US3293386A - Mechanically controlled electrical switch, especially for an alarm timepiece - Google Patents

Mechanically controlled electrical switch, especially for an alarm timepiece Download PDF

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Publication number
US3293386A
US3293386A US384454A US38445464A US3293386A US 3293386 A US3293386 A US 3293386A US 384454 A US384454 A US 384454A US 38445464 A US38445464 A US 38445464A US 3293386 A US3293386 A US 3293386A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
cam
lever
contact
conductive
sleeve
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US384454A
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English (en)
Inventor
Beyner Andre
Schneiter Ali
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Ebauches SA
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Ebauches SA
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Ebauches SA filed Critical Ebauches SA
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3293386A publication Critical patent/US3293386A/en
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Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G04—HOROLOGY
    • G04C—ELECTROMECHANICAL CLOCKS OR WATCHES
    • G04C21/00—Producing acoustic time signals by electrical means
    • G04C21/16—Producing acoustic time signals by electrical means producing the signals at adjustable fixed times
    • G04C21/20—Producing acoustic time signals by electrical means producing the signals at adjustable fixed times by closing a contact to ring an electromechanical alarm
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G04—HOROLOGY
    • G04C—ELECTROMECHANICAL CLOCKS OR WATCHES
    • G04C23/00—Clocks with attached or built-in means operating any device at preselected times or after preselected time-intervals
    • G04C23/02—Constructional details
    • G04C23/06—Driving or regulating means

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a mechanically controlled electrical switch, especially for a timepiece, of the type comprising a rotatable element provided with at least one alternation between conductive and non-conductive parts with which a feeler is in sequential contact, so as to close and to open alternatively an electrical circuit, according as the feeler is in contact with a conductive or with a non-conductive zone of the rotatable element.
  • This switch is characterised by the fact that the surface of the rotatable element with which the feeler is in contact is provided with a step on which is located the alternation, so that the speed of the relative displacement between the feeler and the zone provided with the said alternation is a function, on the one hand, of the speed of rotation of the rotatable element and, on the other hand, of the angle formed between the step of the rotatable element and the surface of this element.
  • the drawing shows, by way of example, one embodiment of the object of the invention.
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic plane view of an alarm mechanism of a timepiece.
  • FIG. 2 is a sectional view along line II-II of FIG. 1, and
  • FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a detail, at an enlarged scale.
  • the alarm mechanism comprises a rotatable cam 1, having the shape of a snail, made of insulating material, carried by a rotatable shaft 2 making one revolution per 12 hours, and being rigid with the hour wheel, not shown, of the timepiece.
  • This shaft 2 carries a metallic disc 3 on which is riveted, at 4, a contact stud 5, the head of which, having the shape of a segment of crown (FIG. 1) is embedded in the snail cam 1 and is flush with the surface, designated by 6, of this cam, connecting its part of smallest diameter to its part of greatest diameter.
  • This alarm mechanism also includes an alarm wheel 7 carried by a central sleeve 8, rotatably mounted in an insulating plate 9 supporting the dial, and constituting a part of the frame of the timepiece.
  • the peripheral teeth 7a of the wheel 7 serve as a manual control for the manual setting of the alarm.
  • This wheel 7 carries, articulated thereto at 10, a two-arm lever 11, one arm of which, designated by 11a, is subjected to the action of the return spring 12, secured at 13 to the wheel 7.
  • the extremity of the spring 12 passes under the extremity of the arm 11a and bears on a bent part 11b of this arm.
  • the other arm of the lever 11, designated by 110 is ended by a nose 11d bearing radially on the snail cam 1.
  • a cambered metallic washer 14 (FIG. 2) produces, on the one hand, a friction between the alarm wheel 7 and the insulating plate 9 and, on the other hand, the electric contact between the sleeve 8 and a metallic blade 15 serving as a conductive element.
  • the nose 11d of the 3,293,386 Patented Dec. 20, 1966 two-arm lever 11 is in contact with the stud 5, the electric connection is ensured between the earth constituted by the movement of the timepiece and the metallic blade 15.
  • the blade 15 is not in electrical contact with the earth constituted by the movement of the timepiece.
  • the relative speed between the small, and the relative speed of displacement between the step 6 and the nose 11d of the lever is rapid, for a given speed of rotation of the cam 1.
  • the duration of the time during which the electric contact is closed, as well as the rapidity of its closing or of its opening can be made very short, even when the cam 1 rotates at the speed of one revolution per 12 hours only.
  • the wheel 7 is submitted to the action of a jumper 16 which prevents manual setting opposite to the normal direction of running, that would have for effect to damage the mechanism, the nose 11d of the arm of the lever 11 then being hooked by the step 6 of the cam 1.
  • a non conductive cam rotatably mounted on said shaft and including a switch-actuating surface comprised of an undercut step having a top and bottom joined by a gradually-rising slope
  • a contact having a surface flush with the step thereof for defining conductive zones on the step alternating with the non-conductive zones thereof
  • cam-contacting arm of said lever having a nose riding sequentially moving tangentially between the extremities of said step on each rotation of said cam
  • said sleeve and metallic blade serving as a conductive element with the nose of said lever in contact with said contact and as a non-conductive element with the nose of said lever in contact with said cam
  • the speed of the relative displacement between the nose of said lever and step of said cam being a function of the rotative speed of said cam and of the angle formed between the step and the tangent to the switch-actuating surface of said cam, said lever in contact with the step of said cam alternately closing and opening an electric circuit accordingly as said lever is in contact with the conductive or non-conductive zones.
US384454A 1963-08-13 1964-07-22 Mechanically controlled electrical switch, especially for an alarm timepiece Expired - Lifetime US3293386A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CH998063A CH399338A (fr) 1963-08-13 1963-08-13 Interrupteur électrique à commande mécanique, pour pièce d'horlogerie

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3293386A true US3293386A (en) 1966-12-20

Family

ID=4357796

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US384454A Expired - Lifetime US3293386A (en) 1963-08-13 1964-07-22 Mechanically controlled electrical switch, especially for an alarm timepiece

Country Status (3)

Country Link
US (1) US3293386A (fr)
CH (1) CH399338A (fr)
DE (1) DE1292585B (fr)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3405241A (en) * 1965-06-03 1968-10-08 Ebauches S A Neuchatel Timepiece

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US873020A (en) * 1907-12-10 Electric Novelty Machine Company Transparency.
US2970454A (en) * 1959-08-18 1961-02-07 Paragon Electric Company Electric switches and systems controlled thereby
US3018340A (en) * 1959-07-02 1962-01-23 Ranco Inc Electric switch mechanism

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US873020A (en) * 1907-12-10 Electric Novelty Machine Company Transparency.
US3018340A (en) * 1959-07-02 1962-01-23 Ranco Inc Electric switch mechanism
US2970454A (en) * 1959-08-18 1961-02-07 Paragon Electric Company Electric switches and systems controlled thereby

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3405241A (en) * 1965-06-03 1968-10-08 Ebauches S A Neuchatel Timepiece

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
CH998063A4 (fr) 1965-05-31
DE1292585B (de) 1969-04-10
CH399338A (fr) 1966-03-31

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