US3780521A - Electronic timepiece - Google Patents

Electronic timepiece Download PDF

Info

Publication number
US3780521A
US3780521A US00206227A US3780521DA US3780521A US 3780521 A US3780521 A US 3780521A US 00206227 A US00206227 A US 00206227A US 3780521D A US3780521D A US 3780521DA US 3780521 A US3780521 A US 3780521A
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
balance wheel
driving
balance
permanent magnets
magnetic
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
US00206227A
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
M Kurita
T Ota
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.)
Suwa Seikosha KK
Original Assignee
Suwa Seikosha KK
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 Suwa Seikosha KK filed Critical Suwa Seikosha KK
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3780521A publication Critical patent/US3780521A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

Links

Images

Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G04—HOROLOGY
    • G04C—ELECTROMECHANICAL CLOCKS OR WATCHES
    • G04C3/00—Electromechanical clocks or watches independent of other time-pieces and in which the movement is maintained by electric means
    • G04C3/04—Electromechanical clocks or watches independent of other time-pieces and in which the movement is maintained by electric means wherein movement is regulated by a balance
    • G04C3/06—Electromechanical clocks or watches independent of other time-pieces and in which the movement is maintained by electric means wherein movement is regulated by a balance using electromagnetic coupling between electric power source and balance
    • G04C3/065—Electromechanical clocks or watches independent of other time-pieces and in which the movement is maintained by electric means wherein movement is regulated by a balance using electromagnetic coupling between electric power source and balance the balance controlling gear-train by means of static switches, e.g. transistor circuits
    • G04C3/069—Driving circuits using a single coil for detection and driving purposes

Definitions

  • An electronic timepiece having a magnetic circuit including permanent magnets mounted on an oscillator, said magnetic circuit including an air gap.
  • a driving and controlling device including at least one coil is pivotably mounted in said timepiece for displacement in a plane extending substantially parallel to the oscillating direction of said oscillator between an operative position at which said coilis positioned in said air gap and an inoperative position at which said driving and controlling device is positioned out of overlapping relation with said oscillator.
  • the oscillator may take the form of a balance wheel assembly formed of a pair of spaced balance wheels mounted in spaced relation on a common arbor, one of said balance wheels being formed of a magnetic material, the other of said balance wheels being formed of a non-magnetic material.
  • SHEET 8 OF 6 ELECTRONIC TIMEPIECE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to electric timepieces incorporating oscillators formed with magnetic circuits which are controlled and driven by means of fixed coils and driving circuits mounted relative to said oscillator magnetic circuit. Further, this application relates to a specific construction for a balance wheel type oscillator.
  • the mounting or removal of the balance wheel or other oscillator required the removal of the blocks carrying the driving and detecting coils,.as well as the blocks carrying the electronic circuitry associated with said coils. Since the gap between said coils and the permanent magnets mounted on the oscillator and forming a part of said magnetic circuit is extremely small, mechanical contact, between said coils and balance wheel resulted from such mounting and removal operations. This mechanical contact caused interruption in the coil frequency, requiring resetting of the watch, and increasing the cost of repairing 'the watch.
  • said oscillator is formed of a balance wheel
  • further difficulties were caused by the specific construction of the balance wheel.
  • the balance wheel is formed of a non-magnetic material stray flux leaks from the permanent magnets mounted thereon to produce highly disadvantageous effects including substantial position errors.
  • other parts of the watch formed of magnetic materials, such as screws, wheels, the balance arbor and the hair spring, cause adverse magnetic influences on each other, which results in variations in the rate of the watch.
  • a'balance wheel made of a material having high saturation magnetic flux density and high permeability is usually soft and tends to warp. In such a construction, positioning of the balance wheel is difficult.
  • balance wheel formed of non-magnetic material, material having a high saturation magnetic flux density and high permeability being mounted on said balance wheel to define a part of the magnetic circuit. This construction further increases the thickness of the balance, as well as its weight and power consumption, and also results in position errors.
  • an electronic timepiece having oscillator means including magnetic circuit means, said magnetic circuit means being formed to define an air gap; driving and controlling means including at least one .icoil means; and means for pivotably mounting said driving and controlling means in said timepiece for pivotable displacement along a plane extending substantially parallel to the oscillating direction of said oscillator means between an operative position at which said coil means is positioned at least in part in said air gap and aninoperative position at which said driving and controlling means is positioned out of overlapping relation with said oscillator means.
  • Said oscillator may constitute abalance wheel having permanent magnets mounted thereon and defining said air gap therebetween, or said oscillator may comprise a tuning fork.
  • Said timepiece may incorporate a balance wheel assembly having a pair of balance wheels mounted in spaced relation on a common arbor, one of said pairof balance wheels being formed of magnetic'material, the other of said pair of balance wheels being formed of a non-magnetic material.
  • a pair of permanent magnets is mounted on each of said balance wheels, said pairs of permanent magnets being in facing relation and of a polarity to define a magnetic circuit including the air gap between said permanent magnet.
  • a plate of magnetic material is mounted on the outer surface of the balance wheel formed of non-magnetic material in the region between the pair of permanent magnets mounted thereon, said plate forming a part of said magnetic circuit.
  • a further object of the arrangement according to the invention is to provide a balance wheel constructionfor such electronic timepieces which is regulateable, without providing the disadvantages of flux leakage and ;positional error.
  • FIG. 1 is a top plan view of one embodimentof the electronic timepiece according to the invention.
  • FIG. 2 is a partial cross sectional view of the electronic timepiece of FIG. 1;
  • FIG. 3a is a top plan view of the balance wheel of the electronic timepiece of FIG. 1;
  • FIG. 3b is a side elevational view of the balance wheel of FIG. 3a;
  • FIG. 4 is a top plan elevational view of a second embodiment of the electronic timepiece according to the invention.
  • FIG. 5 is a top plan view of a third embodiment of the electronic timepiece according to the invention.
  • FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the balance wheel assembly according to the invention.
  • FIGS. '7 and 8 are sectional views taken along lines 7-7 and 8-8 respectively of FIG. 6.
  • the balance wheel assembly 7 consists of an upper balance wheel 2 and a .lower balance wheel 3 mounted in spaced relation on a common balance wheel arbor 1.
  • Fixed to upper balance wheel 2 are a pair of permanentmagnets 2a and 2b.
  • Said magnetic plates are formed of a high permeability material.
  • a hair spring 6 is fixed to arbor 1 for the natural oscillation of balance wheel assembly 7.
  • Electro-magnetic energy is applied to balance wheel 7 by an electronic circuit 8 more particularly shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in order to maintain said balance wheel assembly in isochromatic oscillation.
  • said electromagnetic force is applied to the balance wheel in a conventional manner by means of a detectingdriving coil 9 connecting with the electronic circuit 8 and held in the gap intermediate permanent magnets 2a and 2b and permanent magnets 3a and 3b. There is no mechanical contact between said coil and said permanent magnets.
  • the relative motion between said permanent magnets during the oscillation of balance wheel assembly 7 and detecting-driving coil 9 induces a voltage in said coil which is applied to electronic circuit 8 and controlled by an active elenent in said electronic circuit.
  • the electrical energy of battery 10 is applied to said detectingdriving coil to maintain the oscillatory displacement of said balance wheel assembly.
  • Electronic circuit 8 and detecting-driving coil 9 are mounted as a unit on electric block 11, which is fixed to base plate 17 by means of setting screws l2, 13, 14 and 15. In this manner, the relative position between the detecting-driving coil and the permanent magnet is maintained during the operation of the timepiece. If setting screws 12, 13 and 14 are removed, setting screw 15 is loosened, and battery 10 is removed, electric block 11 may be pivotably rotated about the axis defined by setting screw 15 from the operative position to I an inoperative position shown by dashed lines 11. This rotation is in a plane extending substantially parallel to the plane of oscillation of the balance wheel assembly so that the electric block 11 is out of overlapping relation with the balance wheel assembly after such displacement.
  • balance wheel assembly 7 can be readily mounted and removed.
  • adjustment, conformation, mounting and removal of escapement 16, which is positioned beneath balance wheel assembly 7 is readily achieved.
  • detecting-driving coil 21 is mounted and maintained in the gap in magnetic circuits 28 and 29 mounted on tuning fork oscillator 22.
  • Magnetic circuits 28 and 29 include permanent magnets 23 and 24 respectively and are attached to the end of the tines of said .tuning fork.
  • Detecting-driving coil 21 is connected'to an electronic circuit 25, said electronic circuit and coil being mounted in a common electric block 26.
  • Electric block 26 may be released by removing settated, the electric block 26 assumes the position shown in phantom lines at reference numeral 26', at which position the tuning fork may be readily removed.
  • FIG. 5 A third embodiment of the electronic timepiece according to the invention is depicted in FIG. 5, wherein the timepiece incorporates a contact point construction between an electrical contact mounted on the balance wheel and a fixed spring contact for opening and closing the driving circuit, associated with the driving coil.
  • balance wheel assembly 59 is similar in construction to the balance wheel assembly depicted in FIG. 3, being provided with two pairs of permanent magnets and a pair of spaced balance wheels, of which permanent magnets 52a and 52b and balance wheel 52 is depicted in FIG. 5.
  • a coil 51 is mounted in the gap between said permanent magnets in the same manner as the coil shown in F IG. 2.
  • This coil is fixed to an electric block 55 which also carries a contact point spring 54.
  • Said electric block is fixed by means of setting screws 56, 57 and 58.
  • setting screws 56, 57 and 58 When setting screws 57 and 58 are removed. setting screw 56 is loosened and battery 50 is removed, electric block 55 may rotate in the counter clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 5 to a position shown in phantom lines at reference numeral 55'. Said rotation is about the axis defined by setting screw 56 in the direction of a plane extending substantially parallel to the plane of oscillation of balance wheel assembly 59.
  • This arrangement not only permits the removal and mounting of the balance wheel assembly, but also permits the removal and mounting of the contact point spring 54 and the coil 51.
  • the balance wheel assembly consists of a arbor 121 on which balance wheels 122 and 123 are mounted in parallel spaced relation.
  • Balance wheel 122 is provided with a pair of permanent magnets 127 and 128 while balance wheel 123 is provided with a pair of permanent magnets 129 and 130.
  • Permanent magnets 127 and 128 are in facing spaced relation with permanent magnets 129 and 130 respectively.
  • Balance wheel 123 is formed of a material having a high saturation magnetic flux density and high permeability while balance wheel 122 is formed of a non-magnetic material and has a magnetic plate 124 of magnetic material attached on the outer surface thereof in the region between permanent magnets 127 and 128.
  • the magnetic circuit includes the two pairs of permanent magnets, magnetic plate 124 and balance wheel 123.
  • Each of the balance wheels 122 and 123 are provided with a counter weight and 126 respectively in order to compensate for the unbalance caused by the mounting of said permanent magnets thereon.
  • a detecting-driving coil or coils 131 is provided in the air gap between said permanent magnets and is connected to an electric circuit incorporating an active element such as a transistor for driving said balance wheel assembly.
  • a regulating'lever 132 is mounted within the timepiece for regulating the balance wheel. Said lever occupies the position indicator in phantom lines by reference numeral 132' when it regulates said balance wheel assembly. Since balance wheel 122 is formed of a nonmagnetic material, regulation may be accomplished without deformation thereof. A shield member may be provided near balance wheel 123 in order to eliminate stray fluxes caused by said balance wheel.
  • the balance wheel assembly of FIGS. 6-8 is extremely thin and operates with high precision, and is particularly adapted for application to wrist watches.
  • An electronic timepiece comprising a balance wheel assembly including magnetic circuit means, said magnetic circuit means being formed to define an air gap; driving and controlling circuit means including at least one coil means and other circuit components for driving and controlling the mechanical oscillations of said assembly; support means carrying at least portions of said driving and controlling circuit means including said coil means and a plurality of said other circuit components; means for pivotably mounting said support means in said timepiece for pivotable displacement along a plane extending substantially parallel to the oscillating direction of said assembly between an operative position at which said coil means is positioned at least in part in said air gap and an inoperative position at which said driving and controlling means is positioned out of overlapping relation with said assembly; battery means electrically coupled to said driving and controlling circuit means but mounted separate therefrom wherein said assembly includes an arbor; a pair of balance wheels mounted in spaced relation on said arbor for oscillation therewith as a unit; a first of said balance wheels being formed of a non-magnetic material, the second of said balance wheels being formed of a magnetic material; first and second pairs of permanent magnets mounted in

Landscapes

  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Electromagnetism (AREA)
  • Power Engineering (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Electromechanical Clocks (AREA)
US00206227A 1970-12-04 1971-12-06 Electronic timepiece Expired - Lifetime US3780521A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP12024270 1970-12-04
JP13271470 1970-12-28

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3780521A true US3780521A (en) 1973-12-25

Family

ID=26457859

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US00206227A Expired - Lifetime US3780521A (en) 1970-12-04 1971-12-06 Electronic timepiece

Country Status (4)

Country Link
US (1) US3780521A (OSRAM)
DE (1) DE2160446A1 (OSRAM)
FR (1) FR2116520B1 (OSRAM)
GB (1) GB1366156A (OSRAM)

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3898791A (en) * 1973-06-30 1975-08-12 Junghans Gmbh Geb Electrically driven timers
DE3047492A1 (de) * 1980-01-04 1981-09-10 Timex Corp., 06720 Waterbury, Conn. Uhrwerkanordnung und verfahren zum herstellen derselben
US5126720A (en) * 1991-01-17 1992-06-30 Knogo Corporation Method and apparatus for deactivating magnetic targets
US5225807A (en) * 1991-09-16 1993-07-06 Knogo Corporation Method and apparatus for sensitizing and desensitizing targets for electronic article surveillance systems
US20070140065A1 (en) * 2003-10-20 2007-06-21 Gideon Levingston Balance wheel, balance spring and other components and assemblies for a mechanical oscillator system and methods of manufacture

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3898791A (en) * 1973-06-30 1975-08-12 Junghans Gmbh Geb Electrically driven timers
DE3047492A1 (de) * 1980-01-04 1981-09-10 Timex Corp., 06720 Waterbury, Conn. Uhrwerkanordnung und verfahren zum herstellen derselben
US5126720A (en) * 1991-01-17 1992-06-30 Knogo Corporation Method and apparatus for deactivating magnetic targets
US5225807A (en) * 1991-09-16 1993-07-06 Knogo Corporation Method and apparatus for sensitizing and desensitizing targets for electronic article surveillance systems
US20070140065A1 (en) * 2003-10-20 2007-06-21 Gideon Levingston Balance wheel, balance spring and other components and assemblies for a mechanical oscillator system and methods of manufacture
US7726872B2 (en) * 2003-10-20 2010-06-01 Gideon Levingston Balance wheel, balance spring and other components and assemblies for a mechanical oscillator system and methods of manufacture

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB1366156A (en) 1974-09-11
DE2160446A1 (de) 1972-12-14
FR2116520B1 (OSRAM) 1975-02-07
FR2116520A1 (OSRAM) 1972-07-13

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US7306364B2 (en) Timepiece having a mechanical movement associated with an electronic regulator
CN100480901C (zh) 具有与电子调速器相联的机械机芯的时计
CN101091141B (zh) 用于手表的调节元件以及包括这种调节元件的机械机芯
US8534910B2 (en) Regulating member for a wristwatch, and timepiece comprising such a regulating member
US3780521A (en) Electronic timepiece
US3469389A (en) Electromechanical vibrator assembly for a timepiece
US3693343A (en) Wrist watch with a piezoelectric crystal as time-keeping oscillator
US3648453A (en) Electric timepiece
CH629355GA3 (en) Quartz crystal timepiece
US3487629A (en) Drive balance wheel arrangement for timepiece
US3708974A (en) Pallet attracting construction
US3745758A (en) Electric and electronic timepiece
US3726081A (en) Electric time-piece with chronograph indicator
US3683613A (en) Miniaturized movement for an electronic timepiece
US4296488A (en) Watch movement construction
US3584454A (en) Clock oscillator regulator
US3802179A (en) Electronic timepiece
US3808792A (en) Drive mechanism of an electric timepiece
US3114092A (en) Electronic driving means for timepieces
US3224183A (en) Electrically actuated time integrating device
US3056253A (en) Electrically operated oscillatory system for timepieces
US3798890A (en) Coil construction for electronic timepieces
US3726080A (en) Control apparatus for an electric timepiece
US3665699A (en) Device for locking an electro-dynamically maintained balance/balance-spring
US3759028A (en) Electronic watch