Coupled timepiece oscillators

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9958833-B2
Application number	US-201615377404-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 13, 2016
Priority date	Dec 18, 2015
Publication date	May 1, 2018
Grant date	May 1, 2018

Abstract

Timepiece movement or watch including one isochronous oscillator mechanism, including only a first sprung balance oscillator including a first balance spring attached to a fixed structure at a first stud and to a first mobile component pivoting about a first axis, and a second sprung balance oscillator including a second balance spring fixed to a second mobile component, coupled to each other by mechanical connection via this second elastic return means attached to the first mobile component, this second balance spring being attached, to a felloe or an arm of the first mobile component at a second stud, and to this second mobile component which pivots about a second axis, and the maintenance of the oscillations is effected on only one of first mobile component or second mobile component.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An isochronous timepiece oscillator mechanism with coupled oscillators, consisting only of a first oscillator including a first elastic return attached to a fixed structure at a first anchoring point and to a first mobile component pivoting about a first axis, and a second oscillator including a second elastic return fixed to a second mobile component, wherein said first oscillator and said second oscillator are coupled to each other by mechanical connection via said second elastic return which is then attached to said first mobile component, wherein said first oscillator is a first sprung balance oscillator and wherein said first elastic return is a first balance spring attached to said fixed structure by a first balance spring stud forming said first anchoring point, and wherein said second oscillator is a second sprung balance oscillator and wherein said second elastic return is a second balance spring attached to said second mobile component, wherein said second balance spring is attached to the felloe or to an arm of said first mobile component at a second balance spring stud and to said second mobile component which pivots about a second axis, wherein maintenance of the oscillations of said oscillator mechanism is effected on only one of said first mobile component or second mobile component.

2. The oscillator mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein at least a third mobile component is inserted between the parts of largest diameter of said first mobile component and of said second mobile component, said third mobile component having only the freedom to pivot on itself or to slide in a direction orthogonal to the straight line that defines the minimum distance between the parts of largest diameter of said first mobile component and of said second mobile component.

3. The oscillator mechanism according to claim 2 , wherein said third mobile component is attached to a third elastic return independent of said first elastic return and of said second elastic return to define a third oscillator coupled by aerodynamic connection to said first oscillator and to said second oscillator.

4. The oscillator mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the rigidity of said second elastic return is less than half the rigidity of said first elastic return.

5. The oscillator mechanism according to claim 4 , wherein the rigidity of said second elastic return is comprised between 0.30 and 0.40 times the rigidity of said first elastic return.

6. The oscillator mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the inertia of said second mobile component is less than one third the inertia of said first mobile component.

7. The oscillator mechanism according to claim 6 , wherein the inertia of said second mobile component is comprised between 0.20 and 0.30 times the inertia of said first mobile component.

8. The oscillator mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein said first mobile component and said second mobile component are balance wheels.

9. The oscillator mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein said first mobile component or said second mobile component is a carriage of a tourbillon or of a carousel, and wherein said second mobile component or respectively said first mobile component is a balance wheel.

10. The oscillator mechanism according to claim 9 , wherein said balance wheel forming said second mobile component or respectively said first mobile component is coaxial to the carriage of said tourbillon or carousel forming said first mobile component or respectively said second mobile component, and pivoted inside said carriage, wherein said second balance spring stud of said second oscillator is attached to an arm or to the drum of said carriage, and wherein maintenance of the oscillations of said oscillator mechanism is effected by a pallet lever or a detent cooperating with a small roller attached to said tourbillon or carousel at the pivot axis thereof.

11. The oscillator mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the minimum distance between the parts of largest diameter of said first mobile component and of said second mobile component is less than 0.5 mm.

12. The oscillator mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein said second mobile component and said first mobile component are coaxial.

13. The oscillator mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein, at least in projection, said second mobile component is inside said first mobile component.

14. The oscillator mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the parts of largest diameter of said first mobile component and of said second mobile component, which are positioned on two different stages, are of substantially the same diameter and substantially opposite each other.

15. The oscillator mechanism according to claim 14 , wherein said second elastic return is a second balance spring that extends over two stages.

16. The oscillator mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein said second mobile component and said first mobile component are positioned side by side and substantially coplanar to each other.

17. A timepiece movement including at least one oscillator mechanism according to claim 1 .

18. A watch including a movement according to claim 17 .

Assignees

• Montres Breguet Sa

Inventors

• Sarchi Davide
• Alagon Carrillo Sebastian
• Zaugg Alain

Classifications

• G04B17/045

  with oscillating blade springs (mechanical oscillations maintained by electro-magnetic means, e.g. tuning forks G04C3/10) · CPC title

• G04B17/06 Primary

  Oscillators with hairsprings, e.g. balance {(electrically driven balances G04C3/04; contacts actuated by a balance G04C13/065)} · CPC title

• G04B17/063 Primary

  Balance construction (balances with frequency adjustment screw G04B18/006; balances with temperature compensation G04B17/222; balancing devices G04B17/28) · CPC title

• G04B17/04

  Oscillators acting by spring tension · CPC title

• G04B17/26 Primary

  for the effect of variations of the impulses · CPC title