Atypical gong, watch with striking mechanism comprising the same and gong manufacturing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10437199-B2
Application number	US-201715420811-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 31, 2017
Priority date	Feb 26, 2016
Publication date	Oct 8, 2019
Grant date	Oct 8, 2019

Abstract

The gong is made with a wire or a strip having an atypical shape for a watch striking mechanism. The gong includes a rectilinear part connected to a curved part. The rectilinear part and/or the curved part are connected to the same gong-carrier. The gong includes several notches made at defined geometric points on a portion of the length of the gong to adapt the natural vibration frequencies within an audible range between 1 kHz and 5 kHz, so that the sound produced by the vibrating gong is harmonious.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A gong for a striking mechanism of a watch, the gong comprising:
a wire or a strip including a rectilinear part connected to a curved part; and
at least two notches or hollows or grooves at defined geometric points on a portion of a length thereof so as to adapt at least two natural vibration frequencies within an audible range between 1 kHz and 5 kHz, the notches or hollows or grooves formed on an undersurface of the gong such that the at least two notches or hollows or grooves are not visible on an upper surface of the gong located opposite the undersurface,
wherein a ratio between the at least two frequencies is a number N+d, where N is an integer number greater than or equal to 2, and d/N is comprised between −0.01 and +0.01, so that a sound produced by the gong results in consonant harmonic and melodic intervals.

2. The gong according to claim 1 , wherein the two notches or hollows or grooves are made in the rectilinear part.

3. The gong according to claim 1 , wherein at least two notches or hollows or grooves are made in the curved part.

4. The gong according to claim 1 , wherein at least two notches or hollows or grooves are made in the rectilinear part, and wherein at least three notches or hollows or grooves are made in the curved part of a circular shape in order to tune at least two natural vibration frequencies within the audible range from 1 kHz to 5 kHz.

5. The gong according to claim 1 , wherein one notch or hollow or groove is made in the rectilinear part and wherein two notches or hollows or grooves are made in the curved part.

6. The gong according to claim 1 , wherein each notch or groove is made over an entire width of the gong.

7. The gong according to claim 1 , wherein two ends of the gong are intended to be attached to a single gong-carrier of the striking mechanism, and wherein the gong with the rectilinear part and the curved part thereof takes the form of a letter of the alphabet, a modified portion being defined in a median portion of the curved part.

8. The gong according to claim 1 , wherein a thickness of a gong is identical over an entire length thereof, and wherein a depth of each notch or hollow or groove in a general thickness of the gong is identical.

9. A striking watch comprising a striking mechanism provided with at least one gong according to claim 1 , the striking mechanism including at least one gong-carrier, to which the at least one gong is connected, and at least one hammer to strike, at determined moments, the at least one gong from below in a vertical direction substantially perpendicular to a plane including the at least one gong, the at least one gong-carrier being integral with a plate or disposed in contact with an inner wall of a case middle or a bezel or a watch case back.

10. The striking watch according to claim 9 , wherein the at least one gong-carrier is attached in contact with an inner wall of a case middle or a bezel or a watch case back, wherein at least one end of the rectilinear part or of the curved part of the at least one gong is attached to the at least one gong-carrier, and wherein at least the upper surface of the at least one gong is visible through a crystal of the watch.

11. The striking watch according to claim 9 , wherein the at least one gong includes a first gong and a second gong, the first gong to be struck by a first hammer from below and the second gong to be struck by a second hammer from below, wherein the first gong has two ends attached to the at least one gong-carrier, wherein the second gong has one end of the rectilinear part or of the curved part attached to the same gong-carrier or to a second gong-carrier disposed in contact with an inner wall of a case middle.

12. The striking watch according to claim 11 , wherein the first gong and the second gong form only one piece with the at least one gong-carrier, wherein the rectilinear part of the first gong is disposed parallel to the rectilinear part of the second gong, the end of which is attached to the at least one gong-carrier, and wherein the two gongs are disposed in the same plane.

13. The striking watch according to claim 12 , wherein the first gong includes at least two notches or grooves in the rectilinear part and at least three notches in the curved part, and wherein the second gong includes at least one notch or groove in the rectilinear part and at least two notches in the curved part.

14. A method for manufacturing the gong according to claim 1 , for a striking mechanism of a watch, wherein the method comprises:
determining active lengths of the rectilinear part and of the curved part of the gong by dimensioning each part independently of the other to produce natural frequencies close to selected target values when the gong vibrates, and
refining the natural frequencies of the gong by forming the notches or hollows or grooves at the defined geometric points on a length of the gong.

15. The method for manufacturing at least one gong according to claim 14 , wherein the notches or hollows or grooves are made by milling in a general thickness of the gong over an entire width of the gong.

16. The method for manufacturing at least one gong according to claim 14 , wherein the method comprises modifying a shape of the curved part of the gong on a median portion so as to define a structure in the shape of a letter.

17. A gong for a striking mechanism of a watch, the gong comprising:
a wire or a strip including a rectilinear part connected to a curved part; and
at least two notches or hollows or grooves at defined geometric points on a portion of a length thereof so as to adapt at least two natural vibration frequencies within an audible range between 1 kHz and 5 kHz, the notches or hollows or grooves formed on an undersurface of the gong such that the at least two notches or hollows or grooves are not visible on an upper surface of the gong located opposite the undersurface,
wherein a ratio between the at least two frequencies is a number N+d, where N is an integer number greater than or equal to 2, and d/N is comprised between −0.01 and +0.01, and
wherein a cross-sectional area of the wire or strip is identical over an entire length thereof except where the notches or hollows or grooves are formed.

18. A gong for a striking mechanism of a watch, the gong comprising:
a wire or a strip including a rectilinear part connected to a curved part; and
at least two notches or hollows or grooves at defined geometric points on a portion of a length thereof so as to adapt at least two natural vibration frequencies within an audible range between 1 kHz and 5 kHz,
wherein a ratio between the at least two frequencies is a number N+d, where N is an integer number greater than or equal to 2, and d/N is comprised between −0.01 and +0.01, so that a sound produced by the gong results in consonant harmonic and melodic intervals, and
wherein one notch or hollow or groove is made in the rectilinear part and wherein two notches or hollows or grooves are made in the curved part.

19. The gong according to claim 1 , wherein each of the notches is placed on a gong length in correspondence with an antinode of one and only one of a mode shape.

Assignees

• Montres Breguet Sa

Inventors

• Kadmiri Younes
• Frangne Thomas
• Sarchi Davide

Classifications

• G04B21/06 Primary

  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

• G10K1/066

  the sounding member being a tube, plate or rod · CPC title

• G04B21/08 Primary

  Sounding bodies; Whistles; Musical apparatus (with electro-acoustical transmitters G04C21/00, {G04B23/08; sounding arrangements in alarm clocks G04B23/028; cases with arrangements for enhancing sound production G04B37/0075; carillons and sounding boards G10F1/08, G04B1/10, G10D13/08}) · CPC title

• G04B23/028

  Sounding bodies; boxes used as sounding cases; fixation on or in the case (sounding bodies G04B21/08; case enhancing transmission of sound waves G04B37/0075) · CPC title

• G04B21/12

  Reiterating watches or clocks · CPC title