EP1840678B1 - Reversible timepiece - Google Patents

Description

The subject of the present invention is a timepiece, in particular a wristwatch or pocket watch, and more particularly a watch of the reversible type.

One of the aims of the present invention is to make it possible to provide such diverse complication watches and to this end to have a greater number of displays.

Another object of the present invention is to make it possible to control, from a watch movement housed in a watch case, an additional module housed in a space distinct from said watch case.

Document is known EP 1437635 a reversible timepiece which comprises a watch case slidably mounted and pivoted on a cradle to occupy two service positions to make visible one or the other face of the box.

Document is known EP 1513030 a timepiece comprising a first and a second watch case, the first containing a watch movement and the second an additional mechanism to this watch movement whose first watch case is hinged to the second watch case for ability to occupy two service positions. This timepiece comprises a mechanical pulse control device actuated by the watch movement contained in the first watch case. However, the control device of the timepiece described in this document allows the control of the additional mechanism by the watch movement only when the first and the second box occupy only one of two possible service positions.

Another object of the present invention is to allow a mechanical pulse control device controlled by the watch movement to act on the additional module in the two service positions.

• La figure 1 est une vue de dessus de la montre réversible dans une de ses positions de service.
• La figure 2 est une vue de côté au bout de la montre illustrée à la figure 1.
• La figure 3 est une vue similaire à la figure 2 la boîte de montre étant en train d'être retournée.
• La figure 4 est une vue de dessus de la montre dans sa position illustrée à la figure 3.
• La figure 5 est une vue en coupe suivant la ligne CC' de la figure 1 éclatée, des divers composants du bottier et du berceau de la montre réversible illustrés à la figure 1 à 4.
• La figure 6 est une coupe suivant la ligne A-A de la figure 1.
• La figure 7 est une coupe suivant la ligne B-B de la figure 1.
• La figure 8 est une coupe suivant la ligne C-C de la figure 1 le dispositif de commande d'impulsion étant en position de repos.
• La figure 9 est une vue similaire à la figure 8 le dispositif de commande d'impulsion étant en position activée.
• La figure 10 est une vue en bout du berceau et de certains composants du dispositif de commande d'impulsion.

The attached drawing illustrates schematically and by way of example an embodiment of the reversible watch according to the invention.

• The figure 1 is a top view of the reversible watch in one of its service positions.
• The figure 2 is a side view at the end of the watch shown in the figure 1 .
• The figure 3 is a view similar to the figure 2 the watch case being returned.
• The figure 4 is a top view of the watch in its illustrated position at the figure 3 .
• The figure 5 is a sectional view along the line CC 'of the figure 1 exploded, of the various components of the boot and the cradle of the reversible watch illustrated in FIG. figure 1 to 4 .
• The figure 6 is a section along line AA of the figure 1 .
• The figure 7 is a section along the line BB of the figure 1 .
• The figure 8 is a section along the line CC of the figure 1 the pulse control device being in the rest position.
• The figure 9 is a view similar to the figure 8 the pulse control device being in the activated position.
• The figure 10 is an end view of the cradle and some components of the pulse control device.

In the example illustrated by way of example, the reversible watch comprises a watch case consisting of a middle-case 1 provided with a first lens 2 forming the first visible face of the watch, a casing ring 3 and its side plates 4, and a box bottom 5 provided with a second ice 6.

Still in the example illustrated by way of example, the reversible watch further includes a cradle 36 provided with a third mirror 7, horns 8 for fixing a bracelet and a bottom of the cradle 9.

These different components of the reversible watch are assembled and mounted on each other to obtain a cradle and a reversible box pivoting and sliding on this cradle.

A watch movement 10 is mounted on the casing ring 3, in the illustrated example it is a double-sided movement, that is to say having a switch 11 and a dial 12 and a top switch 13 and a lower dial 14.

An additional mechanism or module 15 comprising a switch 16 and a dial 17 is mounted in the cradle between the cradle 36 and its third mirror 7 on the one hand and the bottom cradle 9 on the other.

The watch case further comprises a tube 18 fixed on the casing ring 3 and passing through the middle bezel 1 and the bottom of the box 5, tube 18 on which is pivoted a winding crown 19 connected to a winding stem (not shown ) of the watch movement 10 (see figure 6 ). As the watch case is reversible, the crown 19 and the winding stem are vertically located in the plane of symmetry of the watch case so that, regardless of the service position of the box in the cradle, the winding crown 19 is always located substantially at the same height relative to the cradle 36.

As we see on the figure 7 , the watch case 1, 5 is mounted on the cradle 36 with pads 20 having an elongated slide 21 and dovetail-shaped sliding freely without being able to pivot in a slide 22 of corresponding shape of the cradle 36, these pads 20 also having a pin 23 pivoted in a bore 24 of the casing ring.

The peculiarity of this timepiece lies in the fact that it comprises a reversible watch mounted on a cradle, the reversible watch having at least a first face provided with an ice and a display. In the illustrated embodiment the watch has an ice on each of its faces and therefore has two faces for the display of physical size such as time, date, month, starry sky etc. However, in variants, the watch may have only one mirror, its other face being formed by an engraved or decorated bottom.

But in addition this timepiece comprises an additional mechanism or module 15 mounted between the cradle 36 and the bottom of the cradle 9 and having a visible display through the third mirror 7 of the cradle 36.

The present timepiece therefore comprises at least two display faces and possibly three, which allows to display more physical magnitudes than is possible in the current watches, the available surface for these displays being increased.

The reversible watch according to the present invention is therefore a reversible watch comprising at least two, but preferably three distinct display areas, three windows and three dials.

In general, the present invention relates to a timepiece according to claim 1. It should be noted that the features of the reversibility mechanism used are not part of the the present invention, and this reversibility could be achieved in any way so that the box, including the middle-bezel 1, the casing ring 3, and the bottom 5, is reversible in the cradle 36.

In a reversible watch, the additional mechanism or module 15 can be autonomous or, on the contrary, controlled by the clockwork movement 10 housed in the watch case 1, 3, 5. In the latter case, it would be advantageous to be able to control the module additional 15 directly by the watch movement 10 regardless of the service position of the watch on the cradle and moreover this command is not deactivated or disturbed by the change of position of the watch case 1, 3, 5 on the cradle.

Thus, the present invention also relates to a control device, particularly by pulse, for delivering to a mobile additional module 15 a pulse that can advance this mobile one step every pulse transmission, for example once a day to order an additional date module.

This pulse control or pulse transmission device of the clockwork movement 10 to the additional module 15 comprises a box movement corrector and a cradle module corrector connected by a rocker.

The box movement corrector comprises a bushing 25 driven into the casing ring 3 and through which is housed a box pusher 26 having a length greater than that of the sleeve 25. This box pusher 26 slides freely but of sealingly in the sleeve 25 and its inner end located in the box is adapted to be pushed by a control element forming part of the watch movement 10. This control element which is not illustrated here can be made in the form a lever, a hammer, a toothing of a mobile etc. A spring incorporated into the box corrector 25, 26 tends to maintain this pusher 26 in retracted rest position in the box.

The module corrector is in all respects similar and comprises a bushing 27 driven into the bottom of the cradle 9 and secured thereto and a cradle pusher 28 sliding freely but tightly in this sleeve 27 and having a length greater than that of the sleeve 27. A spring incorporated in this cradle corrector 27, 28 tends to maintain the cradle pusher 28 in its rest position for which its outer end comes out of the cradle bottom 9.

A rocker 29 is integral with an axis 30 pivoted in two bearings 34 embedded in the wall of the cradle 36.

The upper end 31 of the rocker 29 abuts against the outer end of the pusher 26 of the box corrector while the lower end 32 of the rocker 29 abuts against the outer end of the pusher 28 of the corrector cradle.

In rest position illustrated at figure 8 the pusher 26 of the box corrector is retracted into the box 1, 3, 5 while the pusher 28 of the cradle corrector extends outside the bottom of the cradle 9.

As soon as the movement control member 10 acts on the pusher 26 of the box corrector and pushes it towards the outside of the box, the rocker 29 pivots about its axis 30 and its lower end causes a displacement of the pusher 28 of the box. cradle corrector inwardly of the cradle bottom 9 causing the actuation of a control element of the additional module 15. This control element could also be a lever, a hammer or the toothing of a mobile, etc. Once the mechanical pulse has been given, the pusher 28 of the cradle corrector returns to its rest position under the action of its return spring, which causes the rest position of the lever 29 and the pusher 26 of the corrector to return to its rest position. of box.

The rocker 29 is completely embedded in a groove 33 of the cradle 36 and the bottom of the cradle 9 so as to be protected. In addition, a longitudinal groove 21 'is made in the shoe 20 allowing the latter to slide in the slide 21, the end 31 of the rocker 29 passing in this longitudinal groove 21 'when in the rest position.

The bushing 25 and the pusher 26 of the box corrector are arranged so that their axis of symmetry is located in the plane of symmetry of the box 1, 3, 5 so that, regardless of the service position of the box, the outer end of the box pusher 26 is always in contact with the upper end 31 of the lever 29,

Thus, whatever the service position of the box on its cradle, the control device is always able to transmit a pulse given by the watchmaking movement 10 to the box pusher 26 on the cradle pusher 28 which can thus control a mobile of the additional module 15.

In the example illustrated, the control device has been described with reference to a reversible watch for transmitting a mechanical pulse of a clockwork movement housed in the reversible watch case to an additional module housed in the cradle and the bottom of the watch. cradle of the watch.

It is however obvious that such a mechanical pulse control device can be used whenever an additional module disposed outside of a watch case must be controlled by the watch movement housed in the watch case. This pulse control device can therefore be used independently of the application described and illustrated with a reversible watch.

For example, this pulse correction device can be used in a timepiece comprising two separate housings, one containing a clockwork movement and the other an additional module of this movement for controlling this module from the movement.

Claims (6)

1. Timepiece, in particular a wrist watch or pocket watch, comprising a first watch case (1, 3, 5) enclosing a timepiece movement (10) and mounted so as to slide and pivot on a cradle (36) in order to be able to occupy two operational positions thus making it possible to bring one or the other face of the watch case equally well into the user's sight; characterised in that the cradle (36) has a glass (7) and a back (9) defining a housing in which an additional module (15) and its display (16, 17), which is visible through the cradle glass (7), are placed; that the timepiece has a device for control by mechanical pulses having a corrector (25, 26) for the first case, a cradle corrector (27, 28) and a lever (29) pivoted on the cradle (36); and that this mechanical pulse control device is actuated by the timepiece movement (10) and actuates the additional module (15) whatever the operational position occupied by the said watch case.
2. Timepiece as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the first case corrector (25, 26) has a bushing (25) passing through the lateral wall of the first watch case and fixed thereto; that a push-button (26) for the first case slides in this bushing (25), the length of this first case push-button (26) being greater than that of the bushing (25); and that the end of this first case push-button (26) located in the first watch case (1, 3, 5) is adapted to be actuated by the timepiece movement (10) contained in this first case (1, 3,5).
3. Timepiece as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, characterised in that the cradle corrector (27, 28) has a bushing (27) passing through the lateral wall of the cradle (36) and fixed to this lateral wall; that a cradle push-button (28) slides in this bushing (27), the length of this push-button (28) being greater than that of the said bushing (27); and that the end of this cradle push-button (28) located in the space between the cradle (36) and the cradle back (9) is adapted to actuate the additional mechanism (15) located in this space.
4. Timepiece as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that the cradle push-button (28) is subjected to a return force tending to push it to the outside of the space between the cradle (36) and the cradle back (9).
5. Timepiece as claimed in claim 4, characterised in that the ends (31, 32) of the lever (29) are in permanent contact with the first case push-button (26) and the cradle push-button (28) respectively when the first case (1, 3, 5) is in one or the other of its operational positions.
6. Timepiece as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the lever (29) is housed in a groove (33) in the cradle (36).

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