HK1140553B - Timepiece with variable hour circle - Google Patents

Description

State of the art

The watch manufacturers are constantly trying to vary the presentation of the timepiece. To this end, many proposals have already been made to give the dial and the clock a special and unusual look. Additional indications, in relation to the time, are frequently displayed.On so-called mid-range or high-end watches, it is common for these indications to be symbolized by a fine, semi-precious or precious stone, for example a diamond. All 1, 2, 12 hourly indications may be represented physically or only a part of them by such stones. In fact, in many watch models, the representation of the hourly turn is symbolized by four hourly markers, for example by the presence of a diamond at the hour points 12, 3, 6 and 9, or even by a single diamond at the place of the twelve hours.

These timepiece markings are static and, of course, the owner of such a watch cannot change the appearance of the watch, but in many situations it may be useful to vary the markings by means of a flexible system.

The following documents illustrate the clockmakers' search for an attractive time display.

The Swiss patent CH 684'814 describes a watch with means to modify the presentation of the watch face. A rack is arranged to cooperate with a crown and allow rotation. At the time points there are free rotating plots, equipped with satellites in contact with the rack. The faces of prisms mounted on these plots are set with precious stones, which appear through cleaning openings in the frame or dial.

The German patent DE 33'129 describes a watch face that allows one to see the twenty-four hours of the day. A window, practiced at the place where the hour is mentioned, shows a face of a cubic body, equipped with an axis held by bearings. On the faces are inscribed the corresponding hours from 1 to 12 and from 13 to 24.

French patent FR 2'776'785 describes a watch assembly consisting of a watch case and a watch strap fitted with a clasp to bind it to the case and a moving watch body with four decorative faces mounted on one of the two pieces. The piece containing the moving organ is fitted with a cut showing one of its faces. Immobilization of the moving organ in either of its positions is achieved by attaching the bracelet to the case.

The Commission shall adopt implementing acts laying down the rules for the application of this Regulation.

In relation to this state of the art, important improvements have been made to vary the time shift: The movement control of the watch, which is unbreakable and allows functions such as day/night indication by changing the visible face of the hours;

For this purpose, the present invention proposes a watch part according to claim 1.

Brief description of the drawings

Several embodiments of the invention, which are not limited to the following, are described below by reference to the drawings annexed: Figure 1 is a 3D view showing the appearance of a watch according to the invention, without the case;Figure 2 is a split view of the watch, according to an execution form;Figure 3 is a partially split perspective describing the earlier art;Figures 4A and 4B are examples of rotating plates with stones, in contact with a handle;Figures 5A, 5B and 5C represent means of operating the handle (s);Figures 6 and 7 illustrate another solution for the variation in the rotation rate of the plates;Figure 8 is the crown causing the plates to rotate;Figure 9 is a schematic view of the face of a watch bracelet according to the invention;Figure 10 is a view of the movement of the top face of the watch, visible from the plane above the watch.showing a position of the automatic drive control;Figure 11 is a view illustrating the automatic drive device;Figure 12 is a view describing the timing operation;Figures 13, 14 and 15 are cut-off views according to lines V-V, VI-VI and VII-VII of Figures 10 and 12;Figure 16 is a partial development of a particular application of the time sign control.

Method (s) of realization of the invention

Figure 1 shows the appearance of a clock with a variable timepiece. The dial 3 and hands 4 look conventional. However, dial 3 is perforated with twelve holes 16 at the place of each hour to reveal the stones, mounted on plots 30, 40.

Figure 2 describes the mechanism of the variable clockwork according to a particular form of execution: the carriage 10, in two parts, with the desired milling and cutting, traps the rack 50 and the twelve plots 30, 40, each equipped with an axis 33 to allow their rotation and a satellite 34 to allow their drive.

Figure 3 describes the earlier art contained in patent CH 684'814. It represents a wristwatch 1 consisting of a box formed of a square 10 and a bottom 20 containing a dial 3, hands 4, a movement 5, an ice 6, and a crown 7. A device 60 drives the circular bezel 50. Plots 30, 40 solidary of the satellites 34, 44 are driven by the bezel 50. A gemstone 35A ... 48A is mounted on each side of the slots 30, 40.

Figures 4A and 4B show the operation of the plots in detail. Plot 40 is visible in Figure -4A shown with its 42 axis 42 rod, its satellite 44 and its cube 41 mounted on the 42 rod. The edges and especially the corners 49 are rounded, so that the plot can be arranged as close as possible to the 10 rod branch 14, i.e. the opening 16. Indeed, the curvature of the edges obtained by rounding the corners will prevent the cube 41 from coming into partial conflict with the 14 in the vicinity of the 16 rod when it rotates.

Figure 4B shows another example of a plot, global reference 30, not represented in the layout example in Figure 3. This plot includes a rod 32 of axis 33.II is free to rotate around this axis. The body of plot 30 is shaped like a right triangular prism 31, with 39 curved edges, for the same reasons as those already explained in the previous paragraph about plot 40. The three faces parallel to the axis 33 are designated by the references 35, 36, 37. These faces respectively have, for example, a diamond 35A, a ruby 36A and an emerald 34 37A. A satellite with the tooth 52 of the 50th tooth.

Fig. 5A shows the drive device 60 of the rack 50 and a support or brake device 70. The drive device is guided by the carriage 10 by means of bearings adjusted to the dimensions of portions 66, 67 of the 61 rod and carrying this part. The gear characteristics of the 63, 64 sprocket wheels are adapted to those of the 51 gear 52 of the rack 50 (same module and correspondence of the primitive diameters or primitive lines).

At least one brake device 70 is provided, consisting of a pad 71, for example made of glass, and a spring 72 placed in a hole in the bottom 20 so that a force is exerted by the spring on the rack via the pad 71. The first is to allow the wheel to be rotated without delay, for example when the wrist is moving, and the second is to allow easy and continuous rotation by means of the crown.

Figures 5B and 5C show a variant of the design in which the rack is formed of two independent parts 55, 56. The outer rack 55 is operated by a device 60B with the single gear 60D being connected to the gear of part 55. The inner rack 56 is itself connected to the single gear 60C of the device 60A. The adjustment of the faces bearing the global reference 57 is such that there is no friction between the two racks, so that the rotation of one does not cause the other to rotate unexpectedly.

Figures 6 and 7 illustrate another solution to allow the rotation rate of the plots to vary. To drive the triangular 30 and cubic 40 plots with the same 50 frame, a conical denture is used. Thus the smaller diameter satellite 34 is placed on the top of the 50 frame while the larger diameter satellite 44 is placed on the bottom.

Figure 8 shows an advantageous possibility of placing the crown 65 in direct contact with a rod of plot 32, 42 to drive a satellite 34, 44, which causes the rotation of the rack 50 and the 11 other plots connected to the rack 50 via their respective satellites.

As shown in Figure 9, the watch, according to the invention, includes the elements of a regular wristwatch. The case of this watch is not represented. It can be imagined as a usual construction. The dial 3 is equipped with twelve hour signs 8 spread around its circumference, presenting the appearance of stones. Hands of hours 4, minutes 4A and seconds 4B rotate over the dial 3. The wall of the case is crossed by a control rod 9 carrying a crown 65. This rod 9 operates a control mechanism by the axial movement of the crown 65 which can stop in three different positions: A: depressed position, B: intermediate position and C: external position.

In Figure 10 the dial 3 has been removed, the rod 9 and the control crown 60 are placed in their mid-position, so that various mechanisms housed under the dial are visible.

Fig. 13 shows that the movement 5 of the described watch is engaged in a circular cage formed of two pieces: a lower circle 80 and an upper circle 81, and that the plots 30.40 are mounted on a rod 32, 42 which rotates through its ends into grooved throats in the circles 80 and 81. The plot 30, 40 oriented over three hours rotates on the rod 9. It is mounted on a sleeve 82 rotating on the rod 9. This sleeve 82 is solid, like the rods 32, 42, of a satellite 34, 44.These differences in height between the axes of the satellites 34, 44 are also visible in Figure 16. A circular rack 50 (Fig. 13) is coaxial to the motion and placed on the rack 73. This rack 50 has at its periphery a tooth 51 with teeth protruding downwards and engraving into satellites 34, 44.This arrangement allows specifications to be given for the different plots 30, 40 and to turn them at different speeds, as described in CH 684 814.

The 19 o'clock clock wheel, which is a common part of movement 5, carries a star wheel with twelve teeth. These cooperate with a 21 clock wheel housed in a circular groove of the 73 platform. This 21 clock wheel is cut with an elastic arched arm 22 whose free end is hung between two pegs planted in the bottom of the groove.The clamp 23 is pressed by a spring wire 24 pressed against a second grip and its rotation is limited by a third grip. Figure 10 compared with Figures 11 and 12 and independently of the control mechanism to be explained below, shows how the clamp wheel 21 works. It has a radial finger 25 that enters the path of the triangular teeth of the wheel 38. In Figure 10 this finger is to be released. The elastic arm 22 is fully armed and acts on the star wheel 38. In Figure 11, the clamp finger 23 attaches a tooth from the tooth 18 and moves the crampon 50 forward until the tip of the jumper 26 has passed the tooth against which this support rests.From this moment on, it is the spring 26 that brings the 50th frame to its final position. Thus, every hour the 50th frame moves forward at an angle equal to the sum of the angles marked, by double arrows in Figure 11. All the plots 30, 40 rotate at a determined angle, by the modules of the 51 teeth and the satellites 34, 44. Since plots 30, 40 can be prisms with different number of faces and have on their faces the decorations of the hour signs 8 having different aspects 35A, 45A, we thus obtain a clock tower whose appearance changes every hour.By combining the number of teeth in dentures and the number of faces in plots, simple or complex cyclic variations can be achieved.

In Figure 10, a control mechanism that adds other possibilities of plot animation is partly depicted. It has parts that are those of a usual mechanism. Thus the rod 9 acts on a rod 27 whose positions are fixed by a rod spring 28. An articulated assembly cooperates with the rod 27. It consists of a tilting lever 29 and a 74-cubic-meter lever whose curved free end can engage in front of the beak of the clutch 23 and keep it out of action from the tooth 18 during the alternate rotation of the clutch wheel 21. Figure 13 shows that the articulated system 29, 74, is placed in a hollow of the frame 3.

The position of the mechanism shown in full strokes in Figure 10 is an intermediate position designated by (B). However, the passage of the crown 65 into the depressed position (A) and the passage into the outer position (C) both bring the lever 74 to the position shown in the slice in Figure 10 by the curvature of its split rear part. The clutch 23 can operate the 50 when the wheel 21 returns to its unarmed position, as shown above.The timepiece is set to the right, the 25th wheel is moved to the right and the 22nd elastic arm is bent outwards without the 23rd clutch acting on the 50th wheel.

Circles 80 and 81 are fixed to each other by circle 76 screws and dial 3 is fixed by its feet 78 and dial 78 screws to the set 80, 81 (Figures 12, 14 and 15). As the dial is to be fixed in such a way as to ensure the positions of various functional organs, four feet 77 with dial 78 screws and four circle 76 screws are provided for the rigidity of the enclosure circle.

Err1:Expecting ',' delimiter: line 1 column 587 (char 586)This arrangement allows for various variations. For example, if the denture 51 has only one toothed sector whose length covers the space occupied by two successive plots 30, 40 at each hour, a plot will turn from its exposed side to the adjacent side, and the previous one to the next. If the plots 40 have four faces bearing signs successively white, black, white, red, for example, for twelve hours of operation, each plot 40 will then successively turn black and white, which will simulate the movement of a clock hand on the dial.Each plot will turn red and then white, also simulating the movement of a hour hand but in such a way as to indicate the hours of the night. This arrangement may be equivalent to the indication of time in a different time zone than that for which the normal hour hand 4 (Fig. 9) is adjusted. This use is only an example and that other arrangements and other uses can be foreseen with the means described and without leaving the scope of the invention. In particular, the watch movement could not be mechanical, but quartz, to which coupled with an additional module of driving the crown and integrating obvious means of control specific to the man of the trade.

The following shall be added:

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Claims (12)

1. A timepiece comprising, in a case; a clockwork movement (5), a dial (3) visible through a glass (6) that is part of the case, indicator organs (4) actuated by the movement and cooperating with hour signs (8) visible through orifices comprised by the dial to allow reading of the time, said hour signs being studs (30, 40) with several faces; mounted on arbors (32) arranged radially relative to the movement, each arbor being provided with a planetary wheel (34) whereof the toothing is arranged to mesh in a rack, control means (65) accessible from outside the case and including organs making it possible to modify, at will, the appearance of the hour signs, an arrangement of the movement and the control means allowing an operating mode in which the appearance of the hour signs is automatically modified at predetermined moments, said arrangement comprising a setting mechanism with a control arbor (9) with several positions, characterized in that at least one of said positions ensures an intermittent connection between the hour wheel and said rack (50).
2. The timepiece according to claim 1, characterized in that the faces of the stud are arranged to appear successively during the rotation of said stud through said orifice so that for a given moment, the hour sign making up the hour circle is shown by an entire visible face of the stud and obtained owing to a maneuvering of the control means.
3. The timepiece according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it comprises at least one pawl device (21) allowing discrete positioning of the stud (30, 40), so that at each pawl, a single face of the stud is fully visible.
4. The timepiece according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that in another of the positions of the control arbor (9), said connection is inactive and a rotation of the control arbor is transmitted to the rack (50) by a secondary part of the mechanism.
5. The timepiece according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said timepiece is a mechanical watch with a winding and setting mechanism (9, 26, 27, 28) with a castle wheel and pull-out piece, said rack is placed so as to react on one hand to the action of a spring pawl (23) mounted on a pawl wheel (21) driven intermittently in to-and-fro motion from the hour wheel (19) and on the other hand to the action of a star wheel (38) that, at least in one position of the arbor, is actuated by a corrector mechanism.
6. The timepiece according to claim 5, characterized in that the pull-out piece (27) of the winding and setting mechanism is connected to an articulated device that comprises a bent lever (74) whereof one end keeps the spring pawl (23) in a deactivated position when the control arbor (9) is in an intermediate position.
7. The timepiece according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that a control means independent of the setting mechanism makes it possible to actuate said rack (50) manually at will.
8. The timepiece according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that said rack (50) for actuating the studs (30, 40) comprises a toothing arranged to cooperate with the planetary wheels (34) secured to the studs and in that said toothing has, along its perimeter, at least one sector interrupted so as to allow selective actuation of the studs.
9. The timepiece according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the rack is conical, as are the connected planetary wheels, which makes it possible to vary the number of teeth of said satellites (34) and thus to make said studs (30, 40) turn more or less quickly.
10. The timepiece according to claim 9, characterized in that broken sectors of said toothing are arranged so as to ensure that in the automatic operation phase, successive studs arranged on the perimeter of the dial go from a position giving them a first appearance to another position giving them a second appearance at predetermined intervals and then return to a position giving them the first appearance either individually or all together, thereby reproducing a time indicator organ, for example a second hour hand.
11. The timepiece according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that it comprises twelve studs whereof the faces are elements with two positions, preferably bearing stones or characteristic symbols, said studs being connected to the movement so as to change twice in 24 hours, thereby indicating day and night.
12. The timepiece according to claim 1, characterized in that the clockwork movement is a quartz movement, to which an additional module comprised by the arrangement is coupled.