Coaxial Perpetual Calendar Mechanism

Abstract

The invention relates to a perpetual calendar mechanism, particularly for a watch movement, intended to display various date information taking into account variations in the length of the months as well as the variation in the length of February according to the leap year cycle.

Description

Title of the invention: Coaxial Perpetual Calendar Mechanism Description of prior art

[0001] Perpetual calendar mechanisms are composed of several wheels or cams arranged on different axes of rotation.

[0002] The functions related to the different pieces of information composing the date, that is to say the day of the week the date the month and the year, are separated into several locations in the movement.

[0003] The advantages of multi-axis construction for a QP are a gain in total thickness, and ease of access to different information because it is segmented in several places.

[0004] The disadvantages of the multi-axis construction are the large number of components required for its operation, the large surface area occupied by the complication resulting in a large diameter of movement, the multitude of correctors distributed in several places in the case in order to reach the different indication parts distributed in the movement. Summary of the invention

[0005] The object of the present invention is to overcome the drawbacks present in known solutions. The present invention therefore proposes a coaxial construction of the perpetual calendar as explained below.

[0006] The present invention therefore proposes a simple solution comprising an extremely small number of parts.

[0007] This device also allows for rapid assembly and disassembly thanks to the concentration of components on a single axis.

[0008] According to another aspect of the present invention, the consumption of mechanical energy by the perpetual calendar complication is here greatly reduced. Brief description of the figures

[0009] The invention will be better understood upon reading the following description, given by way of non-limiting example, and referring to the attached drawings, which schematically represent: - [Fig. 1]: In perspective, a coaxial perpetual calendar construction according to an embodiment of the present invention, - [Fig.2]: a cross-sectional view along AA ([Fig.3]) of the calendar device perpetual coaxial of the [Fig.l], - [Fig.3]: a top view of the coaxial perpetual calendar device the [Fig.l], - [Fig.4]: an exploded view of the coaxial perpetual calendar device shown in [Fig.1], - [Fig. 5]-7: Views of the coaxial perpetual calendar device during the changing the date to the 31st, - [Fig.8]-10: Views of the coaxial perpetual calendar device during the date change to the 30th, - [Fig. 11]-13: views of the coaxial perpetual calendar device during the date change to the 29th, - [Fig. 14]-16: views of the coaxial perpetual calendar device during the date change to the 28th, - [Fig. 17]: a top view of the device with bridge 401 visible through it - [Fig. 18]: Front views during the passage of months - Figure 19: Front views during the passage of the Februarys. Detailed description of the implementation methods.

[0010] With reference to the drawings, some non-limiting embodiments of a perpetual calendar device according to the present invention are now explained in more detail.

[0011] The present invention relates to a perpetual calendar construction, for a watch movement, intended to display the various date information taking into account the variations in length of the months as well as the variation in length of February according to the leap year cycle, this device presents a new coaxial construction for a perpetual calendar, the device is not necessarily placed on the central axis of a watch movement but it can just as well be implanted on an independent eccentric axis.

[0012] Thus we have ([Fig.1]-4) the mobile driver 101 driven directly or indirectly by the gear train of a watch movement, this mobile 101 drives the QP 201 plate wheel which pivots on an axis and is positioned by a jump spring 206, on this part 201 is fixed the return spring 202, the QP arm 203 pivots on an axis fixed on 201, a February passage axis 204 fixed on 201, the Maltese cross of the months 205 pivots on an axis fixed on 201 it is guided by the bridge 401 and meshes with the month cam 301, the month cam wheel 301 pivots coaxially with 201, the February Maltese cross 302 pivots on an axis fixed on 301 and is guided by 201.

[0013] The transition from one month to 31 days ([Fig.5]-7) is achieved by means of the lower finger 102 of the driving wheel 101, thus the wheel 101 with the finger 102 takes one by one every 24 hours each of the 31 teeth of the wheel 201. The arm of QP 203, by sensing the surface corresponding to 31 days on the cam 301, remains outside the path of the upper finger 103.

[0014] The transition from one month to 30 days ([Fig.8]-10) is achieved by means of the lower finger 102 of the driving wheel 101 and the upper finger 103. Thus, the wheel 101, together with the finger 102, engages each of the 31 teeth of the wheel 201 one by one every 24 hours until the 30th of the month. Here, the arm of QP 203, by sensing the surface corresponding to 30 days on the cam 301, enters the path of the upper finger 103. It protrudes sufficiently to allow the jump to 1 quickly after that of 31. A double jump is therefore achieved; we move from 30 to 1 thanks to the penetration of the arm 201 into the path of the upper finger 103.

[0015] The transition from one month to 29 days ([Fig. 1 1 ]-13) is achieved by means of the lower finger 102 of the driving wheel 101 and the upper finger 103. Thus, the wheel 101, together with the finger 102, engages each of the 31 teeth of the wheel 201 one by one every 24 hours until the 29th of the month. Here, the arm of QP 203, by sensing the surface corresponding to 29 days on the February cross 302, enters the trajectory of the upper finger 103. It protrudes sufficiently to allow the jump to 1 quickly after that of the 30th and 31st. A triple jump is therefore achieved; we move from the 29th to the 1st thanks to the penetration of the arm 201 into the trajectory of the upper finger 103.

[0016] The transition from one month to 28 days ([Fig. 14]-16) is achieved by means of the lower finger 102 of the driving wheel 101 and the upper finger 103. Thus, the wheel 101, together with the finger 102, engages each of the 31 teeth of the wheel 201 one by one every 24 hours until the 28th of the month. Here, the arm of QP 203, by sensing the surface corresponding to 28 days on the February cross 302, enters the trajectory of the upper finger 103. It protrudes sufficiently to allow the jump to 1 quickly after those of the 29th, 30th, and 31st. A quadruple jump is therefore performed; we move from the 28th to the 1st thanks to the penetration of the arm 201 into the trajectory of the upper finger 103.

[0017] As the month progresses, the plate wheel 201 pivots, causing the QP arm 203 to collide with the QP bridge 401. Thanks to the geometry of the parts, the arm 203 moves out of the probing zone for the month information on the cam 301 and therefore no longer interferes with its rotation. During this period, the Maltese cross of the months 205 engages with the axis 402, and thus, still under the effect of the rotation of 201, the cross 205 rotates the cam 301 and positions it so as to present the face corresponding to the following month to the probing zone of the arm 203. Note that in the example shown, a 12 mm cam is used, but it is perfectly possible to use a 48 mm cam.

[0018] As the wheel 201 continues its rotation, the arm 203 comes out of the disengagement zone of the bridge 401 and thus, under the effect of the spring 202, it returns to press itself against the new probing zone which is now presented to it.

[0019] The actions presented in

[0018] and

[0019] are repeated every month.

[0020] Thus for the rotation of the Maltese cross of February 302, once a year and during From the rotation of the cam in month 301, the cross of February 302 engages with the axis 204 and thus pivots a quarter turn in order to present to the palpation of arm 203 the configuration of the month of February following the cycle of leap years.

[0021] Regarding the date display, we can very well consider placing a needle or a disc directly on the plate wheel 201, but we can also imagine an independent display device driven by the wheel 201.

[0022] The perpetual calendar mechanism described above may have a rapid date correction device, in order to allow the user to intervene and modify the displayed date, for example a moving mobile can, under the effect of the user, engage in the teeth of the platinum wheel 201 and thus rotate it rapidly.

Claims

Demands

1. A coaxial perpetual calendar mechanism for a watch movement, designed to display various date information while taking into account variations in the length of the months and the variation in the length of February according to the leap year cycle. This mechanism comprises: a) a driving wheel 101 driven directly or indirectly by the gear train of a watch movement; b) the driving wheel 101 drives a perpetual calendar wheel 201; a return spring 202 is fixed to this part 201; a perpetual calendar arm 203 pivots on an axis fixed to 201; a February passage axis 204 is fixed to 201; a Maltese cross for the months 205 pivots on an axis fixed to 201, is guided by a bridge 401, and meshes with the month cam 301; c) a 12-month cam wheel 301 pivots coaxially with 201; a Maltese cross February 302 pivots on an axis fixed on 301 and is guided by 201.Note that the 301 month cam can very well be a 48 month cam or palpation zones in this configuration it does not need February 302 Maltese cross.

2. The perpetual calendar device according to the preceding claims can be coupled to a display system directly positioned as a needle or disc on the wheel 201 or indirectly by a gear leading from the wheel 201.

3. The perpetual calendar device according to any one of the preceding claims has the driving wheel 101 with two fingers on two different levels, lower 102 and upper 103.

4. The perpetual calendar device according to any one of the preceding claims has an internal drive finger that engages one tooth every 24 hours among the teeth of the wheel 201.

5. The perpetual calendar device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the variation in penetration of the QP arm 203 in the trajectory of the upper finger 102 varies according to the probing area of ​​the month cam 301.

6. The perpetual calendar device according to one of the preceding claims is equipped with a rapid correction device acting directly on the wheel 201 and can therefore rotate it rapidly.

7. The perpetual calendar device according to any one of the preceding claims, the QP arm 203, during the rotation of the wheel 201, disengages upon contact with bridge 401 and exits the probing zone of cam 301.

8. The perpetual calendar device according to any one of the preceding claims has a return spring 202 on the QP arm 203.

9. The perpetual calendar device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a 205 month wheel or Maltese cross causes the 301 month cam to rotate every month by 1 / 12th of a turn or 1 / 48th of a turn depending on the configuration of the 301 month cam.

10. The perpetual calendar device according to the preceding claim and the configuration of the month cam 301 in 12 probing zones, has a February wheel or Maltese cross 302 making a rotation of % of a turn once a year in order to vary the height of the probing zone corresponding to the month of February according to the leap year cycle.