Energy storage system for mechanical watch

Abstract

An energy storage system (1) for a mechanical watch, said energy storage system comprising a helical spring (2) for storing mechanical energy to drive the mechanical watch, the spring (2) comprising a series of interconnected repeating elements (4) wherein each two adjacent elements (4) are interconnected by a connecting portion (5), the invention relates to a coil spring (2) comprising a plurality of repeating elements (4) connected to each other and arranged to receive energy stored in the coil spring (2), in which the repeating elements (4) are engaged by a guiding system (7) separating adjacent turns of the coil in order to prevent said adjacent turns from getting stuck.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to an energy storage system for a mechanical watch, said energy storage system comprising a spiral spring for storing mechanical energy to drive the mechanical watch, the spring comprising a series of interconnected repeating elements, wherein each two adjacent elements are connected to each other by a connecting portion, and the interconnected repeating elements are arranged to receive the energy stored in the spiral spring.

[0002] EP 2 705 271B1 / US 8,950,552 discloses a barrel intended to provide a more compact spring at rest and the torque of which is less dependent on the degree of winding of the spring. To this end, the just-mentioned publication teaches the application of an energy accumulation curve combined with the spring, which curve has a substantially rectangular cross-section that is staggered with respect to a spiral trajectory on at least a part of the coils of the spring.

[0003] The object of the present invention is to increase the energy density of the spiral spring as applied in the energy storage system of the present invention, and for this purpose, the present invention applies the features of one or more of the appended claims.

[0004] According to a first aspect of the present invention, the repeating elements are engaged by a guiding system that separates adjacent turns of the spiral in order to avoid jamming of said adjacent turns.

[0005] According to a second aspect that can be applied independently or in combination with the first aspect of the present invention, the repeating elements are provided with slits along at least a part of the length of the repeating elements in order to optimize the deformation of the repeating elements and / or the stress distribution along the repeating elements.

[0006] According to a third aspect of the present invention that can be applied independently or in combination with the first aspect and / or the second aspect of the present invention, each repeating element or each combination of two consecutive repeating elements comprises a part that is mainly S-shaped or sinusoidal, wherein the repeating element has one or more tops represented by the extremes of the S-shape or sinusoid and one or more toes at the inflection points between said tops, and wherein the repeating element is provided with a thickness that varies from the top to the toe.

[0007] Preferably, the energy is forced to be stored and released from the respective repeating elements, which form the so-called building blocks of the spring of the energy storage system of the present invention.

[0008] A series of building blocks for constructing the spring of the energy storage system of the present invention is preferably arranged such that the spring comprises a starting portion, an intermediate portion, and an end portion, and the series of repeating elements at least constitutes the intermediate portion. Then, the energy exchange portion of the spring is actually concentrated in this intermediate portion.

[0009] In order to store and release energy from a spring without substantially changing the volume of the spring, it is preferred that each of the repeating elements is provided with the following characteristic: stretching or compressing the element applied to the spring causes the elongation or retraction of such element in a first direction to be converted into a simultaneous retraction or elongation of the element in a second direction, wherein the second direction is substantially orthogonal to the first direction, so as to be arranged such that during the stretching or compressing of the element to which the spring is applied, the volume occupied by the spring remains substantially the same.

[0010] A further distinguishing feature of the energy storage system of the present invention from the energy storage systems of the prior art is that the spirals of a series of repeating elements are not staggered as known from EP 2 705 271B1 / US 8,950,552, so as to maximize the space or volume occupied by the spring in the energy storage system and optimize the energy density that can be stored in the spring.

[0011] When designing the energy storage system of the present invention, better performance and reliability can be achieved by arranging the repeating elements to be similarly shaped.

[0012] Furthermore, better performance and reliability can be achieved by arranging the repeating elements to be substantially the same in shape. It may be particularly beneficial that the repeating elements are provided with the same dimensions.

[0013] In order to improve the working efficiency of the energy storage system of the present invention, it is desirable that the repeating elements include a flexible structure.

[0014] The object of the present invention can be effectively achieved by arranging the repeating elements to be placed in a head-to-tail order relative to each other.

[0015] The energy storage system can be used to store energy and supply energy to various mechanisms in a watch, such as a barrel for driving a finishing gear and maintaining the oscillation of an oscillator, or a barrel for driving an additional or complex mechanism, such as a repeater or an alarm, or a barrel for driving a specific mechanism, such as a date or month or year or moon phase indicator (e.g., for achieving an instantaneous multiple date jump in a perpetual calendar), or even for the hairspring of a hairspring oscillator. The system can also drive a shaft or a rake to rotate partially or perform a linear displacement.

[0016] The drawings incorporated in and forming a part of the specification illustrate one or more embodiments of the present invention and, together with the description, are used to explain the principles of the present invention. The drawings are for the purpose of illustrating only one or more embodiments of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0017] In the drawings:

[0018] - Figure 1Shows a barrel with a spring according to the invention in several loading stages;

[0019] - Figure 2 Shows an inclined top view of a barrel with a spring according to the invention;

[0020] - Figure 3 Shows a series of connected repeating elements that form Figure 2 a part of the spring;

[0021] - Figure 4 Shows a series of connected repeating elements as shown in Figure 3 which are defined by different embodiments of the guiding system to avoid jamming; and

[0022] - Figure 5 Shows an alternative embodiment of a barrel with a spring according to the invention.

[0023] Whenever the same reference numerals are used in the drawings, these reference numerals refer to the same parts.

[0024] Figure 1 Shows the general concept of a barrel 1 for a mechanical watch or clock in several loading stages of its helical spring 2. On the left, the barrel 1 is completely unloaded, while on the right, the barrel 1 is partially loaded.

[0025] Figure 2 Shows a top oblique view from above of a first embodiment of a spring 2 installed in a barrel 1, which shows the spring 2 connected to a shaft 3 in the center of the barrel 1.

[0026] Figure 5 Shows a second embodiment of a spring 2 installed in a barrel 1.

[0027] As is common in the art, the helical spring 2 of each embodiment is used to store mechanical energy to drive a mechanical watch. As can be seen from Figure 1 the several loading stages of the barrel spring 2 depicted therein, the helical spring 2 is arranged to occupy a space or volume within the barrel 1 that is substantially independent of the amount of energy stored after the stretching or compression of the helical spring 2. In Figure 1 the elements are shown to deform sequentially, which means that the elements are designed such that one element can only deform if the previous element has been fully deformed. Alternatively, the elements can deform in a parallel manner, i.e., deform and then more or less evenly distribute over the individual elements.

[0028] In relation to Figure 2 the first embodiment of Figure 3In a detailed view, it is shown that the spring 2 includes a series of interconnected repeating elements 4, where each two adjacent elements 4 are connected to each other by a connecting portion 5. The interconnected repeating elements 4 are arranged to receive the energy stored in the helical spring 2. This also applies to Figure 5 the embodiment of Figure 5 which has an alternative arrangement of interconnected elements 4 and connecting portions 5.

[0029] A series of repeating elements 4 of each embodiment is constructed into the helical spring 2 housed in the barrel 1. As will be clear from the Figure 2 and Figure 5 drawings, the helical spring 2 including a series of repeating elements 4 is not staggered so as to maximize the space or volume occupied by the spring 2 in the barrel 1 and optimize the energy density that can be stored in the spring 2. It can also be recognized that the spring 2 includes a starting portion, an intermediate portion, and an end portion, and a series of repeating elements 4 at least constitute the intermediate portion. The starting portion and the end portion are connected to the central axis 3 of the barrel 1 and are connected to the barrel at a position 6 near the outer circumference of the barrel.

[0030] Applied in Figure 2 and Figure 5 the structure of a series of repeating elements 4 in the embodiment gives these repeating elements 4 the following characteristic: the stretching or compression applied to the element 4 of the spring causes the elongation or retraction of such an element in a first direction to be converted into the simultaneous retraction or elongation of the element in a second direction. This is reflected in the Figure 1 which depicts several loading stages of the helical spring 2. It will be recognized that the second direction is substantially orthogonal to the first direction.

[0031] During the period when stretching or compression is applied to the element 4 of the spring 2, the volume occupied by the spring 2 preferably remains substantially the same. As clearly shown in the Figure 2 embodiment, each combination of two consecutive repeating elements 4 includes a portion that is mainly S-shaped or sinusoidal. However, each individual repeating element 4 may also include a portion that is mainly S-shaped or sinusoidal as depicted in Figure 5 where the S-shaped portions are arranged in a symmetrically inverted manner.

[0032] From Figure 2 and Figure 5It is also clear that the repeating elements 4 are similarly shaped, and even clearer that the repeating elements 4 can be substantially identical in shape. It should also be noted that the repeating elements 4 can be provided with the same dimensions. Alternatively, the dimensions of the repeating elements can vary along the helix, for example arranged such that the stiffness of the repeating elements decreases from one end to the other, such that for example the outer elements are less stiff than the inner elements, to promote uniform or comparable deformation of the various repeating elements during tension or compression.

[0033] It is also possible to combine different types of repeating elements, for example combining elements such as Figure 2 and Figure 5 in the same spring.

[0034] Desirably, the repeating element 4 includes a flexible structure. In addition, Figure 2 and Figure 5 depict the repeating elements 4 arranged in a tail-to-head sequence relative to each other. It can also be noted that the repeating element 4 includes portions that are mainly S-shaped or sinusoidal, and the repeating element 4 has one or more tops 4' represented by the extremes of the S-shape or sinusoid and one or more toes 4" at inflection points between the tops, and the repeating element 4 is provided with a thickness that varies from the top to the toe, as most clearly shown in Figure 3 . On a single scale, the repeating element 4 can have a curvature that varies from the top 4' to the toe 4".

[0035] The repeating element 4 is engaged by a guiding system 7 that separates adjacent turns of the helix of the repeating element 4 to avoid jamming of said adjacent turns of the helix. The guiding system 7 is depicted in Figure 4 and is provided on both sides of a single turn of the helix of the repeating element 4. Alternatively, the guiding system can include a thin strip inserted between adjacent turns of the helical spring. Alternatively, as in Figure 5 the guiding system can include a connecting portion 5 located at the top of the repeating element 4.

[0036] As Figure 5 shows, the repeating element can include various solid flexible portions. Alternatively, as Figure 3 shows, the repeating element can have slits 8 along at least a portion of the length of the repeating element to particularly optimize the deformation of the repeating element and / or the stress distribution along the repeating element during tension or compression.

[0037] The energy storage system can store energy by stretching the wound spring, for example by causing Figure 2The shaft 3 therein rotates counterclockwise or stores energy by moving the end portion of the spring or the outer circumference of the barrel clockwise, and supplies energy by rotation in the other direction. Alternatively, the spring of the energy storage system can store energy by being compressed. A preload can also be applied to the spring and / or the system.

[0038] Figure 2 A spring formed of a single layer of material is shown. To increase the amount of energy that can be stored in the system, the height of the spring can be increased. Alternatively, several identical or similar springs can be stacked and assembled at their respective ends to form a spring that extends over several different layers. Such an assembly can be provided by stacking and assembling the springs in series (meaning that the input of the spring is connected to the output of the previous spring) or in parallel (meaning that some or all of the inputs and the corresponding some or all of the outputs of the springs are connected together).

[0039] As the material for the spring, a material that can be formed by microfabrication and / or by etching and / or by additive manufacturing can be suitable. In particular, materials such as silicon or silicon carbide, optionally with an additional coating (e.g., silicon oxide), can be particularly suitable. Combinations of several materials and / or manufacturing techniques can also be used.

[0040] Embodiments of the present invention can include every combination of features disclosed herein independently of each other. Although the present invention has been discussed above with reference to exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the present invention is not limited to that particular embodiment, and that particular embodiment can be varied in many ways without departing from the present invention. Therefore, the exemplary embodiments discussed should not be used to strictly construe the appended claims. Instead, the embodiments are only intended to explain the language of the appended claims and are not intended to limit the claims to that exemplary embodiment. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be construed only in accordance with the appended claims, where the exemplary embodiments should be used to resolve possible ambiguities in the language of the claims.

[0041] Variations and modifications of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the present invention is intended to cover all such modifications and equivalents in the appended claims. The entire disclosures of all references, applications, patents, and publications cited above are hereby incorporated by reference. Unless specifically stated above as "necessary", the various components or the interrelationships of the various components are not necessary for the operation of the present invention. Instead, the desired results can be achieved by substituting various components and / or reconfiguring the relationships between the various components.

Claims

1. An energy storage system (1) for a mechanical watch, the energy storage system comprising a helical spring (2) for storing mechanical energy to drive the mechanical watch, the spring (2) comprising a series of interconnected repeating elements (4), wherein, Each two adjacent elements (4) are connected to each other by a connecting portion (5), and the mutually connected repeating elements (4) are arranged to receive the energy stored in the helical spring (2), characterized in that the repeating elements (4) are engaged by a guiding system (7) which separates adjacent turns of the helix so as to avoid jamming of the adjacent turns.

2. The energy storage system according to the preamble of claim 1 or the energy storage system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The repeating element (4) is provided with slits (8) along at least a part of the length of the repeating element (4) to optimize the deformation of the repeating element (4) and / or the stress distribution along the repeating element (4).

3. The energy storage system according to the preamble of claim 1 or the energy storage system according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that, Each repeating element (4) or each combination of two consecutive repeating elements (4) includes a portion which is mainly S-shaped or sinusoidal, and the repeating element (4) has one or more tops (4') represented by the extremes of the S-shape or sine-wave and one or more toes (4") at the inflection points between the tops, wherein the repeating element (4) is provided with a thickness which varies from the top to the toe.

4. The energy storage system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The repeating elements (4) are each provided with the following property: a tension or compression applied to the element (4) of the spring (2) which causes such an element (4) to elongate or retract in a first direction is converted into a simultaneous retraction or elongation of the element (4) in a second direction, wherein the second direction is substantially orthogonal to the first direction, so as to be arranged such that during the application of the tension or compression to the element (4) of the spring (2), the volume occupied by the spring (2) remains substantially the same.

5. The energy storage system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The helix of the series of repeating elements (4) is not staggered so as to maximize the space or volume occupied by the spring (2) in the energy storage system (1) and to optimize the energy density that can be stored in the spring (2).

6. The energy storage system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The repeating elements (4) are arranged relative to each other in a tail-to-head order.

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