A timepiece featuring a complication on the jumping seconds hand.

Abstract

A timepiece comprising a horological movement including a dial (CA), an hour indicator and a minute indicator mounted for rotation on the axis (X) of the timepiece, an off-center dial (CAE) and a jumping seconds hand (6) mounted in this off-center dial (CAE), the timepiece movement comprising a barrel, a gear train for driving the indicators, a distribution element, a regulating element including an escape wheel, and a complication mechanism, the gear train including a seconds wheel comprising a seconds wheel rotated by the barrel, the seconds wheel meshing with the pinion of the escape wheel, in which said off-center dial (CAE) represents a subdivision of one minute and in which the complication mechanism is configured to move the jumping seconds hand so as to mark each second in said subdivision. [Fig.1]

Description

Title of the invention: CLOCKWORK PART FEATURING A COMPLICATION ON THE JUMPING SECOND HAND TECHNICAL FIELD AND PREVIOUS ART

[0001] The present invention relates to a timepiece with a mechanical movement offering a new function.

[0002] The winding of the movement can be manual or automatic.

[0003] Certain timepieces, particularly wristwatches, include an hour hand, a minute hand, and a seconds hand. The seconds hand may be centrally located and is designated a "central seconds hand," or located on a small, off-center subdial and is designated a "small seconds hand." The seconds hand moves intermittently several times per second, depending on the frequency and type of escapement.

[0004] The deadbeat seconds hand is a horological complication that ensures that the seconds hand only moves once per second. It therefore makes one jump per second.

[0005] There is also a complication called a "lightning hand" or "devil hand" which ensures that the seconds hand makes a complete rotation around its own axis every second. Generally, the seconds display is divided into several sections. Between these sections, the hand of the complication constantly jumps forward. The lightning seconds hand thus subdivides the second, for example, into quarters, fifths, and even tenths of a second, and therefore displays fractions of a second with precision. As a result, the movement of the hand of this complication is very rapid and can, in the long term, generate "eye strain" for the wearer of the timepiece. Description of the invention

[0006] It is therefore an object of the present invention to offer a new complication marking the seconds and not offering the disadvantage stated above.

[0007] The stated objective is achieved by a timepiece comprising a jumping seconds hand and a dial, the dial being a subdivision of 1 minute, the jumping seconds hand marking each second or several seconds. The portion of time displayed by the dial is equal to 60 / n, n being an integer strictly greater than 1 and such that the ratio 60 / n is also an integer. The dial may include the divisions corresponding to one complete revolution of the jumping seconds hand.

[0008] The jumping seconds hand marks each second or several seconds. Since it moves more slowly than the hand of a flashing seconds hand, it does not produce the eye strain that can be experienced with a flashing seconds hand.

[0009] In one embodiment, the complication mechanism includes a winding mechanism which supplies energy to the jumping seconds hand, and a mechanism for releasing said energy which releases the energy and allows the jumping seconds hand to move in one go over a large sector, this movement can be likened, while being different in nature and construction, to that of the lightning seconds hand.

[0010] The winding mechanism may include a spring which is wound by the seconds wheel.

[0011] Advantageously, the release mechanism uses the timer regulating organ to time the release of energy via a stop element and the movement of the jumping seconds hand.

[0012] The present invention then relates to a timepiece comprising a watch movement including a dial, an hour indicator and a minute indicator mounted to rotate on the axis of the timepiece, an off-center dial and a jumping seconds hand mounted in said off-center dial, the watch movement including a barrel, a gear train ensuring the drive of the hour indicator and the minute indicator, a distribution member, a regulating member including an escapement wheel, and a complication mechanism, the gear train including a seconds wheel comprising a seconds wheel set in rotation by the barrel, the seconds wheel meshing with the pinion of the escapement wheel.The said off-center dial represents a one-minute subdivision, and the complication mechanism is configured to move the jumping seconds hand so that it marks each second or each p seconds, p being an integer strictly greater than 1 and a submultiple of 60, in said subdivision.

[0013] In one embodiment, the complication mechanism comprises a jumping seconds hand mobile carrying the jumping seconds hand, said jumping seconds hand mobile cooperating with a winding device configured to store energy, the winding device cooperating with the seconds wheel, and cooperating with a device for releasing said energy cooperating with the escapement mobile.

[0014] The winding device advantageously comprises an intermediate winding mechanism with an intermediate winding pinion that meshes with the seconds wheel, an intermediate winding wheel that meshes with a jumping seconds hand pinion, and a winding spring intended to be wound by the intermediate winding mechanism.

[0015] For example, the winding spring is a spring, for example a spiral spring, one end of which hooks onto a shaft of the intermediate winding pinion, and a second end hooks onto the intermediate winding wheel.

[0016] According to one embodiment, the release device comprises a whip fixed in rotation to a pinion directly or indirectly engaging the jumping seconds hand mobile, said whip cooperating with a stop element carried by the escapement mobile and forming a stop for the whip.

[0017] The stop element may include a star comprising branches, so that the end of the whip rests against a face of a branch and is released from the branch with each movement of the escape wheel and comes to rest against a following branch.

[0018] According to an additional feature, the timepiece includes an intermediate wheel between the jumping second hand wheel and the release device, said intermediate wheel having the same number of teeth as the wheel of the jumping second hand wheel and said intermediate wheel engaging a pinion of the release device.

[0019] According to an additional feature, the timepiece includes a brake for preventing rotation in a direction opposite to that of the seconds wheel. The brake may cooperate directly with the teeth of the seconds wheel or with a moving part that meshes with the seconds wheel. Brief description of the drawings

[0020] This application will be better understood with the aid of the following description and the attached drawings, in which: - [Fig. 1] is a front view of an example of a timepiece according to the invention in a first position, - [Fig.2] is a front view of an example of a timepiece according to the invention in a position which chronologically follows the position of [Fig.1], - [Fig.3] is a front view of an example of a timepiece according to the invention in a position which chronologically follows the position of [Fig.2], - [Fig. 4] is a perspective view of an example of the mechanism implemented in the timepiece shown in figures 1 to 3, - [Fig.5] is a top view of the mechanism of [Fig.4] in the position of the clockwork part of [Fig.1], - [Fig.6] is a top view of the mechanism of [Fig.4] up to and after the jumping seconds hand has passed between the position of [Fig.2] and the position of [Fig.1], - [Fig.7] is a perspective view of an example of a timepiece according to the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF IMPLEMENTATION METHODS

[0021] Figure 7 shows an example of the manufacture of a timepiece. comprising the complication according to the invention. The timepiece includes a watch case B comprising a case middle C, a case back (not visible), and a crystal G. Inside the case, the timepiece includes a dial CA, a clockwork mechanism (not visible in [Fig. 1]), an hour indicator or hour hand 2, and a minute indicator or minute hand 4. The hour indicator 2 and the minute indicator 4 are mounted to rotate about the axis of the timepiece. The timepiece also includes an off-center dial CAE formed on the dial CA, in which a hand 6, designated the jumping seconds hand 6, rotates. In this example, and without limitation, the timepiece also includes a seconds hand 8 mounted to rotate about the axis X of the timepiece.

[0022] The eccentric dial CAE can take any position on the dial CA.

[0023] Figures 1, 2 and 3 show the dial CA in which the seconds hand and the jumping seconds hand are in different positions.

[0024] The clockwork mechanism is a mechanical drive system for the hands. The clockwork component can be self-winding or manually wound.

[0025] The invention relates more particularly to the clockwork mechanism. The clockwork mechanism M comprises a barrel with axis X, a gear train ensuring the drive of the indicators 2, 4, 8, a distribution element, a regulating element and a complication mechanism MC. All the elements of the mechanism are mounted on a plate.

[0026] The gear train driving the indicators will not be described in detail, nor will the distribution member and the regulating member, these being well known to the person skilled in the art.

[0027] The gear train assembly includes, in particular, a seconds wheel comprising a seconds wheel 14 which is rotated by the barrel via the center wheel and the intermediate wheel. Furthermore, the seconds wheel meshes with the pinion of the escapement wheel.

[0028] Figures 4, 5 and 6 show in perspective and top view an example of MC complication mechanism according to the invention in different positions.

[0029] The MC complication mechanism includes a jumping seconds hand winding system Al and a jumping seconds hand release system L1.

[0030] The Al winding system is activated by the second wheel 14.

[0031] The arming system Al comprises an intermediate arming mechanism 16 comprising an intermediate pinion 18 meshing with the second wheel 14, and an intermediate wheel 20. The intermediate pinion 18 has a shaft 19 mounted around an axis X2.

[0032] The winding system A1 also includes a winding spring 22. The winding spring 22 is attached by a first end 22.1 to the shaft 19 of the intermediate pinion 18 ([Fig. 4]), and by a second end 22.2 to the intermediate wheel 20. The attachment to the intermediate wheel 20 is made at a point distinct from the center of the wheel. In the example shown, the second end 22.2 is received in a slot of a pin 23 fixed to a spoke of the intermediate wheel 20 perpendicular to its plane. Any other means of attachment is, of course, conceivable.

[0033] In the example shown, the winding spring 22 is spiral-shaped and wound around the axis X2. The winding spring 22 is, for example, a metal blade similar to the mainspring. The winding spring 22 is attached and mounted such that when the intermediate pinion 18 is driven in rotation by the seconds wheel, the winding spring 22 is wound. The intermediate winding pinion 18 and the intermediate winding wheel 20 are connected to each other by the winding spring 22. Any other type of spring for the winding spring is possible, for example, a helical spring.

[0034] The jumping second hand 6 is carried by a jumping second hand mobile 26 with axis X3 comprising a jumping second hand pinion 28 engaging the intermediate wheel 20 and a jumping second hand wheel 27.

[0035] The release system L1 includes means that lock the jumping seconds hand 6 in position and release the jumping seconds hand 6 every second. The movement of the jumping seconds hand 6 is ensured by the energy stored in the winding spring 22.

[0036] In the example shown, the release system L1 of the jumping seconds hand 6 includes a release mechanism mounted for rotation about an axis X4. The release mechanism includes a whip 29 and a pinion 30 which engages an intermediate wheel 32 which, in turn, engages the jumping seconds hand wheel.

[0037] It should be noted that the intermediate wheel 32 is interposed between the jumping seconds hand wheel 32 and the pinion 30 of the whip 29 to accommodate the opposing directions of rotation of the regulator wheel and the jumping seconds hand wheel. Alternatively, the intermediate wheel 32 is omitted and the mechanism is adapted to accommodate the direction of rotation of the different wheels.

[0038] The whip 29 cooperates with arms of a star wheel 33 mounted on the escape wheel (not shown), distributed around the axis X4 of the escape wheel.

[0039] In the example shown, five branches 34 are implemented. Each of the branches has a flat section aimed at the center of the star which is aligned with the X4 axis.

[0040] The escape wheel not shown has 25 wings; the ratio between the wings of the escape wheel and the branches of the star 33 is then 5, which corresponds to the number of seconds marked by the jumping seconds hand in one revolution of the eccentric dial.

[0041] The number of teeth of the wheels, pinions and arms are chosen according to the number of seconds on the jumping seconds dial.

[0042] The mechanism advantageously includes a brake (not shown) that acts on the seconds wheel. The brake provides an anti-reverse function to prevent the seconds wheel from becoming desynchronized when the mainspring barrel is fully unwound. For example, the brake includes a pawl with a brake element having several teeth and pivoted for rotation on the mainplate. The brake element engages with the teeth of the seconds wheel, and a spring applies the brake element against the periphery of the seconds wheel so that it performs the anti-reverse function. Applying the brake to the seconds wheel has the advantage of limiting energy losses. However, a mechanism in which the brake is applied to another element of the mechanism does not fall outside the scope of the present invention.

[0043] In the example shown, the jumping seconds hand dial has five indexes, the jumping seconds hand making one revolution of the dial in five seconds.

[0044] The seconds wheel makes one revolution in 1 minute, the number of teeth of the different wheels and pinions are chosen so that the jumping seconds hand makes one revolution of the eccentric dial in 5 seconds, that is to say that the jumping seconds hand wheel makes 12 revolutions in 1 minute.

[0045] We will give below a non-limiting example of the number of teeth of the wheels of the mechanism in the case of a jumping seconds hand making one revolution in 3 seconds.

[0046] The intermediate wheel makes four revolutions in 1 minute, the intermediate wheel 32 makes 20 revolutions in 1 minute, the whip pinion makes 60 revolutions in 1 minute.

[0047] For example, the seconds wheel has 108 teeth, the intermediate wheel has 100 teeth, the jumping seconds hand wheel has 30 teeth, the intermediate wheel 32 also has 30 teeth, and the whip pinion has 10 teeth. The escape wheel has 15 wings, and the whip release device has 5 pins.

[0048] Alternatively, the star 33 is replaced by a device comprising pins fixed to a wheel and extending parallel to the axis of rotation X4, the pins being distributed regularly around this axis.

[0049] The seconds wheel meshes with both the intermediate winding pinion and the escapement wheel. It will be understood that the number of pins, teeth or of branches is fixed according to the number of seconds marked by the jumping seconds wheel in the off-center dial.

[0050] The functioning of the complication will now be described.

[0051] On [Fig.2], the direction of rotation of the wheels is symbolized by arrows.

[0052] The timepiece is wound, the mainspring is then wound. The mainspring unwinds, driving the barrel drum which drives the seconds wheel 14 via the center wheel and the intermediate wheel.

[0053] The intermediate pinion 18 rotates around the axis X2 and drives the winding spring 22 by its first end 22.1, which is attached to the shaft 19. Due to the relative rigidity of the winding spring 22 and its orientation, the movement of the spring 22 causes the intermediate wheel 20 to rotate. However, since the intermediate winding wheel 20 meshes with the jumping seconds hand pinion 28, which is prevented from rotating by the whip 29, which is prevented by a tooth 34 of the escapement wheel, the intermediate winding wheel 20 is prevented from rotating, which has the effect of winding the winding spring 22 and storing energy.

[0054] The seconds wheel 14 meshes with the escape pinion of the escape wheel. Due to the ratio of the number of teeth between the seconds wheel and the escape pinion, the escape wheel is pivoted so that the end of the whip loses one tooth 34 every second. When the whip 29 is released, the intermediate wheel 32 and the jumping seconds hand are released, as well as the intermediate winding wheel, which causes the energy stored in the winding spring to be released. This released energy sets the intermediate winding wheel and the jumping seconds hand in rotation, and consequently the jumping seconds hand. This release of energy causes the whip to move, making one revolution around its axis and striking a subsequent arm 34 of the escape wheel. This contact then immobilizes the jumping seconds hand.In the example shown, the tooth ratio of the wheels and pinions is such that the jumping seconds hand completes one revolution of the dial in three seconds.

[0055] With the jumping seconds hand mobile immobilized, the intermediate winding wheel 20 is again immobilized in rotation, which again allows the winding spring 22 to be wound until the next release.

[0056] The intermediate winding pinion 18 rotates at the regular speed given by the basic gear and the intermediate winding wheel 20 rotates intermittently at each release of the whip 29.

[0057] It will be understood that the jumping seconds hand 6 can make one revolution of the off-center dial in n times, n being an integer submultiple of 60, for example 3, 6, 12, 15 or 30.

[0058] It can be envisaged that the jumping seconds hand does not mark every second but every p seconds, p being an integer submultiple of 60, for example 2 or 3. It can therefore be envisaged that the jumping seconds hand moves every 2 seconds or every 3 seconds.

[0059] The invention makes it possible to offer a new complication which offers a new presentation of the passing of the seconds in an additional dial.

Claims

Demands

1. A timepiece comprising a horological movement including a dial (CA), an hour indicator (2) and a minute indicator (4) mounted for rotation on the axis (X) of the timepiece, an off-center dial (CAE) and a hand called a "jumping seconds hand" (6) mounted in said off-center dial (CAE), the horological movement comprising a barrel, a gear train ensuring the drive of the hour indicator and the minute indicator, a distribution member (10), a regulating member (12) including an escapement wheel, and a complication mechanism (MC), the gear train including a seconds wheel comprising a seconds wheel rotated by the barrel, the seconds wheel meshing with the pinion of the escapement wheel, in which said off-center dial (CAE) represents a subdivision of one minute, the portion of time displayed by the dial being equal to 60 / n,n being an integer strictly greater than 1 and being such that the ratio 60 / n is also an integer, and wherein the complication mechanism (MC) is configured to move the jumping seconds hand (6) so that it marks every second or every p seconds, p being an integer strictly greater than 1 and a submultiple of 60, in said subdivision.

2. A timepiece according to claim 1, wherein the complication mechanism comprises a jumping seconds hand mobile carrying the jumping seconds hand (6), said jumping seconds hand mobile cooperating with a winding device configured to store energy, the winding device cooperating with the seconds wheel, and cooperating with a device for releasing said energy cooperating with the escapement mobile.

3. A timepiece according to claim 2, wherein the winding device comprises an intermediate winding wheel of which an intermediate winding pinion (18) meshes with the seconds wheel, an intermediate winding wheel (20) meshing with a jumping seconds hand pinion (28), a winding spring (22) intended to be wound by the intermediate winding wheel.

4. A timepiece according to claim 3, wherein the winding spring (22) is a spring, for example a balance spring, a first end (22.1) of which hooks onto a shaft (19) of the pinion intermediate winding wheel (18), and a second end (22.2) hooks onto the intermediate winding wheel (20).

5. A timepiece according to claim 2, 3 or 4, wherein the release device comprises a whip (29) rotationally fixed to a pinion directly or indirectly engaging the jumping seconds hand mobile, said whip (29) cooperating with a stop element carried by the escapement mobile and forming a stop for the whip (19).

6. A timepiece according to claim 5, wherein the stop element comprises a star (33) including arms, such that the end of the whip (19) rests against a face of an arm (34) and is released from the arm (34) with each movement of the escapement wheel and comes to rest against a subsequent arm (34).

7. A timepiece according to any one of claims 2 to 6, comprising an intermediate wheel between the jumping second hand wheel and the release device, said intermediate wheel having the same number of teeth as the wheel of the jumping second hand wheel and said intermediate wheel engaging a pinion of the release device.

8. A timepiece according to any one of claims 1 to 7, comprising a brake (36) intended to prevent rotation in a direction opposite to that of the operation of the seconds wheel.

9. A timepiece according to claim 8, wherein the brake cooperates directly with the teeth of the seconds wheel or with a moving part that meshes with the seconds wheel.

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