EP3559757A1

EP3559757A1 - Timepiece movement

Info

Publication number: EP3559757A1
Application number: EP17835621.8A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Stephen Forsey; Robert Greubel
Original assignee: GFPI SA; Complitime SA
Current assignee: GREUBEL FORSEY SA
Priority date: 2016-12-22
Filing date: 2017-12-14
Publication date: 2019-10-30
Also published as: CH713326B1; CH713326A2; WO2018114613A1

Abstract

A timepiece movement (1) comprising: - at least one power source (3, 3a, 3b); - a finishing gear train (5, 5a, 5b, 5c) kinematically linking the power source (3, 3a, 3b) to a regulating member (7); and - a display member (11) arranged to be driven by said power source. According to the invention, the movement (1) also comprises: - an actuator (9) that acts upon the transmission of rotation between the power source (3, 3a, 3b) and the display unit (11); and - a control device (13) for controlling the actuator (9), said control device (13) comprising wheels that all have a diameter smaller than or equal to 2.5 mm.

Description

MOVEMENT FOR WATCHPIECES Technical Area

The present invention relates to the field of watchmaking. It relates, more particularly, to a movement for a timepiece.

State of the art

Complicated watches, including several additional mechanisms such as date mechanisms, displays of the moon phase, chronographs, etc. typically require not only a large size, but also a significant torque to make them work. To ensure an acceptable power reserve, the barrels must, therefore, be large. Therefore, the higher the number of complications, the greater the size of the part, since the current design techniques imply that each complication is built to conventional horological size.

Moreover, when the presence of complications involves a significant load on the energy source, the oscillations of the regulating member may be disturbed. Indeed, if no complication takes energy, the regulating member receives a high torque, the torque decreasing according to the energy demand complications when they work. Since the course of the regulating organ varies according to the torque it receives, the latter can be highly variable, which is detrimental to isochronism.

The object of the present invention is thus to at least partially overcome at least one of the aforementioned drawbacks, and thus to provide a watch movement with increased power reserve and improved isochronism.

EP0108412 discloses a time setting device comprising several crenellated axes having a diameter of 0.8mm. These axes are involved exclusively in setting the time of movement, and therefore can not help overcome these disadvantages, since this device is not involved in the transmission of torque between the barrel and the regulating member of the movement. Disclosure of the invention

More specifically, the invention relates to a movement for a timepiece, comprising at least one energy source, for example one or more barrels, a work train kinematically connecting said energy source to an organ adjusting such as an escapement associated with a sprung balance, and a display member arranged to be driven by said energy source according to the regulating member.

According to the invention, said movement further comprises an actuator arranged to influence, that is to say to control, block, release, trigger or to vary the speed of the transmission of rotation between said source of energy and said display member, and a control device arranged to control said actuator, said control device comprising mobiles all having a diameter less than or equal to 2.5 mm.

By these means, the control device consists of a set of mobiles that have an extremely low inertia, and therefore require a significantly reduced torque to drive. Therefore, the operation of the control device requires the taking of less torque than usual with the energy source and the work train, which disturbs less the regulating organ and increases the power reserve of the movement. . Moreover, the use of smaller components also allows the development of complications with a reduced number of components, and an enlarged simplicity.

[0009] Said actuator may be, for example, a differential gear, a cam, a clutch, a lever, a rake, a rack, or a combination of several of these elements.

Alternatively, said actuator can be in said finishing train, and / or can be integrated with said energy source, such as being provided in or on the drum of a barrel.

[001 1] In a variant, said control device can be arranged to be controlled directly by said regulating member. In a variant, said actuator can be located in an additional kinematic chain extending from said power source, the control device being controlled by said regulating member. The torque used by the actuator can thus be independent of that distributed by the gear train, which further reduces the influence on the running of the regulating member.

Alternatively, the energy source may comprise a single drive member, or alternatively it may consist of a first drive member arranged to drive said work train, and a second drive member arranged to drive said additional driveline. This latter possibility minimizes the impact of the control device and the actuator on the running of the regulating member, and also makes it possible to optimize the torque supplied to each part of the movement by choosing appropriate barrels.

In a variant, said control device may be arranged to be controlled by a user, for example in the case where the control device controls a chronograph or the like.

In a variant, said control device may be arranged to be driven by said work train.

In a variant, said control device and said actuator are in said finishing train, said regulating member comprising an oscillator having a diameter equal to or less than 5mm. In this variant, the control device, which comprises a set of reduced size mobiles, forms the interface between a motor source of conventional size and a reduced size oscillator.

In a variant, said actuator may be driven by said energy source or by said finishing train, and said control device is controlled directly or indirectly by said regulating member.

In a variant, the movement may further comprise an additional display device arranged to be driven from said work train or by said regulating member. This additional display member can even be integrated with an escape wheel or a tourbillon or carousel cage. Alternatively, at least a portion of said work train and / or at least one other kinematic link can exclusively be composed of mobile having a size less than or equal to 2.5mm.

These variants can be combined according to all the possibilities making technical sense.

Finally, the invention relates to a timepiece comprising a movement as defined above.

Brief description of the drawings

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

Figures 1 to 7 are schematic representations of various variants of watch movements according to the invention; and

FIGS. 8 to 14 are schematic representations of watch movement constructions respectively corresponding to those of FIGS. 1 to 7.

Embodiments of the invention

[0023] Figure 1 schematically illustrates a first variant of a watch movement 1 according to the invention. This movement 1 comprises a power source 3 comprising at least one driving member, such as one or more barrels, an electric motor or the like, and a finishing train 5a, 5b which links the driving source 3 to a regulating member 7 constituting a time base. The regulating organ, often called also

"Regulator" typically includes an escapement and a balance-balance oscillator, but also, for example, a tuning fork regulator, a tourbillon, or any other known form of regulator. In this variant, an actuator 9 is incorporated in the finishing train 5a, 5b, and drives a display member January 1. The finishing gear 5a, 5b may be of conventional size ("horological size"). Typically, watch-size mobiles commonly used in finishing wheels have a diameter of up to around 12 mm. It is known that some wheels or gears may have a very small diameter, up to about 0.90mm, for example in the case of an exhaust pinion, but these wheels or gears are part of mobile, whose overall diameter (defined by the largest wheel component mobile) is significantly higher. By "mobile" is meant either a set of at least two elements (wheel, pinion, cam ...) integral in rotation about a common axis, or a single rotary element (wheel, pinion, cam ... ) around its own axis and which is not integral in rotation with another element.

This actuator 9 is in turn controlled by a control device 13, which takes information from the regulating member 7 via any kinematic link 8. The control device 13 comprises mobiles (wheels, cams, etc.) all having a "reduced size", that is to say they have a diameter less than or equal to 2.5 mm, or even less than or equal to 2mm, at 1, 5mm or even at 1 mm, as well as any other components having a size adapted to interact with such mobiles. The kinematic connection 8 may consist of watch-size mobiles, or of reduced size (that is to say all having a diameter less than or equal to 2.5 mm, or even less than or equal to 2 mm, to 1.5 mm or even at 1 mm), and the kinematic connection 10 between the control device 13 and the actuator 9 can also be of reduced size as defined above.

With this reduced size of the elements constituting the control device 13 and possibly also the kinematic connection 8, their need in strength and torque is greatly reduced compared to clock-sized components, which minimizes the disruption of the light. regulating organ 7 since the torque demand varies less than usual. Indeed, the inertia of the mobile components of the control device 13 is negligible compared to those of conventional size, and the torque requirement can be reduced to nano-Newton x meters.

Furthermore, the control device occupies a greatly reduced space, which also makes it possible to increase the number of complications controlled by the control device 13 (chronograph, calendar, other display, see below) that can be integrated in a given volume, where appropriate, without the need to provide a substantial additional torque for their operation, and simplification and / or reduction of the number of elements for a given mechanism. In the variant of Figure 1, the control device 13 receives energy directly from the regulating member, which is normally not possible without disturbing the latter. As such, it can even provide a power take-off directly on the escape wheel or even on the balance, since the torque taken is insignificant in comparison with that of the conventional case.

The control device 13 is arranged to control the actuator 9 to distribute torque arriving from the motor unit 3 to the display 1 1.

Several mechanisms are possible to constitute the actuator 9. For example, the latter may be a differential gear, on which the control device 13 acts to distribute torque to the display 1 1, braking, blocking or by releasing an input or an output, for example, to achieve a differential type clutch, without interruption of the kinematic link. Alternatively, the actuator 9 may be constituted by a clutch, whose switching between the engaged state and the disengaged state is arranged to occur in response to a small control force. One can also imagine actuators 9 based on rakes or racks, one or more cams, or levers. Still alternatively, the actuator 9 may be a gearbox, for example composed of an epicyclic gear train, the control device thereby effecting a change of speed of the display.

For this purpose, the display 1 1 may be a date display device (Western or other), months, years, week, days of the week, moon phase display , tides, biological, astrological or astrological cycles, a display of hours and / or minutes and / or seconds, a lightning strike, or any other display related to time. The kinematic connection 14 between the actuator 9 and the display member 11 may be of horological size or reduced in size as defined above. In the latter case, the display member may optionally be smaller than conventionally, and may be viewed through an optical device such as a magnifying glass. Moreover, and as illustrated by dashed lines, it is possible to provide one or more additional displays 1 1 a in the movement 1, driven for example directly from the motor member 3, a part of of the work train 5a, 5b, or otherwise.

Since the finishing gear 5a, 5b consists of watch size components, and the power source provides a conventional torque of the magnitude, the display 1 1, as well as the additional displays 1 1 a, can be also of conventional size. With current technologies, in the case where all the movement would be small, it would be difficult, if not impossible, to cause for example one or more needles, or a date disc, of conventional size. The movement according to the invention thus makes it possible to control a display of conventional size by means of a control device of reduced size.

FIG. 8 schematically illustrates an architecture that corresponds to the functional diagram of FIG. 1. This construction has been shown very schematically, and is in no way to scale. Moreover, certain kinematic links have simply been represented by arrows, the person skilled in the art knowing how to implement them via conventional wheels (for example), which also applies to FIGS. 9 to 14.

In this architecture, the regulating member 7 comprises a sprung-balance assembly 7a which cooperates with an anchor 7b and an escapement mobile 7c in known manner. The actuator 9 is a differential gear comprising an input 9a and two outputs 9b, 9c. In the illustrated variant, this differential is of the spherical type, a first sun gear acting as an input and is arranged to be driven by a barrel 3 acting as a power source. A second sun gear acts as a first output 9b, which drives the regulating member 7. The second output 9c is a carrier, which carries a plurality of bevel gears 101 meshing with both of the sun wheels 9a, 9b of known way.

The control device 13 comprises a constant radius cam 13a forming part of a mobile having a maximum diameter of 2.5 mm entrained directly or indirectly by the exhaust pinion 7d so that it is driven continuously when the movement 1 is running. This cam 13a takes place in a first fork 13b of a double fork 13c, which is pivoted ad hoc on a frame member. A second fork 13d penetrates into an external toothing 9d that includes the planet carrier 9c of the differential. This toothing 9d may be a conventional toothing, edge, a double edge toothing, or any other suitable toothing or other arrangement with similar functionality.

When the cam 13a rotates, the double-fork 13c oscillates between two extreme positions which are arranged so as to release the satellite gate 9c in steps, typically in steps of a tooth alternately of the double-range. During each release of the planet carrier 9c, the latter is rotated at a rate of one step by the torque supplied to the first input 9a by the cylinder 3, without any substantial influence on the torque supplied by the first output 9b to the regulating organ 7.

Since the display 1 1 is in kinematic connection with the satellite gate 9c, it is thus driven by not every release of the satellite gate 9c. By these means, the control device 13 controls the distribution of the torque to the display 1 1, blocking and releasing it successively.

Note also that a relatively small force is necessary to block the satellite gate 9d, and therefore the control device 13 may be reduced in size. According to the ratio of gears between the exhaust pinion 7d and the cam 13a, the display 11 can be advanced in steps with a desired period. For example, the manufacturer may provide to advance the display 1 1 at one rate per second, per minute, per hour, per day, or any other desired period, substantially without influencing the torque supplied to the organ 7. Isochronism can be improved.

Moreover, this arrangement allows to create a step-by-step display without the need for any spring to be loaded, or a jumper must be overcome, as is typically the case in such conventional displays. The need in torque is reduced, which increases the power reserve of the movement 1. Figure 2 illustrates a variant of a movement 1 according to the invention, which differs from that of Figure 1 in that the control device 13 is itself controlled by an action of a user, shown schematically by the dotted arrow 15. In this variant, the user can press for example a push button, a bolt, or the like, or can rotate a crown or the like. The torque that drives the control device 13 is thus provided by the user, and there is therefore no power take-off on the regulating member or the finishing gear for the operation of the control device 13.

In this context, the actuator 9 may be a conventional clutch or differential allowing the start of a counter such as a chronograph or a countdown timer, a tachometer or the like. Again alternatively, the actuator 9 may be a gearbox, for example composed of an epicyclic gear train, which makes it possible to advance or retreat (according to gear ratios) the display member 1 1 to one or more speed (s) greater than that of its normal operation, in order to perform a rapid correction of the display member January 1, for example in the context of a time setting.

For this variant, the same comments with respect to the size of the mobiles constituting the kinematic links 10 and 14 also apply here.

[0042] Figure 9 schematically illustrates an architecture that corresponds to the block diagram of Figure 2. This construction has been shown very schematically, and is in no way scaled.

In this variant, the actuator 9 is illustrated as an epicyclic gearbox 9f, which can drive the display 1 1 at different speeds under the control of the control member 13, which comprises a or several mobiles (not shown) of reduced size which are controlled by the pusher 13z. This gearbox 9f takes strength on a 9th axis that includes the finishing gear 5a, 5b, and can take a suitable form. As such, there may be mentioned bicycle epicyclic gearboxes, such as those described in US 2301852, US 3021728, DE 3440067 and others. Those skilled in the art know how to adapt these systems to a timepiece, in particular by modifying them for a relatively flat construction.

Another type of gearbox particularly adapted to this role is a differential gear having a first input arranged to be driven by the barrel 3, a second input arranged to be blocked or released by the control member 13, and an output that causes the display 1 1. By blocking or releasing the second input, the rotational speed of the output is changed, according to the gear ratios selected. The second input is provided with a disengageable connection such as a pawl, friction or the like, which serves to kinematically link with the first input when the second input is not blocked.

For example, if it is desired to be able to invert the direction of rotation of the display 1 1 following a command from the user, it is possible to arrange the differential so that its satellite gate is used of said second input. When the satellite gate is not blocked and thus rotates with the first input, the gear ratio between the first input and the output is therefore 1: 1.

By blocking the second input, the satellite gears serve as inverters, and the ratio of gears between the first input and the output therefore becomes 1 to -1, or another negative ratio according to the numbers. selected teeth and differential architecture (spherical, flat, etc.). This kind of differential inverter is known for example in WO2017071887 and therefore belongs to the knowledge of the skilled person.

Such an inverter allows for example to provide a countdown to the request (if for example the kinematic chain between the actuator and the display 1 1 also includes a clutch to form a chronograph), or to perform small corrections via a push button if the movement is ahead. If, on the other hand, the first input is the satellite carrier and the second input is a sun gear or a sun gear, the rotational speed of the output can be varied while maintaining the same sign for the gear ratio. . In other words, the output will always rotate in the same direction.

By choosing the construction of the differential gear (spherical, flat, ...) and the number of teeth, gear ratios can be chosen at will by the skilled person.

Moreover, by providing two such differential gears in series, we can confer more choices to the manufacturer on the speed reports, and even several different speeds if we block one, the other or even both second entries of the two differentials.

These kinds of gearboxes are suitable for making corrections of the display in the clockwise direction controlled by a push button. For example, in the case of a display 1 1 which indicates the minutes and the hours, if the ratio of gears is of 1: 1 when the second or the entries is / are free (s) and of 1: 1440 when it (s) is / are blocked (s), the display will perform a complete cycle of 24 hours in one minute. Of course, these gear ratios can be chosen at will, particularly in the case of a gearbox of reduced size (that is to say comprising mobiles having a diameter of 2.5 mm maximum).

FIG. 3 further illustrates a variant of a movement 1 according to the invention. This variant differs from that of FIG. 1 in that the actuator is not in the finishing gear train 5, but has its own kinematic connection constituted by an additional gear train 17 extending from the driving member 3. As such, the drive member can divide its torque between the work train 5 and the additional work train 17 via a differential gear (not shown). This differential can be arranged according to the needs of the construction, in order to distribute the torque symmetrically between the two wheels 5, 17, or asymmetrically, according to the gear ratios used. In this way, the torque supplied to each wheel can be optimized for operation on the one hand of the regulating member, on the other hand part of the display. In doing so, it can for example lead to a display requiring a high torque and a low-energy regulating organ or vice versa from a single barrel.

Alternatively, in a construction of motor member 3 less complex, one of the gear 5, 17 can be driven from the drum of a barrel, the other from its shaft. This variant has a reduced number of components compared to the differential solution described above. In order to manage the ratio of torque distributed to the two wheels 5, 17, the diameters of the mobiles which serve as power take-offs on the drum and on the barrel shaft can be chosen in an ad hoc manner.

For this variant, the same comments with respect to the size of the mobiles constituting the kinematic links 8, 10 and 14 also apply here. Typically, the kinematic connection 14 between the actuator 9 and the display member 1 1 would be horological in size.

Figure 10 schematically illustrates an architecture that corresponds to the block diagram of Figure 3. This construction has been shown very schematically, and is in no way scaled.

In this variant, the torque of the barrel 3 is divided by means of a differential gear 3c in a known manner, the torque arriving at the input 3d of the differential 3c from the barrel 3 exiting in two directions by each of the two outputs 3e (which leads to the regulating organ 7) and 3f (which drives the display 1 1). The shape of this differential is not significant and should not be described in more detail. Moreover, the aspects which are identical to the variant of FIG. 8 do not bear any reference signs and will not be described again.

The control device 13 is driven by the exhaust pinion 7d and is similar to that illustrated in Figure 8. Therefore, it should not be described a second time. However, the actuator 9 comprises a toothed wheel 9g which interacts with the second fork 13d so as to be locked and released stepwise at each alternation of the double-fork 13c.

This toothed wheel 9g is driven by the second output 3f of the differential, and is locked and released by not every alternation of the double fork 13c. The control device 13c thus controls the torque distribution between the barrel 3 and the display 1 1. The advantages of this variant are the same as those of FIG. 9.

The variant of Figure 4 differs from that of Figure 3 in that the motor member 3 comprises two separate sources of energy 3a, 3b, such as a pair of barrels. In this variant, the torque used by the display 11 has no influence on the work train 5, and can not in any way disturb the regulating member 7. Moreover, the size of the two energy sources 3a , 3b can be chosen according to their respective roles. The same comments with respect to kinematic links 8, 10 and 14 also apply here.

FIG. 11 shows a construction which corresponds to the diagram of FIG. 4, and will be described exclusively by its differences with respect to that of FIG. 10. Again, this construction has been represented very schematically, and is not in no way to scale.

In this variant, the energy source 3 comprises a first barrel 3a which drives the regulating member, and a second barrel 3b which drives the display 1 January. A particularity of the construction illustrated here is that a toothing carried by the barrel meshes directly with the exhaust pinion 7d of the regulating member, which makes the finishing gear 5 as compact as possible, and minimizes the number of components . This is made possible by the fact that the display 1 1 is not driven by the finishing gear 5, but is only controlled by the latter. Indeed, the control device 13 takes information only on the regulating member 7 (more particularly on the exhaust pinion 7). The drive of the display is therefore entirely outside the work train under the control of the control device 13, which adjusts the rotational speed of the display under the effect of the torque provided by the second cylinder 3b and rule thus gear ratios for display 1 1.

As in the variant of Figure 10, the exhaust pinion 7d drives the control device 13, the toothed wheel being driven by the second cylinder 3b, and driving the display device 1 January. This variant makes it possible to adapt the torque provided by each of the barrels according to its role since the first barrel 3a can be adapted for driving the regulating member 7, while the second barrel 3b can be more powerful in order to drive the display device 1 1. The control device 13 again having mobiles having a diameter of 2.5 mm maximum, it consumes very little energy and thus hardly disturbs the regulating member 7. However, it can control larger pairs coming from the second barrel 3b. FIG. 5 illustrates a variant based on that of FIG. 3, but which differs from the latter in that the control device 13 takes the information on the finishing gear train 5 upstream of the regulating member. 7. This variant allows to provide more torque to the control device 13, which can in turn provide more torque and / or force the actuator 9 to turn it on / off. In doing so, the control device 13 can operate with an actuator 9 which requires more force to trigger its operation. The same comments with respect to kinematic links 8, 10 and 14 also apply here.

Figure 12 illustrates a construction that corresponds to the diagram of Figure 5, and will be described exclusively by its differences from that of Figure 1 1. This construction has been shown very schematically, and is not to scale.

In this variant, a single barrel 3 is present, and has a first PTO 3m on its drum, and a second PTO on its axis 3n. The first 3m power take-off again drives the regulating member 7, and the second drives the actuator 9 via the additional driveline 17. Otherwise, this variant operates in a manner similar to that of FIG. However, it should also be noted that the control device 13 may alternatively be driven by the barrel of the barrel 3m, or by any mobile, if any, in a kinematic chain linking the drum 3m to the escape pinion 7d. FIG. 6 illustrates yet another variant of a movement 1 according to the invention. In this variant, the actuator 9 is directly in the finishing train 5a, 5b, 5c, and the control device 13 is also in the same finishing train 5a, 5b, 5c, upstream of the regulating member 7 and downstream of the actuator 9. In doing so, the control device 13 controls the actuator 9 by transmitting a temporal information from the regulating member 7.

In this variant, the actuator may be for example a cam arranged in the work train 5a, 5b, or alternatively in the branch of the latter, to advance the display member 1 1 by jumps, and regulating member 7 may itself be of reduced size. In this case, the regulating member 7 may comprise a balance having a diameter equal to or less than 5 mm, depending on the material chosen for its embodiment, and the control device 13 serves as an interface between the parts of the finishing gear 5 a, 5b which have a conventional horological size and the regulating organ 7 of reduced size.

Of course, other possibilities are conceivable.

In this variant, the part of the finishing gear 5b which is between the actuator 9 and the control device 13 may be composed of watch-size or reduced-size mobiles, and the part 5c which links the control device 13 the regulating member is of course of reduced size in order to cooperate with the regulating organ 7 of reduced size.

Figure 13 illustrates a construction which corresponds to the diagram of Figure 6. This construction has been shown very schematically, and is in no way to scale.

In this variant, the overall construction of the movement 1 is conventional, the barrel 3 being kinematically connected to the regulating member 7 by means of a finishing gear 5.

On one of the mobile of the work train which is part of the actuator 9 and the control device 13 is mounted a cam 9j constant radius. This cam interacts with a wolf gear wheel 103 via a hook 105 carried by a flexible arm 107. The latter is secured to a rigid arm 109 extending from a fork 1 1 1 which cooperates with the cam 9j. When the cam 9j rotates, the rigid arm 109 oscillates about its pivot axis 1 13, which advances the wolf gear 103 clockwise (in the figure) in steps of a tooth, the wheel 103 being positioned by a jumper 1 15 in a known manner . The shape of the hook 105 and the flexibility of the arm 107 allow the hook 105 to jump teeth as it moves to the left. The wolf gear 103 being in kinematic connection with the display January 1, the latter is also driven in turn.

FIG. 7 further illustrates a variant of a movement 1 according to the invention.

In this embodiment, the regulating member 7 is in direct kinematic connection with the motor member 3 through the work train 5, and an additional display member 12 is provided downstream of the regulating member 7. .

This time, the control device 13 takes information downstream of the regulating member 7, or alternately directly from the latter, and the actuator takes strength on a mobile of the work train 5 or alternatively directly on the source of energy.

By doing this, the actuator 9 can cause the display 1 1 under the control of the control device 13, and the regulating member 7 can drive an additional display member 12.

In this variant, the kinematic connection 8 between the regulating member 7 and the control device 13, as well as that between the latter and the actuator, will be reduced in size, and that joining the finishing gear 5 to the Actuator 9 may be of horological or reduced size.

Furthermore, the additional display member 12 could be directly on the regulating member 7, for example by being integrated with an escape wheel, a vortex or carousel cage, or the like.

Figure 14 illustrates a construction which corresponds to the diagram of Figure 7. This construction has been shown very schematically, and is in no way to scale.

The construction comprises a single barrel 3, the torque is divided by a differential gear 3c in known manner. The couple arrives on a first 3g solar wheel, and leaves on a first exit 3h (a second solar wheel) for driving the regulating member 7, and on a second output 3i (a satellite gate) for driving the actuator 9. Of course, other arrangements are possible, such as those of Figures 10 and 12, among others .

The actuator 9 shown here is a wheel carrying a single finger 9h, which is retained by a retention spout 13i that includes a lever 13g.

The control device 13 is composed of this lever 13g, which also provides the kinematic connection 10 between the regulating member 7 and the actuator 9.

The lever 13g is actuated by a pin 8a carried by the beam of the balance bar 7a, or by another element such as a plate which is integral in rotation with the balance 7a. It is therefore clear that the pin 8a is the kinematic connection 8 between the regulating member 7 and the control device 13. It is also possible to actuate the lever 13g by the exhaust pinion 7d or by a member driven by this latest.

The lever 13g pivots around a point 13h, chosen here at one end of the lever 13g to simplify the figure. However, pivoting at an intermediate point associated with a more realistic geometry of the mechanism is preferable.

In the sense of the invention, the "diameter" of the lever is twice its maximum radius measured from its pivot point 13h, and is at most 2.5 mm.

The shapes of the lever 13g and the pin 8a are chosen so that when the balance 7a oscillates, the pin 8a strikes the lever 13h and rotate it. If the lever acts in the same plane as the pendulum, this can be done without particular difficulty. If, on the other hand, the lever acts in a different plane, as Figure 14 implies, bevelled surfaces, cam surfaces or the like may be provided to ensure that the lever 13g is actuated in a suitable manner.

When the lever is raised, the spout 13i releases the finger 9h, and the actuator wheel 9 can rotate at a rate of one turn. An elastic return member 13j ensures that the lever 13g is brought against the surface of the wheel 9 when it is not under the control of the pin 8a and can block the passage of the finger 9h. By doing this, at each alternation of the balance 7a, the actuator 9 performs a revolution, and causes the display 1 1 at a rate.

If the pin 8a is retractable in a direction of rotation of the balance 7a but not in the other, the lever 13g will be operated once by oscillation of the balance 7a. Furthermore, it is possible to provide several fingers 9h (or a toothing) on the actuator 9 in order to choose the gear ratio desired between the barrel and the display 1 1.

Note also that the additional display 12 is illustrated as being driven by the exhaust pinion 7d that includes the regulating member 7. However, it is also possible that the lever carries or actuates a hook that advances an additional actuator, for example of the kind illustrated in Figure 13, to cause an additional display. In each variant, it is possible for the actuator 9 and the control device 13 to be integrated with each other in a single unit incorporating the two functions, as is the case with the variant of FIG. FIG. 13. Moreover, the actuator 9 and / or the control device 13 can act as a kinematic link, as is the case in particular in FIG. 14, and it is also possible for the actuator 9 to be integrated in FIG. a drum of a barrel constituting the driving member 3.

Small-sized mobiles, that is to say those forming part of the control device 13, as well as certain kinematic chains as mentioned above, can be manufactured for example by micro-machining processes capable of define elements with voxels of the order a few hundred nanometers, and thus create shapes with a precision of the order of a micrometer.

As such, there may be mentioned LIGA processes, methods of masking and etching from a plate of material, the photostructuration of glass or quartz with a femtolaser, or the high-resolution additive manufacturing of metal, epoxy, or ceramic. "Additive manufacturing" is the general term for all manufacturing processes by means of material addition, especially 3D printing, especially 3D photolithography, laser sintering, and others. A more developed discussion of this topic is found in Swiss Patent Application CH360 / 16. Although the invention has been described above in connection with specific embodiments, additional variants are also conceivable without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the claims. It should be noted, in particular, that the aspects of the various variants can be combined in any way that makes technical sense.

Claims

claims

1. Movement (1) for a timepiece, comprising:

at least one energy source (3, 3a, 3b);

- a finishing gear (5, 5a, 5b, 5c) kinematically connecting said power source (3, 3a, 3b) to a regulating member (7);

- a display member (1 1) arranged to be driven by said energy source;

characterized in that said movement (1) further comprises:

an actuator (9) arranged to influence the transmission of rotation between said energy source (3, 3a, 3b) and said display member (1 1); and

- A control device (13) arranged to control said actuator (9), said control device (13) comprising mobiles all having a diameter less than or equal to 2.5 mm.

2. Movement (1) according to claim 1, wherein said actuator (9) comprises at least one of: a differential gear, a cam, a clutch, a lever, a rake, a rack.

3. Movement (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said actuator (9) is in said finishing train (5, 5a, 5b).

4. Movement (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said actuator (9) is integrated with said energy source (3, 3a, 3b).

5. Movement (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said control device (13) is arranged to be controlled by said regulating member (7).

6. Movement (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said actuator (9) is in an additional kinematic chain (17) extending from said energy source (3, 3a, 3b), the device control unit (13) being controlled by said regulating member (7).

7. Movement (1) according to claim 6, wherein said energy source (3) comprises a single drive member (3).

8. Movement (1) according to claim 6, wherein said energy source (3, 3a, 3b) comprises a first drive member (3a) arranged to drive said finishing train (5), and a second member motor (3b) arranged to drive said additional drive train (17).

9. Movement (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein said control device (13) is arranged to be controlled by a user.

10. Movement (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein said control device (13) is arranged to be driven by said finishing train (5, 5a, 5b).

1 1. Movement (1) according to claim 10, wherein said control device (13) and said actuator (9) are in said finishing train (5a, 5b, 5c), said regulating member (7) comprising an oscillator having a diameter equal to or less than 5mm.

Movement (1) according to claims 6 and 10.

13. Movement (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein said actuator (9) is driven by said energy source (3, 3a, 3b) or by said finishing train (5, 5a, 5b ), and said control device (13) is controlled directly or indirectly by said regulating member (7).

14. Movement (1) according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising an additional display device (1 1 a, 12) arranged to be driven from said work train (5, 5a, 5b) or by said regulating member (7).

15. Movement (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein at least a portion of said work train (5, 5a, 5b) and / or at least one another kinematic connection (8, 10, 14, 17) included in said movement (1) exclusively comprises mobiles having a size less than 2.5 mm.

16. Timepiece comprising a movement (1) according to one of the preceding claims.