Timepiece mechanism

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11675313-B2
Application number	US-201816603735-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 17, 2018
Priority date	Apr 18, 2017
Publication date	Jun 13, 2023
Grant date	Jun 13, 2023

Abstract

A timepiece mechanism includes a first energy source with a regulating member, a second independent energy source, a control member driven by the second energy source, and a blocking device controlled by the first energy source to block the second energy source and release it to allow the control member to be displaced by jumps powered by the second energy source. The blocking device includes first and second mobile parts kinematically interconnected, the first mobile part including a drive device, the second mobile part including a stopping device; a rotating drive member connected to the first energy source and cooperating with the drive device to displace the mobile parts, alternately in opposite directions; and a rotating blocking member connected to the second energy source and cooperating with the stopping device to be blocked by the second mobile part and released at the determined times by second mobile part movement.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Timepiece mechanism ( 1 ) comprising:
a first source of energy ( 2 ),
a regulating member ( 4 ) arranged to regulate the first source of energy ( 2 ),
a second source of energy ( 5 ) independent of the first source of energy ( 2 ),
a control member ( 6 a ) arranged to be driven by the second source of energy ( 5 ),
a blocking device ( 8 ) arranged to be controlled by the first source of energy ( 2 ) to block the second source of energy ( 5 ) and to release it at determined times in order to allow the control member ( 6 a ) to be displaced by jumps under the action of the second source of energy ( 5 ),
wherein the blocking device ( 8 ) comprises:
first and second mobile parts ( 8 a ′, 8 a ″; 8 s , 8 t ) kinematically connected to one another, the first mobile part ( 8 a ′; 8 s ) comprising a drive device ( 8 h; 8 d ′), the second mobile part ( 8 a ″; 8 t ) comprising a stopping device ( 8 i ),
a rotating drive member ( 8 f ) kinematically connected to the first source of energy ( 2 ) and arranged to co-operate with the drive device ( 8 h ; 8 d ′) to displace the first mobile part ( 8 a ′; 8 s ), and thus the second mobile part ( 8 a ″; 8 t ), alternately in opposite directions, and
a rotating blocking member ( 8 g ) kinematically connected to the second source of energy ( 5 ) and arranged to co-operate with the stopping device ( 8 i ) to be blocked by the second mobile part ( 8 a ″; 8 t ) and released at said determined times by said displacements of the second mobile part ( 8 a ″; 8 t ).

2. Timepiece mechanism as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first and second mobile parts ( 8 a ′, 8 a ″) are fixed relative to one another.

3. Timepiece mechanism as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the first and second mobile parts ( 8 a ′, 8 a ″) form or are part of a same monolithic piece ( 8 a ).

4. Timepiece mechanism as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first and second mobile parts ( 8 s , 8 t ) can move with respect to each other.

5. Timepiece mechanism as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the stopping device ( 8 i ) is arranged such that the co-operation between the rotating blocking member ( 8 g ) and the stopping device ( 8 i ) immobilises the second mobile part ( 8 a ″; 8 t ) and thus the first mobile part ( 8 a ′; 8 s ) when the rotating drive member ( 8 f ) does not co-operate with the drive device ( 8 h ; 8 d ′).

6. Timepiece mechanism as claimed in claim 1 , wherein during normal operation, the rotating drive member ( 8 f ) is in contact with the first mobile part ( 8 a ′; 8 s ) only when it co-operates with the drive device ( 8 h ), i.e. over less than 60% of one revolution of the rotating drive member ( 8 f ).

7. Timepiece mechanism as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first mobile part ( 8 a ′; 8 s ) has an opening ( 8 d ) with a closed contour receiving the rotating drive member ( 8 f ) and the wall of which defines the drive device ( 8 h ; 8 d ′).

8. Timepiece mechanism as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the wall of the opening ( 8 d ) of the first mobile part ( 8 a ′; 8 s ) follows, over substantially 360°, the path of a tip of the rotating drive member ( 8 f ) in a coordinate system linked to the first mobile part ( 8 a ′; 8 s ) during rotation of the rotating drive member ( 8 f ) to protect the blocking device ( 8 ) from shocks.

9. Timepiece mechanism as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the wall of the opening ( 8 d ) of the first mobile part ( 8 a ′; 8 s ) comprises two opposing circular arc parts ( 8 j ) which have the same radius but different centres, the junctions between these two circular arc parts ( 8 j ) forming the drive device ( 8 h ).

10. Timepiece mechanism as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the rotating drive member ( 8 f ) is in the form of an eccentric disc.

11. Timepiece mechanism as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the rotating drive member ( 8 f ) is in the form of a pin.

12. Timepiece mechanism as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the rotating drive member ( 8 f ) is in the form of a finger or a starwheel.

13. Timepiece mechanism as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the second mobile part ( 8 a ″; 8 t ) has an opening ( 8 e ) with a closed contour receiving the rotating blocking member ( 8 g ) and the wall of which defines the stopping device ( 8 i ).

14. Timepiece mechanism as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the rotating blocking member ( 8 g ) is in the form of a finger or a starwheel.

15. Timepiece mechanism as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the drive device ( 8 h ) comprises first and second drive elements.

16. Timepiece mechanism as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the stopping device ( 8 i ) comprises first and second stopping elements.

17. Timepiece mechanism as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first and second mobile parts ( 8 a ′, 8 a ″; 8 s , 8 t ) are each movable in translation.

18. Timepiece mechanism as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first and second mobile parts ( 8 a ′, 8 a ″) are each movable in rotation.

19. Timepiece mechanism as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first and second mobile parts ( 8 a ′, 8 a ″; 8 s , 8 t ) are guided by one or more flexible guiding devices ( 8 b ).

20. Timepiece mechanism as claimed in claim 19 , wherein the flexible guiding device(s) ( 8 b ) is/are arranged to allow displacement of the first and second mobile parts ( 8 a ′, 8 a ″; 8 s , 8 t ) only in translation.

21. Timepiece mechanism as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the control member ( 6 a ) is arranged to control an indication of the date, week, day of the week, month or phase of the moon, or to control a striking mechanism.

22. Timepiece mechanism as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the second source of energy ( 5 ) is not associated with any winding mechanism which can be actuated by the user.

Assignees

• Patek Philippe Sa Geneve

Inventors

• Hide James
• Oes Stéphane
• Maier Frédéric

Classifications

• G04B1/12

  with several mainsprings {(installations with a mainspring and an auxiliary spring G04B1/225; winding-up several mainsprings simultaneously G04B3/008)} · CPC title

• G04B17/04

  Oscillators acting by spring tension · CPC title

• G04B15/10

  with constant impulses for the regulating mechanism {(electrically driven pendulums with mechanical pulse transmission and constant pulse G04C3/022; electrically driven pendulums with mechanical pulse transmission and constant pulse G04C3/045)} · CPC title

• G04B1/22

  Compensation of changes in the motive power of the mainspring (by mechanical shaping of the mainspring G04B1/14 {; automatic regulation of the pendulum G04B18/003; of the regulator G04B19/28}) · CPC title

• G04B19/2434 Primary

  driven or released by their own energy source which is released at regular time intervals · CPC title