EP2407832B1 - Timepiece movement - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a timepiece movement comprising a rotating regulating system, in particular of the carousel type, capable of compensating the effects of gravitation on the gait of the movement and of exhibiting an original and attractive visual effect.

The rotating control systems known as the vortex or the carousel have in common to compensate for the effects of gravitation on the gait of movement but they differ in the way they perform this function.

The specialized literature contains two incompatible definitions for a carousel. According to the book "Theorie d'Horlogerie", which gives a more recent definition of this complication, a carousel would simply be a vortex in which the axis of balance is off-center with respect to the axis of rotation of the cage. The present application does not retain this definition but uses the term carousel in a more traditional sense as described by Bahne Bonniksen in his patent CH 7965 .

The movement described in the patent CH 7965 comprises a finishing gear comprising in particular a mobile of average and a mobile of second. The Bonniksen movement still has an escapement and a pendulum mounted in a cage that pivots between a bridge and the stage of the movement. The exhaust is driven by the seconds wheel of the second mobile in the traditional way. The lower pivot of the cage is shaped so that the cage and the seconds wheel rotate around the same axis. The cage is rotated by means of a cage wheel integral and concentric with said cage and engaged with the average gear wheel of the average wheel.

A carousel of the same type as that of Bonniksen but whose cage makes one turn per minute is described in the patent application. EP 1 995 650 .

The patent EP 1 419 419 describes a vortex in which an exhaust-carrying cage is rotatably mounted around an axis BB forming an angle α (0 ° <α <90 °) with respect to the axis of rotation of the wheels of the finishing train. The exhaust-carrying cage has a cage gear coaxial with the axis BB which meshes with a mobile mounted on the frame. The balance spring and the escapement are pivoted on the exhaust-carrying cage along axes parallel to each other and relative to the axis BB of this cage. The exhaust gear is engaged with a toothing mounted on the frame and located in a plane perpendicular to the axis BB of rotation of the exhaust-carrying cage. This toothing is mounted on the frame so that it is integral with the frame or that it is part of the base of a large cage pivoted on the frame about an axis AA. In the latter case, this axis AA forms an angle different from 90 ° with the axis BB of rotation of the exhaust-carrying cage so that the axis BB scans the envelope of a cone of axis AA. Preferably, the axis AA of rotation of the large cage is parallel to the axes of the moving wheels of the finishing train.

The purpose of this tourbillon is to significantly reduce the differences between the horizontal and vertical positions by moving the balance and the escapement in a three-dimensional space, without having to reduce the diameter of the balance, and while limiting the increase in the thickness of the movement.

However, the gyro or "spinning" movement brought to the balance and to the escapement by the mechanism described in the document EP 1 419 419 is limited and is not very important for a given angle α.

The object of the present invention is to provide a timepiece movement comprising a tourbillon or carousel mechanism with two axes of rotation with an angle α between the two axes to bring to the balance a gyroscopic effect or "spinning" more important than in the prior art.

This goal is obtained by moving the intersection of the two axes A-A and B-B so that it is outside the area of the exhaust-carrying cage.

The present invention thus relates to a timepiece movement comprising a barrel, a work train, an escapement, a regulating member, said escapement and said regulating member being mounted in a pivoting cage driven in rotation around a first axis, the cage being mounted on a shaft on which is also mounted, integral with the latter, an intermediate wheel coaxial with the cage and free to rotate relative to said cage, the intermediate wheel being engaged with the pinion of the exhaust , the shaft being rotated about a second axis forming a non-zero angle with the first axis, characterized in that the intersection of the second axis and the first axis is located outside the cage.

• La figure 1 est une vue en perspective d'une première forme d'exécution d'un carrousel d'un mouvement de pièce d'horlogerie selon l'invention.
• La figure 2 est une vue en coupe du carrousel illustré à la figure 1.
• La figure 3 est une vue partielle en coupe d'un carrousel selon une variante de la première forme d'exécution.
• La figure 4 est une vue en coupe d'une seconde forme d'exécution d'un carrousel d'un mouvement de pièce d'horlogerie selon l'invention.

The accompanying drawings illustrate schematically and by way of example only several embodiments of a timepiece movement according to the invention.

• The figure 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a carousel of a timepiece movement according to the invention.
• The figure 2 is a sectional view of the carousel shown at figure 1 .
• The figure 3 is a partial sectional view of a carousel according to a variant of the first embodiment.
• The figure 4 is a sectional view of a second embodiment of a carousel of a timepiece movement according to the invention.

A first embodiment of a timepiece movement according to the invention will now be described in detail with reference to the figures 1 and 2 .

The timepiece movement according to this first embodiment comprises a barrel (not shown) resulting in a traditional type of finishing train of which only the seconds mobile is illustrated in the figures. said movable seconds has a pinion of second 1a and a second wheel 1b visible on the figures 1 and 2 .

The second wheel 1b drives two separate gear trains or kinematic chains: a first wheel, said exhaust train, for driving an exhaust and a second wheel, said cage gear, for driving in rotation about its axis the cage 30 a carousel 3, said cage carrying the escapement and a regulating member formed of a balance 4 and a hairspring 6.

In the present embodiment, the escapement is an anchor escapement including an exhaust pinion 2a and an escape wheel 2b cooperating traditionally with an anchor 5 also mounted on the cage 30 of the carousel 3. As for the hairspring 6, it is in the illustrated embodiment of a cylindrical hairspring. It is obvious that the exhaust 2a, 2b, 5 could be of a completely different type known to those skilled in the art and that the cylindrical hairspring 6 could be replaced by another type of hairspring, such as a flat hairspring, a hairspring Breguet etc.

On the other hand, the cage 30 of the carousel 3 consists of a lower portion 31 and an upper portion 32 rigidly interconnected by pillars 33, for example three in number. As illustrated in figure 2 , the escape mobile 2a, 2b is pivoted between two bearings carried by the lower part 31 of the cage 30 and the other by an exhaust bridge fixed on this lower part 31. As for the balance 4, it is pivoted between two bearings arranged one on the lower part 31 and the other on the upper part 32 of the cage 30 and its axis coincides with the axis of the cage 30. In a variant, the axis of the balance 4 can be non-collinear and even non-parallel to the axis of the cage.

The exhaust train of the movement according to the first embodiment and its components will now be described in detail with reference to the figure 2 .

The second wheel 1b is engaged with a pinion 20 screwed integrally to a first end 21 of a shaft 22. The shaft can have various shapes and is not necessarily cylindrical or symmetrical. The shaft 22 and the pinion 20 pivot in a bridge 7 (or the plate) of the movement about an axis AA. Preferably, the shaft 22 and the pinion 20 pivot in said bridge 7 by means of a first ball bearing 40. To do this, the inner ring 41 of the first ball bearing 40 is secured to the rotating assembly. shaft 22 and pinion 20 while the outer ring 42 of said first ball bearing 40 is mounted integral with the bridge 7.

Preferably the shaft 22 is bent and has a first portion 23 centered on the axis AA and substantially perpendicular to the plane of the bridge 7 and, more generally, movement and a second portion 24 of axis BB forming a non-zero angle with the first portion 23. For example, this angle is 20 ° in the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. figures 1 and 2 . Around the second portion 24 and its free end 25 constituting the second end of the shaft 22, is mounted a sleeve 26 on which is mounted an intermediate wheel 27.

On the other hand, by this second portion 24, the shaft 22 carries the cage 30 of the carousel 3 in a flying manner so that the axis of the cage 30 and the balance 4 coincides with the axis BB of the second portion 24 of the shaft 22. The cage 30 being carried by the shaft 22, it is thus rotated with said shaft 22 about the axis AA.

Preferably, a second ball bearing 44 allows the cage 30 to rotate relative to the shaft 22. For this purpose, the inner ring 43 of the second ball bearing 44 is integral with the sleeve 26 mounted on the second portion 24 of the shaft 22 while the outer ring 45 of the second ball bearing 44 is mounted integral with an upper cage drive wheel 38 which is in turn integral with the lower portion 31 of the cage 30. In fact, this wheel 38 is part of the cage 30.

Finally, the intermediate wheel 27 is engaged with the exhaust pinion 2a, as illustrated in FIG. figure 2 . So the second wheel 1b driving the escape wheel 2a, 2b via the exhaust train described above and comprising the pinion 20, the shaft 22, the intermediate wheel 27 and the exhaust pinion 2a.

The cage gear of the movement according to the invention for driving in rotation about its axis the cage 30 of the carousel 3 will now be described in detail.

A support 50 is driven on the first portion 23 of axis AA of the shaft 22. The support 50 could also be driven on the second portion 24 or an intermediate portion forming an angle different from the portions 23 or 24 of the shaft 22 According to one variant, the shaft 22 and its support 50 can be formed in one piece. In this first embodiment, the longitudinal axis of said support 50 is substantially perpendicular to the axis AA of the first portion 23 of the shaft 22. A first satellite 51 and a second satellite 52 are pivoted on the support 50 coaxially to the longitudinal axis of said support 50. The first satellite 51 has a conical toothing and meshes on the one hand with a conical gear lower drive wheel 37 fixed on the bridge 7 coaxially with the shaft 22 by means of screws (not shown) for example. The second satellite 52 is composed of a satellite pinion 52a and a satellite wheel 52b both having a conical or straight toothing to facilitate machining. Said satellite pinion 52a is engaged with the first satellite 51 while the satellite wheel 52b meshes with the upper cage drive wheel 38 having a conical and coaxial toothing and secured to the cage 30.

The first and second satellites 51, 52, the shaft 22, the lower cage drive wheel 37 and the cage drive upper wheel 38 form a differential gear, and the shaft 22 drives the cage 30 through the bias of this differential gear.

Thus, the second wheel 1b drives the carousel 3 with its cage 30 in rotation about its inclined axis BB through the cage gear comprising the shaft 22, the support 50, the first and the second satellite 51, 52 , the lower cage drive wheel 37 and the upper cage drive wheel 38. The carousel 3 and its cage 30 thus pivot about their axis BB on the end 25 of the shaft 22 via the second bearing ball 44 already described.

The combination of the exhaust train and the cogwheel described above thus prints the carousel 3 a movement resembling that of a router. Indeed, the carousel 3 and the cage 30 rotate simultaneously about the axis BB, which is the axis of the cage 30, and the axis AA. Moreover, in the present invention, the intersection of these two axes lies outside the cage 30 as is visible on the figure 2 . The movement thus created is on the one hand very elegant to observe and on the other hand allows the carousel and thus the balance to never stay in the same plane and to travel more positions than a traditional rotating regulating system.

In addition, with the shaft 22, the support 50, and the satellites 51, 52 of the cage train, the cage 30 is physically disengaged from the plate and the bridges of the movement (7), without direct connection with the latter. Such clearance advantageously serves to move the intersection of the two axes AA and BB out of the cage 30 and consequently to create a more pronounced spinning effect in the trajectory of the elements (the exhaust and the regulator member) carried by the carousel .

According to the present invention, the speed of the escape wheel 2b, a function of the frequency of the balance and the number of teeth of said escape wheel, depends on the speed of rotation of the cage 30 about its axis BB given by the cage gear of the movement and the speed of rotation of the intermediate wheel 27 given by the escapement wheel of the movement.

où N_2b est la vitesse de la roue d'échappement 2b, Z₂₇ est le nombre de dents de la roue intermédiaire 27, N₃₀ est la vitesse de rotation de la cage 30 autour de l'axe B-B, N₂₇ est la vitesse de la roue intermédiaire 27 et Z_2a est le nombre de dents du pignon d'échappement 2a.To determine the appropriate speeds and gear ratios in this embodiment, it suffices to observe the following formula: $${\mathrm{NOT}}_{2\mathrm{b}}={\mathrm{<figure-callout\; id="27"\; label="Z"\; filenames="imgf0002.png,imgf0003.png"\; state="\{\{state\}\}">Z</figure-callout>}}_{27}\times \left({\mathrm{NOT}}_{27}-{\mathrm{NOT}}_{30}\right)/{\mathrm{Z}}_{2\mathrm{at}}$$

where N _2b is the speed of the escape wheel 2b, Z ₂₇ is the number of teeth of the intermediate wheel 27, N ₃₀ is the rotational speed of the cage 30 about the BB axis, N ₂₇ is the speed of the intermediate wheel 27 and Z _2a is the number of teeth of the escape pinion 2a.

où N₃₀ est la vitesse de rotation de la cage 30 autour de l'axe B-B, N₂₇ est la vitesse de la roue intermédiaire 27, Z₃₇ est le nombre de dents de la roue inférieure d'entraînement de cage 37, Z_52b est le nombre de dents de la roue de satellite 52b, Z₅₁ est le nombre de dents du premier satellite 51 et du pignon de satellite 52a, Z₃₈ est le nombre de dents de la roue supérieure d'entraînement de cage 38.To calculate the rotational speed of the cage 30, it suffices to use the following formula: $${\mathrm{NOT}}_{30}={\mathrm{NOT}}_{27}\times \left(1-\left({\mathrm{<figure-callout\; id="37"\; label="Z"\; filenames="imgf0001.png,imgf0002.png"\; state="\{\{state\}\}">Z</figure-callout>}}_{37}\times {\mathrm{<figure-callout\; id="52b"\; label="Z"\; filenames="imgf0002.png,imgf0003.png"\; state="\{\{state\}\}">Z</figure-callout>}}_{52\mathrm{b}}\right)/\left({\mathrm{<figure-callout\; id="51"\; label="Z"\; filenames="imgf0001.png,imgf0002.png"\; state="\{\{state\}\}">Z</figure-callout>}}_{51}\times {\mathrm{<figure-callout\; id="38"\; label="Z"\; filenames="imgf0001.png,imgf0002.png"\; state="\{\{state\}\}">Z</figure-callout>}}_{38}\right)\right),$$

where N ₃₀ is the rotational speed of the cage 30 about the axis BB, N ₂₇ is the speed of the intermediate wheel 27, Z ₃₇ is the number of teeth of the lower cage drive wheel 37, Z _52b is the number of teeth of the satellite wheel 52b, Z ₅₁ is the number of teeth of the first satellite 51 and the satellite gear 52a, Z ₃₈ is the number of teeth of the upper cage drive wheel 38.

For example, and according to the first embodiment illustrated in figures 1 and 2 , the cage 30 is two revolutions per minute while the shaft 22 and the intermediate wheel 27 are four revolutions per minute. Other speeds are of course conceivable, just follow the formulas above.

The figure 3 illustrates a variant of the first embodiment described above in which the longitudinal axis of the support 50 driven in the first portion 23 of axis AA of the shaft 22 is not perpendicular to said axis AA. In this variant, the axes of the first and second satellites 51, 52 are no longer perpendicular to the axis 22 and are no longer parallel to each other. The other elements and the operation of this variant are in all respects similar to the first embodiment described above. In particular, the formulas above remain valid for this variant.

A second embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the figure 4 . The components of this embodiment in all respects similar to those described above in relation to the first form execution procedures will not be described in detail and are designated in the figure 4 by the same references.

The timepiece movement according to the second embodiment comprises a barrel (not shown) resulting in a finishing gear of the traditional type comprising in particular a mobile seconds (not visible on the figure 4 ). Said second mobile has a second gear and a seconds wheel in all respects similar to those designated by the references 1a and 1b on the figures 1 and 2 .

As in the first embodiment, the second wheel (1b) drives two separate gear trains or kinematic chains: a first wheel, said exhaust train, for driving an exhaust and a second wheel, said cage gear, for to drive in rotation about its axis the cage 30 of a carousel 3, said cage carrying the exhaust (in all respects similar to that designated by the references 2a, 2b and 5 on the figures 1 and 2 ) and a regulating member formed of a balance 4 and a hairspring 6.

The escapement wheel of the movement according to this second embodiment and its components are in all respects similar to that described in relation to the first embodiment. Said train comprises the pinion 20 engaged with the second wheel (1b), the shaft 22, the intermediate wheel 27 and the exhaust pinion 2a. The second wheel (1b) drives the shaft 22 in rotation about the axis A-A and therefore, the cage 30 being carried by said shaft 22, it is also rotated about the axis 22.

The cage gear of the movement according to the second embodiment for driving in rotation about its axis the cage 30 of the carousel 3 will now be described in detail.

The second wheel (1b) engaged with the pinion 20 of the shaft 22 is also engaged with the lower wheel of an intermediate mobile 34 with two superposed wheels. The upper wheel of this mobile 34 meshes with the toothing 35 of a sleeve 36 coaxial with the first portion 23 of the shaft 22 and shaped so that said shaft 22 can freely rotate inside said sleeve 36. In addition, the sleeve 36 pivots in the bridge 7 by means of a third ball bearing 46 whose inner ring 47 is integral with the sleeve 36 and the outer ring 48 is mounted integral with the bridge 7.

Around the sleeve 36 is mounted a lower cage drive wheel 37 'coaxial and integral with said sleeve 36 and having a conical toothing. In this second embodiment, the lower cage drive wheel 37 'is therefore not fixed with respect to the bridge 7.

A support 50 'is driven into the first portion 23 of axis A-A of the shaft 22. A satellite 53 is pivoted on the support 50' coaxially with the longitudinal axis of said support 50 '. The satellite 53 meshes with the lower cage drive wheel 37 'and the upper cage drive wheel 38 coaxial and integral with the cage 30. The satellite 53, the upper cage drive wheel 38 and the lower wheel Cage drive 37 'form a differential gear, and the shaft 22 drives the cage 30 through this differential gear.

Thus, the second wheel (1b) drives the carousel 3 in rotation about its inclined axis BB through the cage gear comprising the intermediate mobile 34, the second sleeve 36, the lower cage drive wheel 37 ' , the satellite 53 and the upper cage drive wheel 38. The carousel 3 and its cage 30 thus pivot about their axis BB on the end 25 of the shaft 22 via the second bearing 44 already described in FIG. relationship with the first embodiment.

As in the first embodiment, the combination of the exhaust train and the cogwheel described above thus prints the carousel 3 a movement resembling that of a router. Indeed, the carousel 3 and the cage 30 rotate simultaneously about the axis BB, which is the axis of the cage 30, and the axis AA. As in relation to the first embodiment, the intersection of these two axes is still outside the cage 30, and the movement thus created is on the one hand very elegant to observe and on the other hand allows the carousel and therefore the pendulum never to remain in the same plane and to travel more positions than a traditional rotating regulating system. The shaft 22, the support 50 'and the satellite 53 of the cage train generates a physical clearance between the cage 30 and the plate / bridges (7) for producing a more pronounced spinning effect as in the first embodiment.

The above embodiments have been described by way of non-limiting example. It is obvious that modifications could be made without departing from the scope of the claimed invention. For example, the shaft 22 could not be bent, but have at its free end 25 an inclined face carrying the sleeve 26 (of a shape modified accordingly) and the intermediate wheel 27 and allowing the pivoting of the cage 30.

A timepiece movement is thus realized comprising a rotating regulating system moving like a router, thus offering an aesthetic effect and good performance in order to compensate for the differences in travel due to gravitation.

Claims (12)

1. A timepiece movement comprising a barrel, a finishing gear-train, an escapement (2a, 2b, 5), a regulating member (4, 6), said escapement (2a, 2b, 5) and said regulating member (4, 6) being mounted in a pivoting cage (30) arranged to be driven in rotation about a first axis (BB), the cage being mounted on a shaft (22) on which is also mounted, integral with the latter, an intermediate wheel (27) coaxial with the cage (30) and free to rotate relative to said cage (30), said intermediate wheel (27) being engaged with the pinion (2a) of the escapement, the shaft (22) being arranged to be rotated about a second axis (AA) forming a non-zero angle with the first axis (BB), characterised in that the intersection of the second axis (AA) and the first axis (BB) is located outside the cage (30).
2. A movement according to claim 1, characterised in that the shaft (22) is arranged to drive the cage (30) by means of a differential gear (37, 38, 51, 52; 37', 38, 53).
3. A movement according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the second axis (A-A) is substantially perpendicular to the plane of movement.
4. A movement according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the angle between the first axis (B-B) and the second axis (A-A) is about 20°.
5. A movement according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the shaft (22) is integral with a drive pinion (20), the shaft (22) being arranged to pivot in a fixed element (7) of the movement via a ball bearing (40).
6. A movement according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the shaft is a pivoting shaft (22) bent having a first portion (23) having as an axis the second axis (A-A) and a second portion (24) having as an axis the first axis (B-B).
7. A movement according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the cage (30) is arranged to be rotated about the first axis (BB) by a gear-train comprising a first wheel and a second wheel (37, 38) and a first and a second intermediate mobile (51, 52) of respective axes not parallel to the second axis (A-A) and mounted on a support (50) integral with the shaft (22) itself arranged to be rotated around the second axis (AA) by a mobile (1a, 1b) of the finishing gear-train, the first wheel (37) being coaxial with the second axis (A-A) and fixed with respect to the movement plate, the second wheel (38) being coaxial and secured to the cage (30).
8. A movement according to the preceding claim, characterised in that the first intermediate mobile (51) is engaged with the first wheel (37) and the second intermediate mobile (52) which is itself also engaged with the second wheel (38).
9. A movement according to one of the claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the cage (30) is arranged to be rotated about the first axis (B-B) by a gear-train comprising a first wheel and a second wheel (37, 38) and an intermediate wheel (53) with an axis not parallel to the second axis (A-A) and mounted on a support (50) integral with the shaft (22), the first wheel (37') being arranged to be driven in rotation about the second axis (A-A) by a mobile (1a, 1b) of the finishing gear-train, the second wheel (38) being coaxial and integral with the cage (30) and the intermediate wheel (53) being engaged with each of the first and second wheels (37, 38).
10. A movement according to one of claims 7 to 9, characterised in that said mobile of the finishing gear-train is a seconds-mobile comprising a seconds-wheel (1b) and a seconds-pinion (1a).
11. A movement according to one of claims 7 to 10, characterised in that the cage (30) is arranged to pivot on the shaft (22) by means of a ball bearing (44) comprising an inner ring (43) integral with a sleeve (26) mounted on the shaft (22) and an outer ring (45) integral with the second wheel (38).
12. A timepiece comprising a movement according to one of claims 1 to 11.

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