Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G04—HOROLOGY
  • G04B—MECHANICALLY-DRIVEN CLOCKS OR WATCHES; MECHANICAL PARTS OF CLOCKS OR WATCHES IN GENERAL; TIME PIECES USING THE POSITION OF THE SUN, MOON OR STARS
  • G04B19/00—Indicating the time by visual means
  • G04B19/02—Back-gearing arrangements between gear train and hands
  • G04B19/025—Back-gearing arrangements between gear train and hands for simultaneous indicating on several dials
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G04—HOROLOGY
  • G04B—MECHANICALLY-DRIVEN CLOCKS OR WATCHES; MECHANICAL PARTS OF CLOCKS OR WATCHES IN GENERAL; TIME PIECES USING THE POSITION OF THE SUN, MOON OR STARS
  • G04B13/00—Gearwork
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G04—HOROLOGY
  • G04B—MECHANICALLY-DRIVEN CLOCKS OR WATCHES; MECHANICAL PARTS OF CLOCKS OR WATCHES IN GENERAL; TIME PIECES USING THE POSITION OF THE SUN, MOON OR STARS
  • G04B13/00—Gearwork
  • G04B13/002—Gearwork where rotation in one direction is changed into a stepping movement
  • G04B13/003—Gearwork where rotation in one direction is changed into a stepping movement with a step for each complete revolution
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G04—HOROLOGY
  • G04B—MECHANICALLY-DRIVEN CLOCKS OR WATCHES; MECHANICAL PARTS OF CLOCKS OR WATCHES IN GENERAL; TIME PIECES USING THE POSITION OF THE SUN, MOON OR STARS
  • G04B19/00—Indicating the time by visual means
  • G04B19/02—Back-gearing arrangements between gear train and hands
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G04—HOROLOGY
  • G04B—MECHANICALLY-DRIVEN CLOCKS OR WATCHES; MECHANICAL PARTS OF CLOCKS OR WATCHES IN GENERAL; TIME PIECES USING THE POSITION OF THE SUN, MOON OR STARS
  • G04B19/00—Indicating the time by visual means
  • G04B19/06—Dials
  • G04B19/08—Geometrical arrangement of the graduations
  • G04B19/082—Geometrical arrangement of the graduations varying from the normal closed scale
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G04—HOROLOGY
  • G04B—MECHANICALLY-DRIVEN CLOCKS OR WATCHES; MECHANICAL PARTS OF CLOCKS OR WATCHES IN GENERAL; TIME PIECES USING THE POSITION OF THE SUN, MOON OR STARS
  • G04B19/00—Indicating the time by visual means
  • G04B19/06—Dials
  • G04B19/16—Shiftable dials, e.g. indicating alternately from 1 to 12 and from 13 to 24
  • G04B19/163—Shiftable dials, e.g. indicating alternately from 1 to 12 and from 13 to 24 numbers which are visible alternately from 1 to 12 and from 13 to 24 on the same dial G04B19/085
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G04—HOROLOGY
  • G04B—MECHANICALLY-DRIVEN CLOCKS OR WATCHES; MECHANICAL PARTS OF CLOCKS OR WATCHES IN GENERAL; TIME PIECES USING THE POSITION OF THE SUN, MOON OR STARS
  • G04B25/00—Indicating the time by other means or by combined means
  • G04B25/06—Indicating the time by other means or by combined means by moving figures, e.g. cuckoo clocks, trumpet clocks
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G04—HOROLOGY
  • G04B—MECHANICALLY-DRIVEN CLOCKS OR WATCHES; MECHANICAL PARTS OF CLOCKS OR WATCHES IN GENERAL; TIME PIECES USING THE POSITION OF THE SUN, MOON OR STARS
  • G04B45/00—Time pieces of which the indicating means or cases provoke special effects, e.g. aesthetic effects
  • G04B45/003—Inscriptions and pictures moved by hand
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G04—HOROLOGY
  • G04B—MECHANICALLY-DRIVEN CLOCKS OR WATCHES; MECHANICAL PARTS OF CLOCKS OR WATCHES IN GENERAL; TIME PIECES USING THE POSITION OF THE SUN, MOON OR STARS
  • G04B45/00—Time pieces of which the indicating means or cases provoke special effects, e.g. aesthetic effects
  • G04B45/0038—Figures or parts thereof moved by the clockwork
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G04—HOROLOGY
  • G04B—MECHANICALLY-DRIVEN CLOCKS OR WATCHES; MECHANICAL PARTS OF CLOCKS OR WATCHES IN GENERAL; TIME PIECES USING THE POSITION OF THE SUN, MOON OR STARS
  • G04B45/00—Time pieces of which the indicating means or cases provoke special effects, e.g. aesthetic effects
  • G04B45/0038—Figures or parts thereof moved by the clockwork
  • G04B45/0061—Moving parts of the clockwork, e.g. pendulum, hands in special form, mostly constructed as a figure
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G04—HOROLOGY
  • G04B—MECHANICALLY-DRIVEN CLOCKS OR WATCHES; MECHANICAL PARTS OF CLOCKS OR WATCHES IN GENERAL; TIME PIECES USING THE POSITION OF THE SUN, MOON OR STARS
  • G04B47/00—Time-pieces combined with other articles which do not interfere with the running or the time-keeping of the time-piece
  • G04B47/04—Time-pieces combined with other articles which do not interfere with the running or the time-keeping of the time-piece with attached ornaments or amusement apparatus
  • G04B47/048—Clockwork combined with toys
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G04—HOROLOGY
  • G04B—MECHANICALLY-DRIVEN CLOCKS OR WATCHES; MECHANICAL PARTS OF CLOCKS OR WATCHES IN GENERAL; TIME PIECES USING THE POSITION OF THE SUN, MOON OR STARS
  • G04B13/00—Gearwork
  • G04B13/002—Gearwork where rotation in one direction is changed into a stepping movement
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G04—HOROLOGY
  • G04B—MECHANICALLY-DRIVEN CLOCKS OR WATCHES; MECHANICAL PARTS OF CLOCKS OR WATCHES IN GENERAL; TIME PIECES USING THE POSITION OF THE SUN, MOON OR STARS
  • G04B21/00—Indicating the time by acoustic means
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G04—HOROLOGY
  • G04B—MECHANICALLY-DRIVEN CLOCKS OR WATCHES; MECHANICAL PARTS OF CLOCKS OR WATCHES IN GENERAL; TIME PIECES USING THE POSITION OF THE SUN, MOON OR STARS
  • G04B23/00—Arrangements producing acoustic signals at preselected times

Definitions

• a first object of the present invention is a device for coordinating two functions of a timepiece.
• the two functions operated by the device which is the subject of the invention can be respectively a time display function and an animation function.
• the two functions can be implemented by two different mechanisms or by the same mechanism.
• the second object of the present invention is a timepiece, particularly a watch, which comprises two functions and a device for operating the two functions in a coordinated manner.
• the present invention has in particular a first object of a device for coordinated actuation of two mechanisms of a timepiece, the two mechanisms each comprising a mobile, and the device comprising:
• a so-called “snail” cam arranged to be driven by the movement of the timepiece and comprising an ascending profile ending in a recess;
• first and a second transmission member each comprising a pivoted toothed sector and a cam follower, the cam followers of the first and second transmission member both being arranged to cooperate with the profile of the cochlea, and the toothed sectors being respectively kinematically connected to the two mobiles;
• Patent document CH 55403 describes a cuckoo clock which comprises a mechanism with two bellows which is controlled by the gear of the clock and which is arranged to emit, at each passing of an hour, an alternation of two notes evoking the song of the cuckoo.
• This known clock also includes an animation consisting of figures arranged on the front of the clock and which are put into action by a mechanism which is also driven by the gear of the clock. According to this previous document, the animation and the cuckoo song are actuated by the same mechanism so that the period during which the animation occurs is exactly superimposed on the period during which the cuckoo song is emitted.
• An aim of the present invention is to remedy the disadvantages of the prior art which have just been explained.
• the present invention achieves this goal as well as others by providing a coordinated actuation device which conforms to the appended claim 1.
• the device for coordinated actuation of two functions of a timepiece makes it possible to ensure that the triggering of one of the two functions occurs at the desired instant in the workflow of the other function.
• Figures 1A and 1B are two views in perspective, from different angles, of a coordinated actuation device according to a first embodiment of the invention
• Figures 2A, 2B, 2C and 2D are schematic plan views of the coordinated actuation device according to the first embodiment of the invention at four successive instants just before, during and just after the fall of the two cam followers in the detachment of the snail profile
• Figure 3A is a perspective view of a device for coordinated actuation of a retrograde display and an animation, according to a second embodiment of the invention
• Figure 3B is a plan view of the coordinated actuation device according to the second embodiment of the invention
• Figures 3C to 3F are schematic plan views of the coordinated actuation device according to the second embodiment of the invention at four successive times.
• FIGS 1A and 1B attached are two perspective views, from different angles, of a device for coordinated actuation of two functions of a timepiece, more particularly of two mechanisms of the timepiece implementing implements these two functions, respectively.
• This device conforms to a first embodiment of the invention.
• the two mechanisms that the device is intended to operate are not shown, with the exception of two mobiles (referenced 3 and 5) which each belong to one of the mechanisms.
• the mobiles 3 and 5 are pinions.
• each of the pinions 3, 5 can for example be used to directly actuate the mechanism, or to arm a mainspring which is itself dedicated to the actuation of this mechanism.
• the coordinated actuation device finally comprises return means arranged to recall the followers cam 11a and 13a against the profile of the cochlea 7.
• these return means comprise a first leaf spring (referenced 17).
• the direction in which the movement (not shown) of the timepiece causes the snail 7 to rotate corresponds to the clockwise direction in Figures 1A and 1B. It will therefore be understood that the spiral part of the profile corresponds to the ascending part of this last.
• the cam followers 11a and 13a of the first and second transmission members are arranged to follow the profile of the snail 7 with a slight offset, the cam follower 13a being slightly behind the cam follower 11a.
• the offset between the two cam followers corresponds to a duration of three minutes.
• the offset existing between the two cam followers corresponds to the time necessary for the cam to pivot by 1.5°.
• the cam would only take 15 seconds to rotate 1.5°.
• the angle at which the cam pivots during the duration of the offset is advantageous for the angle at which the cam pivots during the duration of the offset to be less than 30°, and this angle is preferably less than 5°.
• the angle at which the cam pivots during the duration of the offset is greater than 1.2°, and this angle is preferably greater than 1.3°, preferably greater than 1.4°.
• the toothed sector 11 b of the first transmission member carries an eccentric 25a
• the cam follower 13a of the second transmission member has a shoulder serving as a surface of support 25b.
• the eccentric 25a and the support surface 25b have the possibility of abutting against each other so as to block, in one direction, the pivoting of the toothed sector 11b relative to the follower cam 13a. The reason for the stopping means which have just been described will be explained later.
• the cam follower 11a carries a finger 23a
• the toothed sector 11b carries a pin 23b
• the pin 23b and the finger 23a have the possibility of abutting against each other so as to block in one direction the pivoting of the toothed sector 11b relative to the cam follower 11a .
• the finger 23a and the pin 23b thus form the stop means shared by the cam follower 11a and the toothed sector 11b. It will be understood, however, that different stop means could be used. According to alternative variants, these stop means could be of any type suitable for limiting the angular sector within which the cam follower 11a and the toothed sector 11b can pivot relative to each other.
• the actuation device further comprises a second leaf spring (referenced 15) which is arranged so that its distal end presses against the pin 23b of the toothed sector 11b.
• the toothed sector of the first transmission member is therefore permanently subjected to a restoring force which tends to make it pivot around the axis 21 (the direction in which the restoring force encourages the toothed sector 11 b to pivot corresponding to clockwise direction in Figures 2A to 2D).
• the force exerted by the second leaf spring 15 on the toothed sector 11 also has the effect of returning the pin 23b towards the finger 23a.
• the force exerted by the second leaf spring 15 still has the effect of returning the cam follower 11a against the profile of the snail 7 .
• cam followers 11a, 13a travel the spiral part of the snail profile from bottom to top. This ascending part is arranged to gradually lift the two cam followers, so as to make them pivot around axis 21 (counterclockwise in Figures 2A to 2D).
• the cam follower 11a of the first transmission member pivots, its finger 23a pushes the pin 23b of the toothed sector 11b against the return force exerted by the second leaf spring 15.
• the toothed sector 11 b pivots in the counterclockwise direction integrally with the cam follower 11a.
• the pivoting of the toothed sector 11 b drives the pinion 3 clockwise (as shown in Figures 2A to 2D).
• toothed sector 11 b of the first transmission member and the toothed sector 13b of the second transmission member each reach an extreme angular position when the cam follower 11a or 13a of the same transmission member reaches the top of the spiral part of the snail 7. It will also be understood that at each revolution of the snail 7, the two toothed sectors 11 b, 13b pivot alternately in one direction and the other from the extreme angular position associated with the top of the profile of the snail 7 to an opposite extreme position.
• the toothed sector 11 b carries an eccentric 25a arranged to be able to abut against a bearing surface 25b which the second transmission member presents, so as to block the pivoting of the toothed sector 11 b beyond d 'a certain limit with respect to the cam follower 13a.
• the eccentric 25a abuts against the bearing surface 25b.
• the meeting of the eccentric with the support surface interrupts the pivoting of the toothed sector 11 b along the way.
• the pinion 3 meshes with the toothed sector, it also stops rotating at the instant where the eccentric 25a abuts against the bearing surface 25b.
• the exact angular position at which the pinion 3 stops when the stopping means 25a, 25b interrupt the pivoting of the toothed sector 11b is chosen to coincide with a particular moment, for example a high point, in the progress of the animation.
• the synchronization between the particular moment in the progress of the animation and the interruption of the pivoting of the toothed sector 11b can be adjusted by slightly rotating the eccentric.
• the snapshot in Figure 2C shows the device moments later.
• the restoring force exerted by the first leaf spring 17 has now caused the cam follower 13a to fall into the discontinuity 9 following the cam follower 11a.
• the cam follower 13a has touched the bottom of the discontinuity 9, and it will be understood that at the instant shown, it has reached its extreme (opposite) angular position in the clockwise direction.
• the cam follower 11a it will be understood that, as long as the pin 23b has not abutted against the finger 23a, the cam follower 11a is not subjected to the restoring force generated by the spring 15. At this stage, the cam follower 11a is therefore free to rotate inside a space between the bottom of the discontinuity 9 and the lateral edge 27a of the cam follower 13a.
• the cam follower 13a of the second transmission member is arranged so as to be recalled against the profile of the snail 7 by the first leaf spring 17. Under these conditions, when the cam follower 13a falls into the discontinuity 9, the first leaf spring 17 pivots the second transmission member at accelerated speed in a clockwise direction. The pivoting of the second transmission member causes the separation of the stopping means 25a, 25b, so that the toothed sector 11b again drives the pinion 3 in the counterclockwise direction, the animation thus being able to be brought to completion. In addition, as the toothed sector 13b of the second transmission member meshes with the pinion 5, the latter is driven at accelerated speed in the counterclockwise direction. It will be recalled that in the present example, pinion 5 is arranged to trigger the retrograde display of the time.
• FIGS 3A to 3F show a device for coordinated actuation of a retrograde display and an animation according to a second embodiment of the invention.
• the retrograde display includes a retrograde hour hand 41 and a retrograde minute hand 43.
• the retrograde hands 41, 43 are in the form of two characters, the hour character carrying an umbrella.
• the retrograde needles 41, 43 are integral with two pinions with sectoral teeth 42, 44 whose axes are referenced respectively 45 and 47.
• the function of the needles 41, 43 in the shape of characters, is not limited to displaying the time.
• the two needles 41, 43 are also capable of performing coordinated movements whose composition constitutes an animation. This is the reason why, in the description which follows, these needles are sometimes called organs of animation rather than retrograde needles.
• an hour mobile which is arranged to be driven around an axis 48 by the watch movement at the rate of one revolution in 12 hours and a minute mobile which is designed to be driven at the rate of a revolution in 120 minutes.
• the hour mobile comprises a wheel 19, as well as an hour cam 51 and an animation cam 53 which are both coaxial with the wheel 19 and integral with the latter, the cams 51, 53 being preferably coplanar as visible in Figure 3A in order to limit the thickness of the hour mobile.
• the direction in which the hour mobile is driven by the watch movement corresponds to the clockwise direction in Figures 3A to 3F.
• the hour cam 51 is a radial cam of the snail type whose profile is formed of a main part in the form of a spiral and of a discontinuity 52 in the form of a step which connects the top of the spiral with its lowest point.
• the radial animation cam 53 is more unusual. It consists in fact of a ring interrupted by an opening which passes through the wall of the ring, this opening forming a discontinuity 54 in the profile of the cam 53.
• the hour mobile 19, 51, 53 is preferably in one piece.
• the minute wheel for its part, comprises a wheel 79, a pinion 80 and a minute cam 81 arranged coaxially and integrally. Pinion 80 meshes with wheel 19 to drive it.
• the minute cam 81 has the shape of a double snail.
• the direction in which the minute mobile is driven by the watch movement corresponds to the counterclockwise direction in Figures 3A to 3F.
• the hands 41, 43 are controlled respectively by an hour rake 49 and a minute rake 82.
• Each of the two rake 49, 82 is pivoted around an axis (respectively 71 and 84) and its toothed sector meshes with the pinion 42, 44 which carries the corresponding retrograde needle 41, 43.
• the handle of the minute rake 82 ends in a cam follower finger 85 which is returned against the profile of the minute cam 81 by a leaf spring 83 or other spring means.
• the elements which have just been described allow the minute cam 81 to control the retrograde minute hand 43.
• the minute cam 81 is driven to the speed of one revolution in two hours. However, this cam has a rotational symmetry of order 2.
• the minute rake 82 and the retrograde minute hand 43 are therefore driven according to a cycle which repeats every sixty minutes.
• Figures 3A to 3F also show a first transmission member arranged to allow the hour cam 51 to control the retrograde hour hand 41.
• the first transmission member consists of the hour rake 49 which is pivotally mounted on the axis 71, as well as a cam follower lever 61 which is pivotally mounted on an axis 65 and which is arranged to cooperate with the profile of the hour cam 51 under the action of a spring -return blade 62 or other spring means.
• the hour rake 49 and the cam follower lever 61 are coupled to each other via a pin 73 which is rigidly fixed to the lever 61 and which passes through the lever 61 parallel to its axis 65.
• portion of the pin 73 projecting from one of the surfaces of the lever 61 serves as a support for the free end of the leaf spring 62 and thus receives from the latter the force allowing the lever 61 to return against the hour cam 51.
• portion of the pin 73 projecting on the opposite surface of the lever 61 is interposed between a rigid arm 75 of the handle of the hour rake 49 and an elastic arm 76 of the same handle, the pin 73 being able to slide slightly in the longitudinal groove formed by the arm 75, 76 being clamped by the elastic arm 76 against the rigid arm 75.
• Figures 3A to 3F also show a second transmission member arranged to allow the animation cam 53 to control the two animation members or retrograde needles 41, 43.
• the second transmission member comprises an animation rocker 63 which is provided with a cam follower finger 64 arranged to cooperate with the profile of the animation cam 53.
• the animation rocker 63 is pivoted on an axis 67, and a leaf spring 55 or other spring means is also provided to return the cam follower finger 64 against the profile of the animation cam 53.
• an eccentric 89 which is mounted on the frame of the coordinated actuation device - typically the frame of the watch movement - and which is arranged so as to be able to cooperate with a heel 87 which the animation rocker 63 presents.
• the heel 87 has the possibility of abutting against the eccentric 89 so as to block the pivoting of the animation rocker 63 in the clockwise direction.
• the animation rocker 63 carries a second pin 91 arranged to cooperate with a side of the hour rake 49 to drive the hour rake 49 counterclockwise when the animation rocker 63 pivots clockwise, i.e. that is to say when the cam follower finger 64 falls into the discontinuity 54 of the profile of the animation cam 53.
• cam follower lever 61 carries a third pin 69 arranged to cooperate with a shoulder 68 of the animation rocker 63.
• the cam follower lever 61 crosses the top of the profile of the hour cam 51 and falling in its discontinuity 52, the pivoting of the lever 61 in the clockwise direction causes the pin 69 to rotate the animation rocker 63 in the counterclockwise direction.
• the hour cam 51, the animation cam 53, the cam follower lever 61 and the cam follower finger 64 are arranged so that the falls of the cam follower lever 61, which occur periodically with the same period as the falls of the cam follower finger 64, are offset in time relative to the falls of the cam follower finger 64.
• the offset between the two cam followers 61, 64 corresponds to a duration of three minutes.
• the offset existing between the two cam followers 61, 64 corresponds to the time necessary for the hour mobile 19, 51, 53 pivots by 1.5°.
• the angle at which the hour mobile 19, 51, 53 pivots during the duration of the shift is less than 30°, and this angle is preferably less than 5°.
• the angle at which the mobile of the hours 19, 51, 53 pivots during the duration of the offset is greater than 1.2°, and this angle is preferably greater than 1.3°, preferably greater than 1.4°.
• the cam follower lever 61 drives the hour rake 49 which itself drives, via the pinion 42, the hour hand 41 in the clockwise direction along a sectoral hour graduation, up to until (a little less than 12 hours after the start of the cycle) the cam follower lever 61 arrives at the top of the hour cam 51 ( Figure 3D) corresponding to a substantially vertical position of the hour hand 41.
• the lifting of the cam follower finger 85 and of the minute rake 82 to which it belongs by the minute cam 81 causes the minute hand 43 to rotate, via the pinion 44, in a counterclockwise direction along a minute scale. sectoral. Every sixty minutes, the cam follower finger 85 falls along one of the two recesses of the minute cam 81, which causes the minute hand 43 to return to its zero position. The minute hand 43 thus moves alternately counterclockwise (progressively) and clockwise (abruptly) while the hour hand 41 gradually advances clockwise.
• the pin 91 of the animation rocker 63 comes into contact with the hour rake 49 and causes it to rotate counterclockwise.
• an activation finger 66 of the animation rocker 63 comes into contact with an arm 86 of the minute rack 82 to rotate the minute rack 82 clockwise.
• the exemplary device which has just been described makes it possible to activate in a coordinated manner an animation and a retrograde display of the time in a timepiece.
• This device makes it possible in particular to ensure that the triggering of the retrograde time display occurs at the desired moment in the progress of the animation.

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• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Geometry (AREA)
• Transmission Devices (AREA)

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• 2022
  • 2022-08-24 CH CH000987/2022A patent/CH719985A1/fr unknown
• 2023
  • 2023-07-05 US US18/996,316 patent/US20260023346A1/en active Pending
  • 2023-07-05 EP EP23745266.9A patent/EP4577879A1/fr active Pending
  • 2023-07-05 JP JP2025510400A patent/JP2025526961A/ja active Pending
  • 2023-07-05 CN CN202380056380.8A patent/CN119563145A/zh active Pending
  • 2023-07-05 WO PCT/IB2023/056956 patent/WO2024042385A1/fr not_active Ceased

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