Timepiece comprising a wheel set with a determinable angular position

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10310452-B2
Application number	US-201615389861-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 23, 2016
Priority date	Dec 23, 2014
Publication date	Jun 4, 2019
Grant date	Jun 4, 2019

Abstract

A timepiece includes a timepiece movement provided with an analog display and at least one wheel rotating integrally with a rotary indicator of the analog display. The wheel includes an electrically conductive plate pierced with at least one aperture. The timepiece also includes a device for detection of a reference angular position of the aperture. The detection device includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a common electrode which are planar and arranged in a plane parallel to the wheel. The common electrode is arranged along portions of the first electrode and of the second electrode. The aperture is at least partially above or below: the first electrode in a first position of disequilibrium; the first electrode and the second electrode in a position of equilibrium; and the second electrode in a second position of disequilibrium.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A timepiece, comprising:
a timepiece movement provided with an analogue display and with at least one wheel rotating integrally with a rotary indicator of said analogue display, said at least one wheel including an electrically conductive plate extending substantially orthogonally to the axis of rotation of the at least one wheel, and pierced with at least one aperture; and
a device for detection of a reference angular position of the aperture, the detection device including at least one set of planar electrodes comprising a first electrode, a second electrode, and a common electrode arranged in a plane parallel to the at least one wheel, the common electrode being arranged along portions of the first electrode and of the second electrode,
the aperture being at least partially above or below:
the first electrode in a position called the first position of disequilibrium,
the first electrode and the second electrode in a position called the position of equilibrium, and
the second electrode in a position called the second position of disequilibrium,

wherein, when the rotary indicator starts a rotation from an initial angular position prior to reaching the first position of disequilibrium, the detection device is configured to:
detect a difference between an electrical capacitance of a first capacitor made by the first electrode and the common electrode when the aperture is in the first position of disequilibrium and an electrical capacitance of a second capacitor made by the second electrode and the common electrode when the aperture is in the second position of disequilibrium,
detect a maximum and a minimum of the difference on a curve representing the difference; and
determine the initial angular position of the at least one wheel, by the detected maximum and the minimum of the difference, and

wherein the aperture of the rotary indicator is sized to be directly above an entire surface area of all three of the electrodes simultaneously.

2. The timepiece according to claim 1 , wherein all three of the electrodes have a substantially identical area.

3. The timepiece according to claim 2 , wherein the aperture is at least partially above or below the common electrode in the first position of disequilibrium, the position of equilibrium and the second position of disequilibrium.

4. The timepiece according to claim 3 , wherein the three electrodes are completely above or below the aperture in the second position.

5. The timepiece according to claim 1 , wherein the common electrode includes two planar half electrodes electrically connected to each other, the half electrodes being arranged on either side of an assembly formed by the first electrode and the second electrode.

6. The timepiece according to claim 1 , wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are placed side-by-side, and the common electrode extends substantially in the shape of an annular portion along the first electrode and the second electrode.

7. A method for determination of an angular position of the at least one wheel of the timepiece movement of the timepiece according to claim 1 , including:
performing a stepwise rotation of said at least one wheel from the initial angular position;
measuring, simultaneously with the rotation,

C
⁢

⁢
2

-

C
⁢

⁢
1

C
⁢

⁢
1

+

C
⁢

⁢
2

as a function of the stepwise rotation, where C 1 is the electrical capacitance of the first capacitor formed by the first electrode and the common electrode, and C 2 is the electrical capacitance of the second capacitor formed by the second electrode and the common electrode;
detecting the maximum and the minimum on the curve representing the measuring; and
determining the initial angular position of the at least one wheel, by the detected maximum and minimum on the curve.

8. The timepiece according to claim 1 , wherein the detection device is configured to determine a number of steps between the first position and the second position and to calculate the initial angular position of the at least one wheel from the determined number of steps.

9. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the determining includes determining a number of steps between the first position and the second position and calculating the initial angular position of the at least one wheel from the determined number of steps.

Assignees

• Eta Sa Mft Horlogere Suisse

Inventors

• Lagorgette Pascal
• Tardivon Matthieu
• Rufener Rene

Classifications

• G01B7/30

  for measuring angles or tapers; for testing the alignment of axes · CPC title

• G01R27/26

  Measuring inductance or capacitance; Measuring quality factor, e.g. by using the resonance method; Measuring loss factor; Measuring dielectric constants {; Measuring impedance or related variables} · CPC title

• G04D7/1207

  only for measuring · CPC title

• G04C3/14 Primary

  incorporating a stepping motor (G04C3/02 - G04C3/12 take precedence {; generating commutating pulses in primary clocks G04C13/0463}) · CPC title

• G04C3/002

  Position, e.g. inclination dependent switches · CPC title