EP3451075B1 - Clock movement comprising a multiaxial tourbillon - Google Patents

Description

Field of the invention

The invention relates to a multiaxial vortex, that is to say at least biaxial, comprising a first cage, commonly called an external cage, pivotally mounted on two fixed bearings.

Invention background

In watchmaking, we know the tourbillons, also called "rotating cages", added to the escapement mechanisms to improve the precision of mechanical watches by counterbalancing the disruption of the balance isochronism due to earth's gravity.

We have known Good's bi-axial tourbillon since 1978, described in detail in "Alte Uhren" 4/79, and commonly called double tourbillon. This type of tourbillon has two nested cages. A first cage, called an external cage, is rotatably mounted relative to a frame of the movement, supported on either side by a first and a second bearing of the frame. A second cage is housed inside the first cage and is rotatably mounted relative to the external cage. The second cage pivots by means of a shaft which extends across the external cage and which is supported by the external cage. The shaft is integral in rotation with a pinion, said pinion being fixed on one end of the shaft located outside the external cage. The pinion is engaged with a wheel, fixed relative to the frame, the axis of which coincides with the axis of rotation of the external cage. A rotation of the second cage therefore causes a rotation of the pinion and thus its displacement along the toothing of the fixed wheel. This displacement causes a rotation of the shaft along the axis of rotation of the external cage and consequently a rotation of the external cage.

The rotations of the external cage are enabled by the cooperation between pivots of the external cage and timepieces driven into the bearings. The timepieces are in the form of drilled discs, which allow the pivots to be received and kept axially. It will be understood that moving aside or bringing the timepieces one relative to the other makes it possible to adjust the clearance of the external cage, and that jointly moving the two timepieces on the axis of rotation of the external cage allows very precise adjustment of the gear play, that is to say the distance between the pinion and the fixed wheel.

Currently, when it is desired to adjust the clearance of the external cage and / or the gear clearance between the pinion and the fixed wheel, the external cage must first of all be removed from the bearings on which it rests. More specifically, the pivots of the external cage must be removed from the timepieces. The timepieces are then found accessible and can thus be moved relative to the bearings along the axis of rotation of the external cage, conventionally by means of a jib to be driven out. Once the stones are positioned properly, the pivots of the external cage are replaced in the timepieces. Naturally, we understand that this way of proceeding is laborious.

The document DE 11 2012 000574 discloses a tourbillon comprising two cages including an external cage pivotally mounted on a frame.

Summary of the invention

The object of the present invention is to overcome the above-mentioned drawback by proposing a movement in which the clearance of the external cage and / or the play of gear between the pinion and the fixed wheel is adjustable in a simple manner without having to disassemble the tourbillon.

To this end, the invention provides a timepiece movement as defined in claim 1.

By means of the translation elements, it is possible to move the timepieces or the pivots, and thus adjust the distance between the two stones and / or the position of the cage on its axis of rotation, and by therefore the clearance of the external cage and / or the play of gear between the pinion and the fixed wheel.

Two embodiments can then be envisaged. A first embodiment is defined in claim 2.

We understand that the clearance of the external cage and the backlash between the pinion and the fixed wheel can thus be adjusted: by moving the timepieces one relative to the other, we adjust the clearance of the external cage, while by simultaneously moving the timepieces so as to move them in the same direction while maintaining the same distance between them, the gear play is adjusted.

A second embodiment is defined in claim 3.

Other advantageous variants of the invention, which can be considered alone or according to all technically possible combinations, are defined in claims 4 to 10.

Brief description of the drawings

• la figure 1 représente un tourbillon biaxial monté pivotant entre deux paliers selon un premier mode de réalisation de l'invention
• la figure 2 représente le tourbillon de la figure 1, monté pivotant entre les deux paliers selon un deuxième mode de réalisation de l'invention
• la figure 3 représente le tourbillon de la figure 1, monté pivotant entre les deux paliers selon un troisième mode de réalisation de l'invention
• la figure 4 représente le tourbillon de la figure 1, monté pivotant entre les deux paliers selon un quatrième mode de réalisation de l'invention.

Other particularities and advantages will emerge clearly from the description given below, by way of indication and in no way limitative, with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

• the figure 1 represents a biaxial vortex pivotally mounted between two bearings according to a first embodiment of the invention
• the figure 2 represents the whirlwind of the figure 1 , pivotally mounted between the two bearings according to a second embodiment of the invention
• the figure 3 represents the whirlwind of the figure 1 , pivotally mounted between the two bearings according to a third embodiment of the invention
• the figure 4 represents the whirlwind of the figure 1 , pivotally mounted between the two bearings according to a fourth embodiment of the invention.

Detailed description of preferred embodiments

The figures 1 to 4 show a tourbillon 40 held on either side by bearings 20, 30 of a frame 10 of a clockwork movement according to the invention.

The tourbillon 40 illustrated comprises two concentric cages, a first said external cage 41 and a second cage known as the internal cage 42. The internal cage 42 contains in particular a balance 50, a hairspring, an anchor and an escape wheel 51. The internal cage 42 is pivotally mounted on the outer cage 41 along an axis of rotation A2. Thus, the vortex 40 comprises a shaft 43 integral in rotation with the internal cage 42, and extending across the external cage 41 along the second axis of rotation A2. The shaft 43 has two ends, said two ends being supported by two timepieces positioned on two opposite walls of the external cage 41. One of the ends passes through the timepiece which supports it and thus comprises an end zone which s extends outside the external cage 41.

A pinion 60, commonly called second pinion, is mounted on this end zone so as to be integral in rotation with the shaft 43. The second pinion 60 has a toothing 61 engaged with a toothing 71 of a wheel 70, fixed relative to the frame 10, commonly known as the fixed mean wheel. The fixed mean wheel 70 is mounted concentric with the first bearing 20, and its axis extends along the axis of rotation A1 of the external cage 41, said axis of rotation A1 being perpendicular to the axis of rotation A2 of the cage internal 42, or even inclined at an angle between 30 and 150 degrees relative to the axis of rotation A2 of the internal cage 42.

A rotation of the internal cage 42, equivalent to a rotation of the shaft 43, therefore causes a rotation of the second pinion 60, which causes a rotation of the external cage 41 by means of the displacement of the second pinion 60 in the toothing 71 of the medium wheel 70.

The external cage 41 comprises a first pivot 44 supported by a first timepiece stone 52, and a second pivot 45 supported by a second timepiece stone 53. These pivots 44, 45, are positioned on the axis of rotation A1 of the outer cage 41, and secured to opposite walls of the outer cage 41. The first pivot 44, respectively the second pivot 45, has one end 46, respectively one end 47, passing through the first timepiece stone 52, respectively the second timepiece 53, along the axis of rotation A2 of the internal cage 42. The timepieces are in fact, conventionally, drilled in their center so as to receive the end of a pivot.

In the embodiment of the figure 1 , the first timepiece stone 52 is itself supported by a first translation element 80 housed in a first orifice 21 of the first bearing 20. The first timepiece stone 52 is integral with the first translation element 80. As for the second timepiece stone 53, it is supported by a second translation element 90 housed in a second orifice 31 of the second bearing 30. The second timepiece stone 53 is integral with the second translation element 90.

The orifices 21, 31, and a fortiori the translation elements 80, 90 housed in said orifices 21 31, extend along the axis of rotation A1 of the external cage 41, on either side of the external cage 41 Each translational element 80, 90 therefore has a first end located on the side of the external cage 41, facing one of the pivots 44, 45. The first timepiece stone 52 is maintained at the level from the end of the first translation element 80 located on the side of the external cage 41, while the second timepiece 53 is held at the end of the second translation element 90 located on the side of the cage external 41. The translation elements 80, 90 are for example hollow, and the timepieces 52, 53 are housed in these cavities. Naturally, the axis of the timepieces 52, 53 coincides with the axis of rotation A1 of the cage 41, the axis of the translation elements 80, 90 and the axis of the pivots 44, 45. It is understood that moving the translation elements 80, 90 makes it possible to move the timepieces 52, 53, the stones of watchmaking being integral with the translation elements.

To the figure 4 an alternative embodiment is shown in which the timepieces 52, 53 are not secured to the translation elements 80, 90, but secured to the frame 10. More precisely, the first timepiece 52 is secured to the first bearing 20, and the second timepiece 53 is integral with the second bearing 30. In addition, the first translation element 80 is in abutment against the end 46 of the first pivot 44, and the second translation element 90 is in abutment against the end 47 of the second pivot 45. It is therefore understood that moving the translation elements 80, 90 makes it possible to move the pivots 44, 45 relative to the timepieces 52, 53.

In the embodiment of the figure 1 , as in that of figure 4 , at its end opposite to that located on the side of the outer cage 41, each translation element 80, 90 comprises actuating means 82, 92. By cooperation between a tool and the actuating means 82, 92, the translation elements 80, 90 can be moved. The actuating means 82, 92 are accessible from the outside via the orifices 21, 31. The two translation elements 80, 90 can thus be moved along the axis of rotation A1 of the external cage 41 by means of the actuating means 82, 92.

Advantageously, the first translation element 80 and the second translation element 90 are two sockets at least partially threaded. In the example shown, each of these sockets has a threaded cylindrical portion 81, 91 and a non-threaded cylindrical portion. The threaded portion 81, 91 has a diameter less than the diameter of the non-threaded portion. Naturally, since it receives one of the translation elements, each orifice 21, 31 comprises a tapped cylindrical portion 22, 32 of the same diameter as the threaded portions 81, 91, and a non-tapped cylindrical portion of the same diameter as the non-threaded portions. When the translation elements 80, 90 are elements at least partially threaded, in particular bushes, the actuation means 82, 92 are typically a slot in which a screwdriver can be inserted in order to impose a helical movement on the elements of translation 80, 90.

Furthermore, it is advantageous to provide the movement with a repositioning element. The presence of a repositioning element is optional. The repositioning element ensures that the external cage remains or returns immediately to its initial position when it is subjected to an impact.

In an embodiment shown in figure 2 and constituting an improvement in the embodiment of the figure 1 , the repositioning element is a magnet 100 housed in a cavity of the second translation element 90, and thus secured to the second translation element 91. The magnet 100 is held against the second timepiece 53, and more particularly of the side of the second timepiece 53 which is opposite to the side where the outer cage 41 is located. As mentioned previously, the second timepiece 53 is drilled in its center so as to receive the end 47 of the second pivot 45 , the bore extending along the axis of rotation A1 of the external cage 41, between the face of the second timepiece stone 53 located on the side of the external cage 41, and the opposite face. The magnet 100 therefore finds itself in contact with or at least in close proximity to said end 47 of the second pivot 45. By choosing a material suitable for the second pivot 45, for example iron, a force of attraction is present between the magnet 100 and the second pivot 45.

To the figure 2 , the magnet has been shown in combination with the embodiment of the figure 1 , but we understand that it could have been combined with the embodiment of the figure 4 . In the embodiment of the figure 4 , it would suffice to create a cavity in the second translation element 90, said cavity opening at the end 47 of the second pivot 45, and to position the magnet 100 in this cavity so that the magnet is in contact with the end 47.

If the movement undergoes a shock moving the external cage 41 away from the second bearing 30, the magnet 100 ensures that the second pivot 45, and a fortiori the external cage 41, returns to its initial position. More generally, the addition of a magnetic element near or in contact with one of the pivots 44, 45 of the external cage 41 allows this pivot to be maintained or brought back into forced abutment against the stone. timepiece 52, 53 which supports this pivot 44, 45. This forced support guarantees an invariable position of the external cage 41 and by the same token a uniform gear spacing between the pinion 60 and the fixed wheel 70. Conventionally , the center distance between the pinion and the fixed wheel must be accurate to within 0.02 millimeters and the clearance of an external tourbillon cage is of the order of 0.05 millimeters maximum; we therefore understand that it is advantageous to force the support of one of the pivots against its timepiece.

In the embodiment shown in figure 3 , the repositioning element is a spring 101 and piston 102 assembly, this time installed on the side of the first translation element 80. It is noted that the actuating means 82 of the first translation element 80 are then not accessible since the spring 101 and the piston 102 block access to said actuating means 82 and since the first orifice 21 is not through. Thus, only the second translation element 90 can be moved via the access to the actuating elements 92 through the second orifice 31.

The axis of the piston 102 passes through the first translation element 80 along the axis of rotation A1 of the external cage 41 and presses against the end 46 of the first pivot 44. The head of the piston 102, outside the first element 80, is in abutment against the spring 101, which also extends along the axis of rotation A1 of the external cage 41. The spring 101 is housed in the first orifice 21 of the first bearing 20, said first orifice 21 also containing the first translation element 80. As mentioned previously, the first orifice 21 does not is not through: at its end opposite to the piston 102, the spring 101 can therefore press against a wall of the first orifice 21. When the movement is subjected to a shock moving the outer cage 41 from the second bearing 20, the first pivot 44 exerts pressure against the piston 102, reverberating at the level of the piston head on the spring 101 and compressing said spring 101. Seeking to return to its initial position, the spring 101 moves the piston 102 in the direction of the external cage 41, the axis piston 102 then exerting pressure against the first pivot 44 which causes the outer cage 41 to return to its initial position.

To the figure 3 , it has been shown that the first translational element 80 is of the type presented in the figure 1 , but of course nothing would prevent it from being of the type presented to the figure 4 : It would suffice to produce in the first translational element 80 a cavity passing through it on either side, to insert the axis of the piston 102. In addition, nothing would prevent the second translational element 90 either of the type presented to the figure 4 .

Of course, the present invention is not limited to the example illustrated but is susceptible to various variants and modifications which will appear to those skilled in the art. In particular, the tourbillon could include more than two cages, the invention above all concerning the fixing of the external cage.

List of references

10

built

20

first level
21 first port
22 internal thread

30

second level
31 second port
32 internal thread

40

whirlwind
41 outer cage
42 internal cage
43 tree
44 first pivot
45 second pivot

50

pendulum

51

escape wheel

52

foundation stone of watchmaking

53

second watchmaking stone

60

pinion
61 teeth

70

fixed wheel
71 teeth

80

first translation element
81 thread
82 actuation means

90

second translation element
91 thread
92 actuation means

100

magnet

101

spring

102

piston

Claims (10)

1. Watch movement including a frame (10) comprising a first bearing (20) and a second bearing (30), and a tourbillon (40) comprising two cages, of which one cage is known as the external cage (41),
   the external cage (41) being mounted in a pivoting manner on the frame (10) between the first bearing (20) and the second bearing (30), the movement comprising in addition two watch jewels (52, 53) supporting two pivots (44, 45) of the external cage (41),
   characterized in that the movement includes two translational elements (80, 90) capable of displacement in relation to the bearings (20, 30) in the axis of rotation (A1) of the external cage (41) in the assembled position of the external cage (41) on the frame (10), so as to cause a displacement of the watch jewels (52, 53) or a displacement of the pivots (44, 45).
2. Watch movement according to Claim 1, characterized in that each translational element (80, 90) is integral with one of the watch jewels (52, 53).
3. Watch movement according to Claim 1, characterized in that each watch jewel (52, 53) is integral with a bearing (20, 30), and at least one of the translational elements (80, 90) is in contact with one extremity (46, 47) of one of the pivots (44, 45) or with a repositioning element (100, 101, 102), which is itself in contact with one extremity (46, 47) of one of the pivots (44, 45).
4. Watch movement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each translational element (80, 90) includes actuating means (82, 92) that are accessible via an orifice (21, 31) of the bearing (10, 20) which supports said translational element (80, 90).
5. Watch movement according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the actuating means (82, 92) comprise a slot for the insertion therein of a tool such as a screwdriver.
6. Watch movement according to one of Claims 4 or 5, characterized in that each translational element (80, 90) is a sleeve comprising a thread (81, 91) in engagement with a tapping (22, 32) of the orifice (21, 32).
7. Watch movement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it includes in addition a repositioning element (100, 101, 102) housed at least in part in a cavity of one of the translational elements (80, 90), known as the first translational element, making it possible to maintain one of the pivots (44, 45) in a reference position in relation to the watch jewel (52, 53) which supports it.
8. Watch movement according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the repositioning element is a magnet (100) housed in part or integrally in the cavity.
9. Watch movement according to Claims 7 or 8, characterized in that only the other of the translational elements (80, 90), known as the second translational element (90), is capable of displacement in the assembled position of the external cage (41) on the frame (10), and the repositioning element comprises a spring (101) and a piston (102), both housed in a first orifice (21) of the first bearing (20), the axis of the piston (102) extending across the first translational element (80) in the axis of rotation (A1) of the external cage (41), the piston (102) resting on the one hand on one extremity of the first pivot (44) and on the other hand on the spring (101), the second translational element (90) being capable of displacement in the axis of rotation (A1) of the external cage (42).
10. Watch movement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each translational element (80, 90) is supported by a bearing (10, 20), by a bridge or by a plate of the watch movement.

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