Stud-holder, regulating member, and horological movement

Abstract

To provide a stud-holder for a regulating member of a horological movement.SOLUTION: A regulating member 10 includes an inertial mass, e.g., a balance 23, a balance spring 25 including a strip 2 wound about itself in several turns, and a balance cock 22. A stud-holder 1 includes a main body 31 intended to be mounted on the balance cock, and a stud 34 mounted on the main body in a first direction, and is characterized in that the stud-holder includes an arm 5 extending from the stud, the arm being directed in a second direction under the main body, the second direction forming a non-zero angle with the first direction, so as to pass at least in part beneath the balance spring held by the stud when the stud-holder is mounted on the regulating member.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of watchmaking, and more particularly to the field of mechanical watchmaking, in which the regulation of the drive energy is carried out by a regulating member.

[0002] The invention relates in particular to a stud holder for a watch regulating member comprising a stud provided with an anti-jamming arm, as well as to a regulating member comprising such a stud holder and to a watch movement comprising such a regulating member. [Background technology]

[0003] In the majority of mechanical watches, the energy required to rotate the hands (e.g. minute and hour hands) is stored in a barrel and then transferred by a spring-loaded balance system that includes a flywheel, called the balance, combined with a spring in the form of a spirally wound strip, called the balance spring.

[0004] The rotation of the balance is maintained by an escapement mechanism that includes a pallet lever driven by low amplitude vibrations, with two pallets that engage the teeth of the escape wheel, and whose oscillations are counted. When the escape wheel is thus engaged, it rotates in steps, the frequency of whose rotations is determined by the frequency of oscillation of the pallet lever, which itself is set to the frequency of oscillation of the spring-loaded balance.

[0005] The inner end of the balance spring is attached to a staff that rotates with the balance, and the outer end of the balance spring is attached to a stud mounted in a stud holder that is itself rigidly connected to a stationary cock. The stud usually contains a notch bounded by two walls. The outer end of the balance spring is held in the notch, for example by adhesive.

[0006] However, in the event of an impact, it is possible for one or more of the outer coils of the balance spring to pass under the stud and become lodged behind the stud.

[0007] This is because, when the balance oscillates, in the plane of its motion, the balance spring goes from contracted to extended and vice versa. As a result, when an impact occurs, the balance spring is deformed transversely to its plane of motion and may have one or more of its outer coils passing under the stud. As a result, the oscillations of the balance are disturbed by this blockage, causing the speed of the regulating member to become disturbed or to stop completely.

[0008] To avoid this phenomenon, there are stud holders in which the end of the stud is essentially conical, so that after one or more coils have passed and jammed around the stud, they slide along the cone and pass back under the stud. The disturbance in the speed of the regulating member continues until the balance spring has returned to its normal position.

[0009] Other stud holders include a stud with a long wall on the balance spring side to prevent the coil from passing under the stud, however this wall must be very close to the balance, creating the risk that the balance will hit this wall during an impact and thus other disturbances.

[0010] Nevertheless, these stud holders are unsatisfactory as they do not completely eliminate this problem or they create new problems. Summary of the Invention

[0011] It is an object of the present invention to overcome some or all of the aforementioned drawbacks by providing a stud holder that prevents one or more outer coils of a balance spring from becoming jammed around a stud, particularly in the event of an impact.

[0012] To this end, the invention relates to a stud holder for a regulating member of a timepiece movement, the regulating member comprising an inertial mass, for example a balance, a hairspring comprising a strip wound several times on itself, and a balance cock, the stud holder comprising a body intended to be mounted on the balance cock and a stud mounted in a first direction on the body.

[0013] The invention features a mechanism including an arm extending from the stud, the arm being oriented in a second direction below the body, the second direction forming a non-zero angle with the first direction such that the second direction passes at least partially below a balance spring held by the stud when the stud holder is mounted to the limiting member.

[0014] Thanks to this invention, the coil cannot pass under the stud and get stuck behind the stud.

[0015] This is because the arms hold the outer coils of the balance spring even if they are deformed in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the balance spring.

[0016] Thus, even if one or more coils get stuck behind a stud or if the balance hits a stud, the chronometric performance of the movement is not adversely affected by distortion of the speed of the regulating members.

[0017] According to a particular embodiment of the invention, the second direction is substantially perpendicular to the first direction.

[0018] According to a particular embodiment of the invention, the stud comprises a notch intended to receive the outer end of the strip.

[0019] According to certain embodiments of the present invention, the notch includes an inner wall and an outer wall, with the arm extending from the inner wall.

[0020] According to a particular embodiment of the invention, the arms are oriented radially towards the axis of the limiting member.

[0021] According to a particular embodiment of the invention, the body includes a radial member on which the stud is mounted.

[0022] According to a particular embodiment of the invention, the arms are elongated in the longitudinal direction.

[0023] According to a particular embodiment of the invention, the arm has the shape of a substantially flat tab.

[0024] According to a particular embodiment of the invention, the arms are intended to extend towards the centre of the balance spring at least beyond the penultimate coil of the balance spring when the balance spring is in the extended configuration, preferably when the balance spring is in the contracted configuration.

[0025] According to a particular embodiment of the invention, the inner wall is longer than the outer wall.

[0026] The invention further relates to a timepiece regulating member comprising an inertial mass, for example a balance, a hairspring comprising a strip wound several times on itself, and such a stud holder.

[0027] The invention further relates to a timepiece movement including such a regulation member. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0028] The objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent after reading some embodiments, which are given for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention, subject to reference to the attached drawings, in which:

[0029] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are schematic perspective top views of a regulating member including a stud holder according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic top view of the regulating member shown in FIG. 1 in a state without a balance cock. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective bottom view of the regulating member shown in FIG. 1; [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic bottom view of the regulating member shown in FIG. 1 in a state without a balance cock. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a schematic enlarged view of the state in which the hairspring is pinned to the stud of the regulating member shown in FIG. 1; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0030] 1 to 3 diagrammatically show a part of an embodiment of a regulating member 10 including a stud holder 1 according to the invention.

[0031] Such a regulating member 10 is intended to be placed on a clock movement in order to regulate the speed of said movement. Neither the escapement nor the clock movement are depicted in the figures.

[0032] The regulating member 10 includes an inertial mass, in this case an annular balance 23, a hairspring 25 as an elastic return element of the inertial mass arranged to oscillate the inertial mass, a balance staff 4 and a balance cock 22. The parts are stacked from bottom to top in the following order: balance 23, hairspring 25 and balance cock 22.

[0033] A balance staff 4 passes through the centre of the balance and hairspring 25. The balance staff 4 is held by two shock-resistant bearings 28 arranged at both ends of the balance staff 4. A first bearing (not shown) is arranged below the balance cock 22, in which the second bearing 28 is also arranged. The balance cock 22 has a through hole in which the second bearing 28 is held.

[0034] At the base of the balance 4 is arranged a plate 13 intended to cooperate with the pallet lever of the escapement mechanism.

[0035] The balance spring 25 preferably extends substantially in one plane. It comprises a flexible strip 2 wound around itself several times, the strip 2 having a certain rigidity. The inner end of the strip 2 is integral with or assembled to a rigid support, not shown in the figures but typically called a collet. The rigid support is, for example, substantially triangular in shape and is screwed around the balance staff 4.

[0036] The limiting member 10 comprises a stud holder 1 fitted with a stud 34 suspended from the end of a radial member 33. The stud holder 1 is mechanically connected to the outer end 3 of the strip 2. The stud holder 1 surrounds the second bearing 28. For this purpose, the stud holder 1 comprises a central ring 38 arranged around the second bearing 28. The central ring 38 rests on the balance cock 22. The radial member 33 extends radially relative to the central ring 38.

[0037] Furthermore, a stud 34 is rigidly attached to the outer end 3 of the strip 2. In other words, the stud 34 is integral with the outer end 3 of the strip 2. The stud 34 and the hairspring 25 are assembled, for example, by bonding, brazing, welding, deformation of a metallic glass or mechanical fastening.

[0038] The stud 34 is movable relative to the balance cock 22. To this end, the stud holder 1 can rotate about the second bearing 28. The stud holder 1 can be displaced, for example, over an angular range of 10° or even up to 20°. In this way, the speed of the regulating member 10 can be adjusted.

[0039] The stud 34 is mounted on the body 31 in a first direction, preferably substantially perpendicular to the plane of the body 31 and / or to the plane of operation of the balance spring.

[0040] According to the invention, the stud holder 1 includes an arm 5 extending from the stud 34 below the plane of action of the balance spring.

[0041] The arm 5 is oriented in a second direction below the body 31. The second direction forms a non-zero angle with the first direction such that the arm 5 passes at least partially below the balance spring 25 held by the stud 34. The arm 5 is oriented radially towards the axis of the limiting member and / or the axis of the balance spring 25. The arm 5 is disposed at the free end of the stud 34.

[0042] Preferably, the second direction is substantially perpendicular to the first direction.

[0043] In FIG. 5, the stud 34 comprises a notch 8 intended to receive the outer end 3 of the strip 2. The notch 8 has an inner wall 6 and an outer wall 7. Preferably, the inner wall 6 is longer than the outer wall 7. An arm 5 extends from the inner wall 6 towards the axis of the limiting member and / or the axis of the balance spring 25. The arm 5 has the shape of a substantially flat tab. The arm 5 is elongated in the longitudinal direction.

[0044] When the stud holder 1 is mounted on the regulating member 10, the arm 5 extends from the outside of the hairspring 25 towards the axis of the hairspring 25 over at least the penultimate coil 9 of the hairspring when the hairspring 25 is in an extended configuration, and preferably when the hairspring is in a retracted or retracted rest configuration.

[0045] Preferably, the arm 5 extends over at least some of the last coils. This provides further protection against the risk of the last coil becoming jammed around the stud 34.

[0046] It goes without saying that the invention is not limited to the embodiment of the regulating member described with reference to the figures, and alternatives can be considered without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A stud holder for a regulating member (10) of a timepiece movement, said regulating member (10) comprising an inertial mass, e.g. a balance (23), a hairspring (25) comprising a strip (2) wound several times around it, and a balance cock (22), said stud holder (1) comprising a body (31) intended to be mounted on said balance cock (42) and a stud (34) mounted on said body (31) in a first direction, characterized in that said stud holder (1) comprises an arm (5) extending from said stud (34), said arm (5) being oriented in a second direction below said body (31), said second direction forming a non-zero angle with said first direction such that it passes at least partially below a hairspring (25) held by said stud (34) when said stud holder (1) is mounted on said regulating member (10).

2. The stud holder of claim 1 , wherein the second direction is substantially perpendicular to the first direction.

3. A stud holder according to claim 1, characterized in that the stud (34) comprises a notch (8) intended to receive the outer end (3) of the strip (2).

4. A stud holder according to claim 3, characterized in that the notch (8) comprises an inner wall (6) and an outer wall (7), and the arm (5) extends from the inner wall (6).

5. 2. A stud holder according to claim 1, characterized in that the arms (5) are oriented radially towards the axis of the limiting member (10).

6. A stud holder according to claim 1, characterized in that the body (31) comprises a radial member (33) on which the stud (34) is mounted.

7. 2. A stud holder according to claim 1, characterized in that the arms (5) are elongated in the longitudinal direction.

8. A stud holder according to claim 1, characterized in that the arm (5) has the shape of a substantially flat tab.

9. 2. A stud holder according to claim 1, characterized in that the arm (5) is intended to extend towards the centre of the hairspring (25) at least beyond the penultimate coil (9) of the hairspring (25) when the hairspring (25) is in the extended position, preferably when the hairspring (25) is in the contracted position.

10. A stud holder according to claim 1, characterized in that the inner wall (6) is longer than the outer wall (7).

11. A regulation member (10) for a timepiece movement, said regulation member (10) comprising an inertial mass, for example a balance (23) and a hairspring (25) comprising a strip (2) wound several times around it, characterized in that it comprises a stud holder (1) according to claim 1.

12. A timepiece movement comprising the regulating member according to claim 11.

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