Power reserve indicator for timepieces

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9971311-B2
Application number	US-201615140991-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 28, 2016
Priority date	May 29, 2015
Publication date	May 15, 2018
Grant date	May 15, 2018

Abstract

A timepiece power source is provided, including a barrel containing a mainspring mounted between a drum and an arbor rotating integrally with a ratchet wheel, including a differential gear coaxial to the barrel, with a first input driven by the ratchet wheel, a second input which is the drum, and a pivoting output wheel, coaxial to the arbor, arranged to form or to drive a power reserve indicator, the differential gear including balls driving the output wheel, cooperating with an upper surface of the drum, and with a lower surface, which is opposite thereto, of a differential plate forming the first input, pivoting coaxially on the arbor and connected to the ratchet wheel by a friction means cooperating with a plate, and the ratchet wheel forms the cover of the barrel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A timepiece power source for timepieces, comprising:
a going barrel, pivoting about an arbor, containing a mainspring mounted between a drum of said barrel and said arbor, which carries and rotates integrally with a ratchet wheel for driving said arbor, and
a differential gear of which a first input is driven indirectly by said ratchet wheel and a second input is said drum, and whose output is a pivoting output wheel, coaxial with said arbor and arranged to form or to drive a power reserve indicator,
wherein said differential gear includes balls driving housings of said output wheel which forms a cage, and cooperating with an upper surface of said barrel and with a lower surface, which is arranged on the side of said upper surface of said drum, of a differential plate, said differential plate is arranged to pivot on said arbor, coaxially thereto, and forms said first input, and
wherein said ratchet wheel is incorporated in said barrel for which said rachet wheel forms a cover, and said differential plate is connected to a bottom plate by a friction means.

2. The timepiece power source according to claim 1 , wherein said ratchet wheel includes a ratchet toothing, which engages via a gear train with a plate toothing of said differential plate, said plate toothing cooperates with a first toothing of an intermediate ratchet wheel, of which a second toothing engages with an intermediate toothing of an intermediate reverser, which also meshes with said plate toothing of said differential plate.

3. A timepiece movement including at least one power source according to claim 1 .

4. A watch timepiece including at least one power source according to claim 1 .

5. The timepiece power source according to claim 1 , wherein said friction means is a spring or an elastic washer.

6. A timepiece power source comprising:
a going barrel, pivoting about an arbor, containing a mainspring mounted between a drum of said barrel and said arbor, which carries and rotates integrally with a ratchet wheel for driving said arbor, and
a differential gear of which a first input is driven indirectly by said ratchet wheel and a second input is said barrel, and whose output is a pivoting output wheel, coaxial to said arbor and arranged to form or to drive a power reserve indicator,
wherein said differential gear includes balls driving housings of said output wheel which foams a cage, and cooperating with an upper surface of said barrel and with a lower surface, which is arranged on the side of said upper surface of said barrel, of a differential plate, said differential plate is arranged to pivot on said arbor, coaxially thereto, and forms said first input,
wherein said differential gear is a differential sub-assembly, which is removable in one piece and includes a first stepped ring, arranged to be mounted for free axial rotation on a bearing surface of said arbor and to pivot integrally with said arbor, said first stepped ring carries said output wheel mounted for free rotation with respect to said first stepped ring, which also carries, directly or indirectly, said differential plate which also rotates freely on said first stepped ring, and
wherein said differential plate bears on said balls, and said ratchet wheel is pressed, via friction means mounted between the ratchet wheel and a bottom plate, onto said first stepped ring for the friction driving of said differential plate.

7. The timepiece power source according to claim 6 , wherein said friction means is a spring or an elastic washer.

8. The timepiece power source according to claim 6 , wherein said ratchet wheel is external to said barrel, which includes a drum provided with a toothing and with a cover, and is opposite to said cover or respectively to said drum, and in that said differential gear is arranged to be axially inserted between said cover, or respectively said drum and said ratchet wheel.

9. The timepiece power source according to claim 6 , wherein said power source includes a bottom plate which carries a first intermediate train for driving the differential gear, which meshes with said ratchet wheel and with a second intermediate train for the differential gear, which is also carried by said bottom plate and which meshes with said differential plate.

10. A timepiece power source comprising:
a going barrel, pivoting about an arbor, containing a mainspring mounted between a drum of said barrel and said arbor, which carries and rotates integrally with a ratchet wheel for driving said arbor, and
a differential gear of which a first input is driven indirectly by said ratchet wheel and a second input is said barrel, and whose output is a pivoting output wheel, coaxial with said arbor and arranged to form or to drive a power reserve indicator,
wherein said differential gear includes balls driving housings of said output wheel which forms a cage, and cooperating with an upper surface of said barrel and with a lower surface, which is arranged on the side of said upper surface of said drum, of a differential plate, said differential plate is arranged to pivot on said arbor, coaxially thereto, is connected to said ratchet wheel or to a bottom plate by a friction means, and forms said first input,
wherein the power source includes a bottom plate which carries said power source and which includes at least two pivots each carrying a freely mounted pinion, and a toothing of each of the freely mounted pinions meshes, on the one hand, with an external toothing comprised in said differential plate, and on the other hand, with an internal toothing comprised in said ratchet wheel.

11. A differential gear group, arranged to be mounted on a timepiece arbor, comprising:
a first stepped ring, arranged to be mounted for free axial rotation on a bearing surface of an arbor and pivoting integrally with said arbor, said first stepped ring carries, coaxially, an output wheel mounted for free rotation with respect to said first stepped ring, said output wheel forming a cage for a plurality of balls protruding at a lower end of said differential sub-assembly and arranged to roll over a surface of revolution of a wheel set or of a barrel, said first stepped ring carrying, via a second stepped ring, a differential plate, said second stepped ring being mounted for free rotation on said first stepped ring, the differential plate being friction mounted on said balls on the side opposite to the end thereof protruding at said lower end, and a ratchet wheel being pressed onto said first stepped ring for the friction driving of said differential plate,
wherein the group forms a sub-assembly which is removable in one piece.

12. The timepiece power source according to claim 11 , wherein said second stepped ring includes a shoulder protruding between the differential plate and the ratchet wheel.

Assignees

• Eta Sa Mft Horlogere Suisse
• Eta Sa Mft Horlogere Suisse

Inventors

• Friedli Matthaus
• Strahm Florent

Classifications

• G04B13/008

  Differentials · CPC title

• G04B9/00 Primary

  Supervision of the state of winding, e.g. indicating the amount of winding · CPC title

• G04B9/005 Primary

  by optical indication of the amount of winding · CPC title

• G04B1/18

  Constructions for connecting the ends of the mainsprings with the barrel or the arbor {(mainsprings and bridles therefor G04B1/14; clamping the hairspring on the regulator G04B18/026; clamping the hairspring on the arbor G04B17/32)} · CPC title

• G04C10/04 Primary

  with means for indicating the condition of the power supply · CPC title