Measuring system for plurality of mechanical timepiece movements

Abstract

A measurement system for a plurality of mechanical timepiece movements is disclosed. The invention relates to a case (1) configured to accommodate a plurality of mechanical watch movements (10) in a chained state, each movement being housed in a compartment (5) configured to accommodate and hold the movement according to a predefined orientation. In the position, the upper chain button (8) of the movement is positioned to face a corresponding microphone (7) mounted inside the box body (1). The microphones are configured such that they cancel the detected noise such that the acoustic measurement of each movement (10) is essentially free from noise interference generated by the adjacent movement. The invention further relates to a method for testing a plurality of mechanical movements (10) mounted in a cartridge (1) and to a test system comprising such a cartridge. According to the method, the movement is measured by a plurality of cycles of consecutive and successive measurement periods.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of mechanical watches with manual or automatic winding, and more particularly to a system for testing the mechanical movement of such watches. Background Technology

[0002] Tests used to determine the regularity of operation and characterize other parameters of a mechanical watch movement are well known. The measurements used consist of optical and / or acoustic measurements of pulses generated by the movement's mechanical oscillator. Acoustic measurements known to date typically use expensive microphones, making this solution not very cost-effective. Furthermore, due to the mutual interference of the acoustic signals detected by these microphones, it is difficult to measure multiple movements using multiple microphones placed close to each other. Optical measurements have been developed, but the equipment required to implement these methods is relatively complex and expensive. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The object of this invention is to provide a solution to the aforementioned problems. This object is achieved by the measuring housing, measuring system, and method according to the appended claims.

[0004] This invention relates to a housing configured to accommodate multiple mechanical watch movements in a wound state, each movement housed within a compartment configured to receive and hold the movement according to a predefined orientation. In this position, the winding button of the movement is positioned facing a corresponding microphone mounted inside the housing. The microphones are configured to cancel or attenuate detected noise, such that acoustic measurements of each movement are essentially unaffected by noise generated by adjacent movements.

[0005] The present invention further relates to a method for testing multiple mechanical movements mounted in a housing, and to a testing system including the housing. According to the method, the movements are measured, for example, through multiple cycles of continuous and successive measurement periods.

[0006] Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent when reading the following description of preferred embodiments provided as non-limiting examples with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0007] The invention will be described in more detail below using the accompanying drawings, which are given by way of example and not by way of limitation, wherein: - Figure 1 An exploded view of a housing for measuring multiple mechanical watch movements according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. - Figure 2 Showing the assembly state Figure 1 Cross-sectional view of the box in the middle. - Figure 3 The diagram shows a view of a PCB that can be used in a housing according to a preferred embodiment. - Figure 4 A diagram showing the measurement sequence performed according to the method of the present invention is shown. - Figure 5 A view showing a signal measured by one of the microphones mounted in the housing according to the invention, and - Figure 6 A diagram showing an assembly mounted on a PCB of a housing according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0008] Figure 1 The box 1 shown includes a central portion 3, a top cover 2, and a bottom cover 4. The central portion 3 includes a plurality of compartments 5, for example ten compartments, configured to accommodate corresponding watch movements 10. In the illustrated embodiment, the movement is mounted in a plastic container, which is known itself as a component for protecting and handling the movement. The container surrounds the movement, leaving space for the winding button. Preferably, the compartments 5 are sized to accommodate a movement or watch head with a case (a watch box with a movement but no bracelet). The movement 10 is accommodated inside the compartment in a predetermined orientation, wherein the winding button 8 of the movement is oriented downwards. This can be achieved by... Figure 2 As seen in the text, Figure 2 The vertical cross-sectional view of the assembled box 1 is shown.

[0009] The central portion 3 of the housing 1 further includes a PCB 6 (printed circuit board, the body of which is made of a composite material) mounted below the compartment 5. The PCB 6 is provided with microphones 7, wherein the microphones 7 are deployed below each compartment 5. The microphones 7 are connected to conductive tracks (not shown) on the PCB to transmit electrical signals representing acoustic noise detected by the microphones 7. Each microphone 7 is positioned relative to its compartment 5 such that the winding button 8 of the mechanism 10 housed inside the compartment 5 faces its dedicated microphone 7.

[0010] Microphone 7 is configured to record noise generated by the mechanical oscillator of the corresponding movement 10. In a manner known per se, this noise consists of alternating sequences of two types of pulses with different characteristics, commonly referred to as "ticks" and "tocks." Analysis of the pulses allows parameters characterizing the movement's operation, such as operating status and tempo, to be measured.

[0011] Preferably, the microphone 7 is a contact microphone that includes a piezoelectric element. Therefore, to accurately record the "beep" and "tap" pulses, the winding button 8 of the mechanism must be mounted in physical contact with the piezoelectric element of the microphone 7 or with the contact sheet to which the piezoelectric element is fastened.

[0012] The central portion 3 of the housing 1 further includes a central compartment 11 configured to house a battery 12 (preferably a rechargeable battery), which serves as a power source for components mounted on the PCB. Alternatively, a conventional power source capable of being connected to a mains power supply can be used instead of a battery.

[0013] According to the invention, the housing 1 is configured such that the acoustic measurements recorded by one of the microphones 7 are essentially unaffected by pulses (clicks and taps) from the mechanism other than the mechanism in question housed in the compartment facing the microphone. For this purpose, each microphone 7 is provided with components for canceling the measured noise to prevent it from propagating within the housing 1. According to a preferred embodiment, the microphone is a contact microphone comprising a piezoelectric element and a helical noise cancellation structure disposed in the material of the PCB, the piezoelectric element being secured to the helical structure. Figure 3 This type of PCB is shown, which lacks piezoelectric elements and other components and conductive tracks subsequently manufactured on the PCB. The spiral structure 15 is obtained by cutting three curved segments 16 from the PCB material around a central hole 17. Preferably, the diameter of the hole 17 corresponds to the diameter of the piezoelectric element, which will be fixedly mounted within the hole 17 and connected to the conductive tracks of the PCB. The spiral portion 15 eliminates or attenuates sound by decoupling the piezoelectric element from a uniform surface of the PCB 6 (which is the outer surface of the spiral structure 15). The advantage of this type of microphone is that it can be manufactured at low cost while performing independent measurements on multiple mechanisms. Other noise cancellation structures are possible. Generally, noise cancellation structures establish a mechanical noise cancellation link between the piezoelectric element and a uniform portion of the board or cladding. For example, another structure that can be used is a membrane with a diameter larger than the diameter of the piezoelectric element, mounted between the edge of the hole in the piezoelectric element and the PCB.

[0014] The housing 1 is also configured to isolate the microphone 7 from noise originating outside the housing 1 when the housing is installed in a test environment. The isolation of the microphone 7 from noise originating outside the housing is achieved through the appropriate construction of the housing itself, and particularly through the judicious selection of materials for the housing 1. The construction shown in the figures—consisting of two thick covers 2 and 4 mounted on either side of the central portion 3 containing the mechanism, and according to this construction, each portion 2, 3, 4 is made of an acoustically insulating material (such as EPP (expanded polypropylene) foam)—enables isolation from external noise.

[0015] The invention further relates to a method for testing a movement 10 mounted in a housing 1 based on signals generated by a microphone 7. This method involves recording values ​​of a number of parameters characterizing the operation of the movement 10 at regular intervals during a portion or all of the movement's power reserve (which may be equal to approximately 72 hours). Figure 4 The method is illustrated in the diagram below. Figure 4 This illustrates a case where the housing 1 contains, for example, ten mechanisms 10 to be tested. According to an alternative embodiment of the method, a series of consecutive signal acquisition and processing periods can be performed, each period corresponding to a series of consecutive mechanisms mounted within the housing. In other words, during a first period P1, a signal generated by a first microphone (which measures the first mechanism) is acquired. During a second period P2, a signal generated by a second microphone is acquired, and so on up to the tenth microphone. Periods P1 through P10 follow one after another in a continuous manner, and each period has the same duration, for example, ten seconds or several tens of seconds. At the end of the sequence of ten mechanisms, the sequence restarts from the first mechanism. This cycle is repeated continuously for a certain period of time (at most until the power reserve of the mechanism is exhausted).

[0016] It should also be noted that sequential measurement of one movement after another is the version that minimizes dissonance and waste. However, depending on the quality of the materials used to manufacture the case, the external environment, and the reliability of the measurement and algorithms, it is entirely possible to acquire measurements of two or more movements simultaneously within a single measurement period. For example, different measurements could be taken during the first measurement period for two movements deployed opposite each other, or even for one movement out of every two movements, and during the second measurement period for the remaining 50% of the movements. Rolling measurements can also be performed between each movement. In this case, acquisition of the first movement begins with itself, and after a certain period, measurement of the first movement continues while measurement of subsequent movements begins. Then, once the measurement time has elapsed, measurement of the first movement stops, and measurement continues only with respect to the second movement, then measurement of the third movement begins, and so on.

[0017] Figure 5A graphical view showing the signal measured by one of the microphones 7 during one of the time periods PX is shown. "Tick-tock" pulses and "tap-tap" pulses are shown. Each pulse consists of a series of peaks associated with a phenomenon characterizing the escapement within the movement, in a manner known per se. As is also well known in the art, analysis of the pulses allows for the calculation of values ​​for numerous digital parameters characterizing the operation of the movement, such as the frequencies of the "tick-tock" and "tap-tap," the operating state (gain or loss of the movement relative to a reference oscillation), the beat (the offset between the tick and tap frequencies), the amplitude of the movement (the angle between the equilibrium position and the return point), and the escapement type (Swiss lever escapement or coaxial escapement). According to the method of the invention, for each movement 10 mounted in the housing, the values ​​of one or more of these parameters are recorded at the end of each time period PX. Figure 4 The embodiment shown records five values ​​V1 to V5 in this manner, such as the values ​​of the five parameters (frequency, operating status, etc.) identified above. Each value can be identified instantaneously at the end of the time period PX. For some parameters, the values ​​can also be calculated based on the signals detected throughout the time period. For example, and as in... Figure 5 As shown, the frequency can be calculated as the instantaneous frequency f determined based on the time between two pulses of the same type (tick or tap). 嘀嘀 and f 嗒嗒 The average value f▔ 嘀嘀 and f▔ 嗒嗒 .

[0018] Still Figure 5 A specific embodiment of the method shown includes calculating the amplitude of the movement based on the sum of "beep" pulses 18 and "tap" pulses 19 detected by microphone 7 over the entire duration of time period PX. It has been seen that the summation of the pulses allows for better identification of individual peaks that form part of each pulse, and thus improves the accuracy of the amplitude calculation of the movement.

[0019] According to a preferred embodiment, in addition to components (such as a screen) for transmitting results to the outside of the housing 1, the housing 1 is also provided with [equipment / facilities] based on [the specified parameters]. Figure 4 and Figure 5 The diagram shows components for processing signals and components for recording parameter values. The housing may be further equipped with numerous sensors for measuring conditions within the housing, such as temperature, humidity, acceleration, and magnetic field. At least some of the sensors are mounted on a printed circuit board and form part of the PCB.

[0020] Figure 6An example diagram of a PCB applicable to housing 1 according to a preferred embodiment is shown. A wind-up button 8 and a microphone 7 are shown. The signal generated by the microphone 7 is passed via an amplification stage 21 to a first processing unit 22, which includes an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) 31, a microprocessor 32 or an attenuator timing by a precision oscillator 24 (preferably a TCXO-type temperature-compensated crystal oscillator), and a memory 23. The precision oscillator 24 is connected to the input side of each microphone to receive signals from each mechanical movement to be tested. The oscillator 24 provides a reference frequency relative to which the operation of the movement is determined. The method of the invention is implemented in the processing unit 22. In other words, the processor 32 of the processing unit 22 is programmed to continuously acquire signals from the movements to calculate values ​​at the end of each measurement period PX for all movements mounted in the housing, and to record these values ​​in the memory 23. The first processing unit 22 is connected to a second processing unit 25, which includes a memory 26 and a microprocessor 33. The second unit 25 is connected to a number of other components mounted on the PCB: a power management unit 30 connected to the battery, a sensor unit 27 receiving data (temperature, humidity, or other data) measured by other sensors within the housing 1, a user interface 28 (preferably a screen), and a communication unit 29 for managing the transmission of measured values ​​to devices outside the housing (such as a server connected to the housing via a wireless digital network). According to an alternative embodiment, a single processing unit is provided, which integrates an ADC, memory, and a single microprocessor for implementing the methods of the invention, and this single processing unit is further connected to other components of the PCB.

[0021] According to a preferred embodiment, certain components operate in a discontinuous mode, being woken up at intervals when data is sent outside the housing 1. This operating mode minimizes power consumption.

[0022] The housing 1 itself can be considered so that it does not include components for processing signals from the microphone. Therefore, it is configured to form part of a test system comprising the housing 1 and a computer connected to the housing. Thus, the method of the present invention is implemented in a computer that takes the form of a set of electrical and / or microelectronic components that process the signals generated by the microphone 7 to obtain and record the value of PX at the end of each measurement period.

Claims

1. A housing (1) for testing multiple mechanical watch movements (10), each movement being provided with a winding button (8), said housing comprising: - Multiple compartments (5), each compartment being configured to accommodate the movement (10), such that the movement is placed inside the compartment according to a predetermined orientation. - Multiple microphones (7), the number of which is equal to the number of compartments (5), the microphones are installed such that when the mechanism is placed in the compartment (5) according to the predetermined orientation, the winding button (8) of the mechanism (10) is positioned facing the corresponding microphone (7), each microphone (7) is provided with a noise cancellation structure such that acoustic measurements of each mechanism (10) are essentially unaffected by noise generated by adjacent mechanisms. -PCB (6), PCB (6) is mounted below compartment (5) and includes a board body made of composite material, wherein the microphone (7) is mounted on the board body of PCB (6) or integrated into the board body of PCB (6), Its features are: - The microphone (7) is a contact microphone that includes a piezoelectric element. - When the mechanism (10) is placed in the compartment (5) according to the predetermined orientation, the winding button (8) of the mechanism (10) is positioned to make physical contact with the piezoelectric element of the microphone (7). - The noise cancellation structure establishes a mechanical noise cancellation link between the piezoelectric element and a uniform portion of the PCB (6) board.

2. The box body (1) according to claim 1, wherein, The noise cancellation structure is a spiral structure (15) arranged in the composite material of the PCB (6) board.

3. The box body (1) according to claim 2, wherein, The PCB board is provided with holes (17), piezoelectric elements are fastened in the holes, and a spiral structure (15) extends around the holes (17).

4. The housing (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The PCB (6) further includes one or more units (22, 25) for processing signals generated by the microphone (7).

5. The box body (1) according to claim 1, wherein, The noise cancellation structure is a membrane installed between the edge of a hole in the piezoelectric element and the PCB, where the diameter of the hole is larger than the diameter of the piezoelectric element.

6. The housing (1) according to any of the preceding claims further includes one or more sensors for measuring the condition inside the housing.

7. The box body (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, the box body comprising three parts: a central part (3) including a compartment (5), a top cover (2) and a bottom cover (4).

8. The box body (1) according to claim 7, wherein, The three parts (2, 3, 4) are made of acoustically insulated materials.

9. A system for testing multiple mechanical watch movements (10), each movement being provided with its winding button (8), said system comprising a housing (1) according to any one of the preceding claims.

10. A method for testing a plurality of mechanical watch movements (10), the plurality of mechanical watch movements being mounted in a wound state within a housing (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, the method: - This includes acquiring signals generated by a microphone (7), which is configured to measure noise from "beep" and "tap" pulses generated by the mechanism (10). The acquisition is performed continuously for the plurality of mechanisms through a cycle of consecutive measurement periods (P1-P10), with each consecutive measurement period following the next and being of equal length. The cycle is repeated once or several times. - It is configured such that at least one value of a parameter characterizing the operation of the movement being tested is recorded at the end of each measurement period.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein, The recorded values ​​include one or more of the following: - The frequency of the "beep beep" pulse and the frequency of the "tap tap" pulse. - Operating status -beat, - Movement amplitude - Type of movement.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising recording the amplitude of the movement, wherein the amplitude is calculated based on the sum of signals associated with "beep" pulses and the sum of signals associated with "tap" pulses during the measurement period (P1-P10).

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