Mechanical timepiece comprising a movement which running is enhanced by a regulation device

25:

• The timepiece according to claim 24, wherein a first part of said range of positions of the mechanical resonator, incorporating said range of the amplitudes that the mechanical oscillator is liable to have on said first side from the neutral position of said mechanical resonator, has a certain range whereon it is continuous or quasi-continuous, this first part extending, on the side of a minimal amplitude of said range of amplitudes, at least over an angular distance substantially corresponding to the duration of one of said periodic braking pulses for this minimal amplitude.

26:

• The timepiece according to claim 24, wherein said mechanical system is configured such that said range of positions of the mechanical resonator, wherein said periodic braking pulses may start, also extends on the second of the two sides from the neutral position of said mechanical resonator over at least one range of amplitudes that said mechanical oscillator is liable to have on this second side for said usable operating range of this mechanical oscillator.

27:

• The timepiece according to claim 26, wherein a second part of said range of positions of the mechanical resonator, incorporating said range of amplitudes that the mechanical oscillator is liable to have on said second side from the neutral position of said mechanical resonator, has a certain range whereon it is continuous or quasi-continuous, this second part extending, on the side of a minimal amplitude of the range of amplitudes that the mechanical oscillator is liable to have on the second side from said neutral position, at least over an angular distance substantially corresponding to the duration of one of said periodic braking pulses for this minimal amplitude.

28:

• The timepiece according to claim 26, wherein said braking frequency is envisaged to be equal to double said set-point frequency divided by a positive whole number N, i.e. FFR=2·F0c/N where FFR is the braking frequency and F0c is the set-point frequency.

29:

• The timepiece according to claim 26, wherein said mechanical braking device is arranged so as to apply to said mechanical resonator said dissipative mechanical braking torque substantially by friction and such that the periodic braking pulses each have essentially a duration of less than one quarter of the set-point period corresponding to the reciprocal of the set-point frequency.

30:

• The timepiece according to claim 26, wherein the mechanical braking device is arranged so as to apply to said mechanical resonator said dissipative mechanical braking torque substantially by friction and such that the periodic braking pulses each have essentially a duration of less than 1/10 of the set-point period corresponding to the reciprocal of the set-point frequency.

31:

• The timepiece according to claim 26, wherein the mechanical braking device is arranged so as to apply to said mechanical resonator said dissipative mechanical braking torque substantially by friction and such that the periodic braking pulses each have essentially a duration of less than 1/40 of the set-point period corresponding to the reciprocal of the set-point frequency.

32:

• The timepiece according to claim 26, wherein said mechanical system is configured so as to enable the mechanical braking device to start, in said usable operating range of said slave oscillator, one of said periodic braking pulses at any position of said mechanical resonator along said general oscillation axis.

33:

• The timepiece according to claim 26, wherein said master oscillator comprises a master resonator which is formed by a balance-hairspring or a balance mounted on flexible strips.

34:

• The timepiece according to claim 26, wherein said master oscillator comprises an escapement provided with a stop pin and thus operating in a stepped mode.

35:

• The timepiece according to claim 26, wherein said master oscillator comprises a master resonator which is formed by a tuning fork.

36:

• The timepiece according to claim 26, wherein said master oscillator comprises a continuous rotating escapement of the magnetic type, with a magnetic coupling between a master resonator forming this master oscillator and an escapement wheel forming the continuous rotating escapement.

37:

• The timepiece according to claim 26, wherein said master oscillator is associated with a mechanism for equalizing the force exerted on the master resonator thereof in order to maintain the oscillation thereof.

38:

• The timepiece according to claim 26, wherein the mechanical braking device comprises a control mechanism and a braking pulse generator mechanism which is arranged to be actuated by the control mechanism at said braking frequency, so as to apply to an oscillating member of the mechanical resonator of said slave oscillator said dissipative mechanical braking torque during said periodic braking pulses.

39:

• The timepiece according to claim 38, wherein said braking pulse generator mechanism comprises a lever associated with a spring or a flexible element and provided with a braking member arranged to come into contact with a braking surface of said oscillating member during said periodic braking pulses.

40:

• The timepiece according to claim 39, wherein said control mechanism comprises an actuating finger or an actuating pin arranged on a control wheel so as to be able to actuate, upon each revolution of this control wheel, said lever in order to generate one of said periodic braking pulses;
• and in that the control wheel is driven in rotation at an average speed which is determined by said master oscillator.

41:

• The timepiece according to claim 40, wherein said control wheel is rigidly connected to an escapement wheel of said master oscillator.

42:

• The timepiece according to claim 40, wherein said control wheel is rigidly connected to a wheel set for transmitting power from a mechanical barrel to said master oscillator, this transmission wheel being kinematically connected to an escapement wheel of the master oscillator.

43:

• The timepiece according to claim 40, wherein said mechanical braking device is arranged such that the actuating finger or the actuating pin comes, upon each revolution of the control wheel, momentarily into contact with said lever firstly in order to rotate same and thus arm the braking pulse generator mechanism, and then in order to trigger one of said periodic braking pulses at a time when the contact between the actuating finger or the actuating pin and said generator mechanism is interrupted.

44:

• The timepiece according to claim 26, wherein it comprises an auxiliary barrel envisaged for powering said master oscillator and not said slave oscillator, the latter being powered by a main barrel.

45:

• The timepiece according to claim 26, wherein said periodic braking pulses have a force couple and a duration which are envisaged, for said usable operating range of the slave oscillator, so as not to lock momentarily said mechanical resonator during the periodic braking pulses at least in the majority of a potential transitory phase in the operation of the timepiece, this transitory phase being liable to occur, particularly following an engagement of the mechanical regulation device, before a synchronous phase where the slave oscillator is synchronized with said periodic braking pulses;
• and in that said mechanical system is arranged such that said dissipative mechanical braking torque can be applied to said mechanical resonator, at least in said majority of said potential transitory phase, during said duration of each of the periodic braking pulses.

46:

• The timepiece according to claim 26, wherein, for said usable operating range of said slave oscillator and in a synchronous phase of the operation of the timepiece where this slave oscillator is synchronized with said periodic braking pulses, these periodic braking pulses have a force couple and a duration which are envisaged so as to momentarily lock said mechanical resonator during periodic braking pulses at least in the end part thereof.