Drive device for a display element

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11899401-B2
Application number	US-201916731403-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 31, 2019
Priority date	Jan 7, 2019
Publication date	Feb 13, 2024
Grant date	Feb 13, 2024

Abstract

A drive device for a display element for displaying a quantity associated with time or derived from time,
includes a cam that is pivoted about a first axis and designed to drive the movement of the display element, the cam having a peak, a lever that is pivoted about a second axis, and a spring that is designed to return the lever into contact with the cam, wherein an angle (α) is formed, in a plane perpendicular to the first and second axes, between (i) a straight line passing through
(a) the contact point between the peak, in particular the point is farthest from the first axis, and the lever, and (b) the first axis, and
(ii) a straight line passing through the first axis (A 3 ) and the second axis, the angle (α) is less than or equal to 70°.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A drive device for a display element for displaying a quantity associated with time or derived from time, comprising:
a cam that is pivoted about a first axis and designed to drive a movement of the display element, the cam including a peak;
a lever that is pivoted about a second axis, and
a spring that is designed to return the lever into contact with the cam,
an angle (α) is formed, in a plane perpendicular to the first and second axes, between:
a straight line passing through:
a contact point between the peak, the contact point is farthest from the first axis, and the lever, and
the first axis, and

a straight line passing through the first axis and the second axis,
the angle is less than or equal to 65°,
wherein the lever is configured to act on the cam due to the spring to drive the cam.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the angle is greater than or equal to 30°.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the lever comprises a roller intended to come into contact with the cam, the roller is made of hard material minimizing friction.

4. The device as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the roller is mounted on the lever so as to pivot about a third axis.

5. The device as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the roller has a radius less than or equal to 1 mm.

6. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the peak is a rounded surface having a radius less than 0.1 mm.

7. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the cam has at least one concave surface adjacent to the peak.

8. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the cam comprises at least one drive finger for the display element.

9. The device as claimed in claim 1 , comprising a drive wheel that is a 24-hours wheel, and a connection that provides a degree of freedom between the drive wheel and the cam, wherein the connection includes a pin cooperating with an elongate cutout designed to secure the cam and the drive wheel.

10. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a distance between the second axis and a contact point of the lever with the cam or a distance between the second axis and the axis is less than or equal to 4 times a maximum radius of the cam or a distance between the first axis and the contact point.

11. A timepiece calendar system or module comprising a device as claimed in claim 1 .

12. The system or module as claimed in claim 11 , comprising a display element comprising a display disk, the display disk intended to cooperate with an aperture and/or intended to cooperate with at least one drive finger secured to the cam.

13. A timepiece movement comprising a system or module as claimed in claim 11 .

14. A timepiece comprising a timepiece movement as claimed in claim 13 .

15. A timepiece movement comprising a device as claimed in claim 1 .

16. A timepiece comprising a device as claimed in claim 1 .

17. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the cam has two concave surfaces on either side of the peak.

18. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the quantity associated with time or derived from time includes dates of a timepiece calendar.

19. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the connection includes a connection of a freewheel designed to secure the cam and the drive wheel.

Assignees

• Rolex Sa

Inventors

• Fleury Christian

Classifications

• G04B19/24 Primary

  Clocks or watches with date {or week-day} indicators {, i.e. calendar clocks or watches}; Clockwork calendars · CPC title

• G04B13/02 Primary

  Wheels; Pinions; Spindles; Pivots (bearings G04B31/00 {; chain wheels, spindles for chain wheels, also chains and driving weights G04B1/08}) · CPC title

• G04B19/25 Primary

  Devices for setting the date indicators manually · CPC title

• G04B13/025

  with elastic means between the toothing and the hub of a toothed wheel · CPC title

• G04B19/253

  Driving or releasing mechanisms · CPC title