Apparatus for winding a clock movement of a watch

Abstract

The invention relates to a device (10) for winding a watch movement (20), comprising an electronic module (13) configured to drive a motor (14) kinematically connected to a drive member intended to rotate a winding member of the watch (20), the device (10) being characterized in that it comprises a support (11) for the watch (20) formed by a body having a central element (110) and at least one lateral element (111) arranged at a distance from each other so as to form a recess (118) intended to receive a strap (21) of a bracelet of the watch (20), said central (110) and lateral (111) elements being adapted to apply opposing forces on said strap (21) so as to ensure its retention in said recess (118).

Description

Technical field of the invention

[0001] The invention falls within the field of watchmaking and relates in particular to a device for winding a watch movement.

[0002] The winding device is designed to wind a mechanical watch movement. Technological background

[0003] Watch movement winding devices keep the movement running when the watch is not being worn. To this end, during winding, these devices act, depending on the type of watch movement equipping the watch, on the winding crown or the oscillating weight to wind the mainspring. Specifically, either the winding crown is rotated by a specially designed gripping mechanism, as described in document EP1220061, or the watch case is rotated to pivot the oscillating weight, as described in document EP1489470.

[0004] A watch movement winding device is also disclosed in document US2021 / 003970A1.

[0005] All state-of-the-art winding devices require placing the watch, whose movement is to be wound, in a specially designed holder that secures the watch during winding. This operation is generally quite cumbersome for the user.

[0006] Indeed, to do this, a removable support, generally called a "cushion", must be removed from a housing in the device by the user, the watch must then be manipulated so as to close its strap around the support so that it is under tension, then the support held by the watch must be placed back in its housing.

[0007] Another drawback of existing winding devices is that the holder is not suitable for all watch strap lengths, which is particularly problematic for straps with deployant clasps. Specifically, if the strap is too short, it won't be able to close around the holder, and if it's too long, it won't be held taut by the holder and the watch won't be secured in place.

[0008] The present invention aims to simplify the placement of the watch in a winding device.

[0009] Another objective of the present invention is to be able to easily adapt the support to any watch, regardless of the length of its strap, in order to be able to tighten the latter. Summary of the invention

[0010] For this purpose, the invention relates to a device for winding a watch movement, this device being defined in claim 1. Preferred embodiments are defined in the dependent claims. Brief description of the figures

[0011] Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, given by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: there figure 1 schematically represents a perspective view of a watch movement winding device according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, with a watch inserted into this device; figure 2 schematically represents a top view of a device support. figure 1comprising a central element having a rear end possessing a greater elastic deformation capacity in compression than a front end, the rear end being in a rest position; the figure 3 schematically represents a top view of the support of the figure 2 the rear end being constrained by a watch strap fitted into the support; the figure 4 represents a perspective view of a device according to the figure 1 in which the support is arranged on a base comprising several holes for fixing a stop to the central element; the figure 5 represents a perspective view of the device of the figure 4 in which the stop is fixed to one of the holes in the base; the figure 6 schematically represents a front view of the device. figure 1 , wherein the base comprises a movable part arranged in a movable rotational manner within a cradle of a fixed part of said base; the figure 7 schematically represents a front view of the device according to another embodiment of the invention, in which the device includes a linking element intended to drive a winding crown of the watch in rotation.

[0012] Note that the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale for reasons of clarity. Detailed description of the invention

[0013] The invention relates to a device 10 for winding a watch movement of a watch 20 as shown in the figures 1 to 6 in a preferred example of implementation.

[0014] As shown in the figures, the device 10 comprises a watch holder 11 for a watch 20, fixed to a base 12 and designed to hold the watch 20 whose movement is to be wound. The holder 11 is formed by a body having a central element 110 and at least one lateral element 111 arranged at a distance from each other to form a recess 118 for receiving a strap 21 of a watch band 20. The recess 118 thus extends from the base 12, forming the bottom of the recess 118, to an insertion opening through which a strap 21 is intended to be inserted in order to fix the watch 20 onto the holder 11.

[0015] More specifically, the central element 110 and the lateral element 111 are adapted to apply opposing forces to said strand 21 so as to ensure its clamping in said recess 118. These forces are represented by arrows on the figure 3In other words, the strand 21 is held in the recess 118, and therefore in the support 11, by the friction forces resulting from the clamping forces to which it is subjected.

[0016] The recess 118 is defined, more precisely, by an internal flank 112 of the lateral element 111 and by an external flank 113 of the central element 110. As shown in particular by figures 2 and 3 In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the inner flank 112 of the lateral element 111 has a concave cross-section and the outer flank 113 of the central element 110 has a convex cross-section. This arrangement generates more friction on the strand 21 engaged in the recess 118 and thus contributes to better securing the watch 20 in the holder 11.

[0017] The lateral element 111 is arranged either at a regular distance from the central element 110 so that the cross-section of the recess 118 is constant in order to distribute over the strand 21 the forces to which it is intended to be subjected, or so as to generate a local zone in which the distance between the lateral element 111 and the central element 110 is minimal in order to generate locally a reduction in the cross-section of the recess 118 causing a concentration of stresses on said strand 21.

[0018] Preferably, the central element 110 is interposed between two lateral elements 111, as shown in the figures 1 to 7 , so as to keep in position two opposite strands 21 of the watch bracelet 20.

[0019] There figure 1shows in particular, by the representation of an arrow, the direction and sense of engagement of the strands 21 of the watch 20 in the recesses 118, through the insertion openings of the strands 21, in order to fix the watch 20 to the support 11.

[0020] The central element 110 preferably has an ovoid cross-section and extends between two ends, one of which, called the "rear end" 114, is narrower than the other, called the "front end" 115. The front end 115 is designed to support a case 22 of the watch 20, and in particular a case back 22, as shown in the Figures 1 And 3 à 7 .

[0021] Advantageously, as can be seen on the Figures 1 And 3 à 7The watch case 22 of watch 20 is intended to rest in a space separating two opposite ends of the lateral elements 111. This feature allows a user to be able to observe, at any time, display organs 23 of the watch 20 indicating a time value, such as the current time.

[0022] In the example of an embodiment of the invention shown on the figures 2 and 3 , the rear end 114 has a greater elastic deformation capacity than the front end 115 when they are subjected to compression.

[0023] More specifically, the rear end 114 of the central element 110 exhibits a relatively high elastic deformation capacity, while the front end 115 is essentially rigid. For example, the figure 2 schematically represents the rear end 114 and the figure 3schematically represents the rear end 114 in a position constrained in compression by the watch strap 20. Thanks to the features of the invention in this embodiment, the installation of the watch 20 on the support 11 is very easy and the central element 110 can adapt to all dimensions of the watch strap 20.

[0024] In particular, to install the watch 20 on the support 11, simply close the watch strap 20, then compress the rear end 114 of the central element 110 with the strap, and engage the strands 21 in each of the recesses 118 so as to rest the watch case 22 against the front end 115 of the central element 110, as shown in the figure 3Such an operation can advantageously be carried out with one hand. The watch 20 is therefore held in place by the frictional forces exerted on the strands 21 and by an elastic restoring force generated on the bracelet by the rear end 114 which tends to return to its resting position.

[0025] Thanks to the recesses 118 defined by the lateral elements 111 and the central element 110, it is also possible for the watch bracelet 20 to be left open, as shown in the figure 1 , in which case the watch 20 will only be held by the frictional forces to which the strands 21 are subjected.

[0026] Alternatively, in the example of an embodiment of the invention shown on the Figures 4 and 5The central element 110 may include a stop 116 forming the rear end 114 and configured to be removably fixed to the base 12 so as to occupy at least two discrete positions. Of these discrete positions, one is further from the front end 115 than the other. Thus, the support 11, and in particular the central element 110, can adapt to any size of the watch strap 20.

[0027] In a particular form of realization represented on the figure 5 The stop 116 is connected by extensible links 117 to a fixed part of the central element 110 comprising the front end 115, as illustrated in the figure 5 The extensible links 117 are arranged on either side of the central element 110 and are formed, for example, by elastically deformable material strips having a wavy shape.

[0028] The stop 116 can be fixed to the base 12 by any suitable removable fastening solution. For example, the stop 116 can be provided with a pin for engaging in one of several holes extending into the base 12, as shown in the figure 4 The stop 116 can, in this case, occupy as many positions as the base 12 has holes. In particular, in the example shown on the figure 4 , the base 12 has three holes arranged at different distances from the front end 115 of the central element 110, so the stop 116 can occupy three distinct positions.

[0029] The installation of the watch 20 on the support 11 is carried out in the same way as that described previously for the example embodiment of the invention shown in the figures 2 and 3In other words, the bracelet is closed and then brought against the stop 116, each of the strands 21 then being engaged in a recess 118 until the watch case 22 20 is pressed against the front end 115 of the central element 110.

[0030] Similar to the example of an embodiment of the invention shown in the figures 2 and 3 , the watch bracelet 20 can be left open, in which case the watch 20 will only be held by the frictional forces to which the strands 21 are subjected.

[0031] The present invention thus ensures, in all its embodiments, that the watch 20 is held in position in the support 11 during the operation of the device 10, regardless of the type of bracelet it has, and regardless of the length of its bracelet.

[0032] Furthermore, when the watch 20 is installed in the holder 11 with its strap closed, the latter is intended to be tensioned by the central element 110 insofar as the size of its periphery is variable, continuously in the case of the embodiment shown in the figures 2 and 3 , or discreetly in the example implementation shown on the Figures 4 and 5 . Thus, thanks to these characteristics, the invention further guarantees that the watch will remain in position during the operation of device 10.

[0033] The base 12 defines an internal volume in which is housed an electronic module 13, such as an integrated circuit, configured to drive a motor 14 kinematically connected to a drive element connected to the support 11 to drive in rotation a winding element of the watch 20 in order to wind its watch movement.

[0034] In one embodiment, the drive element of the winding device 10 can be formed by a movable part 120 of the base 12, as shown in the Figures 1 And 4 à 6 , said moving part 120 being intended to drive in rotation an oscillating mass of the watch 20 in order to wind its clockwork movement.

[0035] More specifically, the movable part 120 of the base 12 can be arranged in a cradle of which it has a complementary shape, the cradle being formed by a fixed part 121 of the base 12. The fixed part 121 has an internal volume in which the electronic module 13 and the motor 14 are housed. The movable part 120 can be driven by any suitable motion transmission solution as such within the grasp of a person skilled in the art. In this embodiment of the invention, the movable part 120 of the base 12 is driven in reciprocating rotation through an angular displacement of less than 180 degrees, preferably approximately 90 degrees, around an axis parallel to a central axis of the case 22 of the watch 20 when it is installed in the support 11, as shown in the figure 6 .

[0036] Alternatively, the drive element of the winding device 10 can be formed by a connecting element 122, for example a bell, as shown in the figure 7 , intended to rotate a winding crown of the watch 20 in order to wind its movement. In this case, it is evident that when installed in the support 11, the watch 20 must be positioned so that the winding crown is oriented opposite the base 12 in order to cooperate with the bell.

[0037] More generally, it should be noted that the implementation and realization methods considered above have been described as non-limiting examples, and that other variants are therefore conceivable.

[0038] In particular, the central element 110 may have a circular or elliptical cross-section, with the front end 115 and rear end 114 then being of substantially identical dimensions. Generally, the central element 110 may have a cross-section of any shape suitable for the implementation of the invention, particularly for generating the forces necessary to secure the strand(s) 21 in the recesses 118.

[0039] Finally, the invention is compatible with subjecting the watch 20 installed in the support 11 to a periodic excitation oscillation of a precise frequency, the electronic module 13 comprising for this purpose a rate measurement sensor arranged in the base 12, for example of the microphone type, intended to be in contact with the winding crown of the watch 20 as schematically shown in the figure 6 .

Claims

1. An apparatus (10) for winding a horology movement in a watch (20), comprising an electronic module (13) configured to control a motor (14) kinematically connected to a drive organ designed to rotate a winding organ in the watch (20), the apparatus (10) comprising a support (11) for the watch (20) formed by a body with a central element (110) and two lateral elements (111) between which said central element (110) is inserted, the lateral elements (111) being arranged relative to the central element (110) so as to form two recesses (118) each for holding a strand (21) of a wristlet for the watch (20), said central element (110) and said lateral elements (111) being arranged to apply friction forces to said strands (21) so as to ensure that they remain in said recesses (118), the central element (110) having an end referred to as the "rear end" (114) opposite an end referred to as the "front end" (115), the front end (115) of the central element (110) being arranged between two facing ends of the lateral elements (111) and being designed to support a case (22) of the watch (20), the apparatus (10) comprising a base (12) on which the support (11) is arranged, characterised in that the central element (110) comprises a stop (116) forming the rear end (114) and being configured to be detachably fastened to the base (12) so as to occupy at least two discrete positions in each of which the stop (116) is arranged at a different distance from the front end (115).

2. The apparatus (10) according to claim 1, in which said recesses (118) are defined by an inner flank (112) of the respective lateral element (111) having a concave cross-section, and by an outer flank (113) of the central element (110) having a convex cross-section.

3. The apparatus (10) according to claim 1 or 2, in which the drive organ is formed by a mobile part (120) of the base (12) arranged in a cradle formed by a fixed part (121) of the base (12), said fixed part (121) having an inner volume in which the electronic module (13) and the motor (14) are turned, the mobile part (120) of the base (12) being connected to the motor (14) so as to be driven in an alternating rotary motion.

4. The apparatus (10) according to claim 1 or 2, in which the drive organ is formed by a connecting organ (122) designed to rotate a winding crown in the watch (20) in order to wind its horology movement.

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