Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G04—HOROLOGY
  • G04B—MECHANICALLY-DRIVEN CLOCKS OR WATCHES; MECHANICAL PARTS OF CLOCKS OR WATCHES IN GENERAL; TIME PIECES USING THE POSITION OF THE SUN, MOON OR STARS
  • G04B19/00—Indicating the time by visual means
  • G04B19/22—Arrangements for indicating different local apparent times; Universal time pieces
  • G04B19/23—Arrangements for indicating different local apparent times; Universal time pieces by means of additional hands or additional pairs of hands
  • G04B19/235—Arrangements for indicating different local apparent times; Universal time pieces by means of additional hands or additional pairs of hands mechanisms for correcting the additional hand or hands

Definitions

• the present invention relates to the field of watchmaking. It relates more particularly to a timepiece having a display of the time of at least two time zones. Watches of this type are well known to those skilled in the art. They allow its wearer to simultaneously know the time of two different places on the planet. Thus, watches are known with two hour hands, displaying the times of two different places.
• Watches of this type include:
• a first display device provided with a first display member of the time of a time corresponding to a first time zone
• a second display device provided with a second display member for the time of a time corresponding to a second time zone; a link member connecting the first to the second display member kinematically; correction arranged so as to be able, in a first mode, synchronously change the position of the first and second display members, and in a second mode change the second display member only.
• the display members are needles.
• the display is made by means of a first dial and hands showing the local time and forming the first display member, and small dials displaying the hours of other time zones. and forming the second display member.
• Such a solution can lead to troublesome situations, because the hours of day or night are not differentiated.
• the document US 2005/0180265 has a second display member formed by a needle performing a turn in twenty-four hours. With such a solution, the differentiation of day and night is made quite clear. In spite of this, reading the time remains difficult, because the scales of readings are not the same, for a needle, the midi being at the top, and for the other at the bottom of the dial.
• the object of the present invention is to allow a simpler appreciation of the time in a second time zone.
• This object is achieved by virtue of the fact that the connecting member which connects the first to the second display device is dimensioned so as to ensure a ratio equal to 1 / 7n between the periods of the first and second members, where n is a number whole.
• the second display member has a period of one week. It can therefore display the day of the week, allowing to check not only the time of the day, but also the current day in this second time zone.
• the second display member comprises a needle carried by a mobile of the connecting member, which is arranged so that the needle performs a turn in seven days.
• the timepiece comprises, in addition, a dial.
• the second display device includes indications relating to the day of the week carried by this dial, as well as indexes arranged on the dial and defining a time scale opposite these indications.
• the second display device comprises a disk provided with indications relating to the day of the week and time index dividing the day into several units, carried on this disk.
• the connecting member is arranged to advance the disk at a frequency at least equal to the time between two of these indexes, typically less than or equal to one hour.
• the indexes are at least two types differentiated by their appearance, allowing better perception of working time and rest.
• FIG. 1 shows the dial of a timepiece according to the invention
• FIG. 2 illustrates, seen from above, a correction mechanism and a connecting member equipping the timepiece of FIG. 1, and
• the timepiece shown in Figure 1 comprises, in a conventional manner, a dial 10, an hour hand 12 performing a turn in twelve hours, and a minute hand 14 performing a turn in one hour. It further comprises a complementary needle 16 carrying a mobile which performs a turn in seven days.
• the dial 10 is provided with indications 18 of the days of the week, arranged regularly on its periphery. A scale of one hundred and sixty-eight indexes, that is to say as many as the week has hours, is placed opposite the indications 18, at the rate of twenty-four indexes per day.
• the local time is thus displayed in a conventional manner. Reading the second time zone information determines the current day and time of the day. The reading accuracy of the displayed time is therefore not as good as in the timepieces mentioned above, but a glance at the needle 16, and its position opposite the indications 18, allows to determine if the time is right to contact a person. Thus, to facilitate reading, the indexes between nine hours and seventeen hours, then those of seventeen to twenty-one hours could advantageously be differentiated from the night indexes, by their color or by their shape.
• the timepiece described above is furthermore conventionally provided with a time-setting ring 22. This ring 22 controls a mechanism arranged in such a way that, in the pulled-out position, a rotation of it corrects the displayed information.
• a clockwise rotation rotates the needles 12, 14 and 16, clockwise, while a rotation in the opposite direction turns only the needles 12 and 14, in the counter-clockwise direction.
• This manipulation is made possible by the characteristics of the movement equipping this timepiece, and more particularly those illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 4.
• a correction in the clockwise direction makes it possible to modify the two pieces of information synchronously, then a rotation in the other direction can shift the information.
• the timepiece according to the invention comprises a complementary module disposed on a base movement of which only components of the clockwork are shown in the drawing.
• This module comprises a plate 24 intended to be fixed on the base movement.
• the basic movement comprises a roadway 26 (FIGS. 3 and 4) carrying the minute hand 14 and a cannon wheel 28 carrying the hour hand 12.
• the roadway 26 drives the cannon wheel 28 via a timer wheel 29.
• a mobile 30 is pivotally mounted on the barrel of the wheel 28, by means of a sleeve 32 driven on the barrel.
• This mobile comprises a wheel 30a provided, at its periphery, with wolf teeth, and a pinion 30b.
• a spring 33 is interposed between the wheel 28 and the mobile 30, providing between them a friction connection.
• the plate 24 carries a mobile 34 having a wheel 34a meshing with the pinion 30b, and a pinion 34b.
• a wheel 36 is pivotally mounted on the barrel of the wheel 28, bearing against the sleeve 32, and which carries the needle 16.
• the mobile 34 is driven by its wheel 34a which meshes with the pinion 30b, while its pinion 34a rotates the wheel 36.
• a retaining pawl 38 is pivotally mounted on the plate 24 ( Figure 2). It is held against the toothing of the wheel 30 by means of a spring 40.
• the mechanism as just described works as follows.
• the basic movement which may be of both quartz and mechanical type, rotates, by its finishing gear, the roadway 26, which rotates the timer 29.
• the latter meshes with the wheel wheel 28 which rotates through the friction spring 33, the wheel 30a and the pinion 30b.
• the wheel 34a which meshes with the pinion 30b, is rotated and, with it, the pinion 30b and the wheel 36.
• the wheels and gears are numerable so that the cannon wheel makes a turn in twelve hours.
• wheel 34 a turn in twenty-four hours and wheel 36 a turn in one hundred and sixty eight hours, or seven days.
• the user actuates the ring 22 in the pulled position.
• it turns the timer 29, via a not shown reference, and by it, the wheel 28 and the raceway 26 which rotates on the wheel of high average of finishing gear.
• the barrel wheel rotates, by friction, the mobile 30, which drives the mobile 34 and the wheel 36. In this way, all the needles are moved.
• the pawl 38 retains the wheel 30 which is then blocked. In this way, only the gun wheel 28 and the roadway 26 are turned, which makes it possible to correct the position of the needles 12 and 14, without changing the position of the needle 16.
• the timepiece that has been described is only one embodiment among others.
• the correction mechanism could have many variations. It is thus possible to provide the timepiece with a pusher that when activated, rotates the mobile 34 and with it the wheel 36 and the needle
• the friction should be between the pinion 30b and the wheel 30a, so that the pawl 38 retains the latter, while allowing the movement of the single needle 16.
• the display members could also be different.
• the indications 18 and the scale 20 could be carried by a disk performing a revolution in one week. This disk can be placed under the dial, which has a window and displays only the information appearing through this window.
• the connecting member which allows to drive the disc from the movement of the mobile carrying the needles 12 and 14, is arranged so that it advances by one step every hour or half hours.
• the time and day of the second time zone are read in the central part of the window that includes the dial.
• This device advantageously includes ranges differentiated by their appearance, to better identify the hours of work, leisure and / or rest.
• the second display member has a period equal to one week, so that the ratio between the periods of the first and the second member is equal to 1/14 if the hour hand makes a turn in twelve hours (n is then equal to 2), 1/7 if it makes one turn per day (n equals 1).
• the display members are concentric, their center coinciding with the center of the dial.

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• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Electromechanical Clocks (AREA)
• Electric Clocks (AREA)

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Citations (2)

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• 2006
  • 2006-02-06 EP EP06101306A patent/EP1816529A1/de not_active Withdrawn
• 2007
  • 2007-02-05 WO PCT/EP2007/051055 patent/WO2007090801A2/fr active Application Filing
  • 2007-02-05 CN CNA2007800046732A patent/CN101379446A/zh active Pending
  • 2007-02-05 EP EP07704340A patent/EP2021878A2/de not_active Withdrawn

Patent Citations (2)

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