Timepiece with improved sound level

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9417611-B2
Application number	US-201414895388-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 4, 2014
Priority date	Sep 26, 2013
Publication date	Aug 16, 2016
Grant date	Aug 16, 2016

Abstract

A method for improving sound output level of a musical or striking timepiece including at least one vibration generator and vibrating at specific natural frequencies of the generator. The timepiece includes external parts which are modified by integration or addition of at least one acoustic radiator including at least one element vibrating-radiating at a natural frequency of the radiator tuned to at least one of the natural frequencies of the generator. The external parts include at least one acoustic radiator including at least one element vibrating at a natural frequency of the radiator tuned to at least one of the natural frequencies of the generator.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for improving a sound level of a musical or striking timepiece including a least one vibration generator vibrating at particular natural frequencies of the generator within a range of 1 kHz to 6 kHz, wherein the external parts and/or a movement of the timepiece are modified by integration or addition of at least one radiating element formed by an acoustic radiator including at least one element vibrating-radiating at a natural frequency of the radiator tuned to one of the natural frequencies of the generator, with a frequency difference of less than or equal to the ratio between the natural mode frequency and the inverse quality factor of the radiating element, or with a frequency difference of less than or equal to 100 Hz, and wherein, to determine a number of the acoustic radiators, the method comprises:
determining a number of modes of vibration of the generating element, formed by the vibration generator which is required to radiate;
providing the timepiece with the number of radiating elements, each formed by one of the acoustic radiator including at least one vibrating-radiating element, each acoustic radiator being secured to an exterior of a case of the timepiece.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, for each acoustic radiator, the natural frequency of the radiator thereof is tuned to the natural frequency of the generator, with a frequency difference of less than or equal to the smallest value between (1) the ratio between the natural mode frequency and the inverse quality factor of the radiating element formed by the acoustic radiator concerned, and (2) a value of 100 Hz.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising verifying that the only function of each acoustic radiator is to radiate.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein each acoustic radiator is oriented in a particular listening direction for which the timepiece is devised.

5. The method according to claim 3 , wherein each acoustic radiator is optimized to ensure that the frequency of fundamental mode of vibration thereof is tuned to be substantially equal to that of one of the natural modes of vibration of the vibration generator with a frequency difference of less than or equal to the ratio between the natural mode frequency and the inverse quality factor of the radiating element, or with a frequency difference of less than or equal to 100 Hz.

6. The method according to claim 3 , further comprising verifying that each acoustic radiator is distinct from the vibration generator.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the external parts or the movement are modified by the integration or addition of a plurality of the acoustic radiators.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein at least a portion of the acoustic radiators are selected to have natural frequencies of the radiator that are different from each other.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the acoustic radiator including a main vibrating surface oriented in a preferred direction to enhance diffusion of sound towards a user.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the acoustic radiator is secured to a case middle in the external parts, or to a case in the external parts, or to a bezel carried by the case middle, or to a main plate in movement of the timepiece.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein at least one of the acoustic radiator is arranged on an exterior of the case middle.

12. The method according to claim 10 , wherein at least one of the acoustic radiator is arranged on an exterior of a bezel carried by the case middle.

13. The method according to claim 10 , wherein at least one of the acoustic radiator is arranged on an exterior of a back cover in the case.

14. The method according to claim 10 , wherein at least one of the acoustic radiator is arranged on one or two horns in the case.

15. The method according to claim 10 , wherein at least one of the acoustic radiator is arranged on a main plate in a movement of the timepiece, the acoustic radiator including a connecting component traversing the case of the timepiece.

16. The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the acoustic radiator forms a one-piece part with an element for attachment thereof to the timepiece.

17. The method according to claim 10 , wherein at least one of the acoustic radiator is connected to the case middle or to the case or to a movement by a single attachment leg carrying at least one vibrating strip in the acoustic radiator.

18. The method according to claim 10 , wherein at least one of the acoustic radiator is formed by making a partial cut-out in the case middle, in a form of a vibrating strip, connected to the case middle by a single end of the vibrating strip.

19. The method according to claim 12 , wherein at least one of the acoustic radiator is formed by making a partial cut-out in the bezel, in a form of a vibrating strip, connected to the bezel by a single end of the vibrating strip.

20. The method according to claim 13 , wherein at least one of the acoustic radiator is formed by making a partial cut-out in the back cover, in a form of a vibrating strip, connected to the back cover by a single end of the vibrating strip.

21. The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the acoustic radiator is made in a form of a vibrating strip including a plate inscribed in a parallelepiped whose largest dimension is greater than or equal to 4 mm, whose smallest dimension is between 0.05 mm and 2 mm, and whose third dimension is greater than or equal to 2 mm.

22. The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the acoustic radiator includes a vibrating strip including a plate whose radii of curvature are greater than 0.5 mm.

23. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one acoustic radiator is made of gold, or of precious metal, or of silicon, or of ceramic, or of metallic glass, or of steel, or of titanium.

24. External parts for a musical or striking timepiece, the external parts carrying at least one vibration generator vibrating at particular natural frequencies of the generator,
wherein the external parts include at least one acoustic radiator including at least one element vibrating-radiating at a natural frequency of the radiator tuned to at least one of the natural frequencies of the generator of the timepiece,
wherein the external parts include a case enclosing at least one case middle,
wherein at least one the acoustic radiator is secured to the case middle or to the case,
wherein at least one the acoustic radiator is connected to the case middle or to the case by a single attachment leg carrying at least one vibrating strip in the acoustic radiator.

25. The external parts according to claim 24 , wherein the external parts include at least one of the acoustic radiator on an exterior of the case middle or inside the case.

26. The external parts according to claim 24 , wherein the external parts include a plurality of the acoustic radiators, wherein at least a portion of the acoustic radiators have natural frequencies of the radiator that are different from each other.

27. External parts for a musical or striking timepiece, the external parts carrying at least one vibration generator vibrating at particular natural frequencies of the generator,
wherein the external parts include at least one acousti

Assignees

• Montres Breguet Sa

Inventors

• Karapatis Polychronis Nakis
• Kadmiri Younes
• Sarchi Davide

Classifications

• G04B21/08

  Sounding bodies; Whistles; Musical apparatus (with electro-acoustical transmitters G04C21/00, {G04B23/08; sounding arrangements in alarm clocks G04B23/028; cases with arrangements for enhancing sound production G04B37/0075; carillons and sounding boards G10F1/08, G04B1/10, G10D13/08}) · CPC title

• G04B37/0075 Primary

  with means to enhance sound transmission (sonorous means for chimes G04B21/08; for alarm clocks G04B23/028; clockworks combined with musical devices G04B47/025) · CPC title

• G04B21/00

  Indicating the time by acoustic means (at preselected times G04B23/00; by electro-acoustic means G04C21/04; {indicating the time by means other than acoustically, or by combined means G04B25/00; indicating the time by visual means G04B19/00, G04C17/00; acoustic signalling arrangements G08B3/00}) · CPC title

• G04B23/00

  Arrangements producing acoustic signals at preselected times {(indicating the time by optical means G04B19/00, G04C17/00; indicating the time by acoustic means G04B21/00; indicating the time by means other than acoustic or optical, or by a combination of means G04B25/00; acoustic time signals produced electrically G04C21/00; coin-freed alarm clocks G07F17/0007; acoustic signalling means G08B3/00)} · CPC title