Watch with an electromechanical generator

Abstract

The invention relates to a watch comprising a movement (44a) located within a case (6b) and an electromechanical generator (88) comprising a stator and a rotor (92), one of which carries a permanent magnet (18a, 18b) and the other carries a coil (14). The rotor has an annular structure and is guided in rotation by at least one ball bearing (100a), the rotor has a free inner space (130) over its entire height, the geometric axis of rotation of the rotor passes through the space, and the movement is located at least partially within the space. In one main embodiment, the watch includes a barrel that constitutes a rotor drive activated according to instructions. In one major variant, the watch includes a lighting device (64) powered by a coil. In one advantageous variant, the rotor carries coils, which are connected via an electrical circuit without an electrical storage device to a lighting device fixedly arranged on the rotor.

Description

(19) State Intellectual Property Office (12) Invention Patent Application (10) Application Publication Number (43) Application Publication Date (21) Application Number 202511303096.3 (22) Application Date 2025.09.12 (30) Priority Data 24201470.2 2024.09.19 EP (71) Applicant Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd. Address Switzerland (72) Inventors P. Tortola C. Nicolas B. Ino JJ. Born (74) Patent Agency Beijing Zhongzi Law Firm 11247 Patent Attorneys Mi Fenghua Wan Liujun (51) Int.Cl. G04B 19 / 30 (2006.01) F21S 9 / 04 (2006.01) F21V 33 / 00 (2006.01) F21Y 115 / 10 (2016.01) (54) Title of Invention: Watch with Electromechanical Generator (57) Abstract: This invention relates to a watch comprising a movement (44a) and an electromechanical generator (88) located within a case (6b). The electromechanical generator comprises a stator and a rotor (92), one of which carries permanent magnets (18a, 18b), and the other carries coils (14). The rotor has an annular structure and is guided to rotate by at least one ball bearing (100a). The rotor has a free internal space (130) over its entire height through which the geometric axis of rotation of the rotor passes, and the movement is at least partially located within this space. In one primary embodiment, the watch includes a mainspring barrel that constitutes a rotor drive mechanism activated by command. In a primary variant, the watch includes a lighting device (64) powered by the coils. In an advantageous variant, the rotor carries coils that are connected via an electrical circuit without a storage device to the lighting device fixedly arranged on the rotor. Claims (2 pages), Description (7 pages), Drawings (3 pages), CN 121704148 A, 2026.03.20, CN 1 21 70 41 48 A 1. A watch (2, 42, 82) comprising a movement (4, 44), an electromechanical generator (8, 48, 88), and a case (6, 6a, 6b) housing the movement and the electromechanical generator, the electromechanical generator comprising a stator (10, 50, 90) and a rotor (12, 52, 92), one of the stator and the rotor carrying a permanent magnet (18, 18a, 18b), and the other carrying a coil (14), the permanent magnet and the coil being arranged such that, as the rotor rotates, the permanent magnet moves in a reference frame associated with the coil, successively at least partially opposite each coil, and the magnetic axis of each permanent magnet passes through the coil; characterized in that the rotor has an annular structure and is supported by at least one ball bearing (20; 60; 100a, 100b, ...100c) Guides rotation, the rotor having free internal space (24, 130) over its entire height, the geometric axis of rotation (34) of the rotor passing through the free internal space, and the movement being at least partially located within the free internal space. 2. The watch according to claim 1, characterized in that the rotor (12, 52, 92) on the electromechanical generator is substantially completely, preferably completely, located within the peripheral space of the movement (4, 44). 3. The watch according to claim 2, characterized in that the stator (50, 90) on the electromechanical generator is substantially completely, preferably completely, located within the peripheral space of the movement (44). 4. The watch according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the axial dimension of the electromechanical generator (48) is smaller than the axial dimension of the movement. 5. The watch according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the ball bearings (20, 60) are composed of a fixed portion (21, 21a) and a movable portion (22, 22a), the balls (23) being located between the fixed portion and the movable portion, the movable portion being annular, and the movable portion constituting part of the rotor or attached to the rotor. 6. The watch according to claim 5, characterized in that the fixed portion (21) of the ball bearing (20) is located outside the rotor (12) and fixed to the watch case (6). 7. The watch according to claim 5, characterized in that the fixed portion (21a) of the ball bearing (60) is located inside the rotor (52) and fixed to the movement (44). 8. The watch according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the watch (82) comprises a plurality of ball bearings (100a, 100b, 100c), the diameter of which is smaller than the inner radius (R) of the rotor (92), preferably less than half of the inner radius; and each of the plurality of ball bearings comprises a fixed portion (101) and a movable portion (102), the movable portion being movable between the fixed portion and the rotor, each of the movable portions and the rotor being configured such that the rotor is supported only by the plurality of movable portions of the plurality of ball bearings and is rotatable about the geometric axis of rotation. 9. The watch according to claim 8, characterized in that each ball bearing (100a, 100b, 100c) is located inside the rotor, and each fixed portion is fixed to the movement. 10. The watch according to claim 8, characterized in that each ball bearing is located outside the rotor, and each fixed portion is fixed to the watch case. 11. The watch according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the rotor (12) includes an unbalanced portion.(28) or attached to an unbalanced portion, thereby allowing the rotor to be actuated by the movement of the watch user and rotate freely; and the coil (14) is connected to the energy storage device (32) via a rectifier (30). 12. The watch according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the watch includes a mechanical drive device (72, 74, 75) for the rotor, the mechanical drive device including a mainspring barrel (72) and arranged to be activated according to the instruction of the watch user. 13. The watch according to claim 12, characterized in that the watch includes an illumination device powered by the coil (64). 14. The watch according to claim 13, characterized in that the stator (50) carries the coil (14), the coil being directly or via an electrical circuit without an energy storage device connected to the illumination device. 15. The watch according to claim 14, characterized in that the illumination device (64) is fixedly arranged on the stator. 16. The watch according to claim 13, characterized in that the rotor (92) carries the coil (14), the coil being directly or via an electrical circuit without a power storage device connected to the lighting device (64), wherein the lighting device (64) is fixedly arranged on the rotor. 17. The watch according to any one of claims 13 to 16, characterized in that the lighting device includes or is connected to at least one light guide structure (66, 66a), the light guide structure being arranged to conduct light generated by the lighting device (64) to a display space (70), in which an analog watch display device is located. 18. The watch according to claim 17, characterized in that the light guide structure (66, 66a) forms a flange around the display space (70) on the watch, or has a light extraction surface arranged behind at least partially translucent flanges, the at least partially translucent flanges being capable of transmitting incident light toward the display space. Claims 2 / 2 Page 3 CN 121704148 A Watch with Electromechanical Generator Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a watch with an integrated electromechanical generator. Specifically, the present invention relates to a watch equipped with a mechanical movement, that is, the driving device of the analog time display device of the watch is entirely mechanical, and the mainspring barrel is the energy source.

[0002] In particular, the present invention relates to a watch equipped with an illumination device for the display space, wherein an analog display device is provided, the illumination device being powered by an electromechanical generator. Background Art

[0003] Mechanical watches equipped with various additional lighting systems already exist on the market. In document EP3838424, a watch is disclosed in which...In a specific embodiment, the lighting device is powered by a micro-generator (also called a “generator”), which is driven to rotate by a mainspring barrel and acts as a speed regulator for the striking device. The coils on the micro-generator are carried by its stator, while the rotor typically carries permanent magnets.

[0004] Regarding the micro-generator, it should be noted that the generator and its corresponding electrical and electronic circuitry are entirely located inside the watch movement, occupying a relatively large space within the movement. If the watch movement is to be displayed through the glass in the case back, at least the generator is clearly visible. This gives the watch movement a hybrid electromechanical appearance, which is particularly unsuitable for high-end watches, as the value of high-end watches lies primarily in the mechanical watch movement. Moreover, the large space occupied by the generator within the movement increases the volume of the movement. In addition, the generator is also quite tall, as the rotor includes multiple magnets on at least one disc, and a central spindle supporting said at least one disc, these magnets being axially superimposed on coils in the stator, the ends of which pivot at the two ends of the central spindle in the support of the movement, for example, in the generator's plate and bridge.

[0005] It should also be noted that the above-mentioned lighting system has some drawbacks for watches equipped with mechanical movements, especially high-end watches, because for high-end watches, it is crucial to preserve the pure mechanical characteristics of the movement as much as possible. The lighting system actually includes at least one electroluminescent element (e.g., at least one LED), electrical circuits, electronic circuits, and at least one energy storage device, arranged on a support in the watch movement, around the rotor of the micro-generator, thereby introducing electronic devices and energy storage devices into the watch movement. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The primary object of the present invention is to provide a watch equipped with an electromechanical generator that can solve the various problems mentioned above that arise when a micro-generator (hereinafter referred to as "electromechanical generator" or simply "generator") is integrated into a watch movement.

[0007] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a watch equipped with an electromechanical generator and a lighting device, and to provide solutions to the various drawbacks mentioned above related to the lighting system.

[0008] Another object of the present invention is to provide an illumination device for simulating a watch display (particularly the hands and dial), which is aesthetically pleasing, compact, and suitable for high-end watches, and does not require the installation of special optics in the components (particularly the dial) of the simulating display itself.

[0009] To this end, the present invention first relates to a watch comprising a movement, an electromechanical generator, and a case housing the movement and the electromechanical generator, the generator comprising a stator and a rotor, one of the stator and the rotor carrying permanent magnets and the other carrying coils. The permanent magnets and the coils are arranged such that when the rotor rotates, the permanent magnets move in a reference frame associated with the coils.The rotor, in turn, is positioned opposite each coil, and the magnetic axis of each permanent magnet passes through the coil. The rotor has a ring structure and is guided to rotate by at least one ball bearing. The rotor has free internal space throughout its entire height, through which the geometric axis of rotation of the rotor passes, and the movement is at least partially located within this space.

[0010] According to an advantageous variation, the rotor on the electromechanical generator is substantially entirely (preferably entirely) located within the peripheral space of the movement. “Substantially located within the peripheral space” means that the movement is contained within a geometric volume that extends internally to the surface along the outer side of the movement, and the rotor does not extend into this volume, except perhaps for the internal teeth on the rotor that mesh with the wheels of the mechanical drive on the generator (in the case where the mechanical drive is contained within the movement). It should be noted that, in a particular embodiment that will not be described, the mechanical drive of the rotor may be independent of the movement and located outside the movement volume within the case. According to a preferred variation, the stator on the electromechanical generator is substantially entirely (preferably entirely) located within the peripheral space of the movement. For the stator, "substantially entirely within the surrounding space" in this case means that the coil is substantially outside the movement volume, but a portion of the coil support may optionally extend into that volume, particularly for securing the coil support to the movement.

[0011] In an advantageous variant, the axial dimension of the electromechanical generator is smaller than the axial dimension of the movement.

[0012] In an advantageous embodiment, the watch includes a plurality of ball bearings whose diameter is smaller than the inner radius of the rotor, preferably less than half of that inner radius. Each of the plurality of ball bearings includes a fixed portion and a movable portion that moves between the fixed portion and the rotor. Each movable portion and the rotor are configured such that the rotor is supported only by the plurality of movable portions of the plurality of ball bearings and is rotatable about the geometric axis of rotation of the rotor.

[0013] In a first main embodiment, the rotor includes an unbalanced portion such that the rotor can be actuated by the movement of the watch user and rotate freely; and the coil is connected to the energy storage device via a rectifier.

[0014] In a second main embodiment, the watch includes a mechanical drive for a rotor, the mechanical drive including a mainspring barrel, and arranged such that the mechanical drive can be activated according to a command from the watch user.

[0015] In an advantageous embodiment, the watch includes a coil-powered illumination device. In a preferred variant of this embodiment, the rotor carries coils that are directly or via electrical circuitry (and, if necessary, electronic circuitry) connected to the illumination device, which is fixedly arranged on the rotor. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0016] The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are given by way of non-limiting example, in which:

[0017] - FIG1 is a partial cross-sectional view of a watch according to a first main embodiment of the present invention;

[0018] - FIG2 is a partial cross-sectional view of a watch according to a second main embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] - FIG3 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of a watch according to an advantageous embodiment along line III-III in FIG4 and FIG5, the watch using an electromechanical generator as the energy source for the lighting device in the display space on the watch;

[0020] - FIG4 is a partial cross-sectional view along section line IV-IV of the watch in FIG3; and

[0021] - FIG5 is a partial cross-sectional view along section line V-V of the watch in FIG3. Specification 2 / 7 pages 5 CN 121704148 A Detailed Description

[0022] The first main embodiment of the watch according to the present invention will now be described with reference to FIG1. ​​

[0023] The watch 2 includes a movement 4, an electromechanical generator 8, and a case 6 housing the movement and the electromechanical generator. The generator 8 includes a stator 10 and a rotor 12, the rotor carrying permanent magnets 18a, 18b, and the stator carrying coils 14. Generally, permanent magnets and coils are arranged such that as the rotor rotates, the magnets move successively in a reference frame associated / fixed with the coils and are at least partially opposite each coil, at which point the magnetic axes of these magnets (indicated by arrows in the figure) pass through the coils. According to the invention, the rotor 12 has an annular structure and is guided to rotate by at least one ball bearing 20. In addition, the rotor has a free internal space 24 over its entire height, through which the geometric axis of rotation of the rotor (similar to axis 34 shown in FIG. 2) passes, and the movement 4 is at least partially located in this space.

[0024] In this advantageous variant of the first main embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the rotor 12 has a ferromagnetic structure, in this example formed as two annular portions 17a and 17b, the cross-section of which is generally C-shaped (or more precisely, U-shaped with straight portions). More specifically, portion 17a is L-shaped and carries a first set of permanent magnets 18a located above the coil 14; portion 17b is straight and carries a second set of permanent magnets 18b located below the coil 14. Therefore, coil 14 is advantageously positioned between pairs of magnets with the same polarity and axial alignment, the magnetic axes of the magnets also being axial. To limit the thickness of the generator and facilitate equidistant spacing between each pair of magnets and the coil, the coil is located in an opening in support 15, which optionally forms a PCB on which the coil is fixed. Coil 14 and magnet pairs 18a, 18b are arranged in a circular configuration with the rotor rotation axis as the central axis. In the first variation, the number of magnets in each group of magnets is equal to the predetermined number of coils, which is advantageously predetermined between 24 and 48, but not limited to this. In this case, all magnets have the same polarity (the same polarization direction). In the second variation, the number of magnets in each group of magnets in the generator is twice the number of coils, and therefore the number of magnet pairs is also twice the number of coils. In the latter case, each groupThe magnets in the magnet or magnet pair have alternating polarities.

[0025] In the variant shown in FIG1, a single ball bearing 20 is provided, which consists of a fixed annular portion 21 and a movable annular portion 22, with balls 23 located between them. In this variant, the movable annular portion 22 forms part of the rotor 12. In the first variant (the variant shown in FIG1), the fixed portion 21 of the ball bearing 20 is located outside the rotor 12 and fixed to the case 6. It is advantageous that the rotor on the electromechanical generator 8 is located entirely within the peripheral space of the movement 4, as the rotor does not obstruct the movement, and this design allows the rotor and stator coils to be located outside the cylindrical space extending axially from the lower crystal of the case 6. According to the variant under consideration, only the support 15 of the coil 14 can partially extend into this cylindrical space. "Peripheral space" refers to the space that surrounds the geometric volume defined by the movement 4 laterally—that is, defined by the entire outer surface of the movement 4.

[0026] To install the generator 8 in the watch case 6 of the watch 2, the ball bearing 20, along with the upper rotor portion 17a carrying the upper magnet 18a, must first be inserted into the watch case through the lower opening in the intermediate piece from the back cover side (the back cover needs to be removed to install the generator and movement), and the fixing ring portion 21 is assembled onto the watch case 6. It should be noted that the upper portion 17a has been pre-fixed to the movable ring portion 22 of the ball bearing. Then, the movement 4 and stator 10 (optionally together with the dial) are also inserted into the watch case through the lower opening, and the movement is fixed in the watch case. It should be noted that the stator can be pre-fixed to the movement, or it can be fixed to the movement after installation into the watch case 6. In a variant not shown, the stator is fixed to the fitting circle 4 on the movement. Finally, a magnet 18b is added to the lower portion 17b of the rotor, and the lower portion 17b is fixed to the upper portion 17a to form the rotor 12 and the magnetic circuit connecting the magnet 18a and the magnet 18b. These two portions are fixed with screws 26, which are screwed into a threaded tube attached to the movable portion 22 and the upper portion 17a of the rotor. It should be noted that the lower portion 17b extends radially beyond the upper portion 17a to ensure that the two portions are rigidly and stably fixed. Specification 3 / 7 pages 6 CN 121704148 A

[0027] The first main embodiment relates to a watch in which an electromechanical generator 8 is the power source for converting mechanical energy generated by the user's arm movements into electrical energy stored in the watch, so as to subsequently power at least one electrical and / or electronic device or system mounted on the watch. For this purpose, the rotor 12 carries an imbalance portion 28. Since this imbalance portion is fixed to the rotor and rotates with the rotor, the rotor may also be referred to as containing the imbalance portion 28. For example, the imbalance extends over an angular distance of 180°.Thus, the imbalance allows the rotor 12 to be actuated by the movement of the watch user. To store the electrical energy generated by the generator 8, the coil 14 is connected to the energy storage device 32 via a rectifier 30. In the illustrated variant, these electrical components 30 and 32 are arranged on a support 15 of the stator 10, which forms a PCB. The coils, advantageously arranged in series, are connected to the rectifier via this PCB. The rectifier rectifies the sinusoidal electrical signal provided by the generator so that electrical energy is stored in the energy storage device 32, particularly a rechargeable battery.

[0028] It should be noted that the PCB 15 partially extends into the movement 4. This means that the electromechanical generator is almost entirely located in the peripheral space of the movement. In the first variant, the PCB constituting the stator 10 and carrying the electrical components is entirely located in the periphery of the movement, fixed to the movement, or fixed to the watch case, or fixed to the mounting ring. In the second variant, the two ends of a plurality of coils connected in series are connected to two electrode pads on a PCB via two wires, or via a flexible connector, or via other types of electrical connectors, wherein electrical components 30 and 32 are arranged on the PCB, which is independent of the support forming the stator 10, which is located entirely around the periphery of the movement 4. In the first and second variants, the stator and therefore the generator are located entirely in the peripheral space of the movement, thus the movement and the generator are separated from each other, with the generator located on the periphery of the movement and the movement located inside the generator.

[0029] A second principal embodiment of the watch according to the invention will now be described with reference to FIG2.

[0030] The main difference between the watch 42 according to the second principal embodiment of the invention and the first principal embodiment is that the rotor 52 on the electromechanical generator 48 is driven by a mainspring barrel 72 on the movement 44 via a gear train (which consists of wheels 74, 75) according to instructions. The mainspring barrel stores mechanical energy by manual winding or automatic winding via a rotor and is dedicated to the watch's lighting device, wherein the source of electrical energy is the generator 48. In general, the watch includes a mechanical drive mechanism for a rotor, which includes a mainspring barrel and is arranged such that it can be activated according to the watch user's instructions to drive the rotor on a generator, thereby generating electrical energy.

[0031] The generator 48 includes a stator 50 and a rotor 52, the rotor carrying permanent magnets 18 and the stator carrying coils 14. The permanent magnets and coils are arranged such that as the rotor rotates, the permanent magnets move in a reference frame associated / fixed with the coils and are successively at least partially opposite each coil, at which time the magnetic axes of the permanent magnets pass through the coils. According to the invention, the rotor 52 has an annular structure and is guided to rotate by ball bearings 60. The rotor 52 has free internal space over its entire height, through which the geometric axis of rotation 34 of the rotor passes, and the movement 44 is partially located in the space. The rotor 52 on the electromechanical generator is completely located within the space.In the peripheral space of the movement. In the advantageous variant shown, the stator 50 on the electromechanical generator 48 is also located entirely in the peripheral space of the movement 44. Furthermore, the axial dimension of the electromechanical generator 48 is smaller than the axial dimension of the movement 44. Integrating the generator 48 into the watch 42 does not increase the thickness of the watch. In addition, the generator can be easily installed in the case 6a, and the space above the movement 44 is not obstructed by the generator. The latter feature is particularly useful for the watch 42, because the watch 42 includes a device for illuminating the display space 70 from the periphery of the display space 70, which is located between the dial 68 and the upper crystal 78 (this illumination device will be described in more detail below).

[0032] The ball bearing 60 is composed of a fixed portion 21a and a movable portion 22a, with balls 23 located between the fixed portion 21a and the movable portion 22a. The movable portion 22a is annular and forms part of the rotor 52, or in other words, is attached to the rotor. The variant shown is characterized in that the fixed portion 21a of the ball bearing 60 is located inside the rotor 52 and is fixed to the movement 44. Specifically, the fixed portion 21a is formed as an annular ring, which surrounds the movement 44, for example, in the middle region of the movement 44, as shown on page 4 / 7 of the specification, CN 121704148 A 2. Only the wheel 75 on the rotor drive moves below the ball bearing 60 and meshes with the internal teeth of the rotor, which are machined on the inner edge of the ferromagnetic ring 58, which constitutes the rotor 52 and carries the bipolar permanent magnet 18. The ferromagnetic ring 58 is attached to the movable portion 22a of the ball bearing 60 and, together with the ferromagnetic annular portion 56 of the stator 50, forms a magnetic circuit for closing the magnetic field generated by the magnet 18, thereby allowing the magnetic field to pass through the coil 14 in an optimal manner. The annular portion 56 of the stator has an L-shaped cross-section and is fixed to the case 6a. The annular portion 56 carries an annular PCB 54 arranged below its horizontal portion, with coil 14 arranged below the PCB 54 facing the magnet 18. As a non-limiting example, the PCB 54 carries 20 to 40 coils evenly distributed around the axis of rotation 34. The rotor 52 carries the same number of magnets with the same polarity, or twice the number of magnets with alternating polarities, evenly distributed on the ferromagnetic ring 58. The main difference between the generator 48 and the generator 8 in the first embodiment is that the rotor 52 carries a single set of magnets arranged in the same geometric plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation 34, so that these magnets are all located on the same side of the coil 14.

[0033] Secondly, the difference between the second main embodiment and the first main embodiment is that the lighting device on the watch is powered by the generator 48 in essentially real-time (more specifically, when the rotor 52 rotates at a speed above a given minimum value, it is powered by the generator 48).The coil 14 is powered directly or by means of an electrical and / or electronic circuit without a storage device, which optionally has at least one smooth capacitor made of a solid material (this smooth capacitor is not a storage device because it does not store energy). The electrical and / or electronic circuit may in particular include a Graitz rectifier bridge.

[0034] In the illustrated variant, the lighting device consists of a plurality of electroluminescent diodes 64 (LEDs 64) and an annular light guide structure 66 forming a flange on the watch. The stator 50 carries coils that are directly or via an electrical circuit (and, if necessary, electronic circuit) without a storage device to the plurality of electroluminescent diodes 64 arranged in parallel. The lighting device is preferably arranged on the stator, with an annular PCB 54 carrying the coil 14 on one side and the LEDs 64 on the other side. The PCB also carries various electrical connections and any planned electrical and / or electronic circuitry. As a non-limiting example, there are 6 to 18 LEDs pre-installed, which are evenly distributed at an angle. It should be noted that these LEDs are located in the through-holes of the ferromagnetic annular portion 56, facing the annular light guide structure 66. The annular light guide structure 66 has an incident surface for incident light generated by the LEDs, which is located above the LEDs, and a cylindrical surface for extracting said light, which defines the display space 70 and allows light to leave the light guide and enter the display space.

[0035] In this second embodiment, the movement 44 can advantageously be of a mechanical type (not containing electrical or electronic components). All electrical and electronic components contained in the watch are arranged around the periphery of the mechanical movement 44, in particular the generator 48 and the illumination device 64 for the display space 70. The lower crystal 76 does not expose any electrical or electronic components, or even any permanent magnets in the generator (it should be noted that in the watchmaking field, integrable permanent magnets are considered non-electrical / electronic components). In the first variant, the ball bearing 60 is fixed to a mounting ring on the mechanical movement 44. In the second variant, as in the variant of the first embodiment, the ball bearings are arranged on the outside of the rotor and fixed to the case 6a.

[0036] An advantageous embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to Figures 3 to 5 for a watch including a display space illumination device powered by an electromechanical generator. The various features of the invention described above will not be repeated, and the unique features of this advantageous embodiment will be introduced first.

[0037] The watch 82 includes a case 6b in which a movement 44a (partially shown in Figure 3; it is located between the dial 68 and the case back) is integrated, and an electromechanical generator 88 is located in the peripheral region of the movement. The generator 88 includes a stator 90 and a rotor 92, the rotor 92 having an annular structure, and according to a first key feature of this advantageous embodiment, the rotor 92 is powered by at least two ball bearings (preferably)At least three ball bearings 100a, 100b, and 100c are selected to guide the rotation. Generally, the watch 82 comprises multiple ball bearings with a diameter smaller than the inner radius R of the rotor, preferably less than half of that inner radius. Each of the multiple ball bearings includes a fixed portion 101 and a movable portion 102 that moves between the fixed portion and the rotor 92. Each movable portion and rotor are configured such that the rotor is supported only by the multiple movable portions of the multiple ball bearings and is capable of rotating about the central geometric axis 34 of the rotor (i.e., the axis of rotation of the rotor). Each bearing typically contains a ball 103 between its fixed portion and movable portion. A special feature of this example compared to the previous embodiments is that the movable portions of the ball bearings are not attached to the peripheral annular rotor 92 and are therefore not part of that rotor. The movable portions roll along a track 97, which is laterally machined in the inner portion 96 of the rotor.

[0038] For example, the track 97 has a cross-sectional profile defining three straight segments, sized such that each movable portion 102 has a small gap in the groove forming the track and contacts at one or two points along the profile, depending on the spatial orientation of the watch. Preferably, in this advantageous embodiment, each ball bearing is located inside the rotor, and each fixed portion is mounted in the movement 44a. In a variant, the fixed portion 101 is mounted on a mounting ring on the movement. The rotor 92 has internal teeth 98 that mesh with wheels 75 of the transmission (wheels 74 and 75) arranged between the mainspring barrel 72 and the rotor. The drive mechanism on the generator is designed such that it can drive the generator in a controlled manner according to instructions, particularly to make the rotational angular velocity of the generator higher than the minimum speed required for the normal operation of the lighting device (depending on the arrangement of the generator 88), as long as the mainspring barrel is wound above the lower threshold.

[0039] As in other embodiments, the rotor 92 has a free internal space 130 throughout its entire height, through which the geometric axis of rotation 34 of the rotor passes, and the mechanism 44a is partially located within this internal space. The rotor 92 is thus substantially entirely located within the peripheral space of the mechanism. Indeed, in the variant shown, only three ball bearings (which are associated with and support the rotor to allow it to rotate freely) and a drive wheel 75 that meshes with the rotor's internal teeth 98 are in contact with the rotor 92, and they are located on the inside of the rotor. Thus, it can be said that in the variant shown, the rotor is entirely located within the peripheral space of the mechanism 44a. Furthermore, the stator 90 on the generator is also substantially entirely located within the peripheral space of the mechanism. Indeed, although the recesses 110 and 120 in the stator are not considered part of the volume of the stator itself, it can be said that the stator 90 is also entirely located within the peripheral space of the mechanism.Therefore, the electromechanical generator is essentially (preferably) entirely arranged within the peripheral space of the watch movement. Thus, in the illustrated variant, the movement is essentially entirely within the generator 88, located within the internal volume of the generator defined by the stator 90, and in fact, according to the above description and the height of the generator in the illustrated variant, the movement is entirely located within this internal volume.

[0040] According to a second key feature of the advantageous embodiment described herein, the rotor 92 advantageously carries the coil 14, which is directly or via electrical circuitry (and, if necessary, electronic circuitry) connected to an illumination device consisting of a plurality of electroluminescent diodes 64 (LEDs 64) fixedly arranged on the rotor. More specifically, the rotor includes an annular support 94 forming a rigid PCB (“printed circuit board”) having circular openings in which the coil 14 is located and fixed to the annular support 94, which itself is carried by the internal portion 96 of the rotor. LEDs, various electrical connections constituting the circuit, and, where appropriate, any electronic circuits other than LEDs, are arranged on and carried by the PCB. Therefore, the rotor carries all electrical and electronic equipment including: the plurality of electroluminescent diodes, the coils of the generator 88, electrical interconnection circuits, and (if necessary) any other electrical or electronic components associated with the lighting fixture and the electromechanical generator powering the lighting fixture.

[0041] The stator 90 includes a first set of axially magnetized bipolar permanent magnets 18a and a second set of permanent magnets 18b. The first set of permanent magnets 18a is carried at the bottom by a first portion 106a of a toroidal ferromagnetic structure that forms a magnetic circuit for closing the magnetic fields of the first set of permanent magnets 18a and the second set of permanent magnets 18b. The second set of permanent magnets 18b is carried at the top by a second portion 106b of a toroidal ferromagnetic structure, which is fixed in the embodiment described in this case, unlike the variant in the previously described first main embodiment (where the rotor includes a similar toroidal structure carrying both sets of magnets). The annular structure includes recesses 110 for ball bearings 100a, 110b, and 110c, and recesses 120 for drive wheel 75. These recesses, as described on pages 6 / 7 of CN 121704148 A, are machined in the lateral walls (axial walls / vertical walls), and optionally, as shown, are also machined in the second part 106b (lower part on the back side of the case) to facilitate the assembly of the ball bearings and drive wheel 75.

[0042] In the first variant shown in FIG3, the number of magnets in each group of magnets is equal to the preset number of coils, which is 36 in the variant shown. Advantageously and non-limitingly, this number is preset to be between 20 and 40. In the second variant, the electromechanicalThe number of magnets in each group of the generator is twice the number of coils, with each group of magnets having alternating polarities.

[0043] The lighting device is combined with a light guide structure 66a, similar to the case described in the second embodiment. The light guide structure is arranged to conduct light generated by the lighting device (i.e., LED 64) to a display space 70, which houses an analog display device (not shown) for the watch, located between the dial 68 and the upper crystal 78. According to a preferred variant shown in Figures 4 and 5, the light guide structure forms a flange around the display space 70 on the watch. The light guide structure has a lower annular surface and a cylindrical surface, the lower annular surface defining the incident surface of the light generated by the LED, and the cylindrical surface laterally defining the display space 70 and the light extraction surface. The cross-sectional profile of the light guide structure, particularly the rear portion, can be optimized to effectively guide light to the extraction surface. The surfaces of the light guide structure, particularly the rear surface, can be treated or coated with one or more layers of coating, particularly a reflective layer. In the variant embodiment described herein, given that the light guide structure forms a flange and is therefore located on the periphery of the dial 68, it is advantageous that the LED 64 is located outside the coil 14.

[0044] Compared to the variant in the second main embodiment described above, the advantageous embodiment described herein has a significant advantage in terms of illumination of the display space 70. This significant advantage stems from the fact that the LEDs are arranged on the rotor and therefore rotate with it. Thus, the cylindrical surface of the structure 66a defining the flange is swept across by the light generated by each LED in a tangential direction (or in other words, in an angular direction) perpendicular to the axis of rotation 34. If the number of LEDs is sufficient (e.g., 12 as shown in FIG. 3) and the rotor speed is sufficiently high (e.g., 2 to 4 rpm), the user's eye will perceive almost uniform and almost static illumination of the display space, because illumination is only produced when the generator starts and the rotor rotates, and the generated electrical energy is instantaneously supplied to the LED 64. In the second embodiment, the LEDs are arranged on the stator and remain stationary when energized (rotor rotates), making it difficult or even impossible to produce angularly uniform illumination on the cylindrical surface of the flange. In the latter case, especially when using 12 LEDs, illumination can be enhanced for areas on the dial, such as those including hour markers or numerals.

[0045] In a first variant, a blank space can be left above the LEDs instead of the light guide structure 66a, defined by a reflective surface configured to optimally reflect light toward the display space 70, particularly the dial 68. The display space is advantageously enclosed by a cylindrical portion that allows at least partial transmission of light generated by the LEDs, at least radially toward the display space and thus toward the central axis of rotation 34, through which light generated by the LEDs and reflected by the reflective surface passes.The cylindrical portion. The reflective surface may be defined by the inner surface of the case or by a specific component inserted into the case.

[0046] In a second variation, a light guide structure is provided that transmits light generated by an LED, the light guide structure having a light extraction surface arranged behind a cylindrical flange that forms a cylindrical wall defining a display space, the cylindrical flange being at least partially transparent to light from an LED incident on the cylindrical flange toward the display space.

[0047] Finally, in another embodiment of the watch with a generator according to the invention, the rotor is also supported by a plurality of ball bearings of the type described above in the advantageous embodiments, wherein each ball bearing is located on the outside of the rotor and each fixed portion is fixed to the case. Instruction sheet 7 / 7 page 10 CN 121704148 A Figure 1 Figure 2 Instruction sheet drawing 1 / 3 page 11 CN 121704148 A Figure 3 Instruction sheet drawing 2 / 3 page 12 CN 121704148 A Figure 4 Figure 5 Instruction sheet drawing 3 / 3 page 13 CN 121704148 A Abstract The present invention relates to a watch comprising a movement (44a) and an electromechanical generator (88) located within a case (6b), the electromechanical generator comprising a stator and a rotor (92), one of the stator and the rotor carrying permanent magnets (18a, 18b) and the other carrying a coil (14). The rotor has an annular structure and is guided to rotate by at least one ball bearing (100a). The rotor has a free internal space (130) over its entire height, through which the geometric axis of rotation of the rotor passes, and the movement is at least partiallylocated within the space. In one primary embodiment, the watch includes a mainspring barrel that constitutes a rotor drive mechanism activated upon command. In one major variant, the watch includes a coil-powered illumination device (64). In an advantageous variant, the rotor carries coils that are connected via an electrical circuit without an energy storage device to a lighting fixture fixedly mounted on the rotor.

Claims

1. A watch (2, 42, 82) comprising a movement (4, 44), an electromechanical generator (8, 48, 88), and a case (6, 6a, 6b) housing the movement and the electromechanical generator, the electromechanical generator comprising a stator (10, 50, 90) and a rotor (12, 52, 92), one of the stator and the rotor carrying a permanent magnet (18, 18a, 18b), and the other carrying a coil (14), the permanent magnet and the coil being arranged such that, as the rotor rotates, the permanent magnet moves in a reference frame associated with the coil, successively at least partially opposite each coil, and the magnetic axis of each permanent magnet passes through the coil; characterized in that, The rotor has an annular structure and is guided to rotate by at least one ball bearing (20; 60; 100a, 100b, 100c). The rotor has a free internal space (24, 130) over its entire height. The geometric axis of rotation (34) of the rotor passes through the free internal space, and the movement is at least partially located in the free internal space.

2. The watch according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rotors (12, 52, 92) on the electromechanical generator are substantially and preferably completely located in the peripheral space of the core (4, 44).

3. The watch according to claim 2, characterized in that, The stator (50, 90) on the electromechanical generator is substantially completely, preferably completely, located in the peripheral space of the mechanism (44).

4. The watch according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The axial dimension of the electromechanical generator (48) is smaller than the axial dimension of the mechanism.

5. The watch according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The ball bearing (20, 60) consists of a fixed part (21, 21a) and a movable part (22, 22a), with balls (23) located between the fixed part and the movable part. The movable part is annular and forms part of or is attached to the rotor.

6. The watch according to claim 5, characterized in that, The fixed part (21) of the ball bearing (20) is located on the outside of the rotor (12) and fixed to the case (6).

7. The watch according to claim 5, characterized in that, The fixed portion (21a) of the ball bearing (60) is located inside the rotor (52) and fixed to the mechanism (44).

8. The watch according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The watch (82) includes a plurality of ball bearings (100a, 100b, 100c), the diameter of which is smaller than the inner radius (R) of the rotor (92), preferably less than half of the inner radius; and each of the plurality of ball bearings includes a fixed portion (101) and a movable portion (102), the movable portion being movable between the fixed portion and the rotor, each of the movable portion and the rotor being configured such that the rotor is supported only by the plurality of movable portions of the plurality of ball bearings and is rotatable about the geometric axis of rotation.

9. The watch according to claim 8, characterized in that, Each ball bearing (100a, 100b, 100c) is located inside the rotor, and each fixed part is fixed to the movement.

10. The watch according to claim 8, characterized in that, Each ball bearing is located on the outside of the rotor, and each fixed part is fixed to the case.

11. The watch according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The rotor (12) includes an unbalanced portion (28) or is attached to the unbalanced portion, thereby allowing the rotor to be actuated by the movement of the watch user and rotate freely; and the coil (14) is connected to the energy storage device (32) via a rectifier (30).

12. The watch according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, The watch includes a mechanical drive mechanism (72, 74, 75) for a rotor, the mechanical drive mechanism including a mainspring barrel (72) and arranged to be activated according to a command from the watch user.

13. The watch according to claim 12, characterized in that, The watch includes a lighting device (64) powered by a coil.

14. The watch according to claim 13, characterized in that, The stator (50) carries the coil (14), which is connected to the lighting device directly or via an electrical circuit without a storage device.

15. The watch according to claim 14, characterized in that, The lighting device (64) is fixedly arranged on the stator.

16. The watch according to claim 13, characterized in that, The rotor (92) carries the coil (14), which is connected directly or via an electrical circuit without a storage device to the lighting device (64), wherein the lighting device (64) is fixedly arranged on the rotor.

17. The watch according to any one of claims 13 to 16, characterized in that, The lighting device includes or is connected to at least one light guide structure (66, 66a) arranged to conduct light generated by the lighting device (64) to a display space (70) in which an analog watch display device is located.

18. The watch according to claim 17, characterized in that, The light guide structure (66, 66a) forms a flange around the display space (70) on the watch, or has a light extraction surface arranged behind at least partially transparent flange, which is capable of transmitting incident light toward the display space.

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