Mechanism for the magnetic actuation of timepiece striking mechanisms

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016299472-A1
Application number	US-201615089613-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 4, 2016
Priority date	Apr 9, 2015
Publication date	Oct 13, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A watch including a timepiece striking mechanism, including a drive mechanism for driving and controlling the striking mechanism to operate at least one rigid hammer, movable between a first winding position and a second striking position, the hammer being arranged to strike a gong in the second striking position, this hammer including at least one magnetized portion arranged to cooperate with at least one actuator arranged to be driven in motion by the drive mechanism, the actuator including an alternating series of first areas and second areas with different magnetic field characteristics from each other, to whose influence the magnetized portion is successively subjected on order to trigger, as the case may be, the winding of the hammer or the striking of the hammer on the gong.

First claim

1 . A watch comprising at least one timepiece striking mechanism, including a drive mechanism for driving and controlling the striking mechanism to operate at least one rigid hammer, movable between a first winding position and a second striking position, wherein said hammer is arranged to strike a gong in said second striking position, wherein said hammer includes at least one magnetized portion arranged to cooperate with at least one actuator capable of being driven in motion by said drive mechanism, said actuator includes at least one track with an alternating series of at least first areas and second areas with different magnetic field characteristics from each other, to whose influence said magnetized portion is successively subjected in order to trigger, as the case may be, the winding of said hammer or the striking of said hammer on said gong.

2 . The watch according to claim 1 , wherein said actuator is immobile when said hammer and said gong are driven in motion by said drive mechanism.

3 . The watch according to claim 1 , wherein, in each said track comprised in said actuator, said first areas each form a magnetic potential peak where the magnetic field has the greatest intensity in said track concerned, and each form a magnetic field barrier, of the same magnetic polarity as said magnetized portion of said hammer, and tending to prevent said magnetized portion of said hammer crossing thereover.

4 . The watch according to claim 3 , wherein said actuator includes at least one track with an alternating arrangement of said first areas, and of said second areas which are not magnetized, and wherein the periodic interaction between said first magnetic potential peak areas and said magnetized portion of said hammer tends to push said magnetized portion off said track, seen in plan, and/or off said actuator, seen in plan, and wherein said hammer includes elastic return means tending to return said hammer above said track and/or said actuator.

5 . The watch according to claim 1 , wherein said actuator includes at least a first track including an alternating arrangement of said first areas and said second areas, and a second track adjacent to said first track and which also includes an alternating arrangement of said first areas and said second areas, and wherein the magnetic field characteristics between said first areas and said second areas are different within each said track.

6 . The watch according to claim 5 , wherein said actuator is annular, and wherein a said first track is annular, concentric and adjacent to a said second track, which is also annular.

7 . The watch according to claim 5 , wherein said first areas of said first track are adjacent to the second areas of said second track, and wherein said second areas of said first track are adjacent to said first areas of said second track.

8 . The watch according to claim 1 , wherein, in at least one said track comprised in said actuator, said second areas each form a magnetic potential ramp where the magnetic field is of increasing or decreasing intensity, and said second areas exchange energy with said magnetized portion of said hammer during the relative displacement of said actuator with respect to said hammer.

9 . The watch according to claim 8 , wherein said potential ramp is an ascending ramp.

10 . The watch according to claim 8 , wherein said potential ramp is a descending ramp.

11 . The watch according to claim 8 , wherein said potential ramp is of the same magnetic polarity as said magnetized portion of said hammer.

12 . The watch according to claim 8 wherein said potential ramp is of the opposite magnetic polarity to that of said magnetized portion of said hammer.

13 . The watch according to claim 3 , wherein said actuator is a first ring comprising an inner track and an outer track, each including an alternating arrangement of said second areas, each forming one increasing magnetic potential ramp, with increasing magnetization, and of said first areas forming potential peaks, said ramps and peaks being staggered on said inner track and said outer track and always behaving in repulsion with respect to said magnetized portion of said hammer moving above said tracks.

14 . The watch according to claim 3 , wherein said actuator is a second ring comprising an inner track, and an outer track, including an alternating arrangement of said second areas, each forming one increasing magnetic potential ramp, with increasing magnetization, and of said first areas forming potential peaks, said peaks being staggered on said inner track and said outer track, and said ramps and said peaks of both said tracks always behaving in repulsion with respect to said magnetized portion of said hammer moving above said tracks.

15 . The watch according to claim 3 , wherein said actuator is a third ring comprising an outer track including an alternating arrangement of said second areas, each forming one increasing magnetic potential ramp, with increasing magnetization, and of said first areas forming potential peaks, said ramps and said peaks of said outer track always behaving in repulsion with respect to said magnetized portion of said hammer moving above said tracks, and an inner track comprising an alternating arrangement of said second areas, each forming one potential ramp of ramps of decreasing magnetic potential, with increasing magnetization, but of opposite polarity to that of said magnetized portion of said hammer moving above said tracks, and of said first areas forming potential peaks, said peaks being staggered on both said inner track and said outer track, and said peaks of both said tracks always behaving in repulsion with respect to said magnetized portion of said hammer moving above said tracks.

16 . The watch according to claim 3 , wherein said actuator is a fourth ring comprising an outer track including an alternating arrangement of said second areas, each forming one increasing magnetic potential ramp, with increasing magnetization, and of said first areas forming potential peaks, said ramps and said peaks of said outer track always behaving in repulsion with respect to said magnetized portion of said hammer moving above said tracks, and an inner track comprising an alternating arrangement of said second areas, each forming one potential ramp of ramps of increasing magnetic potential, with decreasing magnetization, but of opposite polarity to that of said magnetized portion of said hammer moving above said tracks, and of said first areas forming potential peaks, said peaks being staggered on both said inner track and said outer track, and said peaks of both said tracks always behaving in repulsion with respect to said magnetized portion of said hammer moving above said tracks.

17 . The watch according to claim 1 , wherein said hammer includes elastic return means tending to return said hammer above said track and/or said actuator towards the hammer striking position.

18 . The watch according to claim 1 , wherein said drive mechanism includes at least one striking barrel wound by a timepiece movement or by a pull-piece or push-piece, and determination means for determining the sound display to perform, which are arranged to control the transmission of energy from at least one said barrel to at least one drive wheel arranged to drive at least one said actuator for the required duration and at a substantially constant speed.

19 . The watch according to claim 18 , wherein said determination means are arranged to control a plurality of said drive wheels, each arranged to drive at le

Assignees

• Montres Breguet Sa

Inventors

• Legeret Benoit
• Sarchi Davide
• Di Domenico Gianni
• Favre Jerome

Classifications

• G04B21/06 Primary

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• G10F1/08

  Percussion musical instruments · CPC title

• G04B23/026

  Hammer driving; hammers; devices with several hammers or sounding bodies; vibrators · CPC title

• G04B21/04

  Hour wheels; Racks or rakes; Snails or similar control mechanisms · CPC title

• G04B21/12

  Reiterating watches or clocks · CPC title