WO2011147955A1

WO2011147955A1 - Finery object having a movable element

Info

Publication number: WO2011147955A1
Application number: PCT/EP2011/058707
Authority: WO
Inventors: André Saunier
Original assignee: Hartzband, Paul
Priority date: 2010-05-27
Filing date: 2011-05-27
Publication date: 2011-12-01
Also published as: EP2390733A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a finery object including at least one rocker bar (18) that is capable of rotating by means of an oscillating weight (26), wherein said rocker bar (18) is provided with first and second decorated areas. Each decorated area is visible via an opening (16) that is provided for this purpose in a dial (14) when the oscillating weight (26) occupies a first and a second predefined position, respectively. According to the invention, the finery object comprises a system (36) for locking the oscillating weight (26), said system being actuatable by the wearer in order to lock the oscillating weight in the first or second predefined position thereof.

Description

Object of adornment with a movable element

Technical area

The present invention relates to an object of adornment, such as a jewel or a watch. This object of adornment has a privileged visible face. Numerous proposals have already been made to give the dial and the turn of hours aesthetic and surprising aspects that provoke interest.

State of the art

Especially in the case of watch, many patents describe approaches to have a mobile time lapse, in order to obtain an interesting aesthetic effect.

[0003] Swiss patent CH 684814 describes a timepiece with means that make it possible to modify the presentation of the hour circle. A rack is arranged to cooperate with a ring and allow rotation. At the location of the hourly points there are provided free rotating studs, provided with satellites in engagement with the rack. The faces of prisms mounted on these studs are set with precious stones, which appear through openings in the caseband or dial. Such an arrangement only allows to have a rack rotatably mounted and is therefore limited as to the possibilities of arrangement of the pads.

The patent application WO 2009/067824 proposes a timepiece comprising the features of the preamble of claim 1. It comprises a housing, an ice and a bottom, and a mobile tower hours including scales capable of rotating under the action of a longitudinally oscillating mass, capable of moving according to the position of the arm of a carrier. The scales are provided with two decorated locations, appearing alternately at each tilting, in openings provided for this purpose in a visible dial through the ice.

Such a timepiece is particularly interesting but, under certain conditions, it may be preferable to keep a fixed aspect of the hour turn to have a more discreet object. Given the fact that, firstly, the instantaneous position of the mass is, by definition, indefinite, since constantly subject to the movements of the wearer's arm, and that, on the other hand, the position of the latches should be fixed only when one or the other of the decorated locations is visible, it is not at all obvious to use locking systems of the state of the art.

Indeed, there are known for example automatic watches which are provided with an oscillating mass whose movements allow to load the barrel spring. In some devices, the mass can be locked automatically to avoid overloading the mainspring. In this type of watch, the locking of the oscillating weight is only correlated to the state of charge of the mainspring and neither the position of the oscillating mass when it is blocked, nor the position of mobile scales are useful parameters. taken into account. The locking systems of the oscillating weight can not be taken directly in a timepiece as proposed in the document WO 2009/067824 cited above.

The present invention aims to provide an object of adornment, a watch or a jewel, the appearance of which can be modified, free from the disadvantages above.

Disclosure of the invention

To achieve this object, the invention relates, more particularly, an ornamental object comprising at least one latch rotatable under the action of an oscillating mass. Each rocker is provided with a first and a second decorated locations, each appearing in an opening provided for this purpose in a dial, respectively when the oscillating mass occupies a first and a second predefined positions.

According to a first aspect of the invention, the object of adornment comprises a mobile oscillating mass depending on the position of the arm of a carrier. It is further provided with a drive and locking system of the oscillating mass, which can be actuated by the carrier, to lock the oscillating mass in its first or in its second predefined position. According to another aspect of the invention, the oscillating mass is either mobile as a function of the position of the arm of a carrier, or it is capable of being displaced manually, preferably in translation, by an action of the carrier on an actuator. The object of adornment comprises a locking system of the oscillating mass, capable of being actuated by the wearer, to block the oscillating mass in its first or in its second position.

Brief description of the drawings

Other details of the invention will emerge more clearly on reading the description which follows, given with reference to the appended drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a view from above of an object of adornment, in this case a watch, according to the invention,

FIGS. 2 and 3 are views, respectively of the underside of the frame of the watch shown in FIG. 1, and of the top of the oscillating mass,

FIG. 4 shows these two assembled elements,

FIGS. 5 and 6 are views in torque illustrating the cooperation between the lower part of the watch and the oscillating mass,

FIGS. 7 and 8 show two variants of a locking system that can be implemented in an object of adornment according to the invention.

Mode (s) of realization of the invention

Figure 1 provides a non-limiting embodiment of the invention. In this case, it is a watch, but the skilled person can easily transpose the invention into another object of adornment, such as a bracelet, a pendant ... Moreover, the specific elements of the watch, that is to say the movement or the hands, have not been represented. In this perspective, the term "dial" used hereinafter must be interpreted in a nonlimiting manner, as designating a visible face of an object of adornment, in particular a watch. The object of the invention comprises an outer envelope, taking the form of a watch case 10 in the particular case of Figure 1. A first ring 12 is mounted in the box and serves, in known manner, for setting a movement inside the box. The first ring 12 can also be used for the reassembly of the movement if it is mechanical.

Inside the box is disposed a dial 14 pierced with openings 16 to reveal at least one latch 18. In the example, twelve latches 18 are disposed at the usual places of the hourly signs of a shows, to serve as an index for displaying the hour and minute. The latches 18 are rotatably mounted in a frame 20, provided with a central opening 22 in which is intended to take place the movement. The latches 18 pivot along axes parallel to each other. Preferably, but without being limiting, the axes of rotation of the latches 18 are oriented along the axis 12H-6H or 3H-9H of the watch.

Advantageously, each latch 18 is of generally cubic shape.

Their axis of rotation passes through two opposite faces in their center, which defines four lateral faces pivoting about the axis. As can be seen more clearly in FIG. 5, two adjacent faces 18a and 18b among these four lateral faces are intended to be visible in the openings 16 of the dial 14. These two faces 18a and 18b advantageously comprise a decorated location, possibly by a Pierre.

The other two side faces 18c and 18d are joined by a circular portion 18e, concentric with the axis of the rocker 18, to facilitate the rotation of the rocker 18 and to limit its size. In addition, a rack 24 is integral with the latch 18, on one of the two faces through which the axis. One or other of these faces can be chosen indifferently, depending on the arrangement of the latches 18, in particular in the corners of the frame 20. The rack 24 comprises a toothed sector, also arranged concentrically to the axis, parallel to the circular portion 18e, but projecting from it in order to mesh with a corresponding toothing, as will be understood later. The edges parallel to the axis of rotation and adjacent to a decorated face, are shaped to fit the outline of the openings 16 of the dial 14. They may be rounded or beveled. Thus, as illustrated in Figure 5, the latches 18 can rotate without conflict with the dial 14, and without an unsightly void appears between the latches 18 and the dial 14 when one of the faces 18a and 18b is visible.

The latches 18 are rotated by the movements of an oscillating mass 26 mounted inside the box. The term oscillating mass includes a rotating mass and a moving mass in translation. According to the example, the mass 26 is mounted oscillating along a longitudinal axis, perpendicular to the axes of the latches 18. The mass 26 is guided in its movements by at least one shoe 28, visible in Figure 6, integral with the mass 26 and The mass is also traversed by two oblong windows 30, oriented in the longitudinal axis in which the rocker 18 moves. Inside these oblong windows 30 are freely fitted screws 32. integral with the frame 20. Thus, the mass 26 is precisely guided in its longitudinal movements. In addition, the oblong windows 30 may comprise a rim 30a on their wall, with which the head of the screws 32 cooperates, in order to improve the positioning in height and the maintenance in the plane of the oscillating mass 26.

The upper face of the oscillating mass 26, that is to say the one facing the dial, is shown in FIG. 3. It comprises a plurality of toothed sectors 34, arranged to cooperate respectively with each of the racks 24. The oscillating mass 29 is thus assembled on the frame 20 (FIG. 4), to enable meshing of the toothed sectors 34 and the toothed racks 24. Preferably, each toothed sector 34 is positioned in such a way that each acts synchronously on each of the latches 18.

The cooperation of the screws 32 with the oblong windows 30 defines, by abutment, a first and a second extreme position of the mass 26. The gear between the toothed sectors 34 and the racks 24 of the rocker 18 is arranged so as to what each decorated location faces 18a and 18b appears in an opening of the dial 14, respectively when the oscillating mass 26 occupies its first or second extreme positions.

Those skilled in the art will notice that, alternatively, the decorated locations may also appear through the dial 14 in predefined positions of the mass 26 which do not correspond to its extreme positions.

In a first variant of the invention, the oscillating mass 26 is driven freely by its own weight. It is therefore the movements of the arm of the carrier which causes the movements of the mass 26 and the movements of the rocker 18, thus making it possible to make visible through the openings 16 of the dial 14, one or the other of the decorated locations of each latch 18.

Particularly to the invention, the object of adornment comprises a locking system 36 of the oscillating mass 26, arranged to lock the oscillating mass in its first or in its second extreme or predefined position. Preferably, as will be understood later, the locking system is arranged to lock the oscillating weight only in these positions, in which the decorated locations are adequately visible, that is to say that the corresponding faces are parallel to the plane of the dial.

This locking system 36 can be realized in different ways.

According to a first example shown in the drawing, the locking system 36 is operable in rotation. It is formed of a second ring gear 38 rotatably mounted in the wall of the box 10 and is accessible from the outside of the box, so as to be actuated by the carrier. Preferably, the second ring gear 38 is integral in rotation with a latch 40 arranged to take place in a recess 42 formed at the periphery of the oscillating mass 26. The dimensions of the latch 40 and the notch 42 are determined so as to that the latch 40 can, by cooperating with the notch 42, bring the mass 26 in its first or second extreme positions, depending on the position of the latch 40. The latter can also occupy at least one position in which it leave free the mass 26, so as not to hinder the movements of the latches 18. By acting on the second ring 28, a user can therefore constrain the display of the latches 18, making visible one or the other of the decorated faces and locking this position, regardless of the orientation of the arm of the wearer. Advantageously, the latch 40 functions as a drive and locking system of the oscillating mass 26, because it forces the oscillating mass to occupy a specific position, position in which it maintains it. Advantageously, the drive is not dependent on the instantaneous position of the oscillating mass.

It will be understood that the rotational positions of the second ring 38, and therefore the latch 40, must be maintained. To do this, the second ring 38 cooperates with a holding system. Thus, it can be mounted with sufficient friction to prevent inadvertent movement, but without its actuation is too hard for a user. This can be achieved by interposing a friction ring between the ring 38 and the watch case 10. An external locking with a crown type device, capable of locking the crown, can also be provided. Advantageously, the crown cover can occupy a first position in which it blocks the ring, both in rotation and in translation, and a second position in which it leaves it free, both in rotation and in translation.

One can also provide a device with an indexed crown, likely to occupy only certain angular positions. These positions define the first and second extreme or predefined positions of the mass 26, but also defining the position or positions in which the mass 26 is free. For example, the second ring 38 may be provided with at least one lug, capable of cooperating with housings of adjusted size formed in the box. A spring member is arranged to exert a force tending to engage the lug in the housing. Thus, it is necessary to pull the crown to disengage the lug of the housing in which it is inserted and be able to rotate the crown, until the lug can engage again in another housing, in another indexed angular position. Depending on the arrangement and the number of pins, such device can be arranged so that the crown can occupy three positions, respectively corresponding to positions of the latch in which it brings the oscillating mass in its extreme positions, or in which it leaves free the mass. Such a device offers both the maintenance and indexing of the rotational position of the crown 38.

Alternatively, the skilled person can imagine that the latch 40 is controlled by a pusher and not a crown. The pusher can then be connected to the latch 40 by a system of flip-flops and a switching system. For example, the pusher actuates, via a first flip-flop 18, a column wheel serving as a switching system. A column wheel is well known to those skilled in the art and serves in particular in certain chronograph mechanisms. The latch 40 is pivotally mounted on the frame 20 of the watch and is held in abutment against the columns of the wheel, via a spring member. The columns are arranged to allow the latch to occupy three different positions, depending on its position with reference to the columns. Each time the pusher is pressed, the column wheel is moved forward and the position of the latch is changed. The mass thus passes from one to the other of its extreme positions, via a state in which it is free.

In a further embodiment, illustrated in Figure 8, the oscillating mass 26 is able to move manually, preferably in translation, via an actuating member and not only under the influence of its weight, in depending on the position of the wearer's arm. For this purpose, the mass comprises an additional toothed sector 44, intended to cooperate with a pinion 45, mounted integral with a ring, similar to the second ring 38 described above. It is easy to understand that the user can, by actuating this crown, translate the oscillating mass 26 in translation.

One can also provide a locking system 36 of the oscillating mass, arranged to block it in its first or in its second extreme or predefined position. This locking system 36 can take the form of a spring ball 46 disposed in the box and projecting opposite the edge of the mass 26. The latter comprises two grooves 48 in which the ball 46 can take place. The grooves 48 and the ball 46 are arranged so that, when the ball 46 is in one or other of the grooves 48, the mass 26 is in one or other of its extreme or predefined positions and the latches 18 present the one or other of the decorated locations of the faces 18a and 18b. Naturally, those skilled in the art could envisage an inverted construction by arranging the spring ball in the mass 26 and the grooves in the box 10.

One can also consider positioning a mass 26 mobile manually using the ring of the actuating member, the latter being provided with at least one lug, capable of cooperating with housing of suitable size, to the like the device described above. In such a case, the lug and the housing define two positions corresponding to the two extreme or predefined positions of the latch 18, there is no need to provide a free position of the mass. The locking systems exposed above with reference to a mobile mass as a function of the movements of the wearer's arm and which allow locking and / or indexing of the crown, can be applied to the ring of the actuating member.

May be provided a disengagement device, for example a friction between the actuating member and the oscillating mass, to prevent breakage or force applied excessively if, while the oscillating weight is in abutment , a user continues to actuate the actuating member.

Thus is proposed an ornament object provided with mobile elements via an oscillating mass, which can be immobilized by a manual locking system, in specific positions, to make visible decorated locations. The oscillating weight is thus also locked in predefined positions which, as mentioned above, can be its extreme positions. It should be noted that, in principle, the movements of the mass are not intended to recharge a cylinder.

Claims

claims

1. Object of adornment comprising at least one rocker (18) rotatable under the action of an oscillating mass (26) movable according to the position of the arm of a carrier, said rocker (18) being provided with a first and a second decorated locations, each decorated location appearing in an opening (16) provided for this purpose in a dial (14), respectively when the oscillating mass (26) occupies a first and a second predefined positions,

characterized in that it comprises a drive and locking system (36) of the oscillating mass (26), operable by the carrier, for locking the oscillating mass in its first or second predefined position.

2. Object of adornment according to claim 1, characterized in that the drive and locking system comprises a latch (40) capable of being actuated by the carrier, to lock the oscillating mass in its first or in its second position predefined.

3. Object of adornment according to claim 2, characterized in that said latch (40) is arranged to take place in a notch (42) formed at the periphery of the oscillating mass (26).

4. Object of adornment comprising at least one rocker (18) rotatable under the action of an oscillating mass (26), said rocker (18) being provided with a first and a second decorated locations, each location decorated appearing in an opening (16) provided for this purpose in a dial (14), respectively when the oscillating mass (26) occupies a first and a second predefined positions,

characterized in that it comprises a locking system (36) of the oscillating mass (26), operable by the wearer, for locking the oscillating mass in its first or second predefined position.

5. Object of adornment according to claim 4, characterized in that said oscillating weight (26) is movable depending on the position of the arm of a carrier.

6. Object of adornment according to claim 4, characterized in that the oscillating mass is able to be moved manually in translation, by an action of the wearer on an actuating member.

7. Object of adornment according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the drive and locking system or the locking system is operable in rotation.

8. Object of adornment according to claim 7, characterized in that said locking system (36) or the driving and locking system comprises a ring (38) arranged to cooperate with a system for maintaining its angular position.

9. Object of adornment according to claim 8, characterized in that said holding system comprises a friction ring interposed between the ring (38) and an outer envelope of said object of adornment.

10. Object of adornment according to claim 8, characterized in that said holding system comprises a crown cover device, capable of occupying a first position in which it blocks the crown and a second position in which it leaves it free.

1 1. Object of adornment according to claim 8, characterized in that said holding system is also arranged to index the angular position of the ring, by means of at least one lug and housings arranged to cooperate with each other. others.

12. Object of adornment according to one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that the locking system comprises a pusher.

13. Object of adornment according to claim 6, characterized in that the locking system comprises a spring ball (46) arranged to cooperate with two grooves (48), the spring ball and the two grooves being one placed. in the mass and the other in the box, and arranged so that when the spring ball cooperates with one or other of the grooves, the mass is in one or other of its extreme positions and the latches (18) have one or other of the decorated locations.

14. Object of adornment according to claim 13, characterized in that the locking system is also arranged to index the angular position of the ring by means of at least one lug and housings arranged to cooperate with each other .

15. Object of adornment according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it takes the form of a watch and in that the latches (18) form a mobile time lapse.