Device for displaying a moon phase and an earth phase for a clock movement

Abstract

The invention relates to a display device (100) of a phase of the Moon and a phase of the Earth for a clock movement, comprising a display (110) including a plurality of graphic representations (120) symbolizing respectively different successive phases of a celestial body, a dial (130) having two apertures (131) arranged so as to simultaneously display two diametrically opposed graphic representations (120), one symbolizing a phase of the Moon and the other symbolizing a phase of the Earth, and a drive mechanism (140) configured to drive the display (110) in a sequential movement.

Description

Technical field of the invention

[0001] The invention falls within the field of watchmaking and in particular devices for displaying a temporal quantity on a timepiece.

[0002] More specifically, the invention relates to a device for displaying a phase of the Moon and a phase of the Earth for the clockwork movement of a watch. Technological background

[0003] The display of moon phases is well known in the watchmaking field, as is the display of Earth phases, that is to say the display of the part of the Earth visible from the Moon.

[0004] Moon or Earth phase display devices considerably complicate the watch movement in which they are integrated.

[0005] Furthermore, for aesthetic reasons, it may be desirable to display the phases of the Moon and the Earth simultaneously.

[0006] The invention meets this need, while simplifying as much as possible the kinematics allowing the simultaneous display of the phases of the Moon and the Earth. Summary of the invention

[0007] The invention relates, for this purpose, to a device for displaying a phase of the Moon and a phase of the Earth for a clock movement. The display device comprises a display including a plurality of graphic representations symbolizing respectively different successive phases of a celestial body, a dial provided with two apertures arranged so as to simultaneously display two graphic representations, one symbolizing a phase of the Moon and the other symbolizing a phase of the Earth, and a drive mechanism configured to drive the display in sequential movement.

[0008] In particular embodiments, the invention may further comprise one or more of the following features, taken individually or in all technically possible combinations.

[0009] In particular embodiments, the display is in the form of a ring and comprises a plurality of graphic representations and as many teeth by which the display is intended to be driven in a sequential movement by the drive mechanism.

[0010] In particular embodiments, the display is in the form of a ring and has thirty graphic representations and thirty teeth by which the display is intended to be driven in movement by the drive mechanism, at a rate of one step per day, the two windows being arranged diametrically opposite each other.

[0011] In particular embodiments, at least one of the windows has a window glass giving the graphic representation a different appearance from that of the graphic representation visible in the other window.

[0012] In particular embodiments, wherein the graphic representations of the display are transparent or translucent, so that through one or each of the windows is visible a decoration arranged opposite one side of the display opposite the dial allowing the phase of the Moon to be distinguished from the phase of the Earth in the windows.

[0013] In certain particular embodiments, the decoration(s) are in the form of a colored surface.

[0014] In particular embodiments, the drive mechanism includes an hour wheel of a timer gear, to which a transmission wheel is kinematically connected by a linkage, the transmission wheel being intended to cooperate, by means of a drive finger which it carries, with teeth of the display.

[0015] In particular embodiments, the display device includes a correction mechanism having a control element configured to be kinematically linked with a corrector via a return train.

[0016] According to another object, the present invention relates to a watch comprising a watch movement equipped with a device for displaying a moon phase and an Earth phase as previously described. Brief description of the figures

[0017] 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 represents a front view of a watch comprising a device for displaying a phase of the Moon and a phase of the Earth according to an embodiment of the invention, the figure 2 represents a perspective view of the watch figure 1 in which components have been masked to reveal the display device.

[0018] Note that the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale for reasons of clarity. Detailed description of the invention

[0019] There figure 1 represents a watch 10 comprising a watch movement equipped with a display device 100 of a Moon phase and an Earth phase according to the invention.

[0020] In the embodiment of the invention shown in the figures, the display device 100 comprises a display 110 in the form of a ring including a plurality of graphic representations 120 symbolizing respectively different successive phases of a celestial body. The celestial body represents the Earth or the Moon, as described in more detail later in the text.

[0021] In the preferred embodiment of the invention and as shown in the figure 2 , the display 110 preferentially presents thirty graphic representations 120. Indeed, as indicated in the rest of the text, the display 110 is intended to be driven in a sequential rotation at a rate of one step per day and so as to complete one revolution in thirty days.

[0022] Alternatively, it may be envisaged that the display 110 presents fewer than thirty graphic representations 120, for example twenty-eight or twenty-nine, or more than thirty, for example thirty-one.

[0023] The display device 100 includes a dial 130, shown on the figure 1 arranged above the display 110 to mask all the graphic representations 120 except for two, diametrically opposed, visible through windows 131 with which the dial 130 is equipped. More precisely, the dial 130 is equipped with two windows 131 arranged so as to simultaneously display two diametrically opposed graphic representations 120, one of which symbolizes a phase of the Moon and the other of which symbolizes a phase of the Earth.

[0024] It should be noted that the windows 131, and consequently the visible graphic representations 120, are arranged in a diametrically opposite way, that is to say they form an angle of 180 degrees, when the display presents an even number of graphic representations 120.

[0025] For example, one of the windows 131 may have a window glass that gives the graphic representation 120 a different appearance from the graphic representation 120 visible in the other window 131, so that a user can distinguish between the phase of the Moon and the phase of the Earth. For this purpose, the window glass may have a tint, for example blue or gray, or it may also feature a design or marking symbolizing continents or craters.

[0026] It is also conceivable that a decoration could be made on the dial 130, near at least one of the windows 131, for example at the level of their periphery, in order to indicate in which window 131 the phase of the Moon or respectively the phase of the Earth is represented.

[0027] It is also possible that this decoration (or these decorations) may be located beneath the display 110, that is, opposite one side of the display 110 facing the dial 130, and be visible through the window(s) 131. The decoration (or decorations) may, for example, take the form of a colored surface, such as a small, illuminated or non-illuminated area. In this case, the graphic representations 120 are transparent or translucent. In particular, they may be formed by cutouts through the display 110.

[0028] On the figure 1The 131 windows have a circular shape corresponding to the shape of the graphic representation 120 symbolizing a phase of a solid celestial body. However, the 131 windows can have any shape and any size suitable for viewing the graphic representations 120.

[0029] The graphic representations 120 are arranged so as to be regularly distributed around the display 110 so that two diametrically opposed graphic representations 120 symbolize opposing phases, as shown in the figure 2 Indeed, the frequency of lunar phases is identical to that of Earth's phases, and the lunar and Earth phases are exactly opposite. In other words, when the surface area of ​​the Moon visible from Earth decreases, the surface area of ​​the Earth visible from the Moon increases in the same proportion, and vice versa.

[0030] In order to drive the display 110 in motion, the display device 100 has a drive mechanism 140, preferably consisting of a date drive mechanism. In particular, as shown by the figure 2 The drive mechanism 140 includes an hour wheel 141 of a timer gear train, driven in rotation, for example, two revolutions per day, in a manner known from the prior art. The drive mechanism 140 also includes a transmission wheel 142 kinematically connected to the hour wheel 141 by a gearbox 144 in the embodiment of the invention shown in the figure. figure 2 The transmission wheel 142 is designed to cooperate with the display 110 via a drive finger 143, in particular with teeth 111 with which the display 110 is provided on its periphery, as shown in the figure 2 .

[0031] The teeth of the display 110 have as many teeth 111 as there are graphic representations 120, so that at each step of the display 110, a new graphic representation 120 is visible through the windows 131. In the example embodiment shown in the figure 2 The teeth of display 110 are arranged on its inner periphery, but they could also be arranged on its outer periphery. Preferably, as shown in the figure 2 , in order to be trained to complete one revolution in thirty steps, the teeth of the display 110 are composed of thirty teeth 111.

[0032] The display 110 is driven here in sequential motion. However, it is possible to drive the display continuously by replacing the drive finger 143 with a toothed wheel that meshes with the teeth of the display 110.

[0033] Conventionally, the stability of the position of the display 110 is guaranteed by a jumper, not shown in the figures, cooperating with the teeth 111.

[0034] Advantageously, the display device 100 may include a correction mechanism 150 having a control member formed, in the embodiment of the invention shown in the figures, by a winding stem 151 linked to a winding crown 152. The winding stem 151 is configured to be kinematically linked with a corrector 153 via a gear train 154. Such a correction mechanism 150 is shown in the figures but is not described in detail in the text as it is well known as such to those skilled in the art.

[0035] The present invention advantageously allows for the utilization of an existing watch design with a date display. Indeed, the invention requires minimal adaptation; only the dial 130 and the display 110 of the watch need to be replaced. Furthermore, thanks to the features of the invention, a quick-correction date mechanism can be easily adapted for correcting the moon and Earth phases.

[0036] More generally, it should be noted that the implementation and execution methods considered above have been described as non-limiting examples, and that other variants are therefore conceivable.

[0037] It should be noted that, for reasons of clarity, the components of the watch movement known to a person skilled in the art are not described in this text and do not appear in the figures.

Claims

1. Display device (100) for a moon phase and an Earth phase for a clock movement, characterized in that It includes a display (110) comprising a plurality of graphic representations (120) symbolizing respectively different successive phases of a celestial body, a dial (130) provided with two windows (131) arranged so as to simultaneously display two graphic representations (120), one of which symbolizes a phase of the Moon and the other symbolizes a phase of the Earth, and a drive mechanism (140) configured to drive the display (110) in movement.

2. Display device (100) according to claim 1, wherein the display (110) is in the form of a ring and comprises a plurality of graphic representations (120) and as many teeth (111) by which the display (110) is intended to be driven in a sequential movement by the drive mechanism (140).

3. Display device (100) according to claim 1, wherein the display (110) is in the form of a ring and comprises thirty graphic representations (120) and thirty teeth (111) by which the display (110) is intended to be driven in movement by the drive mechanism (140), at a rate of one step per day, the two windows (131) being arranged diametrically opposite to each other.

4. Display device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein at least one of the windows (131) has a window glass giving the graphic representation (120) a different appearance from that of the graphic representation (120) visible in the other window (131).

5. Display device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the graphic representations (120) of the display (110) are transparent or translucent, so that through one or each of the windows (131) is visible a decoration arranged opposite one side of the display (110) opposite the dial (130) allowing the phase of the Moon to be distinguished from the phase of the Earth in the windows (131).

6. Display device (100) according to claim 5, wherein the decoration(s) are in the form of a colored surface.

7. Display device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, in which the drive mechanism (140) comprises an hour wheel (141) of a timer gear, to which a transmission wheel (142) is kinematically connected by a linkage (144), the transmission wheel (142) being intended to cooperate, by means of a drive finger (143) which it carries, with teeth (111) of the display (110).

8. Display device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, comprising a correction mechanism (150) having a control member configured to be kinematically linked with a corrector (153) via a return train (154).

9. Watch (10) characterized in that It includes a clock movement equipped with a display device (100) for a Moon phase and an Earth phase according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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