EP3557335A1 - Free direct escapement mechanism for timepiece part - Google Patents

Abstract

Direct-impulse free escapement mechanism (1) for a timepiece, comprising an escapement mobile (2), extending in a plane P1 and provided with a series of peripheral teeth (3), a rest (4) comprising at least one rest pallet (41) arranged to cooperate in abutment with a tooth (3) of the exhaust mobile (2) in a rest position of said rest device (4) at least, and at least at least one control lift (6) actuated by a pivoting regulator member (5) to cooperate with at least one complementary release member (44) of the rest device (4) to release the device at each alternation of said regulator member (5) rest (4) of the exhaust mobile (2) in a disengaged position. The mechanism also comprises impulse vanes (9) capable of being secured to said regulating member (5) to cooperate on an impulse plane with a tooth (3) of the exhaust mobile (2) to transmit a direct impulse to said regulator (5). According to the invention, the rest device (4) is arranged to undergo a pulling of the exhaust mobile (2) in each rest position and in that the teeth (3) of the exhaust mobile (2) and the impulse vanes (9) are configured and arranged so that the impulses intervene outside the plane P1 of the escapement mobile (2). The invention also relates to a timepiece provided with such a mechanism. exhaust.

Description

Technical area

The present invention relates to the field of watchmaking. It relates more particularly to a free direct escape mechanism.

The invention also relates to a timepiece comprising such an exhaust mechanism.

State of the art

Anchor escapements are certainly the most common category of escapements in mechanical clockwork, at least in the so-called free escapement class. Associated with a regulating member, typically of the pendulum or balance sprung-balance type, an anchor escapement makes it possible to maintain the oscillations of said regulating member by transmitting, by regular pulses, at a determined frequency, a fraction of mechanical energy of the mechanical energy source of a said clock mechanism, usually comprising a barrel spring at least. Simultaneously, the escapement also makes it possible to count the oscillations of the regulating organ and hence to count the time.

Numerous variations of anchor escapements have been proposed in the state of the art and are well known to those skilled in the art in the field of watchmaking. Their limitations, just as well known, are mainly a propensity to disturb the isochronism of the oscillations of the regulating organ due to successive shocks and friction between the anchor and the regulating member on the one hand and the anchor and the mobile exhaust on the other hand, and a low mechanical efficiency, mainly for the same reasons. Indeed, it is usually considered that an anchor escapement transmits to the regulator member a limited amount, of the order of 30% only, the motive force it receives from the power source.

Anchor escapements are however acclaimed for their reliable operation and are also self-starting.

Robin anchor mechanisms have the advantage of better performance than Swiss lever escapement mechanisms. The Robin exhaust is an exhaust that combines the advantages of the escapement escapement (high efficiencies and direct transmission of energy between the escape wheel and the balance) to those of the anchor escapement (better operating safety) . It is a free escapement with a direct impulse from the escapement mobile to the balance wheel, the anchor of the escapement mechanism essentially constituting a rocker equipped with two pallets of rest and which toggles between two extreme rest positions of the escape wheel. outside the impulse phases. Their performance is acclaimed because they allow a substantial gain in power transmission to the regulator compared to a Swiss lever escapement, the energy transmitted being of the order of 50%.

However, the angle of lift of the anchor Robin is very small (of the order of 5 °) compared to conventional Swiss anchors (of the order of 15 °), which makes it difficult to apply the usual security solution of these by dart and plateau. For that, alternative solutions have been proposed in the documents EP 1 122 617 B1 and EP 2 444 860 A1 or EP 2,407,830 B1 . These Robin escapement mechanisms and associated security devices are, however, difficult to implement, so that they have never known a massive commercial and industrial development, that their intrinsic technical performance could justify.

The object of the present invention is also to provide a direct and free horological escapement mechanism which is as simple and reliable to implement as a Swiss lever escapement but benefiting from singularly improved chronometric performances, similar at least to those of escapements with direct impulse without however presenting their difficulties of implementation.

Finally, the purpose of the invention is to propose a timepiece comprising such an escape mechanism.

Disclosure of the invention

For this purpose, the present invention proposes an anchor escapement mechanism according to claim 1, as well as a timepiece provided with such an escapement and defined in claim 20.

• un mobile d'échappement, s'étendant dans un plan P1 et mobile en rotation autour d'un premier axe de rotation perpendiculaire à ce plan et doté d'une série de dents périphériques, lesdites dents définissant par leur extrémités lors de la rotation du mobile d'échappement une trajectoire circulaire C,
• Un dispositif de repos comportant au moins une palette de repos agencée pour coopérer en butée avec une dent du mobile d'échappement dans une position de repos dudit dispositif de repos au moins,
• au moins une levée de commande apte à être solidarisée à un organe régulateur pivotant autour d'un axe de rotation pour coopérer avec au moins un organe de dégagement complémentaire du dispositif de repos pour dégager à chaque alternance dudit organe régulateur le dispositif de repos du mobile d'échappement dans une position de dégagement,
• des palettes d'impulsions apte à être solidarisées audit organe régulateur pour coopérer chacune sur un plan d'impulsion avec une dent du mobile d'échappement pour transmettre une impulsion directe audit organe régulateur.

The invention thus proposes, according to a first object, a free exhaust mechanism with a direct pulse for a timepiece, comprising:

• an escapement mobile, extending in a plane P1 and mobile in rotation about a first axis of rotation perpendicular to this plane and provided with a series of peripheral teeth, said teeth defining by their ends during the rotation of the mobile exhaust a circular path C,
• A rest device comprising at least one pallet of rest arranged to cooperate in abutment with a tooth of the escape wheel in a rest position of said rest device at least,
• at least one control lift adapted to be secured to a regulating member pivoting about an axis of rotation to cooperate with at least one additional release member of the rest device to release at each alternation of said regulator member the rest device of the mobile exhaust in a release position,
• pulse pallets adapted to be secured to said regulating member to cooperate each on a pulse plane with a tooth of the escapement mobile to transmit a direct pulse to said regulating member.

According to the invention, this escape mechanism is characterized by the fact that the rest device is arranged to undergo pulling of the escape wheel in each rest position and that the teeth of the escape wheel and the pallets of Pulses are configured and arranged so that the pulses occur outside the plane P1 of the escapement mobile.

The mechanism of the invention thus proposes in an inventive manner to take the place of impulse from the escape mobile to the pallets of pulses integral with the regulator of the plane P1 in which the escapement wheel extends and carries out its rotation. It is thus possible to reduce the dimensions of the portion of the teeth of the active escape mobile for to provide an effective pulse on the impulse plane of the impulse pallets, while allowing out of pulse, thanks to the associated draw, a free path of the regulator in rotation on its axis during which the impulse pallets describe a trace between the teeth of the escapement mobile parallel to the plane P1 thereof. It is thus possible, by varying the orientation of the impulse plane of the impulse pallets, to obtain a very low regulator lift angle in comparison with the known escapements, with a maximum rotation amplitude of up to 300 °. thus providing a very good quality factor to the mechanism of the invention, which is also self-starting

According to one embodiment, at least a portion of the teeth of the exhaust mobile form a projection perpendicular to the plane P1 of said exhaust mobile. Such a projection makes it easy to shift the pulse location of the escape wheel to the integral pulse pallets of the regulator out of the plane P1 of the escape wheel.

As opposed to the impulse pallets, the at least one pallet of rest is preferably arranged on the rest device to cooperate with the teeth of the escapement mobile at least partially in the plane P1 of said mobile escape. This makes it possible in particular to ensure good stability and a good draft of the escape wheel on the rest mechanism during the rest phases without disturbance of the regulating member which then carries out its alternation free in rotation between the teeth of the mobile of exhaust.

According to one embodiment of the mechanism of the invention, the pulse pallets are arranged integral in rotation with the regulating member such that their pulse plane describes a trace whose width, measured in a trace of the escape mechanism. , is at most equal to half the pitch separating two teeth of the escape wheel. This ensures that the regulating member can travel its free alternation between the teeth of the exhaust mobile, more particularly between the protruding parts of the teeth, without risk of shocks between the impulse paddles and the teeth of the mobile escape.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the pulse pallets are arranged integral in rotation with the regulating member such that the lifting angle at the regulating member is between 10 ° and 35 °, preferably between 15 ° and 30 °. °.

In one embodiment, the rest device comprises a rest anchor provided with a first and a second pallet of rest and secured to a return lever mounted to rotate about an axis between two rest positions. passing through the disengagement position, said rest and disengagement positions being determined by at least two stops on either side of a first end of the return lever and a complementary disengagement member arranged at a second end of said return lever. This embodiment has the advantage of great simplicity of adjustment, using an anchor rest device that can be controlled more conventionally by the return lever interacting directly with pins or limit stops on the one hand and the release clearance of the regulating member further by means of a fork or the like as described later.

Thus in this embodiment the complementary release member may be advantageously formed of an almond ring in which the axis of the regulator extends so that the control lift moves without contact along the walls. internal of said ring during normal operation of the exhaust mechanism, said ring defining a control cam, a release notch of the control lift being formed in the inner wall of said ring in a position of alignment with a longitudinal axis of the lever recall. The almond ring thus forms an operational safety of the exhaust.

Alternatively, the complementary release member may be formed of a fork comprising two horns separated by a notch and devoid of dart or the like, said horns being symmetrical with respect to a longitudinal axis of the return lever passing through the axis of rotation and the center of the notch and extending from said notch in a circular arc.

Preferably, said impulse pallets are fixed on a fixed impulse plate of the regulating member and extending in a plane P2 parallel to the plane P1 of the escapement mobile.

The teeth of the escape wheel then comprise a pulse finger protruding from the plane P1 to engage the pulse plane of the impulse pallets out of said plane P1, the radial ends of said impulse and rest teeth describing the circular trajectory C.

Advantageously in this embodiment, the control lift is an anchor secured to the impulse plate.

In another embodiment of the escapement mechanism of the invention the rest device comprises a return lever carrying at one end said rest pallet and being rotatably mounted about an axis between the rest position and the release position, determined by at least one stopper and at least one control cam arranged to rotate with said regulating member. This embodiment has the advantage of requiring only one pallet of rest, and provide a simple and compact exhaust structure.

In this embodiment, the complementary release member comprises a release arm secured to the return lever and provided at a free end with a release tooth arranged to cooperate with said control lift in said release position.

In addition, the control cam has a cam surface and a cam notch formed in said cam surface to cooperate with a cam follower formed at a second end of the return lever opposite said pallet rest, said control cam. and said return lever being respectively arranged such that said cam follower falls into said cam notch in said disengagement position and is pushed out of the notch to pivot the return lever and bring the pallet rest into the path of the movable exhaust in the rest position.

In this particular embodiment, the control lift may be a pallet fixed on a plate integral in rotation with the regulating member and movable in a parallel plane P3 and distinct from the plane P1 of the escapement vehicle.

Alternatively, the control cam may comprise a ring and a notch formed on an internal field of said ring, a pin forming a cam follower. the free end of the release lever extending in said ring, such that said cam follower falls into said cam notch under the action of the disengagement lift in said disengagement position and is pushed out of the notch to pivot the return lever and bring the pallet of rest in the path of the escapement mobile in the rest position.

In this alternative, the ring may be formed of a peripheral groove on the cam and the control lift may be an anchor fixed on the control cam in a position radially aligned with said cam notch relative to the axis of the cam. rotation of the regulating organ.

In this embodiment, the impulse pallets are each fixed on a pulse plate integral with the regulating member and extending respectively in a first plane P2 'and a second plane P2 ", the planes P2', P2 "being symmetrical with respect to the plane P1 of the escapement mobile.

To cooperate with said pulse pallets and the rest pallet of the rest device, the escape wheel then has a regular alternation of teeth comprising a pulse bar protruding symmetrically with respect to the plane P1 of said escapement for engaging the impulse pallets out of said plane P1 and teeth without projections relative to the plane P1, the radial ends of said teeth describing the circular path C.

Brief description of the drawings

• La figure 1 représente en perspective un mécanisme d'échappement selon l'invention dans un premier mode de réalisation et un organe régulateur associé tel qu'un balancier représenté schématiquement;
• La figure 2 représente le mécanisme d'échappement de la figure 1 en vue de dessus, au point mort de l'échappement ;
• La figure 3 représente une vue de face du mécanisme d'échappement de la figure 1 au point mort de l'échappement ;
• La figure 4 représente le mécanisme d'échappement de la figure 1 en vue de dessus, à la fin d'une phase d'impulsion;
• La figure 5 représente une vue de face du mécanisme d'échappement de l'invention à la fin d'une phase d'impulsion telle que représentée à la figure 4;
• La figure 6 représente le mécanisme d'échappement de la figure 1 en vue de dessus, en position de repos pendant l'alternance libre du régulateur ;
• La figure 7 représente un agrandissement de la figure 6 montrant un jeu de passage entre l'arrière d'une palette d'impulsion et un plan d'impulsion d'une dent du mobile d'échappement du mécanisme ;
• La figure 8 représente en perspective un mécanisme d'échappement selon l'invention dans un second mode de réalisation, comportant un dispositif de repos à une seule palette de repos et un bras de dégagement ;
• La figure 9 est une vue de dessus du mécanisme d'échappement de la figure 8 ;
• La figure 10 est une vue de face du mécanisme d'échappement de la figure 9.
• Les figures 11 à 13 représentent une variante du mécanisme d'échappement des figures 8 à 10 dans laquelle le mécanisme de repos comporte une came de commande annulaire et un suiveur de came solidaire d'un bras de dégagement.

Other details of the invention will appear more clearly on reading the description which follows, made with reference to the appended drawings in which:

• The figure 1 represents in perspective an escape mechanism according to the invention in a first embodiment and an associated regulating member such as a rocker shown schematically;
• The figure 2 represents the escape mechanism of the figure 1 in top view, at the dead point of the exhaust;
• The figure 3 represents a front view of the exhaust mechanism of the figure 1 at the dead point of the exhaust;
• The figure 4 represents the escape mechanism of the figure 1 in top view, at the end of a pulse phase;
• The figure 5 represents a front view of the escape mechanism of the invention at the end of a pulse phase as represented in FIG. figure 4 ;
• The figure 6 represents the escape mechanism of the figure 1 in top view, in the rest position during the free alternation of the regulator;
• The figure 7 represents an enlargement of the figure 6 showing a clearance clearance between the back of a pulse pallet and a pulse plane of a tooth of the escapement mechanism;
• The figure 8 represents in perspective an escape mechanism according to the invention in a second embodiment, comprising a rest device with a single pallet of rest and a release arm;
• The figure 9 is a top view of the exhaust mechanism of the figure 8 ;
• The figure 10 is a front view of the exhaust mechanism of the figure 9 .
• The Figures 11 to 13 represent a variant of the escape mechanism of Figures 8 to 10 wherein the idle mechanism comprises an annular control cam and a cam follower integral with a release arm.

Embodiments of the invention

The present invention proposes a free escapement mechanism 1 of a new type, designed and arranged to exploit and combine, in a direct impulse free exhaust, the advantages of reliability, simplicity of adjustment and of self-starting. a Swiss lever escapement well known to watchmakers for decades by singularly improving the performance of the latter by a significant reduction in the lifting angle to the regulating member while allowing a large amplitude in rotation of the latter, thus offering a quality factor much higher than the known exhausts. In addition, the direct pulse operation promotes high energy efficiency.

It advantageously has a very simple and compact structure, compatible with the use of balance-type regulating bodies conventionally employed in pocket watches or wristwatch, offering the unprecedented possibility of working at the level of the regulator with low amplitudes and at high frequencies or conversely with large amplitudes of oscillations and lower frequencies, in all cases with increased performances, whether in terms of isochronism or chronometry, in comparison with the majority of anchor mechanisms existing.

These combined advantages are obtained according to the invention and as represented on the Figures 1 to 13 by a mechanism 1 of free exhaust with direct impulse, comprising an escapement mobile 2 having a series of peripheral teeth 3, a rest device 4 arranged to cooperate in abutment with a tooth 3 of the escapement wheel 2 in a rest position and undergo in this position a draw, and pulse members 9 adapted to be secured to a regulating member 5 such as a sprung balance so that it periodically receives a pulse of a tooth 3 of the mobile exhaust 2 to maintain its oscillations, said teeth 3 and the pulse members 9 being configured and arranged so that the pulses occur outside the plane P1 of the escapement mobile 2.

This is permitted according to the invention by an original conformation of the teeth 3 of the escapement wheel 2, at least a portion of which form a projection perpendicular to the plane P1 of said escapement wheel, as well as a configuration and adjusted orientation of the pulse members 9, so that the respective pulse planes of said teeth 3 and said pulse members 9 interact directly out of the plane P1 of said escapement wheel 2 at each alternation of the regulating member with closer to the dead point of the mechanism, so with a low angle of lift and a minimum of disturbances of the regulating organ to the pulse. The idle draft allows it to ensure a free run of the regulating member during the rest phases on all its amplitude of displacement between the protruding parts of the teeth of the escapement mobile 2.

In practice, the teeth 3 of the escapement mobile form at their free end a protrusion of length, measured perpendicular to the plane P1 of the escapement mobile 3, greater than the thickness of the serge 22 of the escapement mobile 2. This projection defines a substantially triangular shape shown schematically in the figures by a shoulder line at the end of each tooth 3. In addition, the impulse members 9, for example made of ruby vanes, of the escape mechanism 1 of the invention are advantageously arranged integral in rotation with the regulating member 5 such that their pulse plane describes a trace whose width, measured in a trace of the exhaust mechanism, is at most equal to half the pitch separating two teeth 3 from the escapement wheel 2. It is thus possible to configure the escapement 1 so that the lifting angle at the regulator 5 is between 10 ° and 35 °, preferably between 15 ° and 30 °, e n other words weaker than any other escape mechanism known to date.

The rest device 4 is in turn configured to disturb at least the operation of the regulating member 5 and therefore to cooperate with the teeth 3 of the escapement mobile at least partially, and preferably totally, in the plane P1 of said mobile 2. Associated with the particular configuration of the protrusions of the teeth 3 this provides the escapement mobile 2 the ability to cooperate alternately with the rest device 4 and the pulse members 9 in parallel superimposed and intersecting planes of said teeth 31. The pulse and rest phases of the exhaust mechanism of the invention thus intervene not only in a manner separated from each other but in planes or levels, different from the mechanism, which allows a great compactness of construction and a minimum of disturbances, while offering a wide choice of frequency and amplitude of operation of the regulating organ due to the possible entanglement circumscribed circles of the escape wheel 2 and its teeth 3 and pulse members 9.

The escapement mechanism 1 of the invention is presented more particularly in the figures in two particular embodiments, represented respectively in FIGS. Figures 1 to 7 and to Figures 8 to 13 .

Referring firstly to the first embodiment, the exhaust mechanism 1 of the invention. It comprises an escapement wheel 2 extending in a plane P1 and provided with peripheral teeth 3 and rotatably mounted about an axis of rotation X1 perpendicular to this plane P1. Said teeth 3 define, by their free ends, a circular trajectory C during the rotation of the escape wheel 2. In a conventional manner, this mobile escape 2 is associated with an exhaust pinion 21 driven on a pivot axis X1 common to the escapement mobile 2 and by which this the latter can be coupled to the use of the finishing gear and the driving source of a clockwork movement to which the escapement mechanism 1 is integrated to maintain the oscillations of a regulating member 5 of the movement, rotatably mounted around an axis of rotation X2.

According to the invention, the teeth 3 of the escapement wheel 2 each comprise a portion protruding from the surface of the escapement wheel 2 to enable the transmission of the pulses to the regulator 5 outside the plane P1 of the escapement wheel 2. These projections are formed in this embodiment by a pulse finger 31 projecting relative to the plane P1 to engage at each rotation step of the escape wheel 2 the pulse plane 9p of a first or a second pulse pallets 9 fixed on a pulse plate 91 secured to the regulating member 5 and extending in a plane P2 parallel to the plane P1 of the escapement mobile 2. Advantageously, said pulse pallets 9 are fixed on the tray 91 by any appropriate means and they also extend, as is apparent from figures 1 , 3 and 5 in particular, projecting perpendicularly to the plane P2 of the plate 91 in the direction of the escapement mobile 2. The pulse fingers 31 of the teeth 3 of the escapement mobile 2 and pulse pallets 9 integral with the regulator 5 are thus arranged " head-to-tail "to ensure their interaction out of said plane P1, and more particularly here between the planes P1 and P2 of the escape wheel and pulse plate 91 respectively.

As shown, the impulse surfaces 9p of the impulse vanes 9 on which slide and act the fingers 31 of the teeth 3 of the escapement wheel 2 comprise a flat surface. They may also advantageously have a curved, concave or convex shape, in order to provide a gradual acceleration to the pulse or else to symmetry the pulse on each of the impulse vanes 9 with respect to the axis X2 of the regulator member 5 Thus one can play directly on the route of the exhaust, by acting on the movements of the impulse vanes 9 with respect to the escapement mobile 2, in terms of their angular values, their speeds and transmitted pairs.

The exhaust mechanism 1 also comprises a rest device 4, itself rotatable about an axis of rotation X3. The rotational axes X1, X2, X3 of the escapement wheel 2, the regulating member 5 and the rest device 4 are preferably parallel to each other. The regulating member 5, which is not part of the escapement mechanism 1 as such, may consist of a spiral balance well known to those skilled in the watchmaking art or any other oscillating regulating member, such as for example a knife resonator (x) as proposed by the applicant in the patent application WO 2016/012281 A1 .

The rest device 4 comprises a bar-shaped return lever 42 mounted to rotate about a pivot about the axis X3 and from which is secured an anchor 43, made of material with the return lever 42, riveted or driven on the pivot of rotation thereof, at the ends of the arms of which are arranged two pallets of rest 41 each having a rest plane 41r intended to alternately form a resting surface abutting for the teeth 3 of the escapement mobile 2 in two extreme positions in rotation of the return lever 42 about its axis X3, said rest positions, a position is represented at Figures 5 and 6 .

The pivoting of the return lever 42 in rotation about the axis X3 to move the rest anchor 43 between the two rest positions is controlled as in a conventional anchor escapement by the regulating member 5 acting on a first end of return lever 42. This interaction occurs on each alternation in a so-called release position by means of a control lift 6, for example formed of a pin 61, fixed to the pulse plate 91 on a release member complementary 44 formed at said first end 42 of the return lever 42. This interaction induces the pivoting of the return lever 42 about the axis X3 and thus the release of the rest anchor 43, more exactly one of the pallets of rest 41, a tooth 3 of the escapement mobile 2 prior to a given pulse by another tooth 3 of the escape wheel on one of the impulse members 9 of the regulating member 5. In addition, the angular deflection the return lever 42 is also limited by limit stops 7, for example formed by pins, arranged on either side of the second end of the return lever 42. These stops 7 determine the rest positions of the rest anchor 43 such that each rest pallet 41 is located in the path C defined by the teeth 3 of the escape wheel when the return lever 42 comes into contact with one of the stops 7. The holding of the return lever 42 and re anchor pos 43 then intervenes during the free travel of the regulating member 5 after the pulling effect of the escapement wheel 2 on the rest anchor 43 and the return lever 42.

As is apparent from figures 2 and 3 , the return lever 42 and the rest anchor 43 are arranged relative to the regulating member 5 and the escapement mobile 2 so that, in the neutral position of the exhaust shown in FIG. Fig. 1 , the rest pallets 41 are located at a distance from the axis of rotation X1 of the escapement wheel 2 greater than the radius of the circumscribed circle C to the teeth 3 of the escape wheel 2, while at the same time the ends of the pallets pulse 9 intersect said circumscribed circle C, and are thus located at a distance from the axis of rotation of the exhaust cell 3 less than the radius R.

By this configuration, at the dead point of the escapement 1, the pulse planes 9p of the impulse vanes 9 are located on the path of the fingers 31 of the teeth 3 of the escapement mobile, while the pallets of rest 41 are located outside this trajectory. Also, the rotation of the escape wheel 3 necessarily entails the engagement by a finger 31 of a pulse plane 9p of a pulse pallet 9 and the driving of the regulating member 5 in rotation around its axis. This ensures an auto-starting character to the escapement mechanism 1 of the invention.

According to another advantageous characteristic, the pulse fingers 31 and pulse vanes 9 are also shaped to ensure that in each position of rest the pulse pallets 9 can completely circulate between the fingers 31 of the teeth 3 of the escapement mobile 2, thus ensuring a maximum angular displacement amplitude to the regulating member 5, which can in this case go up to 300 ° . For this purpose, as is clear in particular from figures 6 and 7 , the posterior flank of the fingers 31 is chamfered, thus giving a triangular shape to the fingers 31, so as to release a clearance J of passage of the posterior end of each pulse pallet 9 during the free travel of the regulating member 5 in the rest position of the escape wheel 2.

In the example shown on the Figures 1 to 7 , the complementary release member 44 is advantageously formed of an almond ring 443 in which extends the axis X2 of the regulator 5. This ring 443 is configured such that during normal operation of the exhaust mechanism 1 the control lift 6 secured to the regulating member 5 circulates without contact along the inner walls 444 of said ring, which thus define a control cam 8 of the release of the return lever 42. A release notch 45 is formed in the wall internal of said ring 443 in an alignment position with a longitudinal axis of the return lever passing through the axis of rotation X3 thereof. This clearance notch allows, in a conventional manner, the fall of the control pin 61 at each alternation of the regulator so as to cause the pivoting of the return lever 42 and the release of the anchor rest. Such a ring 443 has the advantage by a very simple configuration to provide not only the clearance but also the safety of the exhaust, the inner walls of the ring preventing in case of shocks any inadvertent release out of pulse.

The complementary release member 44 could, however, be in a different shape than that shown in FIGS. Figures 1 to 7 . It could especially be formed of a fork having two horns separated by a notch and devoid of dart or the like, said horns being symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal axis of the return lever 42 passing through the axis of rotation X3 and the center of the notch and extending from said notch in a circular arc.

The Figures 8 to 13 represent a second embodiment of the escape mechanism of the invention. This embodiment differs from the previous one by simplification of the rest device 4, which has only one pallet rest 4 whose movement is controlled by a relief type release device. In addition, only one tooth 3 of two of the escapement mobile 2 effectively participates in the pulses by acting alternately on two parallel levels of pulse on either side of the plane P1 of the escapement mobile 2, as described below. .

With reference to figures 8 and 10 in particular, the escapement mechanism 1 of this second embodiment comprises an escapement wheel 2 extending in a plane P1 mounted to rotate about an axis of rotation X1 perpendicular to this plane P1. The escapement wheel 2 is provided with peripheral teeth 3 defining at their free ends a circular path C during the rotation of the escape wheel 2. The number of teeth 3 of the escape wheel 2 in this second embodiment is equal to twice that of the escape mechanism of the exhaust mechanism according to the first embodiment, this to compensate including the removal of the second pallet rest 41 to the rest device 4, as will be described later. Conventionally, the mobile escapement 2 is associated with an exhaust pinion 21 driven on a pivot axis X1 common to the mobile escapement 2 and by which the latter can be coupled to the use of the work train and the driving source of a watch movement to which the escapement mechanism 1 is integrated to maintain the oscillations of a regulating member 5 of the movement, rotatably mounted about an axis of rotation X2.

In an original way, the teeth 3 of the escapement wheel 2 comprise a regular alternation of teeth 3 comprising a pulse bar 32, forming two symmetrical projections on either side of the plane P1 of the escape wheel 2 and teeth 3 devoid of projections and substantially contained in the plane P1, as in an ordinary mobile 2 exhaust. The pulse bars 32, shaped in practice such as two fingers 31 of the first embodiment symmetrical with respect to the plane P1, are arranged to engage a pulse plane 9p of a first and a second pulse pallet 9 respectively fixed on an upper pulse plate 91 and a lower pulse plate 92 integral with the regulating member 5 and extending respectively in two planes P2 ', P2 "parallel and symmetrical with respect to the plane P1 of the mobile of exhaust 2.

The impulse vanes 9 also extend, as is apparent from the figures 8 , 10 and 12 in particular, projecting perpendicularly to the planes P2 ', P2 "of the trays 91, 92 in the direction of the escapement mobile 2. Each pulse pallet 9 is thus arranged" head-to-tail "with one of the projecting portions of the bars of pulse 32 formed a tooth on 2 of the escapement mobile so as to provide pulses alternately between the plane P1 and the plane P2 'on the one hand and between the plane P1 and the plane P2 "on the other hand on each alternation of regulator 5.

As shown, the impulse surfaces 9p of the impulse vanes 9 on which slide and act the bars 32 of the teeth 3 of the escapement wheel 2 comprise a flat surface. They may also advantageously have a curved, concave or convex shape, in order to provide a gradual acceleration to the pulse or else to symmetry the pulse on each of the impulse vanes 9 with respect to the axis X2 of the regulator member 5 Thus one can play directly on the route of the exhaust, by acting on the movements of the impulse vanes 9 with respect to the escapement mobile 2, in terms of their angular values, their speeds and transmitted pairs.

The escapement mechanism 1 also comprises a rest device 4 mounted rotatably about an axis of rotation X3. This rest device 4 is, as previously presented, an extreme simplification and comprises only a single pallet rest 41, arranged at a first end of an arched lever 42 movable in rotation about a pivot d X3 axis between a rest position, shown Fig. 8 , 9 and 11 a release position, represented at figure 13 . These two positions are determined by a stopper 7 formed of a single pin, and a control cam 8 arranged to rotate with said regulating member 5.

The pivoting of the return lever 42 in rotation about the axis X3 between the rest position and the release position is controlled by the regulating member 5 via a release lever 6 acting on a complementary release member 44 integral with the lever 42 on the one hand and the control cam 8 acting directly on the return lever 42 on the other hand.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 8 to 10 , the control lift 6 is a pallet 61 fixed on a plate 62 secured to the regulating member 5 and disposed on the upper pulse plate 91. The lifting clearance pallet 61 and its plate 62 are thus movable in a plane P3 parallel and distinct from the plane P1 of the escapement wheel 2 and the planes P2 ', P2 "of the impulse plates 91, 92. The control lift 6 is arranged to trigger the release of the rest device 4 from its position of rest, that is to say more particularly to release the pallet rest 41 of its engagement against a tooth 3 of the escapement mobile to allow the transmission by it of a pulse on one of the impulse pallets 9 at each alternation of the regulator 5. The release lift 6 cooperates for this purpose with a complementary release member 44 formed by a release arm 441 integral in rotation with the return lever 42, and driven in this example on the pivot of said lever of ra The release arm 441 has at a free end a release tooth 442 on the sides of which the release pallet 61 bears in the release position, prior to the pulse, and pushes the release arm 41 to rotate the return lever 42 about its axis X3 in a counterclockwise direction (according to the convention of the figures) of clearance.

This rotation of the lever 42 to release the pallet 41 of the rest of the mobile escape is secured by the control cam 8 which controls the rotation of the return lever 42 at a free end 421 of the latter opposite the pallet rest 41 and cam follower. For this purpose, the control cam 8 is formed of a shaft X2 integral and / or forming part of the axis or pivot of the regulating member 5, said shaft being encased between the upper impulse trays 91 and lower 92. The cylindrical peripheral surface 81 of this barrel forms a cam surface in which a clearance notch 82 is formed. The return lever 42 is arranged vis-à-vis the escapement wheel 2 and the regulating member 5 such that, in the rest position, it bears against the abutment 7 and its end 421 is arranged opposite, but without contact, of the cam surface 8, the pallet rest 41 being in support of its rest plane 41r against a tooth 3 of the escapement mobile. Thus, in the event of shocks, said end 421 comes into contact with said cam surface 81, preventing the rotation of the return lever 42 and therefore any disengagement of the rest pallet 41. Such clearance is only allowed in the position release, in which the follower cam 421 falls into the cam notch 82 concurrently with the thrust of the release pallet 61 on the tooth 442 of the release arm 41. This drop of the cam follower 421 in the notch frees the rotating lever 42 which rotates. under the thrust undergone by the arm 441, releasing the pallet rest 4. The escapement mobile 2 rotates and gives the passage a pulse to the regulator 5 via a bar 32 pulse on a pulse pallet 9. During the rotation of the regulating member 5 under the impetus of the escape wheel 2 the cam follower 421 is pushed by the cam surface 81 while the regulator starts its free alternation, which rotates the return lever 42 in a clockwise direction bringing the rest pallet 41 into the trajectory C of the escapement mobile thereby proposing the stop necessary for the rest phase and under the effect of the draw force the return lever 42 against the stopper 7.

The release and rest phases are thus controlled and secured in a simple manner by the control cam 8, without risk of inadvertent release in case of shocks and out of pulses, even at high oscillation frequency of the regulating member 5.

The Figures 11 to 13 represent the escape mechanism 1 in its second embodiment provided with an alternative release and safety mechanism. In this variant embodiment, the control cam 8 is formed of a ring having a circular internal wall or field forming a cam surface 81 in which a cam notch 82 is hollowed out. In the example shown, the ring 8 may to be formed of a circle concentric with the axis X2 and integral with the regulator 5 by gluing or any other securing means on the upper impulse plate 91. The ring 8 can also be made of material in one-piece form with the plate The release lift 6 is then formed of a finger or probe 61 integral with the regulating member 5 and whose free end is aligned and partially penetrates into the notch 82 of the ring.

The cam follower 421 consists of a pin or the like driven at the free end of the release lever 441 extending into said ring 8.

Thus, as represented in figure 13 and in accordance with the principles of operation defined above with reference to Figures 8 to 10 the cam follower 421 falls into said cam notch 82 under the action of the disengagement clearance 61 in said disengagement position and is pushed out of the notch 82 facing the internal cam surface 81 of the ring in the position of rest.

In another embodiment not shown, the cam ring 8 could also be formed of a circular groove on the upper impulse plate 91 in which the cam follower pin 421 would be housed, said groove having a said notch cam and the control lift 6 then being formed of a pin aligned radially with the cam notch relative to the axis of rotation X2 of the regulating member 5.

Finally, as in the embodiment of Figures 1 to 7 , the escape mechanism 1 in the second embodiment of the Figures 8 to 13 is also self-starting. As is apparent from the figure 13 in particular, the return lever 42 is arranged relative to the regulating member 5 and the escapement mobile 2 so that, in the release position, therefore just before the dead point of the exhaust, the rest pallet 41 deviates from the radius of the circumscribed circle C to the teeth 3 of the escapement wheel 2, when at the same time the ends of the impulse vanes 9 intersect said circumcircle C, and are therefore located at a distance from the axis of rotation of the escape wheel 3 less than the radius R.

By this configuration, at the dead center of the exhaust 1, the pulse planes 9p of the impulse pallets 9 are located on the trajectory C of the teeth 3 of the exhaust mobile, while the pallet rest 41 is out of this trajectory. Also, the rotation of the escape wheel 3 necessarily entails the engagement by a bar 32 of a pulse plane 9p of a pulse pallet 9 and the driving of the regulating member 5 in rotation around its axis and the start of the exhaust mechanism 1 of the invention.

Claims (20)

Mechanism (1) free direct impulse escapement for a timepiece, comprising: an escape wheel (2), extending in a plane P1 and mobile in rotation about an axis of rotation (X1) perpendicular to this plane and provided with a series of peripheral teeth (3), said teeth (3) defining at their ends during the rotation of the escape wheel a circular path C, - A rest device (4) comprising at least one pallet of rest (41) arranged to cooperate in abutment with a tooth (3) of the movable exhaust (2) in a rest position of said rest device (4) at least - At least one control lift (6) adapted to be secured to a regulating member (5) pivoting about an axis of rotation (X2) to cooperate with at least one complementary release member (44) of the rest device ( 4) to release at each alternation of said regulating member (5) the rest device (4) of the escape wheel (2) in a release position, - Pulse vanes (9) adapted to be secured to said regulating member (5) to cooperate each on a pulse plane (9p) with a tooth (3) of the escapement mobile (2) to transmit a direct pulse to said regulator (5); characterized in that the rest device (4) is arranged to pull the escapement wheel (2) in each rest position and in that the teeth (3) of the escape wheel (2) and the pallets pulse (9) are configured and arranged so that the pulses occur outside the plane P1 of the escapement mobile (2). Exhaust mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that at least a portion of the teeth (3) of the escapement mobile form a projection (31, 32) perpendicularly to the plane P1 of said exhaust mobile (2). Exhaust mechanism according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the at least one pallet of rest (41) is arranged on the rest device (4) to cooperate with the teeth (3) of the escapement wheel at least partially in the plane P1 of said mobile escapement (2). Exhaust mechanism according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that each pulse pallet (9) is arranged integral in rotation with the regulating member (5) such that its pulse plane describes a trace of which the width, measured in a path of the escape mechanism, is at most equal to half the pitch separating two teeth (3) from the escapement vehicle. Exhaust mechanism according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that each pulse pallet (9) is arranged to rotate with the regulating member (5) such as the lifting angle to the regulator (5). ) is between 10 ° and 35 °, preferably between 15 ° and 30 °. Exhaust mechanism according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the rest device (4) comprises a rest anchor (43) provided with a first and a second pallet of rest (41) and secured to a return lever (42) rotatably mounted about an axis (X3) between two rest positions through the disengagement position, said rest and disengagement positions being determined by at least two abutments; stop (7) on either side of a first end of the return lever (42) and a complementary release member (44) arranged at a second end of said return lever (42). Exhaust mechanism according to claim 6, characterized in that the complementary release member (44) is formed of an almond ring (443) in which extends the axis (X2) of the regulator (5) of such that the control lift (6) moves without contact along the inner walls of said ring (443) defining a control cam (8), a clearance notch (45) of the control lift (6) being formed in the inner wall of said ring (443) in an alignment position with a longitudinal axis of the return lever. Exhaust mechanism according to claim 6, characterized in that the complementary release member (44) is formed of a fork having two horns separated by a notch and devoid of dart or the like, said horns being symmetrical with respect to a longitudinal axis of the return lever (42) passing through the axis of rotation (X3) and the center of the notch and s extending from said notch following a circular arc. Exhaust mechanism according to one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that it comprises a first and a second impulse paddle (9) fixed on a pulse plate (91) integral with the regulating member and extending in a plane P2 parallel to the plane P1 of the escapement mobile (2). Exhaust mechanism according to one of claims 6 to 9, characterized in that the teeth (3) of the escapement mobile comprises a pulse finger (31) protruding from the plane P1 to engage the pulse plane pulse pallets (9) out of said plane P1, the radial ends of said pulse and rest teeth describing the circular path C. Exhaust mechanism according to one of claims 6 to 10, characterized in that the control lift (6) is an anchor (61) integral with the impulse plate (91). Exhaust mechanism according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the rest device (4) comprises a return lever (42) carrying at a first end said rest pallet (41) and being movably mounted in rotation about an axis (X3) between the rest position and the release position, determined by at least one stopper (7) and at least one control cam (8) arranged to rotate with said regulating member ( 5). Exhaust mechanism according to claim 12, characterized in that the complementary release member (44) comprises a release arm (441) integral with the return lever and provided at one free end with a release tooth (442). arranged to cooperate with said control lift (6) in said disengagement position. Exhaust mechanism according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that the control cam (8) has a cam surface (81) and a cam slot (82) formed in said cam surface for cooperating with a follower. cam (421) formed at a second end of the return lever (42) opposite said rest pallet (41), said control cam (8) and said return lever (42) being respectively arranged such that said cam follower (421) falls into said cam slot (82) in said release position and is pushed out of the notch (82) to pivot the return lever ( 42) in the rest position. Exhaust mechanism according to one of claims 12 to 14, characterized in that the control lift (6) is a pallet (61) fixed on a plate (62) integral in rotation with the regulating member (5) and mobile in a parallel plane P3 and distinct from the plane P1 of the mobile escape. Exhaust mechanism according to one of claims 12 or 13, characterized in that the control cam (8) comprises a ring and a cam notch (82) formed on an internal field of said cam surface ring (81) a cam follower pin (421) at the free end of the release lever (441) extending in said ring such that said cam follower (421) falls into said cam slot (82) in said cam follower release position and is pushed out of said cam notch (82) to pivot the return lever (42) into the home position. Exhaust mechanism according to one of claims 12 or 13 and claim 16, characterized in that the control lift (6) is a pin fixed to the control cam in a position radially aligned with said cam notch relative to to the axis of rotation (X2) of the regulating member. Exhaust mechanism according to one of claims 1 to 5 and 12 to 17, characterized in that it comprises a first and a second impulse vanes (9) each fixed on a pulse plate (91) integral with the regulating member (5) and extending respectively in a first plane P2 and a second plane P2 ', the planes P2, P2' being symmetrical with respect to the plane P1 of the escapement mobile. Exhaust mechanism according to claim 18, characterized in that the escapement wheel (2) comprises a regular alternation of teeth (3) comprising a pulse bar (32) projecting symmetrically with respect to the plane P1 of said mobile of exhaust to engage the impulse paddles (9) outside said plane P1 and teeth (3) devoid of projections relative to the plane P1, the radial ends of said teeth (3) describing the circular path C. Timepiece comprising an escape mechanism (1) according to one of claims 1 to 19.

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