Safety regulation for a timepiece escapement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10228659-B2
Application number	US-201615373003-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 8, 2016
Priority date	Dec 18, 2015
Publication date	Mar 12, 2019
Grant date	Mar 12, 2019

Abstract

Escapement mechanism including such a regulating mechanism, limiting the effect of accelerations on an escape wheel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A regulating mechanism for dissipation of energy superfluous to achievement of a function of a timepiece mechanism including a functional mobile component, said regulating mechanism arranged to control a dissipation of energy in case of racing by said functional mobile component, said regulating mechanism comprising:
at least one rotor kinematically connected to said functional mobile component or formed by said functional mobile component, and including either a conductive rotor part which is magnetically permeable, or a magnetized rotor part which is magnetized; and
on an annular area of magnetic interaction, in direct proximity and opposite to said conductive rotor part or respectively said magnetized rotor part, at least one stator including a magnetized stator part which is magnetized, or respectively a magnetically permeable conductive stator part,
wherein, in said annular area of magnetic interaction, at least said rotor or said stator includes at least one raised area in which said rotor or said stator is movable so as to be superimposed respectively with said stator or said rotor in a direction parallel to a pivot axis of the rotor in a magnetic interaction, and in said annular area at least said rotor or said stator includes at least one hollow area, in which said rotor or said stator cannot move into magnetic interaction respectively with said stator, or said rotor, and
wherein said regulating mechanism is arranged to control a dissipation of energy through eddy currents in said annular area in case of racing by said functional mobile component, the energy dissipation depending on the relative angular position of said rotor and said stator and only occurring when solid parts of said rotor and of said stator face each other in said annular area wherein the at least one raised area and/or the at least one hollow area has a variable thickness allowing modulation of the amplitude of dissipated energy.

2. The regulating mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein at least said rotor or said stator includes an alternation of said raised areas, in which said rotor or said stator is movable into superposition respectively with said stator or said rotor in an interaction generating eddy currents, and wherein, at least said rotor or said stator includes an alternation of said hollow areas, in which said rotor or said stator is not movable into superposition respectively with said stator or said rotor, and wherein the interaction between said rotor and said stator cannot generate eddy currents.

3. The regulating mechanism according to claim 2 , wherein, in said annular area, both said rotor and said stator include a succession of said raised areas, in which said rotor or said stator is movable into superposition respectively with said stator or said rotor, in an interaction generating eddy currents, and said hollow areas, in which said rotor or said stator is not movable into superposition respectively with said stator or said rotor, and wherein the interaction between said rotor and said stator cannot generate eddy currents.

4. The regulating mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein said regulating mechanism includes an eccentric screw to adjust the angular position of said stator.

5. The regulating mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein said at least on rotor includes a plurality of coaxial rotors at least two of which together define an air gap inside which is housed said stator.

6. The regulating mechanism according to claim 5 , wherein said regulating mechanism includes a screw to adjust the angular position of at least one of said rotors with respect to the other of said rotors.

7. The regulating mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein said hollow areas and raised areas extend in a plane perpendicular to the pivot axis of said rotor, to move said rotor and said stator radially closer or further away from each other.

8. The regulating mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein said hollow areas and raised areas extend in a direction parallel to the axis of pivoting of said rotor, to move said rotor and said stator axially closer or further away from each other.

9. The regulating mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein said conductive rotor part, said magnetized rotor part, said conductive stator part and said magnetized stator part has a variable thickness allowing modulation of the amplitude of dissipated energy.

10. A timepiece escapement mechanism including at least one escape wheel, wherein said escapement mechanism includes a regulating mechanism according to claim 1 , arranged to limit the effect of accelerations on said escape wheel.

11. A timepiece movement including at least one escapement mechanism according to claim 10 .

12. A watch including at least one timepiece movement according to claim 10 .

13. The regulating mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein, when said rotor and said stator are superimposed in the annular area of magnetic interaction, the at least one raised area is asymmetrically located with respect to the pivot axis of the rotor in the annular area.

Assignees

• Montres Breguet Sa

Inventors

• Alagon Carrillo Sebastian
• Legeret Benoit
• Sarchi Davide

Classifications

• G04B17/06

  Oscillators with hairsprings, e.g. balance {(electrically driven balances G04C3/04; contacts actuated by a balance G04C13/065)} · CPC title

• G04B15/10

  with constant impulses for the regulating mechanism {(electrically driven pendulums with mechanical pulse transmission and constant pulse G04C3/022; electrically driven pendulums with mechanical pulse transmission and constant pulse G04C3/045)} · CPC title

• G04C5/005 Primary

  Magnetic or electromagnetic means · CPC title

• G04B21/06

  Details of striking mechanisms, e.g. hammer, fan governor {(escapements in general G04B15/00; mechanisms for stabilising frequency G04B17/00; resistance regulators G05D13/00; mechanical toys A63H)} · CPC title

• G04B17/30

  Rotating governors, e.g. centrifugal governors, fan governors (for striking mechanism G04B21/06 {; electrically driven G04C3/0335}) · CPC title