EP2671121B1 - Display device of a mechanical timepiece - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to display devices for seconds and fractions of seconds, in particular in a timepiece and a mechanical timepiece including a wristwatch provided with such a display device.

Document is known CH 697433 a timepiece comprising a chronograph mechanism whose display includes a hundredths of a second counter needle in the center performing a lap in one second cooperating with a scale indicating the hundredths of seconds. This display further comprises a seconds counter and a concentric minute counter, but both eccentric with respect to the hundredth of a second counter.

Document is also known EP 1359479 a lightning-seconds timepiece whose display comprises a tenth of seconds in the center and an eccentric seconds counter, or in a second embodiment an eccentric tenth of seconds counter and a seconds counter in the center.

These displays are impractical and unreadable because the user can not read at a glance the seconds and fractions of seconds.

The object of the present invention is to allow a quick and safe easy reading, the indication of the second and a fraction of seconds of the current time or a timed time and which thus obviates the disadvantages of the display devices existing.

The invention relates to a timepiece as defined in claim 1.

The invention also relates to a timepiece including a wristwatch provided with such a display device seconds and fraction of seconds.

• La figure 1 est une vue en plan du chronographe bracelet équipé du dispositif d'affichage de secondes et de fraction de secondes, ici des dixièmes, de secondes.
• Les figures 2 et 3 illustrent partiellement le mécanisme d'entraînement de l'aiguille de fraction de secondes et de l'aiguille des secondes, en coupe respectivement en plan.

The accompanying drawing illustrates schematically and by way of example a wristwatch chronograph provided with the display device according to the invention and a drive mechanism thereof.

• The figure 1 is a plan view of the wristwatch chronograph equipped with the display device seconds and fraction of seconds, here tenths, seconds.
• The figures 2 and 3 partially illustrate the driving mechanism of the fractional seconds hand and the seconds hand, in section respectively in plan.

The illustrated chronograph comprises a housing 1, provided with horns for fixing a bracelet, and enclosing a clockwork movement provided with a chronograph mechanism. This chronograph comprises two pushers 2, 3 for controlling the chronograph mechanism and a winding crown 4 for setting the time and winding of the movement in a traditional manner.

This chronograph comprises a dial 5 provided with a 6 hour turn and a railroad minute 7 respectively cooperating with a hand hours 8 of the current time and a minute hand 9 of the current time. These graduations 6, 7 and these needles 8, 9 are concentric with the dial 5.

The chronograph further comprises a chronograph minute counter having a 30 minute scale carried by the dial at three o'clock and a chronograph minute hand 11, driven by the chronograph mechanism of the movement, concentric with the chrono minute scale 10.

In this embodiment the chronograph further comprises a small seconds display of the current time comprising a scale of sixty seconds 12 carried by the dial 5 at nine o'clock cooperating with a hand of

The invention also relates to a timepiece including a wristwatch provided with such a display device seconds and fraction of seconds.

• La figure 1 est une vue en plan du chronographe bracelet équipé du dispositif d'affichage de secondes et de fraction de secondes, ici des dixièmes de secondes.
• Les figures 2 et 3 illustrent partiellement le mécanisme d'entraînement de l'aiguille de fraction de secondes et de l'aiguille des secondes, en coupe respectivement en plan.

The accompanying drawing illustrates schematically and by way of example a wristwatch chronograph provided with the display device according to the invention and a drive mechanism thereof.

• The figure 1 is a plan view of the wristwatch chronograph equipped with the display device seconds and fraction of seconds, here tenths of seconds.
• The figures 2 and 3 partially illustrate the driving mechanism of the fractional seconds hand and the seconds hand, in section respectively in plan.

The illustrated chronograph comprises a housing 1, provided with horns for fixing a bracelet, and enclosing a clockwork movement provided with a chronograph mechanism. This chronograph comprises two pushers 2, 3 for controlling the chronograph mechanism and a winding crown 4 for setting the time and winding of the movement in a traditional manner.

This chronograph comprises a dial 5 provided with a 6 hour turn and a railroad minute 7 respectively cooperating with a hand hours 8 of the current time and a minute hand 9 of the current time. These graduations 6, 7 and these needles 8, 9 are concentric with the dial 5.

The chronograph further comprises a chronograph minute counter having a 30 minute scale carried by the dial at three o'clock and a chronograph minute hand 11, driven by the chronograph mechanism of the movement, concentric with the chrono minute scale 10.

In this embodiment the chronograph further comprises a small seconds display of the current time comprising a scale of sixty seconds 12 carried by the dial 5 at nine o'clock cooperating with a hand of small seconds 13 of the current time caused by the movement of the chronograph.

The displays briefly described above are conventional and will not be further detailed.

The chronograph shown at figure 1 still has a display of seconds and fractions of seconds according to the invention. The split second display has a fractional second hand 14 pivoted in the center of the dial 5 and cooperating with a fractional scale graduation 15 concentric with the pivot axis of the fractional seconds hand 14 and the dial. 5.

In the illustrated example, the fractional seconds graduation 15 is located at the periphery of the dial outside the minute railway 7 and concentrically therewith.

This graduation of a fraction of a second extends over 360 ° and comprises index groups 16 each comprising a number of indexes 17 equal to the fraction of a second to be displayed, in the example illustrated, ten display indices will allow to display the tenth of a second.

In the illustrated example, the fractional seconds scale has twelve index groups 16 and the fractional second hand performs a complete revolution in twelve seconds. Some indexes 17 of each index group 16 are listed by numbers ranging from 0 to 10, only the numbers 0, 5 and 10 being used in the illustrated example to facilitate reading tenths of seconds.

The last index 17 of the twelfth index group 16 located in the example shown at 12 o'clock of the dial is listed by the number ten outside the fractional scale of seconds 15 and by the number zero inside of said graduation fraction of seconds. The fifth and tenth indexes of the first index group 16 are listed by the numbers five and ten affixed to the dial 5 within the fractional seconds scale. The last index 17 of the first index group 16, which is here the tenth index of this group, is also listed by a zero digit located on the dial 5 outside the fractional seconds scale. The fifth and tenth indexes 17 of the second index group 16 are listed by the numbers five and ten affixed to the dial outside the fractional split of seconds 15. The indexes 17 of the odd index groups are therefore listed by the digits corresponding to the tenth of seconds they represent affixed to the dial 5 within the fractional seconds scale 15, while the indexes of the even index groups 16 are listed by numbers corresponding to the tenth of seconds that they represent affixed to the dial 5 outside the fractional seconds scale. This makes it easy to view the different index groups and make it easier to read the fraction of seconds displayed.

The fractional seconds hand 14 is driven in steps of one-tenth of a second and traverses each group of indexes 16 in one second, so it performs a complete revolution in a number of seconds equal to the number of index groups. that includes the graduation of fraction of seconds.

The seconds display further comprises a seconds hand 18 at the center cooperating with the minutes railroad 7. This seconds hand 18 performs a complete revolution in one minute and thus displays the seconds on the sixty graduations of the railroad of the minutes 7.

In the illustrated example, the timepiece provided with the display of seconds and fractions of seconds is a chronograph and the hands of the seconds 18 and fraction of seconds 14 are driven by the chronograph mechanism of the watch movement and therefore displays the timed time, on the figure 1 forty seconds and three tenths of a second.

Preferably one will choose a clockwork movement having a regulating member of a frequency of at least 5 H _z to ensure greater accuracy of the display. The frequency could be for example an integer multiple of 5 H _z .

In a variant where the timepiece is not a chronograph, the display formed by the fractional seconds hand, the fractional seconds scale, the seconds hand and the minute rail, allows display the seconds and fractions of seconds of the current time.

In a variant of the display, the fractional seconds scale may comprise a different number of index groups 16, at least one group. The maximum of these index groups is limited by the readability of the display. Generally, a fractional split of seconds having from one to twenty-four groups of indexes 16 will be preferred. The optimum is, however, a graduation of fraction of seconds comprising twelve index groups. The graduations or indexes zero and ten of each index group then being in phase with the graduation of the railroad minutes from five to five, which ensures a good readability of the display.

Of course each index group 16 has a number of indexes 17 corresponding to the fraction of seconds to be displayed. Instead of ten indexes 17 per index group five indexes 17 per index group can be envisaged to indicate the fifths of seconds and not the tenths of seconds.

In a particular embodiment, it is possible to have a fractional scale of seconds comprising only one index group. The number of indexes of this unique group can for example be one hundred if one wants to display the hundredths of a second.

In general, the fractional seconds scale comprises a number of indexes corresponding to an integer multiple of the number of steps that the fractional seconds hand takes in a complete cycle. By complete cycle is meant a movement of the needle of the fractions of seconds covering the entire extent of the corresponding graduation of fractions of seconds.

In the illustrated example the display of seconds and fraction of seconds is at the center of the dial of a timepiece. In this configuration, the hour hand 8 and the minute hand 9 of the current time are concentric with the needles 18 seconds and fractions of seconds 14 timed time. In variants, the fractional second hand and fractional second graduation could be eccentric from the dials and form an off-center fractional seconds counter, the second hand and the second graduation being concentric to the display. fraction of seconds.

In general, the device always comprises a fractional split of seconds comprising one or more index groups each comprising a number of indexes corresponding to the fraction of seconds to be displayed.

The fractional seconds hand has a rotational speed less than one revolution per minute, depending on the number of index groups of the fractional seconds graduation. The seconds hand does one revolution per minute.

When the display of seconds and fractions of seconds is used in connection with a watch movement without a chronograph, this display shows the current time. In the case of a watch movement equipped with a chronograph mechanism, the display of seconds and fractions of seconds displays the timed time. In this case, the display may comprise a split second hand and a second seconds hand.

When the second and fractional seconds display device is used in connection with a watch movement without a chronograph mechanism, the second hand and the second fraction hand can be continuously driven. fractional seconds hand at a speed defined by the number of index groups of the fractional seconds graduation, from the movement train, in particular the average wheel by a reference or a suitable gear train.

When the second and fractional seconds display device is used in connection with a clockwork movement comprising a counter mechanism, the latter comprises a seconds counter and a fractional seconds counter whose counter wheel performs a complete tour in as many of seconds that the fraction of a second scale has an index group 16. Thus the counter wheel of this fractional seconds counter performs a complete revolution in as many successive steps as the fraction of seconds scale comprises of index 17.

In a variant of the display, the second hand can perform a complete turn in less than one minute. For example, the graduation of seconds may include thirty indexes distributed over a circumference of 360 ° and the corresponding seconds hand then performs a complete revolution in thirty seconds.

In general, the second hand takes a turn in no more than one minute. Preferably, the second hand performs one revolution or cycle per minute and the fractional seconds hand one revolution or cycle in twelve seconds. In a variant, the second hand performs a turn or cycle in one minute and the fractional second hand performs a turn or cycle in one second.

The figure 2 illustrates a portion of a chronograph mechanism for driving the fractional seconds hand. This mechanism comprises a second axis 20 integral with a second wheel board of the finishing gear train 21 and its pinion 22 and a second wheel board of the chronograph gear train 23. This chronograph wheel seconds wheel board 23 is continuously engaged with a chronograph clutch wheel 24 pivoted to a chronograph clutch rocker 25, itself pivoted concentrically to the second axis 20. When the chronograph is running, the position illustrated in FIG. figure 2 , the chronograph clutch rocker 25 maintains the chronograph clutch wheel 24 meshing with the toothing of a chronograph wheel 28 bearing the second chronograph hand 29. A chronograph seconds wheel of the chronograph gear wheel 30 is driven on the second axis 20 and is engaged with a clutch wheel of the fractions of seconds 31 rotated on a clutch rocker of the fractions of seconds 32 itself concentrically rotated to the second axis 20.

When the chronograph is running, the position shown in figure 2 the seconds fraction clutch rocker 32 holds the clutch wheel of the fractional seconds 31 in engagement with a pinion of the fractional seconds 33 whose axis 34 carries the fractional seconds hand 35.

This chronograph mechanism therefore provides two clutch rockers 25, 32, one carrying the second clutch wheel 24 and the other carrying the fraction clutch wheel 31 seconds.

In a variant, the chronograph mechanism may comprise a single rocker on which are pivoted on the one hand the clutch wheel seconds 24 and other by the fraction of seconds clutch wheel 31.

In variants of the display device, the second hand and / or fractional seconds hand may be replaced by a disk or other movable indicator member bearing the corresponding graduation and moving opposite a marker. In this case the marks can be a counter or a fixed mark of the dial.

In the embodiments described above, the moving seconds and fractions of seconds indicators always turn in the same direction and cooperate with corresponding graduations or marks extending over 360 °.

In other embodiments, the display device for seconds and fractions of seconds may be retrograde. In this case the movable indicators of seconds and fractions of seconds are always concentric but cooperate with corresponding graduations or markers, concentric too, extending over a sector of circle only.

• un indicateur mobile de secondes concentrique à un indicateur mobile de fraction de secondes,
• une graduation ou un repère de secondes coopérant avec l'indicateur mobile de secondes,
• une graduation ou un repère de fraction de secondes coopérant avec l'indicateur mobile de fraction de secondes comportant un ou plusieurs groupes d'index comprenant chacun autant d'index que de fraction de secondes à afficher,
• l'indicateur mobile de fraction de secondes parcourant la graduation ou défilant devant le repère de fraction de secondes en autant de secondes que cette graduation de fraction de secondes comporte de groupes d'index et ce en moins d'une minute.

In a preferred manner, the display of seconds and fractions of seconds comprises:

• a moving seconds indicator concentric with a moving seconds fraction indicator,
• a graduation or a seconds mark cooperating with the moving seconds indicator,
• a scale or a fractional seconds marker cooperating with the movable seconds fraction indicator comprising one or more index groups each comprising as many indexes as fractional seconds to be displayed,
• the movable fractional seconds indicator traversing the graduation or scrolling in front of the fractional seconds marker in as many seconds as this fractional seconds scale has index groups in less than one minute.

It should be noted that if this display of seconds and fractions of seconds always comprises a movable indicator of concentric seconds to a movable indicator of fractions of seconds, the graduations corresponding to each of these moving indicators are not necessarily concentric. For example, it is possible to have a circular or circular sector graduation of seconds and an elliptical or oval fractional or elliptical sector fraction graduation provided that these graduations are arranged in such a way as to be able to cooperate with indicators. concentric motives.

Thanks to this concentric arrangement of the mobile seconds indicator and the mobile fraction seconds indicator, the user can at a glance quickly and reliably read the number of seconds and the fraction number of seconds. seconds of current or timed time. This gives an optimal display that is easy to read.

When the display device described is used for a timepiece the graduations or marks of the seconds and / or fractions of seconds can be affixed to the dial or the bezel of this timepiece or on any other fixed part of it.

Claims (20)

1. Timepiece comprising a mechanical timepiece movement, a dial (15), a seconds display (7, 18) comprising a movable seconds indicator (18) and a fraction-of-seconds display (14, 15) comprising a movable fraction-of-seconds indicator (14) separate from the movable seconds indicator (18), both indicators being rotationally driven by a going train of the mechanical timepiece movement, characterised in that the movable seconds indicator (18) and the movable fraction-of-seconds indicator (14) are concentric.
2. Timepiece as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the movable seconds indicator (18) co-operates with or bears a seconds graduation (7) or marker, and in that the movable fraction-of-seconds indicator (14) co-operates with or bears a fraction-of-seconds graduation (15) or marker, having several groups of indices (16) each comprising as many indices (17) as there are fractions of seconds to be displayed, and in that the movable fraction-of-seconds indicator (14) sweeps the fraction-of-seconds graduation (15) or moves it in front of the marker in as many seconds as there are groups of indices (16) in this graduation.
3. Timepiece as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, characterised in that the movable fraction-of-seconds indicator (14) is rotationally driven in a stepped manner and sweeps the angular extent of a group of indices (16) of the fraction-of-seconds graduation (15) in as many steps as there are indices (17) in this group of indices (16).
4. Timepiece as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the fraction-of-seconds graduation (15) has 1 to 24 groups of indices (16) each comprising 5 to 100 indices (17).
5. Timepiece as claimed in claim 4, characterised in that the fraction-of-seconds graduation (14) has twelve groups of indices (16) each comprising ten indices (17).
6. Timepiece as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the movable seconds indicator (7, 18) and the movable fraction-of-seconds indicator (14, 15) are movable chronograph indicators, and in that the seconds graduation (7) and the fraction-of-seconds graduation (15) are chronograph graduations.
7. Timepiece as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the movable seconds indicator (18) co-operates with or bears a seconds graduation (7) comprising at the most sixty indices; and in that the movable seconds indicator (18) sweeps or moves in front of this graduation in at most one minute.
8. Timepiece as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the movable seconds indicator (18) sweeps or moves in front of the seconds graduation (7) comprising sixty indices in one minute.
9. Timepiece as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 8, characterised in that the seconds graduation (7) and the fraction-of secorlds graduation (15) are centred on a dial (5).
10. Timepiece as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 8, characterised in that the seconds graduation (7) and the fraction-of-seconds graduation (15) are eccentric with respect to a dial (5).
11. Timepiece as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 5, characterised in that the seconds graduation (7) and the fraction-of-seconds graduation (15) each extend over at least a sector of circle.
12. Timepiece as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the hour hand (9) and the minute hand (8) of the current time are concentric to the seconds hand (18) and the fraction-of-seconds hand (14) of the chronometered time.
13. Timepiece as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that it comprises a chronograph mechanism provided with a fraction-of-seconds timer (14, 15), the counter wheel of which is driven step by step; this counter wheel performing a complete cycle in as many seconds as there are groups of indices (16) in the fraction-of-seconds graduation.
14. Timepiece as claimed in claim 13, characterised in that it comprises a regulating member having a frequency of five hertz or an integer multiple of 5 Hz.
15. Timepiece as claimed in any one of claims 13 or 14, characterised in that it comprises a chronograph mechanism comprising a seconds coupling lever (25) and a fraction-of-seconds coupling lever (32).
16. Timepiece as claimed in any one of claims 13 to 15, characterised in that the two coupling levers (25, 32) are pivoted coaxially to a seconds wheel pinion staff (20) of the finishing going train.
17. Timepiece as claimed in claim 16, characterised in that the seconds coupling lever (25) bears a seconds coupling wheel (24) engaged with a chronographic going train seconds wheel plate (23) fixedly attached to the seconds pinion (22) and able to engage with a chronograph wheel (28) bearing a movable seconds indicator (29).
18. Timepiece as claimed in claim 17, characterised in that the fraction-of-seconds coupling lever (32) bears a fraction-of-seconds coupling wheel (31) engaged with a chronographic going train fraction-of-seconds wheel plate (30) coaxial to the seconds staff and able to engage with a fraction-of-seconds pinion (33) coaxial to the chronograph wheel, bearing a movable fraction-of-seconds indicator (35).
19. Timepiece as claimed in any one of claims 13 to 14, characterised in that it comprises a chronograph mechanism comprising a coupling lever on which there are pivoted a seconds coupling wheel (24) and a fraction-of-seconds coupling wheel (31).
20. Timepiece as claimed in any one of claims 13 to 19, characterised in that this timepiece is a wristwatch, in particular a chronograph worn on the wrist.

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