Timepiece display device with non-linear scale

Abstract

One aspect of the invention relates to a clockwork display device (1) comprising mechanically movable display means (2) along a path, drive means (3) for the display means (2), the drive means (3) being configured to generate the movement of the display means (2) along the path, and control means (4) configured to actuate the drive means (3), characterized in that the control means are configured to actuate the drive means (3) to move the display means (2) according to a variable speed corresponding to a scale that is at least partly non-linear.

Description

Technical field of the invention

[0001] The present invention relates to a non-linear scale clock display device. Technological background

[0002] Watches typically feature an analog display device, which can be powered by mechanical energy from a purely mechanical movement, or by electrical energy from an electric accumulator.

[0003] Analog displays often consist of two hands indicating the hours and minutes of the current time, and possibly a third hand indicating the seconds. The dial usually includes reference markers representing a specific duration.

[0004] In the case of electromechanical movements, these needles can be driven by electric motors, for example stepper motors, which are specific to them, so that the movement of said needles is independent of each other.

[0005] Such a design is particularly useful for enabling the hands to perform a specific auxiliary function. For example, it is well known that hands are used to display a stopwatch time.

[0006] In this case, the seconds hand moves at a certain speed corresponding to the dial's indices to display the elapsed time.

[0007] Another known auxiliary function performed by such a device is the display of multiple time zones. A specific hand allows the time to be read in at least one other time zone, using particular reference indices.

[0008] However, there are new functions that are not supported by current display devices. Indeed, there are time measurements that are difficult to display with linear scales.

[0009] For example, if we want to display the time it takes for light to travel between celestial bodies, such as the planets of the solar system, it is difficult to represent them because the distances between the sun and the nearest planets of the solar system are small compared to the distances between the sun and the most distant planets. Thus, sunlight takes a few minutes to reach the nearest planets, while it takes several hours to reach the most distant planets.

[0010] The reference indices of the first planets will overlap, while the reference indices of the distant planets are isolated on the dial.

[0011] Similarly, it is difficult to represent the travel times of light between the solar system and more or less distant stars, in which each second or minute corresponds to a light-year of distance. Nearby stars are a few light-years away, while the most distant are thousands, or even millions, of light-years away. Summary of the invention

[0012] The present invention pursues this objective of proposing a display device capable of displaying eclectic time and / or distance measurements on the same scale of reference indices.

[0013] To this end, the invention relates to a display device comprising mechanically mobile display means along a path, drive means for the display means, the drive means being configured to generate the movement of the display means along the path, and control means configured to actuate the drive means.

[0014] The invention is remarkable in that the control means are configured to actuate the drive means to move the display means at a variable speed corresponding to a scale that is at least partly non-linear.

[0015] Thus, the display device makes it possible to distribute, in a readable manner, indices along the path of mobile display means, for example around a dial, while producing a precise display and measurement of time.

[0016] Thanks to the invention, particular representations can be displayed, even with a large difference in travel time between stars or stars corresponding to each index.

[0017] According to a particular embodiment of the invention, the display means comprise at least one movable needle and a dial on which the needle moves.

[0018] According to a particular embodiment of the invention, the drive means comprise a motor and a gear system connected to the display means.

[0019] According to a particular mode of the invention, the motor operates by stepping, for example of the "Lavet" type.

[0020] According to a particular embodiment of the invention, the control means comprise a quartz regulator.

[0021] According to a particular embodiment of the invention, the display device includes reference indices arranged along the path of the display means, and distributed according to the scale at least partly non-linear.

[0022] According to a particular mode of the invention, the indices are distributed uniformly along the path of the mobile display means.

[0023] According to a particular embodiment of the invention, the scale, at least partly non-linear, is logarithmic, with the speed of the display means varying by decreasing.

[0024] According to a particular embodiment of the invention, the scale, at least partly non-linear, is inversely logarithmic, with the speed of the display means varying as it increases.

[0025] According to a particular mode of the invention, the control means are configured to accelerate and / or decelerate the display means progressively, the speed following a non-monotonic function.

[0026] According to a particular mode of the invention, the control means are configured to accelerate and / or decelerate the display means only when passing each index.

[0027] According to a particular mode of the invention, the indices are distributed uniformly along the path of the mobile display means.

[0028] According to a particular mode of the invention, the indices are symbols, for example planets.

[0029] According to a particular embodiment of the invention, the indices are graduations, for example in astronomical units.

[0030] According to a particular mode of the invention, the scale is entirely non-linear.

[0031] The invention also relates to a clockwork movement comprising such a display device.

[0032] The invention also relates to a timepiece, for example a watch, comprising such a timepiece movement. Brief description of the figures

[0033] The goals, advantages and characteristics: there figure 1 schematically represents a top view of a display device according to a first embodiment of the invention, and the figure 2 schematically represents a top view of a display device according to a second embodiment of the invention. Detailed description of the invention

[0034] THE Figures 1 and 2 They show schematic representations of examples of embodiments of display devices 1, 10 according to two embodiments of the invention. These display devices 1, 10 are intended to be mounted on a timepiece, for example a watch.

[0035] The display device 1, 10 includes a dial 6 and mechanically movable display means 2, which move along a path on the dial 6. The display means 2 include, for example, at least one movable hand 7 on the dial 6. The hand 7 is here movable around a rotating shaft.

[0036] The display device 1, 10 is provided with drive means 3 for the display means 2, the drive means 3 being configured to generate the movement of the display means 2. The drive means 3 comprise, for example, a motor and a gear system 9 connected to the movable display means 2, and driven by the motor.

[0037] The motor is, for example, a "Lavet" type motor, which operates in steps. Thus, the needle 7 rotates in jerks, each time the motor is activated.

[0038] Alternatively, the motor is a continuous motor, the display means 3 being continuously mobile.

[0039] The display device 1, 10 also includes control means 4 configured to actuate the drive means 3 according to the display to be performed. For this purpose, the control means 4 preferably include a quartz regulator for accuracy.

[0040] The display device 1, 10 can also be triggered by actuation means, not shown in the figures, which are actuable by a user, for example, using a chronograph push button.

[0041] The display device 1, 10 also includes reference indices 5, 15 arranged on the dial 6 of the display means 2. The reference indices 5, 15 are arranged along the path of the display means 2, here around the dial 6.

[0042] On a figure 1The five reference symbols are the planets of the solar system. The large circle at 12 o'clock represents the Sun, and the smaller circles represent the planets Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, which are arranged around the dial in a clockwise order. The circles can be replaced with the symbols of each planet.

[0043] Alternatively, on the figure 2 , the reference indices 15 are a graduation, for example in astronomical units.

[0044] The reference indices 5 and 15 are distributed on said dial 6 according to a scale that is at least partly non-linear. Preferably, the indices 5 and 15 are distributed uniformly around the dial 6.

[0045] The 5,15 reference index scale can be entirely non-linear over the entire 5,15 index scale. Thus, the speed of the display means 2 varies continuously between the 5,15 reference indices.

[0046] Alternatively, the scale can be linear only between two consecutive reference indices 5 and 15. Thus, the speed of the display means 2 varies with each passage of index 5 and 15, and remains constant between two consecutive reference indices 5 and 15.

[0047] In the example of the figure 2 The scale of the reference indices 5 is logarithmic. Thus, the distance between two consecutive reference indices 5 represents an increasingly larger real distance, even if the distance between two consecutive indices is approximately the same.

[0048] Furthermore, the control means 4 are configured to actuate the drive means 3 to move the display means 2 at a variable speed corresponding to the scale, at least in a non-linear manner. The speed of the display means 2 varies according to the non-linear scale on which the reference indices 5, 15 of the dial are arranged.

[0049] In these examples, the display device 1, 10 shows the time it takes for sunlight to travel from the sun to the planets of the solar system, from Mercury to Neptune. Thus, from the Sun's index, the needle takes 3.2 minutes to reach Mercury's index, 6 minutes to reach Venus's, 8.3 minutes to reach Earth's, 12.7 minutes to reach Mars's, 43.3 minutes to reach Jupiter's, 78.9 minutes to reach Saturn's, 159.4 minutes to reach Uranus, and 250 minutes to reach Neptune's.

[0050] Thus, the needle 7 rotates faster between the index of the Sun and the indices of the first planets, while it rotates less and less fast as it progresses along the indices 5 of the following planets, the furthest from the sun.

[0051] The control means 3 are configured to adjust the rotation speed of the needle 7 between each index 5, 15 to obtain the desired result. The control means preferably include a memory containing the passage times of each index 5, 15.

[0052] With a stepper motor, the control means 3 operate the motor step by step according to the elapsed time.

[0053] In one embodiment, for other reference indices, the speed decreases between two consecutive indices, then increases between the following consecutive indices, and / or vice versa, depending on the needs of the display device. Thus, the speed follows a non-monotonic function.

[0054] In another embodiment, not shown, the index scale is inversely logarithmic. Thus, the distance between two indices represents an increasingly shorter distance. Consequently, the speed of the display means increases as one moves along the dial.

[0055] Naturally, the invention is not limited to the embodiments of display devices described with reference to the figures, and variants could be envisaged without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A clockwork display device (1) comprising mechanically movable display means (2) along a path, drive means (3) for the display means (2), the drive means (3) being configured to cause the display means (2) to move along the path, and control means (4) configured to actuate the drive means (3), characterized in that the control means are configured to actuate the drive means (3) to move the display means (2) according to a variable speed corresponding to a scale at least partly non-linear.

2. Display device (10) according to claim 1, wherein the display means (2) comprise at least one movable needle (7) and a dial (6) on which the needle moves.

3. Display device (10) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the drive means (3) comprise a motor (8) and a gear system (9) connected to the display means (2).

4. Display device (10) according to claim 3, wherein the motor (8) operates by step, for example of the "Lavet" type.

5. Display device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the control means (4) comprise a quartz regulator.

6. Display device according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising reference indices (5) arranged along the path of the display means (2) distributed along the scale at least partly non-linearly.

7. Display device according to claim 6, wherein the indices (5) are distributed uniformly over the path of the movable display means (2).

8. Display device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the scale at least partly non-linear is logarithmic, the speed of the display means (3) varying by decreasing.

9. Display device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the control means (4) are configured to accelerate and / or decelerate the display means (2) progressively.

10. Display device according to claim 6 and any one of the preceding claims, wherein the control means (4) are configured to accelerate and / or decelerate the display means (2) only when passing each index (5).

11. Display device according to claim 6 and any one of the preceding claims, wherein the indices (5) are symbols, for example planets.

12. Display device according to claim 6 and any one of the preceding claims, wherein the indices (15) are graduations, for example in astronomical units.

13. Display device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the scale is entirely non-linear.

14. Clockwork movement, characterized in that it includes a display device (1, 10) according to any one of the preceding claims.

15. A timepiece, for example a watch, characterized in that It includes a clockwork movement according to claim 14.

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