This application claims priority from European Patent Application No. 16194627.2 of Oct. 19, 2016; the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to a timepiece movement comprising a mechanism and a spring barrel provided in order to drive the mechanism by means of a kinematic linkage which is provided in order to exert a driving torque on the mechanism, the spring barrel comprising a drum and a motor spring provided in the drum so as to exert, on the mechanism, a motor torque which varies as a function of the degree of winding-up of the motor spring. The timepiece movement comprises furthermore an equalisation device which is connected kinematically to the spring barrel in order to be able to be driven by this spring barrel and to be able to exert an auxiliary torque which will augment said motor torque in order to form together said driving torque. The auxiliary torque is provided in order to vary as a function of the degree of winding-up of the motor spring so as to counter variations in the motor torque and thus substantially to equalise the driving torque.
Timepiece movements which comprise an equalisation device and which correspond to the above definition are already known. Devices with spindles which serve to compensate for the variation in torque provided by a spring barrel are known. Also known in particular is the “stackfreed” which is an equalisation device which was used in Germany, in the 16th and 17th century, in order to compensate for variations in the winding-up of the spring of a timepiece movement. In fact this concerns a braking device which is composed of a leaf spring which bears a roller at the end thereof. Said roller presses on the edge of a helical face cam, also subsequently termed spiral, which is connected kinematically to the spring barrel. When the motor spring is completely wound up, the leaf spring presses the roller firmly against the most projecting part of the spiral, and when the motor spring is less wound up, the leaf spring presses the roller less firmly against the least projecting part. As the friction force is approximately proportional to the exerted pressure, the variation thereof counters variations in the motor torque. By adjusting the profile of the cam correctly, it is possible in principle to make the motor force almost constant. A great disadvantage of the “stackfreed” is that the high degree of friction which is caused absorbs a considerable fraction of the motor force. Another disadvantage is that the leaf springs, like most other known return means, are subject to ageing and progressively lose elasticity. On the other hand, intense friction causes accelerated wear of the components. Finally, it is well known that timepiece components generally have very small dimensions. In these conditions, the fact that the springs are in general quite sensitive to tolerances constitutes an additional problem.
One aim of the present invention is to remedy the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art. The invention achieves this goal by providing a timepiece movement.
The formulation according to which the variation in auxiliary torque counters the variation in the motor torque, within a useful range of the degree of winding-up of the motor spring, amounts to saying that the derivative of the auxiliary torque relative to the degree of winding-up is of the opposite sign to the derivative of the motor torque relative to the degree of winding-up. It turns out furthermore that the derivative of the auxiliary torque relative to time is of the opposite sign to the derivative of the motor torque relative to time.
The equalisation device according to the invention comprises a first magnetic element and a second magnetic element which are provided so as to exert, one on the other, a magnetic force which is variable as a function of the relative position thereof, respectively of the degree of winding-up of the motor spring. The auxiliary torque produced by the equalisation device is caused by this variable magnetic force. In a main embodiment, at least one of said first and second magnetic elements comprises a permanent magnet. In an advantageous variant, these two magnetic elements are formed respectively by a bipolar permanent magnet and a cam made of a high-permeability magnetic material. Generally, there is understood by “magnetic cam” a magnetic element which has at least one physical parameter (radial/lateral or axial according to the case) which is active in the magnetic interaction under consideration, between the cam and another magnetic element with which it is associated, and which varies so as to cause with this other magnetic element a magnetic force between them, according to the direction of a relative displacement between the cam and the other magnetic element, the intensity of which varies as a function of this relative displacement. It will be noted that the physical parameter in question can be a parameter intrinsic to the cam, for example the intensity of a magnetic flux provided by a magnetised material forming the cam, or relative to the other magnetic element, in particular the distance between them.
The equalisation device according to the invention has several advantages. In particular, it forms a contactless system such that the variable auxiliary torque which it provides is produced without friction. Moreover, it is known that the magnetic forces which are caused by permanent magnets are conservative forces which derive from a magnetic potential. Hence, the auxiliary torque provided by the equalisation device likewise derives from a magnetic potential so that the energy dissipated by the equalisation device of the invention during a complete winding-up/unwinding cycle of the motor spring can theoretically be zero. The advantage conferred by such an equalisation device will hence be appreciated without difficulty if one keeps in mind that, in particular in a device of the “stackfreed” type, the energy provided for the auxiliary torque is dissipated integrally.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will appear upon reading the description which will follow, given solely by way of non-limiting example and with reference to the annexed drawings in which:
In the examples of
The two configurations illustrated schematically in
The arrangement of the magnetic equalisation device does not necessarily comprise a magnetic system of the radial type, as illustrated in
The movement illustrated in
The gear ratio of the reducing wheel work which will be described is a function of the number of rotations which the spring barrel effects between the completely wound-up state thereof and the completely unwound state thereof. In fact, this ratio must be greater than the number of rotations of the spring barrel such that the angle of pivoting of the magnet 107, which is integral with the wheel 19, is always less than 360°. In other words, it is provided that the wheel 19, bearing the first magnetic element or the second magnetic element, effects at least one rotation when the spring barrel effects a plurality of rotations between the completely wound-up state thereof and the completely unwound state thereof. In the illustrated example, the spring barrel shaft effects seven rotations in order to move the spring of the spring barrel from the completely wound-up state to the completely unwound state, or inversely. On the other hand, the transmission ratio of the reducing wheel work is 8.4. In these conditions, the wheel 19 effects a little less than ⅚ of a rotation in the clockwise direction during working of the watch. It is the two limit stops 21 and 23 which determine the two extreme angular positions of the wheel 19 by stopping the magnet 107 when it reaches one or the other of the ends of its travel.
In the auxiliary reducing wheel work which has just been described, the wheel 19 turns in the same direction as the pinion of the spring barrel 13. In these conditions, the wheel 19 and the magnet 107 turn in the clockwise direction when the spring of the spring barrel (not illustrated) unwinds when driving the movement. As the variable radius of the cam 103 increases in the anticlockwise direction, there is a tangential component Ft of the magnetic attraction force between the magnet 107 and the cam 103 which acts on the mobile magnet 107 in the anticlockwise direction. Hence, when the spring of the spring barrel is run down and the wheel 19 therefore turns in the clockwise direction, a magnetic force counters this rotation. Furthermore, the intensity of the magnetic force decreases as the spring is unwound. It will be understood that the equalisation device which has just been described provides an auxiliary magnetic torque which is counter to the motor torque and the size of which decreases parallel to the size of the motor torque when the spring of the spring barrel is unwound. According to what has been explained in relation to
According to the invention, the spring barrel of the timepiece movement is provided to drive a timepiece mechanism by means of a kinematic linkage providing a motor torque to the mechanism. In the case of a timepiece movement, the kinematic linkage which is provided to drive the timepiece mechanism generally comprises a multiplying wheel work (by way of example, the driven timepiece mechanism is an escapement with swiss pallets and the multiplying wheel work forms the going train of the timepiece movement). According to a first variant, the going train (not illustrated) is driven directly by the pinion of the spring barrel 13. In this case, it will be mentioned that the going train is arranged parallel with the equalisation device (as with a standard “stackfreed”). In another variant, a mechanism is driven by the spring barrel by means of the equalisation device. In this case, at least one part of the auxiliary wheelwork of the equalisation device forms the kinematic linkage between the spring barrel and the mechanism.
With reference again to
It will be noted that the equalisation device which has just been described can also serve jointly as a device for indicating the power reserve. To this end, in a first variant, a needle is mounted on an axis of the wheel 19. In a second variant, so as to reduce the angular travel of the power reserve indicator or in particular to provide an indicator having a linear movement, a lever is connected to the cam 103. This lever defines a cam follower and is arranged abutting against the lateral surface of the cam 103. The power reserve indicator can be integral with the lever or be formed by a separate element actuated by this lever.
The partial views of
With reference firstly to
The spring barrel 111 is provided in order to drive the ringing wheel work (not illustrated) by means of the toothing of the wheel 139. As already mentioned, the wheel 139 is integral with the shaft of the spring barrel 137. It will be understood that when the spring of the spring barrel is progressively unwound, the shaft of the spring barrel drives the wheel 139 in the anticlockwise direction by transmitting to it a motor torque which is variable as a function of the degree of winding-up of the spring barrel. Furthermore, as the torque which drives the ringing mechanism is variable as a function of the degree of winding-up of the spring barrel, the speed at which the ringing is performed also depends upon the degree of winding-up of the spring of the spring barrel. It will be noted that the wheel 139 effects less than one rotation between the completely wound-up state thereof and the completely unwound state thereof. The magnet 207 is arranged on the wheel 139 such that it does not pass the discontinuity of the edge of the cam when the spring barrel is unwound between the two above-mentioned extreme states.
Winding-up of the spring barrel is effected with the help of the rack 141. The wearer of the watch can actuate the rack manually with the help of a push button (not illustrated) or a slide (not illustrated) which is situated on the watch case. When the wearer of the watch actuates the rack, the latter pivots while driving the input wheel 145 of the one-directional wheel work 143 in the anticlockwise direction. The output wheel of the one-directional wheel work is driven by the entry wheel and itself drives the pinion of the spring barrel 113 which thus causes a little less than one rotation in the clockwise direction, inducing winding up of the spring barrel 113. Then, when the wearer of the watch releases the slide or the push button, a spring (not illustrated) locks the rack in the opposite direction to that of the arrow of
In the ringing mechanism which has just been described, the magnet 207, which is integral with the wheel 139, turns in the same direction as the shaft of the spring barrel 137. In these conditions, the magnet 207 turns in the anticlockwise direction relative to the cam when the spring of the spring barrel 133 is unwound while driving the ringing mechanism. As
Furthermore, it will be understood that various modifications and/or improvements evident to a person skilled in the art can be applied to the embodiments which are the subject of the present invention without going beyond the scope of the present invention defined by the annexed claims.
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16194627 | Oct 2016 | EP | regional |
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Entry |
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European Search Report dated May 8, 2017 in European Application 16194627.2 filed on Oct. 19, 2016 (with English Translation of Categories of Cited Documents). |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20180107166 A1 | Apr 2018 | US |