Device for adjusting a retrograde timepiece display

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11442409-B2
Application number	US-201916589244-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 1, 2019
Priority date	Oct 12, 2018
Publication date	Sep 13, 2022
Grant date	Sep 13, 2022

Abstract

A retrograde display mechanism including a main plate and a rack pivoting on a first arbor about a first axis centring its toothing, and including a sensing element following a cam pivoting on a second arbor about a second axis, the position of the first pivot axis and/or of the second pivot axis is adjustable with respect to the main plate with an adjustment plate carrying the first arbor and/or respectively the second arbor, and movable with at least one degree of freedom with respect to the main plate whose position with respect to the main plate is adjustable by an adjustment control device or an eccentric screw secured to the main plate and cooperating with a notch in the adjustment plate, or vice versa.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A retrograde timepiece display mechanism, comprising:
a main plate; and
at least one rack pivotally mounted on a first arbor pivoting about a first pivot axis and comprising a toothing centred on the first pivot axis, the at least one rack including a sensing finger arranged to follow a periphery of a cam comprised in the retrograde timepiece display mechanism and which is pivotally mounted on a second arbor pivoting about a second pivot axis,
wherein a position of the first pivot axis and/or of the second pivot axis is adjustable with respect to the main plate with an adjustment plate carrying the first arbor and/or the second arbor, respectively, and is movably mounted with at least one degree of freedom with respect to the main plate, and
wherein the position with respect to the main plate is adjustable by an adjustment control means, in order to adjust a total angle of the retrograde timepiece display mechanism.

2. The retrograde timepiece display mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the adjustment plate comprises
at least one trunnion movable in an oblong hole comprised in the main plate, and/or
at least one oblong hole arranged to cooperate with a trunnion comprised in the main plate.

3. The retrograde timepiece display mechanism according to claim 2 , wherein the adjustment plate further comprises two trunnions each movable in an oblong hole comprised in the main plate.

4. The retrograde timepiece display mechanism according to claim 3 , wherein the first arbor and/or the second arbor forms one of the trunnions.

5. The retrograde timepiece display mechanism according to claim 2 , wherein the adjustment plate includes two oblong holes each arranged to cooperate with one trunnion comprised in the main plate.

6. The retrograde timepiece display mechanism according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one play compensation spring arranged to always push the first arbor and/or the second arbor in a same direction with respect to the main plate and to retain the adjustment plate.

7. The retrograde timepiece display mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the adjustment control means comprises
an eccentric screw secured to the main plate and arranged to engage with a notch comprised in the adjustment plate, or
a notch provided in the main plate and arranged to engage with an eccentric screw fixed to the adjustment plate.

8. The retrograde timepiece display mechanism according to claim 7 , wherein the adjustment control means further comprises only a single eccentric screw.

9. The retrograde timepiece display mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the sensing finger is further arranged to move back into direct contact with the cam after a return-to-zero operation, the cam forming an end of travel stop for the sensing finger.

10. The retrograde timepiece display mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the adjustment control means is arranged to control a translation of a centre of rotation of the sensing finger formed by the first pivot axis.

11. The retrograde timepiece display mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the adjustment control means is arranged to control a rotation of a centre of rotation of the sensing finger formed by the first pivot axis.

12. The retrograde timepiece display mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the adjustment control means is arranged to control a translation of a centre of rotation of the cam formed by the second pivot axis.

13. The retrograde timepiece display mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the adjustment control means is arranged to control a rotation of a centre of rotation of the cam formed by the second pivot axis.

14. A timepiece movement including at least one retrograde timepiece display mechanism according to claim 1 .

15. A timepiece including at least one retrograde timepiece display mechanism according to claim 1 .

16. The timepiece according to claim 15 , wherein the timepiece is a watch.

Assignees

• Blancpain Sa

Inventors

• Denden Mehdi

Classifications

• G04B35/00

  Adjusting the gear train, e.g. the backlash of the arbors, depth of meshing of the gears {(adjusting the escapement G04B15/12)} · CPC title

• G04B19/02 Primary

  Back-gearing arrangements between gear train and hands {(transmissions in general G04B13/00)} · CPC title

• G04B19/00 Primary

  Indicating the time by visual means ({indicating the time optically by electric means G04C17/00, e.g.} by electric lamps G04C17/02; display arrangements in general G09F) · CPC title

• G04B19/082 Primary

  varying from the normal closed scale · CPC title

• G04B19/04

  Hands; Discs with a single mark or the like {(moving indicating arrangements which have scales or numbers with stationary hands or reading means G04B19/20; optical projection of the position of the hands G04B19/34)} · CPC title