JPH05142362A - Watch having permanent calendar - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide a permanent display timepiece displaying only by a gear. CONSTITUTION: The timepiece with a permanent calendar comprises a date wheel 6 having two stages and controlled by 24-hour rings 2a, 2b driven by an hour ring 1 by itself. The data wheel has superposed complicated gear train substantially constituted by three rotary rings 19, 20, 23 having protruding teeth driven by the 24-hour ring at the end of each month. The numbers of the teeth which must be advanced by one step (month having 31 days), two steps (month having 30 days), three steps (February of intercalary year) or four steps (February of the year except the intercalary year) at a date disc according to the positions of the three rotary rings to be decided by the rotation of the data disc are respectively one, two, three and four. The structure avoids all a lever, an oscillating rod and return spring except a jumper spring for indexing the data ring.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a timepiece having a permanent date mechanism. The date appears through the opening through the dial or on the dial, and appears on the scale pointed by the pointer, the mechanism rotating once every 24 hours and engaging with the hour wheel provided on the clock. And a date ring having 31 teeth, wherein the 24-hour wheel is provided with a first long tooth radially protruding from one of the teeth meshing with the time wheel. Are arranged to advance through one step by the first long tooth at the end of each month.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A date mechanism, which corresponds in principle to the above-mentioned provisions, is disclosed, for example, in patent document CH-A-538 136.
And CH-A-661 171 (USA-4 676).
659) is known. Also found in these documents is a 24-hour wheel with fingers or long teeth that drive a date disc with 31 directions. However, the fingers do not drive the disc directly, but there is an intermediate wheel which drives such a disc. Now that this is just about the normal non-universal calendar mechanism. 31
If you do not want to lose the date at the end of the month of the day and at the end of the month of February, the mechanism requires manual correction.

3 for the 28th, 29th and 30th months
There is already known a permanent calendar mechanism configured to automatically make all changes for the month of the day. For such a mechanism, B. Humbert's work "Les mont"
res-calendier models "-Ed
editions of S. A. , Laus
anne 1953 (English version "Modern Cal
endarWatches ", Lausanne 19
54). Thus, a perpetual calendar watch does not require manual correction of the date display at the end of the month less than 31 days. Similarly, every four years in a leap year, at the end of the month of February, the watch would display a number of 29 before indicating the first day of March.

Without going into the details of the structure, two mechanisms currently employed to reach the results expected here will be described. The first mechanism uses a moon cam that rotates once every four years. Such cams have large or small depth notches. The filled part corresponds to the 31st of the month. The shallow cutout corresponds to the moon on the 30th. The three very deep notches correspond to the February month (28th) of a normal year, and the intermediate depth notches correspond to the February month of a leap year. The tip of the lever, which is pulled back by a spring, acts on this cam. The depth of penetration of this tip determines how far the date indicator must advance at the end of each month.

The second mechanism uses a moon cam that rotates once a year. Such a cam also has a full part corresponding to the 31st month and a shallow notch corresponding to the 30th month. The February notch has been replaced by a small rectangle controlled by the Maltese Cross mechanism. This cam also acts on the tip of the lever to determine the advance of the date indicator at the end of the month.

[0006]

Whether one of these mechanisms briefly cited above or the other is chosen, it turns out that it is necessary to use a lever and a return spring, which leads to a relatively complicated construction. Therefore, a relatively large number of parts are required. Furthermore, it can be said that such a mechanism does not always operate reliably, especially when a shock is applied to the timepiece.

In order to overcome the drawbacks mentioned above, the invention proposes to eliminate all levers or rockers and to provide only gears. Such gears alone do not rotate unintentionally even if a shock is applied to the timepiece, and the structure is obviously simple.

[0008]

To achieve this object, the 24-hour wheel of the mechanism of the permanent calendar according to the invention consists of overlapping double gears, one gear being provided with a first long tooth, The other gear has a second, a third, and a fourth radial teeth that project radially in the same manner as the first long tooth in a position overlapping the following three teeth arranged following the first long tooth. It features long teeth. The date wheel is driven by the second long tooth of the 24-hour wheel to rotate the date wheel by another step at the end of the 30th month (April, June, September, November). A first driven tooth that is
At the end of the month of February in a leap year, the first and second respectively adapted to be driven by the second and third long teeth of the 24-hour wheel to rotate the date wheel by another two steps.
Driven teeth and the second, third, and fourth long teeth of the 24-hour wheel, respectively, to rotate the date wheel by another three steps at the end of February when the year is not a leap year. It is characterized in that it comprises an overlapping means which employs a set of gears arranged to have first, second and third driven teeth adapted to be driven. The invention will now be described with the help of the following and of the drawings, which illustrate the invention by way of example.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In addition to the hour hand 70 and minute hand 71, the hour hand shown in FIG. 1 has a date indicator 72 that appears through an opening 73. In addition to the date display, this watch has an additional 74 weeks,
Shows month 75, and year 76, and these instructions are 99
Can be extended over the years. Such a supplementary display also appears through an opening through the dial 77 with a marking 78. Below the dial 77, the mechanism, which is drawn here in solid lines, appears in detail, especially as far as the permanent calendar mechanism which is the basic object of the invention is concerned. Such a permanent calendar mechanism is equipped with 24-hour wheels 2a and 2b which are driven by the hour wheel 1 connected to the hour hand 70 and rotate once in 24 hours.
The 4-hour wheel drives the date wheel 6 which rotates once per month.

Reference will now be made to FIG. 2 which shows in detail and on an enlarged scale the permanent calendar mechanism schematically illustrated in FIG. 1 with the 28th of February appearing.
Here, the hour wheel 1, the 24-hour wheel 2a, 2b, and the date wheel 6 are visible. 24-hour wheel 2a, 2b and date wheel 6
Each show a complex structure, which mainly exists as a vertical overlap in FIG. 2 of various and special rotating wheels, therefore FIGS. 3 to 6 show four different levels of this structure, 3 represents the lowest (farthest from the dial) level A, FIG. 4 represents the highest (closest to the dial) level D, and FIGS. 5 and 6 are the levels arranged below the level D in order. C and level B are represented. Such levels are clearly shown in the cross-sectional views of FIGS. 7-9, to which they are referenced.

As can be seen from FIG. 3 which shows the level A of the mechanism, the hour wheel 1 is here provided with 12 teeth and makes one revolution in 12 hours, and with 24 teeth 41 it makes one revolution in 24 hours. The wheel 2a is driven for 24 hours. As shown in FIG.
The hour wheel 2a includes a first long tooth 40 protruding in the radial direction from one of the teeth 41 meshing with the hour wheel 1. The date wheel 6 has 31 teeth 42. It will be appreciated that at the end of each month the date wheel is advanced one step by the long tooth 40.

As is apparent from FIGS. 2, 4, 5, and 6, the 24-hour wheel is a double gear wheel that is vertically stacked, and the upper gear wheel 2b has three gear wheels that mesh with the time wheel wheel. Three teeth 43, 4 at positions overlapping the following tooth 41 of the first tooth 40
4, 45 are second, third, and fourth long teeth.
Such three long teeth project radially from the tooth 41 on which they rest. Here, 24 hours wheel 2a, 2b
Is, as can be seen in the cross-sectional views of FIGS. 7, 8 and 9.
It should be mentioned that it can be formed by two rotating wheels 2a, 2b fixed to each other and exhibiting substantially the same diameter. The first rotary wheel 2a is at level A with one long tooth 40 and the second rotary wheel 2b, which overlaps the first rotary wheel, has three consecutive long teeth 43, 44 and 45. , These are at levels B, C, and D. Such two rotary wheels 2a and 2b are formed so that the long tooth 40 of the first rotary wheel is immediately followed by the three long teeth 43, 44, and 45 of the second rotary wheel. The rotating wheels 2a and 2b can be formed integrally. That is, the lower step has the first long tooth 40, and the upper step above it has the second, third, and
And can also be made from a section containing two steps with fourth, 43, 44 and 45 long teeth.

Examining FIG. 2, the long teeth of the 24-hour wheel are not due to normal engagement in the base circle,
It can be seen that the tip of the long tooth drives the date wheel. In this embodiment, the date wheel 6 is advanced less than one step. A complete step is performed using a jumper spring 50 provided between two consecutive teeth 42 of the date wheel for precise positioning of the date wheel.

In FIG. 2, the date rings are 17, 18, 19, 2
Means for using a set of gears distinguished by 0, 21, 22, and 23 are provided in a stacked state. Such a group of gears is arranged by the second long tooth 43 of the wheel 2b for 24 hours in order to rotate the date wheel 6 by one step at the end of the month of 30th (April, June, September, November). It is designed to be driven. This is the first driven tooth 46. After that, one step is further performed by the cooperative operation of the 31st tooth 42 of the date wheel 6 and the tooth 40 (rotating wheel 2a). Therefore, with the end of the display of 30 days, the number of steps advances to 31 days and 1 day. This same gear group is driven by the second and third long teeth 43,44 of the 24-hour wheel 2b to rotate the date wheel 6 by two more steps at the end of the month of February when the year is a leap year. First and second respectively adapted to be driven
Driven teeth 46, 47 are also provided. Lastly, such a gear group would like the second, third and fourth of the 24-hour wheel 2b to rotate the date wheel 6 by three more steps at the end of the month of February when the year is not a leap year. Four
First, second and third, 46, 47, 48 adapted to be driven by 3, 44, 45 long teeth respectively
Driven teeth are provided.

Now, the structure for associating the special rotating wheel with each of the driven teeth described above will be described. Such a rotating wheel has one or more protruding teeth, and the date wheel of such a rotating wheel is described. The angular position relative to is defined as the function of the month in question, ie the number of teeth intended to be driven by the wheel for 24 hours. The gear train is firstly mounted on a first arbor 52 provided at level C and fixed to the date wheel, the first rotation for a month of 30 days and fewer days of rotation. A wheel 20 is provided (see Figures 2, 5 and 8). One such wheel is
It is configured to rotate once a year. This rotating wheel is 2
It has four teeth 51, five of which 46 project with respect to the others. One of these teeth can be driven by the second long tooth 43 of the rotary wheel 2b when the rotary wheel 20 occupies such an angular position that the tooth 46 covers the 30th tooth 42 of the date wheel. To be understood. In the situation taken as an example in FIGS. 2, 5 and 8, the long tooth 43 has one driven tooth 4
I'm about to drive 6.

The gear group then comprises a second rotating wheel 19 for the month of February, which is freely mounted on a second arbor 54 which is installed at level D and fixed to the date wheel. (See Figures 2, 4 and 7). Such a rotating wheel is also configured to rotate once a year. This rotating wheel has 24 teeth 53, of which only one 47
Is protruding with respect to other teeth. This tooth is the tooth 47
It is understood that can be driven by the third long tooth 44 of the rotating wheel 2b when occupies an angular position such that it covers the 29th tooth 42 of the date wheel. In the situation taken as an example in FIGS. 2, 4 and 7, the long tooth 44 is in a state of driving the driven tooth 47.

The gear group finally comprises a third rotating wheel 23 for the leap year, which is freely attached to a third arbor 56 mounted on the level B and fixed to the date wheel (FIG. 2, (See FIGS. 6 and 9). 4 such rotating wheels
It is configured to rotate once a year. This rotating wheel is 8
It is provided with teeth 55, three of which 48 project with respect to the other teeth. Again, the rotary wheel 23 has its teeth 48.
When one of the teeth 48 covers the 28th tooth 42 of the date wheel, one of the teeth 48 is the fourth long tooth 4 of the rotating wheel 2b.
It is understood that it can be driven by 5. 2, FIG.
And in the situation taken as an example in FIG. 9, the long tooth 45 is in contact with the driven tooth 48 and has started to drive it.

It remains to be described about a mechanism by which the above-mentioned first, second and third rotary wheels can be rotationally driven. This means that such a mechanism is controlled by the rotation of the date wheel 6. This mechanism comprises a fourth wheel 17 which is rigidly attached to the watch frame (see FIGS. 2 and 3). Such a rotating wheel comprises one tooth 57 and is centered on a fourth arbor 58 which is the same arbor around which the date wheel 6 pivots. A fifth rotating wheel 1 having eight teeth 60 around such a fixed wheel 17
8 rotates like a satellite and such a fifth wheel is freely attached to a fifth arbor 59 fixed to the date wheel 6. The rotary wheel 18 advances one step each time the tooth 57 of the rotary wheel 17 cooperates with the tooth 60 of the fifth rotary wheel. The fifth rotary wheel 18 drives the first rotary wheel 20 on the one hand (see FIGS. 2, 5 and 8) and rotates the second rotary wheel 19 on the other hand (FIGS. 2, 4). , And FIG.
See). As can be seen in FIGS. 2 and 7 and 8, such first and second wheels are mounted on top of each other. In addition, these are shown in FIG.
And 54), they are placed off center. As can be seen in FIG. 2, the arbor 58 of the fourth rotary wheel 17 and the arbor 52 of the first rotary wheel 20 pass through these arbores and the protruding teeth 46 of the first rotary wheel 20 are the 30th of the date wheel. When overlapping the teeth, it is perpendicular to the line 61 passing through the tip of the protruding tooth 46. Similarly, as can be seen in FIG. 2, the arbor 58 of the fourth rotary wheel 17 and the arbor 54 of the second rotary wheel 19 pass through these arbors and the protruding teeth 47 of the second rotary wheel 19 are 29 of the date wheel. It is perpendicular to another line 62 passing through the tip of the protruding tooth 47 when it overlaps with the third tooth. The angle formed by the two lines 61 and 62 with respect to each other is, to some extent, a measure of the eccentricity that exists between the first rotary wheel 20 and the second rotary wheel 19.

Finally, such a drive mechanism comprises a sixth rotary wheel 21 which is coaxial and is fixed to the first rotary wheel 20 (see FIGS. 2, 6 and 9). The sixth rotary wheel 21 has eight teeth 64 once for each rotation, and drives the seventh rotary wheel 22 freely attached to the sixth arbor 65 fixed to the date wheel 6. It has only one tooth 63 adapted to do so. The seventh rotary wheel 22 meshes with the previously described third rotary wheel 23, which rotates once every four years and advances two times a year. FIG. 6 better illustrates the relationship between teeth 48 and 45 occurring on February 28, which is not a leap year. If the year is a leap year, it is the short tooth 80 that opposes the tooth 45, and such tooth does not affect the advancement of the date ring.

In the above description, the fourth rotating wheel 17 and the sixth rotating wheel 21 are each a disc having a cylinder circumference, ie a circumference 66 with respect to the rotation wheel 17 and a circumference 67 with respect to the rotation wheel 21. It has the form of As can be seen in FIG. 3, two notches 68 are provided in the circumference 66 of the rotary wheel 17 and teeth 57 are provided between such notches and project from the cylindrical circumference. The fifth rotary wheel 18, which cooperates with the fourth rotary wheel, is thus prevented from rotating when its two successive teeth 60 are in contact with the cylindrical circumference 66. .. As can be seen in FIG. 2, such a blocking condition occurs during the changing of the date, which is advantageous with regard to the stability of the device.

As can be seen in FIG. 6, two cutouts 69 are provided in the circumference 67 of the rotary wheel 21, and teeth 63 are provided between such cutouts and project from the cylindrical circumference. The seventh rotary wheel 22 cooperating with the sixth rotary wheel 21 is thus also prevented from rotating when its two successive teeth 64 face the cylindrical circumference 67. As shown in FIG. 6, such a blocking condition does not occur during the February date change. The long tooth 48 is one month ahead of February (January 31) and 1
This is because it will always retreat after a month (March 31st).

FIG. 9 shows the situation shown in the plan view of FIG. 2 (tooth 45).
And 48 are in mesh). To understand FIG. 8, assume that rotating wheel 20 is in mesh with rotating wheel 2b and its respective teeth 46 and 43. Similarly, with respect to FIG. 7, assume that rotating wheel 19 is in mesh with rotating wheel 2b and its respective teeth 47 and 44. 7 to 9 also show that the rotary wheel 18 is formed by two steps 18a and 18b. Such a structure is valid because the rotating wheels 19 and 20 may wobble. Finally, note that the watch displays the year in two digits (reference numeral 76 in FIG. 1). Such a display is in some way a replacement for the four year cycle display found on some watches with a permanent calendar. The year display, as can be seen in FIGS. 1, 7, 8 and 9, is equipped with a lower plate 7 which controls the rotating wheel 8 once a month, whose rotation in turn controls the gear train. To do. (Additionally, FIG. 10 shows a step following the changes that occur on the 14th day of February shown in FIGS. 1 and 11.) Finally, the date disk supports a ring on which date numbers can be placed. You can write that. This ring is not shown in order not to complicate the drawing.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 is a plan view of a timepiece according to the invention, which shows inter alia a permanent calendar mechanism, usually hidden by a dial.

2 is a detailed and enlarged view of the permanent calendar mechanism appearing in FIG. 1, for a date of February 28, just before the date changes.

FIG. 3 is a partial view of the mechanism of FIG. 2, each shown in a different plane or level.

FIG. 4 is a partial view of the mechanism of FIG. 2, each shown in a different plane or level.

5 is a partial view of the mechanism of FIG. 2, each shown in a different plane or level.

6 is a partial view of the mechanism of FIG. 2, each shown in a different plane or level.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the calendar mechanism for three different positions of the date ring.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the calendar mechanism for three different positions of the date ring.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view of the calendar mechanism for three different positions of the date ring.

FIG. 10 shows details of the permanent calendar mechanism taken during the transitional phase between February 28 and March 1.

FIG. 11 shows details of the permanent calendar mechanism that appears just prior to the February 14 date change.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 hour wheel 2a, 2b 24 hour wheel 6 Date wheel

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A permanent calendar date mechanism is provided, the date of which appears through an opening through the dial or on a dial on which the pointer is pointing,
The mechanism comprises a 24-hour wheel (2a, 2b) that rotates once every 24 hours and meshes with the hour wheel (1) of the watch;
A date wheel (6) with one tooth (42), said 24-hour wheel being one of the teeth (41) meshing with the hour wheel, the first long tooth (40) protruding radially. ), Wherein the date wheel is configured to advance one step by the first long tooth at the end of rotation,
The 24-hour wheel (2a, 2b) is connected to the first long tooth (4
0) followed by the second (43), the third (4) which protrudes in the radial direction at a position overlapping three consecutive teeth (41).
4), and the fourth (45) long tooth, while the date ring (61) is provided with the second long tooth (43) of the 24-hour ring on the 30th month (April, June, September). , The first driven tooth (46) that rotates the date wheel by one further step at the end of November) and the second () of the 24-hour wheel by two more steps at the end of the February month of a leap year (46). 43) and the third (4)
The first step (46) that advances the date ring by two steps with the long tooth of 4)
And the second (47) driven tooth and a further three steps at the end of February in a non-leap year for the second (43), third (44), and fourth (45) of the 24-hour wheel. ) 1st (46), 2nd which rotates the date wheel 3 steps by the long tooth
(47), and a set of gears (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 21, 2 consisting of the third (48) driven tooth.
A watch provided with the overlapping means of 3).