Oscillator for a watch movement and watch comprising such an oscillator

Abstract

The invention relates to a balance-spring oscillator (10) comprising: a balance axle (18) intended to be pivotally mounted on a frame of a timepiece; a balance wheel (12) fixed to the balance axle (18); a hairspring (14) comprising an inner end (14a) fixed to the balance axle and an outer end (14b) intended to be connected to a connecting member (16) to the frame; and a transmission member (20, 22) arranged to interact with an escapement. The balance wheel (12) and the hairspring (16) are arranged on both sides of the transmission member.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to an oscillator of the balance-spring type for a timepiece movement, a timepiece movement comprising an oscillator of this type and a timepiece comprising such a timepiece movement. The invention also relates to a stop-seconds device arranged to cooperate with the oscillator. Background Art

[0002] There are already various oscillators whose arrangement relative to the dial of the watch differs from conventional oscillators, which brings a novel visual effect to the watch.

[0003] For example, CH713649 discloses a timepiece, which includes a concealing device having at least one movable member and a control mechanism, which moves the movable member between a closed position and an open position, in which a portion of a balance spring type regulating member is hidden by the concealing device, and in the open position, the balance spring is fully visible. When in the closed position, the movable member is located between the balance wheel and the hairspring. When in the closed position, the movable member is located between the balance wheel and the hairspring. The concealing device is configured to only display the balance when the movable member is in the closed position. To this end, the balance wheel and the hairspring are mounted on the balance wheel shaft so as to separate an axial distance, which is sufficient to allow the balance wheel and the hairspring to be located on both sides of the movable member when the movable member is in the closed position.

[0004] EP 0 520 218 discloses a timepiece comprising a dial provided with an opening in which a balance-spring type oscillator is arranged such that the oscillator is arranged substantially in the plane of the dial.

[0005] DE202012002284U1 discloses a timepiece including a dial, the dial being provided with a circular opening, inside which a tourbillon mechanism is mounted, the tourbillon mechanism comprising a balance spring, an escapement mechanism and an escapement mechanism wheel mounted in a tourbillon frame. A display pointer is mounted and fixed to the frame so as to be driven to rotate inside the circular opening at the level of the dial. The tourbillon mechanism is configured so that the balance spring protrudes above the dial and swings above the display pointer.

[0006] In addition, there are many second hand mechanisms that are used to stop the second hand to accurately set the time.

[0007] For example, EP1422579 discloses a time-setting system comprising a lever member comprising a first portion placed on the upper portion of a plate and a second portion orthogonal to the first portion and passing through the upper plate so as to come into contact with the rim of the balance wheel.

[0008] However, this system is difficult to integrate into a timepiece movement due to the shape of the lever which depends on the position of the balance wheel in the movement.

[0009] One object of the present invention is to propose a balance-spring type oscillator having a novel alternative construction.

[0010] Another object of the invention is to propose a timepiece movement in which the position of the balance wheel makes it possible to simplify the construction of the stop-seconds device.

[0011] Another object of the invention is to propose a timepiece comprising an oscillator arranged so as to give the timepiece an original visual appearance. Summary of the invention

[0012] According to one aspect of the invention, these objects are achieved by a balance-spring type oscillator comprising:

[0013] a balance staff, which is intended to be pivotably mounted on the frame of the timepiece,

[0014] a balance wheel, which is fixed to the balance staff,

[0015] a balance spring comprising an inner end fixed to the balance staff and an outer end intended to be connected to a connecting member to the frame, and

[0016] A transmission member is arranged to interact with the escapement mechanism. A balance wheel and a hairspring are arranged on both sides of the transmission member.

[0017] According to one embodiment, the balance wheel and the balance spring are mounted at the first end and the second end of the balance staff, respectively.

[0018] According to one embodiment, the transmission member is in the form of a double disc comprising a peg intended to cooperate with the escapement anchor.

[0019] According to one embodiment, the inner end of the balance spring is fixed to a collet mounted at the second end of the balance staff.

[0020] According to one embodiment, the spacer is mounted on the balance staff between the collet and the transmission member.

[0021] Another aspect of the invention relates to a timepiece movement comprising an oscillator as described above.

[0022] According to one embodiment, the timepiece movement comprises a plate, and the oscillator is mounted in the timepiece movement such that the balance wheel and the balance spring are arranged on both sides of the plate.

[0023] According to one embodiment, the timepiece movement comprises a dial and a stop-seconds device arranged entirely on the upper part of the plate on the dial side.

[0024] According to one embodiment, the stop-seconds device comprises a rocker mounted on said upper portion of the plate. The rocker comprises a lever portion arranged to cooperate with a sliding pinion of the winding mechanism and an engagement portion arranged to cooperate with a portion of the rim of the balance wheel. The lever portion and the engagement portion are arranged on both sides of the pivot axis of the rocker.

[0025] According to one embodiment, the distal end of the lever part of the rocker is arranged to cooperate with the pull-out piece of the winding mechanism. When the winding mechanism shaft is actuated from a first axial position to a second axial position corresponding to the time setting position, the pull-out piece pivots. The pivoting of the pull-out piece actuates the rocker to rotate about its pivot axis so that, on the one hand, the distal end of the engagement part abuts against a part of the periphery of the rim of the balance wheel so as to immobilize the balance wheel and, on the other hand, the sliding pinion meshes with the setting wheel and the moving gear train so as to control the hands to set the movement to the correct time.

[0026] Another aspect of the invention relates to a timepiece comprising a case incorporating a timepiece movement as described above. The balance wheel is arranged at the level of the dial, while the balance spring is arranged towards the back of the case. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown in the description of the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0028] Figure 1 A perspective view showing a balance-spring type oscillator according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 2 Shown in Figure 1 A cross-section at the level of the balance shaft of an oscillator;

[0030] Figure 3 Shown with including Figure 1 A perspective view of a clock movement with an oscillator dial;

[0031] Figure 4 Shows something like Figure 3 's view, without the dial;

[0032] Figure 5 a partial bottom view showing a timepiece movement at the level of the oscillator;

[0033] Figure 6a A perspective view showing a portion of the upper part of a plate of a timepiece movement including a stop-seconds device in a non-operating configuration, and

[0034] Figure 6b Indicates that when the stop-seconds device is activated, it is similar to Figure 6a of the view. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the oscillator 10 comprises a balance wheel 12, a hairspring 16 and a balance staff 18. The balance wheel 12 comprises a rim 13, a hub 15 and a plurality of arms 14 connecting the rim 13 to the hub 15. The hub 15 of the balance wheel 12 is mounted at the first end of the balance staff 18 at the level of the first section 18a of the shaft 18 and against a shoulder 24 to ensure that the balance wheel 12 oscillates in a plane perpendicular to its axis of rotation.

[0036] The balance spring 16 is placed at the second end of the balance staff 18 at the level of the second section 18b of the staff 18. The inner end 16a of the balance spring is fixed to the collet 18. The collet 28 is mounted on the second section 18b of the balance staff 18 by means of a spacer 26 comprising a first portion 26a having a first diameter and a second portion 26b having a second diameter greater than the first diameter 26a.

[0037] Collet 28 is mounted on first portion 26a of spacer 26, for example by driving or riveting, while second portion 26b of spacer 26 is arranged between collet 28 and a transmission member fixed to balance staff 18. This transmission member is preferably in the form of a double disc 20 comprising a peg 22 intended to cooperate with an escapement anchor (not shown) in order to regulate the operation of the timepiece movement.

[0038] According to one embodiment, the spacer 26 is formed integrally with the transmission member. Figure 1 and Figure 2 In the embodiment of the invention, the balance wheel 12 and the hairspring 16 are arranged on both sides of the transmission member. In other words, the transmission member and the hairspring 16 are on the same side of the balance wheel 12.

[0039] Figures 3 to 5 A timepiece movement is shown comprising a plate 80. The oscillator is mounted in the timepiece movement such that the balance wheel 12 and the balance spring 16 are arranged on both sides of the plate 80. For example, the balance wheel 12 is arranged on the display side of the plate 80 and the balance spring is arranged on the opposite (back) side of the plate 80. Figure 3 In the example of , the watch movement comprises a dial 70. The oscillator 10 is mounted in the watch movement so that the balance wheel 12 is arranged at the level of the dial 70, for example in a circular opening 72 formed on the dial 70. The balance wheel 12 can also be arranged above the dial 70. The hairspring 16 is arranged on the opposite side of the plate for its part. For example, the hairspring 16 is arranged to be located on one side of the back of the case (not shown) when the movement is incorporated into the case of the watch. According to a variant, the watch has no dial or only a partial dial with a cutout in the shape of a circular arc so as to only partially surround the balance wheel of the movement.

[0040] The ends of the balance staff 18 are mounted in first and second bearings (not shown) arranged respectively on a first balance bridge 30 and a second balance bridge 36, which are mounted respectively on a plate 80 on the dial side and on the back side. The end of the first balance bridge 30 is attached to the plate 80 by two screws 34. These screws are also screwed into two attachment cylinders 33 arranged between the end of the first balance bridge 30 and the plate 80. The height of the attachment cylinders 33 has been adjusted so that the balance 12 of the oscillator 10 is arranged in the opening 72 at the level of the dial 70. It should be noted that a decoration may be machined on the first balance bridge 30 on the dial side in order to improve the aesthetic appearance of the timepiece movement including the oscillator 10.

[0041] like Figure 5 As shown, the second balance wheel bridge 36 includes a hairspring stud support 38, in which the hairspring stud 17 fixed to the outer end of the hairspring 16 is attached. The regulator assembly system is also mounted on the second balance wheel bridge 36. The regulator assembly system includes a regulator 39 for adjusting the effective length of the hairspring 16 in order to correct the running error during quality control. To this end, the regulator 39 includes an arm supporting a lug 39a, the lug 39a is provided with a narrow slot, and the section of the hairspring 16 is arranged in the narrow slot. The regulator 39 is assembled to the second balance wheel bridge 36 with a large friction force. As shown in FIG. Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, plate 80 is provided with a cutout 81 through which oscillator 10 can pass when mounted in a movement. Cutout 81 is semicircular in shape and opens at the periphery of plate 80, but may equally have any other shape suitable for assembling oscillator 10 in a movement.

[0042] like Figure 6a and Figure 6b As shown, the timepiece movement comprises a stop-seconds device cooperating with a winding mechanism arbour 40 of the timepiece movement. The stop-seconds device comprises a rocker 50 which has the advantage of being arranged in a milled channel 59 formed in the dial side of an upper plate 80, which makes it easier to integrate the stop-seconds device into the timepiece movement.

[0043] Rocker 50 is mounted so as to be able to pivot about a post 58 inside a milled channel 59. This rocker is formed by joining together two distinct parts: a lever member 52 arranged to cooperate with winding mechanism axle 40, and an engagement arm 56 comprising, at its distal end, a blocking fin 57 arranged to abut against a portion of the periphery of rim 13 of balance wheel 12 when the stop-seconds device is actuated.

[0044] The engagement arm 56 is connected to the lever member 52 of the rocker 50 so as to rock in a plane parallel to the plane in which the lever member 52 is arranged. For this purpose, a spacer 60 is assembled between the lever member 52 and the engagement arm 56 so that the blocking fin 57 of the engagement arm is at the same height as the balance wheel 12. In addition, the engagement arm 56 and the lever member of the rocker 50 are arranged on both sides of the column 58 about which the rocker 50 pivots, and form an angle between 30° and 60° between them. According to a variant, the rocker 50 is formed as a single piece including a coupling portion and a lever member portion. According to one embodiment, the spacer 60 is formed integrally with the lever member 52 and the engagement arm 56.

[0045] The lever piece 52 of the rocker 50 engages with the sliding pinion 46 which, when the timepiece movement is running, is arranged against the winding mechanism pinion 44. The distal end of the lever piece 52 comprises a finger 54 arranged to cooperate with the pull-out piece 42 of the winding mechanism of the timepiece movement. The pull-out piece 42 is arranged to pivot about its pivot axis when the winding mechanism shaft 40 is actuated from a first axial position to a second axial position corresponding to a position for setting the time.

[0046] The pivoting of puller 42 exerts a force against finger 54 of rocker 50, causing it to rotate about column 58. The pivoting of rocker 50 serves, on the one hand, to bring blocking fin 57 of engagement portion 56 against a portion of the periphery of rim 13 of balance 12 in order to immobilize it, and, on the other hand, to move sliding pinion 46 away from winding mechanism pinion 44 until it meshes with the setting and going train wheels in order to control the hands to set the movement to the correct time.

[0047] Reference numerals list

[0048] Oscillator 10

[0049] Balance wheel 12

[0050] Rim 13

[0051] Arm 14

[0052] Wheel 15

[0053] Balance spring 16

[0054] Inner end 16a

[0055] Outer end 16b

[0056] Balance spring stud 17

[0057] Balance staff 18

[0058] First section 18a

[0059] Second section 18b

[0060] Transmission components

[0061] Double disk 20

[0062] Dish bolt 22

[0063] Shoulder 24

[0064] Spacer 26

[0065] Part 126a

[0066] Part 26b

[0067] Chuck 28

[0068] First balance bridge 30

[0069] First bearing

[0070] Attachment Cylinder 33

[0071] Screw 34

[0072] Second balance bridge 36

[0073] Second bearing

[0074] Balance spring stud support 38

[0075] Regulator 39

[0076] Lug 39a

[0077] Winding mechanism

[0078] Winding mechanism shaft 40

[0079] Pull-out 42

[0080] Winding mechanism pinion 44

[0081] Sliding pinion 46

[0082] Stop-seconds mechanism

[0083] Rocker 50

[0084] Lever 52

[0085] Finger 54

[0086] Engagement arm 56

[0087] Blocking fin 57

[0088] Tenon 58

[0089] Milling channel 59

[0090] Spacer 60

[0091] Dial 70

[0092] Opening 72

[0093] Plate 80

[0094] Cut 81

Claims

1. A watch movement, comprising a balance wheel and hairspring oscillator (10), wherein the balance wheel and hairspring oscillator (10) comprises: a balance staff (18) intended to be pivotably mounted on the frame of the timepiece; a balance wheel (12) fixed to the balance wheel shaft; a balance spring (16) comprising an inner end (16a) fixed to the balance staff (18) and an outer end (16b) intended to be connected to a connecting member (17) to the frame, and a transmission member (20, 22) arranged to interact with the escapement, It is characterized in that The balance wheel (12) and the balance spring (16) are arranged on both sides of the transmission member and the transmission member is in the form of a double disc (20) comprising a bolt (22) intended to cooperate with an escapement anchor; and The timepiece movement comprises a plate (80) in which the balance-with-hairspring oscillator (10) is mounted such that the balance wheel (12) and the hairspring (16) are arranged on both sides of the plate (80).

2. A watch movement according to claim 1, in, The balance wheel (12) and the hairspring (16) are respectively mounted at a first end (18a) and a second end (18b) of the balance wheel shaft (18).

3. The watch movement according to claim 2, in, The inner end (16a) of the balance spring (16) is fixed to a collet (28) mounted at the second end (18b) of the balance staff (18).

4. The watch movement according to claim 3, wherein: A spacer (26) is mounted on the balance staff (18) between the collet (28) and the transmission member (20, 22).

5. The watch movement according to claim 4, in, The spacer (26) is formed integrally with the transmission member.

6. The watch movement according to claim 1, in, The plate (80) comprises a cutout (81).

7. The watch movement according to claim 1, characterized in that: A dial (70) is included, and wherein the balance wheel (12) is arranged at the same level as the dial (70) or above the dial (70).

8. The watch movement according to claim 1, It is characterized in that It comprises a stop-seconds device arranged entirely on the upper part of the plate (80).

9. A watch movement according to claim 8, in, The stop-seconds device comprises a rocking arm (50), which is mounted on the upper portion of the plate (80) and comprises a lever portion (52) and an engagement portion (56), wherein the lever portion (52) is arranged to cooperate with a sliding pinion (46) arranged to move along the winding mechanism axis (40), and the engagement portion (56) is arranged to cooperate with a portion of the periphery of the rim (13) of the balance wheel (12), and the lever portion (52) and the engagement portion (56) are arranged on both sides of the pivot axis of the rocking arm (50).

10. A watch movement according to claim 9, in, The distal end portion of the lever member portion (52) of the rocking arm (50) is arranged to cooperate with the pull-out member (42) of the winding mechanism, and when the winding mechanism shaft (40) is actuated from a first axial position to a second axial position corresponding to a time setting position, the pull-out member (42) pivots, wherein the pivoting of the pull-out member (42) actuates the rocking arm (50) to rotate around its pivot axis so that on the one hand, the distal end portion of the engaging portion (56) abuts against a portion of the periphery of the rim (13) of the balance wheel (12) so as to immobilize the balance wheel, and on the other hand, the sliding pinion (46) meshes with the setting wheel and the moving wheel train so as to control the hands to set the watch movement to the correct time.

11. A timepiece comprising a case incorporating a timepiece movement according to claim 7, wherein: The hairspring (16) is arranged toward the back side of the watch case.

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