Patent Application
20150331392
This application claims priority from European Patent Application No. 14168333.4 filed 14 May 2014, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The invention concerns a timepiece lever including a pivoting plate carrying an input wheel set mounted to pivot about a first pivot axis, and at least one output wheel set pivoting about a second pivot axis remote from said first pivot axis, said input wheel set fully transmitting its motion, directly or indirectly, to said output wheel set which it moves in a pivoting motion about said second pivot axis, said lever including at least a first friction connection between a first friction surface of said input wheel set and a second friction surface of said pivoting plate, and a second friction connection between a third friction surface of said output wheel set and a fourth friction surface of said pivoting plate.
The invention further concerns a fast correction mechanism between a transmitter wheel set arranged to cooperate directly or indirectly with control means, and at least one receiver wheel set, said transmitter wheel set and said at least one receiver wheel set being arranged on a plate comprised in said fast correction mechanism.
The invention also concerns a date mechanism including at least one such fast correction mechanism.
The invention also concerns a timepiece movement including at least one such fast correction mechanism or one such date mechanism.
The invention also concerns a timepiece or watch including at least one such fast correction mechanism or one such date mechanism.
The invention concerns the field of timepiece mechanisms, and more specifically, fast correction mechanisms.
This invention concerns watches which require a fast correction mechanism (day, month or other) for certain functions, in particular display functions such as a calendar (annual, perpetual, day/date, or other), or moon phase, tide, AM/PM display or other indicators. A particular example of an annual calendar mechanism is described in Patent No EP1666991B1 in the name of ETA SA.
To set the month, the user generally has to make a correction using the calendar mechanism. In the worst case, this manipulation can prove long and tedious. It may be that a correction of a whole year has to be made. Likewise, if the user makes a mistake during correction, the manipulation has to be repeated. Operating the correction mechanism by means of the calendar mechanism may lead to excessive use and possibly result in malfunctions.
Correction mechanisms often include levers, which are essential components in timepiece movements, enabling a mechanism to switch between several different modes, in general between two distinct positions. A timepiece lever is often accompanied by a return spring to ensure that motion is properly transmitted or support is maintained, depending on the case.
Patent Application No EP 2701014A1 in the name of ROLEX discloses a lever including at least a first element for guiding the rotation of a first wheel set, at least one friction element arranged to cooperate with an at least substantially cylindrical portion of the first wheel set, and at least one elastic element, arranged to elastically return the at least one friction element to a state of cooperation with said first wheel set portion, particularly in contact with this first wheel set portion.
Patent Application No FR2289947A1 in the name of SCHILD discloses a winding and time-set mechanism, with a rotating control stem movable in translation between at least two axial positions, a pull-piece pivoting during the translation of the stem, an intermediate wheel arranged to drive a motion-work wheel when said stem is in said time-set position, and a transmission wheel slidably mounted for engagement or disengagement with a ratchet wheel in the direction of rotation of the stem when the latter is in a winding position. This mechanism includes a transmission pinion, rotating integrally with the stem, but held in a fixed axial position and in permanent mesh with the transmission wheel and the intermediate wheel, and a locking device controlled by the pull-piece, and which holds the transmission wheel disengaged from the ratchet wheel when the stem is in the time-set position, and a connecting element controlled by the stem to uncouple the intermediate wheel from the motion-work wheel when the stem is in the winding position.
Patent No CH589880B4 in the name of SUISSE HORLOGERIE (SSIH) discloses a control mechanism for a watch with two calendar members indicating the day and the date. It includes an axially movable control stem, a pull-piece, a sliding pinion, a sliding pinion lever, and an intermediate wheel. The mechanism includes a single correction lever, which pivots with a friction tight fit on an arbor integral with the intermediate wheel, the arbor is engaged in a hole in a plate, and its position in this hole is determined by an arm of the sliding pinion lever, which cooperates therewith to move the arbor in the hole against a spring. A corrector wheel set is mounted to pivot on the correction lever, so as to be in permanent mesh with the intermediate wheel, and to mesh alternately with one or other of the two calendar members.
The present invention proposes to overcome the aforecited drawbacks of the prior art, and intends to enable the user to perform a fast correction of a mechanism, in particular of a display mechanism, and more specifically of a date mechanism, so that considerably fewer manual corrections are required to update a timepiece, particularly a watch.
The invention proposes to provide a lever that does not require a return spring to ensure the transmission of motion and is autonomous in its operation.
To this end, the invention concerns a timepiece lever including a pivoting plate carrying an input wheel set mounted to pivot about a first pivot axis, and at least one output wheel set pivoting about a second pivot axis remote from said first pivot axis, said input wheel set fully transmitting its motion, directly or indirectly, to said output wheel set which it moves in a pivoting motion about said second pivot axis, said lever including at least a first friction connection between a first friction surface of said input wheel set and a second friction surface of said pivoting plate, and a second friction connection between a third friction surface of said output wheel set and a fourth friction surface of said pivoting plate, characterized in that one of said first friction connection and second friction connection is weaker than the other.
The invention further concerns a fast correction mechanism between a transmitter wheel set arranged to cooperate directly or indirectly with control means, and at least one receiver wheel set, said transmitter wheel set and said at least one receiver wheel set being arranged on a plate comprised in said fast correction mechanism, characterized in that said fast correction mechanism includes such a lever, mounted to pivot about a first pivot axis, and in that at least one said receiver wheel set pivots about a third pivot axis distinct from said first pivot axis and is arranged to cooperate with at least one said output wheel set carried by said lever which constitutes a sliding friction gear.
The invention also concerns a date mechanism including at least one such fast correction mechanism, characterized in that said first receiver wheel set is a date wheel set or a date correction wheel set, and in that said second receiver wheel set is a month display or a month display correction wheel set.
The invention also concerns a timepiece movement including at least one such fast correction mechanism or one such date mechanism.
The invention also concerns a timepiece or watch including at least one such fast correction mechanism or one such date mechanism.
Owing to the invention, the switching between the various positions is achieved by a control mechanism, or directly by a user through action on a stem, a crown, a push-piece, a pull-piece or similar element, with no risk of damaging a component, due to the presence of at least one friction part in the lever according to the invention. This friction also permits rotation of the mechanism when the lever is in place.
Other features and advantages of the invention will appear upon reading the following detailed description, with reference to the annexed drawings, in which:
The invention concerns the field of timepiece mechanisms, and more specifically control and motion transmission mechanisms. The preferred application of the invention is the correction and updating of display mechanisms.
The invention more particularly concerns a timepiece lever 100 for the transmission of motion between, on the one hand an input wheel set 20 carried by a pivoting plate 8 comprised in said lever 100 and which is mounted to pivot about a first pivot axis D1 on an arbor 110, which is fixed to a plate 19 in the particular illustrated embodiment, and on the other hand at least one receiver wheel set external to lever 100.
This lever 100 shown in
This input wheel set 20 permanently transmits its motion to output wheel set 40, which it moves in a pivoting motion about second pivot axis D2. Lever 100 includes at least, either a first friction connection between a first friction surface 91 of input wheel set 20 and a second friction surface 81 of pivoting plate 8, or a second friction connection between a third friction surface 92 of output wheel set 40 and a fourth friction surface 82 of pivoting plate 8.
It is understood that different variants are achievable, depending on the function to be performed by lever 100.
In a variant, lever 100 includes such a first friction connection between a first friction surface 91 of input wheel set 20 and a second friction surface 81 of pivoting plate 8, and the first friction surface 8 is a bearing surface of revolution 81 of input wheel set 20, and the second friction surface 81 includes the lateral surfaces of a groove 83, 84 bordered by at least one elastic strip 85 and comprised in pivoting plate 8.
In another variant, lever 100 includes such a second friction connection between a third friction surface 92 of output wheel set 40 and a fourth friction surface 82 of pivoting plate 8, and third friction surface 92 is a bearing surface of revolution of output wheel set 40, and fourth friction surface 82 includes the lateral surfaces of a groove 84, 85 bordered by at least one elastic strip 85 and comprised in pivoting plate 8.
In another variant, lever 100 includes such a first friction connection between a first friction surface 91 of input wheel set 20 and a second friction surface 81 of pivoting plate 8, and the first friction surface 91 is elastic, and the second friction surface 81 is rigid.
In another variant, lever 100 includes such a first friction connection between a first friction surface 91 of input wheel set 20 and a second friction surface 81 of pivoting plate 8, and the first friction surface 91 is elastic, and the second friction surface 81 is elastic.
In another variant, lever 100 includes such a first friction connection between a first friction surface 91 of input wheel set 20 and a second friction surface 81 of pivoting plate 8, and the first friction surface 91 is rigid, and the second friction surface 81 is elastic.
In another variant, illustrated by the Figures, lever 100 includes such a second friction connection between a third friction surface 92 of output wheel set 40 and a fourth friction surface 82 of pivoting plate 8 and output wheel set 40 includes at least one corrector wheel plate 15 whose hub carries the third friction surface 92 of output wheel set 40.
More specifically, input wheel set 20 includes at least one intermediate wheel 11 meshing with this corrector wheel plate 15.
In another variant, lever 100 includes such a first friction connection between a first friction surface 91 of input wheel set 20 and a second friction surface 81 of pivoting plate 8, and the at least one first intermediate wheel 11 pivots about an arbor 110 fixed to plate 19, and which carries the first friction surface 91 of input wheel set 20.
In a preferred variant, lever 100 includes both the first friction connection and the second friction connection.
According to the invention, one of said first friction connection and said second friction connection is weaker than the other.
In a variant, the first friction connection is weaker than the second friction connection. In another variant, the second friction connection is weaker than the first friction connection.
The invention also concerns a fast correction mechanism 200, including a plate 19 between a transmitter wheel set 10, which is arranged to cooperate directly or indirectly with control means 17 such as a control stem, a push-piece or similar, and at least one receiver wheel set.
This fast correction mechanism 200 includes such a lever 100 mounted to pivot about a first pivot axis D1.
At least one such receiver wheel set pivots about a third pivot axis D3 distinct from the first pivot axis D1, and is arranged to cooperate with at least one output wheel set 40 carried by lever 100, which constitutes a sliding friction gear.
Preferably, this fast correction mechanism 200 includes, on either side of lever 100, a first receiver wheel set and a second receiver wheel set having distinct pivot axes, and only one of which at most is in mesh, at a given time, with one output wheel set 40 of lever 100.
In a specific application, the first receiver wheel set and the second receiver wheel set are wheels arranged to cooperate, one at a time, with a sliding wheel 61 comprised in output wheel set 40.
In a particular application, as illustrated in the Figures, output wheel set 40 includes at least two stages and carries at least, on two different planes, one corrector finger-piece 14 and one intermediate corrector wheel 12.
In a particular embodiment that is not illustrated, fast correction mechanism 200 includes, between plate 19 and lever 100, at least one elastic return means for subjecting lever 100 to a force tending to pivot it in a preferred direction or for returning it to a rest position.
The motion of the receiver wheel set can be imparted either to pivoting plate 8 of lever 100 or to transmitter wheel set 20 comprised in lever 100.
In a particular embodiment, illustrated by the Figures, the invention concerns a date mechanism 300 including such a fast correction mechanism 200, the first receiver set is a date wheel set or a date correction wheel set, and the second receiver wheel set is a month display mechanism or a month display correction wheel set.
More specifically, date mechanism 300 is an annual calendar mechanism and includes an intermediate wheel including the following integral elements arranged on parallel stages:
The invention also concerns a timepiece movement 1000 including an hour wheel driving at least one such date mechanism 300 and/or one such fast correction mechanism 200.
The invention also concerns a timepiece 2000, in particular a watch, including at least one such movement 1000 and/or at least one such date mechanism 300 and/or one such fast correction mechanism 200.
A particular application of the invention, as seen in
This mechanism includes a date indicator drive wheel 1 provided with two finger-pieces: a first finger-piece which drives once per day a date indicator ring 3 with thirty-one teeth, and a second finger-piece which drives at the end of the months of less than thirty-one days a cam 2 disposed coaxially to a month star wheel 4 comprising 24 teeth.
At the end of the month, date indicator ring 3 drives, by means of a lug, the drive wheel 6 formed of two stages and connecting the month star wheel 4 with 24 teeth and a month disc 5 with 12 teeth. At the end of the months with less than thirty-one days, the finger-piece of the date indicator drive wheel 1 drives cam 2 and month star wheel 4 therefore drives, on the one hand drive wheel 6 and date indicator 3 by means of its lug, and on the other hand month disc 5.
When the user actuates a winding stem 17 to make a fast month correction, the sliding pinion 16 conventionally associated with this stem 17 drives an intermediate wheel 10, which drives an intermediate wheel 11 connecting a sliding friction gear formed by a lever 100 according to the invention, capable of occupying several positions, and allowing a fast correction to be performed.
Lever 100 includes, as described above: a corrector wheel plate 15, a hub 13, a date corrector finger-piece 14 and an intermediate corrector wheel 12, all mounted on a pivoting plate 8 including flexible strips 85 around grooves 83 and 84, these flexible strips 85 being arranged to clamp the hub of certain wheel sets thus establishing a friction connection. This arrangement does not prohibit the simple guiding of the pivoting of a hub, without clamping, inside one of the housings comprised in the pivoting plate and defined by one of inner surfaces 81 or 82.
Corrector wheel plate 15 is mounted on a hub 13 which includes integrally a date corrector finger-piece 14 and an intermediate corrector wheel 12. Corrector spring 8 pivots on the arbor of intermediate corrector wheel 11 and clamps hub 13, driving lever 100 into one of the positions according to the direction of rotation of corrector wheel plate 15 in order to enable drive wheel 6 to correct date indicator 3 or month disc 5. To prevent breakage, hub 13 of the date corrector is held by friction on corrector wheel plate 15, thereby limiting the transmitted torque.
Naturally, other complications can be controlled in a similar manner with the aid of the lever of the invention.
Naturally, although the invention is described within a particular use wherein the input command is given by input wheel set 2 or by pivoting plate 8 to transmit motion to one of the receiver wheel sets, it is clear that such a fast correction mechanism 200 can be used in reverse mode with an output to wheel set 2 or pivoting plate 8.
The invention has multiple advantages:
The fast correction system with a sliding friction gear according to the invention is easy to use for any type of fast correction: of the days, months or other.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14168333.4 | May 2014 | EP | regional |
