EP3540525A1 - Clockpiece with annular display elements - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a timepiece (1) comprising a watch movement (4) arranged to drive first and second display members (6, 8) in rotation with reference to a frame (16) of the watch movement (4). ), to display first and second respective quantities, each of the first and second display members (6, 8) carrying at least one indication for displaying the corresponding quantity and having a generally annular shape. The first display member (6) delimits a first internal surface in which is arranged a first dial (14) integral with the frame (16) and having a substantially circular opening defining a housing for the second display member (8), the latter defining a second internal surface in which is arranged a second dial (22) integral with the frame (16).

Description

Technical area

The present invention relates to a timepiece comprising a watch movement arranged to drive first and second rotational display members with reference to a frame of the watch movement, to display respective first and second quantities, each of the first and second members display having at least one indication for displaying the corresponding quantity and having a generally annular shape.

State of the art

Timepieces comprising display members similar to those mentioned above are already known, in particular for producing large date type displays, in which a first disk or ring is used to display the date and date units. a second disk or ring is implemented to display the date tens.

Similar displays were then proposed in relation to other quantities to display. For example, the patent US 8,406,087 B2 describes a timepiece including a digital display of the current time. For this purpose, the timepiece comprises a first display disk of the current hours as well as second and third display disks of the units and tens of current minutes, the corresponding digits being distributed on display surfaces in forms of rings each having a portion visible in a window adapted to display the current time. The invention presented in this patent relates to a complex construction of the corresponding clockwork movement, making it possible to minimize the energy consumption of the jumping display during minute changes and especially during time changes.

Displays of this type had already been made previously, with different constructions to ensure the management of the mechanical energy needed to blow the display disks.

Disclosure of the invention

A main object of the present invention is to propose a timepiece comprising display members in the form of rings arranged in an alternative manner to that of the timepieces just mentioned, thus presenting a mode of different and original display.

To this end, the present invention relates more particularly to a timepiece meeting the characteristics set out above and characterized in that the first display member defines a first internal surface in which is arranged a first dial integral with the frame and comprising a substantially circular opening defining a housing for the second display member, the latter defining a second internal surface in which is arranged a second dial integral with the frame.

Such an arrangement opens up new possibilities in terms of layout of the display members and therefore in terms of legibility of information on a timepiece, thus enabling the watchmaker making a timepiece in accordance with the present invention to stand out from the current competing production.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, one of the first and second display members is for displaying the current hours and the other display member is for displaying the current minutes.

Advantageously, it can be provided that the first display member is secured to a first ring having a toothing arranged in engagement with a first driving mobile of the watch movement, this toothing being preferably internal.

Alternatively or additionally, it is possible for the second display member to be integral with a second ring having a set of teeth arranged in engagement with a second driving mobile of the watch movement.

According to a preferred embodiment, the first and second display members may advantageously be located substantially in the same middle plane.

According to another preferred embodiment, it is also possible for the first and second display members to have axes of rotation arranged at a distance from one another.

In general, it can be provided that the second dial has a substantially circular opening defining a housing for a third display member.

According to a preferred embodiment, the third display member may have the general shape of a disk and possibly may be intended to display the current seconds.

Preferably, the third display member may be integral with a third toothing arranged in engagement with a third driving mobile of the watch movement.

In general, it can be provided that the first, second and third display members have axes of rotation arranged at a distance from each other.

Advantageously, it is also possible to provide a large portion of each of the display members is visible, possibly all of them, which allows a clear display while having a type of training mode dragging rather than jumping, which makes it possible to overcome the complex solutions known to manage the problems of supply of mechanical energy during jumps.

Brief description of the drawings

• la figure 1 représente une vue de face simplifiée d'une pièce d'horlogerie selon un mode de réalisation préféré de la présente invention, la boite n'étant pas représentée;
• la figure 2 représente une vue de face partielle et simplifiée de la pièce d'horlogerie de la figure 1;
• la figure 3 représente une autre vue de face partielle et simplifiée de la pièce d'horlogerie de la figure 1, et
• la figure 4 représente une vue en coupe simplifiée de la pièce d'horlogerie de la figure 1, selon la ligne B-B de la figure 3.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will appear more clearly on reading the detailed description of a preferred embodiment which follows, made with reference to the accompanying drawings given by way of non-limiting examples and in which:

• the figure 1 represents a simplified front view of a timepiece according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the box not being shown;
• the figure 2 represents a partial and simplified front view of the timepiece of the figure 1 ;
• the figure 3 represents another partial and simplified front view of the timepiece of the figure 1 , and
• the figure 4 represents a simplified sectional view of the timepiece of the figure 1 , according to line BB of the figure 3 .

Mode (s) of realization of the invention

The figure 1 represents a general and simplified front view of a timepiece 1 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

The box of the timepiece 1 is not shown for reasons of simplification but a winding stem 2 has been schematized to locate the three o'clock position, by way of non-limiting illustration.

The timepiece 1 comprises a watch movement 4 (more particularly visible on the Figures 2 to 4 ) for rotating three display members of the current time, here a first hour display member 6, a second minute display member 8 and a third display member 10 seconds.

The first hour display member 6 is arranged at the periphery of the display area which may advantageously be delimited by the box, for example by a bezel of the box, without limitation. The first display member 6 has a generally annular shape and bears numbers ranging from 1 to 12 to display the current hours in cooperation with a first index 12 stationary with reference to the box of the timepiece 1.

The first display member 6 delimits a first inner surface, in the form of a disc, in which is arranged a first dial 14 secured to a frame member of the watch movement 4, here a plate of a display module (marked respectively by the reference numerals 16 and 17 on the Figures 2 to 4 ), itself secured to a plate of a basic caliber (marked respectively by the numerals 18 and 19 on the figure 4 ).

The first dial 14 has a substantially circular opening defining a housing for the second display member minutes 8, the latter also having a generally annular shape and carrying numbers ranging from 0 to 55 to display the current minutes in cooperation with a second index 20 immobile with reference to the box of the timepiece 1.

The first and second indexes 12 and 20 are here borne by the first dial 14 in a non-limiting illustrative manner. Different alternatives are conceivable by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, at least one of the indexes could be carried directly by a component of the box as the middle part, possibly even the ice. Alternatively, the timepiece 1 could still include an additional dial arranged outside the hour display member 6, this additional dial can thus carry the first index 12 for reading the hours.

The second display member 8 defines a second internal surface, in the form of a disk, in which is arranged a second dial 22 secured to the plate 16 of the display module.

The second dial 22 has a substantially circular opening defining a housing for the third display member seconds 10, the latter having a general shape of partially perforated disk and also bearing numbers ranging from 0 to 55 to display the current seconds in cooperation with a third index 24 immobile with reference to the box of the timepiece 1. The third index 24 is carried here by the second dial 22, illustratively non-limiting.

It is understood that the timepiece 1 according to the present invention has a particular display, here to display the current time by way of nonlimiting illustration, thanks to the arrangement of the display members 6 and 8, even more with the display member 10.

Note in particular that the three display members are here fully visible but they could be at least partially masked without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Thanks to these features, including the absence of a reading window, it is easier to make a readable type of display trailing that with the constructions of the prior art. We are thus free from the problems of variation of the mechanical energy consumption of the display, as mentioned above.

The dials 14 and 22 can be made integral with the plate 16 of the display module by any suitable known means. They may for example comprise feet engaged in holes adapted to the plate 16.

The first and second display members 6 and 8 have first and second axes of rotation (marked respectively by the numerals 26 and 28 on the figure 3 ) arranged at a distance from one another. The third display member 10 further has a third axis of rotation 30 preferably arranged at a distance from the axes of rotation 26, 28.

The skilled person will not encounter any particular difficulty to arrange the indexes 12, 20 and 24 in various places of the timepiece 1 according to his own needs and without departing from the scope of the invention.

It also appears from the view of the figure 1 that the display members 6, 8 and 10 can be rotated by the watch movement 4 in one direction of rotation or in the other without particular difficulty, simply by adapting the direction of inscription of the numbers they carry, the reading of the quantities displayed remains intuitive in both cases.

Furthermore, it should be noted that one or more display members could, alternatively, each carry only one or more indexes intended to cooperate with fixed graduations that could be worn by one or other of the dials, without departing from the scope of the invention.

The figures 2 and 3 represent the timepiece 1 in partial views, from the front, while the figure 4 represents the timepiece 1 along the section line BB of the figure 3 . These figures make it possible to better highlight an exemplary non-limiting construction of the watch movement 4 according to the present invention.

The skilled person will not encounter any particular difficulty to choose a base caliber 19 to meet his own needs, it can be mechanical, manual winding or automatic without departing from the scope of the invention, or possibly electronic.

The construction details of the base gauge 19 which do not have a direct bearing on the practice of the invention will not be described in detail here, for brevity of the present description.

The base plate 18 of the base gauge 19 has a central opening defining a passage notably for two coaxial shafts 32, 34 intended to drive the display members 6, 8 and 10.

The first shaft 32, central, is driven to perform a turn on itself in one minute and carries a toothed wheel 36 arranged in permanent engagement with a set of teeth on a wheel 38 secured to the third display member of the current seconds 10, as illustrated on figures 1 and 3 .

A fixed cylindrical tube 40, driven into the plate 18 of the base gauge 19, is arranged around the first shaft 32 to serve as a guide in rotation to the second shaft 34 which here replaces the roadway of a conventional watch caliber.

The second shaft 34 carries a toothed wheel 42 visible on the figures 2 and 4 .

The toothed wheel 42 is arranged in engagement with the pinion 44 of an intermediate mobile further having a wheel 46 with thick teeth.

It appears Figures 3 and 4 that the wheel 46 cooperates, on the one hand, with the toothing, internal here, a ring 48 integral with the display member minutes current 8 and, secondly, with the wheel 50 of a mobile additional intermediary. This additional mobile further comprises a pinion 52 arranged in permanent engagement with the wheel 54 of a driving wheel whose pinion 56 is in engagement with the internal toothing of a ring 58 integral with the hour display member current 6.

The rotational speed of the second shaft 34 and the gear ratios in play are such that the first current-time display member 6 performs a complete revolution in twelve hours and that the second display member of the current minutes 8 performs a full turn in one hour.

Washers 60 are screwed into the plate 16 of the display module 17 to ensure the axial maintenance of the current hours and minutes display members 6 and 8 on the display module 17, by action on the crowns 48 and 58. In principle, it is preferable to maintain each crown 48, 58 at three spaced points, but the particular arrangement of the display members according to the present invention advantageously makes it possible to optimize the arrangement of two washers. 60 by positioning them between the two rings 48 and 58, in regions where they are particularly close to one another, which is clearly visible on the section of the figure 4 . Thus, these two washers 60 act simultaneously on the two rings 48 and 58, which allows to use only four washers 60 in all instead of six.

Thanks to the characteristics that have just been presented, it is possible to produce a timepiece 1 having an original display, enabling a manufacturer of these timepieces to distinguish his products from those of the competitors, in particular by implementing a disc display without the inconvenience in terms of energy consumption.

The construction presented by way of non-limiting preferred example is advantageously simple to make and compact. It will be noted that a single gear train makes it possible to train the two display members the current hours and minutes, due to the large thickness of the wheel 46.

Furthermore, it will also be noted that the particular arrangement of the display members in accordance with the features of the invention makes it possible to arrange the visible surfaces of the three members in the same mean reading plane as is apparent from the sectional view of FIG. figure 4 , conferring a good level of perceived quality to the timepiece 1.

The foregoing description attempts to describe a particular embodiment by way of non-limiting illustration and the invention is not limited to the implementation of certain particular features which have just been described, for example the nature of the magnitudes displayed by the display members, the reading order (in other words, the attributions of each ring to particular quantities to display), or the implementation of the third display member. Moreover, if the three display members are trained here to make a slug display, it is possible to provide that the current hours display member is trained to achieve a display jumping current hours without departing from the scope of the invention. Achieving a display jumping minutes current is also possible even if it may make the implementation of the invention more complex for the reasons mentioned above in relation to the mechanical energy consumption.

A bidirectional drive of one or the other display member is also conceivable without departing from the scope of the invention, as to display an equation of time for example, by rotating one of the rings to display the variations between calendar time and solar time between -15 and +15 minutes depending on the time of year.

Furthermore, the third display member could be arranged to be coaxial with one of the first two display members without departing from the scope of the invention.

The person skilled in the art will not encounter any particular difficulty in adapting the content of the present disclosure to his own needs and implementing a timepiece that only partially meets the characteristics just described, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims (12)

Timepiece (1) comprising a watch movement (4) arranged to drive first and second display members (6, 8) in rotation with reference to a frame (16) of said watch movement (4), to display first and second respective quantities, each of said first and second display members (6, 8) carrying at least one indication for displaying the corresponding quantity and having a generally annular shape,
characterized in that said first display member (6) defines a first internal surface in which is arranged a first dial (14) integral with said frame (16) and having a substantially circular opening defining a housing for said second display member (8), the latter defining a second internal surface in which is arranged a second dial (22) integral with said frame (16). Timepiece (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that one of said first and second display members (6) is intended to display the current hours and in that the other display member (8) ) is intended to display the current minutes. Timepiece (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said first display member (6) is integral with a first ring gear (58) having a set of teeth arranged in engagement with a first drive wheel (54, 56) of said watch movement (4). Timepiece (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that said toothing is an internal toothing. Timepiece (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said second display member (8) is integral with a second ring (48) having a toothing arranged in engagement with a second mobile of training (44, 46) of said watch movement (4). Timepiece (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said first and second display members (6, 8) are located substantially in the same middle plane. Timepiece (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said first and second display members (6, 8) have rotational axes (26, 28) arranged at a distance from one another. 'other. Timepiece (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said second dial (22) has a substantially circular opening defining a housing for a third display member (10). Timepiece (1) according to claim 8, characterized in that said third display member (10) has the general shape of a disk. Timepiece (1) according to claims 2 and 9, characterized in that said third display member (10) is intended to display the current seconds. Timepiece (1) according to one of claims 8 to 10, characterized in that said third display member (10) is integral with a third toothing (38) arranged in engagement with a third drive wheel (32, 36) of said watch movement (4). Timepiece (1) according to one of claims 8 to 11, characterized in that said first, second and third display members (6, 8, 10) have axes of rotation (26, 28, 30) arranged at a distance from one another.

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