CLOCK WITH REPETITION AND ALARM

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a timepiece comprising a striking mechanism combining a repeater mechanism, audibly indicating the current time on demand, and an alarm or wake-up mechanism.

[0002] Such a timepiece is described in the present applicant's patent CH 703635. The alarm mechanism it comprises uses the quarter and minute parts and the hour rack of the repeater mechanism to strike the alarm time, but retains them before they come into contact with their respective snails until the current time coincides with the alarm time programmed by the user. First and second pushers on the case of the timepiece allow the user to activate the repeater mechanism, to strike the current time, and the alarm mechanism respectively. When the alarm mechanism is activated, the repeater mechanism cannot be triggered. A display device indicates the state, activated or deactivated, of the alarm mechanism.

[0003] This timepiece according to patent CH 703635 has the disadvantage of requiring, as a source of energy for the repeater and alarm mechanisms, a striking barrel wound by a winding crown. This barrel must be able to store a large quantity of energy, and therefore be large, to avoid the user having to wind it often. In addition, in practice, it requires providing a display of its energy reserve so that the user can know when to wind it, and the user must remember to check the energy level before activating the repeater or the alarm. Other timepieces operating in this way are known, as further disclosed in document CH703615A2, for example.

[0004] The present invention aims to provide a repeater and alarm timepiece which remedies, at least in part, the aforementioned drawbacks and which is simple to use.

[0005] To this end, a timepiece is provided, in particular a wristwatch, a pocket watch, a pendant watch or a clock, comprising a striking mechanism capable of operating in a repeater mode or an alarm mode, a mechanical energy source for powering the striking mechanism and manual control members for controlling the striking mechanism, the striking mechanism being arranged to produce an audible indication of the current time when the repeater mode is activated and to produce at a determined alarm time an audible indication of said alarm time when the alarm mode is activated, characterized in that the manual control members comprise a first manual control member for selecting one or other of the repeater and alarm modes and a second manual control member for arming the mechanical energy source and activating the selected mode.

[0006] Since the power source is armed before each strike, it can be small, like the barrels of traditional non-alarm repeater mechanisms. In addition, arming the power source is transparent to the user, since the same control device, preferably a lock, allows this arming and activation of the repeater or alarm mode. It should also be noted that activating the repeater mode and the alarm mode using the same control device provides ease of use.

[0007] Particular embodiments of the invention are defined in the appended dependent claims.

[0008] Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will appear on reading the following detailed description made with reference to the appended drawings in which: there figure 1is a top view (dial side) of a timepiece, in this case a watch, according to the invention; the figure 2 is a perspective view from below (bridges side) of a part of a minute repeater and alarm striking mechanism of the timepiece according to the invention, said part comprising a striking barrel, a fusee, a striking train, a speed regulator, gongs and hammers; the figure 3 is a block diagram showing the operation of the minute repeater and alarm striking mechanism of the timepiece according to the invention; figures 4 to 6 show respectively in perspective, in exploded perspective and in section, the striking barrel and the fusee of the striking mechanism; figures 7 and 8 are perspective views from below and above showing the cooperation between a control rack and the striking barrel; the figure 9is a perspective view of a one-way clutch wheel interposed between the control rack and the striking barrel; figure 10 is a bottom view of a drum of the striking barrel housing a sliding flange mainspring; the figure 11 is a top view of a quarter piece and the striking gear of the striking mechanism; figures 12 And 13 are top views of the striking mechanism showing the transition from one state to another minute repeater selected at a state minute repeater activated of the striking mechanism; in these figures, a minute snail has been removed to make a surprise visible; the figure 14 is a top view of part of the striking mechanism including the quarter piece, a minute piece, an hour rack, a minute blocker, snails and the surprise; the figure 15 is a half perspective view of a column wheel of the striking mechanism; the figure 16is a top view of a tier of columns of the column wheel; the figure 17 is a bottom view of a column wheel cap; the figures 18 and 19 are top views of a device for putting the striking mechanism on hold, each accompanied by a detailed perspective view, showing said device in the configuration in which it is found when the striking mechanism is respectively in the state minute repeater selected and in a state selected alarm ; there figure 20 is a perspective view from below showing the cooperation between the column wheel and a secondary alarm triggering rocker of the standby device; figure 21 is a top view of the standby device showing it in the configuration in which it is located just before triggering the alarm sounding; figure 22 is a sectional view of an alarm differential of the striking mechanism; the figure 23is a perspective view from above of a mechanism for setting the current time and the alarm time; figure 24 is a top view showing the cooperation between a bird, a quarter blocker and the column wheel; figures 25 And 26 are top views of the striking mechanism showing the transition from one state to another alarm activated to a state minute repeater selected of the striking mechanism; the figures 27 to 29 are top views showing the cooperation between the control rack and the rocket using an elastic protection system; figure 27 , the control rack is at rest; at the figure 28 , it operates a trigger ratchet on the rocket to activate a mode minute repeater or a mode alarm of the striking mechanism; to the figure 29 , the mode alarmis already activated but the control rack is still operated (by the user using an activation lock); the elastic protection system then comes into play to prevent breakage; the figures 30 to 33 are top views of a mechanism for displaying the status of the striking mechanism controlled by the quarter piece and by the column wheel; at the figure 31 , a display disc has been removed to make what is underneath visible; at the figure 30 , the display mechanism indicates the mode minute repeater ; to figures 31 And 32 , it indicates the state selected alarm ; to the figure 33 , it indicates the state alarm activated ; THE figures 34 and 35 are top views showing a part of the display mechanism allowing the time to be set as long as the chime is not triggered ( figure 34 ) and preventing such time setting as soon as the bell is triggered ( figure 35 ) ; THE figures 36 and 37are top views showing a part of the display mechanism allowing a change of mode of the striking mechanism as long as the striking mechanism is not triggered ( figure 36 ) and preventing such a change of mode as soon as the bell is triggered ( figure 37 ) ; THE figures 38 and 39 are top views showing isolation devices respectively allowing mode selection minute repeater Or alarm and the alarm sounding when a winding stem of the timepiece is in an axial winding position ( figure 38 ) and respectively preventing the selection of the mode minute repeater Or alarm and the alarm sounding when the winding stem is in an axial time-setting position ( figure 39 ).

[0009] In reference to the figure 1, a timepiece according to the invention, which in the illustrated example is a wristwatch, comprises a case 2 containing a base movement, a striking mechanism connected to the base movement, a dial 8 and indicator hands or other indicator members associated with the dial 8. The indicator hands typically comprise an hour indicator hand 10, a minute indicator hand 12 and a second indicator hand 14 actuated by the base movement, as well as an alarm hour hand 16.

[0010] On the periphery of the case 2, more precisely of its middle, project three manual control members, namely a winding crown 18, a selection pusher 20 and an activation lock 22. The winding crown 18 can occupy three axial positions: a pushed position, an intermediate position and a pulled position. In the pushed position, a rotation of the winding crown 18 in the clockwise direction winds the basic movement. In the intermediate position, a rotation of the winding crown 18 in the clockwise or counterclockwise direction allows an alarm time to be set. In the pulled position, a rotation of the winding crown 18 in the clockwise or counterclockwise direction allows the current time (basic movement time) to be set. In the example illustrated, the selection pusher 20 passes coaxially through the winding crown 18 and is axially movable relative thereto.The selection pusher 20 could nevertheless be separated from the winding crown 18.

[0011] In reference to the figures 1 And 3 , the striking mechanism has a mode of operation minute repeater and a mode of operation alarm, the transition from one mode to the other is carried out by means of the selection push button 20.

[0012] In the mode minute repeater, an actuation of the activation lock 22, that is to say a sliding of the activation lock 22 on the periphery of the case 2 between a rest position and an end-of-travel position, causes the striking mechanism to change from a state minute repeater selected (block a) to a state minute repeater activated (block b) by triggering the striking of the hours, quarters and minutes of the current time. Once the striking has finished, the striking mechanism remains in the mode minute repeater until the selection push button 20 is pressed.

[0013] In the mode alarm,an actuation of the activation lock 22 switches the striking mechanism from one state selected alarm (block c), where the striking mechanism is inactive, at a state alarm activated (block d), where the striking mechanism waits for the current time to reach a determined alarm time before triggering the striking of the hours, quarters and minutes of said alarm time (block e). Once the alarm time has been struck, the striking mechanism returns to its state selected alarm (block c).

[0014] Said determined alarm time may be a user-programmed alarm time, indicated by the alarm time hand 16, or an alarm time dependent on a user-programmed alarm time. Preferably, the alarm time can only be set by the user in fifteen-minute steps over twelve hours, either at the full hour, the hour and a quarter, the hour and a half or the hour and three-quarters, and said determined alarm time at which the bell is triggered is the user-programmed alarm time less one or two minutes, in order to increase the number of strikes to be sounded and make the time indication particularly audible to the user.

[0015] As long as the activation lock 22 has not been actuated, it is possible to switch from one operating mode to another, minute repeater with alarm and vice versa, by pressing the selection button 20.

[0016] When the striking mechanism is in the state alarm activated (block d) and the bell has not yet been triggered, the user can, by pressing the selection push button 20, return to mode minute repeater where he can at any time ring the current time by activating the activation lock 22.

[0017] Whichever operating mode is chosen, minute repeater Or alarm, It is not possible to stop the chime once it has been triggered. The user must wait for the chime to end before being able to perform any further operation on the timepiece.

[0018] The activation lock stroke 22 in the mode alarm is the same as in mode minute repeater and does not depend on the number of strokes to be struck, as will be explained later. In addition, both operating modes use the same energy source consisting of a striking barrel 24 (cf. figure 2 ) independent of the barrel of the base movement.

[0019] The basic movement and the striking mechanism are mounted on a frame (not shown) conventionally formed of a plate and bridges.

[0020] The basic movement (not shown) is of the traditional type. It is located on the bridge side and includes a barrel acting as a power source, a going train, an escapement and a sprung balance or other resonator. The basic movement can be supplemented by a self-winding mechanism designed to wind the barrel using the energy provided by the movements of the wearer of the timepiece.

[0021] The striking mechanism, designated 6 in the drawings, is located partly on the bridge side and partly on the dial side, but mainly on the dial side. On the bridge side ( figure 2), there are hammers 40, 42 and gongs 44, 46, as well as the striking barrel 24, a speed regulator 48, for example of the flywheel type, and a striking gear train 50 connecting the striking barrel 24 to the speed regulator 48. The rest of the striking mechanism 6 (cf. figure 12 ) is located on the dial side.

[0022] The 24-ring striking barrel (cf. figures 4, 5, 6 And 10 ) consists of a barrel drum 52 housing a spiral barrel spring 54 and a toothing 56 secured to the barrel drum 52. The barrel drum 52 is traversed, freely rotatable, by a barrel shaft 58 to which the inner end of the barrel spring 54 is attached, the outer end of the barrel spring 54 being coupled to the wall of the barrel drum 52 by a sliding flange 60, as will be explained later.

[0023] On the barrel arbor 58, above the striking barrel 24, are also mounted, in order, a fusee wheel 62 integral in rotation with the barrel arbor 58, a detent ratchet 64 free in rotation relative to the barrel arbor 58 and a spring 66 (visible in the figure 27) prevents it from moving back, and a drive plate 68 integral in rotation with the barrel shaft 58. The trigger ratchet 64 is held axially by two bearing screws 70 which pass through elongated holes 72 in the trigger ratchet 64 to be screwed into the drive plate 68. The elongated holes 72 allow limited rotation of the trigger ratchet 64 relative to the drive plate 68. The drive plate 68 carries a trigger pawl 74 and a return spring 76 for the trigger pawl. A pin 78 carried by the trigger ratchet 64 passes through an opening 80 in the drive plate 68 large enough not to hinder the rotation of the latter. This pin 78 has the function of moving the trigger pawl 74 outwards, the end of which has for this purpose an inclined surface 82.

[0024] The trigger pawl 74 is arranged to cooperate, by an engagement lug 84 which it comprises, with a barrel ratchet 86 free to rotate around a barrel 88 of the escapement plate 68. Around the barrel of the barrel ratchet 86 are mounted an hour ratchet 90, a rack pinion on the fusee 92, a quarter piece pinion 94 and a quarter piece control finger 96. The hour ratchet 90, the rack pinion on the fusee 92 and the quarter piece control finger 96 are integral in rotation with the barrel ratchet 86. The quarter piece pinion 94 is, itself, free to rotate relative to the barrel ratchet 86 but is controlled by the quarter piece control finger 96 by means of a pin 98 carried by the quarter piece pinion 94.The assembly 64, 68, 86, 90, 92, 94, 96 is held axially in one direction by a shoulder 100 of the barrel arbor 58 against which the drive plate 68 can bear and in the other direction by a nut 102 screwed onto one end of the barrel arbor 58. Typically, the assembly 64, 68, 86, 90, 92, 94, 96 is located on the dial side while the striking barrel 24 and the fusee wheel 62 are located on the bridge side.

[0025] The assembly 64, 68, 86, 90, 92, 94, 96 constitutes a trigger fuse of the type found in grand strike mechanisms where the strike can be triggered manually (on demand) or automatically (on the way). It makes it possible to decouple the striking barrel 24 from the parts used to actuate the hammers 40, 42 to allow the information to be taken of the number of strokes to be struck and to couple the striking barrel 24 to said parts used to actuate the hammers 40, 42 after the information has been taken to sound the strike.

[0026] The barrel drum 52, by its teeth 56, meshes with the wheel 104 of a unidirectional clutch mobile 106 (cf. figures 7 and 8). The pinion 108 of the one-way clutch mobile 106, coupled to the wheel 104 by a ratchet disengageable system, is engaged with a toothed sector 110 of a control rack 112 actuated by the activation lock 22. The control rack 112 pivots around a point 114 and has a slot 116 in which a fixed pin 118 is engaged (visible in the figure 27) acting as a stop defining two limit positions of the control rack 112, namely a rest position and an end-of-travel position. A rack return spring 120 acts on the control rack 112 to hold it in its rest position when not actuated by the activation lock 22. The control rack 112 serves to wind the barrel spring 54 via the barrel drum 52. A pawl 122 engaged in the toothing 56 under the action of a pawl return spring 123 prevents the striking barrel 24 from being unwound by the barrel drum 52. The control rack 112 further serves to actuate a winding pawl 124 positioned by a winding pawl spring 126 - the winding pawl 124 and the winding pawl spring 126 are visible at figure 27- to set the trigger ratchet 64 in motion and thus disengage the trigger pawl 74, more precisely its engagement lug 84, from the teeth of the barrel ratchet 86 by means of the pin 78 carried by the trigger ratchet 64.

[0027] By means of the ratchet disengageable system which connects them, the wheel 104 and the pinion 108 of the one-way clutch mobile 106 are integral in rotation in one direction and free in rotation relative to each other in the other direction. The movement of the control rack 112 by the activation lock 22 causes the pinion 108 to rotate in the direction in which it is secured to the wheel 104. The wheel 104 driven by the pinion 108 in turn drives the barrel drum 52, which arms the barrel spring 54. Thus, each actuation of the activation lock 22 winds the striking barrel 24. As soon as the activation lock 22 is released, the control rack 112 is released by the action of its spring 120 and returns to its rest position by rotating the pinion 108 but not the wheel 104 which, in this direction, is disengaged from the pinion 108 and retained by the toothing 56 itself retained by the pawl 122.

[0028] For its drive by the activation lock 22, the control rack 112 comprises an arm 128 that a pin (not shown) carried by the activation lock 22 can push against the action of the rack return spring 120 and against the action of a return spring of the activation lock 22. The activation lock 22 is movable between a rest position where its return spring presses it against a stop of the box 2 and an end-of-travel position where it bears against the control rack 112 itself at the end of its travel against the pin 118 (cf. figure 28 ).

[0029] The one-way clutch mobile 106 (cf. figure 9) is for example as described in the applicant's international patent application No. PCT / IB2020 / 060506. In addition to its external toothing, 130, the wheel 104 comprises an internal toothing 132 with asymmetric teeth which delimits a housing 134 in which there are a rigid pawl 136, a rigid drive member 138 and an elastic blade 140 connecting the rigid pawl 136 to the rigid drive member 138. The rigid drive member 138 is integral in rotation with the pinion 108. The wheel 104 is mounted loosely around the axis 142 of the pinion 108 and is made integral with the pinion 108 in one direction of rotation by the rigid pawl 136 blocked by the rigid drive member 138 against a tooth of the internal toothing 132. In the other direction of rotation, the rigid pawl 136 unlatches and thus separates the wheel 104 from the pinion 108.

[0030] As already indicated, the striking barrel 24 has a sliding flange 60. It is therefore a barrel which resembles that of self-winding watches, the sliding flange 60 serving to avoid any overtension in the barrel spring 54. Indeed, unlike conventional minute repeater mechanisms where the degree of winding of the striking barrel depends on the number of strokes to be struck, the striking barrel 24 in the present invention is fully wound each time the activation lock 22 is actuation, this in order to guarantee sufficient energy for the maximum number of strokes that the striking mechanism 6 may have to sound depending on the alarm time that the user has programmed.

[0031] In the majority of cases, therefore, after a strike there remains energy in the striking barrel 24. As the travel of the activation lock 22 is the same regardless of the number of strokes to be struck and the operating mode, the actuation of the activation lock 22 for the following strike provides surplus energy which it is useful to evacuate to avoid breaking the barrel spring 54. This is the role of the sliding flange 60 which, up to a certain tension threshold of the barrel spring 54, secures the outer end of the barrel spring 54 to the wall of the barrel drum 52 and, as soon as the tension threshold is exceeded, slides with said outer end at a certain angle relative to the wall of the barrel drum 52 to partially relax the barrel spring 54.

[0032] This sliding flange 60 is shown in the figure 10It may comprise protrusions 144 cooperating with corresponding notches provided in the wall of the barrel drum 52 to index positions of the sliding flange 60 along said wall between which the sliding flange 60 can slide in the event of overtension of the barrel spring 54.

[0033] In reference to the figures 5 And 11, the fusee wheel 62 is kinematically connected to the speed regulator 48 via the striking train 50, also called the “small train”, which is a multiplier train. The speed regulator 48 makes it possible to regulate the rotation speed of the striking train 50 and the barrel arbor 58. A propeller 146 for locking and unlocking the striking train 50 is coaxial and integral with the speed regulator 48. The output torque of the striking train 50 is very low, so that a simple tangent contact on the propeller 146 is sufficient to stop the entire striking train 50 and the barrel arbor 58. This tangent contact is ensured by a propeller stop lever 148 when the latter is constrained by a quarter piece 150 as shown in figure 11 .

[0034] The quarter piece 150 comprises on its periphery two series 152, 154 of three teeth. The first series 152 is intended to cause a first lifting of the quarters (not shown) raising a small hammer 42 striking a high-pitched gong 46 (cf. figures 11 And 3 ), and the second series 154 is intended to cause a second lifting of the quarters (not shown) raising a large hammer 40 striking a low gong 44. The quarter piece 150 further has an internal toothing 156 engaged with the quarter piece pinion 94. The quarter piece 150 also has a quarter feeler 158. This quarter feeler 158 is arranged to rest on the steps of a quarter snail 160 (cf. figures 11 to 14) under the impulse of a quarter piece return spring 162 after the trigger pawl 74 and the cannon ratchet 86 have been disengaged by an actuation of the activation lock 22, in order to determine the number of quarters to strike and trigger the striking of the minute repeater or the alarm according to the selected mode. The quarter snail 160 is coaxial with the cannon pinion of the basic movement. In addition, it carries a pin 164 which, with each revolution of the cannon pinion, advances by one tooth a twelve-pointed star 166 carrying an hour snail 168.

[0035] In the rest state of the striking mechanism 6 (state minute repeater selected Or selected alarm), the barrel ratchet 86 is secured to the barrel shaft 58 by the cooperation between the trigger pawl 74 and the barrel ratchet 86, and the quarter piece 150 subjected to the action of the barrel shaft 58 via the barrel ratchet 86, the quarter piece control finger 96 and the quarter piece pinion 94 is blocked by the helix 146 in a high position, away from the quarter snail 160, against the force of the quarter piece return spring 162.

[0036] A snail of minutes 170 (cf. figure 14) is coaxial and integral with the cannon-pinion. On the steps of this minute snail 170 can be pressed a minute feeler 172 of a minute piece 174 to determine the number of minutes to be struck. The minute piece 174 is mounted on the same axis 176 as the quarter piece 150 and is subjected to the action of a minute piece return spring 178. The minute piece 174 is provided with a first toothed sector 180 of fourteen teeth intended to cause a lifting of the minutes raising the small hammer 42. For its drive, the minute piece 174 has a second toothed sector 182 which cooperates in a traditional manner with a minute hook 184 carried by the quarter piece 150.

[0037] The hour ratchet 90 is intended to drive a lift of the hours raising the large hammer 40. The rack pinion on the spindle 92, integral with the hour ratchet 90, meshes with the toothed sector 186 of a rack or rack of the hours 188 (cf. figures 4 to 6 And 12 ) subjected to the action of a return spring of the hour rack 190 and which includes an hour feeler 192 capable of coming to bear on the steps of the hour snail 168 to determine the number of hours to strike. A pin 194 carried by the quarter piece 150 serves to retain the hour rack 188 for a certain time during the fall of the quarter piece 150 towards the quarter snail 160.

[0038] Around the common axis of the cannon-pinion, the quarter snail 160 and the minute snail 170 is freely mounted a surprise 196. A pin 198 (cf. figures 12 And 14) implanted in the minute snail 170 and engaged in a larger hole 200 of the surprise 196 limits the rotational mobility of the surprise 196 relative to the minute snail 170. The quarter snail 160 is integral with the surprise 196 and defines a spring 202 which acts on the pin 198. This spring 202 tends to angularly align the surprise 196 with the minute snail 170.

[0039] As is known, a surprise has the function of lengthening the step 0 of each branch of the minute snail when no minute is to be struck, in order to prevent the minute feeler from falling untimely on the fourteenth step of the adjacent branch. Surprise 196 is activated before each strike, when the hour to be struck is an hour without a minute to be struck or an hour which slightly precedes (typically by one or two minutes) an hour without a minute to be struck, by a quarter jumper 204 which angularly offsets it relative to the minute snail 170 against the action of spring 202. After the strike, surprise 196 returns to its rest position.

[0040] More details on the 196 surprise and its operation, as well as on the 150 quarter and 174 minute pieces and the 160, 168, 170 snails can be found in the book "Les montres compliqués" by François Lecoultre.

[0041] In the present invention, the activation of the surprise 196 does not occur when the activation lock 22 is actuated, as in a conventional minute repeater, but during the fall of the quarter 150 and minute 174 pieces and the hour rack 188 onto their snails 160, 170, 168, more precisely during the fall of the hour rack 188. To do this, the quarter jumper 204 is controlled by the hour rack 188 via a pin 206 carried by the hour rack 188 and against which an arm of the quarter jumper 204 rests under the action of a quarter jumper return spring 208. Each time the hour rack 188 falls towards the hour snail 168, it authorizes the quarter jumper 204 to approach surprise 196.This movement of the quarter jumper 204 has most of the time no effect on the surprise 196 given the angular position of the latter, but when the hour to be struck is an hour without a minute to be struck or an hour which slightly precedes an hour without a minute to be struck, the quarter jumper 204 comes into contact with the surprise 196 to shift it angularly in relation to the minute snail 170.

[0042] Because it is controlled by the hour rack 188, the quarter jumper 204 is only in the path of the surprise 196 during the strike triggering phase and does not need to be lifted every quarter hour by the surprise 196 between the time when the alarm is activated by actuation of the activation lock 22 and the time when the current time coincides with the determined alarm time. Energy consumption is thus reduced.

[0043] Depending on the number of strokes struck during the previous strike, the minute piece 174 may be very close to the minute snail 170. The time taken for the minute piece 174 to fall until it reaches the minute snail 170 may be too short to allow the hour rack 188 to activate the surprise 196. To overcome this drawback, the striking mechanism 6 is provided with a minute blocker 210 arranged to delay the fall of the minute piece 174 until the surprise 196 is activated by the hour rack 188.

[0044] The 210 minute blocker is particularly visible at the figure 14It pivots around a point 212 and its rest position is defined by a pin 214 against which it rests under the action of a return spring 216. A first arm 218 of the minute blocker 210 serves as a stop for a pin 220 carried by the minute piece 174 to stop the minute piece 174 when the quarter piece 150, the minute piece 174 and the hour rack 188 fall. A second arm 222 of the minute blocker 210 is struck by the pin 206 of the hour rack 188 after the hour rack 188 has let the quarter jumper 204 move towards the surprise 196 to activate it or not depending on the hour to be struck. This cooperation between the hour rack 188 and the minute blocker 210 lifts the minute blocker 210 and releases the minute piece 174 which can then fall onto the minute snail 170 to take the information of the number of minutes to strike.

[0045] To select its operating mode, minute repeater Or alarm, the striking mechanism 6 includes (cf. figures 15 to 20 ) a column wheel 224 consisting of a ratchet 226, a column stage 228 and a cap 230, these three elements 226, 228, 230 being mounted integrally around a column wheel axle 232. The column wheel 224 is positioned by a jumper 234 cooperating with the ratchet 226. It is controlled by the selection pusher 20 via, successively, an intermediate lever 236, a control 238 and a control hook 240 (more visible in the figure 36 ) engaged in the teeth of the ratchet 226. The ratchet 226 has twelve teeth and the column stage 228 has six columns. The active faces RM of the columns of the column stage 228 correspond to the mode minute repeater while the AL gaps between two columns correspond to the mode alarm.

[0046] The cap 230 is located in the example illustrated between the ratchet 226 and the column stage 228. It has in its lower face, that is to say the face furthest from the column stage 228, a hollow 242 which surrounds the column wheel axle 232. The two walls which laterally delimit the hollow 242 constitute star-shaped cams for the inner wall 244 and of generally polygonal shape for the outer wall 246. The vertices RM of the star and of the polygon are angularly aligned with the active faces RM of the columns and also correspond to the mode minute repeater. The AL zones of the hollow 242 between the RM vertices correspond to the mode alarm.

[0047] Each actuation of the selection pusher 20 moves the column wheel 224 by one ratchet tooth and switches the striking mechanism 6 from one operating mode to the other.

[0048] The principle of the operating mode selection is to allow the quarter piece 150 to fall immediately after the activation lock 22 is actuated when the striking mechanism 6 is in the mode minute repeater, to trigger the striking of the hours, quarters and minutes of the current time, and to prevent the quarter piece 150 from falling beyond an intermediate waiting position, until the current time corresponds to the determined alarm time, when the striking mechanism 6 is in the mode alarm.

[0049] To do this (cf. figures 18 and 19 ), a secondary alarm triggering rocker 248 is used, pivoted around a point 250 and which carries at one end a first pin 252 and at another end a second pin 254 ( figure 20) engaged in the hollow 242 of the cap 230. On the first pin 252 acts an alarm triggering lever jumper 256 subjected to the action of a jumper spring 258. The alarm triggering lever jumper 256 has two inclined surfaces 260, 262 forming an angle between them. When the alarm triggering lever jumper 256 presses against the first pin 252 by its first inclined surface 260 ( figure 18 ), it tends to rotate the secondary alarm trigger rocker 248 clockwise figures 18 and 19 and applying the second pin 254 against the outer wall 246 of the hollow 242. When the alarm triggering lever jumper 256 presses against the first pin 252 by its second inclined surface 262 ( figure 19 ), it tends to rotate the secondary alarm trigger rocker 248 counterclockwise figures 18 and 19and applying the second pin 254 against the inner wall 244 of the hollow 242.

[0050] In the mode minute repeater ( figure 18), the support of the first inclined surface 260 of the alarm triggering rocker jumper 256 on the first pin 252 keeps the second pin 254 in abutment against the outer wall 246 of the recess 242 in an RM zone and keeps the first pin 252 out of the turning path of a stop 264 defined by an extension 266 of the quarter piece 150 - stop 264 which is in a concentric arc with the quarter piece 150. The quarter piece 150 is free to fall onto the quarter snail 160 upon actuation of the activation lock 22. The secondary alarm triggering rocker 248 prevents a primary alarm triggering rocker 268 from touching an output cam 270 of an alarm differential 272, as will be explained later. The purely “alarm” part of the striking mechanism 6 is thus disconnected from the rest of the mechanism 6 and does not induce any energy consumption in the basic movement.

[0051] In the mode alarm ( figure 19 ), the support of the second inclined surface 262 of the alarm triggering lever jumper 256 on the first pin 252 keeps the latter in the rotation path of the stop 264 of the quarter piece 150 and therefore prevents the quarter piece 150 from falling onto the quarter snail 160 and triggering the strike. After actuation of the activation lock 22, in fact, the quarter piece 150 stops on the first pin 252, which corresponds to the intermediate waiting position mentioned above. In this position, the second pin 254 is not in contact with either of the two walls 244, 246 of the recess 242 and the secondary alarm triggering lever 248 is retained by the primary alarm triggering lever 268 which, here, is in contact with the output cam 270 of the alarm differential 272.

[0052] For its cooperation with the primary alarm triggering lever 268, the secondary alarm triggering lever 248 is provided with a tab 274. The secondary alarm triggering lever 248 further comprises a finger 276 capable of cooperating with a cannon pinion nut 278, coaxial and integral with the cannon pinion of the basic movement, having four notches 280 (cf. figure 21 ) representative of the quarters to be struck in the mode alarm.

[0053] As shown in the figure 21, the primary alarm triggering rocker 268 comprises on its periphery two tabs 282, 284 capable of interacting with the tab 274 of the secondary alarm triggering rocker 248 and an arm 286 passing under the output cam 270 of the alarm differential 272 and the end of which is surmounted by a lug 288 arranged to cooperate with this output cam 270. In the example shown, the primary alarm triggering rocker 268 is pivoted not around a physical axis but around a virtual axis by means of a flexible guide 290 suspending it from a fixed base 292.

[0054] The alarm differential 272 is used to compare the current time with the determined alarm time. Two diametrically opposed notches 294 in the output cam 270 define two angular positions of the output cam 270 (one per twelve hours) in which the current time coincides with the determined alarm time. The high rotational speed of the cannon pinion relative to the output cam 270 allows the four notches 280 of the cannon pinion nut 278 to fine-tune the determination of when the alarm should be sounded. Typically, the cannon pinion nut 278 is indexed relative to the minute snail 170 for triggering one or two minutes before the quarter. The output cam 270 is indexed so that the primary triggering occurs slightly before the triggering on the cannon pinion nut 278.

[0055] In reference to the figures 22 and 23, the alarm differential 272 comprises, around a differential axis 296, a programming wheel 298, a programming pinion 300, a satellite wheel 302, an output wheel 304 and the output cam 270 secured to the output wheel 304. The programming wheel and pinion 298, 300 are secured to the differential axis 296 and their angular position is maintained by a jumper 306 acting on the programming wheel 298. The satellite wheel 302 and the output wheel 304 are, themselves, mounted idly. The satellite wheel 302 carries a satellite 308 which meshes on the one hand with the programming pinion 300 and on the other hand with the output wheel 304. The output wheel 304 and the output cam 270 rotate at the rate of one revolution per twenty-four hours.

[0056] The programming wheel 298 and the satellite wheel 302 are the two inputs of the alarm differential 272. They represent respectively the alarm time programmed by the user and the current time. The satellite wheel 302 is kinematically connected, by two intermediate wheels 310, to the hour wheel 312 of the basic movement, coaxial with the cannon pinion. Traditionally, the hour wheel 312 meshes with a minute pinion 314 and the cannon pinion meshes with a minute wheel 316.

[0057] An alarm display wheel 318 is mounted coaxially with the hour wheel 312 and the cannon-pinion and freely rotatable relative to them. This alarm display wheel 318 is kinematically connected to the programming wheel 298 by a return wheel 320. This alarm display wheel 318 carries the alarm hour hand 16 indicating on the dial 8 the alarm time programmed by the user (cf. figure 1) and preferably moving in quarter-hour steps.

[0058] According to another characteristic of the invention, visible in figures 12 , 13 And 24 , a locking lever called "bird" 322, pivotally mounted around a point 324, comprises a first beak 326 which cooperates with a beak 328 of the quarter piece 150 in mode minute repeater to prevent the quarter piece 150 from falling until the activation lock 22 has reached the end of its travel (see figure 12 ). This feature ensures that the sequence runs smoothly by preventing the quarter piece 150, after being released, from rising under the action of the striking barrel 24 without having been able to touch the quarter snail 160.

[0059] The bird 322 is coupled to a quarter blocker 330 which is pivoted about a point 332 and which a return spring 333 tends to rotate clockwise. figures 12 And 13The coupling of the bird 322 and the quarter blocker 330 is achieved by the physical axis of rotation of the bird 322 which passes through an oblong hole 334 of the quarter blocker 330 and by a pin 336 carried by the bird 322 which passes through another oblong hole 338 of the quarter blocker 330, the two oblong holes 334, 338 having different orientations.

[0060] The quarter blocker 330 comprises a main part - the part coupled to the bird 322 - and an arm 340 rigidly connected to the main part and passing over the column wheel 224. The end of the arm 340 has on its lower face a lug 342 which cooperates with the column stage 228 of the column wheel 224. The quarter blocker 330 is thus controlled by the column wheel 224. However, for the function assigned to the bird 322, the respective roles of the columns and the gaps between the columns are reversed, the columns corresponding to the mode alarmand the gaps between the columns in the mode minute repeater.

[0061] In fashion minute repeater, in the last part of the stroke of the control rack 112 (cf. figure 13 ), a pin 344 carried by the control rack 112 acts on a finger of the bird 322 to pivot the bird 322 and release the quarter piece 150. In mode alarm (cf. figure 25 ), the quarter blocker 330 is positioned by the column wheel 224 so that the bird 322 is away from the beak 328 of the quarter coin 150 and cannot retain the quarter coin 150. The function of the bird 322 is in fact fulfilled, in the mode alarm, by the secondary alarm trigger rocker 248 and its pin 252.

[0062] The bird 322 further allows the striking mechanism 6 to return to the mode minute repeater when the user operates the selection push button 20 while the striking mechanism 6 is in the state alarm activated(passage from block d to block a at the figure 3 ). As already explained, in the state alarm activated, as long as the determined alarm time has not been reached, the quarter piece 150 is blocked by the pin 252 of the secondary alarm trigger lever 248. A rotation of one step of the column wheel 224 caused by the actuation of the selection pusher 20 pivots the quarter blocker 330 which itself actuates the bird 322 so that a second beak 346 of the latter, adjacent to the first beak 326, comes to be placed in the path of the beak 328 of the quarter piece 150 (cf. figure 26 ), thus preventing the quarter coin 150 from falling. This placement of the second beak 346 in the path of the beak 328 of the quarter coin 150 is carried out before the secondary alarm trigger lever 248, controlled by the cap 230 of the column wheel 224, takes the pin 252 out of the path of the stop 264 of the quarter coin 150.

[0063] The second beak 346 of the bird 322 holds the quarter piece 150 in a lower position than its upper rest position and its position on the first beak 326 of the bird 322. In its upper rest position and in its position on the first beak 326 of the bird 322, the quarter piece 150 blocks the propeller 146, and therefore the speed regulator 48 and the barrel shaft 58, by means of the propeller stop lever 148. In its intermediate waiting position (state alarm activated ), the propeller 146 is blocked by a tab 348 of the secondary alarm triggering lever 248. When the quarter piece 150 is held by the second beak 346 of the bird 322 (transition from the state alarm activated in fashion minute repeater), the propeller 146 is released and the barrel shaft 58 drives the drive plate 68 which causes the trigger pawl 74 to plunge back into the teeth of the barrel ratchet 86 and causes the quarter piece 150 to rise to its upper rest position, the bird 322 disappearing when the beak 328 of the quarter piece 150 passes the first beak 326.

[0064] We will now describe the operation of the striking mechanism 6.

[0065] When the user selects the mode minute repeaterby pressing the selection pusher 20, the column wheel 224, via the quarter blocker 330, places the bird 322 in the path of the beak 328 of the quarter piece 150 and, in collaboration with the alarm trigger lever jumper 256, places the secondary alarm trigger lever 248 and its pin 252 out of the path of the stop 264 of the quarter piece 150. The user can then, at any time, trigger the minute repeater strike by sliding the activation lock 22 around the circumference of the case 2 from its rest position to its end-of-travel position.

[0066] This movement of the activation lock 22 arms the striking barrel 24 via the control rack 112 and the one-way clutch wheel set 106. On the last degrees of travel of the control rack 112, a pin 350 mounted on the control rack 112 actuates the winding pawl 124. The winding pawl 124 drives the detent ratchet 64 on which the pin 78 is mounted. The pin 78 lifts the detent pawl 74 against the action of its return spring 76 to make it come out of the teeth of the barrel ratchet 86. The rack pinion on fusee 92, having become free to rotate, is driven by the hour rack 188 itself driven by the hour rack return spring 190. The quarter piece pinion 94 is driven by the quarter piece 150 itself driven by the quarter piece return spring 162.By means of its pin 194, the quarter piece 150 holds the hour rack 188. The first beak 326 of the bird 322 stops the quarter piece 150 so as not to trigger the strike before the end of the winding of the striking barrel 24. The control rack 112 then drives the bird 322 via its pin 344, which releases the quarter piece 150 which falls under the impulse of the quarter piece return spring 162. The quarter piece 150 drives the minute piece 174 via the minute hook 184. After a few degrees of fall of the quarter piece 150, the hour rack 188 is released by the quarter piece 150 and falls under the impulse of the hour rack return spring 190.The minute hook 184 encounters a fixed element which releases it from the second toothed sector 182 of the minute piece 174, thus separating the quarter piece 150 and the minute piece 174 which then fall separately under the impulse of their respective return springs 162, 178. During its fall, the minute piece 174 is slowed down by the minute blocker 210 until the quarter jumper 204 controlled by the hour rack 188 falls towards the surprise 196 to activate it or not depending on the hour to be struck.

[0067] The quarter piece 150, the hour rack 188 and the minute piece 174 then feel their respective snails 160, 168, 170 to read the number of strokes to be struck. When the quarter piece 150 falls following the pivoting of the bird 322 by the control rack 112, the speed regulator 48, the striking train 50 and the barrel arbor 58 are released. Under the action of the barrel spring 54, the drive plate 68 secured to the barrel arbor 54 begins to rotate. The trigger pawl 74 which it carries moves away from the pin 78 mounted on the trigger ratchet 64 and plunges into the teeth of the barrel ratchet 86. The elements 86, 90, 92 and 96 are again integral in rotation with the barrel arbor 58. The rack pinion on fusee 92 raises the hour rack 188 and the hour ratchet 90 activates the hour lift to strike the hours (one stroke per hour).The quarter piece control finger 96 catches the pin 98 carried by the quarter piece pinion 94 and drives the latter to raise the quarter piece 150 to its upper rest position where it will again block the speed regulator 48, the striking train 50 and the barrel arbor 58. During its rise, the quarter piece 150 activates the quarter lifts to strike the quarters (two strokes per quarter) then drives the minute piece 174 via the minute hook 184 which has fallen back into the second toothed sector 182 of the minute piece 174. The minute piece 174 then activates the minute lift to strike the minutes (one stroke per minute).

[0068] As soon as the activation lock 22 is released by the user, the rack return spring 120 returns the control rack 112 to the rest position, this return being made possible by the disengagement carried out by the one-way clutch mobile 106.

[0069] When now the user selects the mode alarm by pressing the selection button 20 (state selected alarm), the column wheel 224, via the quarter blocker 330, puts the bird 322 out of the way of the beak 328 of the quarter piece 150 and, in collaboration with the alarm triggering lever jumper 256, puts the secondary alarm triggering lever 248, more precisely its first pin 252, in the way of the stop 264 of the quarter piece 150. The user can then, at any time, activate the alarm by sliding the activation lock 22 around the circumference of the case 2 from its rest position to its end-of-travel position.

[0070] This movement of the activation lock 22 arms the striking barrel 24 via the control rack 112 and the one-way clutch wheel set 106. On the last degrees of travel of the control rack 112, the pin 350 mounted on the control rack 112 actuates the winding pawl 124. The winding pawl 124 drives the detent ratchet 64 on which the pin 78 is mounted. The pin 78 lifts the detent pawl 74 against the action of its return spring 76 to make it come out of the teeth of the barrel ratchet 86. The rack pinion on fusee 92, which has become free to rotate, is driven by the hour rack 188 itself driven by the hour rack return spring 190. The quarter piece pinion 94 is driven by the quarter piece 150 itself driven by the quarter piece return spring 162. The quarter piece 150 drives the minute piece 174 via the minute hook 184.By means of its pin 194, the quarter piece 150 retains the hour rack 188. The quarter piece 150 stops on the first pin 252 of the secondary alarm trigger lever 248, which also stops the hour rack 188 and the minute piece 174. The quarter piece 150 remains in this intermediate waiting position until the current time coincides with the determined alarm time.

[0071] In this state alarm activated,the primary alarm triggering lever 268 bears by its lug 288 against the periphery of the output cam 270 of the alarm differential 272 and the secondary alarm triggering lever 248 is retained by the primary alarm triggering lever 268 as long as the lug 288 is not opposite a notch 294 of the output cam 270. When the lug 288 falls into one of the two notches 294, the secondary alarm triggering lever 248 falls under the impulse of the alarm triggering lever jumper 256 and its spring 258 until the finger 276 of the secondary alarm triggering lever 248 abuts on the periphery of the cannon-pinion nut 278. The quarter piece 150 is at this moment still blocked by the first pin 252 of the lever secondary alarm trigger 248.

[0072] When then the finger 276 falls into one of the four notches 280 of the cannon nut 278 - which means that the current time has reached the determined alarm time, i.e. preferably the alarm time programmed by the user less one or two minutes as already explained -, the additional movement of the secondary alarm triggering rocker 248 that this causes brings the pin 252 opposite a groove 352 (visible at figure 18 ) of the extension 266 of the quarter piece 150, groove 352 in an arc of a circle concentric with the quarter piece 150. The quarter piece 150 is thus released and can fall onto the quarter snail 160. The fall of the quarter piece 150, the hour rack 188 and the minute piece 174 onto their respective snails and then their rise to activate the lifts and strike the gongs are identical to those described above in relation to the mode minute repeater.At the end of the ascent of the quarter piece 150, a control disc 354 which will be described later or, alternatively, an extension 149 (cf. figure 11 ) of the propeller stop lever 148 constrained by the quarter piece 150 raises the secondary alarm trigger rocker 248 to its state position selected alarm where its pin 252 is in the path of the stop 264 of the quarter piece 150.

[0073] In the state alarm activated, before the strike is triggered, it may happen that the user, having forgotten that he has activated the activation lock 22 or not paying attention to the state of the striking mechanism 6 indicated by the watch display (see below), activates the activation lock 22 again. To prevent such a case from causing breakage in the striking mechanism 6, the pin 350 (cf. figure 27) which actuates the winding pawl 124 is carried by the end of an elastic arm 356 of the control rack 112 and the winding pawl 124 is itself elastically deformable. The elastic arm 356 and the winding pawl 124 are sufficiently rigid so as to substantially not flex when the pin 350 actuates the winding pawl 124 at the moment of transition from the state minute repeater selected at the state minute repeater activated or state selected alarm in the state alarm activated (cf. figure 28 ). When, on the other hand, the user reactivates the activation lock 22 while the striking mechanism 6 is in the state alarm activated,the action of the pin 350 on the cocking pawl 124 and of the cocking pawl 124 on the trigger ratchet 64 immediately causes the wall of the elongated holes 72 of the trigger ratchet 64 to abut against the bearing screws 70 screwed into the drive plate 68 to lock the trigger ratchet 64 and prevent the pin 78 from approaching the engagement lug 84 of the trigger pawl 74. The control rack 112 and the activation lock 22 can nevertheless continue their travel without causing breakage thanks to the elasticity of the arm 356 and of the cocking pawl 124 (cf. figure 29 ).

[0074] In the example shown, both the arm 356 and the winding pawl 124 are elastic to reduce the bulk, but it is possible to have only the arm 356 or only the winding pawl 124 which is elastic. The return spring 126 of the winding pawl 124 is typically spiral-shaped, as illustrated, and carries at its inner end a pin 360 which secures this inner end to a movable rigid base 362 from which the active, elastically deformable part of the winding pawl 124 extends.

[0075] A winding and time-setting mechanism allows the barrel of the base movement to be wound and the current time and alarm time to be set. This winding and time-setting mechanism is illustrated in figure 23. It comprises the winding crown 18 coaxial and integral with a winding stem 364, a pull 366 controlled by the winding stem 364, a time-setting lever 368 controlled by the pull 366, a sliding pinion 370 integral in rotation with the winding stem 364 but axially movable relative to the latter, this sliding pinion 370 being controlled by the time-setting lever 368, a return spring 372 of the time-setting lever 368 which can be in one piece with the latter, and a winding pinion 374 mounted to rotate freely around the winding stem 364 and kinematically connected to the ratchet of the barrel of the basic movement in a known manner. The winding and time-setting mechanism further comprises a corrector lever 376 carrying two reference wheels 378, 380 which are permanently engaged with each other.This corrector lever 376 is controlled by an extension 382 of the pull rod 366 by means of a pin 384 implanted in the corrector lever 376 and capable of moving in an L-shaped opening 386 of the pull rod extension 382. The first return 378 carried by the corrector lever 376 is intended to be connected to the programming wheel 298 by means of a reduction gear train 388. The second return 380 is arranged to mesh with the timer wheel 316.

[0076] The winding crown 18 and the winding stem 364 can together take three axial positions indexed in a known manner by a pull-out jumper spring 390 acting on a pin 392 carried by the pull-out 366. These three positions are a pushed position (position 0), an intermediate position (position 1) and a pulled-out position (position 2).

[0077] The pin 384 moves relative to the pull-piece 366 in one of the two branches of the L-shaped opening 386 when the winding crown 18 moves from position 0 to position 1, and vice versa, and in the other branch of the L-shaped opening 386 when the winding crown 18 moves from position 1 to position 2, and vice versa. The orientation of the L-shaped opening 386 is such that the corrector lever 376 keeps its position unchanged between position 0 and position 1 of the winding crown 18 and pivots when the winding crown 18 moves between positions 1 and 2.

[0078] In position 0 of the winding crown 18, the sliding pinion 370 is pressed by the time-setting lever 368 and its return spring 372 against the winding pinion 374, so that a rotation of the winding crown 18 in a determined direction winds the barrel of the basic movement.

[0079] When the winding crown 18 is pulled from its position 0 to its position 1, the time-setting lever 368, under the action of the pull-piece 366, moves the sliding pinion 370 to disengage it from the winding pinion 374 and engage it with the first intermediate wheel 378 carried by the corrector lever 376. This first intermediate wheel 378 is itself engaged with the reduction gear train 388 via an intermediate wheel 394. In position 1, a rotation of the winding crown 18 in one direction or the other modifies the angular position of the programming wheel 298 and consequently of the alarm display wheel 318 and thus allows the user to set the alarm time.

[0080] When the winding crown 18 is pulled out from its position 1 to its position 2, the pull-out extension 386 pivots the corrector lever 376 to cause the second intermediate wheel 380 to engage in the teeth of the minute wheel 316 and to disengage the first intermediate wheel 378 from the teeth of the intermediate wheel 394, the sliding pinion 370 being simultaneously moved by the pull-out 366 to remain in contact with the first intermediate wheel 378. Thus, in position 2, a rotation of the winding crown 18 in one direction or the other modifies the angular position of the minute wheel 314, 316, the cannon pinion, the hour wheel 312 and the satellite wheel 302, allowing the basic movement to be set to the correct time and this information to be communicated to the alarm differential 272.

[0081] The striking mechanism 6 further comprises a display mechanism designed to take three states corresponding respectively to the mode minute repeater , in the state selected alarm and to the state alarm activated. This display mechanism includes (cf. figure 30 ) an indicator disc 396 dividing into three angular sectors 398, 400, 402. These three angular sectors 398, 400, 402 are typically represented by different colors on the indicator disc 396, namely a first color identical to that of the dial 8 for the mode minute repeater, a second color for the state selected alarm and a third color for the state alarm activated. A 404 counter (see figure 1 ) practiced in the dial 8 and having for example the shape of a bell makes visible to the user the color of the angular sector which is below it.

[0082] The indicator disc 396 is coaxial and integral with a disc positioning toothing 406 (cf. figure 31) with which meshes an indicator drive rack 408 pivoted around a point 409. A return spring 410 acting on the indicator drive rack 408 tends to apply a beak 412 of the latter against the column stage 228 of the column wheel 224. When the beak 412 is in abutment against the active face RM of a column ( figures 16 And 30 ), we find ourselves in the mode minute repeater and the position of the indicator disc 396 determined by the indicator drive rake 408 is such that the angular sector 398 associated with the mode minute repeater is located under the 404 counter. When you switch to the mode alarm, state selected alarm, by rotating the column wheel 224 with a ratchet tooth, the beak 412 plunges into a void AL between two columns but is stopped in its fall by a blocking device 414 ( figure 31). This movement of the indicator drive rake 408 causes a corresponding movement of the indicator disc 396 and the angular sector 400 associated with the state selected alarm comes to be placed under counter 404 ( figure 32 ). When we then move to the state alarm activated by actuating the activation lock 22, the locking device 414 allows further movement of the indicator drive rake 408 causing the spout 412 to plunge even further into the void AL until the indicator drive rake 408 abuts against a fixed pin 416 ( figure 33 ). The indicator disc 396 therefore pivots again to place the angular sector 402 corresponding to the state alarm activated under counter 404.

[0083] The locking device 414 comprises the control disc 354 carrying three pins 418, 420, 422 and subjected to the action of a return spiral spring 355 (visible in the figure 35), a locking lever 424 pivoted about a point 426 and of which a fork 428 receives the pin 420, and a stop lever 430 pivoted about a point 432 on the indicator drive rack 408. The pin 418 is held in contact with the extension 266 of the quarter piece 150 by the action of the return spiral spring 355 on the control disc 354. By the cooperation between the fork 428 and the pin 420, the locking lever 424 is kinematically connected to the control disc 354, that is to say that it pivots when the control disc 354 rotates and is stopped when the control disc 354 is stopped. The stop lever 430 comprises at one end a finger 434 which rests on a pin 436 implanted in the indicator drive rake 408 and at its other end a pin 438 which cooperates with the locking rocker 424.

[0084] In the configuration of the figure 31 (state selected alarm), the return spiral spring 355 tends to rotate the control disc 354 clockwise but the quarter piece 150, subjected to the action of the striking barrel 24 and blocked by the helix 146, retains the control disc 354 by its extension 266. The blocking lever 424 is therefore also retained, as is the stop lever 430 which thus prevents the indicator drive rack 408 from pivoting beyond an intermediate position. As soon as the activation lock 22 is actuated, the quarter piece 150 falls to its intermediate waiting position where it abuts against the pin 252 of the secondary alarm trigger lever 248 ( figure 33 ), allowing the control disc 354 and thus the locking rocker 424, the stop lever 430 and the indicator drive rake 408 to rotate through a certain angle, thereby changing the display state to indicate the state alarm activated.

[0085] After the alarm time has been reached and the bell has sounded, the watch piece 150, at the end of the ascent, resets the display to the state selected alarm. During this movement, the third pin 422 of the control disc 354 raises the secondary alarm trigger lever 248 to put its pin 252 back in the path of the stop 264 of the quarter piece 150. In a variant, it is an extension 149 (cf. figure 11 ) of the propeller stop lever 148 controlled by the quarter piece 150, and not the pin 422, which raises the secondary alarm trigger lever 248 after the alarm time strike.

[0086] It will therefore be noted that the angular position of the indicator disc 396 is linked both to the angular position of the column wheel 224 and to the angular position of the quarter piece 150. The column wheel 224 allows the display state to be changed minute repeater has selected alarm and display state selected alarm Or alarm activated has minute repeater. Moving the quarter piece 150 allows you to switch from the display state selected alarm has alarm activated and, after the ringing, return to the display state selected alarm.

[0087] The blocking device 414 of the display mechanism is also used to perform an isolating function preventing the time from being set (of the basic movement or the alarm) when the strike is sounding, in order to avoid breakage in the strike mechanism 6, in particular at the level of the snails 160, 168, 170 and the output cam 270. It can indeed be seen at figure 34that the locking lever 424 comprises a first tab 440 which is out of the way of the time-setting lever 368 when no strike is sounding, that is to say when the quarter piece 150 is in its upper rest position or in its intermediate waiting position where it retains the control disc 354. The user can then freely pull the winding stem 364 to put it in its intermediate axial position for setting the alarm time (position 1) or in its pulled-out axial position for setting the current time (position 2) and set the time. On the other hand, as soon as the quarter piece falls ( figure 35), under the action of the return spring 355 of the control disc 354, the control disc 354 and the locking lever 424 move into a position where the first tab 440 blocks the time-setting lever 368 and thus prevents the user from pulling the winding stem 364 from the pushed axial winding position (position 0). The quarter piece 150 only regains contact with the pin 418 of the control disc 354, thus releasing the time-setting lever 368, at the end of its winding.

[0088] Another isolation function is provided in the striking mechanism 6, which is to prevent a change in the operating mode ( minute repeater Or alarm ) when the bell is ringing, this is to avoid breakage, particularly at the column wheel 224. As shown in figure 36, the locking lever 424 does not interact with the control hook 240 when no chime sounds, that is to say when the quarter coin 150 is in its upper rest position or in its intermediate waiting position where it retains the control disc 354. The user can then freely operate the column wheel 224 via the selection pusher 20. On the other hand, as soon as the quarter coin 150 falls ( figure 37), under the action of the control disc 354 and its return spring 355, the locking lever 424 lifts the control hook 240 to remove it from the teeth of the ratchet 226 of the column wheel 224 and keeps the control hook 240 out of the teeth of the ratchet 226 until the end of the ascent of the quarter piece 150. This prevents the user from rotating the column wheel 224, the pressures that he can exert on the selection pusher 22 having no effect on it. The interaction between the locking lever 424 and the control hook 240 is carried out by means of a second tab 442 of the locking lever 424 and a pin 444 of the control hook 240.

[0089] The striking mechanism 6 further comprises an isolating device, illustrated in figures 38 and 39 , preventing mode selection minute repeater / alarmwhen setting the time (of the basic movement or the alarm), this also in order to avoid breakage, in particular at the level of the connection between the primary and secondary alarm triggering rockers 248, 268. This device includes an L-shaped extension 446 (better visible on the figures 34 and 35 ) of the pull rod 366 arranged to cooperate with the pin 444 of the control hook 240. When the winding stem 364 is in the axial pushed winding position (position 0, figure 38 ), the pull 366 and its extension 446 do not interact with the pin 444 of the control hook 240. When, on the other hand, the winding stem 364 is placed in the intermediate axial position for setting the alarm time (position 1) or in the pulled-out axial position for setting the current time (position 2), the extension 446 of the pull 366 removes the control hook 240 from the rotation path of the ratchet 226 of the column wheel 224 ( figure 39). The user can press the selection pusher 20, but this action will have no effect on the column wheel 224.

[0090] Finally, the striking mechanism 6 includes an isolating device, also illustrated in figures 38 and 39 , allowing the alarm part of the striking mechanism 6 to be deactivated when setting the time (of the basic movement or the alarm), also in order to avoid breakage, in particular at the level of the primary and secondary alarm triggering levers 248, 268, in particular when setting the time backwards. This device comprises a deactivation lever 448 coaxial with the time-setting lever 368, subjected to the action of a return spring 450 and controlled by the pull 366 and a locking lever 452 controlled by the deactivation lever 448. When the winding stem 364 is in the axial pushed winding position ( figure 38), the locking lever 452 does not act on the primary alarm triggering lever 268 and the alarm part of the striking mechanism 6 can operate normally. When, on the other hand, the winding stem 364 is placed in the axial position for setting the alarm time or in the axial position for setting the current time ( figure 39 ), the locking lever 452 pushes the primary alarm triggering rocker 268 so as to move the lug 288 away from the output cam 270, thereby preventing the alarm from triggering.

[0091] The present invention has been described above in the context of a minute repeater. But it is clear to those skilled in the art that it can be applied to any other repeater, for example a quarter or five-minute repeater. In addition, the minute repeater function or, more generally, repeater could be part of a grande or petite sonnerie mechanism that the timepiece would include.

[0092] Furthermore, the activation lock 22 could be replaced by a rotating bezel or a pusher, as is known per se. However, the lock and the rotating bezel are preferred to the pusher because they require less force from the user to arm the striking barrel 24.

[0093] Many other modifications are still possible. For example, the winding of the striking barrel 24 by the control rack 112 could be carried out by the barrel arbor 58 rather than by the barrel drum 52. In this case, for the actuation of the hammers 40, 42, the fusee 64, 68, 86, 90, 92, 94, 96 would be coupled by a kinematic connection to the barrel drum 52 rather than to the barrel arbor 58. Another modification could consist of controlling the quarter jumper 204 and / or the minute blocker 210 by a part other than the hour rack 188, for example by the quarter part 150.

Claims

1. Timepiece comprising a striking mechanism (6) which can operate in a repeater mode or alarm mode, a mechanical energy source (24) to supply the striking mechanism (6) with power and manual control members (20, 22) to control the striking mechanism (6), the striking mechanism (6) being arranged to produce an audible indication of the current time when the repeater mode is activated and to produce, at a specified alarm time, an audible indication of said alarm time when the alarm mode is activated, characterised in that the manual control members comprise a first manual control member (20) making it possible to select either the repeater mode or the alarm mode, and a second manual control member (22) making it possible to wind the mechanical energy source (24) and to activate the selected mode.

2. Timepiece as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the first manual control member (20) is a push-button.

3. Timepiece as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the second manual control member (22) is a bolt, a rotating bezel or a push-button.

4. Timepiece as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the travel of the second manual control member (22) necessary to wind the mechanical energy source (24) and activate the selected mode is the same regardless of the length of the audible indication to be produced and is identical for the repeater mode and alarm mode.

5. Timepiece as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the second manual control member (22) is arranged to control a control rack (112) meshing, via a unidirectional clutch mobile (106), with a first barrel element formed by one of a barrel drum (52) and a barrel shaft (58) of the mechanical energy source (24) to wind the latter, the control rack (112) comprising a triggering member (350) making it possible, at the end-of-travel of the control rack (112), to decouple a second barrel element formed by the other one of the barrel drum (52) and the barrel shaft (58) and a hammer actuation device (86, 90, 92, 94, 96, 150, 174, 188) of the striking mechanism (6) to activate the selected mode.

6. Timepiece as claimed in claim 5, characterised in that, for the decoupling of the second barrel element and the hammer actuation device (86, 90, 92, 94, 96, 150, 174, 188), the triggering member (350) is arranged to act via a pawl (124) on a ratchet (64) so as to rotate this ratchet (64) until it is substantially brought against a stop (70), and in that one or several elastic parts (356, 124) are provided which allow the control rack (112) to follow its course despite the ratchet (64) being blocked by the stop (70) when the second manual control member (22) is actuated whilst the alarm mode is activated.

7. Timepiece as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the mechanical energy source (24) comprises a sliding clamp barrel (60).

8. Timepiece as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the first manual control member (20) is arranged to control a column wheel (224), the angular position of which represents the selected mode.

9. Timepiece as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, characterised in that it comprises a standby device (248, 256, 268, 270) for, when the alarm mode is selected, interrupting dropping of a part (150) of the striking mechanism (6) towards a snail (160) as a result of actuation of the second manual control member (22) so as to place the striking mechanism (6) in a standby state and release said part (150) when the current time coincides with said alarm time and for, when the repeater mode is selected, not hindering the dropping of said part (150) towards the snail (160).

10. Timepiece as claimed in claim 9 when dependent on claim 8, characterised in that the standby device (248, 256, 268, 270) comprises a primary alarm triggering lever (268), a secondary alarm triggering lever (248) subject to the action of a jumper (256) and an output cam (270) of an alarm differential (272) arranged to compare the current time with said alarm time, the primary alarm triggering lever (268) being arranged to cooperate with the output cam (270), the secondary alarm triggering lever (248) being arranged for, when the alarm mode is selected, being controlled by the primary alarm triggering lever (268) so as to interrupt said dropping of said part (150) of the striking mechanism (6) towards the snail (160) as a result of actuation of the second manual control member (22) and so as to release said part (150) when the current time coincides with said alarm time, the secondary alarm triggering lever (248) being further arranged for, when the repeater mode is selected, being positioned by the column wheel (224) so as to not hinder said dropping of said part (150) towards the snail (160).

11. Timepiece as claimed in claim 10, characterised in that the secondary alarm triggering lever (248) is arranged for, when the repeater mode is selected, keeping the primary alarm triggering lever (268) out of contact with the output cam (270).

12. Timepiece as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11, characterised in that it comprises a device (322, 330, 340) making it possible to return to the repeater mode by actuation of the first manual control member (20) when the alarm mode is activated and the audible indication of the alarm time has not started being produced.

13. Timepiece as claimed in claim 12 when dependent on any one of claims 9 to 11, characterised in that< / b> said device (322, 330, 340) making it possible to return to the repeater mode comprises a blocking member (322) controlled by the first manual control member (20) to be placed in the path of said part (150) of the striking mechanism (6) before the standby device (248, 256, 268, 270) releases it when the first manual control member (20) is actuated to transition into the repeater mode whilst the alarm mode is activated, and in that the blocking member (322) can be actuated by the second manual control member (22) to release said part (150) when the repeater mode is selected.

14. Timepiece as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13, characterised in that it comprises an indicating member (396) capable of indicating a first, second and third state of the striking mechanism (6), the first state being the repeater mode, the second state being the alarm selected but not activated mode and the third state being the alarm activated mode.

15. Timepiece as claimed in claim 14 when dependent directly or indirectly on claims 8 and 9, characterised in that the indicating member (396) is arranged to be controlled by the column wheel (224) and by said part (150) of the striking mechanism (6).

16. Timepiece as claimed in claim 9 or as claimed in any one of claims 10 to 15 when dependent directly or indirectly on claim 9, characterised in that it comprises a member (424, 440) arranged to axially block a winding stem (364) of the timepiece as soon as said part (150) of the striking mechanism (6) drops towards the snail (160) so as to prevent hand-setting during production of the audible indication of the current time or of the alarm time.

17. Timepiece as claimed in claims 8 and 9 or as claimed in any one of claims 10 to 15 when dependent directly or indirectly on claims 8 and 9, characterised in that it comprises a member (424, 442) arranged to decouple the first manual control member (20) from the column wheel (224) as soon as said part (150) of the striking mechanism (6) drops towards the snail (160) so as to prevent a change in mode during production of the audible indication of the current time or of the alarm time.

18. Timepiece as claimed in claim 16 or 17 when dependent on claim 15, characterised in that said member (424) forms part of the link between said part (150) of the striking mechanism (6) and the indicating member (396).

19. Timepiece as claimed in claim 8 or as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 18 when dependent directly or indirectly on claim 8, characterised in that it comprises a device (366, 446) arranged to decouple the first manual control member (20) from the column wheel (224) when a winding stem (364) of the timepiece is placed in an axial hand-setting position so as to prevent a change in mode during hand-setting.

20. Timepiece as claimed in claim 10 or as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 19 when dependent directly or indirectly on claim 10, characterised in that it comprises a device (448, 452) arranged to move the primary alarm triggering lever (268) away from the output cam (270) when a winding stem (364) of the timepiece is in an axial hand-setting position so as to prevent production of the audible indication of the alarm time during hand-setting.

21. Timepiece as claimed in claim 9 or as claimed in any one of claims 10 to 20 when dependent directly or indirectly on claim 9, characterised in that said part (150) of the striking mechanism (6) is a quarter-hours part.

22. Timepiece as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 21, characterised in that the repeater mode is a minutes repeater mode.