HK1134558B - Timepiece equipped with an animation mechanism and a striking mechanism - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a watch, in particular a wristwatch, which is fitted with an animation mechanism and a ringing mechanism and is equipped with a speed limiter to prevent the ringing mechanism from being accidentally actuated.

According to the European patent application published under No EP 1 739 509, a watchpiece incorporating a control device for a ringing mechanism fitted with an elastic transmission element is known to be used. In this watchpiece, a piston moves along a stroke comprising a rest position for the piston, a stop position for a trigger element for the ringing mechanism and a brake torque for the piston. The control device described in this patent application is intended to prevent the rim and the other parts of the ringing mechanism which are connected to it from applying sufficient force to the user when he presses on the target, in order to prevent a malfunction of the mechanism, resulting in a damage to the latter.

The watch part described in the aforementioned document EP 1 736 509 is not equipped with an animation mechanism.

In addition, the international application, number WO 2006/077240, concerns a watch part comprising a ringing mechanism and a shutter of an opening provided for in the dial.

Summary of the invention

The main purpose of the invention is to propose a watch with both an animation mechanism and a ringing mechanism, which prevents the user from involuntarily operating the ringing mechanism when operating the animation mechanism.

According to the invention, the above major purpose is achieved by a watchmaking part comprising: a movementable actuating organ: A second position where it operates only the animation mechanism and a third position where it operates both the animation mechanism and the ringing mechanism; and a speed limiter for the actuating organ, capable of passing: from a first position where it prevents the ringing mechanism from operating, i.e. it prevents the actuating organ from accessing its third position,to a second position where it allows the ringing mechanism to operate, i.e. it allows the actuating organ to access its third position.

Thus, the user of a watchpiece according to the invention can operate the animation mechanism several times in a row quickly, without simultaneously operating the fragile ringing mechanism and risking damage to it.

Other features of the invention: The actuating organ has a connecting part in contact with a piston which can slide along the body of the watch case; a spring is attached to the piston and is connected to a trigger which can drive a rotating rack around an axis; the spring is helical and arranged around the piston; the spring is caught between a ring fixed to the piston and a pad fixed to the body of the watch case; the stroke limiter can be pivoted around a stroke limiter so as to move from its first stroke limit position to its second stroke limit position and to be placed in the piston's trajectory to limit the movement of the last stroke axis; a stroke limiter is attached to the outer edge of the watch case by means of a push-button; a stroke limiter is attached to the outer edge of the watch case by means of a push-button;The axis of the rod is located halfway between the two, the limiting axis being at one end; the actuator is capable of moving along a straight line and the piston along a circular path.

Other features and advantages of the invention are now described in detail in the following exposition, which is given by reference to the attached figures which are schematically represented:Figure 1 : a front view in perspective of a part of a watch part according to the invention, the control being in the resting position;Figure 2 : a view from above of the actuating part of the watch part of Figure 1 in its first position, with its stroke limiter in its first position;Figure 3 : a view of the actuating part of the watch part of Figure 1 in its second position, with its stroke limiter in its first position and Figure 4 : a view of the actuating part of the watch part of Figure 1 in its third position, with its stroke limiter in its first position.

Detailed description of the invention

A method of making a wristwatch according to the invention is shown schematically in Figures 1 to 4.

This wristwatch comprises known and unrepresented elements which are, in particular, a case with a body which delimits an internal chamber in which a clock movement, an animation mechanism and a ringing mechanism are housed. The constitution of these mechanisms is well known to the professional and therefore does not need to be described here.

The wristwatch of the invention consists of a control or sight 1, intended to be operated from outside the case by the user. This sight 1 has an elongated shape and is designed to slide along part of the frame's circumference. Its displacement, as represented by the D arrow in Figure 1, is rectilinear because the side of the corresponding case is rectilinear. However, with a case having another shape, e.g. circular, the sight would have a curved shape and move along a circular trajectory.

From a position near a 10 end of target 1 and on the side facing the centre of the housing symbolised by a 4 road in Figure 1 a 2 connecting piece is projected to move into a suitable groove in the square. A 11 end face of the 2 connecting piece opposite the 10 end of target 1 is in contact with a 5 piston in the form of a full cylinder extending in a circle arc along the perimeter of the housing.

The piston 5 is designed to slide into a groove around the frame and is held by a first plate 6 with a hole through it and a second plate 7 also with a hole through the piston 5. The first and second plates 6 and 7 are fixed in a familiar way to the frame. On piston 5, between plates 6 and 7, a ring 8 is attached to hold a helical spring 9 arranged around piston 5 and supporting the plate 7. Thus, when the target 1 moves in the direction of the D-arrow, piston 5, by means of its ring 8, compresses the spring 9.

A downward direction can be defined as the direction in which piston 5 is directed when spring 9 is relaxed and a downward direction as the direction in which piston 5 is directed when spring 9 is compressed.

A trigger rod 13 attached to piston 5 and placed on the inside side of the housing is in contact with the rack 3. An oblong opening is provided in the housing frame to allow the trigger rod 13 to move. The contact between trigger rod 13 and the rack 3 shall be at the lowest face of the trigger rod 13. The arrangement of the animation mechanism and the ringing mechanism is such that the rack 3 when rotating along the E arrow around its axis of rotation 12 caused by the trigger rod 13 driven downwards by the displacement of the piston 5 passes from a first resting position A (Fig. 2), to a position B where only the animation mechanism is actuated (Fig. 3), and then to a position C where the animation mechanism and the ringing mechanism are actuated (Fig. 4).

The A position of the rack 3 is shown in Figure 2. The target 1 is pushed upwards by the spring force 9 and can therefore remain in this resting position.

The position B of the spring 3 is shown in Figure 3 and is obtained when the target 1 is pushed down the D arrow and pulls the piston 5 downward against the spring 9 force until it hits a speed limiter 14. This limiter or pendulum 14 has an elongated shape. At its end 16 opposite to its end 17 facing the piston 5 it has a hole into which a limiter axis 15 is inserted and fixed to the watch case.approximately halfway between its two ends 16 and 17, a second hole which is crossed by a shaft 18 axis attached to a button rod 19. The axis of symmetry of this shaft 19 is appreciably perpendicular to the limiter axis 15. The end of the shaft 19 outside the housing is fitted with a button 20. In Figure 3, the stroke limiter 14 is in its first position L1, called stop of the ringing mechanism, in which it is in the piston 5 path and thus prevents the latter from moving further downstream.- What? In Figure 4, the stroke limiter 14 is in its second L2 position, called of movement of the ringing mechanism, which it reaches when the user presses the button 20, thus causing a push on the button rod 19, a rotation of the stroke limiter 14 around its limiter 15 axis and a movement of its end 17 into the housing, made possible by a suitable opening in the housing's frame. The functioning of the watchmaking machine can therefore be summarized as follows.- What? When the user wishes to operate only the animation mechanism, he shall set or check that the stroke limiter 14 is in its first L1 position, i.e. the one represented in Figures 2 and 3 by the location of the end 17 of the stroke limiter 14. Then the user activates the animation mechanism by pushing the target 1 in the direction of the D arrow.The spring 9 is pushed down by the ring 8 and the trigger rod 13 solidary to the piston 5 causes the pendulum 3 to rotate in the opposite direction of the hands of the wristwatch, around its axis 12, moving it from its rest position A to its position B, thus arming the animation mechanism.The animation starts and when the user releases target 1, the target, under the force of spring 9, returns to its resting position P1. When the user wishes to operate the ring mechanism, he pushes the button 20 into the housing, which brings the speed limiter 14 to the running position L2.the downward stroke of piston 5 activates the animation mechanism before activating the ring mechanism. Thus, piston 5 activates the animation mechanism and then, because the stroke limiter 14 no longer interferes with it, it activates the ring mechanism and continues to run until the rack 3 driven by the trigger element 13 reaches the stop. This third position P3 is of course variable, because the angular velocity of the rack 3 varies with the time.- What? Once released, target 1 is again driven by the push of spring 9 to its first resting position P1. Then, if the user wishes to protect the ringing mechanism again, he shall pull the button 20 out of the housing to bring the end 17 of the speed limiter 14 back to the L1 stop position.

Claims (10)

1. Timepiece equipped with a striking mechanism and with an animation mechanism, characterized in that it comprises:

   - an actuating member (1) that can move from a first, rest, position (P1), into a second position (P2) in which it actuates only the animation mechanism and into a third position (P3) in which it actuates both the animation mechanism and the striking mechanism; and

   - a travel limiter (14) for the actuating member (1), able to pass from a first position (L1) in which it prevents the striking mechanism from being actuated, into a second position (L2) in which it allows actuation of the striking mechanism.
2. Timepiece according to Claim 1, in which the actuating member (1) comprises a connecting piece (2) in contact with a piston (5) able to slide along the timepiece case middle.
3. Timepiece according to Claim 2, in which a spring (9) is associated with the piston (5) and is secured to a triggering element (13) able to cause a rack (3) to rotate about a pivot axis (12).
4. Timepiece according to Claim 3, in which the spring (9) is helical and arranged around the piston (5).
5. Timepiece according to Claim 4, in which the spring (9) is wedged between a ring (8) fixed to the piston (5) and a small plate (7) fixed to the timepiece case middle.
6. Timepiece according to one of Claims 1 to 5, in which the travel limiter (14) is able to pivot about a limiter axis (15) so as to pass from its first position (L1) to its second position (L2) and so as to place itself in the path of the piston (5) to limit the movement thereof.
7. Timepiece according to Claim 6, in which the travel limiter (14) comprises a stem (19) of which the end situated outside the case of the timepiece is provided with a button (20).
8. Timepiece according to Claim 7, in which the stem (19) is connected to the travel limiter (14) by means of a stem pivot (18) parallel to the pivot (15) of the travel limiter (14).
9. Timepiece according to Claim 8, in which the travel limiter (14) is of elongate shape and has two ends (16, 17) between which the stem pivot (18) is located, the limiter pivot (15) being provided at one (16) of the ends (16, 17).
10. Timepiece according to one of Claims 1 to 9, in which the actuating member (1) is able to move in a rectilinear path and the piston (5) in a circular path.