US3184910A

US3184910A - Electric watches

Info

Publication number: US3184910A
Application number: US238134A
Authority: US
Inventors: Laviolette Jean Georges Henri
Original assignee: LIP SA
Current assignee: LIP D'HORLOGERIE SA; LIP SA
Priority date: 1962-07-10
Filing date: 1962-11-16
Publication date: 1965-05-25
Anticipated expiration: 1982-05-25
Also published as: LU42539A1; CH421831A; CH1224262A4; OA01359A; FR1405215A

Description

y 25, 1965 J. G. H. LAVIOLETTE 18 ELECTRIC WATCHES Filed Nov. 16, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 -UWK K INVENTOR= 75w azmszmmuumnr:

4 TTORNE Y8 May 25, 1965 Filed NOV. 16, 1962 J. G. H. LAVIOLETTE ELECTRIC WATCHES 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 a Via/e #e/ May 25, 1965 J. H. LAWOLETTE 3,184,910

ELECTRIC WATCHES 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed NOV. 16, 1962 ATTORNEYS May 1965 J. a. H. LAVIOLETTEQ 3,184,910

ELECTRIC WATCHES 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Nov. is, 1962 IN VENT 0R JEAN 650K558 HENRI MV/OlfiTE BK'M Kuwait:

A TTORNEYS United States Patent 3,184,910 ELECTRIC WATCHES Jean Georges Henri Laviolettc, Besancon, France, assignor to Lip Societe Anonyme dlllorlogcrie, Besancorn Palente, Doubs, France, a corporation of France Filed Nov. 16, 1962, Ser. No. 233,134 Claims priority, appiication France, .inly ill, i962, 9ti3,535 7 Claims. (Cl. sa -4s This invention relates in general to electric watches and has specific reference to a Wrist type electric watch comprising notably a swinging device of which the oscillation is sustained by an electromagnetic winding energized from a dry or storage battery and adapted to control on the one hand the energization of said winding by means of a contact member and on the other hand the wheelwork through a drive wheel, a device for limiting the oscillation amplitude of said swinging device, and a hand setting mechanism.

In general, electric watches now marketed by the clock-making industry have a very complicated structure accounting for their relatively high cost; their dimensions are generally greater than those of purely mechanical watches; finally, their chronometrical quality and reliability are often objectionable. All these inconveniences limit considerably the marketability of these watches.

It is an essential object of this invention to provide an electric watch particularly simple to manufacture and therefore of a relatively low cost, which is also characterized by reduced overall dimensions While being highly reliable and having a high degree of chronometrical pre- The watch according to this invention is remarkable notably in that the swinging mechanism comprises a rotor-forming hairspring balance Wheel cooperating with a fixed coil generating a magnetic field, a cam mounted on the arbor of said balance wheel and co-acting with said contact member, and a disc rigid with said arbor and cooperating on the one hand with said drive Wheel and on the other hand with said amplitude limiter.

According to another feature characterizing this invention the aforesaid balance wheel comprises a circular armature of high magnetic permeability metal, which carries a horn projecting from the outer periphery of said armature and co-acting with an adjustable shoe or like member constituting the pole piece of said coil.

The registering faces of said horn and shoe have a part-cylindrical contour concentric to said armature.

This construction is advantageous in that it provides a very small magnetic gap and the possibility of adjusting the shoe position permits a particularly accurate setting of this magnetic gap and results in a substantial improvement in the eficiency of the drawing system.

According to a further feature of this invention the aforesaid cam carries a pin adapted to engage an elastic wire constituting the contact member; this cam is mounted with a snug fit on said arbor, whereby it can be adjusted angularly in relation to said disc.

With this specific construction comprising separate members for controlling the electric circuit on the one hand and the mechanism on the other hand it is a simple matter to adjust theisochronism of the watch as the cam can be set angularly relative to the dead point of the hair- 7 spring by rotating the cam more or less about its arbor.

3,184,910 Patented May 25, 1965 gage the drive wheel and another pin co-acting with the amplitude limiter, the relative arrangement of these pins being such that they can engage their companion members simultaneously.

The angular setting of the cam on the balance arbor is selected with a view to avoid any contact between the aforesaid other pin and the elastic wire of the amplitude limiter only when the stop lever locks the disc through the anchor. in fact, the disc pins engage their companion members (anchor and star wheel) through a relatively wide angle and it is only in the intermediate portion of this angle that no electric contact occurs.

It is a complementary feature of this invention to provide an electric watch construction of the type broadly set forth hereinabove wherein the amplitude limiter consists of a flat lock member formed on the one hand with a fork having its arms disposed on either side of said other pin carried by said disc for cooperating therewith, and on the other hand with a notch adapted to coact with magnetic locking means for holding said lock member in a position wherein said fork engages said other pin.

By mounting on a common disc the aforesaid first pin co-operating with said drive wheel and the aforesaid other pin co-acting with the amplitude limiter, on the one hand, and by so positioning said pins that they become operative simultaneously on the other hand, the amplitude limiter can act not only as normally contemplated for limiting the balance oscillation but also as a locking device. This specific mounting is not only safer in operation but permits a substantial reduction in the over-all dimensions of the device as compared with known locking devices acting directly upon the drive wheel.

Moreover, the relative positions of the contact control cam and of the pin-carrying disc provides an additional feature in that during the locking periods the circuit for energizing the electromagnetic Winding is open, Whereby the battery is isolated from the Winding during the actuation of the hand setting mechanism.

Finally, providing a flat locking member constitutes a marked improvement over hitherto known locking system consisting generally of a bent plate.

In addition, the aforesaid other notch of this lock member has its side edges disposed on either side of a stationary magnetic pin, so that when the lock member is not carried along by the balance Wheel it engages said pin with one or the other edges of said notch.

With this arrangement a single magnetic pin is used instead of two, thus saving additional space.

The general arrangement according to this invention is also advantageous in that the battery can be housed within the circular contour of the watch case without projecting from the thickness or the diameter thereof, and that a round clockwork can be designed and constructed.

This invention also contemplates the different applications of the component elements of the clockwork constituting the subject'matter of this invention, these elements being taken separately or in combination.

Other features and advantages of this invention will appear as the following description proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating by way of example a typical form of embodiment of the invention. In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a general circuit diagram of an electric watch constructed according to the teachings of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a schematic illustration of the electric circuit with its control members;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view showing on a larger scale with parts broken away a typical embodiment of the assembly comprising the hairspring balance wheel, the drive wheel, the amplitude limiting locking device and the contact member;

FIGURE 4 is a section taken upon the line A, B, C, D, E, F, G and H of FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 5 is a plan view showing the complete clockwork as seen from the bridge side;

FIGURE 6 is a view corresponding to FIGURE 5 and showing a clockwork from which the balance wheel, the balance bridge, the battery, the wheelwork bridge and the third wheel have been removed; and

FIGURE 7 shows the complete wheelwork as seen from the dial side.

According to a general principle common to many types of electric watches (except the so-called tuningfork motion types), the watch according to this invention comprises a power or driving system deriving its power from a source of current and comprising a rotor consisting of the swinging hair-spring-type balance-wheel and a stator consisting of an electromagnetic circuit connected to said source of current. According to its angu lar position the rotor controls the opening or closing of the stator energizing circuit. The rotor oscillations are counted by a soca1led drive wheel actuating the wheelwork and the hands. Associated with the rotor is an amplitude lirnitin device serving the purpose of preventing the rotor amplitude from exceeding 360 when a sudden impulse is applied to the watch. Finally a hand setting mechanism is incorporated in the watch.

FIGURE 1 illustrates schematically the electric circuit of the watch constituting the subjcct-matter of this invention. The circuit comprises a dry or storage battery 1 having its positive terminal earthed or grounded and its negative terminal connected through

conductors

2 and 6 to a terminal 7 of a coil winding 8 having its other terminal 9 also earthed. Between conductors 2 and 6 a movable contact arm 4 is interposed which is constantly connected to a terminal 3 of conductor 2 and intermittently to another terminal 5 of conductor 6. A diode it) connected across the terminals of winding 8 protects the winding from countercurrents :due to the breaking of the energizing circuit and to the coil-winding self-induction. This diode I0 is also useful for recovering one fraction of the self-induction current, thereby improving the electrical efficiency of the power system.

In the practical emboidment illustrated in FIGURE 2 the stator comprises a single coil winding 8 of thin insulated copper wire wound on a core 11 of high magnetic permeability metal. This core has one end associated with a shoe l2 constituting a pole piece formed with a part-cylindrical face 13 concentric to the rotor axis. The coil 8 is earthed by a weld 9 and connected to the aforesaid conductor 6 through an insulated terminal 7.

The rotor consists of a movable armature i4 constituting a balanced wheel of circular configuration made from high magnetic permeability metal. This armature is solid with the balance wheel hub carried in turn by a swinging arbor 15. This armature 14 carries on its outer periphery a horn 16 projecting therefrom and adapted to cooperate with the stator shoe 12. This horn in is bound by a part-cylindrical face 17 adapted, during the balance wheel oscillation, to register with the corresponding partcylindrical face 13 of the shoe. This cylindrical face 17, like the face 13 of the shoe, is concentric to the arbor of the movable armature and the gap left between these two

faces

17 and 13 is extremely small. Holes having a greater diameter than the shank of the fixation screws engaged therethrough are formed in the shoe 12, so that the aforesaid gap may be adjusted by simply changing the shoe position.

The movable contact arm d consists of a flexible conducting wire carried by an adjustable block 3 to which it is electrically connected. The terminal 5 connected to conductor 6 consists of a knife-edge or like member mounted on a movable regulating lever 18 adjustable by rotating about its axis 19. A member 20 (FIGURE 2) solid with the balance wheel and to be described hereinafter is adapted, during each balance wheel alternation, to produce the elastic deformation of wire 4 and cause same to contact the knife edge 5. Thus, each time the balance wheel oscillates in the direction of the arrow F the wire 4 engages the knife edge 5, thus closing the electric circuit. The closing moment is selected to take place just when the horn I6 is in close proximity of shoe 12 but before it registers therewith; then the electromagnetic pull applies an impulse to the balance and as the latter continues its swinging movement it releases the wire so that the latter resumes its initial position by inherent elasticity and opens the contact.

Referring now to FIGURE 3, it will be seen that the swinging mechanism mounted on the arbor 15 comprises, in addition to the balance wheel lid with a return hairspring 21, a cam 22 which is a snug fit on the arbor 15 and carries a ruby pin or stud co-acting with the flexible wire 4 in the manner set forth hereinabove and a disc 23 rigid with the arbor 15 and carrying in turn an anchor pin 24 and a drive pin 25. This disc 23 carries on its lower face a projecting peripheral flange or shoulder 26 in which a notch 27 is formed.

As the cam 22 is a snug fit on arbor 15 it is a simple matter to adjust the beginning of the impulse in relation to the dead point of the hairspring 21, and therefore the isochronism of the watch, by properly selecting its angular position on said arbor.

The balance oscillations are counted by means of a magnetic clockwork consisting of a star Wheel or drive wheel 28 cooperating with the drive pin 25 mounted on disc 23. Upon each alternation of the balance the pin 25 carries along the star wheel 28 driving in turn a seconds wheel 31 driving a seconds hand 31. A magnetic positioning pin 29 mounted in a fixed position on the plate is adapted to attract and retain the nearest tooth in order constantly to keep the star wheel 28 in a well-defined position. FIGURE 3 shows a center or minute wheel 46 driving minute hand 46', and an hour wheel 51 driving hour hand 51; said seconds wheel 31, minute wheel 46 and hours wheel 51 form part of the wheelwork.

Referring to FIGURE 4 it will be seen that the drive wheel 28 is rigid with a pinion 3t! meshing with the seconds wheel 31 disposed centrally of the clockwork. This seconds wheel 31 is disposed in the bottom of a recess 32 formed in a plate 33 at a relatively low lever so as to lie beneath the battery 1 mounted with a certain inclination with respect to the plane perpendicular to the general direction of the main wheelwork axes. It will be noted that this specific arrangement of the second wheel departs from conventional arrangements wherein this wheel is usually located near the top of the wheelwork, above the balance wheel.

Referring now to FIGURES 3 and 4, it will be seen that the amplitude limiting device driven by the anchor pin 24 consists of a lock member 56 mounted on a swinging pin 56'. This lock member 56 is cut from sheet material and comprises a forked end portion 57 receiving between its arms the anchor pin 24 and carrying in addition a finger 58 adapted to engage the notch 27formed in tne lower flange or shoulder 26 of disc 23. This lock member is also formed with a notch 5? engageable, when the hand setting mechanism is actuated, by locking means to be described hereinafter, for holding the lock member and therefore the complete mechanism against motion.

Moreover, the lock member 56 is also formed with an aperture (in receiving between its side edges 2. fixed magnetic pin 66', so that when the lock member is not carried along by the balance wheel it engages said pin with one or the other side edges of its aperture. This mounting requiring only one magnetic pin, as constructed with conventional arrangements using two magnetic pins disposed on either side of the lock member, constitutes an appreciable simplification.

In the exemplary form of embodiment illustrated in FIGURES 4, 6 and 7 of the drawings the hand setting mechanism comprises a conventional hand setting stem 61 actuating on the one hand a bell-crank lever 62 controlling a hand setting mechanism of known type comprisingly notably a rocker 63, a ratchet spring 64 and a dog pinion 65 meshing with a corresponding intermediate pinion 66. A so-called stop lever 67 formed at one end with a finger-like projection 68 engageable in the notch 59 of lock member 56 is rotatably driven about a pivot pin 69 by the winding stem of which it engages the end portion 70 with a heel portion 71.

The hand setting mechanism operates as follows:

Under normal conditions the stop lever 67 is held by the stem 61 in the position wherein the finger 68 lies outside the notch 58 of lock member 56. Thus, the lock member 56 can oscillate freely. When it is desired to set the hands, the stem 61 is pulled and its end portion 70 releases the heel portion of stop lever 67. Thus, the stop lever 67 urged by a spring 72 attached thereto rotates about its pivot pin 69 and the finger 68 engages the notch 59 of lock member 56, thus holding this member against motion. The position in which the lock member is held by the stop lever is such that the fork 57 engages the anchor pin 24 solid with disc 23, whereby the balance 14 is also held against motion. On the other hand, since the drive pin 25, in this position, projects between two teeth of drive wheel 28, as already explained hereinabove, the wheelwork is also locked against movement.

The pin 26 rotatably solid with the balance wheel 14 and adapted to actuate the contact wire 4 is so positioned on the arbor 15 that it does not contact the wire 4 when the balance wheel is locked by the lock member. Under these conditions, the electric circuit for energizing the coil 8 is always open when the balance 14 is locked during the hand setting operation. The notch 5 is so shaped that when the hand setting stem 61 and stop lever 67 are restored to their initial position the finger 68 escapes from this notch and causes the lock member 56 to rotate and thus re-start the balance Wheel through the anchor pin 24.

The relative arrangement of the difierent component elements of the electric watch according to this invention is such that the main plate can be inclined to a substantial extent on the dial side, the same also applying to the upper side of the bridges along the outer periphery. These marked inclinations permit of mounting the clockwork in watch cases having a very thin appearance, and also, of course, in conventional-type cases. More particularly, with this specific arrangement the circular or cylindrical battery can be housed within the circular con tours of the clockwork without projecting more or less from the top or bottom face of the assembly.

On the other hand, the relative arrangement of the electrical component elements (battery, contact, diode, etc.) is designed with a view to group them on the same side of the main plate and Within a same sector (see FIG- URE 5). Obviously, electrical connections are greatly simplified by this arrangement.

On the other hand, the diiierent component elements of the contact device, that is, the adjustable block 3 and the contact regulating lever 18, are assembled on a detachable auxiliary plate secured on the main plate by means of screws. This contact carrying auxiliary plate comprises two studs permitting its angular adjustment relative to the pivot axis of the balance wheel. This specific mounting of the contact plate is useful inter alia in that during the manufacture the contact elements can be prepared, adjusted and cleaned independently of the clockwork proper, before mounting them during the final assembly step. This mounting of the contact device on a detachable plate also permits of simplifying the watch maintenance; in fact, the contact elements can be removed without difficulty and without interfering with their initial adjustment, for cleaning purposes, or in the case of a general disassembling operation to avoid any damage thereto, or for substituting a new contact device therefor. On the other hand, the positioning of the contact-carrying plate by means of studs promotes the proper operation of the watch.

The source of current consisting of a single, substantially cylindrical battery 1 having its positive terminal connected directly to the outer case may be placed as such in its cavity, without interposing any insulating element therebetwecn. The connection with the negative terminal located centrally of this battery is obtained through the conductor 2 in the form of an elastic blade underlying the plate 33 and projecting through the central portion of the battery-receiving cavity.

Although the present invention has been described in conjunction with a preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that modifications and variations may be resort ed to without departing from the scope of the invention, as those skilled in the art will readily understand. Such modifications and variations are considered to be within the purview and scope of the invention and appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. An electric watch comprising indicator hands and at wheel work for driving said hands, a drive wheel having a pinion for driving said wheel Work, an electromagnetic coil winding, 2. battery, an electric circuit fed by said battery and energizing said coil winding, a resilient contact wire in said electric circuit, a hairspring balance wheel mounted on a rotatable arbor, a freely oscillating fiat lock member for limiting the amplitude of oscillation of said balance wheel, said lock member having a forked portion, a disc secured on said arbor, said disc carrying a drive pin for driving said drive wheel and an anchor pin engaging said forked portion of said lock member and causing said lock member to oscillate, a locking device adapted to hold said lock member against oscillation in the position in which said forked portion engages said anchor pin and prevents said arbor from rotating, a hand setting mechanism having a sliding stem adapted to cause said locking device to hold said lock member against oscillation, a cam mounted in frictional contact on said arbor and carrying a stud coacting with said resilient wire and causing the latter to temporarily close and open said electric circuit, the angular setting of said cam being so selected that the contact between said stud and said resilient wire is discontinued when said locking device holds said lock member in the position in which it prevents said arbor from rotating.

2. An electric watch according to claim 1, wherein the relative arrangement of said drive pin and said anchor pin is such that they engage said drive wheel and said lock member simultaneously.

3. Electric watch according to claim 1, wherein said lock member is formed with a first notch designed for cooperating with said locking device.

4. An electric watch according to claim 3, further comprising a fixed magnetic pin straddled by said lock member, and wherein said lock member is also provided with a second notch having its side edges disposed on either side of said magnetic pin, whereby, when said lock member is not driven by said balance wheel, it engages said magnetic pin with one or the other side edge of said second notch.

5. An electric watch according to claim 1, wherein said locking device includes a swinging lever movable to and from its operative position under the control of said hand setting mechanism and carrying at one end a finger engageable in the aforesaid first notch and holding said lock member in the position in which said forked portion engages said anchor pin, as well as a return spring for said swinging lever and urging same to its operative position in which it holds said lock member against movement.

6. An electric Watch according to claim 5, wherein said hand setting mechanism includes a sliding stem and wherein said swinging lever carries on its opposite end a heel portion which engages the inner end of said sliding stem and keeps said swinging lever in the position in which it releases said lock member.

7. An electric watch according to claim 5, wherein said first notch is so shaped that when said sliding stem and said swinging lever are restored to their initial position, said finger escapes from said notch and causes said lock member to rotate and thus to re-start said balancewheel through said anchor pin.

References Qited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS LEO SMILQW, Primary Examiner.

JOSEPH P. STRIZAK, Examiner.

Claims

1. AN ELECTRIC WATCH COMPRISING INDICATOR HANDS AND A WHEEL WORK FOR DRIVING SAID HANDS, A DRIVE WHEEL HAVING A PINION FOR DRIVING SAID WHEEL WORK, AN ELECTROMAGNETIC COIL WINDING, A BATTERY, AN ELECTRIC CIRCUIT FED BY SAID BATTERY AND ENERGIZING SAID COIL WINDING, A RESILIENT CONTACT WIRE IN SAID ELECTRIC CIRCUIT, A HAIRSPRING BALANCE WHEEL MOUNTED ON A ROTATABLE ARBOR, A FREELY OSCILLATING FLAT LOCK MEMBER FOR LIMITING THE AMPLITUDE OF OSCILLATION OF SAID BALANCE WHEEL, SAID LOCK MEMBER HAVING A FORKED PORTION, A DISC SECURED ON SAID ARBOR, SAID DISC CARRYING A DRIVE PIN FOR DRIVING SAID DRIVE WHEEL AND AN ANCHOR OIN ENGAGING SAID FORKED PORTION OF SAID LOCK MEMBER AND CAUSING SAID LOCK MEMBER TO OSCILLATE, A LOCKING DEVICE ADAPTED TO HOLD SAID LOCK MEMBER AGAINST OSCILLATION IN THE POSITION IN WHICH SAID FORKED PORTION ENGAGES SAID ANCHOR PIN AND PREVENTS SAID ARBOR FROM ROTATING, A HAND SETTING MECHANISM HAVING A SLIDING STEM ADAPTED TO CAUSE SAID LOCKING DEVICE TO HOLD SAID LOCK MEMBER AGAINST OSCILLATION, A CAM MOUNTED IN FRICTIONAL CONTACT ON SAID ARBOR AND CARRYING A STUD COACTING WITH SAID RESILIENT WIRE AND CAUSING THE LATTER TO TEMPORARILY CLOSE AND OPEN SAID ELECTRIC CIRCUIT, THE ANGULAR SETTING OF SAID CAM BEING SO SELECTED THAT THE CONTACT BETWEEN SAID STUD AND SAID RESILIENT WIRE IS DISCONTINUED WHEN SAID LOCKING DEVICE HOLDS SAID LOCK MEMBER IN THE POSITION IN WHICH IT PREVENTS SAID ARBOR FROM ROTATING.