Annual calendar mechanism for timepiece movement

Abstract

The present invention relates to an annual calendar mechanism (10) for a watch movement. The annual calendar mechanism comprises a date ring (12) having internal teeth (14), a 24-hour finger (18) arranged to rotate 360° every 24 hours, and a triggering device. The triggering device is arranged to actuate the date ring (12) in a sliding, rotating manner to change the date from the current day to the next day of the current or following month almost instantaneously. The triggering device comprises a rotary triggering member (22) including at least one triggering finger (24; 24a, 24b), a rotary driving member (50) directly or indirectly meshing with the internal teeth (14) of the date ring (12) and integral with the rotary triggering member (22), and a triggering lever (56).The annual calendar mechanism (10) further includes a month cam (60) and a month rocker (63) arranged to cooperate with respectively the month cam (60), the triggering device and at least one actuating element (16; 16a, 16b), integral with the date ring (12), in order to manage the transition from the indication of the last day of months of 30 and 31 days to the indication of the 1st of the following month.

Description

Technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to an annual calendar mechanism for a watch movement, comprising a date ring and a trigger device arranged to actuate in rotation, in a dragging manner, the date ring in order to effect the transition from an indication of one day to an indication of the following day of the current month or the following month in a quasi-instantaneous manner. State of the art

[0002] The annual calendar has a mechanical memory, so to speak, taking into account the difference between months of 30 and 31 days. Therefore, a correction only needs to be made each year at the end of February.

[0003] There are currently many annual calendar mechanisms. For example, EP2479622 discloses an annual calendar device for a timepiece comprising a date ring bearing 31 numerals appearing successively through an aperture. The ring comprises an internal toothing with 31 teeth located on a first level. The device further comprises a wheel driving the date ring making one revolution in twenty-four hours, and a mechanism carried by the wheel and rotating with it. The mechanism comprises a first finger driving a tooth of the date ring by one step at the end of each day, as well as a second finger driving the date ring by an additional step at the end of the last day of a month with fewer than 31 days.

[0004] This date mechanism has a positioning jumper for the date ring, like many other known date mechanisms. The use of a positioning jumper is necessary to keep one of the month numerals in position in the window in the event of shocks.

[0005] These jumpers, however, have the disadvantage of consuming energy, which has a significant impact, particularly on the power reserve of the watch movement. Furthermore, the activation of the date ring to display the next number according to known jumper devices can vary between 30 minutes and several hours. Although the date is changed at night, reading the date at a late hour is not optimal.

[0006] Document CH 574125B5 discloses an annual calendar in which the month cam is connected to a rotating member driving via a large month lever. Brief summary of the invention

[0007] An aim of the present invention is therefore to propose an annual calendar mechanism for a timepiece, adapted to minimize the energy consumption at the time of the date jumps.

[0008] Another object of the present invention is to propose an annual calendar mechanism for a timepiece, comprising a trigger device for carrying out the transition from an indication of a day of a month to an indication of the following day of the current month or the following month almost instantaneously.

[0009] These aims are achieved in particular by means of an annual calendar mechanism for a watch movement, comprising a date ring provided with internal teeth, a 24-hour finger arranged to rotate 360° every 24 hours and a trigger device arranged to actuate the date ring in rotation, in a dragging manner, in order to effect the transition from an indication of one day to an indication of the following day of the current month or the following month in a quasi-instantaneous manner. The trigger device comprises for this purpose a rotating trigger member comprising at least one trigger finger, a rotating member driving in direct or indirect engagement with the internal teeth of the date ring and secured to the rotating trigger member, and a trigger lever.The trigger lever comprises a first beak arranged to cooperate with the 24-hour finger, and a second beak arranged to cooperate with the rotary trigger member so that the trigger lever can be brought, every 24 hours, from an engaged position, in which the trigger member is locked in rotation by the lever, to a disengaged position, in which the rotary trigger member is rotated, under the action of the torque transmitted by the rotary driving member, in order to actuate the rotation of the date ring.

[0010] The annual calendar mechanism further comprises a month cam and a month lever arranged to cooperate with respectively the month cam, the trigger device and at least one actuating element, integral with the date ring, in order to manage the transition from the indication of the last day of the months of 30 and 31 days to the indication of the 1st day of the following month.

[0011] According to one embodiment, the month lever comprises an actuable arm arranged to be out of the path of said at least one actuating element when the month lever is actuated, by the month cam, into a first position corresponding to a 31-day month. The actuable arm is further arranged to be in the path of said at least one actuating element when the month lever is actuated, by the month cam, into a second position corresponding to a 30-day month. In this second position, the actuating element can actuate the month lever into a third position so that it acts on the trigger device to actuate the date ring so as to effect the transition of two successive day indications almost instantaneously.

[0012] According to one embodiment, the trigger device comprises a trigger module comprising the rotary trigger member. The latter comprises a single trigger finger arranged to cooperate with the second beak of the trigger rocker in order to lock the trigger module. The 24h finger is arranged to allow the second beak to be disengaged from the trigger finger in order to unlock the trigger module.

[0013] The trigger module further comprises a finger cam mounted on the rotary trigger member, a retractable finger arranged to cooperate with the finger cam, an elastic member arranged to hold the retractable finger against the finger cam and a cam actuator secured to the finger cam. This actuator is arranged to actuate the finger cam in rotation relative to the rotary trigger member so that the retractable finger is in contact with a first and a second cam profile respectively to be able to bring the retractable finger respectively into a deployed configuration, in which the finger can be brought into abutment against the second beak of the trigger rocker, and into a retracted configuration, in which the finger is disengaged from the second beak. The trigger module further comprises the rotary driving member which is secured to the rotary trigger member.

[0014] The month lever is arranged to act on the cam actuator so that the retractable finger is in the deployed configuration during a 31-day month so that the retractable finger and the trigger finger can work alternately to actuate in rotation, each day, the date ring by a first predefined angle, and this throughout the 31-day month. The month lever is further arranged to act on the cam actuator so that the retractable finger is in the retracted configuration at the 30th of a 30-day month to render the retractable finger inactive in order to actuate in rotation the date ring by a second predefined angle twice as large as the first angle in order to effect the transition from the indication of the "30" to the indication of the 1st of the following month.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the driving rotary member is arranged to rotate through a first angle, for example a 180° rotation, each time the trigger module is unlocked by the 24-hour finger when the retractable finger is in the deployed configuration. The driving rotary member is further arranged to rotate through a second angle, for example a 360° rotation, when the retractable finger is in the retracted configuration to effect the transition from the indication of the 30th to the indication of the 1st of the following month.

[0016] According to one embodiment, the cam actuator comprises a peripheral portion comprising external teeth comprising a plurality of teeth and a central portion arranged inside the peripheral portion. The central portion and the peripheral portion are connected to each other by an elastic connection so as to make possible a relative rotation between these two portions in order to be able to bring the retractable finger from the retracted configuration to the deployed configuration and vice versa.

[0017] According to one embodiment, the central portion of the cam actuator is integral with the driving rotary member. The finger cam is mounted on a pivot of the trigger rotary member. The month rocker is configured to allow the peripheral portion of the cam actuator to be locked in order to pivot the finger cam relative to the trigger rotary member from a first angular position to a second angular position.

[0018] According to one embodiment, the elastic connection comprises a first and a second jumper. The peripheral part comprises an internal profile comprising several hollows. The jumper heads of the first and second jumpers are arranged in two diametrically opposite hollows.

[0019] According to one embodiment, the month rocker further comprises an actuating rod comprising a hook making it possible to hook a tooth of the peripheral part of the cam actuator so as to induce relative rotation between the peripheral and central parts of the actuator.

[0020] According to one embodiment, the month lever comprises an actuating arm intended to act on the release lever in order to disengage the second beak of the release lever from the rotating trigger member when the month lever is pivoted into the third position by the actuating element. The month lever is arranged to be held in this third position as long as the actuating element cooperates with the actuable arm. This allows the rotating driving member to actuate the date ring so as to effect the transition from the indication of the 30th of a 30-day month to the indication of the 1st of the following month almost instantaneously.

[0021] According to one embodiment, the actuable arm comprises a curved surface. The actuating element is arranged to move against and along the curved surface in order to maintain the month rocker in the third position. The curved surface defines an arc of a circle whose angle is sufficient so that the trigger rocker can be, on the one hand, maintained in said disengaged position upon passage of said finger or one of at least two fingers of the rotary trigger member and, on the other hand, brought into said engaged position before the next passage of said finger or before the passage of another finger of said at least two fingers.

[0022] According to one embodiment, the rotary trigger member comprises a first and a second trigger finger which are diametrically opposed. The actuating element is arranged to hold the month rocker in the third position in order to allow the passage of one of these two fingers. The rotary trigger member can thus perform a 360° rotation in order to effect the passage from the indication of the “30” of the 30-day month to the indication of the 1st of the following month.

[0023] According to one embodiment, the date ring has only one actuating element to manage the transition from the indication of the last day of the months with 30 and 31 days to the indication of the 1st day of the following month.

[0024] According to one embodiment, the driving rotary member is arranged to drive the date ring via at least one wheel, preferably by a gear train comprising at least a first and a second wheel. The first wheel is engaged with the driving rotary member while the second wheel is engaged with, on the one hand, the first wheel and, on the other hand, the internal toothing of the date ring.

[0025] Another aspect of the invention relates to a watch movement comprising the annual calendar mechanism according to the invention and to a timepiece comprising such a movement. Brief description of the figures

[0026] Examples of implementation of the invention are indicated in the description illustrated by the appended figures in which: there figure 1illustrates a top view of an annual calendar mechanism comprising a trigger device comprising a trigger module arranged to cooperate with a trigger lever, according to a first embodiment; figure 2 illustrates an exploded view of the trigger module of the figure 1 ; THE figures 3 to 7 illustrate top views of an operational sequence of the annual calendar mechanism of Fig. 1 when changing from a 31-day month to the next month; figures 8 to 18 illustrate top views of an operational sequence of the annual calendar mechanism of Fig. 1 when changing from one 30-day month to the next month; figures 19 to 21 illustrate top views of an operational sequence of an annual calendar mechanism, according to a second embodiment, when passing from the last day of a 31-day month to the first day of the following month, and the figures 22 to 25illustrate top views of an operational sequence of the annual calendar mechanism, according to the second mode of execution, when passing from the last day of a 30-day month to the first day of the following month. Detailed description of the embodiments of the invention

[0027] In reference to the figure 1 , the annual calendar mechanism 10, according to a first embodiment, comprises a date ring 12 provided with internal teeth 14, a 24-hour finger 18 arranged to rotate every 24 hours, and a trigger device arranged to rotate the date ring 12 in order to change from an indication of one day to an indication of the following day of the current month or the following month. The change from an indication of the day to an indication of the following day is carried out in a dragging manner, that is to say by means of a gear comprising, in the present example, a wheel 50 meshing with the internal teeth 14 of the date ring 12.

[0028] According to a variant not illustrated, the date ring can be driven by a gear train comprising several wheels. This has the advantage of offering a certain freedom in choosing the location of the trigger device in the movement.

[0029] The trigger device comprises a trigger module 20 as well as a trigger lever 56 arranged to cooperate, on the one hand, with the trigger module 20 and, on the other hand, with the 24-hour finger 18. To this end, the trigger lever 56 comprises a first beak 57 located on the path of the 24-hour finger and a second beak 58 arranged to cooperate with the trigger module 20 in order to lock the latter and thus prevent any rotation of the date ring 12. The trigger module 20 is unlocked when the 24-hour finger 18 pivots the trigger lever 56 by its action on the first beak 57 thereof.

[0030] This allows the second beak 58 of the lever 56 of the trigger module 20 to be released every 24 hours, allowing the latter to drive the date ring 12 via the wheel 50 in order to effect the transition from an indication of one day to an indication of the following day almost instantaneously, that is to say in the order of a few seconds. A lever spring 59 is arranged to re-engage the trigger lever 56 with the trigger module 20 after each passage of the 24-hour finger 18.

[0031] Still according to the figure 1, the annual calendar mechanism 10 further comprises a month cam 60 and a month lever 63 arranged to cooperate with the month cam 60. Conventionally, the month cam 60 is engaged with the movement in order to perform a rotation of one twelfth of a turn every month. This cam comprises a series of first cam sectors 61 for the 30-day months extending radially from a disc located in the center of the cam as well as a series of second cam sectors 62 for the 31-day months which are interposed between the first cam sectors 61.

[0032] The month lever 63 is arranged to cooperate with the month cam 60, the trigger device and two actuating elements 16a, 16b, for example two pins, secured to the date ring 12, in order to manage the passage of the 30-day months. More particularly, the month lever 63 comprises a feeler 65 arranged to cooperate with the first and second cam sectors 61, 62, an actuable arm 64 as well as an actuating rod 66, one end of which is provided with a hook 67 intended to cooperate with the trigger module 20. The first pin 16a is positioned for example between the indications of the 28th and 29th day while the second pin 16b is positioned for example between the indications of the 30th and 31st day. The pins can be positioned and fixed elsewhere on the date ring 12 depending on the position of the window 80 relative to the month lever 63.A rocker spring 68 forces the feeler 65 of the month rocker 63 against the month cam 60.

[0033] According to the figure 2 , the trigger module 20 comprises a rotary trigger member 22, preferably in the form of a disc, provided with a trigger finger 24 and comprising a pivot 26, a retractable finger 28 fixed to the trigger disc 22, a finger cam 34 pivotally mounted on the pivot 26 of the trigger disc, a cam actuator 38 secured to the finger cam 34, as well as the pinion 50 secured to the trigger disc 22 and engaged with the internal toothing 14 of the date ring. The retractable finger 28 comprises a flexible blade 30 holding the finger against the finger cam 34. The flexible blade 30 is fixed to the trigger disc 22 and is curved so as to extend for example over more than 180° around the finger cam 34.

[0034] This preferably has a symmetrical shape and the outline of which is made up of two diametrically opposite sectors, each comprising a first and same profile 35, as well as two other diametrically opposite sectors, each comprising a second and same profile 36. The retractable finger 28 can thus be brought into a deployed configuration, in which the finger can be brought into abutment against the second beak 58 of the trigger lever 56, and into a retracted configuration, in which the finger 28 is disengaged from the second beak 58. The retractable finger 28 is positioned so that it is diametrically opposite the finger 24 of the trigger disc 22 when the retractable finger is in its deployed configuration.

[0035] The cam actuator 38 comprises a peripheral part 40, a central part 44, which will hereinafter be called hub, arranged inside the peripheral part 40, and an elastic connection connecting the central part 44 to the peripheral part 40 so as to make possible a relative rotation between these two parts 40, 44. The peripheral part 40 has an external toothing, for example of the wolf tooth type, comprising several teeth 41, and an internal profile 42 comprising several hollows 43.

[0036] The elastic connection may for example comprise a first and a second jumper 48a, 48b. The blades of the jumpers are connected to two portions of the hub 44 which are diametrically opposed. The respective blades of the first and second jumpers 48a, 48b are furthermore curved so that the jumper head 49a, 49b, located at one end of each blade, is housed in a hollow 43 of the internal profile 42 of the peripheral portion 40 of the cam actuator 38 which is diametrically opposed to the point of attachment of the blade to the hub 44. The latter comprises in its center a wheel support 46 onto which the wheel 50 is driven.

[0037] This arrangement allows relative movement between the finger cam 34 and the drive disc 22 which is necessary for the correction which must be carried out at the end of a month to 30 days as detailed later.

[0038] When the trigger module 20 is in a locked configuration, the wheel 50 is under tension and exerts a torque on the trigger disc 20. The wheel 50 may for example be connected to the barrel ratchet by a gear train as well as to a differential in order to allow the barrel to transmit its energy to the movement when the trigger module 20 comprising the wheel 50 is in a locked configuration.

[0039] This annual calendar mechanism has the advantage, through its type of drive of the date ring, of ensuring good retention of this ring in the event of shock while consuming less energy than known date mechanisms using a positioning jumper necessary to maintain the ring.

[0040] The operation of the annual calendar mechanism 10 will now be described with reference to figures 3 to 18 .

[0041] According to the figure 3, the date ring 12 is positioned to indicate the 29th of a 31-day month through the window 80. The feeler 65 of the month lever 63 is in contact with one of the second cam sectors 62 of the month cam 60. This makes it possible to position the actuable arm 64 of the lever 63 in a first position in which the first and second pins 16a, 16b can pass through a clearance (not visible), made on the actuable arm, so that the month lever 63 is not actuated when the pins pass. The retractable finger 28 is, at this moment, in abutment against the second beak 28 of the trigger lever 56, thus locking the trigger module 20. In this configuration, the retractable finger 28 exerts a force against the second beak 58 of the lever 56 since the wheel 50 exerts a torque on the trigger disc 22 to which the finger 28 is secured ( figure 2 ).

[0042] In view of the Figures 3 and 4, the action of the 24h finger 18 on the first beak 57 of the trigger lever 56 lifts the latter, which allows the trigger module 20 to be unlocked. The wheel 50 can thus rotate under the action of the gear train meshing with the barrel ratchet of the movement, which allows the date ring 12 to be rotated. The rotation of the wheel 50 also drives the trigger finger 24 which is integral with the trigger disc, which is integral with the wheel 50.

[0043] The rocker spring 59 allows the trigger rocker 56 to be returned to its rest position in order to stop the rotation of the finger 24 by the second beak 58 of the rocker as illustrated in Figure 5 The trigger disc and wheel 50 will then have pivoted 180°, which ensures the transition from an indication of one day to an indication of the following day, that is to say in the example illustrated from “29” to “30”.

[0044] Unlocking the trigger module 20, 24 hours later, by the finger 18 allows the date ring 12 to be rotated again, via the wheel 50, but this time it is the retractable finger 28, and not the trigger finger 24, which comes into abutment against the second beak 58 of the lever 56 as illustrated in figure 6 The trigger disc and wheel 50 will then have pivoted again by 180°, which ensures the transition from the “30” month indication to the “31” month indication.

[0045] In reference to the figure 7 , unlocking the trigger module 20, 24 hours later, allows the date ring 12 to be rotated again until the trigger finger 24 comes into abutment against the second beak 58 of the trigger lever 56.

[0046] Thus, the retractable finger 28 and the trigger finger 24 work alternately to allow the locking of the trigger module 20 after the 180° rotation of the wheel 50 of the trigger module every 24 hours. It will be noted that the first and second pins 16a, 16b of the date ring 12 are passed through the actuating arm 64 of the month lever 63 without having actuated the latter.

[0047] In reference to the figure 8 , the month cam 60 was actuated by the movement of one twelfth of a turn so that the feeler 65 of the month lever 63 was in contact with one of the first cam sectors 61 of the month cam. The month lever therefore tilted so that the actuating arm 64 could be actuated upon passage of the first and second pins 16a, 16b of the date ring 12. The passage from the indication “29” to the indication “30” of a month with 30 days, according to the figures 8 And 9, is carried out in the same way as a month with 31 days. On the other hand, for the transition from the 30th to the 1st of the following month, the first pin 16a actuates the actuable arm 64 of the month rocker 63, which allows the latter to pivot and to engage the hook 67 of the actuating rod 66 with the trigger module 20 as illustrated in figure 10 . The hook 67 is thus located in the path of a tooth 41 of the cam actuator 38 ( figure 2 ).

[0048] According to the figures 11, 12 and with regard to the arrangement of the various components of the trigger module 20 illustrated in figure 2, the hook 67 retains a tooth 41 of the peripheral part 40 of the cam actuator 38, thus immobilizing this part without however hindering the actuation of the date ring 12 by the wheel 50. The immobilization of the peripheral part 40 of the cam actuator 38 by the hook 67 generates a relative movement of 90° between the hub 44 and the peripheral part 40 of the actuator.

[0049] This makes it possible to dislodge the jumper head 49a, 49b of the first and second jumpers 48a, 48b from their respective hollows 43 located on the internal profile 40 of the peripheral part 40 and to position these jumper heads in two other hollows located on this internal profile 42 ( figure 2 ). The finger cam 34, which is integral with the cam actuator 38, is thus pivoted 90°, around the pivot 26 of the trigger disc 22, from a first position to a second stable position.

[0050] This 90° rotation of the finger cam 34 makes it possible to bring and maintain the retractable finger 28 against a sector of the cam 34 having the second profile 36, which has the consequence of bringing the retractable finger 28 into its retracted configuration as illustrated in figure 12 . When the first pin 16a is released from the actuable arm 64 of the month rocker, the latter is pivoted until the feeler 65 comes into contact again with one of the first cam sectors 61 of the month cam 60, under the action of the rocker spring 68, thus releasing the hook 67 from the trigger module 20 as can be seen in figure 13 .

[0051] Thus, for the transition from the “30th” to the 1st of the following month, when the trigger finger 24 of the trigger module 20 is pressed against the second beak 58 of the trigger rocker 56 according to the figure 9 and that the finger of 24h 18 subsequently lifted this rocker ( figure 10), the trigger disc 22 is driven in rotation through 360°. The rotation of the trigger disc can in fact only be stopped, at this moment, by the contact of the trigger finger against the second beak 58 of the trigger rocker 56 according to the figure 14 since the retractable finger has become inactive. The wheel 50 is therefore driven by the movement not of 180° but of 360° allowing the passage from the 30th of a month to 30 days to the 1st of the following month.

[0052] At this moment, the second pin 16b is about to actuate again the actuable arm 64 of the month lever 63. The unlocking of the trigger module 20, 24 hours later, by the finger 18 makes it possible to drive the date ring 12 into rotation again. The second pin 16b actuates the actuable arm 64 of the month lever 63, which makes it possible to pivot the latter again and to engage the hook 67 of the actuating stem 66 with the trigger module 20 as illustrated in figure 15 . The hook 67 is thus located in the path of a tooth 41 of the cam actuator 38 ( figure 2 ).

[0053] According to the figures 2 , 16 has 18, the hook 67 again retains a tooth 41 of the peripheral part 40 of the cam actuator 38, thus immobilizing this part 40 without, however, hindering the actuation of the date ring 12 by the wheel 50. The immobilization of the peripheral part 40 of the cam actuator 38 again generates a relative movement of 90° between the hub 44 and the peripheral part 40. This makes it possible to dislodge the jumper head 49a, 49b of the first and second jumpers 48a, 48b from their respective hollows 43 located on the internal profile 40 of the peripheral part 40 and to position the heads 49a, 49b in the two other hollows located on this internal profile 42 ( figure 2 ).

[0054] The finger cam 34 is thus pivoted again by 90°, around the pivot 26 of the trigger disc 22, between two stable positions. This additional rotation of 90° of the finger cam 34 makes it possible to bring and maintain the retractable finger 28 against a sector of the cam 34 having the first profile 36, which has the consequence of returning the retractable finger 28 from its retracted configuration to its deployed configuration as illustrated in figure 17 . Once the second pin 16b is released from the actuable arm 64 of the month rocker 63, the latter is pivoted under the action of the rocker spring 68 in order to release the hook 67 from the trigger module 20 and bring the feeler 65 against one of the first sectors 61 of the month cam.

[0055] The retractable finger 28 and the trigger finger 24 can thus work alternately again to allow the locking of the trigger module 20 after a 180° rotation of the wheel 50 every 24 hours according to the figure 18 and this from the beginning of a new month. This alternating work continues until the indication "31" if it is a month with 31 days or until the indication "30" if it is a month with 30 days, in which case the sequences described in relation to the figures 9 to 18 repeat themselves.

[0056] In reference to the figure 19, the annual calendar mechanism 10, according to a second embodiment, comprises a date ring 12 provided with internal teeth 14, a 24-hour finger 18 meshing with the movement to perform a 360° rotation every 24 hours as well as a trigger device arranged to actuate the rotation of the date ring 12 in order to effect the transition from an indication of one day to an indication of the following day of the current month or the following month.

[0057] The triggering device comprises a rotary driving member 50, for example a driving wheel, engaged with a gear train comprising for example a first wheel 51 meshing with the driving wheel 50 and a second wheel 52 engaged with the first wheel 51 and the internal toothing 14 of the date ring 12. The driving wheel 50 is secured to a rotary triggering member 22, for example in the form of a disc, comprising a first and a second triggering finger 24a, 24b which are diametrically opposed. Like the first embodiment, the driving wheel 50 is under tension and can for example be connected to the barrel ratchet by a gear train as well as to a differential in order to allow the barrel to transmit its energy to the movement when the driving wheel is blocked in rotation.

[0058] The trigger device further comprises a trigger lever 56 arranged to cooperate, on the one hand, with the trigger disc 22 and, on the other hand, with the 24h finger 18. To this end, this trigger lever comprises a first beak 57 located on the path of the 24h finger and a second beak 58 arranged to cooperate with the first and second trigger fingers 24a, 24b of the trigger disc in order to lock the latter and thus prevent any rotation of the date ring 12. The trigger disc 22 is unlocked when the 24h finger 18 pivots the trigger lever 56 by its action on the first beak 57 thereof.

[0059] This allows the second beak 58 of the lever to be released every 24 hours from the trigger disc 22, allowing the trigger disc 22 to drive the date ring 12 under the action of the torque of the driving wheel 50 via the gear train comprising the driving wheel 50 and the first and second wheels 51, 52. This allows the transition from an indication of one day to an indication of the following day to be carried out almost instantaneously, i.e. in the order of a few seconds. A lever spring 59 is arranged to re-engage the trigger lever 56 with one or other of the two trigger fingers 24a, 24b of the trigger disc 20 after each passage of the 24-hour finger 18.

[0060] Still according to the figure 19, the annual calendar mechanism 10 further comprises a month cam 60 and a month lever 63 arranged to cooperate with the month cam 60. Conventionally, the month cam is engaged with the movement in order to perform a rotation of one twelfth of a turn every month. This cam comprises a series of first cam sectors 61 for the 30-day months extending radially from a disc located in the center of the cam and a series of second cam sectors 62 for the 31-day months which are interposed between the first cam sectors 61.

[0061] Like the first embodiment, the month lever 63 comprises a feeler 65, arranged to cooperate with the first and second cam sectors 61, 62 of the month cam 60 under the action of a lever spring 68, an actuable arm 64, as well as an actuating arm 66. The actuable arm 64 makes it possible to position the month lever in a first and a second position in order to manage the passage of the months of 30 and 31 days according to the description below. The actuating arm 66 comprises an end which is intended to cooperate not with a trigger module, according to the description which has been made with regard to the first embodiment, but directly with the trigger lever 56, and more particularly with an actuable arm 56a.

[0062] Unlike the first embodiment, the date ring 12 of the annual calendar mechanism 10 only has a single actuating member 16, for example a pin, integral with the date ring 12 and positioned between the indications of the 29th and 30th day, in order to manage the passage of months of 30 and 31 days. The actuating member 16 can however be fixed elsewhere on the date ring depending on the position of the window 80 relative to the month lever 63.

[0063] For the change from the indication “31” of a month to 31 days on the 1st of the following month according to the figures 19 to 21, the feeler 65 of the cam rocker 63 cooperates with one of the second sectors 62 of the month cam 60. The actuable arm 64 is at this moment in a first position in which the pin 16 can pass through a clearance (not visible), made on the actuable arm, so that the month rocker 63 is not actuated when the pin passes.

[0064] The 24h finger 18 can thus lift, every 24h, the trigger lever 56 in order to release one of the two trigger fingers 24a, 24b from the second beak 58 of the lever 56 allowing the driving wheel 50 to rotate the date ring 12. The rotation of the driving wheel 50 also rotates the trigger disc 22 as illustrated in figure 20The rocker spring 59 allows the trigger rocker 56 to be returned to its active position so that the trigger disc 22 can be stopped after rotation of the latter by 180° by the contact of the other of the two trigger fingers 24a, 24b against the second beak 58 of the trigger rocker 56 as can be seen in figure 21 .

[0065] In reference to the figures 22 to 25 , the month cam 60 was actuated by the movement of one twelfth of a turn so that the feeler 65 of the month rocker 63 could be in contact with one of the first cam sectors 61 of the month cam ( figures 22 And 25 ). The month lever 63 has therefore tilted so that the actuable arm 64 occupies a second position in order to be able to actuate the month lever when the pin 16 of the date ring 12 passes.

[0066] For this purpose, the actuable arm 64 has a curved surface 64a. When the pin 16 engages the actuable arm 64 of the month rocker 63, the latter is pivoted into a third position according to the sequence of movements illustrated by the figures 23 And 24 . According to these illustrations, the pin 16 makes it possible, on the one hand, to actuate the month rocker 63 in this third position and, on the other hand, to maintain the month rocker in this third position as long as the pin 16 moves along and against the curved surface 64a of the actuable arm 64 of the rocker.

[0067] The end of the actuating arm 66 of the month lever 63, when the latter is brought into its third position, presses against an actuable arm 56a of the trigger lever 56 in order to pivot the latter and maintain it in a position clear of the trigger disc 22 so that the second beak 58 of the trigger lever cannot interact with either of the two trigger fingers 24a, 24b of the trigger disc when the corresponding finger passes opposite the lever 56. The geometry of the curved surface 64a makes it possible to maintain the month lever 63 in the third position for the time necessary for the trigger disc 22 to perform a complete rotation of 360° to effect the transition from the indication "30" of the month to the indication of the 1st of the following month.

[0068] The curved surface 64a of the actuable arm 64 of the month lever 63 consequently defines an arc of a circle whose angle corresponds, for example, to the angle of rotation of the date ring 12 to pass from the indication of the "30th" of the month to the indication of the 1st of the following month. The curved surface 64a may nevertheless extend along an arc of a circle with an angle which is less than the angle of rotation of the date ring 12 to pass from the indication of the "30th" of the month to the indication of the 1st of the following month but sufficient for the trigger lever 56 to fall after the passage of one of the two trigger fingers 24a, 24b and before the passage of the other of the two trigger fingers 24a, 24b.

[0069] According to this second embodiment, the month lever 63 acts on the trigger lever 56 at the end of a 30-day month so that the second beak 58 of the latter can be released from the trigger disc 22 to allow one of the two trigger fingers 24a, 24b to pass. The lever spring 59 makes it possible to return the trigger lever 56 to its active position so that the second beak 58 can come into contact with the other of the two trigger fingers 24a, 24b. The date ring 12 can thus be driven at the end of each 30-day month by the gear train, the driving wheel 50 of which pivots 360° instead of the usual 180°. This allows the date ring 12 to be operated with an angular step twice as large as the usual steps occurring between the indication of the 1st of the month and the indication of the 30th of the month.

[0070] According to a variant not illustrated, the rotating triggering member may have only one trigger finger like the first embodiment. In this variant, the rotating triggering member makes a complete rotation of 360° every 24 hours. At the end of each 30-day month, the month lever allows the second beak of the triggering lever to be released from the rotating triggering member so that it can make two complete revolutions, i.e. a rotation of 720° under the action of the gear train driven by the driving rotating member.

[0071] According to another variant not illustrated, the rotary triggering member may have more than two triggering fingers, for example three fingers. In these cases, the gear ratios of the gear train meshing with the internal teeth of the date ring are adapted accordingly depending on the amplitude of the angular jump made by the rotary triggering member. Reference list

[0072] Annual calendar 10 Date ring 12 Internal dentition 14 Actuating element(s) 16; 16a, 16b (e.g. pin) 24h finger 18 Trigger device Trigger module 20 (1st embodiment) Rotary trigger 22 Trigger finger 24; 24a, 24b Pivot 26 Retractable finger 28 Flexible blade 30 Finger cam 34 First profile 35 Second profile 36 Cam Actuator 38 Peripheral part 40 Teeth 41 Internal profile 42 Hollow 43 Central part 44 Wheel support 46 Jumpers 48a, 48b Jumper head 49 Rotating organ driving 50 Wheel First and second wheels 51, 52 (2nd embodiment) Trigger rocker 56 56a Actuable Arm First beak 57 Second beak 58 Rocker spring 59 Came of the 60 months First sectors 61 Second sector 62 Monthly switch 63 64-arm operable arm Curved surface 64a Feeler 65 Actuating rod / arm 66 Hook 67 (1st method) Rocker spring 68 Window 80

Claims

1. Annual calendar mechanism (10) for a watch movement, comprising a calendar ring (12) provided with an internal toothing (14), a 24h finger (18) arranged to perform a 360° rotation every 24h and a release device arranged to actuate in rotation, in a dragging manner, the calendar ring (12) in order to effect the passage from an indication of one day to an indication of the next day of the current month or the next month in a quasi-instantaneous manner, the release device comprising a rotary release member (22) comprising at least one release finger (24; 24a, 24b), a rotary drive member (50) in direct or indirect engagement with the internal toothing (14) of the calendar ring (12) and connected to the rotary release member (22), and a release lever (56) comprising a first beak (57) arranged to cooperate with the 24h finger (18), and a second beak (58) arranged to cooperate with the rotary release member (22) so that the release lever (56) can be brought, each 24h, from an engaged position, in which the release member (22) is locked against rotation by the said lever (56), to a released position, in which the rotary release member (22) is rotated under the action of the torque transmitted by the rotary drive member (50) in order to rotate the calendar ring (12), the annual calendar mechanism (10) further comprising a month cam (60) and a month lever (63) arranged to cooperate respectively with the month cam (60), the release device and at least one actuating element (16 ; 16a, 16b), connected to the calendar ring (12), in order to effect the transition from the indication of the last day of the months of 30 and 31 days to the indication of the 1st day of the following month.

2. Mechanism (10) according to claim 1, wherein the month lever (63) comprises an actuatable arm (64) arranged to be, on the one hand, out of the way of said at least one actuating element (16; 16a, 16b) when the month lever (63) is actuated, by the month cam (60), in a first position corresponding to a month of 31 days and, on the other hand, in the way of said at least one actuating element (16; 16a, 16b) when the month lever (63) is actuated, by the month cam (60), in a second position corresponding to a month of 30 days, so that said at least one actuating element (16; 16a, 16b) can actuate said lever (63) into a third position for the latter to act on the release device to actuate the calendar ring (12) so as to effect the passage of two successive day indications in a quasi-instantaneous manner.

3. Mechanism (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the release device comprises a release module (20) comprising : the rotary release member (22) having a single release finger (24) arranged to cooperate with the second beak (58) of the release lever (56) to lock the release module (20), the 24h finger (18) allowing disengagement of the second beak (58) from the release finger (24) to unlock the release module (20), a finger cam (34) mounted on the rotary release member (22), a retractable finger (28) arranged to cooperate with the finger cam (34), an elastic member (30) arranged to maintain the retractable finger (28) against the finger cam (34), a cam actuator (38) integral with the finger cam (34), the cam actuator (38) being arranged to rotate the finger cam (34) so that the retractable finger (28) is in contact with a first and a second cam profile (35, 36) so as to be able to bring said finger respectively into an extended configuration, in which the finger (28) can be brought into abutment against the second beak (58) of the release lever (56), and into a retracted configuration, in which the finger (28) is disengaged from said second beak (58), and said rotary drive member (50), and wherein the month lever (63) is arranged to act on the cam actuator (38) so that the retractable finger (28) is, on the one hand, in the extended configuration during a month of 31 days so that the retractable finger (28) and the release finger (24) can work alternately to actuate in rotation, every day, the calendar ring and, on the other hand, in the retracted configuration at the 30th of a month of 30 days in order to render the retractable finger (28) inactive to effect the passage from the 30th to the 1st of the following month.

4. Mechanism (10) according to the preceding claim, wherein the rotary drive member (50) is arranged to rotate through a first angle, for example a rotation of 180°, each time the release module (20) is unlocked by the 24h finger (18) when the retractable finger (28) is in the deployed configuration, said rotary drive member (50) being further arranged to rotate through a second angle corresponding to twice the first angle, for example a rotation of 360°, when the retractable finger (28) is in the retracted configuration for the passage from the 30th to the 1st of the following month.

5. Mechanism (10) according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the cam actuator (38) comprises a peripheral part (40) comprising external toothing with a plurality of teeth (41), a central part (44) arranged inside the peripheral part (40), and an elastic connection (48, 49) connecting the central part (44) to the peripheral part (40) so as to enable relative rotation between said peripheral and central parts (40, 44) in order to bring the retractable finger (28) from the retracted configuration to the extended configuration and vice versa.

6. Mechanism (10) according to the preceding claim, wherein the central part (44) is integral with the rotary drive member (50), the finger cam (34) being mounted on a pivot (26) of the rotary release member (22), the month lever (63) being configured to allow locking of the peripheral part (40) of the cam actuator (38) in order to pivot the finger cam (34) relative to the rotary release member (22).

7. Mechanism (10) according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the elastic connection comprises a first and a second jumper spring (48a, 48b), the peripheral part (40) comprising an internal profile (42) comprising several recesses, the jumper spring heads (49a, 49b) of the first and second jumper springs being arranged in two diametrically opposed recesses.

8. Mechanism (10) according to one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the month lever (63) further comprises an actuating rod (66) comprising a hook (67) for hooking a tooth (41) of the peripheral part of the cam actuator (38) so as to induce the relative rotation between the peripheral and central parts (40, 44) of said actuator (38).

9. Mechanism (10) according to claim 2, wherein the month lever (63) further comprises an actuating arm (66) intended to act on the release lever (56) in order to disengage the second beak (58) of said lever (56) from the rotary release member (22) when the month lever (63) is pivoted into the third position by the actuating member (16), the month lever (63) being arranged to be maintained in this third position for as long as the actuating element (16) cooperates with the actuatable arm (64) in order to enable the rotary drive member (50) to actuate the calendar ring (12) so as to effect the passage from the indication of the 30th of a month of 30 days to the indication of the 1st of the following month in a quasi-instantaneous manner.

10. Mechanism (10) according to the preceding claim, wherein the actuatable arm (64) comprises a curved surface (64a), said actuating element (16) being arranged to move against and along the curved surface (64a) in order to maintain the month lever (63) in said third position, said curved surface (64a) defining an arc of a circle the angle of which is sufficient for the release lever (56) to be, on the one hand, maintained in said released position upon passage of said finger (24) or of one of at least two fingers (24a, 24b) of the rotary release member (22) and, on the other hand, brought into said engaged position prior to the next passage of said finger (24) or prior to the passage of another finger of said at least two fingers (24a, 24b).

11. Mechanism (10) according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the rotary release member (22) comprises first and second release fingers (24a, 24b) which are diametrically opposed, the actuating element (16) being arranged to maintain the month lever (63) in said third position to allow the passage of one of the first and second release fingers (24a, 24b) of the rotary release member (22) so that said rotary member (22) can rotate through 360° to change the indication from the "30" of the month of 30 days to the indication of the 1st of the following month.

12. Mechanism (10) according to one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the calendar ring (12) comprises only one actuating element (16) to effect the passage from the indication of the last day of the months of 30 and 31 days to the indication of the 1st day of the following month.

13. Mechanism (10) according to one of claims 9 to 12, wherein the rotary drive member (50) is arranged to drive the calendar ring (12) via at least one wheel, preferably via a gear train comprising at least a first and a second wheel (51, 52), the first wheel (51) being in mesh with the rotary drive member (50), the second wheel (52) being in mesh with, on the one hand, the first wheel (51) and, on the other hand, the internal toothing (14) of the calendar ring (12).

14. Watch movement comprising the mechanism (10) according to one of the preceding claims.

15. Timepiece comprising the watch movement according to the preceding claim.

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