Control device for a timepiece movement, timepiece movement corresponding to the control device, and timepiece

Abstract

The present invention relates to a control device (1). The control device (1) includes: - a lever (2) movable between a rest position and a starting position; - a spring arranged to return the lever (2) to the rest position; - an actuating member (10) movable between a neutral position and an operating position; - a mechanical energy storage member interposed between the lever (2) and the actuating member (10). In the operating position, the actuating member (10) actuates the timekeeping mechanism. By being interposed between the lever (2) and the actuating member (10), the mechanical energy storage member accumulates energy when the lever (2) moves towards the starting position and releases the energy when the lever (2) reaches the starting position by moving the actuating member (10) towards the operating position. The device (1) includes a locking member intended to release the actuating member (10) only when the lever (2) reaches the starting position of the lever (2).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a control device for a timepiece movement. The control device includes - a lever intended to be actuated to move from a rest position to a starting position in response to an operation by a user on an external control part, - an elastic return member arranged to return the lever to the rest position, - an actuating member movable between a neutral position and an operating position, - a mechanical energy storage member interposed between the lever and the actuating member. In the operating position, the actuating member is intended to actuate the timepiece mechanism of the timepiece movement, and the arrangement of the mechanical energy storage member is such that when the lever moves towards the starting position, the mechanical energy storage member accumulates energy, and by moving the actuating member towards the operating position, when the lever reaches the starting position, the mechanical energy storage member releases energy.

[0002] The present invention also relates to a timepiece movement comprising a timepiece mechanism according to the control device - in particular a chronograph mechanism - and to a timepiece comprising the timepiece movement.

Background Art

[0003] This type of control device has already been known in the prior art, particularly in relation to chronograph mechanisms.

[0004] Patent Document 1 (EP2541346B1) describes an example of the structure of a control device having the above features for the purpose of enabling a flyback function in a chronograph mechanism. For this purpose, the device includes a zero-return starting lever having a beak arranged to pivot a stepped wheel. More specifically, the starting lever has a beak designed to cooperate with a stop formed on a first plate defining a first step of the stepped wheel. The stepped wheel has a second plate defining a second step, and the second plate has the general shape of a heart-shaped cam arranged to cooperate with a control lever defining the angular orientation of the stepped wheel. The control lever is subjected to the action of a spring so that a roller at one end thereof permanently contacts the outer periphery of the second plate. The latter has a recess. This recess defines the stationary position in the angular direction of the stepped wheel when the roller is received therein with the user not operating anything. When the user operates the starting lever, the movement of the starting lever rotates the stepped wheel, and the roller exits the recess and rolls along the outer periphery of the second plate. Thereafter, the radius of the second plate increases until it reaches the tip of the heart-shaped cam. At the same time, the spring is pulled and mechanical energy is stored. When the starting lever reaches the starting position, the roller passes through the tip of the heart-shaped cam, and the spring releases the mechanical energy stored until then to become a motor, further rotating the stepped wheel and resetting the chronograph mechanism. For this purpose, the stepped gear has a third plate defining a third step, on which a reset surface is provided, and cooperates with the reset cam of the chronograph mechanism in a conventional manner. The stepped gear continues to rotate by the elastic force of the spring until the roller returns to the position within the recess of the second plate. One of the purposes of this device is to enable the reset cam to be released immediately after returning to the zero position in order to execute a flyback movement even with the user keeping the starting lever operated. To achieve this purpose, in this complex structure, although the movement of the starting lever loads the spring, the spring is released by rotating the third plate defining the actuator of the chronograph mechanism regardless of the position of the starting lever.If the user does not operate the start lever until it reaches the start position, the stepped gear moves backward under the action of the spring, and the roller is positioned again in the recess of the second plate. On the other hand, this structure enables the chronograph mechanism to be completely reset when the start lever completes its movement, and the corresponding control device can be an "all-or-nothing" type device.

[0005] Overall, it can be clearly seen from the figures of Patent Document 1 how complex this structure is, especially considering the large number of its components, and how relatively bulky it is both planar and in terms of thickness.

[0006] Patent Document 2 (Application EP3876042A1) describes a reset device structure for a chronograph mechanism, including a zero-return hammer held in a stationary position by the action of a lock hook on a pin integral with the hammer, and the lock hook is rotatably attached to a frame member of the corresponding watch movement. When the user actuates the relevant control member, a load is applied to the hammer actuating spring, causing it to swing until the lock hook releases the pin, as a result of which the hammer suddenly moves and the chronograph mechanism can be reset. However, such a device has many drawbacks in addition to its complex structure and assembly. In particular, there is a limit to the accuracy at the moment when the locking hook releases the pin, and this accuracy level also depends on the orientation of the mechanism at the moment when the reset device operates, for example, the movement of the corresponding watch due to the actuation of the reset control member by the user and other possible impacts. Furthermore, at the moment when the reset device operates, in such a structure, it is inevitable that the pin and especially the lock hook will wear more or less rapidly depending on the number of operations, so it will vary over time. It can be easily understood that a slight change in the shape of the tip of the lock hook has a great influence on the time when this reset device operates.

[0007] Therefore, it is considered beneficial to propose a robust control device with a simpler configuration than existing devices and an "all-or-nothing" type of operation.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0008]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0009] The main object of the present invention is to propose a control device having a configuration different from known configurations of the prior art - particularly significantly simpler from both the viewpoints of components and assembly.

[0010] For this purpose, the present invention more particularly relates to a control device of the above-mentioned type having the following features. The control device further includes a locking member intended to operate in response to an operation of the user on the external control member, and the locking member, in response to the operation of the user on the external control member, switches from a locked state in which the locking member is held by an additional elastic return member so as to lock the operating member in an initial state to a neutral state in which the locking member releases the operating member to enable the operating member to operate the timepiece mechanism. The lever and the locking member are arranged such that the switching of the locking member to the neutral state substantially synchronizes with the arrival of the lever at the starting position.

[0011] Thanks to these features, it becomes possible to manufacture a control device having a relatively simple and robust configuration, thereby obtaining an “all - or - nothing” type of operation - preferably particularly suitable for controlling the zero - reset function of a chronograph mechanism.

[0012] Advantageously, the locking member may be arranged to limit the size of the control device according to the invention by performing a reciprocating movement during the rearrangement.

[0013] Advantageously, the lever may also act on the actuating member and be arranged to move the actuating member towards the neutral position when moving towards the rest position. Alternatively, a specific spring may of course be provided to perform this function, but this would involve an increase in parts.

[0014] According to a preferred embodiment, the energy storage member may be made to comprise the actuating member and be provided with a portion that presses directly or indirectly against the lever.

[0015] The lever acts on the locking member and comprises a stop arranged to move the locking member from its locked state to its neutral state in response to the user's action on the external control member.

[0016] Generally, The locking member is intended to be rotatably mounted on the frame member of the timepiece movement so as to be provided on the opposite side of the peak of the actuating member to lock the actuating member and comprises a plate. The plate has a slot. The slot is intended to be provided opposite the peak in the neutral state of the locking member to allow displacement of the actuating member by inserting the peak into the slot.

[0017] The additional elastic return member is arranged to apply a return force to the plate and to return the locking member from its neutral state to its locked state, while being intended to be fixed to the frame member of the timepiece movement.

[0018] Thanks to the above features, the momentum of the release of the actuating member is better controlled than by the control of the prior art reset device described above at all positions of the corresponding watch, including during movement. In addition, these features guarantee the durability of this control. The reason is that the wear of the parts guaranteeing the locking does not affect the moment of release. The moment of release remains dominated by the alignment between the slot and the beak - i.e., the arrival of the lever at its starting position. Otherwise, the more the parts of the past reset devices wear out, the faster the hammering that occurs depending on the movement of the associated control members becomes.

[0019] The present invention also relates to a watch movement comprising a timekeeping mechanism according to the control device according to the above features - more preferably when the timekeeping mechanism is a chronograph mechanism - and to a watch comprising such a watch movement.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0020] Other features and advantages of the present invention will be made apparent by reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, given by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which FIGS. 1 to 4 represent the same simplified front views of the control device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention in four successive arrangements taken when actuated by a user.

[0021]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0022] Figs. 1 to 4 are simplified front views of the control device 1 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing four consecutive states taken when started by a user.

[0023] The control device 1 includes a lever 2 that is attached to a frame member (not shown) of a corresponding timepiece movement and is intended to be pivotable along a rotation axis defined by mounting screws 4 on the frame member.

[0024] The lever 2 has a first arm 6 extending from its rotation axis and is intended to receive a force exerted by a user that is transmitted to the first arm 6 via a corresponding external control member (not shown) of the timepiece - preferably a conventional push button. Accordingly, in response to an appropriate action by the user - preferably the pressure applied to the push button - the lever 2 pivots clockwise from Fig. 1 to Fig. 4.

[0025] The lever 2 includes a second arm 8 that is intended to cooperate with an operating member 10 of the timepiece mechanism of the corresponding timepiece movement. More specifically, the second arm 8 of the lever 2 carries a stop member - here a screw 12 - arranged to project from the second arm 8 so as to be able to cooperate with the operating member 10 when the lever 2 pivots.

[0026] The screw 12 may be replaced by a simple pin, but using an eccentric screw as in this case advantageously allows adjustment of the relative orientation between the second arm 8 and the operating member 10.

[0027] Lever 2 is advantageously associated with an elastic return member, in this case a linear spring 14 integrally formed with the first arm 6, the free end of which presses against a pin 16 integral with the frame of the timepiece movement and is intended to rotate the lever 2 in the counterclockwise direction of rotation as seen in the figure. In the absence of an action by the user, the lever 2 occupies a default rest position which may be defined in particular by a stop member (not shown), for example provided on the main frame or the casing ring, or on the corresponding timepiece case, or directly by an external control member.

[0028] The actuating member 10 has two contact surfaces arranged on either side of the eccentric screw 12, and the lever 2 can act on the actuating member 10 to pivot the actuating member 10 in one or the other direction of rotation.

[0029] In fact, according to the preferred embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, by way of non-limiting example, the actuating member 10 has a base 18 with a central opening 20 intended to enable the actuating member 10 to be assembled to the frame of the corresponding timepiece movement while defining its axis of rotation.

[0030] The first arm 22 extends substantially radially from the base 18 and has a central portion 24 which can cooperate with the eccentric screw 12 of the lever 2 to define one of the aforementioned contact surfaces. The actuating member 10 also comprises, here by way of non-limiting example, a spring 26 extending from the first arm 22, the free end 28 of which defines a second contact surface cooperating with the screw 12 of the lever 2.

[0031] The first arm 22 has a curved end portion 30 which extends away from the base 18 behind its central portion 24, the free end of which defines a substantially tangential peak 32 (with respect to the axis of rotation of the actuating member 10).

[0032] The actuating member 10 also includes a second arm 34 which is intended to actuate an associated timepiece mechanism (not shown) when the actuating member 10 pivots - here in a counterclockwise direction of rotation in the figures from Figure 1 to Figure 4.

[0033] Of course, the second arm 34 is here referred to by way of non - limiting example, and those skilled in the art will not find it particularly difficult to adapt the actuating member according to their own needs without exceeding the scope of the present invention. Thus, it is possible for the actuating member to comprise a plurality of arms intended to cooperate with one or more different mechanisms and / or for the actuating member to carry - in some cases of various types - stop members (here, by way of example, five pins 35, one of which is at the end of the second arm 34, and an eccentric 37), which can actuate the same mechanism in different ways and / or at different timings, or can actuate different mechanisms.

[0034] The control device 1 also comprises a locking member 36 which is intended to be pivotable along a rotation axis defined by a screw 38 for attachment to the frame of the timepiece movement. The locking member 36 is arranged opposite the peak 32 of the actuating member 10 and is in the form of a plate which comprises a slot 40 through which the peak 32 passes, as will become apparent from the remainder of this description.

[0035] The plate of the locking member 36 carries a pin 42 that defines an abutment for an additional elastic return member 44. The locking member 36 is arranged to hold the locking member 36 in a locked state (Figs. 1 and 2), i.e., a state in which the slot 40 is not in a position facing the peak 32 of the actuating member 10. In addition, the plate has an extension 46 arranged to cooperate with a pin 48 integral with the lever 2, whereby rotation of the lever 2 in the clockwise direction of rotation as seen in Figs. 1 to 4 causes rotation of the locking member 36 in the counterclockwise direction of rotation and, in some cases, causes a switch to a neutral state, i.e., a state in which the slot 40 is in a position facing the peak 32, thereby enabling the actuating member 10 to pivot.

[0036] Alternatively, the elastic return member of the locking member may cooperate with a pin integral with the plate of the locking member 36 and integrated with the frame of the timepiece movement, but this does not depart from the scope of the present invention.

[0037] It should be noted that the additional elastic return member 44 here is provided with a base 50 intended to enable it to be fixed to the frame of the corresponding timepiece movement for purposes of illustration.

[0038] Of course, as an alternative, without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims, in particular to reduce the number of components and the thickness of the mechanism in the relevant area, it is also possible for the elastic return member 44, together with its base 50, to be made integral with the locking member 36.

[0039] Next, the operating modes of the control device 1 will be described in relation to four consecutive states shown in Figs. 1 to 4.

[0040] Fig. 1 shows the state of the control device 1 in an initial state, a stationary state, a state before being affected by the operation of the user.

[0041] The lever 2 is held in the rest position by the action of the spring 14, which tends to pivot it in the counterclockwise direction of rotation in the figure of Fig. 1.

[0042] In this position, the pin 48 of the lever 2, in combination with the action of the additional elastic return member 44, defines an abutment for the locking member 36 and maintains the locking member 36 in its locked state, i.e., the state in which its slot 40 is not in a position facing the peak 32 of the actuating member 10. At the same time, the eccentric screw 12 of the lever 2 is positioned to press against the central portion 24 of the first arm 22 of the actuating member 10, and the lever 2 thus holds the actuating member 10 in the neutral or rest position. The free end 28 of the spring 26 is preferably positioned relative to the eccentric screw 12 in this state, and the spring 26 is slightly pre-compressed for this purpose.

[0043] Fig. 2 shows the state of the control device 1 when the lever 2 once begins to rotate clockwise in response to the user's action on the external control member.

[0044] As soon as the lever 2 begins to rotate, the actuating member 10 is stressed in the counterclockwise direction of rotation as seen in Fig. 2 by the action of the eccentric screw 12 on the free end 28 of the spring 26, and its peak 32 is pressed against (or comes into contact if there was a clearance at rest) the plate of the locking member 36. Even if the locking member 36 begins to rotate counterclockwise, the angle covered is not sufficient for the slot 40 to take a position facing the peak 32 of the actuating member 10. Thus, the peak 32 remains in contact with the periphery of the plate of the locking member 36, and the latter is in the locked state of locking the actuating member 10.

[0045] At the same time, the spring 14 of the lever 2 is gradually pulled. Since the actuating member 10 cannot yet pivot, its spring 26 is deformed under the action of the eccentric screw 12 of the lever 2. Thus, the spring 26 functions as a mechanical energy storage member interposed between the lever 2 and the actuating member 10 so that it can store energy when the lever 2 moves from the rest position to the final starting position.

[0046] If the user stops acting on the external control member at this stage, the control device 1 will directly return to its initial state as shown in FIG. 1. In fact, the lever 2 is returned to its rest position by the combined action of the springs 14 and 26, and the eccentric screw 12 thus comes to rest against the central portion 24 of the first arm 22 of the actuating member 10. At the same time, the locking member 36 can pivot in the clockwise direction of rotation until it returns to its initial angular orientation under the action of its additional elastic return member 44.

[0047] On the other hand, if the user continues to act on the external control member, the control device 1 evolves to the state shown in FIG. 3 where its lever 2 has reached the starting position.

[0048] The locking member 36 continues to rotate counterclockwise in the figures of FIGS. 2 and 3 until the slot 40 is in a position facing the peak 32 of the actuating member 10. At this point, the actuating member suddenly becomes free to rotate in the counterclockwise direction, and as can be seen from the state shown in FIG. 3, the mechanical energy previously stored in the spring 26 promotes the rapid rotation of the actuating member 10. Preferably, the amount of movement covered by the eccentric screw 12 when the lever 2 moves from its rest position to its operating position corresponds at least to the amount of movement covered by the peak 32 in order to reach the screw 38 of the locking member 36 when the actuating member 10 moves from its locked position shown in FIG. 2 to its operating position shown in FIG. 3. Thus, when the actuating member is arranged in the operating position shown in FIG. 3, the central portion 24 of its first arm 22 moves so as to approach the eccentric screw 12 without necessarily contacting it.

[0049] During this rapid rotational movement, the second arm 34 of the actuating member 10 (and other possible stop members as described above) also moves counterclockwise in the figures of FIGS. 2 and 3, and the control device 1 actuates a member for resetting the associated timekeeping mechanism(s), for example, one or more chronograph counters to zero. It can be seen that the amplitude of the movement of the actuating member 10, and thus its second arm 34, does not directly depend on the movement of the lever 2. The start of the operation of the associated timekeeping mechanism is conditioned by the amplitude of the movement of the lever 2 which has to move until it reaches the starting position. This switch is substantially synchronous with the lever 2 reaching the starting position.

[0050] When the user releases the lever 2, for example, by stopping the operation on the associated external control member, the lever 2 swings counterclockwise in the figure of FIG. 4 under the action of its spring 14. During this movement, the lever 2 acts on the actuating member 10 by the eccentric screw 12 applying pressure to the central part 24 of the first arm 22, as a result of which the actuating member 10 is swung in the clockwise direction of rotation to return to the neutral position.

[0051] At the same time, the lever 2 releases the locking member 36 and its pin 48 moves away from the extension 46. However, the locking member 36 remains locked in its neutral position as long as the beak 32 is engaged in its slot 40, and thus prevents the rotation of its plate. Therefore, the elastic return member 44 of the locking member 36 remains tensioned until the beak 32 disengages from the slot 40. Once the beak 32 disengages from the slot 40, the additional elastic return member 44 swings the locking member 36 in the clockwise direction of rotation in the figure of FIG. 4 to return it to its locked state, and the entire control device 1 thus returns to its initial state as illustrated in FIG. 1.

[0052] It can be seen that the locking member 36 makes a reciprocating movement each time the control device 1 is actuated by the user, which makes it possible to further limit the size of the device according to the invention.

[0053] The foregoing description has shown how it is possible to manufacture a control device for a timekeeping mechanism having an "all or nothing" type of operation, this control device being very simple to configure and assemble and taking up little space since its components are distributed over only two levels in the thickness direction of the control device. It should be noted that it is even possible to modify the shape of the parts described above in order to manufacture the control device according to the invention at a single level. The various components of the control device according to the invention can also have very different shapes without affecting their functionality, whereby it is clearly understood that the watch movement manufacturer can obtain great flexibility when distributing the various components involved, including the components of the associated timekeeping mechanism. Furthermore, the control device according to the invention is perfectly suitable for an implementation having operating parameters adapted to a conventional chronograph mechanism, in particular a corresponding pusher travel on the order of 0.8 to 1 mm and an operating force on the order of 8 to 12 N, but it can also be implemented with a particular mechanism having reduced operating values, for example a pusher stroke on the order of 0.3 mm and a force on the order of 1.5 to 2.5 N.

[0054] The foregoing description has been intended to illustrate specific embodiments by way of non - limiting examples, and the present invention is not limited to the implementation of the specific features described herein, such as the fact that a particular elastic member is made integrally with a particular component of the device. Indeed, without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims, the various elastic members of the control device as described herein can be configured differently (in particular, by reversing their implantation), the spring interposed between the lever and the actuating member can, in particular, be carried by the lever as an alternative to what has been described, or it can be assumed that the device is composed of a particular additional elastic return member for returning the actuating member to its neutral position. Generally speaking, as an alternative, some or all of the various movable components of the control device according to the present invention, namely, part or all of the lever and / or the actuating member and / or the locking member, can move translationally, and in some cases linearly, rather than rotationally as described. Furthermore, it goes without saying that a person skilled in the art can adapt the teachings of the present invention by associating the control device with a timekeeping mechanism other than a chronograph mechanism without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. The present invention is a control device for a timepiece movement, comprising: - a lever intended to be actuated to move from a rest position to a starting position in response to an action by a user on an external control part; - an elastic return member arranged to return the lever to the rest position; - an actuating member movable between a neutral position and an operating position; - a mechanical energy storage member interposed between the lever and the actuating member, wherein in the operating position, the actuating member is intended to actuate the timepiece mechanism of the timepiece movement, and the arrangement of the mechanical energy storage member is such that when the lever moves towards the starting position, the mechanical energy storage member accumulates energy, and by moving the actuating member towards the operating position, when the lever reaches the starting position, the mechanical energy storage member releases energy; the control device further comprises a locking member intended to actuate in response to an operation of the user on an external control member, the locking member being switched from a locked state in which, in an initial state, the locking member holds the actuating member in a locked state by means of an additional elastic return member, to a neutral state in which the locking member releases the actuating member to enable the actuating member to actuate the timepiece mechanism, in response to the operation of the user on the external control member; the lever and the locking member are arranged such that the switching of the locking member to the neutral state is substantially synchronous with the arrival of the lever at the starting position; Device, characterized in that.

2. Device according to claim 1, wherein the locking member is arranged to perform a reciprocating movement between the states of the locking member.

3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the lever also acts on the actuating member and is arranged to move the actuating member towards the neutral position when moving towards the rest position.

4. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the energy storage member is made to comprise the actuating member and has a portion that presses directly or indirectly against the lever.

5. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the lever acts on the locking member and is provided with a stop member arranged to move the locking member from the locked state to the neutral state in response to an operation of the user on the external control member.

6. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the locking member comprises a plate intended to be rotatably mounted on the frame member of the timepiece movement so as to be provided on the opposite side of the peak of the actuating member for locking the actuating member, the plate has a slot, and the slot is intended to be provided opposite the peak in the neutral state of the locking member in order to allow displacement of the actuating member by inserting the peak into the slot, characterized in that.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein the additional elastic return member is arranged to apply a return force to the plate and to try to return the locking member from the neutral state to the locked state, while being intended to be fixed to the frame member of the timepiece movement.

8. A timepiece movement comprising a timepiece mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. The timepiece movement according to claim 8, wherein the timepiece mechanism is a chronograph mechanism comprising at least one zero return arranged to be actuated by the actuating member in response to an operation of the user on the external control member.

10. A timepiece comprising the timepiece movement according to claim 8 or 9 and an external control member arranged to act on the lever in response to a predetermined action of the user to move the lever towards the starting position of the lever.

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