EP2443524B1 - Device for displaying the time in digital form in a timepiece having a mechanical movement - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

A digital display mechanical movement watch has a display area for identification of active digits for the designation of the current time only, and a plurality of display disks on which the digits of the minute units , tens of minutes and hours are divided.

STATE OF THE PRIOR ART

In a mechanical watch, it is customary to provide a time display with the needles mounted in rotation pointing to figures arranged on the periphery of a dial. Thus, conventionally, the figures are provided in a fixed manner. Conversely, there are some examples of timepieces with complications whose purpose is to provide different display modes.

For example, in EP 0 537 515 a display mode of n + m symbols, obtained by means of an upper disk, arranged behind the window of a cover plate, and a lower disk, placed behind the upper disk and comprising m sectors, are described. . One of the sectors of the upper disk consists of a transparent window, the other n + m sectors of the two disks carrying the symbols.

EP 1 818 737 discloses a watch movement comprising a twenty-four hours type display mechanism, comprising means for displaying the ten hours, a driving wheel driven by the movement, a first and a second boards driven by the drive wheel. The movement further comprises means for displaying the unit of hours comprising a first upper plate provided with regularly distributed angularly, of the following sequence: empty showing the lower plate, and the numbers 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, then, a second lower plate, at least partially covered by the upper plate in a zone d display, comprising, in a regularly distributed angular manner, the sequence of digits 0, 1, 2, 3.

EP 0 389 732 discloses a digital / analog display device for a timepiece comprising a roadway, consisting of an analog disk mounted on the road and having a window through which appears a digit carried by a digital disk coaxially mounted to the analog disk. The digital disk is rotated by the roadway by means of jumping means and its rotation relative to the analog disk is provided by an eccentric mobile provided with a finger driving each turn a toothed wheel secured to the digital disk.

In these three documents, the disks bearing the numbers or symbols are of relatively large size, without these numbers or symbols benefiting from an important display size. To accommodate them, a superimposed layout is provided. Such an arrangement leaves little flexibility in the workouts and requires a high energy level to run cumbersome parts.

WO2008 / 019512 presents a watch comprising a rotating hour dial and a rotary dial of coaxial mounted minutes. The dials or discs occupy the entire periphery of the case and each have a large number of small symbols or numbers. Such an arrangement further includes needles pointing to the relevant numbers or symbols. Such an arrangement does not correspond precisely to a digital display. In addition, readability can be difficult.

EP 1,906,266 describes a mechanical digital display having at least one digit consisting of seven segments for the display of characters Alphanumeric. Each segment is a rod that can pivot on its longitudinal axis. At least one pinion, integral with the stick, is arranged around each longitudinal axis adjacent to at least one end of said stick. The pivoting of the rods can be actuated by means of cams cooperating with each pinion. The sticks comprise at least two zones that are similar to a first and a second strip having a different aesthetic appearance. These strips are arranged along the length of the rod at different orientations, the orientation of the rods making it possible to make visible either the first or the second band. The display of an alphanumeric character is obtained by the dissimilarity of the aesthetic aspect between the first and the second band of the set of sticks. Pivoting one or more rods to substitute the first tape with the second tape or vice versa results in the display of different alphanumeric characters. Such an arrangement, with a rotation of elements around one or more axes oriented in planes parallel to that of the watch case, implies a construction with a large volume, particularly in terms of thickness. On the other hand, it is a relatively complex mechanism.

CH 691 833 discloses a watch having a display module for a timepiece provided with a jumping hours display and a retrograde minute display whose mechanism is driven by the roadway of a watch movement. The jumping hour display has a counter made in the dial of the timepiece through which a number from 1 to 12 or from 1 to 24 depending on the version, worn by a record of hours is visible. The minutes display comprises an eccentric needle relative to the display module cooperating with an arcuate graduation carried by the dial whose angular extent is less than 180 °. This document discloses an original display mode, but distinct from a digital type display.

Finally, CH 696 946 describes a timepiece comprising a central wheel performing a turn in x hours, where x is an integer greater than 1, and carrying x rotary satellites arranged at regular intervals on a circle centered on the axis of the central wheel and bearing time indicators distributed on the satellites at a rate of 12 / x or 24 / x time indicators by satellite, a minute graduation extending over a 360 ° arc / x centered on the axis of the central wheel and at least one fixed member driving in turn the satellites a fraction of a revolution at each turn of the central wheel, the assembly being arranged so that the hour numbers move successively next to the minute graduation.

Finally, it is noted that the known devices comprising rotary discs provided with numbers or other symbols occupy considerable volumes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To avoid being in such a context, and in particular to avoid the use of too large disks, the invention provides various technical means.

Firstly, a first object of the invention is to provide a mechanical movement watch having a digital display whose figures allow excellent readability, especially by their size in relation to the size of the watch, but whose mechanism drives and the discs themselves occupy a small space.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mechanical movement watch having a digital display with a mechanism for presenting the complete numbers in virtually all phases.

• un ensemble d'affichage des unités de minutes, dans lequel les chiffres sont répartis sur une pluralité de disques des unités de minutes liés à des roues satellites gravitant autour d'une roue fixe des unités de minutes, l'ensemble étant monté dans une cage des unités de minutes ;
• un ensemble d'affichage des dizaines de minutes, dans lequel l'ensemble des chiffres des dizaines est réparti sur le pourtour d'au moins un disque des dizaines de minutes, ce disque étant monté sur une roue des dizaines ;
• un ensemble d'affichage des heures, dans lequel les chiffres sont répartis sur une pluralité de disques des heures liés à des roues satellites gravitant autour d'une roue fixe des heures, l'ensemble étant monté dans une cage des heures.

To do this, the invention provides a digital display watch comprising a display area for identification of the active digits for the designation of the current time (only), a plurality of display discs on which the numbers of the units minutes, tens of minutes and hours are distributed, in which the layout of the display disks has three sets:

• a set of display units of minutes, wherein the numbers are distributed over a plurality of disks of minutes units linked to satellite wheels revolving around a fixed wheel units of minutes, the assembly being mounted in a cage units of minutes;
• a set of display tens of minutes, in which the set of tens figures is distributed around the periphery of at least one disc tens of minutes, this disc being mounted on a tens wheel;
• a set of hours display, wherein the numbers are distributed over a plurality of hours discs linked to satellite wheels revolving around a fixed hour wheel, the assembly being mounted in a cage hours.

Such an arrangement allows to write on the disks figures whose size allows excellent readability, without the disks have an excessive size, requiring a bulky, massive and unsightly housing.

According to an advantageous embodiment, in the set of display units of minutes, the digits are distributed on five disks units of minutes each bearing two digits.

According to another advantageous embodiment, the display disks of the display unit of minutes units are arranged so that each display disk has alternatively one of its two digits in the display area.

Still according to another advantageous embodiment, the display unit of minutes units comprises a jump control arranged so that the display of the digits of the minute units is changed substantially instantaneously with each rotation of an angular value of 1/5 turn of the minute cage (every minute).

According to an alternative embodiment, the display unit of tens of minutes comprises a single disk of tens of minutes on which all the digits are distributed around the periphery of said disk.

According to another variant, the display assembly of tens of minutes comprises a jump control arranged so that every two laps of the cage minutes (or ten minutes) a rotation of a sixth of a revolution tens disk minutes is generated.

The display unit hours is advantageously arranged so that the figures are distributed on four hours discs each carrying three digits.

According to yet another variant embodiment, the display discs of the hour display assembly are arranged so that each hour disc present in the display area, at each turn of the cage, alternately one of his three figures.

Advantageously, the hours display assembly comprises a jump control arranged so that at each complete revolution of the disk tens of minutes (every hour) a rotation of the cage of the quarter-turn hours is generated. .

The display area preferably consists of a window.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

• la Figure 1 est une vue de dessus d'une montre mécanique à affichage digital selon l'invention;
• la Figure 2 est une représentation schématique des arrangements de disques permettant de concrétiser les multiples combinaisons requises pour afficher toutes les heures d'une journée ;
• la Figure 3 est une représentation schématique des arrangements avec roues fixes et roues satellites pour les ensembles d'affichage des unités de minutes et des heures ;
• la Figure 4 présente de façon exhaustive les éléments mécaniques permettant le fonctionnement de la montre, et plus particulièrement la génération des sauts;
• la Figure 5 illustre la configuration du mécanisme lors d'une phase de début de cycle de génération de saut;
• la Figure 6 illustre la configuration du mécanisme lors d'une seconde phase de début de cycle de génération de saut;
• la Figure 7 illustre la configuration du mécanisme lors d'une troisième phase d'un cycle de génération de saut;
• la Figure 8 illustre la configuration du mécanisme lors d'une phase ultérieure d'un cycle de génération de saut;
• la Figure 9 illustre la configuration du mécanisme lors d'une phase en fin de cycle de génération de saut;
• la Figure 10 illustre la configuration du mécanisme lors d'une autre phase en fin de cycle de génération de saut.

All the details of realization are given in the description which follows, completed by the Figures 1 to 10 , presented solely for the purpose of non-limiting examples, in which like references indicate like elements, and in which:

• the Figure 1 is a top view of a mechanical watch with digital display according to the invention;
• the Figure 2 is a schematic representation of the disk arrangements that make it possible to realize the multiple combinations required to display all the hours of a day;
• the Figure 3 is a schematic representation of arrangements with fixed wheels and satellite wheels for display units of minutes and hours;
• the Figure 4 exhaustively presents the mechanical elements allowing the operation of the watch, and more particularly the generation of jumps;
• the Figure 5 illustrates the configuration of the mechanism during a start phase of the jump generation cycle;
• the Figure 6 illustrates the configuration of the mechanism during a second phase of beginning of the jump generation cycle;
• the Figure 7 illustrates the configuration of the mechanism during a third phase of a jump generation cycle;
• the Figure 8 illustrates the mechanism configuration at a later phase of a hop generation cycle;
• the Figure 9 illustrates the configuration of the mechanism during a phase at the end of the jump generation cycle;
• the Figure 10 illustrates the configuration of the mechanism during another phase at the end of the jump generation cycle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The figure 1 illustrates a watch 100 with digital display according to the invention. The housing 101 of the watch has a window 102 for displaying the time in digital form. In this example, the glass 104 is semi-transparent, suggesting some mechanical elements of the device for interchanging the numbers according to the time to display. Note that the numbers 140 have a significant dimension, providing excellent readability, while the housing retains a conventional size for a mechanical watch.

As presented to the Figure 2 , the time is displayed in a display area by the rotation of three sets 110, 120 and 130 of disks on which are written the digits 140 relating to the minutes (digits from 0 to 9), to the tens of minutes (digits from 0 to 5) and hours (digits from 1 to 12) in a twelve-hour display configuration.

• un disque avec les chiffres 0 - 5
• un disque avec les chiffres 1 - 6
• un disque avec les chiffres 2 - 7
• un disque avec les chiffres 3 - 8
• un disque avec les chiffres 4 - 9

The three sets first comprise a set 110 of disks of minute units housed in a cage 115 minutes, as shown in FIG. figure 2 . In this embodiment, five minute disks 111 rotate about the central axis of the minute cage while rotating on themselves. The combination of these two rotational movements makes it possible to present in turn all the minute digits in the window 102. The minute cage 115 integrates the five disks 111 on which are arranged the digits 140 minutes. Each minute disc has two numbers, as follows:

• a disc with the numbers 0 - 5
• a disc with the numbers 1 - 6
• a disc with the numbers 2 - 7
• a disc with the numbers 3 - 8
• a disc with the numbers 4 - 9

A set of discs 120 tens of minutes is also provided. In the illustrated example, the set of tens disks comprises a single disk121 of tens of minutes on which all the digits of the tens are distributed.

• un disque avec les chiffres 1 - 5 - 9
• un disque avec les chiffres 2 - 6 -10
• un disque avec les chiffres 3 - 7 -11
• un disque avec les chiffres 4 - 8 -12

The set of hour discs 130 constitutes the third set. This assembly is housed in a 135-hour cage incorporating a set of four disks 131 for displaying the hours, as shown in FIG. Figure 2 . Each hours disk 131 has three digits, as follows:

• a disc with the numbers 1 - 5 - 9
• a record with the numbers 2 - 6 -10
• a disc with the numbers 3 - 7 -11
• a disc with the numbers 4 - 8 -12

The set 130 of hour discs is provided so that the disks 131 of the hours circulate in a double rotational movement, comparable to that of the set 110 of disks minutes

The display of the time is jumping, that is to say that the numbers are presented so as to remain fully visible as long as there is no jump generated. When you reach a jump phase, the display changes instantly or almost every sixty seconds. This avoids presenting configurations in which a slow rotating disk would present portions of two successive digits in the window.

The figure 3 shows the drive mode of the disks of the different sets. A mechanism (described later) rotates the minute cage 115 once per minute by 1/5 of a turn. The cage 115 drives the five disks 111 with it and turns them on themselves by half a turn each time by gearing of planet wheels 113 integral discs 111 on a fixed wheel 112. The ratio between the fixed wheel 112 and the satellite wheels 113 is 3/2. All the minute discs 111 thus rotate 2.5 times for a complete revolution of the minute cage 115. Each disc thus presents in the display area, at each turn of the cage, alternatively one of its two digits. .

The set 110 of disks minutes is arranged so that first appears the digit "0" of the first disk, then the number "1" of the second disk, then the number "2" of the third disk, etc. After a complete turn it is the number "5" of the first disc which this time will appear, etc.

The display is repeated every two turns, every ten minutes. Thus, every two turns of the minute cage, in intervals of ten minutes, the mechanism triggers the rotation of the disc tens a 1/6 of a turn.

At each complete revolution of the disk 121 tens, or every hour, the mechanism triggers the rotation of the cage 135 hours a quarter of a turn. The hour cage 135 drives the four discs 131 with it and rotates them by themselves by 210 ° each gear planet wheels 133 integral disks 131 on a fixed wheel 132. The ratio between the fixed wheel 132 and the planet wheels 133 is 4/3. All the disks of the hours 131 turn thus of 210 ° × 4, that is to say two turns 1/3 for a complete turn of the cage of the hours 135. Each disc thus presents in the zone of display, with each turn of the cage, alternatively one of his three figures.

The set of hours disks 130 is arranged so that first appears the number "1" of the first disk, then the number "2" of the second, and so on. After a complete turn it is the number "5" of the first disc, then the number "6" of the second disc, etc. After a second round, the number "9" appears, then the number "10" of the second disc, etc. The display is repeated every three turns.

The figure 4 shows the main elements of the mechanical chain for the implementation of the watch 100. A corresponding nomenclature is provided at the end of this description.

Kinematic display jumps

As can be seen at Figure 5 at 12.59 mn and 59 s, the three spiral springs 8, 14 and 19 are armed. Piton side, they are respectively secured to the wheels 7, 13 and 20. The ferrule side, they are integral with the axis of the cages hours and minutes and tens disk. It is the continuous rotation of the wheels 7, 13 and 20 which arms the springs side piton while the ferrule side they are fixed, prevented from turning by the locking indexes 4, 10 and 16 shown at the Figure 4 .

To the Figure 6 at 12 h 00 min 00 s, the actuator lever 2 drops the snail 1 causing the minute locking index 4 which releases the rotation of the minute cage driven by the winding spring 8. The display disks minutes are rotating.

The figure 7 shows the fall of the actuating lever 2 which continues and releases the minute locking index 4 which returns to the contact of the minute jump wheel 6, ready to block the rotation when it has performed 1/5 of a turn .

During the rotation of the minute cage, the actuator finger 9 rotates the locking index 10 of the tens disk, thus freeing the rotation of the tens disk, as presented in FIG. Figure 8 .

To the Figure 9 it is observed that during the rotation of the tens disk, the actuator finger 15 (see FIG. Figure 4 ) rotates the locking index 16 of the hour cage, thus freeing the rotation of the cage and the hour discs. At the same time, the actuator finger 4 has blocked the rotation of the minute cage. The number "0" minutes is now displayed.

The dozens locking index 10 returns to the contact of the tens jump wheel 12 and is ready to block the rotation of the tens disk when it has performed 1/6 turn.

The tens locking index 10 blocks the rotation of the tens disk when the latter has made 1/6 turn. The digit "0" of the tens is displayed, as shown in Figure 10 . The hour lock index 16 returns to contact with the hour jump wheel 18 and blocks rotation of the hour cage after% turn. The number "1" of hours is displayed. The set is locked again until the next jump.

In a similar and continuous way, the triggering of the jumps is repeated every minute for the display of the minutes, every ten minutes for the display of the tens, and every hour for the display of the hours.

The figures and their descriptions made above illustrate the invention rather than limiting it. In particular, the invention and its various variants have just been described in rotation with a particular example comprising a single disk tens of minutes.

Nevertheless, it is obvious to a person skilled in the art that the invention can be extended to other embodiments in which, in variants, several disks are provided for the tens (for example three two-digit disks) to further reduce the footprint. The gain obtained is nevertheless only height. For another variant comprising two three-digit disks, the volume gain would be substantially zero. Moreover, other variants include other digit display provisions, such as visual cues, one or more windows, a visual cue on a transparent dial such as a drawn frame, or a transparent area in reserve in an opalescent, semi-transparent, textured, openwork surface, etc. Finally, for a configuration with a twenty-four hour display, the mechanism of the invention can be used with, for example, a symbol, such as a white dot, which is displayed twelve hours a day.

The reference signs in the claims are not limiting in nature. The verbs "understand" and "include" do not exclude the presence of elements other than those listed in the claims. The word "a" preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements.

Nomenclature of internal elements (see Figure 4 ):

1 =

Limaon 1 lap / 5 min

2 =

Actuator lever 4

3 =

Spring return 2

4 =

Lock index of the minutes cage

5 =

Recoil spring of the locking index of the cage of minutes 4

6 =

Jumping minute wheel (attached to the minute cage)

7 =

Minute wheel 1 lap / 5 min

8 =

Spiral spring of the jumping minutes

9 =

Actuator finger of the dozens 10 disc locking index, secured to the 0-5 disk satellite wheel

10 =

Doz disk lock index

11 =

Return spring of the dozens 10 disc lock index

12 =

Tens jump wheel (secured to tens disk)

13 =

Wheel tens 1 turn / hour

14 =

Spiral spring for tens jumping

15 =

Finger actuator of the locking index of the cage of hours 16, integral with the disk of the tens

16 =

Lock index of the hour cage

17 =

Return spring of the hour cage locking index 16

18 =

Jumping hour wheel (secured to the hour cage)

19 =

Spiral spring for jumping hours

20 =

Hour wheel (partial view) 1 revolution / 4 hours

Claims (10)

1. A digital display watch comprising a display area allowing the identification of active digits used to designate the current time, a plurality of display disks (111, 121, 131) over which the minute and hour digits (140) are distributed, with the arrangement of display disks including an hour display assembly (130), wherein the digits are distributed over a plurality of hour disks (131) connected to planetary gears (133) orbiting around a fixed hour gear (132), the assembly being mounted inside an hour cage (135);
   characterized in that said arrangement of display disks comprises two other assemblies:

   • an assembly (110) for the display of minute units, wherein the digits are distributed over a plurality of minute units disks (111) connected to planetary gears (113) orbiting a fixed minute units gear (112), said assembly being mounted inside a minute units cage (115);

   • a tens-of-minutes display assembly (120), wherein the assembly of tens-of-minutes digits is distributed around the circumference of at least one tens-of-minutes disk (121 this disk being mounted on a tens gear.
2. The digital watch according to claim 1, wherein in the minute units display assembly (110) the digits (140) are distributed over five-minute units disks (111) each of which has two digits.
3. The digital display watch according to any one of claims 1 or 2, therein the display disks of the minute units display assembly (110) are arranged such that each display disk (111) alternately displays one of its two digits in the display area.
4. The digital display watch according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the minute units display assembly (110) comprises a jump control arranged such that the display of the minute units is changed substantially instantaneously whenever the minute cage (115) revolves through an angular distance of 1/5 of a full revolution.
5. The digital display watch according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the tens-of-minutes display assembly (120) comprises a single tens-of-minutes disk (121) on which the assembly of digits (140) is distributed around the circumference of said disk.
6. The digital display watch according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the tens-of-minutes display assembly (120) comprises a jump control arranged such that for every two revolutions of the minutes cage (115) a sixth of a full revolution of the tens-of-minutes disk (121) is produced.
7. The digital display watch according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the hour display assembly (130) is arranged such that the digits (140) are distributed over four hour disks (131) each of which has three digits.
8. The digital display watch according to claim 7, wherein the display disks (131) of the hour display assembly (130) are arranged such that, for every revolution of the cage, each hour disk alternately displays one of its three digits in the display area.
9. The digital display watch according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the hour display assembly (130) comprises a jump control arranged such that for every full revolution of the tens-of-minutes disk (121), 1/4 of a full revolution of the hours cage (135) is produced.
10. The digital display watch according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the display area comprises an aperture (102).

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