HK1164469A - Timepiece equipped with a mobile hour hand that can alternate between two positions - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a watch part incorporating a time hand that can move between two positions to indicate two different time signatures.

There are such watchmaking pieces in the state of the art.

In particular, document EP 1 959 317 describes a watch part which has a switching mechanism enabling two different information, e.g. current time and timed time, to be indicated by a time-hand, e.g. minute hand, following its movement between a position indicating the current time and a position indicating the timed time, by the action of a push-button.

The switching mechanism described consists of a transmission gear rotated by a first movement of the movement so as to represent a first information to be displayed, and a component bearing a first heart of a catcher mounted on the transmission gear and rotated by the first or second movement so as to represent a second information to be displayed.

In addition, the switching mechanism consists of a second overhead contact centre fixed on the transmission gear, a transmission wheel mounted around the transmission gear and bearing a first and a second hammer pre-pressed against the first and second gear respectively, a switch wheel rotatively mounted on the periphery of the transmission wheel and bearing a first and a second cam respectively, acting on the first and second hammer respectively, in such a way as to alternately separate the contact between the first hammer and the first core, the second hammer and the second core respectively, in order to switch the position of the transmission wheel according to the first, respectively, the information to be displayed being an intermediate control wheel mounted around the said hammer and rotating with the transmission wheel, the control of which is controlled by means of a transmission wheel.

The switching mechanism presented in EP 1 959 317 is complex because of the use of many parts and their arrangement, in particular it requires a transmission wheel with two hammers and a switching wheel with two cams.

A further mechanism for changing the minute or date by means of the minute hand is described in CH 693 155.

This mechanism works with a differential system and a solidary satellite gate of a reset camera, the differential system transmitting an angular displacement to the minute hand to indicate a date.

There is therefore a need for watch parts indicating two different information points from the same hour hand to replace the existing switching mechanisms and to simplify watch movements.

The purpose of the present invention is to remedy at least part of these disadvantages.

For this purpose, the present invention describes a watch movement with a clock hand capable of displaying a first hourly clock in one position and a second hourly clock in a second position, two concentric fixed scale displays of the first hourly clock and the second hourly clock respectively, a first hourly clock and a second hourly clock moving in a concentric arrangement and connected to the clock movement to be operated at two different respective frequency.

The watch movement is remarkable in that it has a first cam in conjunction with the first hour hand, which is configured to bring the hour hand into its first position, a second cam coaxial to the first hour hand, which is configured to bring the hour hand into its second position, a lever mounted on the second hour hand, means of actuation to take the lever into position with the second hour hand to bring the hour hand into its second position and means of elastic recall to bring the second hour hand into position with the first hour hand as soon as the second hour hand is no longer in the first hour hand.

The advantage of elastic booster means is that they have a rotating mobile on which the second cam is fixed and which is removable in rotation relative to the first cam.

Moreover, the elastic means of attachment are, fixed on the rotating mobile on the opposite side of the one on which the second cam is fixed, a piston moving on the first cam and elastic means to bring the piston back into the hollow of the first cam to position the hour hand in the first position.

Preferably, the rotary mobile is connected to a second tube on which the hour hand is fixed and the first cam is connected to a first tube embedded in the second tube.

The lever has a substantially rounded first end for pressing on the second cam and a second end in the shape of a finger.

The means of actuating the lever shall consist of a transmission ring rotating around the second clockwise movement and having, on its inner circumference, teeth arranged in such a way as to enable the lever to be rotated in relation to the second clockwise movement by cooperation between the second end of the lever and a tooth.

The attached drawing shows, schematically and by way of example only, a form of execution of the watch part covered by the invention, in this case a wristwatch.

Figures 1, 2 and 3 are views from the front of the dial of this wristwatch showing the display organs, in particular the minute hand indicating a first position, a second position after the user presses a push-button, and again the first position obtained after releasing the push-button, respectively;

Figures 4 and 5 are perspective views from below and above the rotary mobile used according to the invention to connect and disconnect a first cam and a second cam.

Figures 6 and 7 are the plane views of the rotary mobile and the two cams, following the first and second positions;

Figure 8 is a plane, dial-side view of the clock movement of the invention in which the minute hand indicates the first position of Figure 1;

Figure 9 is a similar view to Figure 8 where the minute hand indicates the second position of Figure 2;

Figure 10 is a plan view, movement side, of the watch movement according to the invention.

The watch part considered below is, as shown in Figures 1 to 3, a wristwatch 1 showing the time by a 2 o'clock hand and the minutes by a 3 o'clock hand, the hands being placed in a first position which is read in relation to a first fixed time-scale 4.

By means of the special mechanism of the watch movement according to the invention described in Figures 4 to 10, one of the hands, in this case the minute hand, is moved to a second position which is read in relation to a second fixed time-indication scale 5, here a scale indicating the date of the day, after pressing a push button 6 at 4 o'clock on the wristwatch 1.

The watch movement according to the invention consists of a first cam 7, represented in Figures 4 to 7, which is configured to bring the 3 minute hand into a first position and a second cam 8, represented in Figures 4 to 9, which is solid with the 3 minute hand, coaxial with the first cam 7, which is rotatable with respect to the first cam 7 and is configured to bring the 3 minute hand into the second position.

A first time-indicator mobile 9 as shown in Figures 4, 5 and 10 is a complement to the first cam 7 and is, in the present form of execution, the minute road connected to the timer gear.

The 9 minute track and the first 7 minute track are joined by a single tube 10 called 'first tube'.

A second time-indicator mobile 11 (Figures 8 to 10) located coaxially and rotatively around the first time-indicator mobile 9 is free to rotate with respect to the second cam 8. It is connected to the clock movement to be driven with a different periodicity than the first time-indicator mobile 9.

A rotary mount 12 shown in Figures 4 to 7 allows the first cam 7 and the second cam 8 to be coupled and uncoupled. It has the form of a steering wheel with a central part 13 on which the second cam 8 is fixed and a peripheral part 14, such as a crown, connected to the central part 13 by three arms 15.

The rotary mobile 12 is joined to a tube 16 (the 'second tube') on which the minute 3 hand is fixed and in which the first tube 10 is embedded.

Elastic restraints are attached to the rotating mobile 12, on a side opposite to that on which the second cam 8 is fixed, and are in contact with the first cam 7. They consist of a piston 17 connected to the crown 14 of the mobile 12 by a rotating arm 18.

A booster spring 19 on crown 14 acts on the rotating arm 18 and brings the piston 17 into a balancing position which corresponds to the position of the piston 17 in the hollow 7a of the first cam 7, as shown in Figure 6. Thus, the rotary mobile 12 is mounted so as to be moveable in rotation relative to the first cam 7.

As shown in Figures 6 to 10, a 20th drive lever of the second cam 8 is mounted pivoting on the quantum wheel 11 to come into contact with the second cam 8 to bring the minute 3 hand into the second position.

It has a substantially rounded first end 21 designed to press on the second cam 8 to move it into the second position and a second finger-shaped end 22.

As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the rotation of the lever 20 is achieved by the cooperation of its second finger-shaped end 22 with actuators.

The means of actuating the lever 20 consist of a gear 23 and a gear 24 arranged co-axially and rotatively around the quantum wheel 11, the gear 23 carrying the gear 24.

The transmission ring 24 has, on its inner circumference, teeth 25 which cooperate with the second end 22 of the lever 20 so as to allow the lever 20 to pivot in relation to the quantum wheel 11.

A booster spring 26 acts on a 27 wedge located on a middle part of the lever 20 to keep the latter fixed relative to the quantum wheel 11 when the lever 20 is not displaced by a 25 tooth.

The means of actuation consist of an L-shaped swing 29 connected kinematically to a drive wheel 30 by supporting the end of the swing 29 on a 31 axle of the latter, the drive wheel 30 being driven with the gear wheel 23.

A heel 32 of a cog 33 which is coaxial and solid with the cog 23 of the transmission, pivots and is supported by an arc-shaped surface on a spring spring 34 to lock it between two teeth of the quantum wheel 11 to prevent any unintended movement of the wheel 11 during the date search.

A spring 35 booster allows the transmission ring 24, transmission gear 23 and drive gear 30 to return to their respective positions before pushing the pusher 6 after release of the pusher 6.

As shown in Figures 8, 9 and 10, the wheel of quantiums 11 has 31 regularly distributed teeth giving it a star shape. It is free to rotate in relation to the second cam 8 while it is kinematically connected to the road 9 and therefore to the first cam 7.

As shown in Figure 10, the wheel of quantum 11 is connected to the road 9 by a set of movers which includes a reference gear 36 which is geared to the road 9 and a first intermediate gear 37 which has a geared gear 38 at its centre with a second gear 39 which is rotated one round per day.

The second gear 39 is in gear with the hour wheel 40 and has in its centre a driving finger 41 of the quantum wheel 11. The driving finger 41 rotates the quantum wheel 11 in relation to the dial, and thus the lever 20 fixed on the quantum wheel 11, one step each day, which allows a new quantum to be indicated each day.

The clockwork described above operates as follows: When the user presses the push button 6 to find the date, the movement of the push button 6 triggers the swing 29 which triggers, by the ankle 31, the drive wheel 30, the transmission wheel 23 and the transmission ring 24 whose gear 25 triggers the lever 20. The drive lever 20 then pivots in the direction of the hands of the watch 1, following the movement of its second end 22 driven by the tooth 25, as shown in Figures 7 and 9, and its first end 21 comes into contact with the second cam 8 in solidarity with the minute 3 hand.The second cam 8 is then driven by the pivot of the lever 20. The rotary mobile 12 of the second cam 8 and the second tube 16 rotate around the first tube 10. The movement of the rotary mobile 12 stops as soon as the lever 20 is in the 8a slot of the second cam 8, and in this case the minute hand 3 is in the second position, corresponding to the second time indication. When the user releases the push button 6, the rotary mobile 12 and the second cam 8 are brought back under the action of the elastic means and the 17th press pad.causing the second tube 16 and the second cam 8 to rotate around the first tube 10 until the piston 17 is in the hollow 7a of the first cam 7 corresponding to the first position of the minute hand 3.The lever 20 by its first rounded end 21 in contact with the second cam 8 is then pulled in the opposite direction of the hands of the watch 1.The pin 27 of the lever 20 comes to be stuck in the fork of the spring 26.The transmission wheel 23 and the transmission ring 24 are pulled in the opposite direction of the hands of the watch 1 by the spring 35.which moves the drive wheel 30, then by the wedge 31, the swing 29.The second cam 8 and the rotary mobile 12 are, in this case, driven with the first cam 7 and therefore the road 9 via the piston piston 17. The joint 3 minute hand of the second cam 8 by the second tube 16 follows the movement of the road 9 and indicates the first position. In other words, the first tube 10 and the second tube 16 rotate together.are coupled to the first cam 7 when the push button 6 is released and are decoupled from the first cam 7 when pressure is applied to the push button 6 and lever 20 is in contact with the second cam 8. Other arrangements are possible between the rotary mobile 12, the two cams 7 and 8, the first tube 10 and the second tube 16, the main being that the second cam 8 can rotate with the first cam 7 without the action of the lever 20 and rotate independently from the first cam 7 under the action of the lever 20, the latter being mounted on the wheel of 11 quantum and moved each day with a given frequency in relation to the dial of the watchmaking part.

The present invention is generalizable to any time indicator other than the date, e.g. a power reserve indicator, and to any time indicator hand other than the 3 minute hand, e.g. the 2 o'clock hand.

Alternatively, it would be possible to connect the 11th quantum wheel to a perpetual quantum mechanism.

Claims (10)

1. A watch or clock movement consisting of a time-indicator hand (2, 3) capable of giving a first time-indication in one position and a second time-indication in a second position, two concentric fixed scales (4, 5) showing the first time-indication and the second time-indication respectively, a first time-indication mobile (9) and a second time-indication mobile (11) arranged in a concentric manner and connected to the watch movement for operation at two different respective periods, characterised by the fact that the watch movement consists of a first time-indicator hand (7) and a first time-indicator hand (9) in a single movement, designed to bring the hand (2,3) a second clock face (8) coaxial to the first clock face (7), solid with the clock face (2, 3) and rotatable in relation to the first clock face (7), configured to bring the clock face (2, 3) into the second position, a lever (20) mounted on the mobile (11) of the second clock face, means of actuation to bring the lever (20) into contact with the second clock face (8) to bring the clock face (2, 3) into the second position and means of elastic coupling in contact with the first clock face (7) to twist the clock face (2, 3)3) clockwise in the first position as soon as the lever (20) is no longer in contact with the second cam (8).
2. Watch part according to claim 1, characterised by the elastic means of restraint having a rotating mobile (12) to which the second cam (8) is fixed and which is removable in rotation relative to the first cam (7).
3. Watch part according to claim 2, characterised by the elastic means of attachment, fixed to the rotating movement (12) on a side opposite to that on which the second cam is fixed (8), a pusher pebble (17) moving on the first cam (7) and elastic means to bring the pusher pebble (17) back into the hollow (7a) of the first cam (7) to position the hour hand (2, 3) in the first position.
4. Watch part according to claim 2 or 3, characterised by the rotating movement (12) being connected to a second tube (16) on which the hour hand (2, 3) is fixed and by the first cam (7) being connected to a first tube (10) embedded in the second tube (16).
5. Watch movement according to one of the claims 1 to 4, characterised by the fact that the lever (20) has a significantly rounded first end (21) for pressing on the second cam (8) and a second end (22) in the shape of a finger, and that the means of actuating the lever (20) include a transmission ring (24) rotating around the second clockwise movement (11) and having, on its inner circumference, teeth (25) arranged so as to allow the lever (20) to pivot in relation to the second clockwise movement (11) by cooperation between the second end (22) of the lever (20) and a tooth (25).
6. Watch movement according to one of the claims 1 to 5, characterised by means of a swing (29), a gear (23) to which the gear ring (24) is attached and a drive gear (30) which is rotated by the swing (29) and which is coupled to the gear (23).
7. Watch part according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterised by the hour hand (2, 3) being the minute hand (3), the first position indicating the minutes, the second position indicating the date, the first hour hand (9) being the ground, the second hour hand (11) being the star-shaped quantum wheel with 31 teeth.
8. Watch part according to claim 7, characterised by the watch movement having a cog (39) rotating one turn per day and having at its centre a driving finger (41) of the second hour hand (11), the driving finger (41) rotating it one step each day.
9. Watchmaking watch according to one of claims 6 to 8, characterised by a gear (33) which is coupled to the gear (23) and has a heel (32) which is arranged to block a spring (34) against the second timepiece moving (11) wheel.
10. Watch part according to one of the claims 1 to 9, characterised by the fact that the watch part is a wristwatch (1).