# US 9,882,510 B2 · Passive indexing of a movable element having teeth > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,882,510 B2 - Document ID: US9882510B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/371,726 - Filed: 2013-01-11 - Published: 2015-01-22 - Granted: 2018-01-30 - Earliest claimed: 2012-01-12 - Assignees: Silmach - Applicants: Silmach - Inventors: Patrice Minotti; Gilles Bourbon; Patrice Le Moal - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9882510B2 ## CPC - H02N 1/008: {Laterally driven motors, e.g. of the comb-drive type} - F16H 31/007: {Step-by-step mechanisms for linear motion} - G06M 1/04: for driving the stage of lowest order (with variable ratio of drive G06M1/38) - G04C 3/00: Electromechanical clocks or watches independent of other time-pieces and in which the movement is maintained by electric means (clocks driven by synchronous motors G04C15/00) - H02N: ELECTRIC MACHINES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - F16H: GEARING - G06M: COUNTING MECHANISMS; COUNTING OF OBJECTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G04C: ELECTROMECHANICAL CLOCKS OR WATCHES ## Abstract The invention relates to a device including: a movable element (1) comprising teeth (11; 11i, i, 11i+1, 11i+2, 11i+3, 11i+4); a driving element (2) for engaging with the teeth (11; 11i, 11i+1, 11i+2, 11i+3, 11i+4) of the movable element (1) so as to set the movable element (1) in motion in a direction of movement; an actuator element (3) capable of generating an alternating movement so as to move the driving element (2) according to at least two phases, i.e. a driving phase, during which the driving element (2) is engaged with a tooth (11; 11i, 11i+1, 11i+2, 11i+3, 11i+4) of the movable element (1), and a return phase without driving, during which the driving element (2) is shifted with respect to the movable element (1); and a first indexing element (4), which includes a first indexing finger (41) to be positioned between two teeth (11; 11i, 11i+1, 11i+2, 11i+3, 11i+4) of the movable element (1), and which is connected to the actuator element (3) in order to move the driving element (2) and the first indexing finger (41) simultaneously. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A device comprising: a mobile element (1) comprising teeth (11; 11i; 11i+1, 11i+2, 11i+3, 11i+4) and intended to be set in motion; a drive element (2) intended to engage with the teeth (11; 11i, 11i+1, 11i+2, 11i+3, 11i+4) of the mobile element (1) to set in motion the mobile element (1) in a direction of displacement; an actuator element (3) connected to the drive element (2) capable of generating alternative motion to shift the drive element (2) in at least two phases, a driving phase and a return phase, during the driving phase, the drive element (2) is engaged with at least one tooth (11; 11i, 11i+1, 11i+2, 11i+3, 11i+4) of the mobile element (1) to push or pull the mobile element (1), during the return phase without driving, the drive element (2) is offset relative to the mobile element (1) to be engaged with at least one other tooth (11; 11i, 11i+1, 11i+2, 11i+3, 11i+4) of the mobile element (1), a first indexing element (4) comprising a first indexing finger (41) intended to be positioned intermittently in a space between two teeth (11; 11i, 11i+2, 11i+3, 11i+4) of the mobile element (1) to prevent uncontrolled displacement by the drive element in the direction of displacement of the mobile element (1) or in the opposite direction; and characterised in that the first indexing element (4) is connected to the actuator element (3) such that the actuator element (3) simultaneously shifts the drive element (2) and the first indexing finger (41). ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The device according to claim 1, wherein during the driving phase, the first indexing finger (41) is shifted by the actuator element (3) out of the space between the two teeth (11; 11i, 11i+1, 11i+2, 11i+3, 11i+4) of the mobile element (1); and during the return phase, the first indexing finger (41) is positioned by the actuator element (3) in another space between two other teeth (11; 11i, 11i+1, 11i+2, 11i+3, 11i+4) of the mobile element (1). ### Claim 3 (depends on 1, 2) The device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the actuator element (2) comprises a fixed part and a mobile part relative to the fixed part, the drive element (3) and the indexing element (4) being connected to the mobile part. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The device according to claim 3, wherein the first indexing element (4) comprises: a first beam (43) comprising a first free end and a second end connected to the actuator element (3); and a second beam (45) comprising a first free end and an end connected to a fixed chassis (9) of the device; the first beam (43) and the second beam (45) being connected to each other by their respective free ends such that displacement of the first beam (43) driven by the actuator element (3) causes flexion of the second beam (45), the effect of which is to move the first indexing finger (41) relative to the mobile element (1). ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The device according to claim 1, further comprising a second indexing element (5) comprising a second indexing finger (51) intended to be positioned intermittently between two teeth (11; 11i, 11i+1, 11i+2, 11i+3, 11i+4) of the mobile element (1), the second indexing finger (51) being shifted in phase opposition with the first indexing finger (41). ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The device according to claim 5, wherein during the driving phase, the second indexing finger (51) is positioned in the space between the two other teeth (11; 11i, 11i+1, 11i+2, 11i+3, 11i+4) of the mobile element (1), wherein the first indexing finger (41) will be positioned during the return phase; and during the return phase, the second indexing finger (51) is shifted out of the space between the two teeth (11; 11i, 11i+1, 11i+2, 11i+3, 11i+4) of the mobile element (1). ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The device according to claim 5, wherein the second indexing element (5) is also connected to the actuator element (3) such that the actuator element (3) simultaneously moves the drive element (2) and the second indexing finger (5). ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The device according to claim 7, wherein the second indexer (5) comprises: a first beam (53) comprising a first free end and a second end connected to the actuator element (3); and a second beam (55) comprising a first free end and an end connected to the fixed chassis (9) of the device; the first beam (53) and the second beam (55) being connected to each other by their free ends such that displacement of the first beam (53) driven by the actuator element (3) causes flexion of the second beam (55), the effect of which is to move the second indexing finger (51) relative to the mobile element (1).