WO2010146435A1

WO2010146435A1 - Device for displaying the time in digital form in a timepiece having a mechanical movement

Info

Publication number: WO2010146435A1
Application number: PCT/IB2010/001430
Authority: WO
Inventors: François Quentin
Original assignee: Quentin Francois
Priority date: 2009-06-19
Filing date: 2010-06-14
Publication date: 2010-12-23
Also published as: EP2443524B1; EP2443524A1; FR2947065B1; FR2947065A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a watch with a digital display comprising a display area (102) that makes it possible to identify the active digits for indicating the actual time, and a plurality of display disks (111, 121, 131) on which the digits for the minute, ten minute, and hour units are distributed. The display disk arrangement comprises three sets, i.e. a minute unit display set (110) in which the digits are distributed over a plurality of minute unit disks (111) placed on planetary gears (113) revolving about a stationary minute unit gear (112), a ten minute display set (120), in which the tens digits set is distributed along the circumference of at least one ten minute disk (121), and an hour display set (130) in which the digits are distributed over a plurality of hour disks (131) placed on planetary gears (133) revolving about a stationary hour gear (132).

Description

DEVICE ⁹ TIME DISPLAY DIGITAL FORM FOR TIMEPIECE MOTION MECHANICS

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a mechanical movement watch with digital display comprising a display area for identification of active digits for the designation of the current time only, and a plurality of display discs on which the figures of the units of minutes, tens of minutes and hours are distributed.

STATE OF THE PRIOR ART

In a mechanical watch, it is customary to provide a time display with the needles mounted in rotation pointing to the figures arranged on the periphery of a dial. Thus, conventionally, the figures are provided in a fixed manner. Conversely, there are some examples of timepieces with complications whose purpose is to provide different display modes.

For example, in EP 0 537 515, a display mode of n + m symbols, obtained by means of an upper disk, arranged behind the window of a cover plate, and a lower disk, placed behind the upper disk and having m sectors. One of the sectors of the upper disk consists of a transparent window, the other n + m sectors of the two disks carrying the symbols.

[0004] EP 1 818 737 discloses a watch movement comprising a twenty-four hour type display mechanism, comprising means for displaying the ten or so hours, a driving wheel driven by the movement, a first and a second boards driven by the drive wheel. The movement further comprises means for displaying the unit of hours comprising a first upper plate provided with regularly distributed angularly, of the following sequence: empty showing the lower plate, and the numbers 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, then, a second lower plate, at least partially covered by the upper plate in a zone d display, comprising, in a regularly distributed angular manner, the sequence of digits 0, 1, 2, 3.

EP 0 389 732 discloses a digital / analog display device for a timepiece comprising a roadway, consisting of an analog disk mounted on the roadway and having a window through which appears a digit carried by a digital disk coaxially mounted to the analog disc. The digital disk is rotated by the roadway by means of jumping means and its rotation relative to the analog disk is provided by an eccentric mobile provided with a finger driving each turn a toothed wheel secured to the digital disk.

In these three documents, the disks bearing the numbers or symbols are of relatively large size, without these numbers or symbols benefit from an important display size. To accommodate them, a superimposed layout is provided. Such an arrangement leaves little flexibility in the workouts and requires a high energy level to run cumbersome parts.

[0007] WO2008 / 019512 discloses a watch comprising a rotating dial of the hours and a rotary dial of coaxial mounted minutes. The dials or discs occupy the entire periphery of the case and each have a large number of small symbols or numbers. Such an arrangement further includes needles pointing to the relevant numbers or symbols. Such an arrangement does not correspond precisely to a digital display. In addition, readability can be difficult.

[0008] EP 1 906 266 describes a mechanical digital display with at least one digit consisting of seven segments for displaying characters. Alphanumeric. Each segment is a rod that can pivot on its longitudinal axis. At least one pinion, integral with the stick, is arranged around each longitudinal axis adjacent to at least one end of said stick. The pivoting of the rods can be actuated by means of cams cooperating with each pinion. The sticks comprise at least two zones that are similar to a first and a second strip having a different aesthetic appearance. These strips are arranged along the length of the rod at different orientations, the orientation of the rods making it possible to make visible either the first or the second band. The display of an alphanumeric character is obtained by the dissimilarity of the aesthetic aspect between the first and the second band of the set of sticks. Pivoting one or more rods to substitute the first tape with the second tape or vice versa results in the display of different alphanumeric characters. Such an arrangement, with a rotation of elements around one or more axes oriented in planes parallel to that of the watch case, implies a construction with a large volume, particularly in terms of thickness. On the other hand, it is a relatively complex mechanism.

[0009] CH 691 833 describes a watch comprising a display module for a timepiece provided with a jumping hours display and a retrograde minute display whose mechanism is driven by the roadway of a movement of watchmaking. The jumping hour display has a counter made in the dial of the timepiece through which a number from 1 to 12 or from 1 to 24 depending on the version, worn by a record of hours is visible. The minutes display comprises an eccentric needle relative to the display module cooperating with an arcuate graduation carried by the dial whose angular extent is less than 180 °. This document discloses an original display mode, but distinct from a digital type display.

Finally, CH 696 946 describes a timepiece comprising a central wheel performing a turn in x hours, x being an integer greater than 1, and carrying x rotary satellites arranged at regular intervals on a circle centered on the axis of the central wheel and carrying time indicators distributed on the satellites at a rate of 12 / x or 24 / x time indicators by satellite, a minute graduation extending over a circular arc of 3607x centered on the axis of the central wheel and at least one fixed member driving in turn the satellites a fraction of a turn each turn of the central wheel, the assembly being arranged so that the hour digits move successively next to the minute graduation.

Finally, it is noted that the known devices with rotating discs provided with numbers or other symbols occupy considerable volumes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To avoid being in such a context, and in particular to avoid the use of too large discs, the invention provides different technical means.

Firstly, a first object of the invention is to provide a mechanical movement watch with a digital display whose figures allow excellent readability, especially by their size in relation to the size of the watch, but the drive mechanism of the disks and the disks themselves occupy a small place.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mechanical movement watch having a digital display with a mechanism for presenting the complete figures in virtually all phases.

To do this, the invention provides a digital display watch comprising a display area for identification of the active digits for the designation of the current time (only), a plurality of display disks on which the numbers of units of minutes, tens of minutes and hours are distributed, in which the layout of the display disks has three sets:

a set of display units of minutes, in which the digits are distributed over a plurality of disks of minute units linked to satellite wheels revolving around a fixed wheel of units of minutes, the assembly being mounted in a cage units of minutes;

a display unit of tens of minutes, in which all the digits of the tens are distributed around the periphery of at least one disc for tens of minutes, this disc being mounted on a tens wheel; a set of hours display, in which the digits are distributed over a plurality of hours discs linked to satellite wheels revolving around a fixed hour wheel, the assembly being mounted in a cage of hours.

Such an arrangement allows to write on the disks figures whose size allows excellent readability, without the disks have an excessive size, requiring a bulky, massive and unsightly housing.

According to an advantageous embodiment, in the display unit of minutes units, the numbers are distributed over five disks units of minutes each bearing two digits.

According to another advantageous embodiment, the display disks of the display unit of minutes units are arranged so that each display disk present in the display area alternately one of its two figures.

[0019] Yet according to another advantageous embodiment, the display unit of minute units comprises a jump control arranged so that the display of the digits of the minute units is changed substantially instantaneously with each rotation of a angular value of 1/5 turn of the minute cage (every minute). According to an alternative embodiment, the display unit of tens of minutes comprises a single disk tens of minutes on which all the digits are distributed around the periphery of said disk.

According to another variant, the display unit tens of minutes includes a jump control arranged so that every two rounds of the cage minutes (or ten minutes) a rotation of one sixth of a turn of disk tens of minutes is generated.

The display unit hours is advantageously arranged so that the figures are distributed on four hours discs each bearing three digits.

According to yet another embodiment, the display discs of the hour display assembly are arranged so that each hour disc present in the display area, at each turn of the cage, alternately one of his three figures.

Advantageously, the hours display assembly comprises a jump control arranged so that at each complete turn of the disk tens of minutes (every hour) a rotation of the cage of the hours of a quarter of turn is generated.

The display area preferably consists of a window.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

All the details of embodiment are given in the following description, supplemented by FIGS. 1 to 10, presented solely for purposes of non-limiting examples, in which identical references indicate similar elements, and in which: FIG 1 is a top view of a mechanical watch digital display according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of the disk arrangements making it possible to concretize the multiple combinations required to display all the hours of a day;

FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of arrangements with fixed wheels and satellite wheels for display units of minute units and hours;

FIG. 4 exhaustively presents the mechanical elements allowing the operation of the watch, and more particularly the generation of jumps;

FIG. 5 illustrates the configuration of the mechanism during a start phase of a jump generation cycle;

FIG. 6 illustrates the configuration of the mechanism during a second phase of beginning of the jump generation cycle; FIG. 7 illustrates the configuration of the mechanism during a third phase of a jump generation cycle;

FIG. 8 illustrates the configuration of the mechanism during a subsequent phase of a jump generation cycle;

FIG. 9 illustrates the configuration of the mechanism during a phase at the end of the jump generation cycle;

FIG. 10 illustrates the configuration of the mechanism during another phase at the end of the jump generation cycle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Figure 1 illustrates a watch 100 with digital display according to the invention. The housing 101 of the watch has a window 102 for displaying the time in digital form. In this example, the glass 104 is semi-transparent, suggesting some mechanical elements of the device for interchanging the numbers according to the time to display. Note that the numbers 140 have a significant dimension, providing excellent readability, while the housing retains a conventional size for a mechanical drive watch. As shown in FIG. 2, the time is displayed in a display area by the rotation of three sets 110, 120 and 130 of disks on which are written the digits 140 relative to the minutes (digits of 0). to 9), tens of minutes (digits 0 to 5) and hours (digits 1 to 12) in a twelve-hour display configuration.

The three sets firstly comprise a set 110 of disks of minute units housed in a cage 115 minutes, as shown in Figure 2. In this embodiment, five disks 111 minutes revolve around the central axis of the minute cage while turning on themselves. The combination of these two rotational movements makes it possible to present in turn all the minute digits in the window 102. The minute cage 115 integrates the five disks 111 on which are arranged the digits 140 minutes. Each minute disc has two numbers, as follows:

- a disc with digits 0 - 5 - a disc with digits 1 - 6 - a disc with digits 2 - 7 - a disc with digits 3 - 8 - a disc with digits 4 - 9

A set of 120 disks tens of minutes is also provided. In the illustrated example, the set of tens disks comprises a single disk121 of tens of minutes on which all the digits of the tens are distributed.

The set of hours discs 130 is the third set. This set is housed in a 135 hour cage incorporating a set of four disks 131 to display the hours, as shown in FIG. 2. Each hour disk 131 has three digits, as follows: - a disk with the numbers 1 - 5 - 9 -a disc with the numbers 2 - 6 -10 -a disc with the numbers 3 - 7 -11 -a disc with the numbers 4 - 8 -12

The set of hours discs 130 is provided so that the disks 131 hours circulate following a double rotational movement, comparable to that of the set of minutes disks 110

The display of the time is jumping, that is to say that the figures are presented so as to remain fully visible as long as there is no jump generated. When you reach a jump phase, the display changes instantly or almost every sixty seconds. This avoids presenting configurations in which a slow rotating disk would present portions of two successive digits in the window.

Figure 3 shows the drive mode of the disks of the different sets. A mechanism (described later) rotates the minute cage 115 once per minute by 1/5 of a turn. The cage 115 drives the five disks 111 with it and turns them on themselves by half a turn each time by gearing of planet wheels 113 integral discs 111 on a fixed wheel 112. The ratio between the fixed wheel 112 and the satellite wheels 113 is 3/2. All the minute discs 111 thus rotate 2.5 times for a complete revolution of the minute cage 115. Each disc thus presents in the display area, at each turn of the cage, alternatively one of its two digits. .

The set of minutes disks 110 is arranged so that first appears the digit "0" of the first disk, then the number "1" of the second disk, then the number "2" of the third disk, etc. After a complete turn it is the number "5" of the first disc which this time will appear, etc.

The display is repeated every two turns, ie every ten minutes. Thus, every two turns of the minute cage, in intervals of ten minutes, the mechanism triggers the rotation of the disc tens a 1/6 of a turn. At each complete revolution of the disk 121 tens, or every hour, the mechanism triggers the rotation of the cage 135 hours a quarter of a turn. The hour cage 135 drives the four discs 131 with it and rotates them by themselves by 210 ° each gear planet wheels 133 integral disks 131 on a fixed wheel 132. The ratio between the fixed wheel 132 and the planet wheels 133 is 4 / 3.All the disks of the hours 131 thus turn 210 ° x4, that is two 1/3 turns for a complete revolution of the cage of the hours 135. Each disk therefore has in the display zone at each turn of the cage, alternately one of his three figures.

The set of hours disks 130 is arranged so that first appears the number "1" of the first disk, then the number "2" of the second, and so on. After a complete turn it is the number "5" of the first disc, then the number "6" of the second disc, etc. After a second round, the number "9" appears, then the number "10" of the second disc, etc. The display is repeated every three turns.

Figure 4 shows the main elements of the mechanical chain for the implementation of the watch 100. A corresponding nomenclature is provided at the end of this description.

Kinematic display jumps

As can be seen in Figure 5, 12:59 minutes and 59 s, the three spiral springs 8, 14 and 19 are armed. Piton side, they are respectively secured to the wheels 7, 13 and 20. The ferrule side, they are integral with the axis of the cages hours and minutes and tens disk. It is the continuous rotation of the wheels 7, 13 and 20 that arms the springs side bolt while the ferrule side they are fixed, prevented from turning by the locking indexes 4, 10 and 16 shown in Figure 4. In Figure 6, at 12 h 00 min 00 s, the actuator lever 2 drops the snail 1 resulting in the minute locking index 4 which releases the rotation of the cage minutes driven by the winding spring 8 The minute display discs rotate.

[0042] Figure 7 shows the fall of the actuator lever 2 which continues and releases the minute locking index 4 which returns to contact with the jump wheel minutes 6, ready to block the rotation when it has performed 1/5 of a turn.

During the rotation of the minute cage, the actuator finger 9 rotates the locking index 10 of the tens disk, thus freeing the rotation of the tens disk, as shown in FIG. 8.

In Figure 9, it is observed that during the rotation of the tens disk, the actuator finger 15 (see Figure 4) rotates the locking index 16 of the hour cage, thus releasing the rotation of the cage and hour discs. At the same time, the actuator finger 4 has blocked the rotation of the minute cage. The number "0" minutes is now displayed.

The tens index lock 10 returns to the contact of the tens jump wheel 12 and is ready to block the rotation of the tens disk when it has performed 1/6 of a turn.

The tens locking index 10 blocks the rotation of the tens disk when it has performed 1/6 of a turn. The digit "0" of the tens is displayed, as shown in Figure 10. The hour lock index 16 returns to the contact of the hour jump wheel 18 and blocks the rotation of the hour cage after% turn . The number "1" of hours is displayed. The set is locked again until the next jump.

Similarly and continuously, the trigger jumps repeats every minute for the display of minutes, every ten minutes for the display of tens, and every hour for the display of hours. The figures and their descriptions made above illustrate the invention rather than limiting it. In particular, the invention and its various variants have just been described in connection with a particular example comprising a single disk tens of minutes.

Nevertheless, it is obvious to a person skilled in the art that the invention can be extended to other embodiments in which, in variants, several disks are provided for the tens (for example three two-digit disks) for reduce clutter. The gain obtained is nevertheless only height. For another variant comprising two three-digit disks, the volume gain would be substantially zero. Moreover, other variants include other digit display provisions, such as visual cues, one or more windows, a visual cue on a transparent dial such as a drawn frame, or a transparent area in reserve in an opalescent, semi-transparent, textured, openwork surface, etc. Finally, for a configuration with a twenty-four hour display, the mechanism of the invention can be used with, for example, a symbol, such as a white dot, which is displayed twelve hours a day.

The reference signs in the claims are not limiting in nature. The verbs "understand" and "include" do not exclude the presence of elements other than those listed in the claims. The word "a" preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements.

[00511 Nomenclature of internal elements (see Figure 4):

1 = Stretch 1 turn / 5 min

2 = actuator lever 4 3 = return spring 2

4 = Mining cage lock index

5 = Return spring of the locking index of the minute cage 4

6 = minute jump wheel (attached to the minute cage) 7 = minute wheel 1 revolution / 5 min

8 = Spiral spring for jumping minutes

9 = Actuator finger of the dozens 10 disc locking index, integral with the disk 0-5 satellite wheel 10 = Doz disk locking index

11 = Tensile lock index spring 10

12 = Tens jump wheel (integral with tens disk)

13 = Wheel of tens 1 turn / hour

14 = Coil winding spring of the tens jump 15 = Finger actuator of the locking index of the cage of hours16, secured to the tens disk

16 = Hour cage lock index

17 = Return spring of the locking index of the hour cage 16

18 = Jumping hour wheel (integral with the hour cage) 19 = Jumping hour spiral spring

20 = Hour wheel (partial view) 1 revolution / 4 hours

Claims

A digital display watch having a display area for identifying the active digits for the designation of the current time, a plurality of display disks (111, 121, 131) on which the minute digits (140). and hours are distributed, the arrangement of the display disks comprising an hour display assembly (130), wherein the numbers are distributed over a plurality of disks (131) of the times associated with satellite wheels (133) revolving around a fixed wheel (132) hours, the assembly being mounted in a cage hours (135); characterized in that said arrangement of the display disks comprises two other sets:

An assembly (110) for displaying minute units, in which the digits are distributed over a plurality of disks (111) of satellite wheel-bound minute units (113) revolving about a fixed wheel (112); units of minutes, the assembly being mounted in a cage of minute units (115);

A set (120) for displaying tens of minutes, in which the set of digits of the tens is distributed around the periphery of at least one disc (121) for tens of minutes, this disc being mounted on a wheel of tens.

A digital display watch according to claim 1, wherein in the display unit (110) of minute units, the numbers (140) are distributed over five disks (111) of minute units each carrying two digits.

The digital display watch according to one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the display disks of the display unit (110) of minutes units are arranged so that each display disc (111) present in the display area alternately one of its two digits.

4. Digital display watch according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the display unit (110) of minutes units comprises a jump control arranged so that the display of the digits of minutes units is changed substantially instantly at each rotation of an angular value of 1/5 turn of the minute cage (115).

5. Digital display watch according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the assembly (120) display tens of minutes comprises a single disk (121) tens of minutes on which the set of numbers (140) is distributed around the periphery of said disk.

6. Digital display watch according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the assembly (120) display tens of minutes comprises a jump control arranged so that every two rounds of the cage minutes (115 ) a rotation of a sixth of a revolution of the disk (121) tens of minutes is generated.

7. Digital display watch according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the assembly (130) hours display is arranged so that the numbers (140) are distributed over four disks (131) hours each carrying three figures.

A digital display watch according to claim 7, wherein the display discs (131) of the hour display assembly (130) are arranged such that each hour disc present in the display area, each turn of the cage, alternatively one of its three figures.

9. Digital display watch according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the assembly (130) for displaying the hours comprises a jump control arranged so that each complete revolution of the disk (121) tens of minutes a rotation of the hour cage (135) of 1/4 turn is generated.

10. Digital display watch according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the display area consists of a window (102).