Temperature responsive self winding timepieces

A self winding timepiece which includes a casing, a main spring, a movement and a bi-directional to unidirectional winding mechanism for said main spring in said casing, an energy source for driving said winding mechanism which comprises a bimetallic coil having a moveable free outer end and subject to angular deflection in response to changes in temperature and means coupled to said free outer end of said coil for converting angular deflection of said coil to rotary motion for driving said winding mechanism.

The timepiece of claim 18 wherein said rotatable driver member is an orbit gear having internal teeth, a plurality of angularly spaced planet gears having teeth meshing with the internal teeth of said orbit gear, a sun gear on a shaft and having teeth meshing with the teeth of said planet gears, said shaft of said sun gear driving said winding mechanism.

• 21.The timepiece of claim 20 further including a bridge member supported in said casing and supporting said, a mounting member for said planet gears and said sun gear, said mounting member being mounted to said bridge member.

The timepiece of claim 21 where said mounting member has outwardly extending tabs at least partially overlying said bimetallic coil in said carrier.

The timepiece of claim 21 where said bi-directional to unidirectional converting mechanism comprises a member having a hub and two extending pawls, a ratchet wheel on a shaft operated by said pawls to produce unidirectional rotational motion of said shaft and means eccentric to the axis of said sun gear connecting said sun gear to said hub.

A self winding timepiece comprising a casing, a movement, a mainspring for operating said movement, a winding mechanism for said mainspring, an energy source for operating said winding mechanism to wind said mainspring, said energy source comprising a bimetallic coil having inner and outer ends and being subject to angular deflection with change in temperature, a rotatable driver member having a peripheral flange in said casing, said coil being disposed in said driver member and having its outer end attached to said flange, said inner end of said coil being secured within said casing, and means connecting said driver member to said winding mechanism.

A mechanism responsive to changes in temperature for producing unidirectional rotary motion of a shaft comprising an element subject to angular deflection in responsive to changes in temperature, an orbit gear having internal teeth coupled to one end of said element subject to angular deflection and arranged to be rotated in either direction by the angular deflection of said element, a plurality of equiangular spaced planet gears engaged by said internal teeth and driven by said orbital gear, a sun gear having a shaft engaged by said planet gears and arranged to be driven by said planet gears and a bi-directional to unidirectional mechanism driven by said sun gear shaft for converting movement of said sun gear shaft to unidirectional rotation.

In a self winding timepiece which includes a housing, a movement, a mainspring for driving said movement and a winding mechanism for winding said mainspring and a mechanism for driving said winding mechanism in said housing;

• the improvement comprising, said mechanism for driving and winding mechanism comprising an element subject to angular deflection in response to changes in temperature and means coupled to said element for converting angular deflection of said element to motion for driving said winding mechanism.