HK1065119B - Mechanism for display of lunar phase - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a mechanism for displaying the phases of the moon with an upper disc, the lunar display, and a lower disc, the lunar display, mounted concentrically to it, one of these discs being rotatable relative to the other.

Such mechanisms exist in a variety of designs and are used in particular in complicated clocks, for example as one of several side displays in these clocks. Moon phase displays usually reflect only one or a few aspects of the complex motion of the Moon relative to the Earth and the Sun, leading to the phases observable from the Earth. Traditional displays of this type, for example as shown in document US 4,548,512, often do not show a realistic representation of the lunar phases in terms of their different appearance in the northern or southern hemispheres of the Earth or only correctly reproduce the lunar phases for one hemisphere of the Earth, while the ones to be observed in the other hemisphere are not realistically represented.

In this connection, it should be noted, inter alia, that the part of the lunar surface exposed to sunlight visible to the observer on earth depends on the relative position of the sun, earth and moon and the effect of this visible part on the observer also depends on the observer's position on earth.

The purpose of the present invention is to produce, unlike devices of this type known to man, a lunar phase display which takes into account the different aspects of the lunar phases in the northern and southern hemispheres of the earth in the display and, by simple means, reproduces as accurately as possible the position and size of the illuminated and unilluminated parts of the lunar surface visible from the earth.

The present invention therefore has a mechanism for displaying the phases of the moon as an object which has the characteristics of claim 1.

The mechanism is characterised in particular by the two windows on the lunar display to take account of the different aspects of the phases of the moon in the northern and southern hemispheres of the Earth.

One embodiment of the mechanism is designed to display the phases of the moon simultaneously for both hemispheres, taking into account their different aspects in the northern and southern hemispheres of the earth.

Another embodiment of the mechanism allows the moon phases to be displayed for a given pre-defined hemisphere, taking into account their different aspects in the northern and southern hemispheres of the Earth.

Further advantages are derived from the features mentioned in the dependent claims and the detailed description of the invention below by means of the drawings.

The accompanying diagrams are schematic and illustrative of some embodiments of a mechanism for displaying the phases of the moon according to the present invention.

Figures 1a to 1d illustrate schematically the principle and the main components of a first implementation of such a mechanism, which has a lunar display with two windows and a graphic design of the lunar display such that the phases of the moon are displayed for both the northern and southern hemispheres simultaneously.

Figures 2a to 2d show different constellations of the lunar phase display mechanism of Figures 1a to 1d.

Figures 3a to 3d illustrate schematically, by analogy with Figures 1a to 1d, the principle and the main components of a second embodiment of such a mechanism, which has a lunar display with two windows and a graphic design of the lunar display such that the phases of the moon are shown for a given, predetermined hemisphere.

Figures 4a to 4d show different constellations of the lunar phase indicator mechanism of Figures 3a to 3d.

Figures 5a to 5c show an example of the mechanism and the wheelsets driving it, as a top view and as a section.

Figures 6a to 6c show a further embodiment of the mechanism and the wheel arrangement driving it as a top view and as a cut.

The invention will now be described in detail by reference to the accompanying drawings.

The main components and principle of a mechanism according to the present invention are first described by using Figures 1a to 1d.

The mechanism for displaying the phases of the moon has a first upper disc, the lunar display disc 1, in which two windows 1a and 1b are marked out, as shown schematically in Figure 1a.

The mechanism also has another lower disc, the lunar disc 2, as shown in Figure 1b. This lunar disc 2 is placed, as shown schematically in Figure 1c, concentrically under the lunar display 1 and acts as a background visible through the windows 1a and 1b in the lunar display 1.

This graphic design of the lunar disk 2 generally includes at least one dark area 2a representing the unlit part of the lunar surface and at least one light area 2b representing the illuminated part of the lunar surface. This may be done by using colours, dimming, or any other means to achieve the same effect. The dark area 2a may be selected in accordance with the one deviated from the lunar disk 1, for example on the dial of a visible clock face on the top of the lunar disk 1.

In particular, the graphic design of the lunar display 2 may have two dark circles 2a of the size of the windows 1a and 1b of the lunar display 1 on a bright background 2b, as shown in Figure 1b. These dark circles are also placed at the same distance from the centre of the display 2 in relation to the windows 1a and 1b of the lunar display 1 so that they are fully visible through these windows when the windows 1a and 1b overlap with these dark circles 2a.

Thus, as shown in Figure 1c, a relative distortion of the two discs 1 and 2 makes a bright section of a certain size visible, depending on the relative constellation of the two discs to each other, which is intended to symbolize the size of the currently visible lunar crescent and thus the current lunar phase.

Such an indicator may, inter alia, be installed in a watch, as shown schematically in Figure 1d, where the mechanism described is used as an auxiliary indicator, to give an example.

Figures 2a to 2d illustrate four of the above constellations showing the relative positions of the two discs 1 and 2 in relation to each other, for a background on the lunar disk 2 as shown in Figure 1b. It is apparent that, assuming a right turn of the lunar display 1 over the fixed lunar disk 2, as indicated by an arrow in Figures 1c and 1d, the different phases of the moon from full moon (Fig. 2a) through waning moon (Fig. 2b) and new moon (Fig. 2c) to rising moon (Fig. 2d) are reproduced.The upper half of the lunar phase indicator shows the phases of the moon as they are seen from the northern hemisphere of the earth, while the lower half shows their aspect as seen from the southern hemisphere. For easier interpretation by the user, an orientation aid can be attached to the dial of a watch, as shown in Figure 1d, in the form of two short horizontal stripes, symbolizing the equator,and/or a corresponding label or symbol or pictogram.

The graphic design of the lunar disk 2 can be subjected to numerous changes without affecting the function of the lunar disk 2 or the basic idea of the present invention. Of course, for example, the position, size or color, etc. of the corresponding areas on the disk 2 can be changed, but in general also their shape.

In this case, the graphic design of the lunar disk 2 consists of a dark area and a light area on the lunar disk 2, these two areas being separated by two arc-shaped dividing lines with a radius corresponding to the size of the windows 1a and 1b of the lunar display disc 1.

Figures 4a to 4d clearly show four associated constellations with a relative rotation of the two discs 1 and 2, as shown for a background on the lunar disk 2 as shown in Figure 3b. When assuming a right rotation of the lunar display 1 over the fixed lunar disk 2, as shown by an arrow in Figures 3c and 3d, the different phases of the moon from full moon (Fig. 4a) through waning moon (Fig. 4b) and new moon (Fig. 4c) to rising moon (Fig. 4d) as seen from the northern hemisphere of the Earth are shown.A modified image on the lunar disk 2, such as by mirroring the image around the horizon, would allow the moon phases to be displayed in approximately the same way as they are observed from the southern hemisphere of the Earth. This would also be possible by a lunar display 1 rotating in the opposite direction.whereas these remarks apply by analogy to the first embodiment.

Figures 5a to 5c show an embodiment of the mechanism and an example of the wheel arrangement driving it, as a view from above and as a section.

The mechanism is integrated into a perpetual calendar clock, as an obvious example, the components of which are not all important for the lunar phase display mechanism and therefore not all taken into account in the figures.

A 24-hour wheel 7 which completes a rotation in 24 hours has a finger 7a which drives a weekday star 6a mounted on a weekday wheel 6a. This is thus rotated once a day, usually at midnight and clockwise, around a tooth. The weekday wheel 6 in turn drives a lunar disk wheel 4 via a lunar phase-intermediate wheel 5. As can be seen in particular from Figure 5c, which is a section along the line A-A in Figure 5a, the lunar wheel 4 and the lunar indicator 1 in this design are connected by a tube 3 such that they rotate synchronously with each other. The lunar indicator 1 is at the same height as the figure 10 in which it is shown as a rotating element.

The lunar disk 2 is secured, as shown in Figures 5a and 5b, for example, by two fixings on a plate 8 and acts as a kind of extension of a bridge 9 so that the module unit lunar disk 4, tube 3 and lunar display 1 can be mounted with little play around the lunar display 2 rotating on plate 8 as shown in Figures 5a and 5b.

The 24-hour wheel 7 mentioned above, which drives the weekdays 6a, can be driven from the handpiece, for example, by means of a clock wheel not shown here, which completes a revolution in 12 hours.

Alternatively to the operation of the week star 6a by means of the 24-hour wheel 7, this can be done, for example, by means of a switch lever which switches the week star 6a by one tooth every day at midnight, or by similar means which are sufficiently well known in connection with complex clocks.

The lunar display 1 in this embodiment of the mechanism rotates daily at a certain angle, which depends on the selected rotational speed of the lunar display 1 which must be chosen in accordance with the graphic design of the lunar display 2, since, for example, depending on the size of the windows in the lunar display 1, four or more dark circles may be mounted on the lunar display, or any number other than two. This rotational speed is set by means of a suitable subposition of weekdays 6a to the lunar display wheel 4.The figure shows the position of the lunar disk in the figure, which is approximately 6.1° per day, and the resulting error in the synodic cycle of the moon is therefore 29.53073 days - 29.53059 days = 0.00014 days, which is equivalent to a deviation of 0.014 days per year.00173 days means one day after about 578 years.

The rotation of the lunar disc wheel 4, tube 3 and lunar display 1 once in about 59 days makes the surface of the lunar display 1 facing the lunar display 1 and the background image on it visible successively through the two windows 1a and 1b in the present embodiment, so that the current phase of the moon is shown on the dial 10, as illustrated by the illustrations 2a to 2d and 4a to 4d respectively.

Figures 6a to 6c show an embodiment of the mechanism and the wheel arrangement driving it as a top and cross section, in which the lunar display 1 is fixed with the two windows 1a and 1b and the lunar display 2 rotates underneath this display 1.

As can be seen in particular from Figure 6c, the lunar display with the two windows 1a and 1b and the dial 10 can form a unit in this case. Unlike the mechanism described above, the lunar display 2 is firmly connected to the tube 3 and forms a component with the lunar display wheel 4. The relative movement mentioned above between the lunar display integrated in Figure 10 and the lunar display 2 is thus achieved by the rotation of the latter. As can be seen from Figures 6a and 6b, the two windows 1a and 1b could be placed in this case in a more precise way along the red display, but the same configuration must be carried out in the same direction as the one described above, or in a different position, in order to achieve the same configuration of the two dark-coloured display 2a.

The mechanism for displaying the phases of the moon according to the present invention therefore allows the display of the phases of the moon taking into account the difference visible to the observer on Earth in the respective hemisphere.

This objective is achieved in a simple and effective manner and the invention can be used in various ways, for example in perpetual calendars of clocks, displays or the like.

The main advantage of this mechanism is that it is possible to represent the phases of the moon separately in a realistic manner and, in the first embodiment, simultaneously for both the northern and southern hemispheres. In addition, this embodiment has a great deal of design exclusivity, in that the rotating representation of the lunar phase due to the rotating lunar display windows is in favourable contrast to the conventional representation by a fixed window in the dial through which a rotating back window is visible.

Claims (12)

1. Mechanism for displaying the moon phases with an upper disc or moon dial (1) and a lower disc or moon indicator (2) mounted concentrically to it, with one of these discs being mounted rotatably relative to the other, characterized in that the moon dial (1) has two windows (1a, 1b) in order to allow for the different appearance of the moon phases in the northern and southern hemisphere of the earth.
2. Mechanism according to the preceding claim, characterized in that it is arranged in such a way that the moon phases are displayed simultaneously for both hemispheres while allowing for their different appearance in the northern and southern hemisphere of the earth.
3. Mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that it is arranged in such a way that the moon phases are displayed for one hemisphere while allowing for their different appearance in the northern and southern hemisphere of the earth.
4. Mechanism according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the moon indicator (2) has a graphical design on its surface turned toward the moon dial (1) which in cooperation with the windows (1a, 1b) of the moon dial (1) is adapted to display the moon phases.
5. Mechanism according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the graphical design of the moon indicator (2) comprises at least one dark region (2a) representing the part of the moon's surface that is not illuminated, and at least one bright region (2b) representing the illuminated part of the moon's surface.
6. Mechanism according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the graphical design of the moon indicator (2) comprises two dark circular areas having the size of the windows (1a, 1b) of the moon dial (1) as well as a bright background.
7. Mechanism according to claim 5, characterized in that the graphical design of the moon indicator (2) comprises a dark region and a bright region delimited against each other by two arched separating lines having a radius that corresponds to the size of the windows (1a, 1b) of the moon dial (1).
8. Mechanism according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the windows (1a, 1b) of the moon dial (1) are arranged on opposite sides of and at equal distances from the centre of this dial.
9. Mechanism according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a moon indicator wheel (4) and the moon dial (1) are attached to a shaft (3) so that they rotate in synchronization while the moon indicator (2) is stationary.
10. Mechanism according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that a moon indicator wheel (4) and the moon indicator (2) are attached to a shaft (3) so that they rotate in synchronization while the moon dial (1) is stationary.
11. Mechanism according to one of the two preceding claims, characterized in that a day star wheel (6a) mounted on a day wheel (6) and passing on the drive power is advanced once a day by one tooth, such that the day wheel (6) drives the moon indicator wheel (4) via a moon phase intermediate wheel (5).
12. Watch, characterized in that it comprises a mechanism for displaying the moon phases according to one of the preceding claims.