Tourbillon or carousel mechanism for watch movements

Abstract

The present invention provides a rotating cage (3) configured to rotate by a power source (M); a balance spring oscillator (7) supported by a rotating cage (3); an escapement (9) carried by the rotating cage (3) and configured to cooperate with the oscillator (7) to maintain its oscillation, the escape wheel (11) being integrally mounted in rotation on an escapement pinion (15) pivotally mounted relative to the rotating cage (3) and meshing with teeth (17) carried by the frame element; According to the invention, the mechanism further comprises a display element (23) kinematically coupled to the escape wheel (11) and indicating the minutes of the time division.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of horology, more particularly to tourbillon or carousel mechanisms for timepiece movements. [Background technology]

[0002] US Patent No. 5,949,999 discloses a tourbillon mechanism in which a cage carries a small seconds hand. This hand is driven by an intermediate gear that meshes with a fixed wheel, so that as the cage rotates, the intermediate gear rolls on the fixed wheel, causing the hand to rotate relative to said cage.

[0003] While this mechanism is certainly interesting, because the small seconds hand is driven in this way, its rotation speed is limited and the angle swept by the hand is very small, resulting in imprecise display of fractional seconds. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] European Patent No. 0973076 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a tourbillon or carousel mechanism for a timepiece in which the above-mentioned drawbacks are at least partially overcome. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] More specifically, the present invention relates to a tourbillon or carousel mechanism for a timepiece movement as defined in claim 1. This mechanism comprises: a rotating cage configured to rotate with a power source; a balance hairspring oscillator carried by the rotating cage; an escapement carried by said rotating cage and configured to cooperate with said oscillator to maintain its oscillation, said escape wheel being mounted in unison with rotation on an escapement pinion pivotally mounted relative to said rotating cage and meshing with teeth carried on a frame element; The teeth may be fixed relative to the frame (tourbillon structure) or rotatable (carousel structure).

[0007] According to the invention, the tourbillon or carousel mechanism further comprises a display element (e.g., a hand, a disk, a sector, etc.) kinematically coupled to said escape wheel and indicating fractions of a time division, said display element being driven by said escape wheel via an appropriate kinematic chain. In other words, the display element indicating fractions of a time division is kinematically downstream of the escape wheel. Said time divisions may be seconds (in which case the display element indicating fractions of a time division serves to indicate fractions of a second) or may be other time divisions (minutes, hours, etc.).

[0008] By these means, a display of fractions of a time division is obtained and, since the display is driven by the rotation of the escape wheel rather than the rotation of the cage, the display is improved, particularly in terms of the angle swept by the display member with each step of the escape wheel.

[0009] Advantageously, the watch comprises a drive wheel mounted in integral rotation with said escape wheel and adapted to drive said display member showing said minutes of a time division.

[0010] In one variant, the display member showing the minutes of the time division is pivotally mounted on a frame element provided for this purpose, the axis of rotation of which is usually, but not necessarily, coaxial with the axis of rotation of the cage.

[0011] In another variant, the display element showing the minutes of the time division is pivotally mounted to the rotating cage, which is particularly advantageous when the cage is mounted in a flying manner (i.e. supported only at the base), although a conventional pivotal connection between bearings is also possible.

[0012] Advantageously, the display element showing the minutes of the time division is arranged superimposed on a dial carried by the rotating cage, which makes the display particularly clear.

[0013] In one variant, the dial is mounted integrally with the rotating cage and therefore rotates together with the cage.

[0014] In another variant, the dial is pivotally mounted on the rotating cage and is configured to maintain a constant orientation relative to the fixed, and therefore non-rotating, frame element. This dial is of the so-called "orbital dial" type, with the origin of its graduations and markings maintaining the same orientation relative to the 12-6 o'clock axis of the watch in which the tourbillon or carousel mechanism is integrated. Note that the main dial of the watch may be oriented along the 12-6 o'clock axis, or any desired orientation may be adopted.

[0015] Advantageously, said constant orientation is ensured by a gear train carried by the rotating cage and driven by a pinion driven by a drive wheel mounted in unison to the escape wheel, said pinion being kinematically connected to a wheel mounted in unison to the dial.

[0016] Alternatively, said constant orientation may be ensured by a fixed tooth carried on a frame element, said fixed tooth being kinematically connected to a wheel mounted in unison with said dial.

[0017] Advantageously, the kinematic connection between the escape wheel and the display element showing the fractional time divisions is formed by a train of wheels all having teeth with a module of less than 0.05 mm, although it goes without saying that any other suitable module may be used.

[0018] Further details of the invention will become apparent from the following description, which is given with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of a tourbillon or carousel mechanism according to the present invention; FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of the tourbillon or carousel mechanism of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of another embodiment of a tourbillon or carousel mechanism according to the invention; [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view of the tourbillon or carousel mechanism of FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view of a tourbillon or carousel mechanism according to yet another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view of a tourbillon or carousel mechanism according to yet another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] 1 and 2 show a first embodiment of a tourbillon or carousel mechanism 1 according to the present invention. The terms "tourbillon" and "carousel" are broadly interpreted to encompass multi-axis, flying, and pivoted tourbillons and carousels. The main difference between a tourbillon and a carousel lies in the drive system: in a true tourbillon, the escapement pinion meshes directly or indirectly with a fixed gear, whereas in a carousel, there is no fixed gear and the escapement cooperates with a moving wheel. For ease of reading, the following description will use only the term "tourbillon," but will implicitly refer to either "tourbillon" or "carousel," depending on whether the escapement cooperates with a fixed or rotating gear.

[0021] The tourbillon mechanism 1 comprises a rotating cage 3 pivotally mounted to a frame element (not shown) and adapted to be rotated by a power source M of any known kind (typically a mainspring housed in a barrel). The power source M cooperates with a cage wheel 5 via a suitable gear train. In the embodiment shown, the cage wheel 5 is a pinion arranged on the case back side of the cage 3, although other toothings are possible, for example a peripheral gear (internal or external). The cage 3 is mounted in a flying manner, although a pivotal connection between conventional bearings is also possible. Furthermore, the cage 3 may be formed as a plate.

[0022] As is commonly known, cage 3 houses a balance hairspring oscillator 7, which in this example is pivotally mounted within cage 3 but whose rotation axes may be supported by frame elements at one, both, or all of its axes. While a conventional balance hairspring oscillator 7 is shown here, any type of balance and hairspring may be used. Furthermore, while balance hairspring 7 is shown coaxial with the rotation axis of cage 3, it may be off-center, and therefore not coincident with the rotation axis of cage 3. Additionally, while the angle formed by the axis of display member 23 and the axis of cage 3 are parallel in this example, they may not be parallel if either or both are tilted relative to the vertical (i.e., perpendicular to the plane of the movement).

[0023] The cage also carries the escapement 9, which includes an escapement wheel 11 and an anchor 13, which interact with each other and with the balance spring in a known manner to maintain its oscillation. In the embodiment shown, the escapement 9 is of the Swiss lever type, although other known forms (detent, Omega-Daniels, etc.) may be used.

[0024] The escape wheel 11 is mounted in integral rotation on an escape pinion 15, thereby forming the escapement wheel. The pinion 15 is in direct mesh with teeth 17 attached to a frame element (not shown), so that the escapement wheel rotates about its axis as the cage 3 rotates. In the illustrated embodiment, the teeth 17 are fixed relative to the frame (tourbillon construction), but they may also be rotatable via a drive gear (not shown) (carousel construction).

[0025] The rotation speed of cage 3 can be freely selected, but it is usually set to one rotation per minute, and index 19 allows the seconds to be displayed.

[0026] According to the invention, the escapement member further carries a drive wheel 21 which is mounted integrally with the escapement wheel 11 and the escapement pinion 15 in rotation.

[0027] This drive wheel transmits rotary motion to a display member 23, pivotally mounted on the cage 3, which displays fractions of a time division. In the embodiment shown, the time divisions are seconds, and therefore the display member 23 displaying fractions of a time division is a fraction-of-seconds display member 23 (i.e., displays fractions of seconds), and this particular terminology will be used in the detailed description in relation to the embodiment shown. However, fractions of other time divisions (e.g., showing fractions of minutes, hours, etc.) can be displayed by the display member 23 displaying fractions of a time division, in which case it will of course be necessary to adjust the gear ratio appropriately. This adjustment is within the capabilities of a person skilled in the art and therefore does not require a detailed description.

[0028] Returning to the embodiment of Figure 1, a transmission moving part 25 pivotally mounted on the cage 3 is responsible for transmitting rotation from the drive wheel 21 to a seconds fraction display element 23, which here has the shape of a hand, but which may also have the shape of a disc, sector or any other suitable shape. This seconds fraction display element 23 moves over markings, indexes or the like 29 carried by the cage 3, although this is not essential.

[0029] The gear ratio between the drive wheel 21 and the fractional seconds display member 23 can be freely selected, allowing the display member 23 to be driven about its axis of rotation at any desired rotational speed. The position of the axis of rotation of the fractional seconds display member 23 can also be freely selected, and can be off-center relative to the cage 3, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, or it can be coaxial. Furthermore, the fractional seconds display member 23 can simply be attached to the escapement wheel 21 so that it rotates integrally with it.

[0030] Advantageously, the drive wheel 21, the toothed element of the transmission moving part 25 and the wheel 27 integrally mounted on the second fraction display member 23 can all have teeth with a module of less than 0.05 mm, which allows for a smoother and less irregular operation.

[0031] During operation of the tourbillon mechanism 1 according to the invention, the seconds fraction display member 23 is driven by the escapement members 11,15 and rotates about its own axis relative to the cage 3 as the escapement members 11,15 rotate.

[0032] Figures 3 and 4 show a second embodiment of a tourbillon mechanism 1 according to the invention, which, unlike the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2, has a seconds element 23 that is not carried by the cage 3 but by a support 31 that is attached to the frame and / or dial in a rotatable manner, and whose axis of rotation is coaxial with that of the cage 3.

[0033] Figure 5 shows yet another embodiment of a tourbillon mechanism 1 according to the invention, which differs from the one shown in Figures 1 and 2 in that the markings or indices 29 are carried by an orbital dial 33 that is off-centre with respect to the axis of rotation of the cage 3 and that rotates about its own axis of rotation and is configured to maintain the same orientation with respect to the frame and / or the main dial of the timepiece in which the tourbillon mechanism is incorporated.

[0034] For this reason, the orbital dial 33 is rotatably attached to the cage 3 and is attached to a wheel 35 so as to rotate integrally with it, and the wheel 35 is rotationally driven via an intermediate gear 39 by a pinion 37 attached to the movable transmission part 25 so as to rotate integrally with it. The intermediate gear 39 is also pivotally attached to the cage, but its axis and rotation axis are not shown. Furthermore, the pinion 37, intermediate gear 39, and wheel 35 are drawn as pitch circles, and their teeth are not drawn.

[0035] The gear ratio between the pinion 37 and the wheel 35 is selected so that the orbital dial 33 rotates around its axis of rotation in the opposite direction to the cage 3 in the same time period, thereby maintaining its orientation relative to the frame and / or main dial.

[0036] Figure 6 shows yet another embodiment of a tourbillon mechanism according to the invention, which includes an orbital dial 33. This embodiment differs from the embodiment of Figure 5 in the way in which the orbital dial 33 is driven to rotate about its own axis of rotation.

[0037] In this variant, a pair of intermediate gears kinematically connects the wheel 39 to a fixed gear 45 mounted in unison with the wheel on a frame element (not shown). Again, elements 39, 41, 43, 45 are shown as pitch circles, and the axes of intermediate gears 41 and 43 are not shown.

[0038] The gear ratio between the fixed gear and the wheel 39 is selected so that the orbital dial 33 rotates around its axis of rotation in the opposite direction to the cage 3 in the same time period, thereby maintaining its orientation relative to the frame and / or main dial.

[0039] In terms of materials that can be used, all materials used in modern watchmaking are considered (metals, non-metals such as silicon, silicon compounds, synthetic diamond, sapphire, structurable glasses, ceramics, glass-ceramics, metallic glasses, polymers, composite materials, materials suitable for additive manufacturing, etc.) Furthermore, components may have flexible pivots if this is technically feasible.

[0040] While the present invention has been described in terms of specific embodiments, further modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. a rotating cage (3) configured to rotate by a power source (M); a balance hairspring oscillator (7) carried by the rotating cage (3); an escapement (9) carried by the rotating cage (3) and configured to cooperate with the balance hairspring oscillator (7) to maintain its oscillation, the escape wheel (11) being integrally mounted in rotation on an escapement pinion (15) pivotally mounted relative to the rotating cage (3) and meshing with teeth (17) carried on a frame element; a display member (23) kinematically connected to said escape wheel (11) and indicating the minutes of a time division; A tourbillon or carousel mechanism (1) for a watch movement, characterized in that it comprises:

2. 2. A tourbillon or carousel mechanism (1) according to claim 1, comprising a drive wheel (21) attached to said escape wheel (11) in integral rotation and configured to drive said display member (23) showing said minutes of the time divisions.

3. 3. A tourbillon or carousel mechanism (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the display element (23) showing the minutes of the time divisions is pivotally mounted on a frame element (31).

4. 3. A tourbillon or carousel mechanism (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the display element (23) showing the minutes of the time divisions is pivotally mounted on the rotating cage (3).

5. 5. A tourbillon or carousel mechanism (1) according to claim 4, wherein the display element (23) showing the minutes of the time divisions is arranged superimposed on a dial (33) carried by the rotating cage (3).

6. 6. A tourbillon or carousel mechanism (1) according to claim 5, wherein the dial (33) is mounted in a rotationally coherent manner on the rotating cage (3).

7. 6. A tourbillon or carousel mechanism (1) according to claim 5, wherein the dial (33) is pivotally mounted on the rotating cage (3) and is configured to maintain a constant orientation relative to the frame elements.

8. 8. A tourbillon or carousel mechanism (1) according to claim 7, wherein said constant orientation is ensured by a gear train (35, 37, 39) carried by the rotating cage and driven by a pinion (37) driven by a drive wheel (21) mounted in unison to the escape wheel (11), said pinion (37) being kinematically connected to a wheel (35) mounted in unison to the dial (33).

9. 8. A tourbillon or carousel mechanism (1) according to claim 7, wherein said constant orientation is ensured by fixed teeth (45) carried by a frame element, said fixed teeth (45) being kinematically connected to a wheel (39) mounted integrally with said dial (33).

10. 10. A tourbillon or carousel mechanism (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the kinematic connection (21, 25, 27) between the escape wheel (11) and the display element (23) showing the minutes of the time divisions is formed by a train of movable elements (21, 25, 27) all having teeth with a module of less than 0.05 mm.

11. 11. Tourbillon or carousel mechanism (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein said time divisions are seconds.

12. A timepiece movement comprising a tourbillon or carousel mechanism (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. A timepiece comprising the timepiece movement according to claim 12.

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