A clock mechanism intended to be driven via a variable number of steps

Abstract

To provide a timepiece mechanism (1) for a timepiece movement which has: a movable part (2) including a pair of teeth of a tooth (4) of a first type and a tooth (6) of a second type; and a pawl (10) that is intended to move the movable part (2) by at least one step on each actuation and has a course that is involved in moving the movable part (2) by two steps on each actuation.SOLUTION: A timepiece mechanism (1) has a correction movable part (32) designed to define different paths of a pawl (10), depending on a state of the timepiece mechanism (1), the pawl and the correction movable part being designed such that, during actuation of the pawl: the pawl (10) moves a movable part (2) by one step; and the pawl (10) moves the correction movable part (32) by an additional step only when the correction movable part (32) is in a predefined state and a tooth (6) of a second type is arranged along a course of the pawl (10).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a clock mechanism of a clock movement, the clock mechanism having a moving part including a toothset with at least one tooth of a first type and at least one tooth of a second type, a jumper designed to cooperate with said toothset to define discrete positions of said moving part, and a pawl intended to be actuated by a driving moving part of the clock movement, acting on said toothset and intended to move said moving part by at least one step with each actuation.

[0002] According to a preferred embodiment, the timepiece mechanism may take the form of a year date mechanism or a perpetual date mechanism. [Background technology]

[0003] Such timepiece mechanisms have long been known in the prior art for various kinds of applications, particularly as display mechanisms.

[0004] Thus, for example, US Pat. No. 5,399,633 illustrates and describes a date in year or perpetual date mechanism with the above characteristics. More specifically, the mechanism comprises an arm for indicating the date and a date wheel with 30 teeth of a first type and one tooth of a second type. The date wheel is driven once a day by a first beak of an actuating pawl to increase the indication of the date. The actuating pawl comprises a second beak shaped so as to cooperate with a tooth of the second type at the end of a month having less than 31 days, with respect to the set of teeth of the date wheel. The actuating pawl is associated with a month wheel that is driven to perform one turn every four years to take leap years into account. This month wheel 48 has notches, each of which corresponds to a given month, the depth of the notch depending on the length of the corresponding month. The actuating pawl comprises a haptic intended to cooperate with the notch of the month wheel to define the starting position of the actuating pawl depending on the length of the current month. The configuration of the notches is such that the shorter the month, the deeper the corresponding notch and the second beak of the actuating pawl rotates the date wheel by a greater number of steps while it is immediately able to cooperate with the second type of tooth in the month. The second beak is also shaped so as not to drive the date wheel at the end of a month of 31 days. From the above explanation it is thus clear that the actuating pawl makes it possible to advance the date wheel by four steps by having a single path which is traversed entirely only during the 28th day of the month - that is, when the feeler engages with the deepest notch of the month wheel to define the progression of the longest actuating pawl. Repetitive motion length The date wheel is reduced by three steps during the 29-day month of February. Repetitive motion length is much reduced during months with 30 and 31 days. The path of the operating pawl during months with more than 28 days corresponds only to a portion of the total path traversed during two months with 28 days.

[0005] Such a design allows the maximum possible Repetitive motion lengthThis requires a relatively large diameter for the month wheel, which may not always be desirable depending on the space available in the corresponding watch movement, and requires high precision both in the manufacture of the components of this mechanism that drives the date wheel and in its assembly to ensure that it works properly. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] European Patent Publication No. 3026504B1 [Patent Document 2] Chinese Patent No. 713288A1 Summary of the Invention Problem to be solved by the invention

[0007] The main object of the invention is to propose a timepiece mechanism having an alternative design which is more compact compared to mechanisms of this type already known. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To achieve this object, the invention relates more particularly to a clock mechanism of the above-mentioned type, characterized in that said pawl is capable of acting on said set of teeth to move said movable part by two steps with each actuation. Repetitive motion length The timepiece mechanism has a compensating movable part having at least one first state and at least one second state different from the first state, the compensating movable part being designed to cooperate with the pawl during actuation of the pawl so as to define at least two different paths of the pawl associated with the first state and the second state, respectively, the pawl and the compensating movable part being arranged such that, during actuation of the pawl, - said pawl acts on said set of teeth to move said movable part by one step, - the claw is in a second state when the compensating movable part is in a second state and the second type of teeth are in the claw Repetitive motion length, which acts on the set of teeth to move the movable part an additional step only when the set of teeth is located along

[0009] These features allow the compensating mobile to be positioned any closer to the mobile which it drives than is the case for the month wheel in the date mechanism, since it intervenes during its operation to correct the path of the latter, just as the month wheel must allow the positioning of the latter before its operation. A timepiece mechanism according to the invention can thus be realized more compactly than similar mechanisms according to the prior art. Moreover, the positioning of the compensating mobile makes it possible to substantially simplify the adjustments required during the assembly of the mechanism, as compared to mechanisms of the prior art.

[0010] Preferably, the movable portion, the claw, and the correction movable portion are Repetitive motion length The two consecutive states are designed such that the compensating movable part is in a second state and the second type of teeth are in the second state. Repetitive motion length Any driving state in which the set of teeth can be driven by one step when the set of teeth is provided along the Repetitive motion length Regardless of whether the set of teeth is provided along the axis of the movable member or not, and regardless of the state of the correction movable member, the set of teeth is in a systematic drive state in which it can be driven by one step.

[0011] In this case, the movable part may be designed to pivot and have a set of internal teeth, and the movable part, the pawl and the compensating movable part may be designed such that the optional drive state occurs before the systematic drive state.

[0012] Each of the teeth of the first type may have an active tooth surface intended to cooperate with the pawl and different from the active tooth surface of the teeth of the second type, so that when the correction mobile part is in the second state, the cooperation of the pawl with the set of teeth in the given drive state is such that the teeth of the second type are in contact with the teeth of the pawl. Repetitive motion lengthOnly when the jumper is disposed along the axis of the movable member does the force acting on the movable member sufficient to overcome the action of the jumper occur.

[0013] In this case, the active tooth flanks of the first type of teeth may comprise, from a bottom of the set of teeth, a first portion having a first average inclination in the radial direction and a second portion having a second average inclination in the radial direction greater than the first average inclination, and the active tooth flanks of the second type of teeth may have a third average inclination in the radial direction less than the second average inclination.

[0014] Thus, advantageously, said second average inclination may be substantially between 30° and 85°, preferably between 35° and 55° in said radial direction.

[0015] Alternatively or additionally, said first average slope may be substantially between 0° and 25°, preferably between 5° and 15° in said radial direction.

[0016] Alternatively or additionally, said third average slope may be substantially between 0° and 25°, preferably between 5° and 15° in said radial direction.

[0017] Typically, to allow the path of the pawl to be adjustable, the compensating movable part may comprise a cam against which the pawl is maintained in any of the drive states, the cam periphery having at least a first radius and a second radius which are distinct from each other, the first radius and the second radius being associated with the first and second states of the compensating movable part, respectively.

[0018] In this case, the compensation movable part may advantageously have a set of teeth intended to cooperate with at least one tooth of the movable part that is longer than the others, in order to adjust the angular orientation of the cam.

[0019] According to preferred variants, the invention may relate to a timepiece mechanism having some or all of the above mentioned characteristics, in which said movable part is fixed to or drives said date display movable part and has the following characteristics: said set of teeth comprises 30 teeth of said first type and one tooth of said second type; - the pawl is intended to be actuated once a day to move the moving part by one or two steps; said correction mover is a lunar mover designed so that at each moment the angular orientation associated with a given moon passes from one moon to the next.

[0020] The invention also relates to a timepiece movement and to a timepiece comprising a timepiece mechanism having the above characteristics. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0021] Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the detailed description of preferred embodiments given by way of non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [Figure 1] 1 shows a bottom view of a part of a timepiece mechanism according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, in which the compensation movable part is in a first state. [Diagram 2] 2 shows a view similar to that of FIG 1, in which the correction movable part is in the second state. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 shows a plan view of the timepiece mechanism of FIGS. 1 and 2, shown from the opposite side to that of FIGS. 1 and 2, in which the correction movable part is in the second state. [Diagram 5] 5a to 5e show diagrams similar to FIG. 4, representing the successive states in the operation of the clock mechanism during the change of date from the 30th day of the short month to the first day of the next month. [Figure 6] 5a-5c show diagrams similar to FIG. 4, representing the successive states in the operation of the clock mechanism during the change of date from the 30th to the 31st day of the long month. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0022] The detailed description that follows is intended to explain, by way of non-limiting example, a clock mechanism according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. More specifically, according to the illustrated and described embodiment, the clock mechanism has the form of a year display 1. However, a person skilled in the art can implement other types of clock mechanisms using the features of the above claims without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0023] Figures 1 and 2 respectively show the bottom - the face visible from below, i.e. the face intended to be located on the bottom of the corresponding watch - of the same part of a year date display mechanism 1 according to a preferred embodiment of the invention in two different configurations. More precisely, while Figure 1 represents the configuration of mechanism 1 on October 30th before the date change, Figure 2 represents the configuration on November 30th, also before the date change.

[0024] The mechanism 1 comprises a moving part 2 - in this embodiment a date disc - having an internal tooth set with 30 first type teeth 4 and one second type tooth 6 .

[0025] The jumper 8 is designed to cooperate with a set of teeth on the movable part 2 and to define a number of discrete positions of the movable part 2 - in this embodiment 31 discrete positions.

[0026] The mechanism 1 also has a pawl 10 intended to be activated by a driving moving part of a watch movement (not shown, typically a 24-hour wheel, for example in the case of a date mechanism), in order to act on a set of teeth of the moving part 2 and move the set of teeth by at least one step with each action.

[0027] The pawl 10 in this case has, by way of non-limiting example, a rigid base 12 intended to pivot relative to a corresponding clock movement on an axis of rotation 14. The base 12 is kept in the rest position represented in Figures 1 and 2 under the effect of a return (not shown), which tries to push the base 12 into abutment against the fixed pin 16. An actuating tooth 18 is fixed to the base 12 by means of an elastic connection 20. To ensure that the rotation of the base 12 counterclockwise in Figures 1 and 2 causes the pawl 10 to move, the actuating tooth 18 is generally intended to cooperate with a driving moving part of the associated clock movement.

[0028] The arm 22 is further mounted on the base 12 so as to pivot on an axis of rotation 24. The arm 22 has at a first end a beak 26 intended to cooperate with a set of teeth of the date movable part 2 so as to rotate the latter counterclockwise in Figs. 1 and 2 when the pawl 10 moves under the effect of the drive movable part. The arm 22 further has a tail 28. The end of the tail 28 pointing towards the centre of the watch movement has a convex shape, the function of which will be explained hereinafter.

[0029] A spring 30, which is integrally formed with base 12, is designed to act on arm 22 and tend to rotate arm 22 in a counterclockwise direction in FIGS.

[0030] The mechanism 1 further comprises a correction moving part 32, which in this embodiment is realised by two superimposed wheels 34 and 36. The wheels 34 and 36 rotate together. One of the two wheels has a tooth set of 24 teeth, each of which is slightly truncated, while the other of the two wheels has 7 teeth corresponding to a long month having 31 days.

[0031] The first wheel 34 with 24 teeth is intended to enable the rotational drive of the corrective mobile part 32 by cooperation with a protruding tooth 400 that is higher than the other teeth. In the given embodiment, the protruding tooth 400 is a first type of tooth 4, but other arrangements for driving the corrective mobile part are also possible.

[0032] The second wheel 36 acts as a cam for the pawl 10 cooperating with the tail 28 of the pawl. The periphery of the wheel 36 in this case comprises at least two different radii. In particular, due to the shape of the second wheel 36 and the seven teeth it comprises, the compensation mobile part 32 can assume two different states with respect to the pawl 10: a first state and a second state. In the first state, represented in FIG. 1, one tooth of the second wheel 36 defines the stop of the second wheel 36. In the second state, represented in FIG. 2, the second wheel 36 has an empty space between the two teeth facing the tail 28. In the second state, the pawl is weighted against a portion of the second wheel 36 with a smaller radius than in the first state.

[0033] It is clear from a comparison of Figures 1 and 2 that in at least some positions of the base 12, under the effect of the spring 30, the tail 28 is held in resistance to the correction movable part 32, and that when the correction movable part 32 is in the first state (Figure 1), the position of the beak 26 relative to the set of teeth of the date movable part 2 is further apart than when the correction movable part 32 is in the second state (Figure 2).

[0034] Thus, in the first case, 30 October, the pawl 10 is actuated by the drive mover, the base 12 pivots counterclockwise, and the beak 26 has a path such that it cannot come into contact with the second type tooth 6 involved in the interaction of the tail 28 with the correction mover 32. As the movement of the pawl 10 continues to advance the date mover 2 by one step counterclockwise, the beak 26 continues to progress along a path such that it comes into contact with the first type tooth 4 located immediately after the second type tooth 6.

[0035] The indication of the day of the month advances from 30 to 31 (October) and the finger 10 returns to its rest position after the drive movement has ceased to act, as shown in FIG. 1. The next day, during the actuation of the finger 10 by the drive movement, the beak 26 again reaches the same position extending through two steps of the date movement 2. Repetitive motion lengthThe same path advances a certain distance from the first tooth (in this case the first type tooth 4 located immediately behind the second type tooth 6) during the first state, and then in the second state advances the date display from the 31st (October) to the 1st (November) by blocking the second type tooth 6 so as to advance the date moving part one step.

[0036] It can be seen that the base 12 of the claw 10 is in the same static state in any state of the compensation movable part, which is different from the corresponding mechanism of the prior art described above. Therefore, regardless of the state of the compensation movable part 32, the claw 10 is in the same static state. Repetitive motion length In other words, the pawl 10 is moved such that each actuation by the drive mobile makes it possible to advance the mobile part 2 by two steps.

[0037] It is clear from FIG. 2 that the finger 10 has a different path when actuated during short months with less than 31 days than when actuated during long months with 31 days. In particular, when the beak 26 is located near the set of teeth of the movable part 2, the path of the finger 10 directly interferes with a first tooth provided along the path of the finger 10 - in this case the second type of tooth 6 - and at the same speed as in the first state of the path, in order to drive the date moving part by a first step during this state. As will become more clear from the following description in conjunction with FIGS. 5a-5e, the finger 10 then continues to move in the second state, driving the second type of tooth 6 by an additional step. The date display thus advances from the 30th (November) to the 1st (December) with a single actuation of the finger 10.

[0038] In general, the pawl 10 allows the movable part 2 to move systematically two steps. Repetitive motion length This Repetitive motion length It is clear from the above that can be split into two successive states - an arbitrary drive state and a systematic drive state, which correspond respectively to the first and second states mentioned above.

[0039] It should further be noted that while each tooth of the movable part 2 has an active tooth surface intended to cooperate with the pawl 10, the active tooth surface of the first type of teeth 4 is different from the active tooth surface of the second type of teeth 6. In general, the first type of teeth 4 and the second type of teeth 6 are differentiated. As a result, the cooperation between the pawl 10 and the set of teeth of the movable part 2 in any drive state is such that when the compensating movable part 32 is in the second state, the second type of teeth 6 cooperate with the pawl 10. Repetitive motion length 8, which generates a force for driving the movable part 2 sufficient to overcome the action of the jumper 8 when the compensating movable part 32 is provided along the axis of the compensating movable part 2. Thus, in the case of the illustrated design, the first type of tooth 4 is intended to cooperate with the pawl from the first day of the month to the penultimate day, while the second type of tooth 6 is intended to cooperate with the pawl 10 on the last day of the month, regardless of whether the current month has 30 or 31 days. When the compensating movable part 32 is in the first state, the pawl 10 can only act with the second type of tooth 6 on the 31st day of the month (FIG. 1, October), while when the compensating movable part 32 is in the second state, the pawl 10 can act with the second type of tooth 6 as fast as on the 30th day of the month (FIG. 2, November).

[0040] It is thus clear that the compensating movable part 32 cooperates with the claw 10 to define two different paths. One of the two different paths is associated with a first state and the other of the two different paths is associated with a second state. Repetitive motion length does not change in any case and corresponds to the movement of the pawl 10 involved in advancing the mobile part 2 by two steps in all cases.

[0041] More specifically, the differences between the tooth types according to the preferred embodiment of the invention are due, by way of non-limiting example, to their corresponding geometric shapes. In particular, the working tooth flanks of the teeth 4 of the first type may comprise, from the bottom of the set of teeth, a first portion having a first average inclination in the radial direction and a second portion having a second average inclination in the radial direction that is greater than the first average inclination. In a different way, the working tooth flanks of the teeth 6 of the second type have a third average inclination in the radial direction that is smaller than the second average inclination. It is thus possible to define the inclination of each different part of the teeth and the shape of the beak 26, so that these teeth define the shape of the pawl corresponding to any drive state. Repetitive motion length, the pawl can slide over the working tooth surfaces of the first type of teeth 4 as represented in FIG. 4, while the pawl acts on the working tooth surfaces of the second type of teeth 6 to drive the movable part 2, as shown in FIGS. 5a and 5b.

[0042] By way of non-limiting example, both the first average slope and the second average slope may be substantially between 0° and 25°, preferably between 5° and 15° in the radial direction (not necessarily having the same value), and the second average slope may be substantially between 30° and 85°, preferably between 35° and 55° in the radial direction.

[0043] Due to such an angle, when the first type of tooth 4 is provided on the path of the pawl 10 during any driving condition, the beak 26 comes into contact with the second portion of the corresponding working tooth surface, said second portion being inclined to a large extent so that the pawl 10 can drive the movable part 2.

[0044] As represented in Fig. 4, such a situation occurs, for example, on the 1st to 29th days of the short month. The compensation moving part 32 is in the second state. Thus, on the 1st to 29th days of the short month, the pawl 10 cannot drive the moving part 2 during any driving state. Continuing along the path of the pawl 10 after any driving state, the pawl 10 comes into contact with a first portion of the first type of teeth 4 in the systematic driving state, and then rotates the moving part 2 one step clockwise in Fig. 4.

[0045] On November 30, the mechanism is in the situation depicted in Figure 2. The second type of tooth 6 is located in the path of the pawl 10 as fast as in any drive state. The shape of the active flank of the tooth 6 thus allows the pawl 10 to drive the movable part 2 one step as fast as in any drive state and subsequently drive the movable part 2 an additional step in the systematic drive state.

[0046] Figures 5a to 5e show the time series of the drive of the moving part 2 by the pawl 10 when changing from the 30th day of the short month to the 1st day of the next month. Each of the arbitrary and systematic drive states is divided into several steps. The parts of the clock mechanism 1 are shown by these numbers in plan views from the dial face of the corresponding clock.

[0047] 5a represents the configuration of the clock mechanism 1 before the pawl 10 is actuated by the driving moving part of the clock movement. A driving finger (not shown) can then be provided to move the pawl 10 once a day by rotating the base 12 clockwise.

[0048] As is clear from FIG. 5 a, the compensating part 32 is in a second state corresponding to short months having less than 31 days, and the tail 28 of the pawl 10 is positioned between the teeth of the second wheel 36 of the compensating part 32, so that it is weighted against the small radius portion of the second wheel 36.

[0049] Thus, during any drive state, a part of the pawl 10 blocks the set of teeth of the movable part. On the 30th day of the month, the second type of teeth 6 corresponds to any drive state of the pawl 10. Repetitive motion length As a result, the pawl 10 cooperates with the second type of teeth 6 to drive the movable part 2 to advance it through a first step.

[0050] The start of this first step is represented by Fig. 5b. The movable part 2 has started to rotate clockwise in Fig. 5b so as to counter the force exerted by the jumper 8. In particular, the jumper 8 is no longer arranged to counter two adjacent teeth of the movable part 2 simultaneously, since, as would be the case in the normal rest position, the jumper 8 only counters the non-working tooth flank of the tooth 4.

[0051] Date indicia 40 are shown on the moving part 2. These indicia 40 may, by way of non-limiting example, be performed directly by the moving part 2 or alternatively by an additional disc fixed to the moving part. By way of non-limiting example, a window 42 is also shown to indicate diagrammatically the position where the date is read according to the embodiment shown.

[0052] When the jumper 8 passes over an adjacent tooth 4 in resistance, it exerts a stress on the active tooth surface of the same tooth 4. This is shown in figure 5c, where the jumper 8 is placed in resistance to two adjacent teeth 4 simultaneously, which has the effect of rotating the movable part 2 to the next discrete position. The "31" marking 40 then takes a position opposite the window 42.

[0053] As the drive armature continues to rotate the base 12 of the pawl 10 clockwise, the pawl 10 catches up with the second type of tooth 6 which has advanced under the effect of the jumper 8 .

[0054] As a non-limiting example, at the same time the tail 28 of the claw 10 moves away from the compensation moving part 32 and then the angular orientation of the arm 22 is determined by the action of the spring 30 and the interaction of the beak 26 with the set of teeth of the moving part 2, and is no longer determined by the tail 28 acting against the second wheel 36 of the compensation moving part 32.

[0055] Continuing to move under the effect of the driving movable part, the pawl 10 again begins to drive the movable part 2 against the force of the jumper 8, thereby initiating the systematic drive state, thereby bringing the mechanism into the configuration represented in FIG. 5d.

[0056] The compensating movable part 32 may have indicia 44 indicating the current month designed to cooperate with a suitable window 46. Thus, the indicia 44 relating to the month of February appears in the window 46 in the configuration represented in Figures 4 to 5d.

[0057] As mentioned above, the protruding tooth 400 is higher than the other teeth. It is clear from Figures 5d and 5e that when the date movable part 2 moves from a position corresponding to the 13th day of a given month to a position corresponding to the 1st day of the next month, the protruding tooth 400 meshes with a set of teeth of the first wheel 34 of the correction movable part so as to rotate the first wheel 34 two steps clockwise in Figures 5d and 5e. Due to this movement, the correction movable part 32 rotates from an angular orientation corresponding to a given month to another angular orientation corresponding to the next month.

[0058] As shown in Fig. 5e, once the top of the tooth 4 has passed, the jumper 8 acts on the active tooth surface of this same tooth 4 to complete the movement of the movable part 2. After the correction movable part 32 has subsequently been driven two steps clockwise, the "1" marking 40 is correctly positioned opposite the window 42. In the same way, the marking 44 relating to the next month is properly positioned opposite the window 46.

[0059] At the end of the cycle, the pawl 10 returns to the rest position, meaning that the pawl 10 is in resisting abutment against the fixed pin 16.

[0060] By rotating two steps, the compensating mobile 32 in this case goes from the second state corresponding to a shorter month to the first state corresponding to a longer month, so that by returning to the rest position, in the position shown in Figure 6a, the pawl 10 no longer cooperates with the shortened radius of the second wheel 36, but with one of its teeth.

[0061] Naturally, the force applied by the return on the one hand to the base 12 and the force applied by the spring 30 on the other hand to the arm 22 are adjusted relative to one another so that when, under the effect of the action of the return, the drive finger releases the pawl 10 and the base 12 is driven counterclockwise in Fig. 5e, the arm 22 pivots in a clockwise direction, thereby allowing it to weight the teeth of the second wheel 36. The action of the return therefore takes precedence over the action of the spring 30.

[0062] 6a-6c show the progression from the 30th to the 31st day of the long month. On the 30th day of the month, the second type of teeth 6 are located on the pawl 10 during any drive state. Repetitive motion length The compensating part 32 is in the second state and deflects the pawl 10. The beak 26 of the pawl 10 passes the second type of tooth without driving the compensating part 32 during the actuation of the base 12. The beak 26 then penetrates behind the second type of tooth 6 in order to drive the first type of tooth 4 which directly follows the second type of tooth 6 during the systematic drive state (Figures 6b and 6c).

[0063] The characteristics given above result in a timepiece mechanism having a moving part, said moving part being capable of being driven through a variable number of steps by deliberate interaction between an actuating pawl of said moving part and a suitable compensating moving part, which is capable of assuming at least one first state and a second state different from said first state, due to the fact that it defines two different paths of the actuating pawl.

[0064] The implementation of the present invention is not limited to displaying a date, in particular, those skilled in the art will have no difficulty in adapting the teachings of this application to the implementation of other types of timepiece mechanisms, particularly mechanisms that display variables other than the date.

[0065] As has been explained, the above description is intended to illustrate a particular embodiment by way of non-limiting example. The invention is not limited to the implementation of certain particular features described so far, such as the shape of the compensation moving part 32 or the nature of its interaction with the pawl 10. In particular, to implement the invention, it is sufficient that the compensation moving part 32 has two different states in which it interacts with the actuating pawl in two different ways to define two different paths of the actuating pawl. It is thus possible to simply provide a compensation moving part with a shuttle having a cam that moves back and forth and has two parts with different radii. As has been explained, the presence of the optional drive state and the systematic drive state is not essential for the implementation of the invention, nor is the order of the optional drive state and the systematic drive state. It should thus be noted that, for example, in the case of a moving part with a set of external teeth, it is simpler to make sure that the systematic drive state occurs before the optional drive state.

[0066] Furthermore, other ways than geometric shapes may be provided to ensure a difference in the interaction between the pawl and the teeth of a first type for one part and between the pawl and the teeth of a second type for the other part, so that the active flanks of these teeth may be differentiated, for example, by utilizing different roughness or by implementing different magnetic interactions.

[0067] While generally the claw 10 described and illustrated herein is made in two parts (base 12 and arm 22), it is also possible to make it using more parts or in one part, for example based on the teachings of US Pat. No. 5,399,328 (CH 713288 A1).

[0068] Also generally, when the path of the pawl may be split into an arbitrary drive state and a systematic drive state, the compensating moving part may interact with the pawl during the entire arbitrary drive state or only during a portion of this state without departing from the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, interactions of the compensating moving part with the pawl outside of the arbitrary drive state are also contemplated without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0069] Given the above disclosure, one skilled in the art can easily make similar modifications without departing from the scope of the present invention. Repetitive motion length By having a moving part that can be driven in a variable number of steps by a pawl having a correction value, it is possible to create various variants of clock mechanisms that allow the moving part to advance in the maximum possible number of steps, in which the pawl changes this value depending on the state of the correction moving part. Repetitive motion length The pawl defines multiple paths within the guide rail, which cooperates with the compensating moving part to define the number of steps the moving part will take in a given state depending on the specific needs.

Claims

1. A clock mechanism for a clock movement, comprising: a movable part including a set of teeth having at least one first type of tooth and at least one second type of tooth; jumpers designed to cooperate with said set of teeth to define discrete positions of said movable part; a pawl intended to be actuated by a driving moving part of the timepiece movement and intended to act on said set of teeth to move said moving part by at least one step with each actuation, the pawl exhibits a repeating length such that it can act on the set of teeth to move the movable part two steps in each actuation; the timepiece mechanism comprises a compensating movable part having at least one first state and at least one second state different from the first state, the compensating movable part being designed to cooperate with the pawl during actuation of the pawl so as to define at least two different paths of the pawl associated with the first state and the second state, respectively; The claw and the correction movable part are configured as follows during the operation of the claw: The pawl acts on the set of teeth to move the movable part one step; the pawl acts on the set of teeth to move the movable part an additional step only when the compensating movable part is in a second state and the at least one second type of tooth is disposed along a repeating length of the pawl. A clock mechanism characterized in that it is designed so as to

2. A clock mechanism for a clock movement according to claim 1, The movable part, the claw, and the compensation movable part are designed such that the repeating motion length of the claw has two consecutive states, and the two consecutive states are: any drive state in which the set of teeth can be driven the additional step only when the compensating moveable portion is in a second state and the second type of teeth are provided along the repeating length of the pawl; and When either the at least one first type tooth or the at least one second type tooth is a type of tooth provided along a reciprocating motion length of the claw, the set of teeth is in a systematic drive state in which the set of teeth can be driven by the one step regardless of the state of the correction movable part; 13. A clock mechanism comprising:

3. A clock mechanism for a clock movement according to claim 2, said movable part being in the shape of a disk and designed to pivot; the set of teeth is an internal set of teeth; and The movable part, the claw, and the compensation movable part are designed so that the optional driving state occurs before the systematic driving state. Clock mechanism.

4. A clock mechanism for a clock movement according to claim 2 or 3, each of said at least one first type of tooth is intended to cooperate with said pawl and has an active tooth surface different from that of said at least one second type of tooth, so that the cooperation of said pawl with said set of teeth in said any driving state produces a force for driving said movable part sufficient to overcome the action of said jumper when said compensating movable part is in a second state only when said second type of tooth is provided along the reciprocating length of said pawl, Clock mechanism.

5. A clock mechanism for a clock movement according to claim 4, said movable part being in the shape of a disk and designed to pivot; the working tooth flank of the at least one first type tooth comprises, along a radial direction from a bottom of the set of teeth, a first portion having a first average inclination with respect to the radial direction and a second portion having a second average inclination with respect to the radial direction that is greater than the first average inclination; and the working tooth flanks of the second type of teeth have a third average inclination in the radial direction that is less than the second average inclination. A clock mechanism characterized by:

6. 6. A timepiece mechanism for a timepiece movement according to claim 5, wherein said second average inclination is substantially between 30° and 85° in said radial direction.

7. A timepiece mechanism for a timepiece movement according to claim 5 or 6, wherein said first average tilt is substantially between 0° and 25° in said radial direction.

8. A timepiece mechanism for a timepiece movement according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein said third average tilt is substantially between 0° and 25° in said radial direction.

9. A timepiece mechanism for a timepiece movement according to any one of claims 2 to 8, the compensation movable portion has a cam that maintains the pawl against a periphery during any one of the drive states to allow the path of the pawl to be adjusted; the periphery of the cam has at least a first radius and a second radius that are distinct from one another; the first radius and the second radius are associated with the first state and the second state of the compensation movable part, respectively; A clock mechanism characterized by:

10. 10. A clock mechanism of a clock movement as claimed in claim 9, wherein the correction movable part has a set of teeth intended to cooperate with at least one protruding tooth that is longer than the other teeth of the movable part in order to adjust the angular orientation of the cam.

11. A timepiece mechanism for a timepiece movement according to any one of claims 1 to 10, The movable part is fixed to the date display movable part or drives the date display movable part, the set of teeth of the movable part has 30 teeth of the first type and one tooth of the second type; said pawl is intended to be actuated once a day to move said movable part by one or two steps, the correction mover is a lunar mover designed such that the angular orientation associated with a given moon at each moment passes from one moon to the next at each moment, A clock mechanism characterized by:

12. A timepiece movement comprising a timepiece mechanism according to any one of the preceding claims.

13. A timepiece comprising a timepiece mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

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