Timepiece regulating mechanism with optimised magnetic escapement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10241475-B2
Application number	US-201715399224-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 5, 2017
Priority date	Mar 11, 2016
Publication date	Mar 26, 2019
Grant date	Mar 26, 2019

Abstract

Timepiece regulating mechanism including an energy storage means delivering an output torque (CS), via a train (3), to a wheel set (4) forming a magnetic escapement mechanism (10) with a resonator wheel set (5) subjected to the torque from a return means (6) and cooperating therewith, either directly or via a magnetic stop member (7), this magnetic escapement mechanism (10) being arranged to operate when the wheel set (4) receives a torque higher than or equal to a maintenance torque (CE), and the train (3) includes a torque regulating means (30) arranged to deliver to the wheel set (4) a constant torque comprised between 1.0 and 2.0 times the maintenance torque (CE), the torque regulating means (30) including a fusee (8) of continuously variable cross-section, from which unwinds a chain (9), wound by a drum (21), directly or indirectly driven by the energy storage means (2).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A timepiece regulating mechanism with a magnetic escapement, including a transmission train, a magnetic escape wheel set, a resonator wheel set, and a return mechanism, said regulating mechanism including an energy storage mechanism delivering energy as an output torque via said transmission train, to said magnetic escape wheel set, forming a magnetic escapement mechanism with said resonator wheel set subjected to a return torque from said return mechanism, said magnetic escape wheel set cooperating with said resonator wheel set, either directly, or via a magnetic stop member of said regulating mechanism, said magnetic escapement mechanism being arranged to operate when said magnetic escape wheel set receives a torque higher than or equal to a maintenance torque specific to said magnetic escapement mechanism, wherein said transmission train includes a torque regulator arranged to deliver to said magnetic escape wheel set a constant torque comprised between 1.0 and 2.0 times said maintenance torque, said torque regulator including a fusee of continuously variable cross-section from which unwinds a chain wound by a drum driven by said energy storage mechanism, said magnetic escape wheel set including at least one magnetized or ferromagnetic track with an interior track portion and exterior track portion providing a period of travel between the interior track portion and the exterior track portion said stop member including at least one magnetized or ferromagnetic pole piece, and said pole piece being mobile in a transverse direction relative to the direction of travel of at least one element on a top surface of said track.

2. The regulating mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein said energy storage mechanism includes at least one barrel.

3. The regulating mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein said transmission train includes a speed increasing gear train, arranged to transform said output torque into a lower intermediate torque, at an input of said torque regulator.

4. The regulating mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein said magnetic escapement mechanism includes said magnetic stop member between said magnetic escape wheel set and said resonator wheel set, said at least one magnetized or ferromagnetic track with another period of travel in which magnetic characteristics along a portion of said track are repeated, and at least said pole piece or said track creating a magnetic field in an air-gap between said at least one pole piece and said surface, and further wherein said pole piece is confronted by a magnetic field barrier on said track just before each transverse motion of said stop member controlled by the periodic action of said resonator wheel set.

5. A timepiece movement including the regulating mechanism according to claim 1 .

6. A watch including a timepiece movement according to claim 5 .

7. The regulating mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the drum and barrel are coaxial.

Assignees

• Swatch Group Res & Dev Ltd

Inventors

• Favre Jerome
• Di Domenico Gianni
• Lechot Dominique
• Born Jean-Jacques
• Hinaux Baptiste

Classifications

• G04C3/063

  the balance controlling contacts, the balance driving electro-magnet simultaneously driving the gear-train · CPC title

• G04C3/062

  the balance controlling contacts, the gear-train or several gear-trains being driven electro-magnetically thereby · CPC title

• G04C3/065

  the balance controlling gear-train by means of static switches, e.g. transistor circuits (synchronisation of balance G04C11/084) · CPC title

• G04C3/064

  the balance controlling indirectly, i.e. without mechanical connection, contacts, e.g. by magnetic or optic means · CPC title

• G04B1/22

  Compensation of changes in the motive power of the mainspring (by mechanical shaping of the mainspring G04B1/14 {; automatic regulation of the pendulum G04B18/003; of the regulator G04B19/28}) · CPC title