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US 2011/0216632 A1Published application
Sequential control device for a striking mechanism
AssigneeMontres Breguet S.A.
InventorsSimon Lauper, Jean-François Pesenti
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AssigneeMontres Breguet S.A.
InventorsSimon Lauper, Jean-François Pesenti
Estimating the term…
The invention concerns a mechanical device (100) for the sequential control of at least two levers for a timepiece mechanism, controlling a first lever (1) and a second (2) lever cooperating with a contact surface (10) in accordance with a sequence wherein each changes from a first torque consumption level (11; 21) to a second, higher level (12; 22) during an increasing phase (14; 24) in which it stores torque, then from said second level (12; 22) to said first level (11; 21) during a decreasing phase (15; 25) in which it transmits energy. The device is wherein it includes delaying means (4) creating, during the decreasing phase (15) of said first lever (1), a stabilising stage at a third, intermediate level (13) between said first (11) and second (12) levels. The invention also concerns a timepiece incorporating a device (100) of this type.
A mechanical device for the sequential control of at least a first lever and a second lever of a timepiece mechanism, said first lever and said second lever being arranged for respectively controlling the movement of a first wheel set and a second wheel set, against elastic return means, to make two movements that are close together in time and partially superposed, said control device including first means for winding said first wheel set and second means for winding said second wheel set, said control device being arranged to release said first wheel set and said second wheel set in succession and not simultaneously, wherein said first winding means includes means delaying the time between the winding and the release of the movement of said first wheel set, arranged for keeping potential energy accumulated in the mechanism for manoeuvring said first wheel set for a determined time period, so as to keep said first wheel set wound for said determined time period until the release thereof, and also wherein said first winding means includes means for transmitting motor means, comprised in said timepiece device or said control device, to a contact surface including a first path, for controlling said first lever, and on which is arranged at least one delay surface forming said delaying means.
The control device according to the preceding claim, wherein said delay surface is formed by a cylindrical sector, whose axis merges with that of said wheel and which constitutes the largest diameter of said wheel in the area of travel of the first lever and second lever, or by a flat surface substantially tangential to such a cylindrical sector.
The date mechanism according to the preceding claim, wherein said date mechanism is an instantaneous date mechanism which includes several pivoting elements wound in succession by different levers, and wherein all of the pivoting elements jump simultaneously.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
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From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.
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Regular striking mechanisms giving the full hour, half hour or quarter hour: reiterating watches or clocks
Indicating the time by visual means: clocks or watches with date or week-day indicators , i.e. calendar clocks or watches; Clockwork calendars
Regular striking mechanisms giving the full hour, half hour or quarter hour: hour wheels; Racks or rakes; Snails or similar control mechanisms
Mechanically-driven clocks or watches
Term end not estimated
This application claims priority from European Patent Application No. 10155664.5 filed Mar. 5, 2010, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention concerns a mechanical sequential control device for at least two levers of a timepiece mechanism, which includes motor means and release means for controlling the actuation of at least a first lever and a second lever, which are each arranged to cooperate with a path of a contact surface of said device. Said contact surface is movable via the action of motor means for transmitting energy to said levers in the form of torque, in a sequence imposed by said paths, wherein each of the levers changes in succession from a first torque consumption level to a second torque consumption level, which is higher than said first level, during a first, increasing phase, in which said lever stores energy, then from said second level to said first level during a second, decreasing phase, in which said lever transmits energy to a mechanism using said energy. During said sequence, said first lever transmits all of the energy that it has accumulated to a mechanism using said energy before or after the moment at which said second lever transmits all of the energy that it has accumulated to a user mechanism.
The invention also concerns a striking mechanism, which includes at least one strike wheel using part of the energy provided by an energy source to actuate at least one hammer on at least one gong, via the action of a tooth or a cam comprised in said strike wheel on said hammer, and which includes at least one such control device.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will appear more clearly from the following detailed description of an example embodiment of the correction mechanism according to the invention, this example being given solely by way of non-limiting illustration with reference to the annexed drawing, in which:
FIG. 1 is a partial schematic plan diagram of a striking mechanism for a timepiece including a strike wheel with two paths of pointed teeth, to actuate two levers each actuating a hammer to strike a gong, and perform ding-dong strikes in sequence;
FIG. 2 is a similar diagram to FIG. 1, of a striking mechanism incorporating a mechanical sequential control device for at least two levers according to the invention, wherein one of the paths includes special teeth for causing a time lag in the winding of one of the hammers, and keeping it wound until it is released;
The invention relates to the field of timepiece mechanisms, which consume energy for acoustic or visual displays, such as, in particular, striking or date mechanisms.
The invention concerns a mechanical control device 100 for the sequential control of at least a first lever 1 and a second lever 2 of a timepiece mechanism.
This timepiece mechanism is of the type that includes motor means, such as a barrel or similar, and release means 3 for controlling actuation of at least a first lever 1 and a second lever 2, which are arranged for transmitting energy, received from the motor means via control device 100, to a mechanism using such energy.