Dynamic chronometric testing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11169489-B2
Application number	US-201816195883-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 20, 2018
Priority date	Dec 1, 2017
Publication date	Nov 9, 2021
Grant date	Nov 9, 2021

Abstract

A dynamic chronometric testing of a movement or of a watch, control device fine controlling a predefined or random cycle of movements via standardised chronometric testing positions, the rate parameters are also measured in dynamic positions where the acceleration and velocity are different to zero and which correspond to additional dynamic chronometry criteria, defined to qualify the rate during a continuous movement applied to the movement or respectively to this watch.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device configured for dynamic chronometric testing of a watch movement or watch, said device comprising
at least one receptacle arranged to hold, up to a given acceleration threshold, at least one movement or a watch, and including multi-axis handling means arranged to handle each said receptacle spatially, arranged to apply to each said receptacle at least one predefined or random cycle in respect of a path thereof and dynamic evolution thereof along the path under the control of a fine control circuit including a clock or connected to an external time base, said cycle including passage via standardised static chronometric testing positions, wherein
said multi-axis handling means are arranged for continuous spatial handling of each said receptacle, and
said device includes rate sensor means for the continuous and dynamic recording of rate parameters of each movement placed in said receptacle during at least one of a movement and an acceleration, correlated with an environment sensor for continuous recording, relative to said recording of the rate parameters, of physical conditions of the environment wherein said chronometric testing takes place, and
said device includes the fine control circuit interfaced with said rate sensor means, and said environment sensor, and arranged to evaluate behaviour upon wearing of each said movement or respectively of each said watch, to issue a testing certificate in the case where all values measured comply with predefined tolerances, or to resume an iterative rate setting correction and testing process otherwise, for both dynamic positions and said standardised static chronometric testing positions where the acceleration and velocity are different than zero and which correspond to additional dynamic chronometry criteria, defined in order to qualify the rate during continuous motion applied to said movement or respectively to said watch,
said multi-axis handling means are configured to simulate movements of at least one of an arm, forearm and of a right-handed or left-handed user, with angular amplitudes limited to natural angular amplitudes at a level respectively of a shoulder, elbow, wrist, and
said multi-axis handling means are configured to switch, at random times of said at least one predefined cycle, to apply to said movement or respectively to the watch a path according to at least one of a random velocity a random acceleration, random modulus, random direction, and random direction movement vectors, along travels limited to a predefined envelope volume.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said multi-axis handling means are arranged to handle each said receptacle spatially according to at least two degrees of freedom simultaneously.

3. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said device includes rate setting means, and wherein said fine control circuit is arranged to send control signals to actuators included in said rate setting means, the actuators being arranged to correct a rate of adjustment means included in a resonator of said at least one movement or respectively of said at least one watch, before proceeding with at least one new said at least one predefined or random test cycle.

4. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said rate sensor means and said environment sensor are arranged to subject said at least one movement or respectively said at least one watch, to additional predefined or random validation tests.

5. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said said multi-axis handling means are configured to generate a resultant movement of said at least one movement or respectively of said at least one watch, along a set surface or a sphere or an ellipsoid or a hyperboloid.

6. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said fine control produces a random duration of said switching.

7. The device according to claim 6 , wherein said multi-axis handling means are controlled to resume said at least one predefined or random cycle according to a position reached upon switching, from the end of said switching.

8. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said multi-axis handling means comprise at least one multi-axis robot including, between a shoulder joint and an elbow joint restricted to the same angular travels as a human arm, an upper robot arm of similar dimensions to those of the human arm, and at a distal part beyond elbow joint, a lower arm of similar dimensions to those of a human forearm and wearing, in a vicinity of an end of the distal part thereof, said at least one movement or respectively said at least one watch.

9. The device according to claim 8 , wherein said multi-axis robot comprises three axes at a level of said shoulder joint, and three axes at a level of said elbow joint.

10. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said fine control comprises a storage device arranged to at least one of:
store parameters in respect of tolerances, angular clearance thresholds, velocity thresholds, acceleration thresholds, and
store a kinematic sequence recorded according to one of movements of a user and a programmed kinematic sequence.

11. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said receptacle comprises at least one inertial sensor including at least one accelerometer arranged to measure acceleration applied to said at least one movement or respectively to said at least one watch, and distinguish static positions where the acceleration and the velocity are zero and among which are the standardised chronometric testing positions, and dynamic positions where the acceleration and the velocity are different than zero and which correspond to additional dynamic chronometry criteria.

12. A method for dynamic chronometric testing of a watch movement, or of a watch, comprising:
applying movements to said movement, or respectively to said watch, including at least one predefined or random cycle in respect of a path thereof and dynamic evolution thereof along the path under fine control based upon a clock or an external time base, said at least one cycle including a passage via standardised chronometric testing positions,
measuring rate parameters of said movement or respectively of said watch in said standardised positions and in at least one of further programmed and random intermediate positions, wherein continuous chronometric testing of said movement or respectively of said watch is carried out,
recording the rate parameters of said movement or respectively of said watch continuously and dynamically,
comparing said rate parameters with set-point values,
issuing a testing certificate if all values measured comply with predefined tolerances, or an iterative rate setting correction and testing process is resumed otherwise,
measuring acceleration applied to said movement or respectively to said watch, to distinguish static positions where the acceleration and the velocity are zero and among which are said standardised chronometric testing positions, and dynamic positions where the acceleration and the velocity are different than zero and which correspond to additional dynamic chronometry criteria, defined to qualify the rate during a continuous movement applied to said movement or respectively to said watch, and
generating random movements of said movement or respectively of said watch in order to perform, at said dynamic positions, additional dynamic chronometry testing.

13. The method for the dynamic chronometric testing of a watch movement, or of a watch, according to claim 12 , wherein, during at least a part of a testing cycle, spatial movements are applied to said movement or respectively to said watch, according to at least two degrees of freedom simultaneou

Assignees

• Montres Breguet Sa

Inventors

• Stranczl Marc
• Piguet Rene

Classifications

• G04D7/1214

  for complete clockworks · CPC title

• G04D7/1264 Primary

  for complete clockworks · CPC title

• G04D1/06

  Supporting devices for clockworks or parts of time-pieces {(for automatic assembly G04D1/0021)} · CPC title