# US 2013/0155820 A1 · Mechanism for advancing a karussel cage by periodic jumps

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- Number: US 2013/0155820 A1
- Document ID: US20130155820A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/702,192
- Filed: 2011-06-07
- Published: 2013-06-20
- Earliest claimed: 2010-06-17
- Assignees: Blancpain SA
- Inventors: Marco Rochat
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130155820A1

## CPC

- G04B 15/12: Adjusting (tools therefor G04D1/02); Restricting the amplitude of the lever or the like {(adjusting the gear train G04B35/00)}
- G04B 17/28: for the effect of imbalance of the weights, e.g. tourbillon
- G04B 17/285: {Tourbillons or carrousels}
- 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 mechanism for advancing, by periodic jumps, a cage of an escapement mechanism, including: a pivoting retaining mechanism authorizing or preventing pivoting of the cage, depending on whether the retaining mechanism is moving or not; and a stopping mechanism cooperating with the retaining mechanism to allow or prevent the pivoting of the retaining mechanism according to the position of the stopping mechanism. The trajectory of the retaining mechanism interferes with that of the stopping mechanism, both being external to the cage, and the retaining mechanism includes a flirt pinion carrying a flirt arranged to cooperate with the stopping mechanism and whose trajectory interferes with the stopping mechanism, the flirt pinion cooperating with a toothing of the cage, via an inverter wheel set.

## Claims

### Claim at position 1

1-16. (canceled)

### Claim 17

A mechanism for advancing, by periodic jumps, a cage pivoting about a cage axis, said cage carrying an escape wheel and an escape pinion in addition to a pallet lever cooperating with said escape wheel and with a sprung balance, said mechanism comprising:
a motion transmitting gear train driven by an input drive means to pivot said cage and said escape pinion;
a pivoting retaining means arranged to cooperate with said cage to authorize or to prevent the pivoting of said cage, depending on whether said retaining means is pivoting or stopped;
a pivoting stopping means arranged to cooperate with said retaining means to allow or prevent the pivoting of said retaining means, according to an angular pivoting position of said stopping means, said retaining means having a trajectory that interferes with that of said stopping means, wherein said retaining means and said stopping means are external to said cage, and further wherein said retaining means includes a flirt pinion carrying a flirt which is arranged to cooperate with said stopping means and whose trajectory interferes with said stopping means, said flirt pinion cooperating with a toothing comprised in said cage, via an inverter wheel set.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The mechanism according to claim 17, wherein said motion transmitting gear train permanently meshes with said escape pinion to cause said pinion to pivot about an escape arbour carried by said cage, and can pivot said cage about said cage axis via said escape arbour.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The mechanism according to claim 17, wherein, under action of said motion transmitting gear train, said cage permanently pushes said retaining means against said stopping means, to pivot said cage when said stopping means allows the pivoting of said retaining means, and to stop said cage when said stopping means locks said retaining means, said motion transmitting gear train being the only drive member pushing said retaining means against said stopping means.

### Claim 20 (depends on 17)

The mechanism according to claim 17, wherein said stopping means includes a star wheel secured to a permanently driven star pinion, and said retaining means includes a flirt integral with a flirt pinion directly or indirectly meshing with said cage, the trajectory of said flirt interfering with that of said star wheel, to pivot said cage when said star wheel releases said flirt and otherwise stopping said cage.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The mechanism according to claim 20, wherein said star pinion is permanently driven by a star wheel drive train which is connected to said motion transmitting gear train, directly or via said escape pinion.

### Claim 22 (depends on 17)

The mechanism according to claim 17, wherein said retaining means and said stopping means are arranged to cause said cage to perform one jump per second.

### Claim 23 (depends on 17)

The mechanism according to claim 17, wherein said cage is coaxial to said sprung balance.

### Claim 24 (depends on 17)

The mechanism according to claim 17, wherein said escape wheel and said escape pinion are coaxial.

### Claim 25 (depends on 17)

The mechanism according to claim 17, wherein said escape wheel and said escape pinion are off-center relative to said cage.

### Claim 26 (depends on 17)

The mechanism according to claim 17, wherein said flirt is a flirt with multiple arms or a star-shaped flirt.

### Claim 27 (depends on 17)

The mechanism according to claim 17, wherein said inverter wheel set includes at least one elastic pinion for shock absorption.

### Claim 28 (depends on 17)

The mechanism according to claim 17, formed of rigid or very slightly elastic elements.

### Claim 29 (depends on 17)

The mechanism according to claim 17, wherein said input drive means includes a center wheel, which has an angular velocity Ω of revolutions per hour and comprises N1 teeth, and wherein said motion transmitting gear train comprises a third pinion and a third wheel, respectively with N2 teeth and N3 teeth, said third pinion meshing with said center wheel, said third wheel meshing with an intermediate star drive pinion comprising N4 teeth coupled to an intermediate star drive wheel comprising N5 teeth, so that said intermediate star drive wheel drives a star pinion with N15 teeth, said star pinion carrying a retaining star wheel comprising NE blades, a given point being therefore reached by a blade of the star wheel with a period T=Ω×NE×(N1×N3×N5)/(N2×N4×N15×60×60) seconds, and said third wheel also meshing with a fourth pinion, comprising N8 teeth, which is integral with a fourth wheel comprising N9 teeth, which meshes with said escape pinion comprising N10 teeth, which is connected to said escape wheel which comprises N11 teeth and which is arranged to cooperate with said pivoting pallet lever which cooperates with said balance, a flirt pinion comprising N14 teeth, cooperating with an inverter wheel with N13 teeth connected to an inverter pinion with N12 teeth, which, for each revolution of said flirt pinion carrying a flirt with a single arm, allows N14×N12/N13 teeth to pass of a toothing of the cage which comprises N7 teeth, said cage therefore performing N7/(N14×N12/N13) jumps per revolution and pivoting at velocity: ΩC=(N14×N12/N13)×60/(T×N7) revolutions per minute.

### Claim 30

The mechanism according to the preceding claim, wherein Ω=1, N1=96, N2=8, N3=90, N4=8, N5=80, N15=5, NE=5, N8=10, N9=105, N10=7, N11=15, N14=10, N13=30, N12=9, N7=180, N15=5, T=1×5×(96×90×80)/(8×8×15×60×60)=1 second, N14×N12/N3=10×9/30=3 teeth, for each revolution of said flirt pinion carrying a single arm flirt, said mechanism allowing N14×N12/N13=10×9/3=3 teeth of said toothing to pass, said cage then performing N7/(N14×N12/N13)=60 jumps per revolution and pivoting at velocity: ΩC=(N14×N12/N13)×60/(T×N7)=1 revolution per minute, the oscillator frequency being 3 Hz.

### Claim 31 (depends on 17)

A karussel including a karussel cage and a mechanism according to claim 17.

### Claim 32 (depends on 17)

A timepiece including at least one mechanism according to claim 17.

### Claim 33 (depends on 31)

A timepiece including at least one karussel according to claim 31.