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US 4,744,066 AGranted
Quartz analog movement with lavet stepping motor and large energy cell
AssigneeTimex Corporation
InventorHerbert Schwartz
Life of this patent
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AssigneeTimex Corporation
InventorHerbert Schwartz
Estimating the term…
A movement for a three hand quartz analog timepiece has an energy cell supplying power to a timekeeping circuit which periodically steps the rotor of a Lavet type stepping motor. The stepping motor rotor drives a "seconds" wheel assembly attached to the "seconds" hand spindle through one or more intermediate wheel assemblies of gear, pinion, and spindle. A first intermediate wheel spindle of non-magnetic material is journaled such that its axis extends through the circumferential gap carrying magnetic flux between the rotor and the stator of the stepping motor. Several alternative means of journaling the first intermediate wheel assembly within the active flux gap of the stepping motor are shown and described, as well as movements having two intermediate wheel assemblies. The arrangement allows a small diameter "seconds" wheel and a relatively large energy cell, which provides a long running time for the movement.
In a movement for a timepiece having an energy cell, a stepping motor, a timekeeping circuit connected to said energy cell and supplying driving pulses to said stepping motor, a frame, and a bridge spaced from said frame for rotatably supporting gear wheel assemblies therebetween, the improvement comprising:
In a movement for a quartz analog wristwatch having an energy cell, a Lavet stepping motor having a rotor with permanent magnet, pinion, and spindle and having a stator defining an opening surrounding said rotor and spaced therefrom to define a circumferential gap for the passage of magnetic flux, a frame supporting said stepping motor, a "seconds" wheel assembly comprising gear, pinion, and spindle rotatably mounted in the center of said frame, and a first intermediate wheel assembly comprising a gear engaged with the pinion of said rotor, said first intermediate wheel assembly being arranged to drive said seconds wheel assembly so as to perform a speed reduction drive between the stepping motor rotor and the "seconds" wheel assembly, the improvement in the aforesaid known movement comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.