as to perform one revolution in thirty days against a scale (102) of lunar dates, and a manual correction device enabling a user to effect a supplementary step of the said hand.
  14. A timepiece according to claim 13, characterized in that the calendar mechanism comprises a rocking lever (114) actuated once per synodic month by a cam (56) coupled to the lunar moving part (27, 101) and comprising a nose (77) arranged to advance the synodic month moving part (70) by a twelfth of a revolution on each actuation of the rocking lever (114).
  15. A timepiece according to claims 11 and 14, characterized in that the synodic month moving part (120) comprises a wheel (121) with twelve teeth on which the nose (77) of the rocking lever acts, a manual correction device and a finger (76) arranged to advance the said year rotary element (124) by one step each year.
EP04031017A 2004-12-30 2004-12-30 Timepiece with a mechanical Chinese calendar Active EP1677165B1 (en)

Priority Applications (11)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AT04031017T ATE532111T1 (en) 2004-12-30 2004-12-30 CLOCK WITH MECHANICAL CHINESE CALENDAR
EP04031017A EP1677165B1 (en) 2004-12-30 2004-12-30 Timepiece with a mechanical Chinese calendar
EP05823675A EP1877872A1 (en) 2004-12-30 2005-12-23 Timepiece with a mechanical chinese calendar
CN200580047468A CN100593142C (en) 2004-12-30 2005-12-23 Timepiece comprising a mechanical chinese calendar
JP2007548811A JP4757265B2 (en) 2004-12-30 2005-12-23 Mechanical clock with Chinese calendar
PCT/EP2005/057148 WO2006069981A1 (en) 2004-12-30 2005-12-23 Timepiece comprising a mechanical chinese calendar
KR1020077015998A KR101247937B1 (en) 2004-12-30 2005-12-23 Timepiece comprising a mechanical chinese calendar
CH01346/06A CH710390B1 (en) 2004-12-30 2005-12-23 Timepiece in Chinese lunisolar calendar mechanics.
US11/813,267 US7773462B2 (en) 2004-12-30 2005-12-23 Chinese mechanical calendar timepiece
TW094147632A TWI353493B (en) 2004-12-30 2005-12-30 Chinese mechanical calendar timepiece
HK08104238.6A HK1114427A1 (en) 2004-12-30 2008-04-15 Timepiece comprising a mechanical chinese calendar

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP04031017A EP1677165B1 (en) 2004-12-30 2004-12-30 Timepiece with a mechanical Chinese calendar

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1677165A1 EP1677165A1 (en) 2006-07-05
EP1677165B1 true EP1677165B1 (en) 2011-11-02

Family

ID=34928055

Family Applications (2)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP04031017A Active EP1677165B1 (en) 2004-12-30 2004-12-30 Timepiece with a mechanical Chinese calendar
EP05823675A Withdrawn EP1877872A1 (en) 2004-12-30 2005-12-23 Timepiece with a mechanical chinese calendar

Family Applications After (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP05823675A Withdrawn EP1877872A1 (en) 2004-12-30 2005-12-23 Timepiece with a mechanical chinese calendar

Country Status (10)

Country Link
US (1) US7773462B2 (en)
EP (2) EP1677165B1 (en)
JP (1) JP4757265B2 (en)
KR (1) KR101247937B1 (en)
CN (1) CN100593142C (en)
AT (1) ATE532111T1 (en)
CH (1) CH710390B1 (en)
HK (1) HK1114427A1 (en)
TW (1) TWI353493B (en)
WO (1) WO2006069981A1 (en)

Families Citing this family (36)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB0428117D0 (en) * 2004-12-22 2005-01-26 Symbian Software Ltd A computing device and method for converting between Julian calendar days and Chinese calendar dates
DE602005022742D1 (en) * 2005-12-23 2010-09-16 Swatch Group Res & Dev Ltd Mechanism for displaying values in variable cycles, especially in a lunar and solar calendar
US20100246336A1 (en) * 2009-03-26 2010-09-30 Tai Wai Luk Analog Timepiece with Perpetual Calendar
CH703249B1 (en) * 2010-06-01 2024-01-31 Mft Dhorlogerie Audemars Piguet Sa Mechanism for indicating the phases of the moon.
EP2400353A1 (en) * 2010-06-22 2011-12-28 The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd. Hand for a timepiece
CH705128B1 (en) * 2011-06-16 2015-10-15 Télôs Watch SA Device date display and moon phase.
US20140247699A1 (en) * 2013-03-01 2014-09-04 Timex Group Usa, Inc. Wearable Device with Moon Phase Display
USD705668S1 (en) * 2013-04-25 2014-05-27 Graham SA Wristwatch
CH710563A2 (en) * 2014-12-29 2016-06-30 Montres Breguet Sa perpetual calendar.
CH711049A1 (en) * 2015-05-08 2016-11-15 Bucherer Ag Year calendar for mechanical watches.
EP3098671B1 (en) * 2015-05-27 2019-10-09 Montres Breguet S.A. Clock mechanism for displaying the lunar phase
JP2017009556A (en) * 2015-06-26 2017-01-12 セイコーエプソン株式会社 Electronic watch and method for correcting calendar of electronic watch
CN106909054B (en) * 2015-12-23 2018-08-31 天津海鸥表业集团有限公司 Lunar calendar leap month actuating mechanism of clock
JP1569778S (en) * 2016-01-29 2017-02-20
JP6551260B2 (en) * 2016-02-29 2019-07-31 カシオ計算機株式会社 Dial and clock
CH712219A2 (en) * 2016-03-15 2017-09-15 Chanel Sa Genève Mechanism for watch movement with retrograde and jumping display.
EP3327516B1 (en) * 2016-10-27 2019-11-27 Blancpain SA Mechanism for displaying a temporal or seasonal period
EP3379348B1 (en) * 2017-03-20 2023-08-23 ETA SA Manufacture Horlogère Suisse Universal moon phase display
EP3396472B1 (en) 2017-04-28 2020-05-27 ETA SA Manufacture Horlogère Suisse Date and moon phase display mechanism for a watch
CN106980255B (en) * 2017-05-23 2022-07-01 曾光震 Multifunctional clock
JP6926688B2 (en) * 2017-06-05 2021-08-25 セイコーエプソン株式会社 Watch movement
JP7156568B2 (en) * 2017-06-05 2022-10-19 セイコーエプソン株式会社 watch movement
CN109143828B (en) * 2017-06-15 2023-11-07 天津海鸥表业集团有限公司 Leap-setting display mechanism of mechanical watch
KR102172820B1 (en) * 2017-07-25 2020-11-03 불랑패인쏘시에떼아노님 Torque smoothing for a timepiece, particularly with a striking mechanism
CN109656119B (en) * 2017-10-12 2023-12-01 天津海鸥表业集团有限公司 Calendar date display mechanism of watch
EP3570119B1 (en) * 2018-05-17 2021-02-24 Chronometrie Ferdinand Berthoud SA Mechanism for displaying a periodic event and timepiece comprising such a mechanism
EP3696617B1 (en) * 2019-02-14 2023-07-05 Glashütter Uhrenbetrieb GmbH Mechanism for displaying month and leap year for a timepiece
IT201900004735A1 (en) * 2019-03-29 2020-09-29 La Vallee S R L Indicator device for watchmaking
EP3722890A1 (en) * 2019-04-10 2020-10-14 ETA SA Manufacture Horlogère Suisse Device for displaying a series of periodic events that form an annual cycle and timepiece comprising such a display device
EP3819716A1 (en) * 2019-11-05 2021-05-12 The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd Device for displaying the moon on request
USD966129S1 (en) * 2020-02-12 2022-10-11 Richemont International Sa Watch dial
USD939994S1 (en) * 2020-06-03 2022-01-04 Parmigiani Fleurier SA Watch dial
EP3985449A1 (en) * 2020-10-13 2022-04-20 The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd Lunar phase indicator by rotating disc
US20220304431A1 (en) * 2021-03-23 2022-09-29 Steven J. Bauer Customized jewelry design by transposition of dates into times
JP2023027873A (en) * 2021-08-18 2023-03-03 セイコーエプソン株式会社 Timepiece
USD983688S1 (en) * 2022-02-28 2023-04-18 Cartier International Ag Watch dial

Family Cites Families (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US96792A (en) * 1869-11-16 Improvement in calendar-clocks
US4055749A (en) * 1976-11-26 1977-10-25 Kraushaar Jonathan M Electronic Hebrew calendar and date calculator
DE3505733C1 (en) * 1985-02-20 1986-10-23 IWC International Watch Co AG, Schaffhausen Clock
US5457663A (en) * 1993-12-10 1995-10-10 Mejaski; Stephen G. Astronomical time clocks
JPH08233954A (en) * 1995-02-23 1996-09-13 Citizen Watch Co Ltd Displaying device of calendar
US6272076B1 (en) * 1998-04-09 2001-08-07 Asulab S.A. Astronomic watch
US7251198B2 (en) * 2004-02-11 2007-07-31 Sean Anderson Barton Moon phase wheel chart

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
KR20070112765A (en) 2007-11-27
HK1114427A1 (en) 2008-10-31
CN101111806A (en) 2008-01-23
CN100593142C (en) 2010-03-03
JP2009501897A (en) 2009-01-22
TWI353493B (en) 2011-12-01
JP4757265B2 (en) 2011-08-24
WO2006069981A1 (en) 2006-07-06
TW200636403A (en) 2006-10-16
US20090274010A1 (en) 2009-11-05
KR101247937B1 (en) 2013-04-02
EP1877872A1 (en) 2008-01-16
EP1677165A1 (en) 2006-07-05
US7773462B2 (en) 2010-08-10
ATE532111T1 (en) 2011-11-15
CH710390B1 (en) 2016-06-15

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
EP1677165B1 (en) Timepiece with a mechanical Chinese calendar
EP0940833B1 (en) Calendar mechanism for watch movement
EP1546818B1 (en) Mechanical hour and minute display device
EP1989597B1 (en) Watch with at least one three-dimensional indicator comlementary to time information
CH696218A5 (en) Timepiece in calendar including a running equation of time device.
CH697662B1 (en) Mechanism of perpetual or annual calendar.
CH705116B1 (en) calendar mechanism with training and correction means for both indicators.
EP1488290B1 (en) Timepiece with calendar
EP3477402B1 (en) Device for displaying the phases of the moon
EP1286233B1 (en) Calendar timepiece comprising an equation-of-time device
WO2015062839A2 (en) Hijri calendar
WO2023030876A1 (en) Lunisolar calendar display mechanism for a clockwork movement, corresponding clockwork movement and corresponding timepiece
EP3570119B1 (en) Mechanism for displaying a periodic event and timepiece comprising such a mechanism
EP1701227A1 (en) Device for displaying moon phases
EP2443525B1 (en) Watch comprising digital time display and jump control
EP1240559B1 (en) Annual, perpetual or centennial calendar mechanism
EP0397028B1 (en) Astronomical clock, a visible part of which simulates the movement of an astral body
EP4113218A1 (en) Mechanism for combined display of a lunar calendar and the phases of the moon for a timepiece movement
EP0950932A1 (en) Timepiece with one of the displays extending along an arc of a circle
EP2455823B1 (en) Timepiece with universal time display
EP3460588B1 (en) Date mechanism
EP1734419B1 (en) Timepiece with calendar mechanismus
WO2012059887A1 (en) Watch comprising an astronomic indication
EP2643735B1 (en) Display mechanism for a timepiece
CH704043A1 (en) Calendar display device for mechanical wrist watch, has direct kinematic link between disk of months and disk of days or dates for automatic indexing between inscriptions on disk of days or dates and inscriptions on dial depending on month

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
PUAI Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009012

AK Designated contracting states

Kind code of ref document: A1

Designated state(s): AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU MC NL PL PT RO SE SI SK TR

AX Request for extension of the european patent

Extension state: AL BA HR LV MK YU

17P Request for examination filed

Effective date: 20070105

AKX Designation fees paid

Designated state(s): AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU MC NL PL PT RO SE SI SK TR

GRAP Despatch of communication of intention to grant a patent

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: EPIDOSNIGR1

GRAS Grant fee paid

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: EPIDOSNIGR3

GRAA (expected) grant

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009210

AK Designated contracting states

Kind code of ref document: B1

Designated state(s): AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU MC NL PL PT RO SE SI SK TR

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: GB

Ref legal event code: FG4D

Free format text: NOT ENGLISH

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: CH

Ref legal event code: EP

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: IE

Ref legal event code: FG4D

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: CH

Ref legal event code: NV

Representative=s name: ICB INGENIEURS CONSEILS EN BREVETS SA

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: DE

Ref legal event code: R096

Ref document number: 602004035086

Country of ref document: DE

Effective date: 20120112

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: NL

Ref legal event code: VDEP

Effective date: 20111102

LTIE Lt: invalidation of european patent or patent extension

Effective date: 20111102

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: IS

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20120302

Ref country code: LT

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20111102

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: PT

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20120302

Ref country code: NL

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20111102

Ref country code: SE

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20111102

Ref country code: SI

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20111102

Ref country code: PL

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20111102

Ref country code: GR

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20120203

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: IE

Ref legal event code: FD4D

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: CY

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20111102

BERE Be: lapsed

Owner name: ASULAB S.A.

Effective date: 20111231

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: MC

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES

Effective date: 20111231

Ref country code: SK

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20111102

Ref country code: DK

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20111102

Ref country code: EE

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20111102

Ref country code: CZ

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20111102

Ref country code: BG

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20120202

Ref country code: IE

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20111102

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: RO

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20111102

Ref country code: IT

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20111102

PLBE No opposition filed within time limit

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009261

STAA Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent

Free format text: STATUS: NO OPPOSITION FILED WITHIN TIME LIMIT

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: AT

Ref legal event code: MK05

Ref document number: 532111

Country of ref document: AT

Kind code of ref document: T

Effective date: 20111102

26N No opposition filed

Effective date: 20120803

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: BE

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES

Effective date: 20111231

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: DE

Ref legal event code: R097

Ref document number: 602004035086

Country of ref document: DE

Effective date: 20120803

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: AT

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20111102

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: ES

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20120213

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: LU

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES

Effective date: 20111230

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: FI

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20111102

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: TR

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20111102

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: HU

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20111102

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: FR

Ref legal event code: PLFP

Year of fee payment: 12

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: FR

Ref legal event code: PLFP

Year of fee payment: 13

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: FR

Ref legal event code: PLFP

Year of fee payment: 14

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: CH

Ref legal event code: PFUS

Owner name: THE SWATCH GROUP RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT LTD , CH

Free format text: FORMER OWNER: ASULAB S.A., CH

PGFP Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: GB

Payment date: 20181127

Year of fee payment: 15

GBPC Gb: european patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee

Effective date: 20191230

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: GB

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES

Effective date: 20191230

P01 Opt-out of the competence of the unified patent court (upc) registered

Effective date: 20230814

PGFP Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: FR

Payment date: 20231122

Year of fee payment: 20

Ref country code: DE

Payment date: 20231121

Year of fee payment: 20

PGFP Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: CH

Payment date: 20240101

Year of fee payment: 20