Needle rotating around two axes

Description

technical field

[0001] The technical field of the present invention relates to that of watchmaking, and more specifically to that of display mechanisms. Technological background

[0002] It is known from the state of the art that display mechanisms have movements contained in a plane and / or along an axis of freedom, which leads to a restriction in the information provided to the user.

[0003] Indeed, apart from indicating the lunar phase, date, and / or time, among other things, no other indication or information can be simultaneously provided by the indicator to the user, in this case, by the hand. In other words, the indicator cannot display two pieces of information at once. Document JPH01193687A shows indicators that allow both the display of time information and the display of a moving motif. However, these indicators only display one piece of information at a time. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present invention aims to resolve these drawbacks, wholly or partially, by means of a display mechanism, particularly for a watch, and preferably for a watch, said display mechanism comprising at least: an indicating organ: said at least one indicating organ being mounted movably in rotation about a first axis of rotation by means of a first part, and being configured to move in relation to a dial so as to indicate a first piece of information; said at least one indicating organ being mounted movably in rotation about a second axis of rotation intersecting said first axis of rotation and extending longitudinally along said at least one indicating organ and comprising at least one rotating element mounted movably in rotation about said second axis of rotation by means of a second part so as to indicate a second piece of information;a set of drive elements: said at least one drive element comprising at least one first drive element and at least one second drive element: said at least one second drive element being disposed on and / or in said at least one rotating element, and being driven by said at least one first drive element; said at least one first drive member being configured to cooperate with said at least one second drive member so as to animate said at least one rotating element with a rotational motion by means of said at least one second drive member, when said at least one indicator member is rotationally movable about said first axis of rotation, and / or when said at least one first drive member is rotationally movable about said first axis of rotation.

[0005] Thanks to this arrangement, the indicator is mobile in rotation around two distinct axes of said dial, of the seconds hand, of the minute hand or of the hour hand.

[0006] In other words, said at least one first drive element is attached respectively to said dial, a seconds hand, a minute hand or an hour hand.

[0007] Thanks to this arrangement, when the hand is mobile around the first axis, the rotating element above the dial and in particular the scale, the seconds hand, the minute hand or the hour hand is rotating around the second axis.

[0008] According to one embodiment, said first part is a cannon and / or said second part is the second axis of rotation and extends longitudinally along said at least one indicating member.

[0009] Thanks to this arrangement, when the needle is mobile around the first axis by means of a barrel, and / or said second part supports the rotating element.

[0010] According to one embodiment, said at least one drive element assembly is at least one gear assembly comprising at least one first gear element and at least one second gear element, at least one micro-bearing assembly comprising at least one first micro-bearing and at least one second micro-bearing, and / or at least one bearing assembly comprising at least one first bearing and at least one second bearing.

[0011] According to one embodiment, said at least one rotating element is a counterweight of said at least one indicating member, a counterweight of a seconds hand, a counterweight of a minute hand or a counterweight of an hour hand and in which said at least one indicating member is a body of a seconds hand, a body of a minute hand or a body of an hour hand.

[0012] Thanks to this arrangement, the counterweight of the indicating organ is mobile in rotation around two distinct axes.

[0013] According to one embodiment, said at least one indicating organ is a seconds hand, a minute hand or an hour hand.

[0014] According to one embodiment, said second axis of rotation is coplanar to said dial and said first axis of rotation is in a different plane to said second axis of rotation.

[0015] According to one embodiment, said second axis of rotation is perpendicular to said first axis of rotation.

[0016] According to one embodiment, said at least one drive assembly comprises a universal joint and at least one third drive member; said at least one third drive member being disposed at the end of said rotating element so as to drive said seconds hand, said minute hand or said hour hand around the first axis of rotation.

[0017] The embodiments and variants mentioned above can be taken individually or in any technically possible combination.

[0018] The present invention will be well understood and its advantages will also become apparent in the light of the following description, given solely by way of non-limiting example and made with reference to the accompanying figures, in which identical reference signs correspond to structurally and / or functionally identical or similar elements. Brief description of the figures

[0019] The invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, given by way of non-limiting examples, in which: There figure 1 represents a watch comprising the display mechanism of a watch according to one embodiment; The figure 2 displays an exploded view of a watch display mechanism according to one embodiment; The figure 3 exhibits an enlargement of the mechanism according to one embodiment; and, The figure 4shows a cross-sectional view of the display mechanism according to one embodiment; and, The figures 5A, 5B and 5C present the display mechanism of a watch with a gimbal joint according to one embodiment as well as its enlargement. Detailed description of the invention

[0020] The present invention, illustrated in the figure 1 , takes the form of a display mechanism 100 for a watch, and more specifically the display mechanism 100 of a watch.

[0021] As can be seen on the figure 1 this display mechanism 100 may include at least one indicator organ 110 and at least one set of drive components 120.

[0022] The indicator body 110 can be mounted to rotate freely around a first axis of rotation 101 through a first part 103 and which can serve as a cannon 103,depending on the embodiments, as can be observed on the figure 2 .

[0023] This first part 103, or this cannon, moves in relation to a scale and preferably in relation to a dial 105 on which can be displayed, for example, a scale representing lunar phases, a date and / or time, that is to say, a scale representing hours, minutes, seconds, or any graduations smaller than one second, such as hundredths of a second or others. Furthermore, this scale can represent the power reserve, the tachymeter, the day of the week, the month of the year, the zodiac sign, the temperature, the pressure, the altitude, the depth, the weather forecast, the time zone, or any other information relevant to the user.

[0024] The indicator body 110 can also be mobile in rotation around a second axis of rotation 102. This second axis of rotation102 may be secant and / or perpendicular to the first axis of rotation 101, and, according to one embodiment, this second axis of rotation 102 can be coplanar to the scale or to the dial 105 and the first axis of rotation 101 may be in a different plane than that of the second axis of rotation 102.

[0025] This second axis of rotation 102 extends longitudinally along the indicator organ 110 and can be made concrete by a second part 104 which extends longitudinally along the indicator organ 110. The indicator body 110 may also consist of a rotating element 111 which can be mounted to rotate about the second axis of rotation 102 through the second part 104.

[0026] As mentioned previously, the display mechanism may also include a set of drive components. 120. This training assembly may include a first training component 121 and a second drive unit 122, as can be seen on the Figures 2 to 5A, 5B And 5C .

[0027] The second drive unit 122 can be arranged on and / or in said at least one rotating element 111, and can be driven by the first drive unit 121. The latter, that is to say the first driving element 121, can be configured to cooperate with the second drive unit 122 in order to animate the rotating element 111 of a rotational movement around the second axis of rotation 102.

[0028] Indeed, the view of the mechanism on the figure 2 and the expansion of the figure 3clearly show that when the indicator organ 110 can be mobile in rotation around said first axis of rotation 101, the second drive unit 122 can be engaged by the first drive unit 121 which drives the rotating element 111 rotating around the second axis of rotation 102 when the indicator organ 110 may be rotating around the first axis of rotation 101. Thus, the rotating element 111 may include information that will be revealed as the indicator body 110 will rotate around the first axis of rotation 101. Obviously, the rotating element 111can also represent an object, a sculpture, and / or a miniature of an object containing a second piece of information. Thus, the hand of a dial—that is, the hand belonging to a dial with a scale or indication—can rotate about two distinct axes and indicate two equally distinct pieces of information. The cross-sectional view shown on the figure 4 shows an example of the location of the first drive unit 121 and the second drive unit 122.

[0029] The speed of the rotating element 111 around the second axis of rotation 102 can therefore be determined by the location of the first drive unit 121 and the second drive unit 122 on the one hand and on the other hand by the relationship, for example of gearing, between the first drive element 121 and the second drive unit 122.For example, the first drive unit 121 can be attached to the scale, as previously mentioned, of the dial 105, of the seconds hand 106, of the minute hand 107 or the hour hand 108 and / or the second drive unit 122 may be linked to the hour hand 108, of the minute hand 107 or the seconds hand 106, depending on the indicator body 110 either the seconds hand 106, the minute hand 107 or the hour hand 108.

[0030] Furthermore, depending on where the rotating element can be placed, a counterweight 109 may be necessary to counterbalance the imbalance generated by the weight of the seconds hand 106, the minute hand 107 or the hour hand 108 when the indicator organ 110is a seconds hand 106, a minute hand 107 or an hour hand 108 respectively.

[0031] According to one embodiment, the rotating element can be placed on the counterweight 109 of the seconds hand 106, of the minute hand 107 or the hour hand 108. Therefore, the counterweight 109 the needle can be mobile both in rotation around the first axis of rotation 101 and around the second axis of rotation 102.

[0032] The entire drive unit 120, As mentioned previously, it can take the form of a set of gears comprising a first gear element 121 and a second gear assembly 122,an assembly of micro-bearings comprising a first micro-bearing and a second micro-bearing, and / or an assembly of bearings comprising a first bearing and a second bearing. In some embodiments, the drive assembly 120 It could be a universal joint, as shown on the figures 5A, 5B and 5C .

[0033] In this case, unlike the previous paragraph, it is the first drive unit 121 which is mobile in rotation around the first axis of rotation 101 instead of the indicator organ 110. Indeed, when the first part 103 the universal joint rotates around the first axis of rotation 101, the second part 104, that is to say the rotating element 111, rotates around the second axis of rotation 102 without, however, being in rotation around the first axis of rotation 101.

[0034] The drive assembly may also include, in this embodiment, at least one third drive element 123, which can be positioned at the end of the rotating element 110 for example, as can be seen on the figure 5A , so as to drive the said seconds hand 106, said minute hand 107 or the said hour hand 108 around the first axis of rotation 101, while the universal joint drives the rotating element 110 of a rotation around the second axis of rotation 102.

[0035] In other words, the rotating element 110 it only moves around the second axis of rotation 102. If an additional movement is desired, it may be necessary to add at least a third drive unit. 123, so that when the first drive unit 121is mobile in rotation around the first axis of rotation 101, the second drive unit 122, and by extension the rotating element 111 according to one embodiment, is rotating about the second axis of rotation 102, and the third drive unit 123 drives the rotating element 111 rotating around the first axis of rotation 101. Thus, the rotating element 111 may include a second piece of information that will be revealed as the indicator body 110 will rotate around the first axis of rotation 101 and indicates initial information.

Claims

1. Display mechanism (100) in particular for a watch, and preferably of a watch, said display mechanism (100) comprising at least: - one indicator member (110): said at least one indicator member (110) being mounted to rotate about a first axis of rotation (101) via a first part (103), and being configured to move relative to a dial (105) so as to indicate a first piece of information; said at least one indicator member (110) being mounted to rotate about a second axis of rotation (102) intersecting said first axis of rotation (101) and extending longitudinally along said at least one indicator member (110) and comprising at least one rotary element (111) mounted to rotate about said second axis of rotation (102) via a second part (104) so as to indicate at least one second piece of information; - a drive member assembly (120): said at least one drive assembly comprising at least one first drive member (121) and at least one second drive member (122): said at least one second drive member (122) being arranged on and / or in said at least one rotary element (111), and being driven by said at least one first drive member (121); said at least one first drive member (121) being configured to cooperate with said at least one second drive member (122) in such a way as to drive said at least one rotary element (111) in a rotational movement via said at least one second drive member (122), when said at least one indicator member (110) is rotatable about said first axis of rotation (101) and / or when said at least one drive member (121) is rotatable about said first axis of rotation (101).

2. Display mechanism (100) according to claim 1, wherein said at least one first drive member (121) is respectively integral with said dial (105), a second hand (106), a minute hand (107) or an hour hand (108).

3. Display mechanism (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said first part (103) is a barrel and / or said second part (104) is the second axis of rotation (102) and extends longitudinally along said at least one indicator member (110).

4. Display mechanism (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said at least one drive member assembly (120) is at least one gear assembly comprising at least one first gear member and at least one second gear member, at least one micro-bearing assembly comprising at least one first micro-bearing and at least one second micro-bearing, and / or at least one bearing assembly comprising at least one first bearing and at least one second bearing.

5. Display mechanism (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said at least one rotary element (111) is a counterweight (109) of a second hand (106), a counterweight (109) of a minute hand (107) or a counterweight (109) of an hour hand (108) and wherein said at least one indicator member (110) is said second hand, said minute hand or said hour hand.

6. Display mechanism (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said at least one indicator member (110) is a second hand (106), a minute hand (107) or an hour hand (108).

7. Display mechanism (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said second axis of rotation (102) is coplanar with said dial (105) and said first axis of rotation (101) is in a different plane from said second axis of rotation (102).

8. Display mechanism (100) according to claim 1, wherein said at least one drive member assembly (120) comprises a universal joint and at least one third drive member (123); said at least one third drive member (123) being arranged at the end of said rotary element (110) so as to drive a second hand, a minute hand or said hour hand about the first axis of rotation (101).