Device for timepiece, timepiece movement and timepiece comprising such a device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11934149-B2
Application number	US-201716465912-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 30, 2017
Priority date	Dec 1, 2016
Publication date	Mar 19, 2024
Grant date	Mar 19, 2024

Abstract

A device for a timepiece, comprising a support, an inertial regulating member mounted so as to rotate relative to the support by an elastic suspension connecting said regulating member to the support. The regulating member comprises a number n of rigid portions interconnected in pairs by n elastic coupling links. The elastic suspension comprises n elastic suspension links respectively connecting each rigid portion to the support.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for a timepiece comprising a planar mechanism extending in a mid-plane, said planar mechanism comprising:
a support,
an inertial regulating member connected to the support by an elastic suspension, said inertial regulating member having a substantially axial symmetry of order n relative to a central axis orthogonal to said mid-plane and fixed relative to the support, n being a whole number at least equal to 2,
wherein said inertial regulating member comprises a number n of rigid portions interconnected in pairs by n elastic coupling links,
and the elastic suspension comprises n elastic suspension links respectively connecting each rigid portion to the support.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the inertial regulating member is movable substantially in rotation about said central axis.

3. The device according to claim 2 , wherein the rigid portions of the inertial regulating member are movable both in rotation and in radial translation relative to the central axis.

4. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the elastic suspension links each comprise at least one elastic arm.

5. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the number n is at least equal to 3 and each rigid portion is connected to two adjacent rigid portions respectively by two elastic coupling links.

6. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the number n is equal to 3.

7. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the rigid portions each comprise a part in the form of a circular arc centered on the central axis.

8. The device according to claim 7 , wherein the parts in the form of a circular arc are adjacent to one another and together form a discontinuous ring.

9. The device according to claim 8 , wherein the parts in the form of a circular arc each extend angularly between a first end and a second end which overlap one another in an angular direction.

10. The device according to claim 8 , wherein the parts in the form of a circular arc each extend angularly between a first end and a second end, the second end being extended radially by a rigid arm terminating in a jaw extending angularly beyond the second end, and each elastic coupling link comprising at least one elastic coupling arm extending substantially radially relative to the central axis and connecting said jaw of each rigid portion to the first end of the part in the form of a circular arc of an adjacent rigid portion.

11. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the support comprises at least one central part surrounded by the rigid portions of the inertial regulating member, and each elastic suspension link comprises at least one elastic suspension arm extending substantially radially inward from the corresponding rigid portion to said at least one central part of the support.

12. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the mechanism further comprises an anchor adapted to engage with an energy distribution member provided with teeth and intended to be urged by an energy storage device, said anchor being controlled by said inertial regulating member to regularly and alternately block and release the energy distribution member, such that said energy distribution member moves step by step under the urging of the energy storage device in a cycle of repetitive movement, and said anchor being adapted to transfer mechanical energy to said inertial regulating member during this cycle of repetitive movement.

13. The device according to claim 12 , wherein said anchor is connected to the support by two elastic anchor suspension arms and to one of the rigid portions of the inertial regulating member by at least one elastic driving arm.

14. The device according to claim 13 , wherein the elastic anchor suspension arms are arranged so that said anchor is movable substantially in rotation about an axis parallel to said central axis.

15. The device according to claim 13 , wherein the anchor comprises a main rigid body which comprises two stopping means adapted to engage with the teeth of the energy distribution member, the main rigid body of the anchor being arranged internally relative to the part in the form of a circular arc of one of the rigid portions, and the anchor further comprising a rigid driving arm integral to the main rigid body and connected to the rigid arm of said rigid portion by said elastic driving arm.

16. The device according to claim 1 , comprising movement limitation means adapted to limit the displacements of at least one of the rigid portions of the inertial regulating member relative to the support.

17. The device according to claim 16 , wherein said movement limitation means limit an angular displacement of said at least one of the rigid portions of the inertial regulating member relative to the support, about the central axis.

18. The device according to claim 16 , wherein said movement limitation means comprise a slot formed in said at least one of the rigid portions of the inertial regulating member and extending angularly around the central axis, and a pin integral to the support and arranged in the slot.

19. The device according to claim 16 , wherein said movement limitation means comprise a rigid movement limitation arm that is part of said at least one of the rigid portion of the inertial regulating member, and two additional movement limitation members which are part of the support and which radially frame said rigid movement limitation arm, said rigid movement limitation arm extending angularly relative to the central axis.

20. The device according to claim 19 , wherein the rigid movement limitation arm comprises a free end provided with a head that is enlarged in the radial direction, said head being wider than the spacing between the two additional movement limitation members that are part of the support.

21. The device according to claim 20 , wherein the enlarged head can move angularly within a recess in the form of a circular arc centered on the central axis, which is formed in the support, the opening of said recess in said support being a narrow opening bounded by two edges which are part of said support and which form said additional movement limitation members.

22. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the support is arranged at least partially around the inertial regulating member, each rigid portion comprising a part in the form of a circular arc centered on the central axis and a rigid arm extending from the part in the form of a circular arc to an inner end near the central axis, each elastic suspension link comprising an elastic suspension arm connecting the support to the inner end of the rigid arm and extending substantially radially relative to the central axis, and each elastic coupling link comprising at least one elastic coupling arm connecting the part in the form of a circular arc of a rigid portion to the inner end of the rigid arm of an adjacent rigid portion, said elastic coupling arm extending substantially radially relative to the central axis.

23. A timepiece movement comprising a device according to claim 1 and an energy distribution member provided with teeth and intended to be urged by an energy storage device, said device comprising an anchor adapted to engage with the energy distribution member, said anchor being controlled by said inertial regulating member to regularly and alternately block and release the energy distribution member, such that said energy distribution member moves step by step under the urging of the energy storage dev

Assignees

• Lvmh Swiss Mft Sa

Inventors

• Semon Guy
• Mercier Thomas
• Danard Florian
• Ypma Wout Johannes Benjamin
• Lustig Maarten Pieter

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

• G04B15/08

  Lever escapements · CPC title

• G04B17/045 Primary

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