EP3715960A1

EP3715960A1 - Adjustable frequency clock

Info

Publication number: EP3715960A1
Application number: EP19166419.2A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Luciano SASSO
Original assignee: La Vallee SRL
Current assignee: La Vallee SRL
Priority date: 2019-03-29
Filing date: 2019-03-29
Publication date: 2020-09-30
Also published as: WO2020201918A1

Abstract

The invention concerns an escapement device for clocks, wherein the ticking sound produced by a mechanism where a balance wheel (5) oscillates in contrast to the elastic action of a spring (6) and is associated with an anchor (4), has a frequency preset as a function of parameters outside of the clock, such as a heart rate of a user, the environment in which the clock is located or others.

Description

The present invention, in a more general aspect thereof, concerns the advancing frequency of the mechanisms of clocks.
It should be specified right away that the present invention is intended for horology in general and therefore it applies as much to watches, both wrist and pocket, as to table or wall clocks, with the shape and size of the clock not being relevant.
Furthermore, as will become clearer hereinafter, the invention preferably concerns mechanical clocks, in other words those in which the mobile indicator elements like the hands, the discs or the dials or other, are driven by mechanisms that comprise an escapement system.
Therefore, when in this description and in the following claims reference is made to a clock or to a form of clock, this should not be interpreted to be limiting and what is stated can also be extended to embodiments of different clocks in terms of size, use and actuation.
As known, in wrist watches, table or wall clocks, the escapement mechanisms that are used to advance the hands and the other mobile parts (e.g. the calendars), comprise a series of gears and of mechanical members that transform the drive torque supplied usually by a spring, so as to obtain a desired advancing speed: for example, the seconds hand will typically perform one complete turn in a minute, whereas the minute hand will perform one turn in an hour and so on.
From a mechanical point of view this advancing system is regulated by the oscillation frequency of a component called balance wheel, which under the elastic contrast action of a spring carries out alternate rotations with a predetermined frequency and/or amplitude.
The ticking produced by mechanical clocks is closely linked to the oscillation frequency of the balance wheel.
Indeed, it regulates the motion of another component called "anchor", which, as a result of its geometry and the constraints placed on it, moves alternately into two extreme positions.
In its motion the anchor stops and releases the teeth of a wheel called "escapement wheel" that is moved and pushed by the torque exerted by the load spring through a train of multiplying gears. The striking of such components produces a sound of constant rhythm that is what is commonly identified as "ticking" of the clock.
In wrist watches there is a tendency to use increasingly high frequencies, which typically range from 28,800 VPH (vibrations per hour) equal to 4Hz, to 72,000 VPH vibrations per hour (10Hz) and over; in table clocks the frequencies are of the order of 2-2.5 Hz. In quiet settings like in the home, particularly at night, the sound of clocks associated with these frequencies can be annoying; moreover, it is not possible to eliminate or silence it, because the operation and precision of clocks depend on it.
As a result, there is a great need to find a solution to this situation.
Therefore, it can be said that a technical problem forming the basis of the invention is to provide a clock with structural and operating characteristics such as to reduce or in any case limit the drawbacks due to the sound associated with the escapement operating mechanism.
The idea for a solution to such a problem consists of the fact that the Applicant has surprisingly found that by varying the frequencies of the sound (ticking) associated with the clock, there is a reduction of the annoyance or in any case of the negative effects on people.
In other words, the Applicant has found that depending on the people and/or the environments in which the clock is located, there are some frequencies that can lessen the annoyance or in any case the negative effects of the sound associated with it. Therefore, in accordance with the invention, in order to solve the aforementioned technical problem a clock is provided in which the oscillation frequency of its escapement mechanism can be set according to requirements.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the finding, such a frequency is different from the high frequencies of known clocks and in any case different from that necessary to advance the second or minute hands, nevertheless ensuring the advancing speed of the latter, in other words one turn per minute or one turn per hour.
The characteristics of the invention are stated more specifically in the claims attached to this description.
Such characteristics, the results that derive from them and the effects obtained by the invention will become clearer from the following description of a preferred and non-exclusive embodiment thereof, shown in the attached drawings, provided for indicating and not limiting purposes, in which the sole figure (fig. 1) shows a perspective view of a mechanical escapement device according to the finding.
In particular, as can be understood, for the sake of simplicity and clarity the figure schematically shows only the elements necessary or in any case useful for understanding the finding; for the rest of the mechanism and of the clock in which it is intended to be installed, reference can be made to what is generally known in the field.
Therefore, those skilled in the art are able to carry out the invention based on what will be outlined hereinafter, possibly together with information belonging to their shared technical knowledge.
Thus, for example, the mechanism of figure 1 is of the type intended for wrist watches; however, those skilled in the art are able to make the necessary variations in the case of table or wall clocks, possibly even pendulum clocks.
In the figure it is possible to see an escapement device according to the invention, generically indicated with 1, which is intended for advancing the hour hand 2, minute hand 3 and second hand 15, along a clock face 35.
The device 1 comprises an anchor mechanism 4 and balance wheel 5 that oscillates in contrast to the elastic action of a coil spring 6; the anchor 4 engages with a sawtooth wheel 7 of the escapement, which is set in motion by a gear train 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 13, 31, 29 in cascade that receive the drive torque from a spring 30.
The latter is loaded manually by a crown 25 and a drum gear 26, 27, 28.
In the device 1 the frequency at which the balance wheel 5 is made to oscillate by means of the coil spring 6 is a constructive choice that is made at the design stage according to the teaching of the invention: such a frequency is preferably selected as a function of the user and/or the environment in which the clock in which the device 1 is mounted is arranged.
Among the frequencies that the Applicant has found to be of interest, there are the frequencies corresponding to the heartbeat of the user, particularly in rest conditions; typically it thus concerns frequencies below 1 Hz.
After this, it is necessary to construct the gear train 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 13, 14, 29 so as to be able to correctly represent the passage of minutes (meaning that in the case of a conventional clock there must be an arbor of a gear that completes a whole turn in one hour) and possibly the passage of seconds.
Concerning this, see the simplified scheme of Fig. 1 that shows the escapement device of a mechanical clock (in the example a wrist watch), where the clicks of the anchor 4 release the teeth of the escapement wheel 7 one at a time, said wheel 7 being set in motion by the entire gear train 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 13, 14, 29, which moves the minute hand 3, hour hand 2 and, consequently, all of the other indications possibly present on the clock face 35, in this case the seconds hand 15.
In this context the frequency of the sound produced by the contact between the anchor 4 and the teeth of the escapement wheel 7 is preset as a function of parameters outside of the clock, such as the heart rate of the user, the environment in which the clock is located or other.
What is relevant is that such a frequency is preferably different from the advancing of the hands 2, 3 and 15; therefore, the number of teeth of the wheel 7 and the oscillation frequency of the balance wheel 5 and of the associated anchor 4, will be selected so as to generate a ticking sound with a different frequency from that of the seconds hand 15.
In fact, the rotation speed and/or the number of teeth of the escapement wheel 7 will be different from that of the seconds wheel 9.

For the sake of simplicity, the elements shown in the figure are listed below, with the relative reference numerals:

1. Escapement device	19. Seconds arbor
2. Hour hand	25. Crown
3. Minute hand	26. Sprocket
4. Anchor	27. Drum of the barrel
5. Balance wheel	28. Shaft of the barrel
6. Coil spring	29. Drum wheel
7. Escapement wheel	30. Load spring
8. Pinion of the escapement wheel
9. Seconds wheel
10. Pinion of the seconds wheel
11. Third wheel
12. Pinion of the third wheel
13. Centre wheel
14. Pinion of the centre wheel
15. Seconds hand
16. Hour wheel
17. Minute wheel
18. Pinion of the minute wheel

As stated, the teaching of the invention also extends to table and wall clocks, so that in such circumstances it will be possible to have variants with respect to what is shown in the figure, which concerns a wrist watch.
Thus, for example, the load crown 25 could be absent or in any case different; the same applies to the gear train 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 13, 14, 29 that makes it possible to obtain the desired gear ratio for a given oscillation frequency of the balance wheel 5.
What is relevant is that the oscillation frequency of the latter and the number of teeth of the escapement wheel 7 are such that the periodic or ticking sound that is caused by the contact of the anchor 4 with the teeth of the wheel 7 corresponds to the desired frequency. Such variants are encompassed by the following claims.

Claims

Escapement device for clocks, comprising a mechanism where a balance wheel (5) that oscillates in contrast to the elastic action of a spring (6) is associated with an anchor (4) and wherein the anchor (4) engages with the teeth of an escapement wheel (7), so that the contact produces a sound or ticking with a certain frequency, characterised in that such a frequency is preset as a function of parameters outside of the clock, such as a heart rate of a user, the environment in which the clock is located or others.
Device according to claim 1, wherein the frequency of said sound is less than 1 Hz.
Device according to claims 1 or 2, wherein the frequency of said sound is different from that of turning of the hands (2, 3, 15) or of other mobile indicator members of the clock.
Device according to any one of the previous claims, comprising a gear train (8, 9, 10, 11, 12 13, 31, 29) for actuating the escapement wheel (7) and the hands (2, 3, 15) of the clock, wherein the number of teeth and/or the rotation speed is different from the frequency of the aforementioned sound.
Clock comprising a device according to any one of the previous claims.