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US 7,445,374 B2Granted
Two-state chronograph with switching means
AssigneeVaucher Manufacture Fleurier S.A.
InventorsStephen Edward Methuen Forsey, Robert Greubel
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention concerns a chronograph watch movement, comprising a chronograph mechanism, including: a chronograph gear-train comprising first (40) and second (38) wheels completing a revolution in sixty seconds and a revolution in a fraction of an hour respectively and arranged in the center of the movement, a control device (48) for starting and stopping the rotation of the chronograph gear-train, and a reset device (50). In said movement, the chronograph mechanism further comprises switching means designed such that, upon activation, they connect the second wheel (38) of the chronograph gear-train to a finishing mobile, so that the display means borne by the second wheel display the current time unit equivalent to that of the measured time.
Claims16
A chronograph watch movement, including a frame and, carried by the frame, the chronograph watch movement comprising:
- an energy source,
- a time base powered by the energy source,
- a first going train element driven in rotation in synchronism with said time base, said first going train element including a mobile element associated with units of time selected from among the minutes and hours of the current time;
- and
- a chronograph mechanism including:
- a second chronograph train element for driving in synchronism with the time base, said second chronograph train element including first and second wheels respectively completing one revolution in sixty seconds and one revolution in a time allowing the measured units of time, selected from between the hours and minutes, to be displayed, said first wheel and said second wheel being arranged coaxially with said mobile element, said wheels being arranged such that said wheels carry display means for displaying a measured time;
- a control device for starting and stopping said wheels of said second train;
- a device for resetting the display means;
- and
- a switching means for switching between a connected state and a disconnected state such that said second wheel of said chronograph train is connected to said mobile element of said going train element when said switching means is in a connected state, whereby said display means connected to said second wheel displays the unit of current time equivalent to the measured time, said unit of current time and said unit of measured time being a minute, said switching means including a hammer pivotably mounted on the mobile element, a cam secured to the second wheel and an elastic member holding the hammer abutting against the cam.
7 more elements
A chronograph watch movement, including a frame, the chronograph watch movement comprising:
- an energy source;
- a time base powered by the energy source;
- a current time measuring hand
- a first drive train rotating in synchronization with said time base, said first drive train element including a first gear connected to said current measuring time hand;
- a chronograph mechanism including:
- a first display means;
- a second display means;
- a second chronograph drive train actuated in synchronism with said time base, said second chronograph drive train including a first chronograph gear and a second chronograph gear, said first chronograph gear completing one revolution in sixty seconds, said second chronograph gear completing one revolution in sixty minutes, said first chronograph gear and said second chronograph gear being arranged coaxially with said first gear of said first drive train, said first chronograph gear being connected to said first display means, said second chronograph gear being connected to said second display means;
- a control means for controlling said first chronograph gear and said second chronograph gear;
- a resetting means for resetting said first display means and said second display means;
- and
- a switching means for switching between a connected state and a disconnected state such that said second chronograph gear of said chronograph drive train is connected to said first gear of said first drive train when said switching means is in said connected state, said second display means being superimposed with said current measuring time hand when said second chronograph gear is connected to said first gear, said unit of current time and said unit of measured time being a minute, said switching means including a hammer pivotably mounted on the first gear, a cam secured to the second wheel and an elastic member holding the hammer abutting against the cam.
9 more elements
A chronograph watch movement, including a frame, the chronograph watch movement comprising:
- an energy source;
- a time base powered by the energy source;
- a current time measuring hand;
- a first drive train rotating in synchronization with said time base, said first drive train element including a first gear connected to said current measuring time hand;
- a chronograph mechanism including:
- a measuring time hand;
- a second hand;
- a second chronograph drive train for driving in synchronism with said time base, said second chronograph drive train including a first chronograph gear connected to said second hand and a second chronograph gear connected to said measuring time hand, said first chronograph gear completing one revolution in sixty seconds, said second chronograph gear completing one revolution in sixty minutes, said first chronograph gear and said second chronograph gear being arranged coaxially with said first gear of said first drive train;
- a control means for controlling said first chronograph gear and said second chronograph gear;
- a resetting means for resetting said measuring time minute hand and said second hand;
- a switching means for connecting said second chronograph gear of said chronograph drive train to said first gear of said first drive train, said measuring time hand being superimposed with said current measuring time hand and rotating therewith when said second chronograph gear is connected to said first gear, said current time and said measured time being measured in minutes, said switching means including a hammer pivotably mounted on the first gear, a cam secured to the second wheel and an elastic member holding the hammer abutting against the cam.
8 more elements
A movement according to 11, wherein said chronograph mechanism further comprises a locking means for locking and unlocking said control means such that said chronograph mechanism is in a locked state or an unlocked state, said chronograph mechanism being in said locked state when said switching means connects said second chronograph gear of said second drive train to said first gear, wherein a position of said measuring time hand defines a measured time when said control means is in said unlocked state, said measuring time hand displaying a current time when said control means is in a locked state, said measuring time hand displaying said measured time when said control means is in said unlocked state.
A chronograph watch movement, including a frame, the chronograph watch movement comprising:
- an energy source,
- a time base powered by the energy source,
- a first going train element driven in rotation in synchronism with said time base, said first going train element including a mobile element associated with units of time selected from among the minutes and hours of the current time;
- and
- a chronograph mechanism including:
- a second chronograph train element for driving in synchronism with the time base, said second chronograph train element including first and second wheels respectively completing one revolution in sixty seconds and one revolution in a time allowing the measured units of time, selected from between the hours and minutes, to be displayed, said first wheel and said second wheel being arranged coaxially with said mobile element, said wheels being arranged such that said wheels carry display means for displaying a measured time;
- a control device for starting and stopping said wheels of said second train;
- a device for resetting the display means;
- and
- a switching means for switching between a connected state and a disconnected state such that said second wheel of said chronograph train is connected to said mobile element of said going train element when said switching means is in a connected state, whereby said display means connected to said second wheel displays the unit of current time equivalent to the measured time, said unit of current time and said unit of measured time being a minute;
- and
- a locking device arranged for locking the control device while the switching means are connecting the second wheel of the second train element to said mobile element, said mobile element being connected to a current time minute hand and the second wheel being connected to a measured time minute hand, such that, while the locking device is locking the control device, the switching means positions the second wheel with reference to the first mobile such that the two hands are superposed.
9 more elements
A chronograph watch movement, including a frame, the chronograph watch movement comprising:
- an energy source;
- a time base powered by the energy source;
- a current time measuring hand;
- a first drive train rotating in synchronization with said time base, said first drive train element including a first gear connected to said current measuring time hand;
- a chronograph mechanism including:
- a first display means;
- a second display means;
- a second chronograph drive train actuated in synchronism with said time base, said second chronograph drive train including a first chronograph gear and a second chronograph gear, said first chronograph gear completing one revolution in sixty seconds, said second chronograph gear completing one revolution in sixty minutes, said first chronograph gear and said second chronograph gear being arranged coaxially with said first gear of said first drive train, said first chronograph gear being connected to said first display means, said second chronograph gear being connected to said second display means;
- a control means for controlling said first chronograph gear and said second chronograph gear;
- a resetting means for resetting said first display means and said second display means;
- and
- a switching means for switching between a connected state and a disconnected state such that said second chronograph gear of said chronograph drive train is connected to said first gear of said first drive train when said switching means is in said connected state, said second display means being superimposed with said current measuring time hand when said second chronograph gear is connected to said first gear;
- an isolation device comprising:
- an isolation gear including a first plate of the same diameter as the first gear, and a second plate arranged for cooperating with a pawl and provided with a pin for activating the hammer;
- a retaining member comprising a lever and a retaining wheel mounted for rotation on the lever, said retaining member including first and second plates arranged such that said first and second plates mesh respectively with the first plate of the isolation gear and the minute gear of the first train drive, and connected to each other by a one-directional coupling mechanism, and
- isolation control members comprising:
- an isolation lever,
- a pawl pivotably mounted on the lever and cooperating with the second plate of the isolation gear to move said pawl with respect to the first plate and said pin, said pin raising the hammer to interrupt the connection between the second wheel of the second drive train and the minute gear of the first drive train.
15 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.