# US 10,372,082 B2 · Timepiece mechanism, timepiece movement and timepiece having such a mechanism > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,372,082 B2 - Document ID: US10372082B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/534,719 - Filed: 2015-12-07 - Published: 2018-09-20 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2014-12-09 - Assignees: LVMH Swiss Manufactures SA - Applicants: Lvmh Swiss Manufactures SA - Inventors: Guy Semon; Wout Johannes Benjamin Ypma; Nima Tolou - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10372082B2 ## CPC - G04B 15/06: Free escapements - G04B 15/00: Escapements ({in striking mechanisms G04B21/06;} electric or magnetic means for converting oscillatory to rotary motion in electromechanical time-pieces {G04C5/005}) - G04B 15/02: permanently in contact with the regulating mechanism - G04B 15/08: Lever escapements - G04B 17/045: {with oscillating blade springs (mechanical oscillations maintained by electro-magnetic means, e.g. tuning forks G04C3/10)} - G04B 17/10: Oscillators with torsion strips or springs acting in the same manner as torsion strips, e.g. weight oscillating in a horizontal plane {(electrically driven torsion pendulum G04C3/033)} - G04B 29/04: Connecting or supporting parts - G04B: MECHANICALLY-DRIVEN CLOCKS OR WATCHES; MECHANICAL PARTS OF CLOCKS OR WATCHES IN GENERAL; TIME PIECES USING THE POSITION OF THE SUN, MOON OR STARS (spring- or weight-driven mechanisms in general F03G; electromechanical clocks or watches G04C; electromechanical clocks with attached or built-in means operating any device at pre-selected times or after predetermined time intervals G04C23/00; clocks or watches with stop devices G04F7/08) ## Abstract A monolithic timepiece mechanism made in a single plate of material, including a frame, a first elastic suspension and an inertial regulating member which is connected to the frame by the first elastic suspension so as to be able to oscillate, a blocking mechanism having a blocking member connected to the frame by a second elastic suspension. The blocking member is controlled by the regulating member to be able to regularly and alternatively hold and release a energy distribution member and to regularly transmit energy from the energy distribution member to the regulating member. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A monolithic timepiece mechanism made in a single plate of material, comprising a frame, a first elastic suspension and an inertial regulating member which is connected to the frame by said first elastic suspension so as to be able to oscillate, wherein the monolithic timepiece mechanism further includes a blocking mechanism having at least a blocking member connected to the frame by a second elastic suspension, said blocking member being controlled by the regulating member to be able to regularly and alternatively hold and release a movable energy distribution member so that said energy distribution member moves by steps, of a constant travel at each step, said blocking mechanism being further adapted to regularly transmit energy from the energy distribution member to the regulating member for maintaining oscillation of said regulating member, wherein the blocking member is connected to the regulating member by at least an elastic link so as to move in synchronism with said regulating member. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A monolithic timepiece mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said first elastic suspension is arranged to impose either a translational movement, or a rotational movement to the regulating member, and said second elastic suspension is arranged to impose either a translational movement, or a rotational movement to the blocking member. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) A monolithic timepiece mechanism according to claim 2, wherein said first elastic suspension is arranged to impose a translational movement to the regulating member in a first direction, and said second elastic suspension is arranged to impose a translational movement to the blocking member in a second direction substantially perpendicular to said first direction. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) A monolithic timepiece mechanism according to claim 3, wherein the first elastic suspension comprises two flexible, first elastic branches extending substantially parallel to the second direction and the second elastic suspension comprises two flexible, second elastic branches extending substantially parallel to the first direction, and the blocking member is connected to the regulating member by at least two flexible elastic links extending substantially parallel to the second direction. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A monolithic timepiece mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said blocking member is connected to the regulating member so as to oscillate with a frequency twice an oscillation frequency of the regulating member. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) A monolithic timepiece mechanism according to claim 5, wherein the regulating member and the first elastic suspension are arranged so that said regulating member oscillates in two directions from a neutral position, between first and second extreme regulating member positions, the blocking member is mounted to oscillate between first and second extreme locking member positions, and the elastic link is arranged such that: the blocking member is moved to the second extreme blocking member position by the elastic link when the regulating member is in the neutral position; and the blocking member is moved to the first extreme blocking member position by the elastic link when the regulating member is in any of the first and second extreme regulating member positions. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A timepiece movement having a monolithic timepiece mechanism according to claim 1 and an energy distribution member cooperating with said blocking member so that said blocking member may regularly and alternatively hold and release said energy distribution member, and said energy distribution member may regularly release energy to the regulating member through the blocking member for maintaining oscillation of said regulating member. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) A timepiece movement according to claim 7, wherein said energy distribution member is a rotary energy distribution wheel. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6, 8) A timepiece movement according to claim 8 having a monolithic timepiece mechanism according to claim 6, wherein said blocking member has first and second stop members which are arranged to interfere in turn with said teeth of the energy distribution wheel so as to hold said energy distribution wheel respectively when said blocking member is in the first and second extreme blocking member positions, said first stop member being arranged to not interfere with the energy distribution wheel when the blocking member is between a first escape position and the second extreme blocking member position, and said second stop member being arranged to not interfere with the energy distribution wheel when the blocking member is between a second escape position and the first extreme blocking member position. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) A timepiece movement according to claim 9, wherein the energy distribution wheel is movable in a direction of rotation and the teeth of said energy distribution wheel have respectively a front face facing the direction of rotation and a rear face opposite the direction of rotation, and the first and second stop members are arranged such that when said blocking member is in the first escape position and the first stop member is in correspondence with the front face of a tooth, the second stop member is between two other teeth of the energy distribution wheel, in the vicinity of the rear face of one of these two other teeth; when said blocking member is in the second escape position and the second stop member is in correspondence with the front face of a tooth, the first stop member is between two other teeth of the energy distribution wheel, in the vicinity of the rear face of one of these two other teeth. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) A timepiece movement according to claim 9, wherein said first and second stop members and said second elastic suspension are arranged such that said first and second stop members move substantially radially with regard to the energy distribution wheel, alternately toward and away from said energy distribution wheel. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) A timepiece movement according to claim 8, further including biasing means for biasing the energy distribution wheel in rotation through a mechanical transmission, in a single direction of rotation. ### Claim 13 (depends on 7) A timepiece movement according to claim 7, further including a monostable elastic member linked to the blocking member and bearing on the teeth of the energy distribution member, said monostable elastic member normally having a first geometrical configuration and the teeth of the energy distribution member being adapted to elastically deform said monostable elastic member from said first geometrical configuration to a second geometrical configuration, said monostable elastic member being arranged such that during each movement cycle of the energy distribution wheel: one tooth of said energy distribution member elastically deforms said monostable elastic member from said first geometrical configuration to said second geometrical configuration of the monostable elastic member; and then said monostable elastic member elastically returns to the first geometrical configuration, thereby releasing a predetermined amount of mechanical energy to the regulator mechanism through the blocking member. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) A timepiece movement according to claim 13, wherein said monostable elastic member is a flexible tongue which has a first end linked to the blocking member and a second, free end bearing on the teeth of the energy distribution member. ### Claim 15 (depends on 7) A timepiece having a timepiece movement according to claim 7.