Chronograph module with removable wheels

Abstract

To provide a chronograph module including a removable vehicle which facilitates attachment and detachment.SOLUTION: A chronograph module 1 includes a primary shaft 3 for supporting a first disk 4, and a removal vehicle 2 attached to the primary shaft 3, wherein the removal vehicle 2 has a peripheral part gear structure, and a first elastic arm and a second elastic arm for gripping the primary shaft 3, the primary shaft 3 has a support surface in a radial direction, the support surface in the radial direction supports the first elastic arm and the second elastic arm, and thereby assembles the removal vehicle 2 to the primary shaft 3, and the configuration and the dimension of the removal vehicle 2 in the chronograph module 1 generate overlapping of the removal vehicle 2 and an overlapping component so that assembling of an overlapping component at the lower stage of the chronograph module 1 needs no removal vehicle 2 when the primary shaft 3 is attached to the chronograph module 1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a chronograph module with a removable wheel.

[0002] The invention further relates to a timepiece movement comprising at least one such chronograph module.

[0003] The present invention relates to the field of timepiece mechanisms, and in particular to gear trains. [Background technology]

[0004] Some timepiece movements have complications that require a special installation in the movement, for example a linked chronograph, where a gear disc, such as a wheel or pinion, needs to be assembled onto a shaft already attached to the movement.

[0005] In fact, in traditional chronographs, it is common to place an additional wheel on the shaft of the second disk of the primary module of the movement to obtain and transmit the displacement motion to the chronograph module to actuate the chronograph module.

[0006] In the case of other types of chronographs, the detachable wheel is arranged on the intermediate shaft of a transmission disc which connects the disc of the chronograph seconds counter to the disc of the chronograph minutes counter.

[0007] Other chronograph module configurations are possible, as well as other complications that require such a removable wheel to be assembled onto a shaft.

[0008] However, the assembly of such a removable wheel is not easy, since the shaft on which this wheel is fixed is necessarily already attached to the movement. In fact, the shaft is held in bearing blocks at both ends, which are attached by hafting to plates or plate bridges. These plates or plate bridges cannot be added after the removable wheel is present on the shaft; that is to say, the shaft with the removable wheel cannot be installed if it is already fixed. The removable wheel must be assembled with the shaft after the shaft has been at least partially attached to the plates.

[0009] For this purpose, a hub is generally used which passes through the removable wheel at its centre, the frusto-conical end of the shaft being pressed within the hub to carry the removable wheel.

[0010] However, such a pushing action presents several challenges.

[0011] On the other hand, there is a well-known risk that certain components may wear out prematurely: in particular the shaft and / or the detachable wheels may buckle or bend undesirably, which may prevent the movement from working properly.

[0012] On the other hand, the hub is generally relatively thick to withstand the pressure and support of the removable wheels, which must be resized to fit within the movement when installed. Also, dismantling additional wheels or parts in the movement, when necessary, is difficult, as it depends on dismantling the additional wheels, and such dismantling requires unscrewing the hub from the shaft. These operations are time-consuming and require special tools and skills. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0013] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENT The present invention is intended to address the above-mentioned problems and to provide a chronograph module with a removable wheel for easy installation and removal.

[0014] To this end, the present invention relates to a chronograph module for a timepiece movement, said chronograph module comprising a plate and / or plate bridge and a primary shaft extending along a longitudinal axis, said primary shaft being rotatable about said longitudinal axis, said primary shaft supporting a first disk extending in a plane substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of the primary shaft, said primary shaft being attached to said plate and / or plate bridge such that said first disk engages with a gear train of the chronograph module.

[0015] The invention is innovative in that the chronograph module comprises a removable wheel attached to the primary shaft, the removable wheel having a peripheral gear structure and a first resilient arm and a second resilient arm forming a clamp configured to grip the primary shaft, the primary shaft having a radial support surface that supports the first resilient arm and the second resilient arm, thereby assembling the removable wheel to the primary shaft, the chronograph module having at least one overlap part at the bottom of the chronograph module, and the configuration and dimensions of the removable wheel in the chronograph module are such that an overlap between the removable wheel and the overlap part occurs such that assembling the overlap part requires the absence of the removable wheel and the presence of the primary shaft in the chronograph module.

[0016] Thanks to the elastic arms forming the clamp, the detachable wheel can be easily attached to and detached from the primary shaft, thus avoiding hafting, which can cause defects in the parts, when mounting the module on the timepiece movement.The detachable wheel can also be easily removed and reattached without the use of specific tools, which allows access to the parts that require the removal of the detachable wheel.

[0017] In one particular embodiment of the invention, the overlap is within the range of one tenth to one half of the diameter of the removable wheel.

[0018] In one particular embodiment of the invention, the end of the primary shaft has a radial support surface for the clamp.

[0019] In one particular embodiment of the invention, the clamp is, in its free state, circumscribed by a cylinder of radius smaller than the radius of a cylinder circumscribing the radial support surface.

[0020] In one particular embodiment of the invention, said radial support surface is a frusto-conical surface.

[0021] In one particular embodiment of the invention, the two arms each have a central notch, thereby forming an orifice for the end of the primary shaft, the orifice preferably being substantially circular.

[0022] In one particular embodiment of the invention, the chronograph module comprises a secondary shaft, a drive pinion of a chronograph arranged on the secondary shaft, a tertiary shaft and a minute counter wheel arranged on the tertiary shaft.

[0023] In one particular embodiment of the invention, the chronograph module comprises a quaternary shaft and a second disk disposed on the quaternary shaft, the quaternary shaft being disposed around a portion of the secondary shaft.

[0024] In one particular embodiment of the invention, said first disc is the drive wheel of a minutes counter which meshes with said second disc of a chronograph arranged on said secondary shaft.

[0025] In one particular embodiment of the invention, said removable wheel meshes with the disc of the minute counter of a chronograph.

[0026] In one particular embodiment of the invention, the chronograph module comprises a connecting flange that slides around the secondary shaft above the second disc between a rest position in which the chronograph is not actuated and an operating position in which the chronograph is driven by the second disc to actuate the secondary shaft.

[0027] In one particular embodiment of the invention, the primary shaft has an axial abutment support surface configured to hold the removable car in position along the longitudinal axis of the primary shaft.

[0028] In one particular embodiment of the invention, said overlapping parts are the connecting flanges and / or said hammer and / or the rotating pane.

[0029] The invention further relates to a timepiece movement comprising a chronograph module such as previously described.

[0030] Other particular features and advantages will become apparent from reading the following description, given by way of rough guide and without limitation, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [Brief description of the drawings]

[0031] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view from above of a chronograph module comprising a detachable wheel according to the invention and a primary shaft to which the detachable wheel is attached; [Diagram 2] 2 is a perspective view of the chronograph module of FIG. 1 as seen from below. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a top view of the chronograph module of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the chronograph module of FIG. 1. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the removable wheel and the end of the primary shaft. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 shows a top view of a timepiece movement equipped with a chronograph module according to the invention; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0032] The present invention relates to a chronograph module 1 for a timepiece movement. The chronograph module 1 shown in figures 1 to 4 comprises a primary shaft 3, a transmission shaft, a secondary shaft 5, here the secondary shaft of the chronograph, a tertiary shaft 8, here the minute countershaft of the chronograph, and a quaternary shaft 7, here the secondary shaft.

[0033] In this embodiment, the secondary shaft 5 is disposed inside the quaternary shaft 7. The secondary shaft 5 and the quaternary shaft 7 are therefore coaxial. The quaternary shaft 7 can rotate independently of the secondary shaft 5. In the chronograph operating mode, the secondary shaft 5 and the quaternary shaft 7 rotate simultaneously, and the quaternary shaft 7 drives the secondary shaft 5.

[0034] The primary shaft 3 is disposed between the secondary shaft 5 and the tertiary shaft 8 and is offset with respect to a plane passing through the three shafts such that the primary shaft 3, secondary shaft 5 and tertiary shaft 8 are located at the apexes of a triangle, at substantially the same level.

[0035] The chronograph module 1 further comprises a minute counter wheel 9 arranged on the third shaft 8, a chronograph drive pinion 13 arranged on the secondary shaft 5 and a second disk 6 arranged on the quaternary shaft 7. The minute counter wheel 9 and the second disk 6 are arranged at the upper level of the corresponding shafts, while the chronograph drive pinion 13 is arranged at the lower level of the secondary shaft 5.

[0036] The chronograph module 1 further comprises a coupling flange 15 arranged to transmit motion from the second disc 6 to a drive pinion 13 of the chronograph.

[0037] A coupling flange 15 is disposed on the secondary shaft 5 above the second disc 6. The coupling flange 15 slides longitudinally around the secondary shaft 5 between a rest position in which the chronograph module 1 is not actuated and an operating position in which it is driven by the second disc 6.

[0038] In the operating position, the secondary shaft 5 is driven together with the fourth shaft 7 by means of the connecting flange 15. The driving pinion 13 of the chronograph is thus rotated by the second disc 6 via the connecting flange 15.

[0039] The chronograph module 1 further comprises a first disc 4, here the driving disc of the minute counter, which is arranged on the primary shaft 3 at its lower level. The first disc 4 meshes with a chronograph driving pinion 13. In the operating position of the coupling flange 15, the chronograph driving pinion 13 thus rotates the first disc 4 and therefore the primary shaft 3.

[0040] The chronograph module 1 also comprises a hammer 17 and a rotating pane 11 supported by the hammer 17 .

[0041] The chronograph module 1 comprises a heart 14 of the chronograph wheel arranged on the secondary shaft 5 above the connecting flange 15 and a second heart 12 of the minute counter below the minute counter wheel 9 of the chronograph.

[0042] The chronograph module 1 also comprises a removable wheel 2 arranged at the upper end of the primary shaft 3. The removable wheel 2 is a transmission disc that meshes with a minute counter wheel 9 of a tertiary shaft 8. Thus, when the primary shaft 3 rotates, the removable wheel 2 actuates the rotation of the minute counter wheel 9 and of the tertiary shaft 8.

[0043] In this embodiment, the removable wheel 2 is a transmission wheel as shown in FIG. 5, which has a peripheral gear structure 21 that is annular and has gear teeth.

[0044] The detachable wheel 2 further comprises at least a first radially elastic arm 22 and at least a second radially elastic arm 23. Preferably, the arms 22, 23 are symmetrical and substantially parallel to each other. The arms 22, 23 are on the inside of the ring and each of the arms 22, 23 connects two opposite points of the peripheral gear structure 21.

[0045] The primary shaft 3 has an axial abutment support surface 29 which is configured as an abutment support to hold the removable wheel 2 on the primary shaft 3. The axial abutment 29 allows for the precise positioning of the removable wheel 2 on the primary shaft 3 along the longitudinal axis in z. This is in contrast to mounting in a hafting, where it is difficult to control the position of the wheel along this direction.

[0046] The first resilient arm 22 and the second resilient arm 23 together form a clamp 30 which is adapted to grip a radial support surface 28 on the primary shaft 3 near the axial abutment support surface 7. In this way, friction between the detachable wheel 2 and the primary shaft 1 is ensured.

[0047] The clamp 30 is configured to grip the end 25 of the primary shaft 3. For this purpose, the primary shaft 3 has at its end 25 a radial support surface 28 on which a first elastic arm 22 and a second elastic arm 23 are supported. Thanks to the elasticity of the arms 22, 23, it is possible to separate them and insert the end 25 of the primary shaft 2 between them, so that the arms 22, 23 grip the radial support surface 28 by friction. An additional wheel can thus be assembled on the primary shaft.

[0048] The radial support surface 28 is preferably an inverted frustum surface against which an abutment located below the inverted frustum surface bears to hold the removable wheel 2 at the end 25. The base of the inverted frustum surface is at the end of the end 25 and the apex of the inverted frustum surface faces towards the centre of the primary shaft 3.

[0049] For the assembly of the detachable wheel 2 on the shaft 1, the elasticity of the arms 22, 23 of the detachable wheel 2 is used to allow correct positioning and preferably to click into place.

[0050] The primary shaft 3 has a lead-in ramp 27 configured to push back the first resilient arm 22 and the second resilient arm 23 in the radial direction, thereby facilitating the lead-in of the detachable wheel 2 onto the primary shaft 3. The lead-in ramp 27 is, for example, a chamfer located at the end of the primary shaft 3.

[0051] Preferably, in the free state, the clamp 30 is circumscribed by a cylinder whose radius is smaller than the radius of the cylinder circumscribing the radial support surface 28 .

[0052] For this purpose, the two arms 22, 23 each have a central notch 24, which forms an orifice for the end 25 of the primary shaft 3, this orifice preferably being substantially circular.

[0053] The chronograph module 1 has at least one overlapping part attached to the lower stage of the chronograph module 1. The configuration and dimensions of the detachable wheel 2 in the chronograph module 1 cause an overlap of the detachable wheel 2 on said overlapping part.

[0054] In the embodiment being described, there are several overlapping parts, which necessitates that there is no removable wheel 2 to be able to assemble in the chronograph module 1 .

[0055] Here, the overlapping parts are the connecting flange 15, the rotating pane 11 and the hammer 17. The detachable wheel 2 overlaps with the overlapping parts when assembled on the primary shaft 3, i.e. in a projection perpendicular to the extension plane of the detachable wheel 2 and parallel to the primary shaft 3, it overlaps with the overlapping parts.

[0056] The radius of the connecting flange 15 is greater than the distance between the primary shaft 3 and the secondary shaft 5 minus the radius of the removable wheel 2, such that when the connecting flange 15 and the removable wheel 2 are assembled in the chronograph module 1, the periphery of the connecting flange 15 is positioned below the periphery of the removable wheel 2.

[0057] The rotating pane 11 is disposed near the primary shaft 3. A portion of the rotating pane 11 passes directly beneath the removable wheel 2. A portion of the hammer 17 also passes directly beneath the removable wheel 2.

[0058] In this case, the assembly of these overlapping parts requires that there is no detachable wheel 2 present when the primary shaft 2 is mounted on the chronograph module 1. In fact, it is not possible to mount these overlapping parts on the chronograph module 1 if the detachable wheel 2 is already mounted on the primary shaft 3.

[0059] Thanks to the clamp 30, the removable wheel 2 can be easily removed from or assembled with the primary shaft 3. The clamp 30 facilitates repairs and cleaning of parts of the chronograph module 1, especially those which require removal of the removable wheel 2.

[0060] 6 shows a timepiece movement in which a chronograph module according to the invention is mounted. On the top side, the minute counter wheel 9, the second disk 6 and the removable wheel 2 which meshes with the minute counter wheel 9 can be seen.

[0061] This FIG. 6 clearly illustrates the need to remove the removable car 2 to allow certain overlapping parts, such as the connecting flange 15 and the rotating pane 11, to be installed.

[0062] Naturally, the invention is not limited to the embodiment described with reference to the drawings, and other embodiments are possible without departing from the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 1 Chronograph module 2 Detachable Car 3 Primary Shaft 4. First Disc 5 Secondary Shaft 6 Second Disc 7. Quaternary shaft 8 Tertiary Shaft 9 minute counter car 11 Rotation Pane 13 Drive pinion 15 Connecting flange 17 Hammer 22 First Elastic Arm 23 Second Elastic Arm 25 ends 28 Radial support surface 29 Axial abutment support surface 30 Clamp

Claims

1. A chronograph module (1) for a timepiece movement, comprising: The chronograph module (1) comprises a plate and a primary shaft (3), The primary shaft (3) is rotatable about a given axis of rotation; The primary shaft (3) supports a first disc (4) extending in a plane substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the primary shaft (3); the primary shaft (3) is attached to the plate such that the first disc (4) engages with a gear train of the chronograph module (1); The chronograph module (1) comprises a removable wheel (2) attached to the primary shaft (3), The detachable wheel (2) has a peripheral gear structure and a first resilient arm (22) and a second resilient arm (23) forming a clamp (30) configured to grip the primary shaft (3); The primary shaft (3) has a radial support surface (28) for radial support, This radial support surface (28) supports the first resilient arm (22) and the second resilient arm (23), thereby assembling the detachable wheel (2) to the primary shaft (3); The chronograph module (1) has at least one overlapping part, the removable wheel (2) of the chronograph module (1) has a configuration and dimensions such that it overlaps with the overlapping part in the projection onto the plane, so that the overlapping part cannot be assembled to the primary shaft (3) to which the removable wheel (2) is attached, The watch comprises a secondary shaft (5), a driving pinion (13) of a chronograph arranged on the secondary shaft (5), a tertiary shaft (8), and a minute counter wheel (9) arranged on the tertiary shaft (8).

2. A chronograph module comprising:

2. The overlap is in the range of one-tenth to one-half of the diameter of the removable wheel (2).

2. The chronograph module according to claim 1,

3. The end (25) of the primary shaft (3) has a radial support surface (28) for the clamp (30).

2. The chronograph module according to claim 1,

4. The clamp (30) is, in a free state, circumscribed by a cylinder having a radius smaller than the radius of a cylinder circumscribing the radial support surface (28).

4. The chronograph module according to claim 3,

5. The radial support surface (28) is a frusto-conical surface.

2. The chronograph module according to claim 1,

6. said first resilient arm (22) and said second resilient arm (23) each have a central notch, thereby forming an orifice for an end (25) of said primary shaft (3); The orifice is substantially circular.

2. The chronograph module according to claim 1,

7. A quaternary shaft (7) and a second disk (6) arranged on the quaternary shaft (7), The quaternary shaft (7) is disposed around a portion of the secondary shaft (5). A chronograph module according to any one of the preceding claims.

8. The first disk (4) is the driving wheel of a minute counter which meshes with the second disk (6) of the chronograph placed on the fourth shaft (7).

8. The chronograph module according to claim 7, characterized in that

9. The removable wheel (2) engages with the minute counter wheel (9) of the chronograph. A chronograph module according to any one of the preceding claims.

10. A coupling flange (15) that slides around the secondary shaft (5) above the second disc (6) between a rest position in which the chronograph is not actuated and an operating position in which the chronograph is driven by the second disc (6) to actuate the secondary shaft (5).

8. The chronograph module according to claim 7, characterized in that

11. The primary shaft (3) has an axial abutment support surface (29) configured to hold the removable wheel (2) in position along the axis of rotation of the primary shaft (3). A chronograph module according to any one of the preceding claims.

12. The overlapping parts are a connecting flange (15), and / or a hammer (17), and / or a rotating plate (11). A chronograph module according to any one of the preceding claims.

13. A chronograph comprising a plate, a drive means and a chronograph module (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6. A timekeeping movement characterized by:

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