Watch with a striking mechanism having a governor and time setting safety function

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11372373-B2
Application number	US-201816164853-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 19, 2018
Priority date	Nov 23, 2017
Publication date	Jun 28, 2022
Grant date	Jun 28, 2022

Abstract

Watch with a time setting mechanism with an uncouplable motion work lever, with a striking mechanism having a governor, including at least one control piece set in motion by a movement or on user command, and a governor mechanism arranged to regulate to a substantially constant value the rotational speed of a strike function actuator, this striking mechanism including, for at least one control piece, a governor trigger piece arranged, according to the angular position of this control piece, to operate a governor stop jumper able to block or allow the rotation of this governor mechanism, and, by means of an articulated connection, to isolate the motion work lever in an uncoupling position or place it in a coupling position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A watch with a striking mechanism having a governor, comprising a time setting mechanism with a setting means arranged to drive, in its coupling position, a motion work lever able to occupy a coupling position and an uncoupling position, a movement comprising an output for releasing the passing strike by the movement and arranged to drive at least one reference wheel set, and said striking mechanism comprising at least one control piece arranged to be set in motion by said output or on user command, and to read position information on said at least one reference wheel set, said striking mechanism further comprising a governor mechanism arranged to regulate the rotational speed of at least one striking function actuator to a substantially constant value, wherein said striking mechanism comprises, for at least one said control piece, a governor trigger piece, which is distinct from said control piece and arranged, according to the kinematics of said control piece, to operate a governor stop jumper able to block or allow the rotation of said governor mechanism, and, by means of an articulated connection, to isolate said motion work lever in said uncoupling position or place it in said coupling position, said governor trigger piece forming an intermediate part arranged to allow said control piece to simultaneously release said governor mechanism and uncouple said motion work lever.

2. The watch according to claim 1 , wherein at least one said control piece which is associated with a said governor trigger piece, includes a drive means arranged to cooperate with a finger comprised in said governor trigger piece associated with said control piece when said governor is released, said drive means comprising an edge arranged to lift said finger, when said governor is locked, and to pivot said finger during execution of a strike or alarm function.

3. The watch according to claim 2 , wherein one said finger is arranged to pivot coaxially to a governor control cam, coaxially to a release plate which is pivotable with respect to said governor control cam with a relative amplitude limited by the travel of a first pin, comprised in said release plate, inside a first hole comprised in said governor control cam, or vice versa, to allow said motion work lever to return to its said coupling position before the locking of a pinion comprised in said governor mechanism by a locking finger comprised in said governor stop jumper, said governor trigger piece finger either pivoting integrally with said release plate or being arranged to be driven by another said finger corresponding to another control piece and which pivots integrally with said release plate.

4. The watch according to claim 3 , wherein said governor stop jumper includes a feeler arm which is held resting on a cam track comprised in said governor control cam, by a first spring, said cam track comprises, on its distal periphery, a cylindrical sector corresponding to the free position of said governor and, set back from said cylindrical sector, a lateral edge corresponding to the locked position of said governor which is then held by the restoring torque of said first spring.

5. The watch according to claim 4 , wherein said striking mechanism includes several said control pieces operating in cascade, and one of which is the last to be manoeuvred by the others, and in that there is only one said finger, which pivots integrally with said release plate and is arranged to cooperate with said last one of said control pieces.

6. The watch according to claim 5 , wherein said last one of said control pieces is a minute rack arranged to be driven by a quarter piece, and in that said single finger, which pivots integrally with said release plate, is arranged to cooperate with said minute rack.

7. The watch according to claim 3 , wherein said striking mechanism includes several said control pieces operating in cascade, and one of which is the last to be manoeuvred by the others, and in that there is only one said finger, which pivots integrally with said release plate and is arranged to cooperate with said last one of said control pieces.

8. The watch according to claim 7 , wherein said last one of said control pieces is a minute rack arranged to be driven by a quarter piece, and in that said single finger, which pivots integrally with said release plate, is arranged to cooperate with said minute rack.

9. The watch according to claim 2 , wherein said striking mechanism includes several said control pieces each arranged to cooperate with a distinct said finger wherein a specific finger of a said governor trigger piece thus corresponds to each said control piece, which is either specific to said control piece concerned, or common to all said control pieces.

10. The watch according to claim 1 , wherein said articulated connection includes, for each said governor trigger piece, at least one motion work uncoupling lever articulated by means of a groove comprised therein on a second pin comprised in said governor trigger piece, or vice versa, and which is subjected to the restoring torque of a second spring, and which is arranged to control, directly or indirectly, the switching of said motion work lever between its coupling position and its uncoupling position or vice versa, depending on the angular position of said governor trigger piece.

11. The watch according to claim 10 , wherein said motion work uncoupling lever is articulated with an intermediate motion work uncoupling lever which is articulated with said motion work lever, and comprises a pin sliding in a second oblong hole comprised in said motion work lever, a first stop position of said time setting means corresponding to the released position of said governor mechanism, and a second stop position of said time setting means corresponding to the locked position of said governor mechanism.

12. The watch according to claim 11 , wherein the articulated connection between said motion work uncoupling lever and said intermediate motion work uncoupling lever includes a cam for adjusting the duration between the moment of coupling of said motion work lever to said setting means on the one hand, and the moment of locking of said governor mechanism on the other hand.

13. The watch according to claim 1 , wherein at least one said reference wheel set is a snail.

Assignees

• Blancpain Sa

Inventors

• Denden Mehdi
• Peter Julien

Classifications

• G04B27/00 Primary

  Mechanical devices for setting the time indicating means · CPC title

• G04B21/14

  Winding-up the striking mechanism by the clockwork; winding up the clockwork by the striking mechanism {(winding up by hand or mechanically G04B3/00)} · CPC title

• G04B23/03

  Alarm signal stop arrangements · CPC title

• G04B21/10

  Releasing or locking the regular stroke, e.g. for silence during the night · CPC title

• 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