Timepiece display mechanism with a fast corrector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9841734-B2
Application number	US-201515125231-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 9, 2015
Priority date	May 14, 2014
Publication date	Dec 12, 2017
Grant date	Dec 12, 2017

Abstract

A display mechanism including a mechanism for fast correction of a position of a display wheel set, an intermediate wheel set ensuring synchronization with an automatic drive mechanism, and, inserted between the intermediate wheel set and the display wheel set, a safety lever driven by the display wheel set during periodic driving thereof, in a trajectory that interferes with a spatial volume of the intermediate wheel set, such that, when the intermediate wheel set is correctly synchronized, the trajectory of the lever does not interfere with the intermediate wheel set, and, when the intermediate wheel set is not correctly synchronized, the trajectory of the safety lever interferes with the intermediate wheel set, which the safety lever then drives in an opposite direction to a single direction of normal operation, to resynchronize the intermediate wheel set.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A display mechanism for a timepiece, comprising:
a mechanism for fast correction of a position of a display wheel set, wherein the display mechanism comprises at least one intermediate wheel set configured to be cinematically bound with automatic drive means, and, inserted between the intermediate wheel set and the display wheel set, a safety lever configured to be driven by the display wheel set during periodic driving of the display wheel set, in a trajectory that interferes with a spatial volume of the intermediate wheel set, such that:
when the intermediate wheel set is correctly synchronized with the automatic drive means, the trajectory of the lever does not interfere with the intermediate wheel set;
when the intermediate wheel set is not correctly synchronized with the automatic drive means, in a fast correction, the trajectory thereof interferes with the intermediate wheel set, which the safety lever then drives in an opposite direction to a single direction of normal operation, to resynchronize the intermediate wheel set.

2. The display mechanism according to claim 1 , configured to be driven by an automatic drive mechanism controlled by a timepiece movement, a kinematic chain of the display mechanism being configured to ensure periodic driving of at least a first display wheel set,
the display mechanism comprising a fast correction mechanism including means to uncouple the automatic drive mechanism, and to replace at least one wheel set of the kinematic chain of the automatic drive mechanism with at least one other wheel set configured to drive, directly or indirectly, at least one display wheel set, and to effect a change of the position of the first display wheel set,
wherein said fast correction mechanism comprises at least one intermediate wheel set configured to ensure, on a first stage, synchronization with the automatic drive means of the display mechanism, and
wherein the display mechanism comprises, inserted between the intermediate wheel set and the display wheel set, a safety lever configured to be driven by the display wheel set during the periodic driving of the display wheel set, in a determined trajectory and in a travel that interferes with the spatial volume of the intermediate wheel set, relative arrangement of the safety lever and the intermediate wheel set, which are mounted to pivot about distinct parallel axes, such that:
when the intermediate wheel set is correctly synchronized, the trajectory of the safety lever does not interfere with the first stage of the intermediate wheel set and the safety lever is configured to pass at a distance from any other surface of the intermediate wheel set, without interfering with the intermediate wheel set;
when the intermediate wheel set is not correctly synchronized, the trajectory of the safety lever interferes with the first stage of the intermediate wheel set, and the safety lever is configured to drive the intermediate wheel set in the opposite direction to the single direction of normal operation, to resynchronize the intermediate wheel set.

3. The display mechanism according to claim 2 , wherein the intermediate wheel set is configured to ensure the synchronization on the first stage, and, on a second stage, direct or indirect driving of the display wheel set other than the first display wheel set, and further wherein relative arrangement of the safety lever and of the intermediate wheel set is such that:
when the intermediate wheel set is correctly synchronized, the trajectory of the safety lever does not interfere with the first stage of the intermediate wheel set and the safety lever is configured to pass above and at a distance from the second stage of the intermediate wheel set, without interfering therewith;
when the intermediate wheel set is not correctly synchronized, the trajectory of the safety lever interferes with the first stage of the intermediate wheel set, and the safety lever is configured to drive the intermediate wheel set in the opposite direction to the single direction of normal operation, to resynchronize the intermediate wheel set.

4. The display mechanism according to claim 2 , wherein the safety lever comprises elastic return means, which tends to permanently return the safety lever to a rest position, which is a start of a cooperation position, in a next period, with the display wheel set.

5. The display mechanism according to claim 2 , wherein the display mechanism is a calendar mechanism, comprising a date drive wheel set configured to be controlled by a wheel of a timepiece movement and configured to control a year wheel,
wherein at least one of the display wheel set is a date ring, and wherein the calendar mechanism comprises control means configured to drive, directly or indirectly, the at least one date ring, and the calendar mechanism further comprising a fast date correction mechanism configured to control, directly or indirectly, pivoting of the date ring,
wherein the fast correction mechanism comprises the intermediate wheel set comprising the following, which are integral and arranged on parallel levels:
on a first upper level, a first intermediate wheel on the first stage configured to cooperate, either with the safety lever, which is also configured to cooperate, on a same level, with fingerpieces comprised in the date ring, or with a month-star mounted for free rotation on the year wheel;
on a second intermediate level, a second intermediate wheel on the second stage configured to cooperate, at an end of each month, with a lug comprised in the date ring which is configured to be driven, on a lower level, by the date drive wheel set;
on the third lower level, a third intermediate wheel, integral and coaxial with the first intermediate wheel of the first stage and with the second intermediate wheel of the second stage, is configured to cooperate with the year wheel, and on the third lower lever, an intermediate corrector wheel comprised in the fast date correction mechanism is configured to cooperate with the second intermediate wheel of the second stage for correction of the month.

6. The display mechanism according to claim 5 , wherein the calendar mechanism further comprises, on a fourth level underneath the third lower level, a corrector fingerpiece, comprised in the fast date correction mechanism, and configured to cooperate with teeth comprised in the lower level of the date ring, for correction of the date.

7. The display mechanism according to claim 5 , wherein the date ring comprises, on the upper level, a toothing of twenty-nine fingerpieces for driving the lever, parallel to a toothing of thirty-one teeth on the lower level for the driving and updating of the date ring by a movement or by a user, and, between the upper level and the lower level, on the second intermediate level, a single main lug for controlling the change of the month display.

8. A timepiece movement comprising an hour wheel driving at least one calendar mechanism according to claim 5 .

9. A timepiece or watch including at least one timepiece movement according to claim 8 .

Assignees

• Eta Sa Mft Horlogere Suisse

Inventors

• Merino Antonio
• Helfer Jean-Luc
• Ruefenacht Christian
• Cappadona Giuseppe

Classifications

• G04C11/06

  with direct mechanical action on the time-indicating means {(time setting G04C9/00)} · CPC title

• G04B27/06

  with rocking bar {(support and displacement of the winding stem through the case, means preventing the stem from going too far, fixation G04B37/06)} · CPC title

• G04B19/25 Primary

  Devices for setting the date indicators manually · CPC title

• G04B18/02

  Regulator {or adjustment} devices; Indexing devices {, e.g. raquettes} · CPC title

• G04B19/2538

  automatically corrected at the end of months having less than 31 days · CPC title