JP2018531390A6 - Vibrator for mechanical clock movement - Google Patents

Abstract

To solve the conventional drawbacks.
A vibrator for adjusting a mechanical timepiece movement, wherein the vibrator 1 includes an escape wheel 5 and a first resonator 3 constituting a time reference of the vibrator 1. The first resonator 3 includes a mass element 32 that is maintained to be oscillated by at least two oscillating elements 31, and the mass element 32 maintains the oscillation of the first resonator 3. And includes at least one ankle portion 4 integrated with the mass element 32 and configured to cooperate directly with the escape wheel 5 for moving the escape wheel 5 with alternating swings. The resonator 3 further includes a base 2 that is set to be fixed or movable in the timepiece movement, and the mass element 32 is supported only by the base 2 via the vibration element 31.

Description

  The present invention relates to a vibrator for controlling a timepiece movement that allows an oscillation frequency with an upper limit of 5 kHz, and for better stability and progress accuracy of the vibrator when mounted. The transducer also allows for a larger Q factor while reducing the need for tuning. The transducer is set to replace a conventional transducer that includes, among other things, a spring balance assembly and an ankle escapement that pivots on its own axis. The present invention also relates to a timepiece movement including such a vibrator.

  In a watch movement, the escapement function is to transmit the energy received by the gear train, which is itself driven by the main spring, to the resonator constituted by the spring balance assembly. Generally, the escapement includes an independent ankle that swings about an axis that is pivotally supported on the plate. The mechanical coupling between the ankle and the resonator, constituted by a plate that supports the pins that contact each corner of the ankle, is relatively complex. Furthermore, the spring balance assembly requires delicate adjustment. Finally, such resonators are generally limited to oscillation frequencies of up to 10 Hz.

  Patent Document 1 discloses an escapement device including an ankle integrated with a vibration member, wherein the ankle is arranged to swing perpendicular to the plane of the escape wheel. Has been. The ankle is fixed by embedding or welding, and is fixed by the end of the rigid support portion at the end of the embedded vibration blade. A tuning fork or a tuning fork based resonator is used in place of a vibrating blade having one of the branches supporting the ankle and the other branch that is free to rock while synchronizing with the first branch. Is possible.

  In Patent Document 2, a tuning fork that operates as a primary resonator and an ankle that includes two ankle stones that operate as a secondary resonator are fixed oppositely in the radial direction with respect to the central portion of the escape wheel. An escapement including a vibrating blade is described. Under the action of the tooth of the escape wheel against one of the lifts, the oscillating blade oscillates, and the amplitude of the oscillation causes the ankle to oscillate at its own frequency as well. It is permissible to lightly hit one of the ends.

  Patent Document 3 describes a mechanical resonator including a tuning fork swing that cooperates with an ankle that is movably mounted to rotate and can lock and unlock the escape wheel according to an angular position. Yes. This resonator has the disadvantage that a phase loss occurs at each alternation of the vibrator due to the gaps necessary for so-called free movement between the member attached to the branching part of the tuning fork and the ankle element, in this case, the tuning fork. have. These phases are known as loss trajectories in the field of watchmaking. On the other hand, the number of parts and their settings make the execution of this system very delicate.

  In the improved variant of US Pat. No. 6,057,017, particularly the above document shown in FIG. 11, the ankle is movably attached to an elastic arm and is a balance for counting the latter swing in the conventional manner. Collaborate with. In order not to disturb the oscillation of the resonator as much as possible, the ankle part should be as light as possible, especially in a vertical position. The arm that supports the ankle can have a bistable type behavior, energy intensive configuration at each alternation, and the energy received from the gear passes from one bistable state to another bistable state. It does not allow the swinging of the pendulum to be maintained when it is less than the energy required for the.

  In Patent Document 5, a mechanical blade that has a flexible blade that allows rocking of a resonator around a virtual rotation point and is maintained in rocking with the flexible blade by being fixed to a base in motion. A vessel is disclosed. This document offers the possibility of providing a moving part with a member having the normal function of a plate pin for cooperating with the escapement. Thus, the configuration of the present invention always includes an ankle separate from the resonator that does not reduce the number of parts and the number of destructive friction at each contact between the parts.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,440,815 Swiss Patent No. 442153 International Publication No. 2013/045573 European Patent Application No. 2645189 European Patent Application No. 2911012 Swiss Patent No. 656044 Swiss Patent No. 699780

  An object of the present invention is to eliminate the conventional drawbacks.

  The present invention is a vibrator for adjusting a mechanical watch movement, the vibrator includes an escape wheel and a resonator constituting a time reference of the vibrator, Including a mass element that is maintained to oscillate by at least two oscillating elements, the mass element maintaining the oscillation of the resonator and moving the escape wheel with each alternating oscillation And includes at least one ankle portion configured to directly cooperate with the escape wheel, and the first resonator further includes a base set to be fixed or movable in the watch movement. The mass element relates to a vibrator that is supported only by the base via the vibration element.

  Mechanical movements, regardless of whether the same time reference is used, chronographs, alarms using adjustment mechanisms, in particular the main wheel of a watch movement, and additional wheels or modules that use such adjustments Or any striking mechanism as encountered in a minute repeat mechanism, any watchmaking mechanism such as, but not limited to, a planetary gear train.

  The vibrator according to the present invention allows a high oscillation frequency and better stability and accuracy when mounted.

  In the vibrator of the present invention, the ankle portion is integrated with the mass element. Therefore, the vibrator of the present invention has a smaller installation area and a smaller number of parts compared to the conventional vibrator, in particular, compared with the vibrator provided with the conventional spring balance, ankle and escape wheel. .

  Embodiments of the invention are represented in the description illustrated by the attached drawings.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a vibrator including a resonator including a vibration element according to one embodiment. It is a figure which shows the resonator by one Example. It is a figure which shows the resonator by another Example. It is a figure which shows the resonator by another Example. It is a figure which shows schematically the form from which a vibration element differs. FIG. 3 illustrates a resonator having a vibrating element, according to one embodiment. FIG. 5 shows a resonator with a vibrating element according to another embodiment. FIG. 6 illustrates a resonator having a vibrating element, according to various embodiments. FIG. 6 illustrates a resonator having a vibrating element, according to various embodiments. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a resonator that cooperates with an escape wheel & pinion according to one embodiment. It is a figure which shows the vibrator | oscillator by another Example. It is a figure which shows the detail of the resonator of the vibrator | oscillator of FIG. It is a figure which shows the vibrator | oscillator by another Example. It is a figure which shows the vibrator | oscillator by another Example. It is a figure which shows the vibrator | oscillator by another Example. It is a figure which shows the vibrator | oscillator by another Example. It is a figure which shows another structure of a vibrator | oscillator. It is a figure which shows the vibrator | oscillator by another Example. FIG. 15 is a bottom view of the vibrator of FIG. 14. FIG. 15 is a bottom view of the vibrator of FIG. 14. It is a figure which shows the vibrator | oscillator by another Example. FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating the vibrator of FIG. 16. FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating the vibrator of FIG. 16. It is a figure which shows the vibrator | oscillator by another Example. It is a figure which shows the vibrator | oscillator by another Example. It is a figure which shows the vibrator | oscillator by another Example. FIG. 5 shows an on / off mechanism for a transducer according to another embodiment. A detailed view of the tooth of an escape wheel of an oscillator is shown, according to one embodiment. A detailed view of the tooth of an escape wheel of an oscillator is shown, according to one embodiment. It is a figure which shows the resonator by another Example. It is a figure which shows the resonator by another Example. It is sectional drawing of the vibrator | oscillator by one Example.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vibrator 1 according to an embodiment. The vibrator 1 includes an escape wheel 5 and a resonator 3 that constitute a time reference of the vibrator. The resonator 3 includes a mass element 32 that is maintained in a rocking state by at least two vibration elements 31. The mass element 32 is set so as to directly cooperate with the escape wheel 5 in order to maintain the swing of the first resonator 3 and so that the escape wheel 5 can be moved by each change of swing. An ankle portion 4 is included.

  In particular, the resonator 3 is formed by three vibration elements 31 extending in the radial direction from the central portion 12 in the plane P. For the remainder of the description, in a non-limiting manner, as represented by the coordinate system shown in the figure, the transverse direction “x” and the longitudinal direction “y” defining the reference plane P in which the transducer 1 extends, and the longitudinal direction And an axis “z” perpendicular to the transverse direction.

  The vibrating elements 31 are angularly spaced from each other at approximately 120 °. Each vibration element 31 has, at its base (near the central portion 12), a base 2 that is set to be mounted on the plate 10 or another fixed part of the timepiece movement, or an intermediate part that is attached to the timepiece movement itself. It is fixed to the frame. The end 35 of each vibration element 31 is fastened to the mass element 32. Accordingly, each vibration element 31 can freely vibrate or swing between its base and end. In general and independently of the arrangement of the vibration element 31, the mass element 32 is supported only by the base 2 via the vibration element 31.

  According to one embodiment, the attachment means 20 can be provided on the base 2 in order to fix the base 2 to the frame 10. The frame 10 can include a cage as shown in FIG. The frame 10 is set to be fixed to a watch movement (not shown) or movably attached. Alternatively, the base 2 is directly attached to a watch movement, for example a plate or a bridge.

  The frame 10 has advantages regarding the work of assembling, disassembling, adjusting and spending in the after-sales system of the vibrator 1. The frame 10 can take the form of a cage or capsule (as in FIG. 1). The frame 10 can be attached and adjusted to a part of the movement, for example a plate, in order to cooperate with a gear that adjusts the movement. Also according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the escape wheel is an escape wheel 5 mounted pivotably around a shaft 54 which is itself attached to a fixed bridge 21 with a base 2. The bridge may include an upper bridge 21 and a lower bridge 21 '.

  FIG. 2 shows another example of the resonator 3 in which the vibration element 31 does not exist. In this example, the base 2 extends to form a lower bridge 21 ′ to which the base 2 can be attached to the lower shaft support of the shaft 54.

  FIG. 3 shows another example in which the base 2 of the resonator 3 extends to form a lower bridge 21 ′ that includes a guide stone 55 for receiving the lower shaft support of the shaft 54.

  Accordingly, the shaft support of the shaft 54 can be attached directly (FIG. 2) or by a guide stone 55 (FIG. 3). Therefore, in the example of FIGS. 2 and 3, the bridges 21 and 21 ′ can be regarded as elements of the frame 10 that form a part of the resonator 3. On the other hand, the frame can also include a base 2 of the resonator 3 that extends in the plane P to receive the resonator 3 and one of the shaft supports of the escape wheel 5. In other words, the frame 10 to which the vibrator 1 is attached according to the invention can be partly integrated in the resonator 3. In the example shown in FIGS. 15 and 13, one of the shaft support portions of the shaft 54 of the escape wheel 5 can be attached to the bridge 21 ′, while the other shaft support portion is assembled to the watch movement. It is held on a part of the frame 10.

  The mass element 32 includes three portions 32 ′ of mass elements that also extend radially from the base 2 centered in the center 12 in the plane P. These portions 32 'are angularly spaced relative to each other at approximately 120 °. In such a configuration, the mass element 32 is fixed to the base 2 using the resonator 3, here the vibration element 31, and thus to a part of the movement when the vibrator 1 is attached to the movement. ing. When these elements vibrate, the vibration element 31 also vibrates the mass element 32.

  In the example of FIG. 1, the three portions 32 ′ of the mass element 32 are configured with a so-called skeleton watermarked structure. This skeletal openwork structure includes a number of recesses 36. Therefore, the mass or inertia of the mass element 32 is mainly determined by the wall 33 of the portion 32 ′. Each vibration element 31 can be accommodated inside each portion 32 ′, for example, in a housing 38 formed on the wall 33 as shown in FIG. 1. Each vibration element 31 includes a vibration blade.

  The ankle portion 4 is composed of a circular segment between two adjacent portions 32 'and a member 40 supported by each adjacent portion 32'. In this configuration, the escape wheel 5 is accommodated in the internal space 11 defined by the ankle portion 4 in order to cooperate with the ankle portion 4.

  During operation, the swing of the vibration element 31 swings the portion 32 ′ and the ankle portion 4 including the member 40. The vibration element 31, the portion 32 ′, and the ankle portion 4 swing within the same plane P around the center portion 12. The member 40 of the ankle part 4 is connected to the tooth 50 of the escape wheel 5 in order to maintain the oscillation of the first resonator 3 and to advance the escape wheel 5 by one tooth 50 by each change of oscillation. Collaborate. In particular, the member 40 alternately receives pulses from the teeth 50 of the escape wheel 5 in order to alternately lock and unlock the escape wheel 5 and maintain the periodic oscillation of the resonator 3. Therefore, the vibrator 1 enables the teeth 50 to continuously escape so that the escape wheel 5 advances in the reciprocating motion of the ankle portion 4. The escape wheel 5 turns on the same plane P as the plane on which the first resonator 3 and the ankle portion 4 swing.

  FIG. 4 shows a resonator 3 according to another embodiment in which a member 40 is arranged at the end of the part 32 '. In this configuration, each portion 32 is such that the escape wheel 5 can be attached to one or the other of the interior spaces 11 defined by each ankle portion 4 between two respective adjacent portions 32 '. 'Includes member 40.

  Generally, the resonator element 31 of the resonator 3 is configured for use in promoting resonance at frequencies including within the desired range of 10-5000 Hz with a beam shape, a vibrating blade, or a high Q factor. Various shapes are possible, including other shapes that meet the footprint requirements.

  As schematically illustrated in FIG. 5, the vibration element 31 can be configured to limit stresses, particularly at its ends (base and tip). This can be achieved by using distributed load beams (Fig. 5b), using multi-plate vibrating elements (Figs. 5a and 5d) or by providing local openings (Fig. 5e), e.g. holes. This can be done by modifying the local part. It is also possible to extend the active length of the blade without increasing the length of the vibrating member by forming a “torque” type structure (FIG. 5c) that can reduce the loading in a very important manner Is possible. Finally, it is possible to reduce the risk of destruction at the time of embedding by blunting the acute angle that is generally the cause of breakage or fatigue.

  On the other hand, it has been found from vibration phenomena that the presence of nodes along the vibrating structure and the spacing thereof is a direct function of the resonance frequency. Thus, it is possible to vary the portion along the blade (FIG. 5b) in order to encourage certain frequencies and / or remove harmonics and thus maximize the energy and Q value of the resonator. Obviously, combinations of several means mentioned above can also be considered in order to combine these advantages.

  By way of non-limiting illustration, a mass resonator M comprising several vibrating elements 31 formed by a single beam of intensity k (expressed in mN · m / rad) and characterized by a height h and a thickness e. (Represented by g), the k / M ratio is 0.1 to 1.0, and the h / e ratio is 3 to 20, whereby a particularly satisfactory defect is obtained.

  For example, in the example of FIG. 1, the vibration element 31 is a blade. According to another embodiment shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, each vibrating element 31 includes a blade having a bend 31 ′ of serpentine or tortuous type, for example. In the example of FIG. 6, the bent portion 31 ′ includes folds oriented in the radial direction, but in the example of FIG. 7, the folded portion 31 ′ includes folds oriented in the angular direction with respect to the center portion 12. It is out.

  Other examples of the resonator 3 are shown in FIGS. 8, 9 a, 9 b, 10, and 11. According to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 8 and 9a, the mass element 32 includes two diametrically opposite portions 32 '. Each part 32 'includes two oscillating elements 31 in the form of a single blade in FIG. 8 and having a fold 31' in FIG. 9a.

  FIG. 9 b shows a resonator that cooperates with the escape wheel 5 via two ankle members 40. The escape wheel 5 is integrated with the resonator 3 and attached to the bridge 21.

  FIG. 10 shows a resonator 1 according to another embodiment in which the mass element 32 of the resonator 3 includes four portions 32 ′ that are angularly spaced from each other at approximately 90 °, each portion being A vibration element 31 is included. A resonator is shown which cooperates with the escape wheel 5 via two ankle members 40. The resonator 3 is attached to a frame 10 including an upper portion 14 that forms a cage of the vibrator 1. FIG. 11 shows details of the resonator of the vibrator of FIG. 10 without the vibration element 31.

  According to another embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 12 a-12 d, the resonator also includes a mass element 32 a having a substantially annular shape 32. The ankle part 4 includes two members 40 fixed to the mass element 32. An escape movable portion (vehicle) 5 is pivotably attached below the resonator 3 in the illustrated example on a plane P ′ parallel to the plane P on which the first resonator 3 swings. Accordingly, the member 40 of the ankle part 4 is arranged to cooperate with the tooth 50 of the escape wheel 5 located in the lower plane P ′, for example by extending downward in the axial direction with respect to the mass element. During operation, the escape wheel & pinion 5 turns in a plane P 'parallel to the swing plane P of the mass element 32a.

  In the example of FIG. 12a, the vibration element 31 has an arcuate shape. FIG. 12 b shows the resonator of FIG. 12 a including two pairs of vibration elements 31, each pair including two vibration elements 31 in opposite arcs that are cylindrical in shape. FIG. 12 c shows the resonator of FIG. 12 a including three pairs of vibration elements 31 according to FIG. FIG. 12d shows the resonator of FIG. 12a, wherein each vibrating element 31 includes two parallel blades 31 'arranged radially. The resonator 3 includes a segment 39 which is arranged concentrically with the outer edge portion 32a but has a smaller diameter than the latter. During the oscillation of the resonator 3, the segment 39 is pressed against one of the blades 31 ′ in the direction of the shaft support portion of the resonator 3. Due to the restoring force of the blade 31 ′, the segment 39 is pressed in the reverse direction in which the resonator 3 is swung.

  In the various embodiments of the vibrator 1 described so far, the mass element 32 of the resonator 3 is driven in a swinging motion, ie in a swiveling motion around its central part 12.

  The advantages of these configurations in which the resonator 3 is driven in a rocking motion by rotational movement include the position of the travel distance between different positions of the vibrator 1 in a gravitational field or impact.

  FIG. 13 shows another configuration of the vibrator 1, in which the mass element 32 generally includes two portions 32 ′ extending in the same plane P in a semicircle with respect to the central portion 12. . The escape wheel 5 is disposed in the internal space 11 defined by the mass portions 32 ′ that respectively support the members 40 of the ankle portion 4. The escape wheel 5 is attached so as to turn around the central portion 12 so that the teeth (not shown) of the escape wheel 5 cooperate with the member 40. The escape wheel 5 is in the same plane P as the escape wheel 5, the latter being concentric with the circle inscribed by the mass portion 32 ′. The vibration element 31 is arranged on a star-shaped member (here three blades are angularly spaced at about 120 °) and is fixed to the base 2 having a circular segment shape at the base 31 ′. Is included. The end 35 of the blade 31 ′ is fastened to the mass element 32 via the leg 9. During operation, the swinging motion of the blade 31 'provides a swinging motion on the plane P as indicated by the arrow 90 in FIG.

  Furthermore, the superposition of the center of rotation and the center of gravity of the resonator 3 of the vibrator 1 of FIG. 13 minimizes the sensitivity of the system to accelerations that the system may be subject to.

  However, the vibrator 1 of the present invention can also include a resonator in which the mass element 32 can be maintained in a rocking motion by translation.

  Such an embodiment is shown in FIG. 14, in which the resonator includes a vibrating element 31 formed by two blades 31 'attached to the base 2 at the base. Each of the two blades 31 ′ supports a mass portion 32 ′ including the member 40 of the ankle portion 4 at the end portion 35. The escape wheel 5 is arranged between the two mass portions 32 ′ so as to cooperate with the member 40. The vibrating element 31 swings from its base and drives the two mass portions 32 'in translational motion in a reciprocating motion. Specifically, the member 40 alternately receives pulses from the teeth (not shown) of the escape wheel 5 in order to alternately lock and unlock the escape wheel 5 and maintain the periodic oscillation of the resonator 3.

  The efficiency of the resonator 3 can be disturbed by vibrating elements 31 that resonate at different frequencies. The efficiency of the resonator 3 is due to the resonance of a vibrating element 31 which is fastened to the same base 2 at one of its ends and to the same mass element 32 at the other end and oscillates with different amplitudes. Can also be disturbed. Therefore, it is advantageous that the vibration element 31 substantially resonates with substantially the same amplitude (radial or lateral direction).

  In the example of FIG. 14, since the two mass portions 32 ′ are consolidated, the blade 31 ′ and the mass portion 32 ′ swing at substantially the same frequency and the same amplitude.

  With the vibration element 31 oscillating at substantially the same frequency, it is possible to absorb losses due to the asynchronous movement of one or the other of the vibration elements 31. Therefore, in order to obtain the best Q factor, it is essential that all vibrators resonate at the same frequency.

  Most of the manufacturing processes that can be used to manufacture the vibrator 1 can in principle guarantee a complete reproduction of the geometry of the vibrating element 31, but a {001} type oriented single crystal The use of materials with an anisotropic structure, such as silica, is not acceptable for full dimensional replication. In this case, if the vibration element is composed of a large number of vibration elements distributed so that they are not all on the same crystallographic axis due to the correction of the geometric shape, the dimensional variation is compensated and all vibration elements are compensated. It may be possible to ensure the element's inherent resonant frequency.

  In the case of the vibrator 1 made of a material having at least a part of a paste-like structure such as glass, the structural change of the material can be locally used by being exposed by irradiation with a femtosecond laser. is there.

  In particular, the vibrator 1 of the present invention is set for a high frequency range of 10 to 5000 Hz having an ideal frequency range of 10 to 400 Hz.

  FIGS. 15 a and 15 b are bottom views of the vibrator 1 of FIG. 14, illustrating reciprocal translational motion of the mass element 32 having each member 40 of the ankle portion 4 that engages or disengages with the tooth of the escape wheel 5. Show.

  In yet another embodiment shown in FIG. 16, the vibrator 1 has an escape wheel that rotates in a plane that is substantially perpendicular to the plane P in which the first resonator 3 swings the mass element 32 and the ankle portion 4. 5 is included.

  In particular, the resonator 3 includes two blades 31 ′ that oscillate in a twist about an axis 91 in the plane P. The end 35 of each blade 31 'is fastened to a mass element 32 in the form of an outer edge. The member 40 of the ankle part 4 is attached to the inner peripheral part of the mass element 32, for example. The escape wheel 5 can be accommodated inside the mass element 32 so as to cooperate with the member 40 of the ankle part 4. In this configuration, the vibration element and the mass element 32 formed by the two blades 31 'swing like a torsion pendulum. The blade 31 'can be composed of a double blade excited at a frequency where the mode is asymmetric and out of the plane P.

  17a and 17b are side views of the vibrator 1 shown in FIG. 16 and coincide with the Y-axis of the mass element 32 having each member 40 of the ankle portion 4 that engages or disengages with the tooth of the escape wheel 5. The swinging motion around the axis 91 is shown.

  While it is possible to alternately separate the teeth 50 by the ankle portion 4 having the two members 40, more members 40 can be moved so that the escape wheel 5 can move at different speeds by changing the interval between the members 40. It is also possible to provide an ankle portion 4 having

  According to the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 18a and 18b, each ankle part 4 is two in such a way that only one member 40 out of four cooperates with the tooth 50 of the escape wheel 5 at each swing. And four members 40 are provided. With such a configuration, it is possible to obtain half tooth advance alternately, ie one tooth advance for every two alternations.

  Similarly, the frequency of rotation can be further reduced by adding more than two members 40 per ankle portion 4, 4 '. In this case, some members are involved in the release of the escape wheel 5 while others are involved in the release and impulse, i.e. generally higher performance than the case of a detent escapement. It is easy to change the function of the member 40 so as to be involved in maintaining the resonator 3 to gain an opportunity.

  Such variants of escapement may be other types different from those shown in FIGS. 1 and 18, such as, but not limited to, ankle, detent, cylindrical or tangential type escapement, or magnet It is clear that the necessary adaptations to non-contact escapements, such as escapements, apply equally well.

  The vibrator 1 is manufactured from a single substrate of a base material, which is a reduced and / or additional microfabrication process or a combination thereof, preferably a non-magnetic material or in combination with each other and the fine-grain material is preferably non-magnetic Can be done. The material selected may be metal, non-metal, or a combination thereof.

  Non-magnetic metallic materials include at least partially metallic materials such as metal alloys, composites comprising at least one metal and metal alloy that are at least partially amorphous.

  Non-metallic non-magnetic materials selected include glass (including quartz), ceramic, glass-ceramic, anti-metal and non-metallic composites such as silicon.

  Preferably, the vibrator 1 consists of a single substrate, preferably a glass, ceramic, glass ceramic or silicon substrate, the latter preferably in the form of a wafer or with high precision and / or repeatability. Selected in a form suitable for micromachining operations such as DRIE known as ISLE (Volume Selective Etching) or Selective Volume Etching Micromachining, combining femtosecond laser irradiation and chemical etching, especially suitable for a group of glasses .

  Some non-metallic materials are brittle, for example providing a hard protective layer and at least partial coating of the surface of the finished component with a layer of protective material such as diamond having advantageous tribological properties. It is possible to use. Diamond is particularly used for coating certain silicon components.

  Advantageously, the frequency of the vibrator 1 can be controlled by changing the dimensions of the vibration element 31 and / or the dimensions of the mass element 32.

  The oscillation frequency of the various oscillation modes depends on the geometry of the vibrator 1 and can be adjusted by changing the moment of inertia of the mass element 32. For this purpose and also to change the ratio between its inertia and volume depending on the nature of the substrate used to manufacture the resonator 3, the inertia of the resonator, in particular its mass element 32, is used. It may be necessary to change.

  The greater moment of inertia of the mass element 32 results in a lower oscillation frequency of the vibrator 1 and a longer oscillation time (slower deactivation of oscillation).

  The moment of inertia of the mass element 32 can be changed by adding or removing an inertia block in the mass element 32. Returning to FIG. 1, the inertia block 34 is accommodated in the recess 36. One inertia block or a plurality of inertia blocks 34 can be added to and removed from the mass element 32 so that the moment of inertia of the mass element 32 can be changed. One inertia block or a plurality of inertia blocks 34 can change the moment of inertia of the mass element 32. Therefore, the moment of inertia of the resonator can be changed without substantially increasing the volume of the vibrator 1. It is.

  It is therefore possible to use a permanently provided inertia block 34 that can be assembled by means selected for the selected material and the required positioning and dimensional tolerances. The inertia block 34 can be glued after covering the substrate with an appropriate layer, if necessary, or after treating its surface to optimize adhesion or enhance partial spread. It can be coupled to the mass element 32 by a gluing, welding or gluing process.

  By increasing the material, for example by galvanic growth, sintering or other additional processes applicable to the micro-components in one or more faces of the resonator 3 (eg the mass element 32), It is also possible to change the moment of inertia. It is also possible to use mechanical assembly methods such as screwing, crimping or riveting, pinning or clamping to elastic structures.

  Advantageously, the inertia block 34 is made of a material having a higher density than the material used for the other parts of the resonator 3. For example, the inertia block 34 can be composed of gold or other dense metal or alloy. Depending on the amount of inertia to be changed, an inertia block having a density that is the same as or rather lower than the density of the material of the resonator can be used, in which case the fineness of the adjustment is improved.

  If the required inertia blocks 34 have the same density as that of the base material, they are constructed of the same material as one, assuming that they are inertia blocks, so long as the dimensions are selected to satisfy the functions described above. Can be done.

  Changing the inertia of the mass element 32 and / or the inertia block 34 in order to adjust the frequency after the manufacture of the resonator 3, in particular to harmonize a cooperating mechanism such as a watch movement adjusting the mechanism. Is possible. In particular, the frequency can be increased by removal of material in the mass element 32 and / or the inertia block 34.

  Material removal may be by machining (mechanical, laser, chemical or other), by cutting a removable element (such as described in US Pat. It can be done. If removable elements are used, these elements can be formed during the same operation as the manufacturing operation of the resonator 3.

  The inertia block 34 can have all the same size and the same mass. Alternatively, inertia blocks 34 with different masses can be used to obtain finer adjustments over a large range. As an example, the inertia block 34 can be dimensioned to five different masses to accommodate corrections of 1 s / d, 2 s / d, 4 s / d, 8 s / d and 16 s / d, respectively. . Thus, it can correct | amend from 1-31 s / day by removing the combination of an appropriate element.

  Another way of changing the oscillation frequency of the resonator 3 is to change the stiffness of the vibration element 31 and / or the local stiffness of the material, preferably by changing the second moment.

  FIG. 19 shows a vibrator 1 according to another embodiment. The vibrator 1 includes a first resonator 3 configured similar to that shown in FIG. The vibrator 1 further includes a second resonator 7. The second resonator 7 does not have the ankle portion 4 and does not cooperate with an escape wheel (not shown in FIG. 19). The second resonator 7 is set so that it can freely swing, that is, not disturbed by the ankle portion 4 of the first resonator 3.

  The second resonator 7 can be associated with the oscillation of the first resonator 3 of the vibrator 1 due to resonance. Therefore, the second resonator 7 can reduce interference caused by the ankle portion 4 during operation of the vibrator 1, for example, interference caused by the impact of the tooth 50 of the escape wheel 5 on the member 40 of the ankle portion 4. .

  The vibration transmission and coupling (association) between the first resonator 3 and the second resonator 7 cooperating with the escape wheel 5 use the surrounding fluid (acoustic resonance) of the support structure (mechanical resonance). Or by magnetic coupling. In the case of coupling via an ambient fluid, the surface of the adjustment member 1 can be modified (for example by nanostructures) to increase the pressure of the displacement wave and thus promote quality synchronization. Instead of this, or in combination, the geometric shape of the vibrator 1 can be changed. In the case of magnetic coupling, the free second resonator 7 is mounted in a controlled atmosphere, for example in a magnetically permeable capsule (not shown), in order to improve the Q value of the adjusting member 1. It is possible to be In general, the second vibrator 7 contributes to the improvement of the Q value of the resonator 3.

  In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 20, the vibrator 1 is actuated by a time setting mechanism pull tab 62 and two extremes of the resonator 3 in the normal operating mode to provide a self-starting function of the watch movement. By stopping the vibration element 31 of the vibrator 1 at an unbalanced position corresponding to one of the positions (or a position eccentric with respect to the escape wheel 5), the vibrator 1 is stopped and maintained in a shut down state. It includes an on / off mechanism 60 that includes a lever 61 set to do so. Preferably, the vibrator 1 is turned on in the first swing mode. In order to avoid excessive displacement of the resonator at the time of impact, a stopper (not recommended) is used to limit the movement of the vibrator 1 along the “x-axis”, “y-axis” and “z-axis” at the time of severe impact. (Illustrated) can be configured.

  Advantageously, the self-starting function is facilitated by the formation of a unique geometry in the member of the ankle part 4 of the resonator and the escape wheel tooth 50, which in combination fulfills the required escapement function. In addition, an unstable position of the transducer that displaces the two elements together from the balanced position of the resonator is promoted, especially when the resonator does not cooperate with other instruments.

  21a and 21b show detailed views of the tooth 50 of the escape wheel 5 according to one embodiment. Each tooth 50 of the escape wheel 5 includes an inclined plane of an impulse surface 51 and a stationary surface 52. Each lift 40 also includes an inclined stationary surface 41, but does not include a pulsed surface, and the top 42 of the lift 40 has a sharp shape that may rather have a slightly clearer round end. ing. With the configuration of the tooth 50 and lift 40 of the escape wheel 5 in this embodiment, the lift 40 can receive pulses from the tooth 50 and maintain the oscillation of the resonator 3 while the escape wheel 5 travels. Is possible.

  In order to limit the rebound of the lift 40 that can occur during an impulse at the tooth 50 of the escape wheel 5, the escape wheel 5 can be provided with an elastic arm 53 to absorb the impact of the lift 40 at the tooth 50.

  The vibrator 1 comprises a thermal compensation comprising a compensation coating, a material having a zero thermoelastic coefficient, a locally modified structural material, and other means similar to those used in the balance, such as a bimetallic structure or others. Means can be included.

  For example, if the vibrator 1 is composed of silicon, the vibrator can include a silicon dioxide coating deposited on at least a portion of its surface. Instead of this, the heat compensation means of the adjustment member 1 made of silicon may be one of the means described in Patent Document 7 of the present applicant.

  In another embodiment, the adjustment member is made of a group of glass materials, and the thermal compensation is achieved by a coating based on aluminum oxide, which has a thermoelastic coefficient that tends to be opposite to the thermoelastic coefficient of the substrate. can get.

  In yet another embodiment, the resonator is constructed of a glass material having a first thermoelastic coefficient, and the thermal compensation is a second portion that compensates for a first thermoelastic coefficient in a portion of the member. It is obtained by local modification of a part of the member to give a thermoelastic coefficient, and this modification is preferably obtained by irradiation.

  The resonator 3 can be made of silicon, and thermal compensation can be obtained by adding a material having a thermoelastic coefficient with a tendency opposite to that of silicon, and the surface of the vibration element 31 and / or Distribute evenly or discontinuously in the component material.

The thermal compensation material can be silicon dioxide (SiO ₂ ).

  In the resonator 3 described here, the ankle portion 4 is integrated and fixed to the mass element 32. The ankle portion 4 is configured to be integrated with the mass element 32 by appropriate means. For example, the ankle portion 4 is configured integrally with the mass element 32 by gluing, welding or other means for securing the ankle portion 4 to the mass element 32. The ankle part 4 can also be formed integrally with the mass element 32 during the manufacture of the vibrator 1 in particular. Therefore, the resonator 3 advantageously does not require the addition of another ankle part in order to reduce the number of parts and the amount of destructive friction at each contact between the parts.

  The escape wheel to reduce the number of parts in the gear train and / or to simplify the number determining the gear ratio between the moving wheels of the cooperating gear train, for example to display information of a specific period The transducer can be sized to give a single rotational speed. For example, an escape wheel & pinion can be rotated in one second, or an integral or fractional multiple.

  In particular, the vibrator 1 is set so that the escape wheel 5 cooperates with the resonator 3 in several modes so as to shift to pairing between the resonator 3 and the escape wheel 5. For this purpose, FIG. 22 shows a resonator 3 with three ankle parts 4, similar to the resonator of FIG. 11, each ankle part having two adjacent mass portions 32 ′. (Only one ankle portion 4 is completely visible). For example, such an arrangement can include an ankle portion 4 for each internal space 11. With this arrangement, it is possible to position the resonator 3 relative to the escape wheel 5 at three different angular positions and to cooperate with the optimum ankle part 4 to achieve the desired performance.

  Similarly, FIG. 23 shows a resonator 3 having four ankle portions 4, and each ankle portion 4 is set to cooperate with the escape wheel 5 in four different modes.

  While these variants offer the possibility of an advantageous pairing, for example in the case of a close pair but with an inner diameter that does not allow the same vibrator to be used due to its distance, There are other ways of pairing two members together in order to be able to be used more extensively over a wider range.

  Thus, the escape wheel 5 itself can be dimensioned by several variants that can extend the pairing of the vibrator to more grades.

  In another method, FIG. 24 shows a cross-sectional view of the vibrator 1 facing a plane passing through the two members 40 of the ankle part 4 cooperating with the escape wheel 5 according to one embodiment. The resonator 3 includes a plurality of ankle parts 4 which can cooperate with the same escape wheel 5 although having different geometric shapes at the height. Therefore, by changing the position of the escape wheel 5 in the Z plane of the resonator 3, it is possible to obtain an additional modification that allows the progress of the watch to be adapted to the wearing state by the owner in special cases. It is.

  Referring to FIG. 24, which shows an escape wheel having a flexible mounting plate and supported on a plurality of sheets cut at its shaft, the selection of the stage 8 of the resonator 3 cooperating with the escape wheel 5 is different. Each sheet can support one or several surfaces or flat portions that are set to ensure rotational drive of both without sliding. In this case, the pinion of the escape wheel is directly mounted and fixed directly on the wheel, while the watchmaker can move the escape wheel 5 plate appropriately to cooperate with the appropriate ankle part 4. It is.

  The ease of implementation of this solution for operation and flexibility (no need for incorporation / removal) is specifically intended for work where such work is disadvantageous (industrialization, after-sales service, etc.) .

  Alternatively, referring again to FIG. 24, the escape wheel 5 is disposed outside the median plane of the resonator 3 having ankle portions 4, 40 that define a first surface at the location of the median plane of the resonator. It is possible to cooperate with the ankle portions 4 and 40 that are arranged. Resonator 3 then has this first of the median planes with ankle parts 4, 40 arranged in reverse symmetry (to ensure the same function if the member does not allow a reversible function). It includes a second ankle portion 4, 40 for each ankle portion 4, 40 arranged in a plane. The pairing is performed by reversing the mounting direction of the resonator 3 and, preferably, the mounting direction of the escape wheel 5 having the escapement movable portion mounted centered on the shaft 54.

  In order to further expand the range of pairing, all the pairing solutions proposed above can of course be combined and a combination of different escape wheel 5 and suitable ankle parts 4, 40 of resonator 3. Thus, the same frequency range for the variable torque transmitted to the escape wheel 5 can be obtained.

  If the resonator 3 has several ankle parts 4 that may be different (in the case of pairing) or identical. The latter variant uses the same resonator 3 for adjusting several separate gears, in this case by means of a vibrator 1 comprising a plurality of escape wheels 5 each cooperating with a dedicated gear train. It has the advantage that it can.

  It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and that various simple modifications and variations can be envisaged by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention.

  For example, the geometric shape of the vibrator 1 and in particular the geometric shape of the vibration element 31 can be changed in different ways. For example, each resonator 3, each mass element 32 and / or each ankle portion 4 can be fused together as a single element or a vibration element of a vibrator.

  Furthermore, the member 40 of the ankle part 4 adapted to cooperate with the tooth 50 of the escape wheel 5 can take different shapes.

  In another alternative embodiment not shown, the stopper limits the lateral movement in the plane P. Such a stopper can be directed to an axis perpendicular to the plane of the movable escapement and can be attached to a frame that is set to receive the transducer 1. The stopper can also be integrated directly into the geometry of the resonator 3, preferably its movable part, ie the mass element 32 or the ankle part 4, without excluding other solutions.

  The adjusting member and the escapement of the present invention also have a design, and the adjusting member and the escapement are advantageously provided so that the watch wearer can visually recognize them in a sense. Can be incorporated into the movement. For example, the adjustment member and escapement can be mounted above or below the movement drive member. The escape wheel can be adapted to rotate at a speed of 1 rpm to also display seconds.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vibrator 10 Frame 11 Internal space 12 Center part 14 Lower part of 2 Frame 20 Base 20 Assembly means 21 Bridge, upper bridge 21 'Lower bridge 3 1st resonator 31 Vibration element 31' Bending part, Blade 32 Mass element 32 'Mass Part 33 wall part 34 inertia block 35 end part 36 recess part 37 removable element 37 'reduced part of removable element 38 housing 39 segment 4 ankle part 40 lift 41 lift rest surface 42 tooth top 5 escape wheel 50 Tooth of escape wheel 51 impulse surface of tooth 52 stationary surface of tooth 53 arm of escape wheel 54 shaft 6 stopper 60 on / off mechanism 61 lever 62 pull tab 7 second resonator 8 stage 9 leg 90 swing direction 91 axis P plane P 'Parallel plane

Claims (32)

  A vibrator for adjusting a mechanical timepiece movement, wherein the vibrator (1) includes an escape wheel (5) and a first resonator (3) constituting a time reference of the vibrator (1). ), And the first resonator (3) includes a mass element (32) that is maintained to be oscillated by at least two vibration elements (31), the mass element (32) Are integrated into the mass element (32) to maintain the oscillation of the first resonator (3) and move the escape wheel (5) with alternating oscillations, 5) includes at least one ankle portion (4) configured to cooperate directly with the base, wherein the first resonator (3) is set to be fixed or movable in the timepiece movement ( 2), wherein the mass element (32) Vibrator, characterized in that it is supported only by the via the vibration element (31) base (2).   2. Vibrator according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least two vibration elements (31) have oscillations with substantially the same natural frequency and / or the same amplitude.   The at least two vibration elements (31) extend radially from the base (2) in a plane (P), and the mass elements (32) at at least one end of each vibration element (31). The vibrator according to claim 1, wherein the vibrator is attached to the vibrator.   The at least one ankle portion (4) includes at least two members (40) set to cooperate with the escape wheel (5). The vibrator according to item 1.   The escape wheel (5) is substantially in the same plane (P) as the plane on which the first resonator (3) swings, or on the plane on which the first resonator (3) swings ( The vibrator according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the vibrator rotates in a plane parallel to P ').   5. The escape wheel (5) turns in a plane substantially perpendicular to the plane (P) in which the first resonator (3) swings. The vibrator according to any one of the above.   The first resonator (3) extends radially from the base (2) in the plane (P), and the mass element (35) at the end (35) of each vibration element (31). The vibrator according to claim 1, comprising the at least two vibration elements (31) attached to 32).   The mass element (32) includes at least two portions (32 ′) extending radially between the base (2) and the end (35) of the vibration element (31). The vibrator according to claim 5.   The vibrator according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the ankle portion (4) includes at least two members (40).   The vibrator according to claim 1, wherein each vibration element (31) includes a vibrating plate or beam.   11. The vibrator according to claim 1, wherein each vibration element (31) includes a meandering or winding type bent portion (31 ').   The vibrator according to claim 1, wherein each of the vibration elements has an arcuate shape.   The vibrator according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein each of the vibration elements (31) has a cylindrical shape.   14. A vibrator according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each vibrating element (31) comprises at least two parallel blades (31 ') arranged in the radial direction.   The at least one ankle portion (4) is set to cooperate directly with the teeth (50) of the escape wheel (5) to rotate the escape wheel (5) by alternating swings. The vibrator according to claim 1, wherein the vibrator is provided.   The ankle part (4) includes at least two members (40), of which only one member (40) cooperates with the tooth (50) of the escape wheel (5) at each swing. The vibrator according to claim 15, characterized in that, as a result, the escape wheel (5) pivots by half a tooth (50) with each alternating swing.   The vibrating blade is a rectangular portion having a mass to stiffness ratio of 0.1 to 1.0, the height ratio to thickness including 3 to 20. The vibrator according to any one of -16.   The vibrator according to claim 1, wherein the first resonator oscillates at a frequency of 10 to 5000 Hz.   At least one inertia block (34) that can be added to and removed from the mass element (32) so that the mass element (32) can change the moment of inertia of the mass element (32). The vibrator according to claim 1, wherein the vibrator is included.   20. The frame according to claim 1, further comprising a frame (10) arranged to receive the transducer (1) and set to be fixed or movable in the timepiece movement. The vibrator according to claim 1.   21. The resonator according to claim 1, wherein the resonator (3) is thermally compensated.   The resonator (3) is made of silicon, and the thermal compensation is obtained by providing a thermal compensation material having a thermoelastic coefficient having a tendency opposite to that of silicon. Item 22. The vibrator according to Item 21.   The vibrator according to claim 22, wherein the heat compensation material is silicon dioxide.   24. The vibrator according to claim 1, wherein the oscillation frequency of the vibrator (1) can be adjusted by changing the mass of the mass element (32).   25. The resonator according to any one of claims 1 to 24, characterized in that the resonator (3) is balanced at all positions so as not to have a traveling vibration greater than 2 seconds between different positions. Vibrator.   A second coupled to the oscillation of the first resonator (3) by resonance and oscillation at a frequency that is a multiple of, one, or a fraction of the frequency of the first resonator (3). The resonator according to claim 1, further comprising a resonator (7).   27. A vibrator according to claim 26, characterized in that the coupling with the oscillation includes a magnetic coupling and the second vibrator (7) is mounted in a controlled atmosphere.   It further includes an on / off mechanism configured to stop and hold the resonator (3) in an unbalanced position and provide a self-starting function of the vibrator (1). The vibrator according to any one of claims 1 to 27.   The geometry of the ankle part (4) and / or the geometry of the escape wheel (5) are selected to provide self-starting when the wheel is subjected to torque. The vibrator described.   30. A vibrator according to claim 1, wherein the resonator comprises several sets of members intended to cooperate with several escape wheels.   A timepiece movement having at least one gear including the vibrator (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 30.   31. A vibrator (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the vibrator cooperates with several wheels intended to cooperate with separate escape wheels. A watch movement.

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