EP2397921B1 - Mechanism for a jumping tourbillon cage - Google Patents

Description

• un rouage de transmission de mouvement entraîné par un moyen d'entraînement d'entrée, pour entraîner en pivotement ladite cage et ledit pignon d'échappement;
• des moyens de retenue pivotants agencés pour coopérer avec ladite cage pour, selon qu'ils pivotent ou sont à l'arrêt, autoriser ou interdire le pivotement de ladite cage;
• des moyens d'arrêt pivotants agencés pour coopérer avec lesdits moyens de retenue, pour, selon la position angulaire de pivotement desdits moyens d'arrêt pivotants, autoriser ou interdire le pivotement desdits moyens de retenue.

The invention relates to a mechanism for advance by periodic jump of a pivoting cage around a cage axis, said cage carrying an escape wheel and an escape pinion and an anchor cooperating with said wheel. escapement and with a sprung balance, said mechanism comprising:

• a motion transmission train driven by an input driving means for pivotally driving said cage and said exhaust pinion;
• pivoting retaining means arranged to cooperate with said cage for, as they pivot or are stopped, allow or prohibit the pivoting of said cage;
• pivoting stop means arranged to cooperate with said retaining means, for, according to the pivoting angular position of said pivoting stop means, allow or prohibit the pivoting of said retaining means.

More particularly, the invention relates to a skip advance mechanism of a second dead carousel cage.

The invention also relates to a carousel comprising a carousel cage and such a mechanism.

The invention relates to the field of watchmaking.

It relates more particularly to the field of complicated watches.

Display with a jump, said dead second, or dead minute, or with any other time interval, is a complication always difficult to realize, because the known achievements cause a relatively sudden jump, which results in shocks in the mechanism, which is reflected up to the exhaust, which is not optimal for the proper functioning and longevity of the watch.

These known embodiments generally combine a mechanism with cooperation of a star and a whip, on the one hand, and a constant force device on the other hand, to moderate the impact effects on the movement.

Thus the Swiss patent CH 47 297 Pellaton-Schild describes, in 1907, a second lightning dead, with two field wheels connected to each other by a spiral spring, one of which drives the exhaust pinion, which is coaxial and attached to a star with protruding teeth. The engine cylinder drives, through a gear, a pinion carrying a whip, which bears each time on a tooth of the star, their relative pivoting generating a position where the whip escapes the tooth, lightning, and takes one full turn before coming back to abut another tooth of the star.

A request document is known EP Patent 1,319,997 , on behalf of Richemont International SA, which describes a vortex mechanism incorporating a constant force device.

This tourbillon mechanism comprises a pivoting cage driven by a drive wheel, this tourbillon cage is coaxial with a pivoting beam provided with a balance spring balance and with a fixed second wheel, and is carrier, in three separate eccentric positions, an eccentric escapement wheel, a first anchor, and a stop wheel which meshes with this fixed second wheel. The escape wheel cooperates with this first anchor provided with two pallets. Coaxial with this escapement wheel, a constant force device comprises a spiral escapement spring, integral at one end with the escape wheel, and at a second end with a force compensation disc. The latter is secured in rotation an armature ring of the exhaust spring, and a ring gear associated with it and cooperating with the fixed second wheel.

Coaxially fixed to the escape wheel, a Reuleaux cam of substantially triangular shape cooperates with a fork that includes a second anchor coaxial with the balance, which pivots about the axis of the tourbillon cage. This second anchor comprises a cam arranged to cooperate with a fork and a dart carried by the first anchor. The second anchor comprises two vanes arranged to cooperate with radially projecting teeth that includes the stop wheel.

The balance is driven under the effect of the preload of the exhaust spring, and is returned by the balance spring spiral. Depending on the number of teeth of the escape wheel, the balance carries a number of alternations, for example five with a wheel of fifteen teeth, before the stop wheel and the tourbillon cage are released by the cam Reuleaux and the second anchor focused on the pendulum. Depending on its number of teeth, the stop wheel performs a given angular deflection, for example 90 °, before being stopped again by one of the pallets of the second anchor focused on the balance. As the stopwheel and the stop gear are carried by the vortex cage, and as the stop gear meshes with the fixed seconds wheel, this pivoting of the stopwheel drives that of the tourbillon cage. . And this fact this pivoting also causes the pivoting of the arming ring which is fixed on the cage and also meshes with the seconds wheel, resulting in the re-tensioning of the spiral escapement spring, because the escape wheel is then blocked by the first anchor. By repeating this cycle, the exhaust spring is periodically extended. It thus accumulates enough energy to deliver a sufficient torque to maintain oscillations of the balance.

This compensation mechanism is intended to deliver a constant torque.

The first end of the spiral escapement spring is fixed on a first pin secured to a first ferrule of exhaust spiral spring connected to the escape wheel. The second end of the spiral escapement spring is fixed on a second pin integral with a second movable spiral escapement spring ferrule.

The spiral exhaust spring, once tensioned, exerts a force on the first pin, and thus exerts a torque on a first arm that includes the force compensation disk that includes the constant force device. Indeed, the latter comprises a first and a second arm, arranged to bear respectively on the first and the second pin, and the bearing faces of these arms are aligned with each other but in an off-axis direction relative to the axis of the escape wheel. The second arm presses on the second pin and transmits the torque to the fixed shell spiral spring and the escape wheel. Due to the eccentric arrangement of the direction of the two arms, the lever arms of the forces exerted by and on the pins are variable depending on the angular position of the force compensation disk, which ensures a constant torque on the escape wheel, despite the loss of tension of the exhaust spring during the stop of the entire train from the spring to the stop wheel.

During each alternation of the balance wheel, the escape wheel is released from the first anchor, and pivots at an angle, under the action of the spiral spring exhaust, as the first spiral spring ferrule and the disc of force compensation, while the arming ring and the stopwheel are blocked. At each fifth alternation, the stopwheel and the tourbillon cage are released.

This document EP Patent 1,319,997 describes a perfectly functional system, which provides a visualization of the second at the cage of a vortex, but which remains very complex, and requires a device with constant force, further complicated by a mechanism of compensation. It necessarily incorporates two spiral springs, two anchors, a cam fork device, and, in addition to a high production cost due to the number and complexity of components, is relatively fragile and difficult to properly adjust.

The request for EP 1 772 783 in the name of WATCHES BREGUET SA describes a watch movement comprising a constant force device, and a dead-band display on the center wheel, which is capable of driving a vortex under good conditions with the constant-force device. It comprises a mobile of average, which makes a turn in several minutes, and which constitutes the input element of a device with constant force. The output element of this spiral spring device is constituted by a second wheel of average, which meshes with the pinion of seconds, which is secured to a tourbillon cage This second wheel of medium is integral with a star, which releases periodically , in this case once a minute, a stop gear meshing with the average input moving, which cooperates with the center wheel, which thus makes a jump per minute. This mechanism minimizes the transmission of shocks between the constant force device and the exhaust.

We still know the EP Patent No. 1,528,443 A1 in the name of JOURNE, which describes a device of constant force, to second dead. An energy storage spring tends to rotate a rocker. A pinion of a first second wheel of the movement meshes with a pivotally mounted return on this rocker. This return meshes with the pinion of a second seconds wheel, whose axis is integral with a tourbillon exhaust. The rocker carries a finger, which is arranged to cooperate with a ratchet toothing of a stop wheel which meshes with the first wheel seconds. When the finger is engaged with a radial flank of the ratchet, the gear is stopped and there is no transmission of force between the first wheel seconds and the return. During this shutdown period, which lasts one second, the spring couple is released and rotates the rocker until the release of the finger off the ratchet. The second wheel of seconds is controlled by the escapement, and turns only when it is moved by the pendulum. The arming of the spring is ensured by the movement of the rocker in the opposite direction, this spring exerting on the rocker a torque lower than that exerted by the mainspring on the rocker when the stop wheel is released. This device allows the adaptation of the arming / disarming cycle by choosing the number of teeth of the stop wheel. Its operation requires the presence of the energy storage spring,

In each case, the constant force device provides an advantage, which is to ensure a relatively constant engine torque to the exhaust, but which necessarily represents a large footprint and cost.

The invention proposes to provide a more economic alternative carousel second dead, using the simplicity of star and whip devices, but reducing shocks, and requiring the least possible additional components, and in the smallest possible volume .

• un rouage de transmission de mouvement entraîné par un moyen d'entraînement d'entrée, pour entraîner en pivotement ladite cage et ledit pignon d'échappement;
• des moyens de retenue pivotants agencés pour coopérer avec ladite cage pour, selon qu'ils pivotent ou sont à l'arrêt, autoriser ou interdire le pivotement de ladite cage;
• des moyens d'arrêt pivotants agencés pour coopérer avec lesdits moyens de retenue, pour, selon la position angulaire de pivotement desdits moyens d'arrêt pivotants, autoriser ou interdire le pivotement desdits moyens de retenue ;

pour faire pivoter ladite cage quand ladite étoile libère ledit fouet, et l'arrêter sinon.To this end, the invention relates to a mechanism for advance by periodic jump of a pivoting cage around a shaft axis, said cage carrying an escape wheel and an escape pinion and an anchor cooperating with said escape wheel and with a balance-spring, said mechanism comprising:

• a motion transmission train driven by an input driving means for pivotally driving said cage and said exhaust pinion;
• pivoting retaining means arranged to cooperate with said cage for, as they pivot or are stopped, allow or prohibit the pivoting of said cage;
• pivoting stop means arranged to cooperate with said retaining means, for, according to the pivoting angular position of said pivoting stop means, allowing or preventing the pivoting of said retaining means;

to rotate said cage when said star releases said whip, and stop it otherwise.

According to another characteristic of the invention, said star gear is permanently driven by a star drive train which is connected to said motion transmission train, directly or via said exhaust pinion.

According to a particular characteristic of the invention, said retaining means and said stop means are arranged so as to make said cage one jump per second.

More particularly, the invention relates to a skip advance mechanism of a second dead carousel cage.

This new achievement is distinguished by its simplicity, the low number and low cost of additional components, and their very small footprint.

The invention also relates to a carousel comprising a carousel cage and such a mechanism.

The invention also relates to a timepiece comprising such a mechanism, or such a carousel.

• la figure 1 représente, de façon schématisée et en vue en plan, un mécanisme d'avance par saut selon l'invention, dans un mode de réalisation préféré ;
• la figure 2 représente, de façon schématisée, partielle, et en vue en plan, une pièce d'horlogerie comportant un mécanisme d'avance par saut selon un deuxième mode de réalisation ;
• la figure 3 représente un détail de la figure 2.

Other advantages and characteristics of the invention will appear in detail in the description which follows, with reference to the indexed figures, in which:

• the figure 1 shows schematically and in plan view, a jump advance mechanism according to the invention, in a preferred embodiment;
• the figure 2 represents, schematically, partially, and in plan view, a timepiece comprising a jump advance mechanism according to a second embodiment;
• the figure 3 represents a detail of the figure 2 .

• un moyen d'entraînement d'entrée 10, mobile en pivotement par rapport à une platine ;
• un rouage de transmission de mouvement 20 entraîné par ce moyen d'entraînement d'entrée 10, et dont les composants sont mobiles en pivotement par rapport à une platine ;
• une cage de carrousel 30, mobile en pivotement par rapport à une platine. Cette cage 30 pivote autour d'un axe de cage, et porte un mécanisme d'échappement 40 comportant une roue d'échappement 42 et un pignon d'échappement 41 ainsi qu'une ancre 50, laquelle coopère avec la roue d'échappement 42 et avec un balancier-spiral 80. De préférence, mais non obligatoirement, la roue d'échappement 42 et le pignon d'échappement 41 sont coaxiaux.

The advance mechanism 100 according to the invention is a periodic jump feed mechanism of a display means of a temporal magnitude, in particular of the second, comprising:

• input drive means 10, pivotally movable relative to a platen;
• a motion transmission train 20 driven by said input drive means 10, and whose components are pivotally movable relative to a platen;
• a carousel cage 30, pivotally movable relative to a plate. This cage 30 pivots about a cage axis, and carries an exhaust mechanism 40 comprising an escape wheel 42 and an escape gear 41 and an anchor 50, which cooperates with the escape wheel 42 and with a balance spring 80. Preferably, but not necessarily, the escape wheel 42 and the exhaust pinion 41 are coaxial.

The motion transmission train 20 is arranged to permanently pivot the exhaust pinion 41 and the cage 30 when the latter is free to rotate.

In particular, the advance by jumping is performed at this cage 30: the principle of the invention is to constrain the pivoting movement of the cage at a certain period, which is not necessarily determined by the frequency of the oscillator as is the case usually, but which is chosen at a particular rate, for example in the embodiment described below where the cage passes from second to second by marking the second.

• des moyens de retenue 70, de préférence pivotants, agencés pour coopérer avec la cage 30 pour, selon qu'ils pivotent ou sont à l'arrêt, autoriser ou interdire le pivotement de cette cage 30;
• des moyens d'arrêt 60, de préférence pivotants, agencés pour coopérer avec les moyens de retenue 70, pour, selon la position des moyens d'arrêt 60, notamment la position angulaire de pivotement, autoriser ou interdire le mouvement de ces moyens de retenue 70 notamment le mouvement de pivotement quand ces derniers sont pivotants.

To achieve this advance by jump, the mechanism 100 comprises:

• retaining means 70, preferably pivoting, arranged to cooperate with the cage 30 for, depending on whether they pivot or are stopped, allow or prohibit the pivoting of the cage 30;
• stop means 60, preferably pivoting, arranged to cooperate with the retaining means 70, for, depending on the position of the stop means 60, in particular the angular position of pivoting, allow or prohibit the movement of these retaining means 70 especially the pivoting movement when they are pivoting.

According to the invention, the retaining means 70 have a trajectory interfering with that of the stop means 60. The retaining means and the stop means 60 are arranged outside the cage 30, that is to say that they are not worn by the cage 30.

The motion transmission train 20 meshes permanently with the exhaust gear 41 to rotate it about an exhaust axis carried by the cage 30, and it tends to drive the cage 30 to pivot about the axis of cage through the exhaust shaft.

In a particular way to the invention, the cage 30 constantly pushes, under the action of the motion transmission train 20, the retaining means 70 against the stop means 60, to rotate the cage 30 when the means of stop 60 release, in particular pivoting, the retaining means 70, and to stop the cage 30 when the stop means 60 block these retaining means 70.

Two embodiments are illustrated by the figures. The preferred embodiment corresponds to the figure 1 , the numerical examples below relating to the number of teeth of the components of the gear train are a non-limiting exemplary embodiment. In the same way the mechanism according to the invention, which is described here for displaying by leap of a second dead, is applicable to the display of another dead magnitude, minute or other, the calculation of the different gears and wheels being performed accordingly.

The input drive means 10 is conventionally arranged to receive energy in the form of a torque transmitted by energy storage means such as barrel, weight, or the like. In the preferred embodiment as visible on the figure 1 , this input drive means 10 is a wheel of medium 11, which performs one revolution per hour, and comprises N1 teeth, for example here 96 teeth. This medium wheel 11 rotates continuously, as long as the energy storage means are able to deliver energy to the mechanism.

The motion transmission train 20 is of very variable composition. It comprises here a pinion of average 21 and a wheel of average 22, respectively of N2 and N3 teeth, in Example 8 and 90 teeth. The average gear 21 meshes with the medium wheel 11.

The average wheel 22 meshes with a star-driving mobile 61, at the level of a star-drive intermediate gear 62 comprising N4 teeth coupled to an intermediate star-drive wheel 63 comprising N5 teeth, which here respectively have N4 = 8 and N5 = 80 teeth, so that the intermediate star drive wheel 63 drives a star gear 64 of N6 teeth, here N6 = 15 teeth, so as to perform a star revolution 65 in (N1xN3xN5 ) / (N2xN4xN15x60) = (96x90x809 / (8x8x15x60) = 5 seconds This star gear 64 has N15 teeth, and carries a retaining star 65 with NE wings 66, here N15 = 15 and NE = 5, and a point given is reached by a wing with a period T = NEx (N1xN3xN5) / (N2xN4xN15x60x60) = 1 second in this case.This retaining star 65 therefore rotates continuously under the action of the input drive means 10 and motion transmission train 20.

On the other hand, the average wheel 22, comprising N3 teeth, here N3 = 90, meshes with a second gear 23, comprising N8 teeth, here N8 = 10 teeth. This second gear 23 is secured to a second wheel 24 having N9 teeth. This second wheel 24 meshes classically with an exhaust pinion 41 having N10 teeth. In the present example, the second pinion 23 has N8 = 10 teeth, and the second wheel 24 has N9 = 105 teeth, while the exhaust pinion 41 has N10 = 7 teeth and is connected to an escape wheel 42 which comprises N11 = 15 teeth and which is arranged to cooperate with a pivoting anchor 50 which cooperates with a balance spring 80.

The cage 30 is preferably a carousel cage, as visible in the figures and has a toothing 31 with N7 teeth, and is pivotable about a cage axis. This cage 30 comprises a point of attachment of a first end of a balance spring balance 82 whose other end is fixed to a rocker 81 pivotally movable, preferably around this shaft axis, in the latter case the cage 30 is thus mounted coaxial with the sprung balance 80 which is constituted by the balance 81 and the spiral balance spring 82.

• le mécanisme d'échappement 40 comportant une roue d'échappement 42 pivotante autour d'un axe d'échappement parallèle à cet axe de cage, de préférence de façon excentrée dans un mode de réalisation préféré tel que visible sur les figures ;
• une ancre 50 pivotante autour d'un axe d'ancre parallèle à cet axe de cage et agencée pour coopérer avec la roue d'échappement 42, de préférence de façon excentrée dans un mode de réalisation préféré tel que visible sur les figures.

This cage 30 carries:

• the escape mechanism 40 comprising an escapement wheel 42 pivoting about an escape axis parallel to this cage axis, preferably eccentrically in a preferred embodiment as visible in the figures;
• an anchor 50 pivoting about an anchor axis parallel to this cage axis and arranged to cooperate with the escape wheel 42, preferably eccentrically in a preferred embodiment as visible in the figures.

It will be understood that, under the action of the input drive means 10 constituted by the medium wheel 11, and the motion transmission train 20, here by the average gear 21, the average wheel 22, the second pinion 23 and the second wheel 24, the exhaust pinion 41 is driven permanently by the second wheel 24. This second wheel 24 exerts on this pinion exhaust a torque that tends, at one and the same time, on the one hand to pivot the exhaust pinion 41 on itself, to regulate, by means of the escape wheel 42 and the anchor 50, the oscillation of the sprung balance 80, and secondly to rotate the axis of this exhaust pinion 41 about the pivot axis of the second wheel 24.

The pivot axis of the second wheel 24 coincides with the axis of pivoting of the cage 30 which carries the axis of pivoting of the escape gear 41. The pivoting of the second wheel 24 therefore tends to always lead to a pivoting of the cage 30 in the same direction as that of the second wheel 24, here in the clockwise direction. Therefore, if an obstacle prevents the pivoting of the cage 30, only the pivoting movement of the exhaust pinion 41 about its axis takes place, the regulation of the oscillator is never interrupted. If we release the pivoting of the cage 30 by removing the obstacle, both the cage 30 pivots in the same direction as the second wheel 24, and the exhaust pinion 41 pivots about its axis in the same way as in the previous case.

The retaining means 70, preferably pivoting, are arranged to cooperate with the cage 30 for, depending on whether they are in motion or are at a standstill, allow or prohibit the pivoting of the cage 30; in the present embodiment, they comprise a retaining mobile 77. This retaining mobile 77 comprises a wheel or a pinion meshing with the toothing 31 that includes the cage 30.

The stop means 60, preferably pivoting, are arranged to cooperate with these retaining means 70, for, according to the angular position of pivoting of these stop means 60 when they are pivoting, allow or prohibit the pivoting of the retaining means 70. Preferably, these stop means 60 comprise a retaining star 65, integral with a star pinion 64, as described above, permanently pivoted and each tooth 66 is arranged to cooperate with this whip 76, and stop and periodically release the whip 76, according to the angular position of the retaining star 65. This drive of the star gear 64 can be performed, preferably as visible in the present embodiment, by the transmission train 20, directly or via the exhaust pinion 41.

The pivoting retaining means 70 consist, in the example of the figures, of a whipstock 74 comprising a whip pin 75 comprising N14 teeth, and which carries at least one whip 76, able to pivot about the axis of the whip. movable whip 74, and arranged to cooperate with a retaining star 65. The trajectory of the whip 76 interferes with that of the star 65, to rotate the cage 30 when the star 65 releases the whip 76, and stop it otherwise . The whip gear 75 meshes directly or indirectly with the toothing 31 of the cage 30.

In certain positions, such as the one shown on the figure 1 , the whip 76 is kept under tension, resting on a flange 66 of the retaining star 65, until it reaches an angular position allowing the release of the whip 76, or the whip arm if the whip 76 is with multiple arms, double arm or star for example.

Preferably, as visible on the figure 1 , the retaining mobile 77 comprises an inverting mobile 71 in engagement with the toothing 31 on the one hand, this inverting mobile 71 consisting of an inverter gear 72 meshing with the wheel 31, and an inverter wheel 73 integral with this pinion inverter 72, and with the whipstock 74 on the other hand. The whipless gear 75 meshes with the reversing wheel 73. The whip gear 75 then co-operates with the toothing 31 of the cage 30 via the inverting mobile 71.

In the example of the figure 1 when the whip 76 is released by the tooth 66 of the star 65 which held it stationary, that is to say every second in the case in point, it authorizes the pivoting of the whipstock 74, here a complete revolution, until the whip 76 returns to abutment on another wing of the retaining star 65. If the whip 76 is multi-arm, the pivoting amplitude is reduced accordingly, by example a half-turn if the whip 76 has two opposing arms as in the example of the figure 3 .

In the present application, which attempts to visualize a dead size, in particular a dead second, at the level of the movement of the cage 30, it is preferable to perform a complete revolution of the whipstock 74, to allow the use, in a preferred embodiment as visible on the figure 1 , an inverter mobile 72 adapted to the desired display direction, and a certain damping shock, through the interposition of a gear reducer. In the present example, the whip gear 75 comprises N14 = 10 teeth, cooperating with an inverter wheel 73 of N13 = 30 teeth connected to an inverter gear 72 of N12 = 9 teeth. This reversing gear 72 meshes directly with the cage 30, and for each turn of the whipstock 74, it lets 3 teeth of the toothing 31 of the cage 30 which have N7 = 180 therein, the cage 30 then 60 jumps per minute. The inverting mobile 72 makes it possible to rotate the whipstock 74 in the same direction as the cage 30.

This design is advantageous because it makes it easy to choose the size that you want to display with a jump, whether it is for example the fifth of a second, the ten seconds, the minute, or other, by a simple judicious calculation of the train. It also allows a derivative design with a cage turn in a duration other than a minute, for example in thirty seconds.

• ωE= Ω x (N1xN3xN5)/(N2xN4xN15x60x60), Ω étant la vitesse angulaire en tour par heure de la roue de grande moyenne 11, Ω=1 dans le cas d'espèce ;
• dans l'exemple présenté il est de : ωE =1x(96x90x80)/(8x8x15x60)=0,20 tour par seconde. L'étoile 65 comporte ici NE=5 ailes, un point donné est atteint par une aile 66 de l'étoile 65 avec une période T : $$\mathrm{T}=\mathrm{\omega E}\times \mathrm{NE}=\left(\mathrm{N}\mathrm{1}\times \mathrm{N}\mathrm{3}\times \mathrm{N}\mathrm{5}\right)/\left(\mathrm{N}\mathrm{2}\times \mathrm{N}\mathrm{4}\times \mathrm{N}\mathrm{15}\times \mathrm{60}\right)\times \mathrm{NE}=\mathrm{0},\mathrm{20}\times \mathrm{5}=\mathrm{1}\mathrm{seconde}\mathrm{.}$$
  

The number of revolutions per second ωE effected by the star 65 is the result of the calculation relating to the transmission train 20 and the star driver 61:

• ωE = Ω x (N1xN3xN5) / (N2xN4xN15x60x60), Ω being the angular speed in revolutions per hour of the wheel of great mean 11, Ω = 1 in this case;
• in the example presented it is: ωE = 1x (96x90x80) / (8x8x15x60) = 0.20 turn per second. The star 65 here comprises NE = 5 wings, a given point is reached by a wing 66 of the star 65 with a period T: $$\mathrm{T}=\mathrm{\omega E}\times \mathrm{BORN}=\left(\mathrm{NOT}\mathrm{1}\times \mathrm{NOT}\mathrm{3}\times \mathrm{NOT}\mathrm{5}\right)/\left(\mathrm{NOT}\mathrm{2}\times \mathrm{NOT}\mathrm{4}\times \mathrm{NOT}\mathrm{15}\times \mathrm{60}\right)\times \mathrm{BORN}=\mathrm{0},\mathrm{20}\times \mathrm{5}=\mathrm{1}\mathrm{second}\mathrm{.}$$
  

The number of teeth of the toothing 31 released during each turn of the whip is here equal, for a single-arm whip, to: N14xN12 / N13 = 10x9 / 3 = 3. The gear examples presented here correspond to a frequency of the oscillator of 3 Hz, with a cage 30 equipped with a gear 31 of 180 teeth, and rotating in one minute. Naturally we can define other gears to have a toothing 31 of 60 or 120 teeth, or to change the slewing speed of the cage. Similarly, it is possible to modify the number of arms of the whip 76, the above calculation being presented for the example of a single arm, and therefore of a complete turn of whip between two consecutive teeth of the star. , thus a whip with n arms, for example n = 2 as visible on the figure 3 , let pass only a corresponding portion 1 / n turn of the whip gear 75, and therefore (N14xN12) / (nxN13) teeth of the toothing 31. In this example of the figure 1 each turn of the whipstock 74 thus passes N14xN12 / N13 = 3 teeth of the toothing 31 of the cage 30, which then performs N7 / (N14xN12 / N13) = 60 jumps per revolution.

The cage 30 rotates at the speed: ΩC = (N14xN12 / N13) x 60 / (TxN7) revolutions per minute, in this example of single arm whip 76. Here, she does one lap per minute.

The figures 2 and 3 illustrate a second embodiment, without an inverting gear, and with a whip with two whip arms, the whipstock 74 then makes a U-turn before a whip arm returns to bear on a wing 66 of the star 65. The figure 3 illustrates the very small dimension of the star 65 and the whipstock 74 relative to the gear train and to the cage 30.

In this example of the figure 3 , the gear train 20 is identical to that of the figure 1 as well as the exhaust mechanism 40. The whip 76 has n = 2 arms. On the other hand, this variant embodiment does not include an inverting mobile 71, the whipstock 74 comes into direct contact with the toothing 31 of the cage 30. Whip gear 75 here comprises N14 = 6 teeth. Each passage of a tooth 66 of the star allows the whip gear 75 to make 1 / n = 1/2 turn, which releases N14x 1 / n = 6x1 / 2 = 3 teeth of the toothing 61. The cage 30 therefore performs N7 / (N14x1 / n) = 180/3 = 60 jumps per turn. The period T is identical to that of the figure 1 . The cage 30 pivots at the speed ΩC = (N14x1 / n) x 60 / (TxN7) = 3x60 / (1x180) = 1 revolution per minute.

The invention relates more particularly to a mechanism 100 for advance by jumping a carousel cage to a second dead.

The invention also relates to a carousel comprising a carousel cage 10 and such a mechanism 100.

The invention also relates to a timepiece comprising such a mechanism 100, or such a carousel.

Claims (12)

1. Mechanism (100) for advancing, by periodic jumps, a cage (30) pivoting about a cage axis, said cage carrying an escape wheel (42) and an escape pinion (41) in addition to a pallet lever (50) cooperating with said escape wheel (42) and with a sprung balance (80), said mechanism (100) comprising:

   - a motion transmitting gear train (20) driven by an input drive means (10) to pivot said cage (30) and said escape pinion (41);

   - a pivoting retaining means (70) arranged to cooperate with said cage (30) to authorise or to prevent the pivoting of said cage (30), depending on whether said retaining means is pivoting or stopped;

   - a pivoting stopping means (60) arranged to cooperate with said retaining means (70) in order to allow or prevent the pivoting of said retaining means (70), according to the angular pivoting position of said stopping means (60), said retaining means (70) having a trajectory that interferes with that of said stopping means (60), characterized in that said retaining means (70) and said stopping means (60) are external to said cage (30), and further characterized in that said retaining means (70) includes a flirt pinion (75) carrying a flirt (76) which is arranged to cooperate with said stopping means (60) and whose trajectory interferes with said stopping means (60), said flirt pinion (75) cooperating with a toothing (31) comprised in said cage (30), via an inverter wheel set (71).
2. Mechanism (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that said motion transmitting gear train (20) permanently meshes with said escape pinion (41) to cause said pinion to pivot about an escape arbour carried by said cage (30), and tends to pivot said cage (30) about said cage axis via said escape arbour.
3. Mechanism (100) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, under the action of said motion transmitting gear train (20), said cage (30) permanently pushes said retaining means (70) against said stopping means (60), to pivot said cage (30) when said stopping means (60) allows the pivoting of said retaining means (70), and to stop said cage (30) when said stopping means (60) locks said retaining means (70).
4. Mechanism (100) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said stopping means (60) includes a star wheel (65) integral with a permanently driven star pinion (64), and in that said retaining means includes a flirt (76) integral with a flirt pinion (75) directly or indirectly meshing with said cage (30), the trajectory of said flirt (76) interfering with that of said star wheel (65), in order to pivot said cage (30) when said star wheel (65) releases said flirt (76) and otherwise stopping said cage (30).
5. Mechanism (100) according to claim 4, characterized in that said star pinion (64) is permanently driven by a star wheel drive train which is connected to said motion transmitting gear train (20), directly or via said escape pinion (41).
6. Mechanism (100) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said cage (30) is coaxial to said sprung balance (80).
7. Mechanism (100) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said escape wheel (42) and said escape pinion (41) are off-centre relative to said cage (30).
8. Mechanism (100) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said flirt (76) is a flirt with multiple arms or a star-shaped flirt.
9. Mechanism (100) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said input drive means (10) includes a centre wheel (11), which has an angular velocity Ω in revolutions per hour and comprises N1 teeth, and in that said motion transmitting gear train (20) comprises a third pinion (21) and a third wheel (22), respectively with N2 teeth and N3 teeth, said third pinion (21) meshing with said centre wheel (11), said third wheel (22) meshing with an intermediate star drive pinion (62) comprising N4 teeth coupled to an intermediate star drive wheel (63) comprising N5 teeth, so that said intermediate star drive wheel (63) drives a star pinion (64) with N15 teeth, said star pinion (64) carrying a retaining star wheel (65) comprising NE blades (66), a given point being therefore reached by a blade (66) of the star wheel (65) with a period T= Ω x NE x (N1xN3xN5)/(N2xN4xN15x60x60) seconds, and said third wheel (22) also meshing with a fourth pinion (23), comprising N8 teeth, which is integral with a fourth wheel (24) comprising N9 teeth, which meshes with said escape pinion (41) comprising N10 teeth, which is connected to said escape wheel (42) which comprises N11 teeth and which is arranged to cooperate with said pivoting pallet lever (50) which cooperates with said balance (81), a flirt pinion (75) comprising N14 teeth, cooperating with a reverser wheel (73) with N13 teeth connected to a reverser pinion (72) with N12 teeth, which, for each revolution of said flirt pinion (75) carrying a flirt (76) with a single arm, allows N14xN12/N13 teeth to pass of a toothing (31) of the cage (30) which comprises N7 teeth, said cage (30) therefore performing N7/(N14xN12/N13) jumps per revolution and pivoting at velocity: ΩC= (N14xN12/N13)x 60/(TxN7) revolutions per minute.
10. Mechanism according to the preceding claim, characterized in that Ω=1, N1=96, N2=8, N3=90, N4=8, N5=80, N15=5, NE=5, N8=10, N9=105, N10=7, N11=15, N14=10, N13=30, N12=9, N7=180, N15=5, T=1x5x(96x90x80)/(8x8x15x60x60)= 1 second, N14xN12/N3 = 10x9/30=3 teeth, for each revolution of said flirt pinion (75) carrying a single arm flirt (76), said mechanism (100) allowing N14xN12/N13 = 10x9/3=3 teeth of said toothing (31) to pass, said cage (30) then performing N7/(N14xN12/N13)=60 jumps per revolution and pivoting at velocity: ΩC= (N14xN12/N13)x 60/(TxN7)= 1 revolution per minute, the oscillator frequency being 3Hz.
11. Karussel including a karussel cage (30) and a mechanism (100) according to any of claims 1 to 10.
12. Timepiece including a mechanism (100) according to any of claims 1 to 10, or a karussel according to claim 11.

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