Display mechanism with a single aperture

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12055897-B2
Application number	US-201917279992-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 26, 2019
Priority date	Sep 26, 2018
Publication date	Aug 6, 2024
Grant date	Aug 6, 2024

Abstract

Disclosed is a display mechanism for a timepiece, including a frame, an aperture which is fixed relative to the frame and a first and a second display disc each bearing indications, characterized in that it makes it possible to display the indications of the first and second discs alternately through the aperture. The invention also relates to a timepiece movement including such a mechanism, and to a timepiece such as a wrist watch, a pocket watch, a clock or a miniature clock including such a timepiece movement.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Display mechanism for a timepiece, comprising a frame, an aperture which is fixed relative to the frame in a non-moveable manner and a first and a second display disc each bearing indications, wherein the display mechanism enables displaying the indications of the first and second discs alternately through said aperture, wherein said first and second discs are coplanar.

2. The display mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein said mechanism comprises at least one control means which can be manually actuated by the user of said timepiece to change the disc at least one indication of which is readable through said aperture.

3. The display mechanism according to claim 2 , wherein the display mechanism enables, by actuating said control means, the movement in translation, in rotation or along a trajectory combining rotation and translation of at least said first disc.

4. The display mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein said first and second discs are concentric.

5. The display mechanism according to claim 3 , further comprising at least a first movable support carrying at least said first disc, said movable support being able to perform alternating movements of translation or rotation between a first and a second predetermined position, which are fixed relative to the frame, the first predetermined position allowing the reading of at least one indication borne by said first disc through the aperture and the second predetermined position allowing the reading of at least one indication borne by said second disc through the aperture.

6. The display mechanism according to claim 5 , wherein said control means allows said first movable support to pass from the first predetermined position to the second predetermined position.

7. The display mechanism according to claim 1 , further comprising a mechanism for correcting the indication(s) visible through the aperture.

8. The display mechanism according to claim 7 , wherein said correction mechanism is controlled by a control member, the actuation of which is necessary for every occurrence to change the disc of which at least one indication is visible through said aperture.

9. The display mechanism according to claim 5 , wherein said first movable support carries said first and second discs.

10. The display mechanism according to claim 9 , wherein said first and second discs are concentric, coplanar and respectively fixed relative to a ring having an internal toothing and to a ring having an external toothing, said display mechanism further comprising a drive pinion intended to be kinematically connected to a going train of a timepiece movement of said timepiece, said drive pinion being fixed relative to the frame; wherein said alternating movements of said first movable support between said first and second predetermined positions are rotational movements about an axis of rotation that is coincident with the axis of rotation of the drive pinion; and wherein said first movable support also carries at least two drive wheel assemblies, each of them comprising a first toothed wheel coaxial with and rotationally fixed relative to a starwheel and a second toothed wheel coaxial with the first toothed wheel and carrying a jumper engaged in the toothing of the starwheel, the display mechanism being arranged so that said drive pinion meshes simultaneously with one of the first and second toothed wheels of each of said wheel assemblies, the other toothed wheel of each of these wheel assemblies meshing one with the internal toothing of the ring associated with said first disc and the other with the external toothing of the ring associated with said second disc to put said first and second discs in rotation relative to the support when the drive pinion pivots about the drive pinion's axis of rotation.

11. The display mechanism according to claim 10 , further comprising a third toothed wheel intended to be driven in rotation about an axis of rotation which is fixed relative to the frame in order to correct the indication(s) visible through the aperture, this third toothed wheel meshing with the toothing of the ring associated with the first disc to drive the first disc in rotation about the axis when the movable support is in the first predetermined position and meshing with the toothing of the ring associated with the second disc to drive the second disc in rotation about the axis when the movable support is in the second predetermined position.

12. The display mechanism according to claim 5 , wherein in the first predetermined position said first disc covers at least the part of said second disc located facing the aperture and wherein in the second predetermined position said first disc does not cover the part of said second disc located facing the aperture.

13. The display mechanism according to claim 12 , wherein said first disc is movable in rotation about an axis which is fixed relative to said first movable support, and wherein said second disc is movable in rotation about an axis which is fixed relative to the frame.

14. The display mechanism according to claim 3 , wherein said first and second discs are superimposed and intended to pivot about a common axis of rotation which is fixed relative to the frame, the upper disc comprising at least one other aperture, the display mechanism being arranged so that said control means allows the upper disc to be pivoted so as to position in front of the aperture, as desired, either at least one indication of the upper disc so that said indication is readable through the aperture, or the other aperture or one of said other apertures so that at least one indication of the lower disc is readable through the aperture.

15. Timepiece movement comprising a mechanism according to claim 1 .

16. Timepiece comprising the timepiece movement according to claim 15 .

17. The display mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the display mechanism enables movement in translation, in rotation or along a trajectory combining rotation and translation of at least said first disc.

18. The display mechanism according to claim 2 , wherein said first and second discs are coplanar.

19. The display mechanism according to claim 3 , wherein said first and second discs are coplanar.

Assignees

• Patek Philippe Sa Geneve

Inventors

• Maier Frédéric
• Hide James
• Boule Nicolas

Classifications

• G04B19/2534 Primary

  driven or released continuously by the clockwork movement · CPC title

• G04B19/247 Primary

  disc-shaped {(G04B19/24306 takes precedence; for electrically driven timepieces G04C17/0058)} · CPC title