Operation stabilizing mechanism, movement, and mechanical timepiece

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9568887-B2
Application number	US-201615059133-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 2, 2016
Priority date	Mar 9, 2015
Publication date	Feb 14, 2017
Grant date	Feb 14, 2017

Abstract

To provide an operation stabilizing mechanism, a movement, and a mechanical timepiece allowing a reduction in size while achieving an enhancement in rate precision. An operation stabilizing mechanism includes: an outer carriage and an inner carriage provided so as to be mutually rotatable; a constant-force spring provided between the outer carriage and the inner carriage and configured to impart a rotational force to the inner carriage such that the inner carriage rotates with respect to the outer carriage; a stop wheel provided on the outer carriage; and a stopper configured to perform engaging and releasing operations on the stop wheel upon the rotation of the inner carriage, wherein the rotational axis of the outer carriage and the rotation axis of the inner carriage cross each other.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An operation stabilizing mechanism comprising:
a plurality of carriages arranged in a multiplex fashion and provided so as to be mutually rotatable;
a constant-force spring provided between two adjacent ones of the plurality of carriages and configured to impart a rotational force to the other of the two carriages such that the other carriage rotates with respect to the one carriage;
a stop wheel provided on the one carriage; and
a stopper configured to perform engaging and releasing operations on the stop wheel upon the rotation of the other carriage,
wherein the rotational axes of at least two of the plurality of carriages cross each other.

2. The operation stabilizing mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the stopper and an escapement/governor mechanism are provided in the one carriage.

3. The operation stabilizing mechanism according to claim 2 , wherein there are provided two carriages;
the drive force of a train wheel is transmitted to an outer carriage arranged on the outer side, and the stop wheel is provided on the outer carriage; and
the stopper and the escapement/governor mechanism are provided in an inner carriage arranged on the inner side.

4. The operation stabilizing mechanism according to claim 3 , wherein the escapement/governor mechanism is equipped with
an escape wheel & pinion configured to rotate on the inner carriage with the rotation of the inner carriage, and
a balance with hairspring configured to rotate and oscillate on the inner carriage with the rotation of the escape wheel & pinion; and
the balance with hairspring is arranged such that the rotation axis of the balance with hairspring and the rotation axis of the outer carriage cross each other.

5. The operation stabilizing mechanism according to claim 4 , wherein the rotation axis of the inner carriage and the rotation axis of the balance with hairspring cross each other.

6. The operation stabilizing mechanism according to claim 4 , wherein the center of gravity of the balance with hairspring is situated in at least one of the rotation axis of the inner carriage and the rotation axis of the outer carriage.

7. The operation stabilizing mechanism according to claim 3 , wherein the center of gravity of the inner carriage is situated in the rotation axis of the inner carriage.

8. The operation stabilizing mechanism according to claim 3 , wherein the center of gravity of the outer carriage is situated in the rotation axis of the outer carriage.

9. The operation stabilizing mechanism according to claim 3 , wherein the stopper is equipped with
an arm swingably provided with respect to the outer carriage and configured to swing upon the rotation of the inner carriage, and
a pallet portion provided on the arm and capable of being engaged and disengaged with and from the stop wheel;
the swing axis of the arm is set in a direction crossing the rotation axis of the stop wheel; and
setting is made such that the vector of a mesh-engagement force generated when the stop wheel and the pallet portion are engaged with each other extends along the direction of the swing axis of the arm.

10. The operation stabilizing mechanism according to claim 3 , wherein the stopper is equipped with
an arm swingably provided with respect to the outer carriage and configured to swing upon the rotation of the inner carriage, and
a pallet portion provided on the arm and capable of being engaged and disengaged with and from the stop wheel;
the swing axis of the arm is set so as to extend along the rotation axis of the stop wheel; and
setting is made such that the vector of a mesh-engagement force generated when the stop wheel and the pallet portion are engaged with each other passes on the swing axis of the arm.

11. The operation stabilizing mechanism according to claim 9 , wherein the arm is equipped with a balancer; and
the center of gravity of the arm is situated in the swing axis of the arm.

12. The operation stabilizing mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein there is provided a regulating portion regulating the relative rotation amount of the two carriages connected by the constant-force spring.

13. The operation stabilizing mechanism according to claim 12 , wherein, of the two carriages connected by the constant-force spring, the carriage on the outer side is provided with a constant-force spring winding-up wheel for winding up the constant-force spring;
the constant-force spring winding-up wheel is provided with a regulating plate;
of the two carriages connected by the constant-force spring, the carriage on the inner side is provided with an engagement pin that can be engaged with the regulating plate; and
the regulating plate and the engagement pin constitute a regulating portion.

14. The operation stabilizing mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the respective rotation cycles of the plurality of carriages are set to mutually indivisible numbers.

15. The operation stabilizing mechanism according to claim 14 , comprising:
a stationary wheel provided separately from the plurality of carriages; and
a stop wheel driving wheel integrally fixed to the stop wheel and in mesh with the stationary wheel,
wherein the number of teeth of the stationary wheel and the number of teeth of the stop wheel driving wheel are set to mutually indivisible numbers.

16. A movement equipped with an operation stabilizing mechanism as claimed in claim 1 .

17. A mechanical timepiece equipped with a movement as claimed in claim 16 .

Assignees

• Seiko Instr Inc

Inventors

• Kawauchiya Takuma
• Nakajima Masahiro
• Niwa Takashi
• Koda Masayuki

Classifications

• G04B1/225

  with the aid of an interposed power-accumulator (secondary spring) which is always tensioned (winding up several mainsprings or driving weights simultaneously G04B3/008) · CPC title

• G04B17/285 Primary

  Tourbillons or carrousels · CPC title

• 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

• G04B15/12

  Adjusting (tools therefor G04D1/02); Restricting the amplitude of the lever or the like {(adjusting the gear train G04B35/00)} · CPC title

• G04B15/10

  with constant impulses for the regulating mechanism {(electrically driven pendulums with mechanical pulse transmission and constant pulse G04C3/022; electrically driven pendulums with mechanical pulse transmission and constant pulse G04C3/045)} · CPC title