Clock mechanism with jumping disc

Abstract

The present invention relates to a clock mechanism comprising: a jumping disc 1 arranged to jump one step at a time in the rotational direction; a drive device for driving the jumping disc, including a rotary drive member 10, wherein the drive member 10 is arranged to remain stationary during the stationary phase and to drive the jumping disc 1 one step at a time so as to jump in the rotational direction during the jumping phase; and a lock device for locking the jumping disc, which is arranged to allow rotation of the jumping disc 1 in the rotational direction during the jumping phase and to prevent rotation of the jumping disc 1 at least in the rotational direction during the stationary phase. The locking device is mounted between the jumping disc 1 and the drive member 10 and includes a locking lever 22 with a head 25, the locking lever 22 being movable between a high-locked position and a low-release position, in the high-locked position the head 25 can be held by the outer peripheral edge 10b of the drive member 10 and at the same time form a rotation stopper in the rotational direction for the jumping disc 1 during the stationary phase, in the low-release position the head 25 is engaged in a notch 24 provided on the outer peripheral edge 10b of the drive member 10 so as to be disengaged from the jumping disc 1, the notch 24 being positioned at least partially facing the locking lever 22 at the start of the jump phase so as to allow the jumping disc 1 to rotate freely, in order to prevent any double jumps or any untimely jumps in the rotational direction of the jump in the event of a collision, and being positioned so as to no longer face the head 25 after the jump phase or preferably before the end of the jump phase so as to allow the locking lever 22 to return to its high-locked position.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a timepiece mechanism comprising a jumping disk arranged to be able to jump one step at a time in a rotational direction, a drive device for driving the jumping disk, the drive device including a rotational drive member, the rotational drive member being arranged such that it does not move with the jumping disk during a stationary phase and drives the jumping disk one step at a time so as to jump in the aforementioned rotational direction during a jump phase, and a locking device for locking the jumping disk, the locking device being arranged such that it allows rotation of the jumping disk in the aforementioned rotational direction during a jump phase and prevents rotation of the jumping disk at least in the aforementioned rotational direction during a stationary phase.

[0002] The present invention also relates to a timepiece comprising such a timepiece mechanism.

Background Art

[0003] Such a mechanism is described, for example, in Swiss Patent Application No. 717262. More specifically, this mechanism is dedicated to a date disc coupled to a drive device, the drive device comprising a control element mounted in a manner that allows it to move between a stationary position uncoupled from the date disc and an incrementing position coupled to the date disc. The control element is mounted on a pivot frame so that it can tilt between the two positions. The mechanism comprises a locking device that allows for the prevention of any accidental increments in the event of a collision or the like. The locking device comprises a pin mounted on the pivot frame, which is positioned to engage between two edge teeth on the outer circumference of the date disc when the pivot frame is in the stationary position. This locking device carries the risk of not working if the pivot frame does not return to the correct stationary position so that the pin is mispositioned. Furthermore, since the locking device only functions when the pivot frame is in the stationary position, there is a risk of a double jump if the pivot frame does not return to that stationary position at just the right time. In addition, this requires the design of a specific date disc with edge teeth all around its outer circumference.

[0004] Another possible method of immobilizing a jumping disc, as known to those skilled in the art, is to provide a jumper, as is conventional. Such a jumper is positioned to rise against a restorative force exerted by a spring associated with the jumper during the jump phase, allowing the disc's rotation to perform its jump. To prevent rotation in the direction of the jump when a collision occurs, it is possible, for example, to increase the force of the jumper's spring. However, this would have the disadvantage of requiring considerable force and therefore expending a large amount of energy to raise the jumper during the jump phase.

[0005] Another known solution for locking a jumping disc during its stationary phase is to use a lever instead of a conventional jumper, which moves between a locked position in which the jumping disc is locked and a released position in which the jumping disc is released to perform its jump. U.S. Patent Application No. 2002 / 080686, UK Patent No. 1035295, French Patent No. 1602910, and UK Patent No. 2042225 describe the use of such a lever. However, the first three of these documents all propose associating a spring with the lever so that the lever can be pressed against and held against the jumping disc. As a result, the movement of the lever between its locked and released positions requires a certain amount of energy to counteract the opposing force applied to the lever by such a spring. Regarding UK Patent No. 2042225, this document proposes a solution in which the spring is not pressed against the lever. However, in this document, British Patent No. 2042225, a drive member is provided to displace the jumping disc, but a separate additional member consisting of a Maltese cross is also provided, and the lever must cooperate with this additional member to achieve its locking and releasing functions. The disadvantages of such a mechanism having an additional member in addition to the drive member are that the mechanism has a complex structure and is quite bulky. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Swiss Patent Application No. 717262 [Patent Document 2] U.S. Patent Application No. 2002 / 080686 [Patent Document 3] British Patent No. 1035295 [Patent Document 4] French Patent No. 1602910 [Patent Document 5] British Patent No. 2042225 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] The present invention aims to at least partially improve these shortcomings by proposing a clock mechanism equipped with a device for locking the jumping disc, which prevents unintentional jumps under certain circumstances, such as when a collision occurs while the clock is stationary, and which prevents double jumps of the jumping disc during the jump phase while minimizing energy consumption during the jump phase.

[0008] Another objective of the present invention is to propose a mechanism with a simple and compact structure. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] For this purpose, the present invention relates to a clock mechanism comprising: a jumping disc arranged to jump one step at a time in the rotational direction; a drive device for driving the jumping disc, comprising a rotary drive member, wherein the rotary drive member is arranged to remain stationary during the stationary phase and to drive the jumping disc one step at a time in the aforementioned rotational direction during the jumping phase; and a lock device for locking the jumping disc, arranged to allow rotation of the jumping disc in the aforementioned rotational direction during the jumping phase and to prevent rotation of the jumping disc at least in the aforementioned rotational direction during the stationary phase.

[0010] According to the present invention, the locking device comprises a locking lever positioned between a jumping disc and a drive member and preferably mounted to be freely rotatable, the locking lever comprising a head and positioned to be movable between a high locking position and a low release position, wherein in the high locking position, the head is held by the outer peripheral edge of the drive member and simultaneously forms a rotation stopper in the aforementioned rotational direction for the jumping disc during the stationary phase, and in the low release position, the head is engaged in a notch provided on the outer peripheral edge of the drive member so as to be disengaged from the jumping disc, the notch being positioned at least partially facing the head of the locking lever at the start of the jump phase so as to allow the jumping disc to rotate freely, and being positioned so as not to face the head of the locking lever after the jump phase or preferably before the end of the jump phase so as to allow the locking lever to return to its high locking position.

[0011] Therefore, the jumping disc can rotate freely in one direction during the jump phase, and its rotation in the same direction is locked at least during the stationary phase to prevent any unintentional jumps in the aforementioned direction, for example, in the event of a collision. Furthermore, in a preferred embodiment, the locking device functions after the jump has occurred and until the end of the jump phase to prevent a double jump of the jumping disc. Thus, the locking device according to the present invention acts as both a double jump device and a collision device.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment, the jumping disc is an hour disc, and the drive member is driven via an hour wheel.

[0013] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of embodiments of the invention, provided as non-limiting examples, with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] This is a top view of the clock mechanism according to the present invention at a certain position in the period between two stationary stages. [Figure 2] This is a top view of the clock mechanism according to the present invention at a certain position in the period between two stationary stages. [Figure 3] This is a top view of the clock mechanism according to the present invention at a certain position in the period between two stationary stages. [Figure 4] This is a top view of the clock mechanism according to the present invention at a certain position in the period between two stationary stages. [Figure 5] This is a top view of the clock mechanism according to the present invention at a certain position in the period between two stationary stages. [Figure 6] This is a top view of the clock mechanism according to the present invention at a certain position in the period between two stationary stages. [Figure 7] This is a top view of the clock mechanism according to the present invention at a certain position in the period between two stationary stages. [Figure 8] This is a top view of the clock mechanism according to the present invention in the event of a collision that may cause the jumping disc to rotate in one direction and the other. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0015] The present invention relates to a timekeeping mechanism having a jumping disk, and more specifically will be described below with reference to a timekeeping mechanism intended to be realized by a jumping hour mechanism. Referring to FIG. 1, this mechanism shown in the position at the stationary stage comprises a jumping hour disk 1 shown partially in the figure, and this jumping hour disk 1 is arranged so that it can jump one step at a time in the rotational direction during the jump stage, that is, here it can jump one hour at a time in the clockwise direction. More specifically, the jumping disk 1 has the form of a ring, its center is A, the center is empty, it defines an inner circumference 1a, and on the jumping disk 1, the 12 numbers of the hours from 1 to 12 are distributed in a regular and orderly manner. The same number of teeth 2 as the number of jumps performed in at least one rotation are provided on the inner circumference 1a. It is preferable that the same number of teeth 2 as the number of jumps performed in one rotation are provided, that is, here, it is preferable that 12 teeth 2 are provided corresponding to one tooth 2 for each hour displayed on the jumping disk 1. The jumping disk 1 is attached to the frame of the mechanism and can rotate freely around the center A. The jumping disk 1 is guided in rotation, for example, by a runner 4. Any other guiding means can be used.

[0016] A drive device 5 for the jumping disk 1, which comprises a drive pinion 6 engaged with the hour wheel 7 of the timepiece movement and a drive star 8 integral with the aforementioned drive pinion 6, is positioned at the center of the jumping disk 1. The drive star 8 has teeth 8a reaching four here, and its role will be described below. The hour wheel 7 rotates once in 12 hours, or according to another variant form, in 24 hours, and slowly drives the drive pinion 6, and thus the drive star 8, to rotate counterclockwise by 45° per hour.

[0017] The drive device 5 also includes a rotary drive member 10 that can rotate freely around the center A. The drive member 10 is attached to the frame of the mechanism concentrically with the jumping disk 1 at the same height as the jumping disk 1. The drive member 10 is guided in rotation by, for example, a runner 12. Any other guiding means can be used.

[0018] The drive member 10 has the overall form of a ring that defines an inner peripheral edge 10a and an outer peripheral edge 10b.

[0019] The drive member 10 is associated with an elastic return member 11 such as a return spring. The drive member 10 described above is rotated in the other rotational direction, which is counterclockwise here, independently of the jumping disk 1 by winding up its return member 11 during the winding-up stage, and during the jump stage, it rotates in the rotational direction of the jump, which is clockwise here, under the influence of its return member 11, and cooperates with the jumping disk 1 to drive the jumping disk 1 step by step in the aforementioned rotational direction of the jump so as to jump.

[0020] For this purpose, a catch 14 is provided on the inner peripheral edge 10a of the drive member 10 so as to be able to engage with the teeth 8a of the drive star 8, and drives the drive member 10 counterclockwise over the winding-up stage. Therefore, the rotation of the drive star 8 in the other rotational direction, which is counterclockwise here, promotes the rotation of the drive member 10 in the aforementioned counterclockwise direction through the contact between the teeth 8a and the catch 14. During this time, the elastic return member 11 of the drive member 10 is gradually wound up. This stage corresponds to the winding-up stage.

[0021] The teeth 8a of the drive star 8 and the catch 14 are configured such that once the counterclockwise rotation required to wind up the return member 11 has occurred, the teeth 8a will no longer engage with the catch 14 and will continue to rotate counterclockwise. Thus, the drive member 10 is released over the jump phase, and the return member 11 releases all of its energy by immediately returning the drive member 10 to a clockwise rotation so that the drive member 10 returns to its position during the stationary phase. The teeth 8a are also configured not to drive the drive member 10 during the stationary phase, and the aforementioned drive member 10 does not move during the aforementioned stationary phase. The jumping disc 1 does not move during the stationary phase and the winding phase.

[0022] For the drive of the jumping disc 1 by the drive member 10 in a step-by-step manner, causing it to jump in the direction of rotation of the jump during the jump phase, the cooperation between the drive member 10 and the jumping disc 1 is preferably, though not necessarily, direct. For this purpose, a flexible claw 16, which is a claw attached to a spring blade integral with the drive member 10, is provided on the outer peripheral edge 10b of the drive member 10. The flexible claw 16 is positioned to withdraw contact with the teeth 2' of the jumping disc 1 when the drive member 10 is driven in the other direction of rotation, which is counterclockwise, during the winding phase, and to drive the jumping disc 1 in the direction of rotation of the jump, which is clockwise, by preferably direct contact pushing the teeth 2' of the jumping disc 1 in the aforementioned direction of rotation, which is clockwise, when the drive member 10 rotates clockwise during the jump phase and is returned to its resting position by its return member 11. The flexible claw 16 is advantageously configured to have an inclined plane on its rear edge in the clockwise direction to facilitate passing behind the teeth 2' during the winding phase, and a straight surface on its front end configured to face the teeth 2' at the start of the jump phase. During the jump phase, the sudden rotation of the drive member 10, released from the star 8 and returned by the return member 11, causes a sudden rotation of the jumping disc 1, which is pushed by the flexible claw 16, thereby achieving an hour jump.

[0023] To restrict the rotation of the drive member 10, the drive member 10 is positioned to move between two stoppers, one of which corresponds to the position of the drive member 10 during the stationary phase, and the other corresponding to the position of the drive member 10 at the end of the winding phase. For this purpose, the drive member 10 has an oval opening 18, within which a pin 20, integrated with the frame, moves around. The rear edge 18a in the clockwise direction of the opening 18 may constitute a stopper for the pin 20 when the drive member 10 reaches its position during the stationary phase, and the front edge 18b in the clockwise direction may constitute a stopper for the pin 20 when the drive member 10 reaches its position at the end of the winding phase. The front stopper 18b preferably determines play with the position of the drive member 10 at the end of the winding phase. Such play allows the front stopper 18b to only contact the pin 20 in the event of a collision during the winding phase. Therefore, the movement of the drive member 10 is restricted by at least one of the two stoppers 18a and 18b.

[0024] The clock mechanism also includes a locking device for locking the jumping disc 1, which is positioned to allow the jumping disc 1 to rotate in the direction of the jump, i.e., clockwise, during the jumping phase, and to prevent the jumping disc 1 from rotating at least in the aforementioned direction during the stationary phase, thereby preventing any unintentional jumps, such as jumps or double jumps, in the event of a collision.

[0025] According to the present invention, the aforementioned locking device comprises a locking lever 22 mounted between the jumping disc 1 and the drive member 10 at the same height in the shown example. The locking lever is mounted so as to be able to rotate freely around axis B and is arranged so as to be able to move freely between a locked position called a high locking position and a released position called a low release position. In the high locking position, the locking lever 22, in particular its head 25, is held by the outer peripheral edge 10b of the drive member 10 and at the same time can form a rotation stopper in the direction of rotation of the jump, which is clockwise for the jumping disc 1 during the stationary phase. In the low release position, the locking lever 22, in particular its head 25, is engaged with a notch 24 provided on the aforementioned outer peripheral edge 10b of the drive member 10 so as to be disengaged from the jumping disc 1 at least at the start of the jumping phase. For this purpose, the aforementioned notch 24 is positioned to face at least partially the head 25 of the lock lever 22 at the start of the jump phase so that the jumping disc 1 can rotate freely while the drive member 10 is rotating in the other rotational direction, which here is counterclockwise, and is positioned so that it is no longer facing the head 25 of the lock lever 22 after the jump phase, or preferably before the end of the jump phase and after the start of the jump phase, so that the lock lever 22 returns to its high-lock position following the rotation of the drive member 10 in the jump rotational direction, which here is clockwise. This means that during the stationary phase before and after the jump phase, or preferably during the stationary phase and from the start of the jump phase until the end of the jump phase, the notch 24 is not facing the head 25 of the lock lever 22, while the notch 24 is facing the head 25 at the start of the jump phase.

[0026] The lock lever 22 is preferably positioned between the inner circumference 1a of the jumping disc 1 and the outer peripheral edge 10b of the drive member 10, and the arm of the lock lever 22 extends approximately concentrically with the jumping disc 1 and the drive member 10.

[0027] The lock lever 22 has a head 25 at its free end, which has a heel 26 positioned to cooperate with one of the teeth 2 of the jumping disc 1 when it is in its high-locked position. The head 25 also has a beak 28 on the opposite side of the heel 26, which is positioned to cooperate with the outer peripheral edge 10b of the drive member 10 when the lock lever 22 is in its high position, and to cooperate with a notch 24 of the drive member 10 when the lock lever 22 is in its low-release position.

[0028] The teeth 2 of the jumping disc 1, the heel 26 and beak 28 of the lock lever are sized such that when the lock lever 22 is in its high-lock position, the teeth 2 of the jumping disc 1 contact the heel 26 when the jumping disc rotates while the beak 28 is held in place by the outer peripheral edge 10b of the drive member 10, and when the lock lever 22 is in its low-release position, the engagement of the beak 28 at the notch 24 allows the lock lever 22 to pivot sufficiently around its axis B in order to move the heel 26 of the lock lever 22 away from the teeth 2 of the jumping disc 1. In this position, each of the aforementioned jumping disc 1, particularly its teeth 2, can pass over the lock lever 22 and rotate freely.

[0029] Preferably, the notch 24 is sized and positioned on the outer peripheral edge 10b of the drive member 10 such that, during the winding phase, for example at the start of the winding phase, the beak 28 of the head 25 of the lock lever 22 falls into the notch 24, and at the end of the winding phase, substantially reaches the front end of the aforementioned notch 24 in the rotational direction of the jump, which is clockwise here, the heel 26 of the head 25 of the lock lever 22 is at a certain distance from the tooth 2, and as soon as the tooth 2 locked by the lock lever 22 passes, the beak 28 of the head 25 of the lock lever 22 is positioned substantially at the rear edge of the notch 24 in the rotational direction, which is clockwise here. Therefore, the lock lever 22 quickly exits the notch 24 during the jump phase and returns to its high-locked position so that it can lock the next tooth 2 before the drive member 10 reaches its position corresponding to the stationary phase.

[0030] On the one hand, this makes it possible to ensure that the lock lever 22 is in its low position at the end of the winding phase before the start of the jump phase, in order to ensure that the jumping disc 1 rotates freely throughout the jump phase. On the other hand, this makes it possible to ensure that the lock lever 22 returns to its high lock position to lock the next tooth 2 and to prevent any double jumps as the associated tooth 2 has passed.

[0031] A pin 30 is provided on the frame near the head 25 of the lock lever 22. The aforementioned pin 30 may be intended to receive at its free end a member of a diameter that allows at least partially to cover the head 25 of the lock lever 22 in order to prevent the lock lever 22 from lifting and to keep the lock lever 22 in its plane of operation. Preferably, the pin 30 has the aforementioned diameter at its free end.

[0032] The locking device also advantageously includes a jumper 32, which is positioned to allow the jumping disc 1 to rotate freely in the direction of rotation of the jump, which is clockwise, during the jump phase, and to lock the aforementioned jumping disc 1 in the other direction of rotation, which is counterclockwise, during the stationary phase.

[0033] For this purpose, the aforementioned jumper 32 is mounted to a frame so as to pivot at C. The jumper 32 is associated with a return spring 34. The jumper 32 has a forward relief face 36 facing forward in the direction of rotation of the jump, which is clockwise here, and this forward relief face 36 is cut so as to be substantially perpendicular to the teeth 2'' of the jumping disc 1, which is located in front of the jumper 32 in the aforementioned direction of rotation. When a collision occurs, the jumper 32 is able to prevent the jumping disc 1 from rotating counterclockwise, and the teeth 2'' are locked by the forward relief face 36 of the jumper 32.

[0034] The jumper 32 also has an upward relief surface 38 and a downward relief surface 40, which are formed by inclined planes that allow the jumper 32 to move using the teeth 2 of the jumping disc 1. Specifically, the upward relief surface 38 allows the jumper 32 to move against its return spring 34 by using the teeth 2'' of the jumping disc 1, which contact the jumper 32 at the start of the jump phase, to move the aforementioned jumper 32 away from the jumping disc 1, thereby enabling the rotation of the jumping disc 1 in a clockwise direction. The downward relief surface 40 allows the rotation of the jumping disc 1 to be completed by using the elastic energy of the jumper's return spring 34 when the jumper returns to its resting position. More precisely, when the teeth 2'' of the jumping disc 1, which has moved the jumper 32, come into contact with the downward relief surface 40 of the jumper 32, the aforementioned downward relief surface 40, which rises again to the resting position under the influence of the spring restoring force of the jumper, pushes the jumping disc 1 by sliding its inclined plane against the teeth 2'' of the jumping disc 1. As a result, the downward relief surface 40 allows the clockwise rotation of the jumping disc 1 to be completed so as to reposition the jumping disc 1 to its resting position, and then the relief surface of the teeth 2'' comes into contact with the forward relief surface 36.

[0035] The jumper 32 is configured such that its forward relief surface 36 contacts the relief surface of the teeth 2'' in the position corresponding to the stationary phase, and that the subsequent teeth 2 substantially contact the upward relief surface 38 in the rotational direction of the jump, which is clockwise.

[0036] The standard operation of the clock mechanism according to the present invention will be described in relation to Figures 1 to 7.

[0037] During the stationary phase shown in Figure 1, the drive member 10 and the jumping disc 1 remain stationary. The pin 20 abuts against the rear edge 18a of the opening 18 of the drive member 10. The jumper 32 immobilizes the jumping disc 1 under normal operating conditions of the mechanism. The lock lever 22 is held in its high-locked position by its beak 28, which rests on the outer peripheral edge 10b of the drive member 10, and the heel 26 of the lock lever 22 prevents the teeth 2 of the jumping disc 1 from passing over the lock lever 22. The teeth 8a of the drive star 8, driven by the hour wheel, approach the catch 14 of the drive member 10 to initiate the winding phase shown in Figure 2.

[0038] During the winding phase, the drive member 10 is driven by the teeth 8a of the drive star 8 via the catch 14 of the drive member 10 in a rotational direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the jump, i.e., counterclockwise. The effect is to wind up the elastic return member 11 of the drive member 10. The flexible claw 16 of the drive member 10 retracts when it comes into contact with the teeth 2' of the jumping disc 1, and the jumping disc 1 remains stationary during the winding phase. Due to the counterclockwise rotation of the drive member 10, the notch 24 of the drive member 10 faces the beak 28 of the lock lever 22. The lock lever 22 then has the possibility of tilting toward the notch 24 in its low release position, for example by gravity, so that its heel 26 moves away from the teeth 2 of the jumping disc 1. The jumping disc 1 is no longer locked by the lock lever 22. At the end of the winding stage, the beak 28 of the lock lever 22 is preferably positioned facing the notch 24 in a clockwise direction, and the pin 20 is preferably located near the front edge 18b of the opening 18 of the drive member 10 so as to leave some play between the pin and the front edge 18b of the opening 18 when the drive member 10 is fully wound up.

[0039] Referring to Figure 3, at the start of the jump phase, the teeth 8a of the star 8 continue to rotate counterclockwise so that they can no longer drive the catch 14 of the drive member 10. The drive member 10 is then released and returned by its elastic return member 11 and rotates clockwise, as a result the flexible claw 16 of the drive member 10 drives the teeth 2' of the jumping disc 1 clockwise. If the lock lever 22 had already fallen into the notch 14 during the winding phase, the jumping disc 1 can rotate freely clockwise by moving the jumper 32 with its teeth 2'' resting on the rising relief surface 38. If the lock lever 22 has not yet fallen into the notch 24 due to gravity, the teeth 2 of the jumping disc 1, driven clockwise by the drive member 10, move the lock lever 22 with its heel 26, and the beak 28 of the aforementioned lock lever 22, which is positioned facing the notch 24, is no longer held by the outer edge 10b of the drive member 10. The teeth 2 of the jumping disc 1 that cause the lock lever 22 to fall into the notch 24 are able to pass over the aforementioned lock lever 22, and the lock lever 22 pivots sufficiently around its axis B to allow the jumping disc 1 to rotate freely in a clockwise direction.

[0040] Referring to Figure 4, the jump phase continues, and the drive member 10 is still rotating clockwise under the influence of its elastic return member 11. The flexible claw 16 of the drive member 10 still drives the teeth 2' of the jumping disc 1 so that the jumping disc 1 continues its rotation clockwise by continuing to move the jumper 32 against the return spring 34, and the return spring 34 tends to return the jumper 32 to its resting position. Because the drive member 10 is rotating clockwise, the beak 28 of the lock lever 22 has reached behind the notch 24 in the clockwise direction and is in a position to exit the aforementioned notch 24.

[0041] Referring to Figure 5, the jump phase continues, and the drive member 10 is still rotating clockwise under the influence of its elastic return member 11. The flexible claw 16 of the drive member 10 still drives the teeth 2 of the jumping disc 1 so that the jumping disc 1 continues its rotation in the clockwise direction. The jumper 32 sends the moment of the jump, and the teeth 2'' of the jumping disc 1 are engaged on the descending relief surface 40. Since the drive member 10 has rotated clockwise, the lock lever 22 has come out of the notch 24 and returned to its high lock position, and as a result, the next teeth 2'' of the jumping disc 1 are locked by the heel 26 of the lock lever 22. Thus, a double jump is not possible.

[0042] Referring to Figure 6, the jump phase ends, and the rear edge 18a of the opening 18 of the drive member 10 preferably contacts the pin 20 so that the drive member 10 can no longer continue its rotation. The flexible claw 16 can no longer drive the teeth 2' of the jumping disc 1. The downward relief surface 40 of the jumper 32, returned to its resting position by the spring 34 of the jumper 32, pushes the teeth 2'' of the jumping disc 1 so that the jumping disc 1 completes its rotation in the clockwise direction. The lock lever 22 is in its high-lock position, preventing any double jumps.

[0043] Referring to Figure 7, the jump phase is complete and the mechanism has returned to its stationary phase. The rear edge 18a of the opening 18 of the drive member 10 is preferably in contact with the pin 20, the jumper 32 is repositioning the jumping disc 1, and the teeth 2'' are in contact with the front relief surface 36 of the jumper 32. The lock lever 22 is in its high-locked position, and the beak 28 of the lock lever 22 is held by the outer peripheral edge 10b of the drive member 10. The mechanism is ready for the next jump.

[0044] Referring to Figure 8, for example, when a collision occurs, the jumping disc 1 is locked because its teeth 2'' are locked by the forward relief surface 36 of the jumper 32, so unintentional rotation of the jumping disc 1 in a counterclockwise direction is impossible. The jumping disc 1 is locked by the heel 26 of the lock lever 22, so rotation in a clockwise direction is impossible, and the lock lever 22 itself is locked in its high-lock position by its beak 28, which is held by the outer peripheral edge 10b of the drive member 10.

[0045] Therefore, the mechanism according to the present invention allows for having a locking device for locking the jumping disc, the locking device preventing any unintentional jumps in the direction of rotation of the jump, whether it is a double jump or when a collision occurs. The mechanism according to the present invention prevents any unintentional jumps in the direction of rotation opposite to the direction of rotation of the jump, or even in both directions of rotation, when the jumper causes the force of the return spring 34 to be excessively large and thus the teeth 2 to be unable to rise along the upward relief surface 38.

[0046] Furthermore, the mechanism according to the present invention uses a locking lever without a return spring in a particularly advantageous manner. Specifically, this makes it possible to overcome problems related to gravity and energy consumption during the jump phase, the movement of the lever between its locked position and its released position is performed easily, i.e., without the need to counteract any opposing force applied to the lever, and also allows for a simplification of the mechanism. The mechanism of the present invention is also more compact in structure thanks to the use of the same drive member 10 that can be simply lowered and configured to perform three functions on its own: driving the jumping disc 1, locking the lever 22, and releasing the lever 22.

[0047] Furthermore, in the case of a jumping hour disc, the energy source is advantageously derived from the hour wheel. The advantage of this is that it has 12 times more torque than when the jumping hour disc is engaged with the minute wheel, which is a conventional occurrence in jumping hour mechanisms.

[0048] The present invention is not limited to the examples described. For example, the jumping disc and the drive member do not have to be concentric. The mechanism can be advantageously arranged at a single height to benefit from minimal thickness, but it is also possible to arrange the mechanism at several heights, in which case typically at least two of the jumping disc 1, the locking lever 22, and the drive member 10 are located at the same height. For example, it is possible to arrange only the drive member and the jumping disc at the same height, and the locking device can be located at a different height. For example, the locking lever can cooperate with the drive member and the jumping disc by a pin integrated with the drive member or the jumping disc. This embodiment can be implemented, for example, when the mechanism is too bulky to be manufactured at a single height.

Claims

1. A clock mechanism comprising: a jumping disc (1) arranged to jump one step at a time in the rotational direction; a drive device for driving the jumping disc, including a rotary drive member (10), wherein the rotary drive member (10) is arranged to remain stationary during the stationary phase and to drive the jumping disc (1) one step at a time in the rotational direction during the jumping phase; and a lock device for locking the jumping disc, which is arranged to allow the jumping disc (1) to rotate in the rotational direction during the jumping phase and to prevent the jumping disc from rotating at least in the rotational direction during the stationary phase, wherein the lock device is mounted between the jumping disc (1) and the drive member (10) and includes a lock lever (22) with a head (25), A clock mechanism characterized in that a lock lever (22) is positioned to move between a high-locked position and a low-release position, in the high-locked position the head (25) is held by the outer peripheral edge (10b) of the drive member (10) and at the same time forms a rotation stopper in the rotational direction for the jumping disc (1) during the stationary phase, in the low-release position the head (25) is engaged in a notch (24) provided on the outer peripheral edge (10b) of the drive member (10) so as to be disengaged from the jumping disc (1), the notch (24) is positioned at least partially facing the head (25) of the lock lever (22) at the start of the jump phase so as to allow the jumping disc (1) to rotate freely, and is positioned so as to no longer face the head (25) after the jump phase or preferably before the end of the jump phase so as to allow the lock lever (22) to return to its high-locked position.

2. The clock mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that the jumping disc (1) and the drive member (10) are concentric.

3. The clock mechanism according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that at least two of the jumping disc (1), the lock lever (22), and the drive member (10) are located at the same height.

4. The clock mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the lock lever (22) is positioned between the inner circumference (1a) of the jumping disc (1) and the outer peripheral edge (10b) of the drive member (10).

5. The clock mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the jumping disc (1) has the same number of teeth (2, 2', 2'', 2''') on its inner circumference (1a) as the number of jumps performed in at least one rotation, and the head (25) of the lock lever (22) has a heel (26) positioned to cooperate with one of the teeth (2, 2''') when the lock lever (22) is in its high-lock position.

6. The clock mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the head (25) of the lock lever (22) is provided with a beak (28), and the beak (28) is arranged to cooperate with the outer peripheral edge (10b) of the drive member (10) when the lock lever (22) is in its high-locked position, and to cooperate with the notch (24) of the drive member (10) when the lock lever (22) is in its low-release position.

7. The clock mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the drive member (10) is associated with an elastic return member (11), and the drive member (10) is arranged such that during the winding stage it rotates in the other rotational direction independently of the jumping disc (1) by winding up the return member (11), and during the jumping stage it rotates in the rotational direction under the influence of the return member (11) by driving the jumping disc (1) one step at a time so that it jumps in the rotational direction.

8. The clock mechanism according to claim 7, characterized in that the notch (24) is sized and positioned on the outer peripheral edge (10b) of the drive member (10) such that the head (25) of the lock lever (22) is positioned within the notch (24) at substantially its front end in the rotational direction when the winding stage is completed, and that as soon as the locked teeth (2) pass through, the head (25) of the lock lever (22) is positioned substantially at the rear edge of the notch (24) in the rotational direction.

9. The clock mechanism according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the drive device for driving the jumping disk (1) comprises a drive star (8) including teeth (8a) arranged to engage with a catch (14) of the drive member (10) in order to rotate the drive member (10) in the other rotational direction during the winding stage.

10. The clock mechanism according to any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that the drive member (10) of the jumping disc (1) comprises a flexible pawl (16), the flexible pawl (16) is arranged to withdraw contact with the jumping disc (1) when the drive member (10) is driven in the other rotational direction during the winding stage, and to drive the jumping disc (1) one step at a time in the rotational direction when the drive member (10) rotates in the rotational direction during the jump stage.

11. The clock mechanism according to any one of claims 7 to 10, characterized in that the drive member (10) is restricted from moving by at least one of two stoppers (18a, 18b), one of the stoppers corresponds to the position of the drive member (10) during the stationary stage, and the other stopper corresponds to the position of the drive member (10) at the end of the winding stage, or determines the play of the drive member (10) with respect to the position at the end of the winding stage.

12. The clock mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the locking device comprises a jumper (32), the jumper (32) is arranged to allow the jumping disk (1) to rotate freely in the rotational direction during the jumping phase, and to lock the jumping disk (1) in the other rotational direction during the stationary phase.

13. The clock mechanism according to claim 12, characterized in that the jumper (32) has a downward relief surface (40) configured to complete the rotation of the jumping disk (1) by using the elastic energy of the return spring (34) of the jumper (32) when the jumper (32) returns to the stationary position.

14. The clock mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the jumping disc (1) is an hour disc, and the drive member (10) is driven via the hour wheel (7).

15. A clock comprising the clock mechanism described in any one of claims 1 to 14.

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