Electronic clock movement comprising an analog display of several items of information

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9874855-B2
Application number	US-201515301657-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 19, 2015
Priority date	Apr 3, 2014
Publication date	Jan 23, 2018
Grant date	Jan 23, 2018

Abstract

An electronic clock mechanism includes an analog display device including a ring of dates and a stopwatch hand associated with a graduation of a small counter. The ring and hand are driven by a same electric motor via a permanent gear train, the hand being mounted on a wheel of the permanent gear train, the wheel arranged between a motor pinion and a movable element including a date driving wheel. The ring and date driving wheel respectively include two sets of teeth forming a permanent gear having a relatively large clearance to define a dead angle region for the date driving wheel as the ring is positioned by a jumper. The dead angle region is used to drive the stopwatch hand independently of the ring. The permanent gear train is arranged such that torque for positioning the rotor creates for the date driving wheel a blocking torque for shock-resistance.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electronic clock mechanism, comprising:
an analog display device including a first indicator of a first item of information and a second indicator of a second item of information, the second item of information varying periodically or intermittently, and being independent from the first item of information;
a device for driving the analog display device, including a first drive mechanism for driving the first indicator and a second drive mechanism for driving the second indicator, the second drive mechanism including a first set of teeth rigidly connected to the second indicator and a wheel for driving the second indicator including a second set of teeth that meshes with the first set of teeth, the second drive mechanism configured to periodically or intermittently drive the second indicator between discrete display positions from a plurality of predefined discrete display positions;
an electric motor including a rotor coupled to the drive device by a motor pinion of the drive device, the motor pinion being connected to the rotor for conjoint rotation, the electric motor configured to actuate the first and second drive mechanisms and to drive the first and second indicators;
the first drive mechanism including a first reduction between the rotor and the first indicator, and the second drive mechanism including a second reduction between the rotor and the wheel for driving the second indicator, the second reduction being provided to be greater than the first reduction;
wherein the second drive mechanism includes a train of gears each permanently meshed;
wherein the first and second sets of teeth form a permanent gear configured such that, when the second indicator is in any discrete position from the plurality of discrete positions, the second set of teeth can undergo rotations within a dead angle range, the dead angle distance of the dead angle range being provided and the first drive mechanism configured such that the first indicator can undergo, when the second set of teeth is set into rotation over the dead angle distance in the dead angle range, a movement during which it can sweep the whole of a graduation which is associated with the display of the first item of information; and
the electronic clock mechanism further comprising a jumper, configured to position the second indicator in each display position of the plurality of discrete display positions, the jumper configured to apply a positioning force on the second indicator sufficient to position the second indicator in each display position of the plurality of discrete display positions and to move the indicator back into a discrete display position which it occupied after an untimely displacement or shock, if any, inside a clearance of the permanent gear corresponding to the dead angle range.

2. The clock mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the second set of teeth includes at least four teeth or pins.

3. The clock mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the electric motor, the first drive mechanism, and the second drive mechanism are configured such that the first indicator can be driven in both directions of its display movement, the wheel for driving the second indicator can be set into rotation in both directions, the first indicator being driven in a first direction when the wheel for driving the second indicator rotates in a first direction within at least a portion of the dead angle range and in the second direction when the drive wheel rotates in the second direction within at least a portion of the dead angle range; and
wherein the first indicator can be driven from an initial position and return to the initial position while the drive wheel remains in the dead angle range.

4. The clock mechanism according to claim 3 , wherein the first indicator is a rotating hand of a stopwatch display and the second indicator belongs to a display at least of the date, and wherein the first and second drive mechanisms are configured such that the first indicator and the wheel for driving the second indicator rotate simultaneously in both directions of rotation.

5. The clock mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the second drive mechanism is configured such that a maximum force, which can be applied tangentially to the first set of teeth during shocks which the clock mechanism can endure, creates a torque on the wheel for driving the second indicator which is less than a blocking torque created by the drive wheel at least when the wheel is in a predetermined position while the second indicator is in any discrete position of the plurality of discrete positions.

6. The clock mechanism according to claim 5 , wherein the maximum force creates a torque on the wheel for driving the second indicator which is less than the blocking torque created by the drive wheel regardless of an angular position thereof.

7. The clock mechanism according to claim 5 , wherein the force for positioning the jumper is sized to ensure the positioning function, but is too small to ensure a shock-resistance function for the second indicator.

8. The clock mechanism according to claim 5 , wherein the train of gears which are permanently meshed are composed solely of two-way gears; and wherein the blocking torque of the drive wheel results from a torque for positioning the rotor of the electric motor when the rotor is resting.

9. The clock mechanism according to claim 5 , wherein the jumper is configured to rotate about an axis of rotation which substantially intercepts a tangent to a geometric circle defined by the first set of teeth at a central point at which the jumper exerts a radial force on the first set of teeth.

10. The clock mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein, when the second indicator is positioned in any discrete position of the plurality of discrete positions, a tooth from the second set of teeth is located between two adjacent teeth from the first set of teeth to limit a movement of the first set of teeth in both directions by forming a stop respectively for the two adjacent teeth;
wherein the clock mechanism is configured such that the tooth from the second set of teeth is oriented substantially radially and located in a middle of the dead angle range when no driving of the second indicator is provided; and
wherein the first drive mechanism is configured such that the first indicator undergoes, when the second set of teeth is set into rotation over half of the dead angle distance, a movement during which it sweeps the whole of a graduation associated with display of the first item of information.

Assignees

• Eta Sa Mft Horlogere Suisse

Inventors

• Lagorgette Pascal
• Zanesco Vittorio
• Gruenig Daniel

Classifications

• G04C17/0066

  electromagnetically driven, e.g. intermittently (clocks incorporating a stepping motor G04C3/14) · CPC title

• G04B13/00

  Gearwork {(gearwork for driving the hands G04B19/02; calibers G04B33/00; dispositions and components for transmission in general F16H)} · CPC title

• G04B19/25373

  driven or released stepwise by an energy source which is released at determined moments by the clockwork movement · CPC title

• G04B19/253 Primary

  Driving or releasing mechanisms · CPC title

• G04B19/25353 Primary

  driven or released stepwise by the clockwork movement · CPC title