Mechanism for adjusting a timepiece bridge

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11768466-B2
Application number	US-202017060496-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 1, 2020
Priority date	Nov 25, 2019
Publication date	Sep 26, 2023
Grant date	Sep 26, 2023

Abstract

A mechanism for adjusting a timepiece bridge fixed to a structure, including, coaxial and able to move one with respect to the other by sliding and/or rotation on a common axis, and returned one towards the other by an elastic return or clamping means, a first component fixed to the structure and a second component fixed to the bridge, the first component including a first relief facing a second relief that the second component includes, the first relief and the second relief having variable cooperation depending on the relative angular position between the first component and the second component, each the particular relative angular position defining a particular distance between reference surfaces of the first component and the second component.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A mechanism ( 10 ) for adjusting a timepiece bridge ( 200 ) fixed to a structure ( 300 ), said adjustment mechanism ( 10 ) comprising, coaxial and movable one with respect to the other by sliding along a common axis (D 10 ) and/or in rotation with respect to said axis (D 10 ), which defines the adjustment direction, and returned one towards the other by an elastic return means or pressed one against the other by a clamping means, a first component ( 1 ) arranged so as to be fixed to said structure ( 300 ) or to said bridge ( 200 ), and at least one second component ( 4 , 8 ) arranged so as to be fixed to said bridge ( 200 ) or respectively to said structure ( 300 ), wherein said first component ( 1 ) includes, on a first annular or circular sector around said axis (D 10 ), a first relief ( 3 , 7 ) facing a second relief ( 6 ) that said second component ( 4 , 8 ) includes on a second annular or respectively circular sector around said axis (D 10 ), said first relief ( 3 , 7 ) and said second relief ( 6 ) having variable cooperation depending on the relative angular position between oblique surfaces, relative to said axis (D 10 ), of each of said first component ( 1 ) and said second component ( 4 , 8 ), said oblique surfaces being angled so as to rest flatly on ones of each other, each said particular relative angular position defining a particular distance H in an increasing order along an entire circumference about said axis (D 10 ) and between reference surfaces (S 1 , S 2 ) perpendicular to said axis (D 10 ) of said first component ( 1 ) and of said second component ( 4 , 8 ), wherein said first relief ( 3 , 7 ) and said second relief ( 6 ) are arranged to guide said first component ( 1 ) and said second component ( 4 , 8 ) in an additional relative rotation towards a stable position among a finite number of stable equilibrium positions when they are pushed one towards the other, and in that each said stable position corresponds to a particular distance among a finite number of possible distances between said reference surfaces (S 1 , S 2 ).

2. The adjustment mechanism ( 10 ) according to claim 1 , wherein each relative angular orientation gives rise to a unique particular distance H between the reference surfaces (S 1 , S 2 ), which is different from all the other distances corresponding to all the other particular positions.

3. The adjustment mechanism ( 10 ) according to claim 1 , wherein said first relief ( 3 , 7 ) and said second relief ( 6 ) each include a friction surface able to maintain a stable relative angular orientation between said first component ( 1 ) and said second component ( 4 , 8 ) when they are pushed one towards the other.

4. A timepiece oscillator mechanism ( 100 ) including at least one inertial mass cooperating with an elastic return means for maintaining the oscillation and the definition of the oscillation frequency, and including at least one adjustment mechanism ( 10 ) according to claim 1 , for adjusting at least one bridge carrying means for the pivotal guidance of said at least one inertial mass.

5. The timepiece movement ( 500 ) including at least one timepiece oscillator mechanism ( 100 ) according to claim 4 , and/or at least one adjustment mechanism ( 10 ) according to claim 1 .

6. The timepiece ( 1000 ) including at least one timepiece movement ( 500 ) according to claim 5 .

7. The timepiece ( 1000 ) according to claim 6 , wherein said timepiece ( 1000 ) is a watch.

8. The timepiece ( 1000 ) including at least one timepiece oscillator mechanism ( 100 ) according to claim 4 .

9. Timepiece ( 1000 ) including at least one adjustment mechanism ( 10 ) according to claim 1 .

10. The adjustment mechanism ( 10 ) according to claim 1 , wherein said oblique surfaces are arranged in pairs of male and female dihedron shapes of each of same first component ( 1 ) and said second component ( 4 , 8 ).

11. The adjustment mechanism ( 10 ) according to claim 10 , wherein ones of said dihedron shapes are irregularly arranged around said axis (D 10 ) such that heights of edges of said dihedron shapes differ from each other along said axis (D 10 ).

12. The adjustment mechanism ( 10 ) according to claim 1 , wherein said oblique surfaces of each of said first component ( 1 ) and said second component ( 4 , 8 ) are arranged in pairs of helices that rest at least partly flatly on ones of each other around said axis (D 10 ), and
wherein a height of each of the helices individually is smoothly increased along a half of the entire circumference about said axis (D 10 ).

Assignees

• Eta Sa Mft Horlogere Suisse

Inventors

• Kaelin Laurent

Classifications

• G04B15/14 Primary

  Component parts or constructional details, e.g. construction of the lever or the escape wheel {(assembly and manufacture of the spring G04B1/145; assembly and manufacture of components, e.g. pinions, spindles G04B13/02; lubrication of clockwork bearings G04B31/008; oils for clockwork bearings in general G04B31/08)} · CPC title

• G04B17/045

  with oscillating blade springs (mechanical oscillations maintained by electro-magnetic means, e.g. tuning forks G04C3/10) · CPC title

• G04B29/02

  Plates; Bridges; Cocks · CPC title

• G04B29/04 Primary

  Connecting or supporting parts · CPC title

• G04B17/063

  Balance construction (balances with frequency adjustment screw G04B18/006; balances with temperature compensation G04B17/222; balancing devices G04B17/28) · CPC title