Timepiece mechanism with adjustable inertia balance wheel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10222748-B2
Application number	US-201715613791-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 5, 2017
Priority date	Jun 3, 2016
Publication date	Mar 5, 2019
Grant date	Mar 5, 2019

Abstract

Watch comprising a movement, with a timepiece balance wheel comprising a ring distinct from the balance rim, carried by a flange with respect to which this ring is movable in rotation to modify the position of inertia blocks elastically carried by the flange, each able to be indexed in different stable angular positions corresponding to a different inertia of the timepiece balance wheel, the movement further including an operating member movable between coupled and uncoupled positions which includes a stop means for immobilizing the rim in a coupled position, and a control means for rotating the ring to modify the position of the inertia blocks in the coupled position, the watch including a crown controlling the control means, a rotating coupling ring controlling the coupling/uncoupling of the operating member through contactless interaction with an external adjustment tool.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A timepiece balance wheel with adjustable inertia, comprising:
a staff carrying a rim via at least one arm and an inner flange fixed to said staff and directly or indirectly carrying an outer ring with, between said inner flange and said outer ring, a plurality of first elastic guide connections, which are inertia balanced with respect to an axis of said staff and in a plane perpendicular to said axis, said outer ring being distinct from said rim and configured to pivot with respect to said inner flange under the action of an external torque exerted against a resistant torque exerted by said first elastic guide connections, said balance wheel including a plurality of inertia blocks each carried by said outer ring by means of at least one external flexible strip, wherein each said external flexible strip is capable of being indexed in a stable angular position defined by the cooperation between a first indexing toothing carried by said inner flange and a second indexing toothing which is carried by each of said inertia blocks, and in that any rotation of said outer ring with respect to said inner flange modifies an angular position of said inertia blocks, said outer ring including guide shoulders sliding on centring supports comprised in said inner flange.

2. The timepiece balance wheel according to claim 1 , wherein each said guide shoulder extends over an angular sector corresponding to a range of adjustment of said timepiece balance wheel.

3. The timepiece balance wheel according to claim 1 , wherein said centring supports comprised in said inner flange are located at the end of substantially radial arms with respect to said axis of said staff.

4. The timepiece balance wheel according to claim 1 , wherein said timepiece balance wheel forms an inertia adjustment structure with a central spiral, wherein pivoting is achieved by friction of said centring supports on said guide shoulders, and in that said inner flange includes, as said first indexing toothing, a notched spiral fixed to said staff, and in that any relative rotation between said outer ring and said notched spiral, which cooperates with teeth comprised in said second indexing toothing of each said inertia block, causes the centrosymmetric deployment of said inertia blocks.

5. The timepiece balance wheel according to claim 1 , wherein said timepiece balance wheel further comprises vertical guide elements for ensuring the axial retention, parallel to said axis of said staff, of said outer ring.

6. The timepiece balance wheel according to claim 1 , wherein said centring supports of said outer ring and said guide shoulders are advantageously separated by a non-zero play, with a value of a few micrometers, and adapted to ensure a simultaneous drop of said inertia blocks comprised in said timepiece balance wheel during a tangential adjustment.

7. The timepiece balance wheel according to claim 1 , wherein said timepiece balance wheel comprises a one-piece upper plate including said outer ring, said inertia blocks, said at least one external flexible strips, and each said second indexing toothing.

8. The timepiece balance wheel according to claim 1 , wherein said inner flange includes a plurality of elastic strips concentrically clamping said staff with a friction torque greater than a maximum value of said external torque.

9. The timepiece balance wheel according to claim 1 , wherein said inner flange is irreversibly attached to said staff.

10. The timepiece balance wheel according to claim 1 , wherein said outer ring includes a peripheral and continuous toothing centred on said axis of said staff, wherein a rotation of said toothing modifies the position of said inertia blocks between two stable indexing positions.

11. A mechanical timepiece movement comprising:
at least one timepiece oscillator mechanism including said timepiece balance wheel according to claim 1 , wherein said mechanical timepiece movement includes an operating member configured to control an inertia adjustment of said timepiece balance wheel by modifying the position of said inertia blocks comprised in said timepiece balance wheel, said operating member being movable between a coupled position and at least one uncoupled position, wherein said operating member includes a stop means configured to directly or indirectly immobilise said rim in said coupled position, and at least one control means arranged, in said coupled position, to drive in rotation said outer ring to modify the position of said inertia blocks which cooperate with said outer ring.

12. The mechanical timepiece movement according to claim 11 , wherein the rotation of said outer ring is accomplished by said control means including a drive wheel adjacent to said timepiece balance wheel, carried by a bistable lever comprised in said stop means, said lever being coupled and/or uncoupled sideways by the mechanical action of a rotary ring peripheral to said timepiece movement.

13. A watch comprising:
said mechanical timepiece movement according to claim 12 ;
a control member including a push piece or a crown configured to control, via a sliding pinion, the movement of a motion-work, wherein said motion-work includes an input wheel configured to drive at least said control means in said coupled position of said operating member; and
a coupling ring configured to move in rotation to control the coupling or uncoupling of said operating member.

14. A timepiece assembly comprising:
said watch according to claim 13 ; and
an adjustment tool configured to allow the inertia adjustment of said timepiece balance wheel, wherein said adjustment tool is configured to control the rotation of said coupling ring, and said coupling ring and said adjustment tool include complementary magnetic areas for driving in rotation said coupling ring under the action of said adjustment tool when said complementary magnetic areas are cooperating.

15. The timepiece assembly according to claim 14 , wherein said adjustment tool is a magnetic key including magnetic studs and configured to cooperate with said coupling ring, said complementary magnetic areas being ferromagnetic targets, a number and position being concealed from the user, to prevent an unsuccessful attempt at adjustment by the user.

Assignees

• Swatch Group Res & Dev Ltd

Inventors

• Paratte Lionel
• Corson Donald William
• Lechot Dominique

Classifications

• G04B17/063 Primary

  Balance construction (balances with frequency adjustment screw G04B18/006; balances with temperature compensation G04B17/222; balancing devices G04B17/28) · CPC title

• G04B18/006 Primary

  by adjusting the devices fixed on the balance (construction of the pendulum G04B17/063; balancing G04B17/28) · CPC title

• G04B18/00

  Mechanisms for setting frequency {(for stabilising frequency G04B17/00)} · CPC title

• G04D7/084

  by setting adjustable elements, e.g. balance wheel screws · CPC title

• G04B17/20

  Compensation of mechanisms for stabilising frequency · CPC title