US3795097A - Stepping motor for timepieces - Google Patents

Stepping motor for timepieces Download PDF

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Publication number
US3795097A
US3795097A US00219102A US3795097DA US3795097A US 3795097 A US3795097 A US 3795097A US 00219102 A US00219102 A US 00219102A US 3795097D A US3795097D A US 3795097DA US 3795097 A US3795097 A US 3795097A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
escapement
drive member
coil
stepping motor
timepiece
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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
US00219102A
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English (en)
Inventor
H Meitinger
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Timex Group USA Inc
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Timex Corp
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Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Timex Corp filed Critical Timex Corp
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Publication of US3795097A publication Critical patent/US3795097A/en
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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G04—HOROLOGY
    • G04C—ELECTROMECHANICAL CLOCKS OR WATCHES
    • G04C13/00—Driving mechanisms for clocks by master-clocks
    • G04C13/08—Slave-clocks actuated intermittently
    • G04C13/10—Slave-clocks actuated intermittently by electromechanical step advancing mechanisms
    • 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

Definitions

  • ABSTRACT A stepping motor for timepieces comprising a movable coil means which is intermittently activated by electrical drive means to move between two extreme positions and an escapement member engaging the coil means to transmit the step-by-step movement to an escapement wheel.
  • the coil means and escapement member are poised so that radial accelerations that may affect the rotation of the coil means are eliminated by the compensating movement of the escapement member.
  • the resultant low moment of inertia for the coil results in low power consumption and a highly efficient motor.
  • the present-invention relates to ,timepiecesand particularly to a drive means for such'timepieces such as a stepping motor.
  • the present motor includes a pivotal electrodyna'mically movabledrive member thatmeshes at least indirectly by means of an escapement member withan escapement wheel and progressively drives the wheel ahead step bystep.
  • Such indexing motors are mostly installed in ,quartz or tuning fork controlled timekeeping devices in which, as a means of energy economy, no provision is made for a directly battery driven escapement wheel.
  • the drive member is an elongated discoid coil that is swingable between two extreme positions in the magnetic field of aneight-pole permanent magnet arrangement by pulsating electrical I I excitations.
  • the escapement member that meshes with the escapement wheel is securely in communication with the coil and is constantly drawn into one ofthe extreme'positions by a spiral that conducts current to the coil I I v
  • This known arrangement can as a whole be balanced out and made substantially inert to translatory acceler- ,ationsfbut it has the negative feature that rota'ry accelso also the escapement member will be situated in one of the extreme positons the greater part of a time interval.
  • the drive member has a leverwith' teeth at one end that mesh with matching teeth on the escapement member.
  • this embodiment is more difficult to realizebut it has the advantage that the two moments of inertia, in relation to one of the pivotal axes, are always of identical size.
  • an indexing motor assembly comprising a further embodiment of the invention, a safeguard against unintentional movement of the escape wheel where the erations about a given constructive value, as often occurtby swinging the arm bearing the watch, can ef fectan unwanted moving ahead of theescapement wheel. This can add up to significant, errors in time.- keeping, particularly where the wearer of a wrist watch isa very active personsor person who walks very much.
  • thepresent invention aims at the creation of an electrically actuatable indexing motor of the above referredto type, which,.with only a mirror investment for. additional "material, .is compensated against, rotary acceleration to a high degree and thereby ensures a greater accuracy of thetimekeeping device.”
  • this object is atmeans of which the drive memberand the escapement memberare'positively'connected and movable in opposite directions, and with regard to either one of the pi votal axes have, at least periodically, practically identicalmomentsof inertia.
  • Moment of inertia is defined herei n'foreach of the members as the product obtained ,by multiplying the mass moment of inertia of rotation s'ame memberrotates about its pivotal ax'is.
  • the drive member has a lever with a pin at one end that engages, with.
  • drivemember- isa pivotalelo'ngated discoid coil, before or. between; a flat permanent magnet arrangement I within two extremepositons can be provided in that. the coil and/or the escapement member has a soft iron section of such form that it is more strongly attracted b'y the permanent'magnet arrangement at the extreme positions than between said extremepositions.
  • the indexing motor can also be operated by impulses of identical polarity.
  • the soft iron member -in a different embodiment of the invention, is disposed in such an unsymmetrical mannerthat it is more strongly attracted to the one extreme position than totheother';
  • FIG. 1 is a plan view of an embodiment of theindexing motor according tothis invention
  • FIG. 2 is a section along the line 2 2 in FIG. 1,
  • FIG. 3 isia perspective view ofthe permanent magnet arrangement of the indexing motor shown in FIG. 1,
  • .- coil 10 which is wound in such away that it generates and 1 I a 1 1 F164 is a section of a plan view of a further embodiment of the indexing motor in accordance with this in: vention. 1
  • FIGS. 1, Zand 3 represent a firstembodiment' of an indexing motor pursuant-Q-to thisinvention.
  • a driving member containsan elongated discloid a magnetic field-when excited, which inFIG. l stands perpendicular to the plane of the drawing.
  • Coil 10 coacts v with a permanent magnet arrangement 12 composed of four magnets l4, 16, 18 and 20.
  • the permanent magnets are positioned on carrier plates 22 arid 24 towhichthey are secured, for example, by bonding.
  • Coil is, notwound on any body and is pivotally mounted on a staff 28 between two extreme positions inside of two frame plates 30 and 32 by centrally ar I ranged securing member 26.
  • Coil 10 on the one hand 44.
  • Spiral36 issecured to staff 28 by insulating members 46 and spiral 42 by clamping member 48.
  • Conductor 44 is also secured to said staff 28.
  • coil 10 when excited by a current in a counterclockwise direction, assumes the position shown in FIG. 1 If, however, coil 10 is excitedclockwiseby a current, its magnetic field reverses and it swings into the other extreme position not'shown in FIG. 1.
  • the indexing motor of the instant invention furthermore contains an escape wheel 50 that is engaged by the escapement pins 52 and 54 which move the escape wheel progressively: ahead step-by-step.
  • the escape wheel 50 may serve as a seconds wheel which actuates the remaining hands of the watch through a drive arrangement (not shown).
  • Thejescapernent pins 52 and 54 are not in direct mechanicai communication with coil 10, but are disposed on an escapement member 56 mounted within two frame plates 60 and 62 on astaff and pivotal in the opposite direction of coil 10. It is advantageous to have the axesof the two staffs disposed parallel to each other.
  • a lever 64 secured to coil 10 and- /or its securing member 26 and a slot 66 disposed approximately centrally in the escapement member 56 and pointing in the direction of the staff 58 of said member 56.
  • a pin 68 is mounted at the end of lever 64.
  • the transmitting means may also be comprises of a lever 70 in communication with coil 10 as well as teeth 72 in or on the escapement member 56-which latter component meshes with teeth 74 at one end of lever 70.
  • the transmitting means comprised of lever 70 and teeth 72 constantly ensures that, in coaction with teeth 74,the coil 10 and the escapement member 56 are pivotally moved in contrary directions.
  • the actual-moments of inertia of coil 10 and escapement member 56 i.e., the moments of inertia of these components including those of all components in communication with the same, are selected so that they are identical with reference to one of the axes of the staffs 28 or 58.
  • the transmission ratio is taken into account,.in this case it is determined by the position of pin 68 with regard to the staffs 28 and 58 and/orthe pair of gear sections formed by teeth 72 and 74.
  • coil 10 In order to index escapement wheel 50, progressively ahead by only one tooth at a time, coil 10 must be alter; nately excited by impulses of positive and. negative po larity. It is, however, also possible to omit the soft iron members 78 and 82 and to excite coil 10 by the impulse of a single polarity pulse only.
  • apivotal electrodynamically movable drive member comprising a coil pivotal between two extreme positions, an escapement member pivotably mounted about an axis parallel to the axis of the drive member and engaging the escapement wheel to step the timepiece,
  • magnet means interacting with the coil so that the coil is more strongly attracted by the magnet means at the extreme positions than between said positions, and,
  • said drive member and said escapement member being positively coupled and movable'in opposite directions and wherein said drive member and escapement member have at least periodically substantially the same moments of inertia to prevent timekeeping errors due to rotary accelerations of the timepiece.
  • a stepping motor in accordance with claim 1 wherein:
  • the drive member furtherincludes a lever coupled to I the coil, said lever engaging the escapement member to transmit motion thereto.
  • the drive member includes a coil and a shaped lever coupled to each other and rotatable about the same axis, the lever including projecting means to engage the escapement member.
  • the escapement member includes a slotted portion engaged by the lever projecting means to drive said member back and forth, and spaced projecting means to alternately engage the escapement wheel.
  • a stepping motor in accordance with claim 1 wherein:
  • At least one of said members includes a soft iron component disposed in an unsymmetrical arrangement so that the particular member is more strongly attracted in one extreme position than the other.
  • a pivotal electrodynamically movable drive member comprising an elongated discoid coil having a soft iron portion thereon for purposes of magnetic attraction
  • an escapement member pivotably mounted about an axis parallel to the axis of the drive member and engaging the escapement wheel to step the timepiece
  • said drive member and said escapement member being positively coupled and movable in opposite directions and wherein said drive member and escapement member had at least periodically substantially the same moments of inertia to prevent timekeeping errors due to rotary accelerations of the timepiece.
  • a stepping motor for electrically driven timepieces including an escapement wheel the combination which comprises:
  • said drive member and said escapement member being positively coupled andmovable in opposite directions and wherein said drive member and escapement member have at least periodically substantially the same moments of inertia to prevent timekeeping errors due to rotary accelerations of the timepiece and wherein, the escapement.member further includes a soft iron portion so that said escapement member is more strongly attracted by the magnet means at the extreme positions of said escapement member.
  • a pivotal electrodynamically movable drive member including a coil and a shaped lever coupled to each other and rotatable about the same axis, the lever having a plurality of teeth at one end thereof, and

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Electromechanical Clocks (AREA)
  • Optical Radar Systems And Details Thereof (AREA)
  • Connection Of Motors, Electrical Generators, Mechanical Devices, And The Like (AREA)
US00219102A 1972-01-19 1972-01-19 Stepping motor for timepieces Expired - Lifetime US3795097A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US21910272A 1972-01-19 1972-01-19

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3795097A true US3795097A (en) 1974-03-05

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ID=22817884

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US00219102A Expired - Lifetime US3795097A (en) 1972-01-19 1972-01-19 Stepping motor for timepieces

Country Status (10)

Country Link
US (1) US3795097A (ja)
JP (1) JPS4882866A (ja)
AU (1) AU5110873A (ja)
BE (1) BE794259A (ja)
CH (2) CH56373A4 (ja)
DE (1) DE2212323C3 (ja)
FR (1) FR2168452B1 (ja)
GB (1) GB1415327A (ja)
IT (1) IT976925B (ja)
NL (1) NL7300624A (ja)

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4075518A (en) * 1976-06-22 1978-02-21 Bulova Watch Company, Inc. Micro-miniature stepping motor
US4084403A (en) * 1975-02-07 1978-04-18 Seiko Koki Kabushiki Kaisha Driving mechanism for a timepiece
US4104859A (en) * 1975-05-14 1978-08-08 Seiko Koki Kabushiki Kaisha Reversal preventing device of electric clock
CH661604A5 (de) * 1983-10-05 1987-07-31 Sodeco Compteurs De Geneve Antriebseinrichtung fuer einen muenzspeicher.

Families Citing this family (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE3511870C1 (de) * 1985-04-01 1986-06-26 J. Hengstler Kg, 7209 Aldingen Impulszaehler als elektromechanisches Zaehlwerk mit Schwingspulenantrieb
JPS62141788U (ja) * 1986-03-03 1987-09-07
JPS62146987U (ja) * 1986-03-11 1987-09-17
DE3618010A1 (de) * 1986-05-28 1987-12-03 Hengstler Kg Elektromagnetischer antrieb fuer ein zaehlwerk mit eisenlosen schwingspulen
DE3903706A1 (de) * 1988-02-09 1989-08-17 Fraunhofer Ges Forschung Uhr mit einem elektronischen uhrenbaustein

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB746465A (en) * 1953-09-17 1956-03-14 Hatot Leon Ets Improved electromagnetic impulse device for driving clocks
US3186157A (en) * 1961-08-24 1965-06-01 United States Time Corp Balance wheel assembly for an electric timepiece
US3618311A (en) * 1970-01-13 1971-11-09 Timex Corp Synchronized horological system
US3641761A (en) * 1970-06-17 1972-02-15 Hamilton Watch Co Watch transducer

Family Cites Families (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR1517115A (fr) * 1966-02-10 1968-03-15 Suisse Horlogerie Montre électronique
CH504041A (de) * 1969-05-08 1971-04-15 Centre Electron Horloger Elektromechanischer Schrittmotor

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB746465A (en) * 1953-09-17 1956-03-14 Hatot Leon Ets Improved electromagnetic impulse device for driving clocks
US3186157A (en) * 1961-08-24 1965-06-01 United States Time Corp Balance wheel assembly for an electric timepiece
US3618311A (en) * 1970-01-13 1971-11-09 Timex Corp Synchronized horological system
US3641761A (en) * 1970-06-17 1972-02-15 Hamilton Watch Co Watch transducer

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4084403A (en) * 1975-02-07 1978-04-18 Seiko Koki Kabushiki Kaisha Driving mechanism for a timepiece
US4104859A (en) * 1975-05-14 1978-08-08 Seiko Koki Kabushiki Kaisha Reversal preventing device of electric clock
US4075518A (en) * 1976-06-22 1978-02-21 Bulova Watch Company, Inc. Micro-miniature stepping motor
CH661604A5 (de) * 1983-10-05 1987-07-31 Sodeco Compteurs De Geneve Antriebseinrichtung fuer einen muenzspeicher.

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
JPS4882866A (ja) 1973-11-06
IT976925B (it) 1974-09-10
GB1415327A (en) 1975-11-26
FR2168452A1 (ja) 1973-08-31
CH56373A4 (ja) 1975-10-31
DE2212323B2 (de) 1978-03-16
CH575145B5 (ja) 1976-04-30
AU5110873A (en) 1974-07-18
BE794259A (fr) 1973-05-16
NL7300624A (ja) 1973-07-23
DE2212323C3 (de) 1978-11-09
FR2168452B1 (ja) 1976-08-27
DE2212323A1 (de) 1973-07-26

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