Horological movement provided with a mechanism for driving a jumping indicator

Abstract

The side movement (2) is equipped with an indicator (4) and includes a mechanism (6) for jump-driving the indicator, the mechanism including a wheel platform (8) having a first rotation axis (20), a driving finger (12) for driving the indicator, and a spring (16) attached to the wheel platform so that the first end rotates together and attached to the driving finger so that the second end rotates together. The mechanism includes a rigid support (10) that can rotate about the first rotation axis (20) with respect to the wheel platform, and a lever (26) mounted on the rigid support and forming the driving finger so that it can rotate about a second rotation axis (22) far from the first rotation axis. The above mechanism limits the rotation of the lever in a first direction when the spring is loaded and the indicator makes its next jump, and the lever can rotate in a direction opposite to the first direction, thereby allowing the driving finger to retract radially toward the first axis of rotation under the action of a radial force applied to the driving finger.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a horological movement comprising an indicator and a mechanism for jump-driving the indicator, and also to a watch having such a horological movement. In particular, the indicator is a date indicator. Background Technology

[0002] Patent document EP 3828644 describes a mechanism for driving a jumping indicator that advantageously overcomes the technical problems of the prior art by including a rigid drum-finger that is rotatably and translationally guided by a hub passing through a rectangular hole of a drum, and a spring arranged within the drum-finger and connecting the latter to a wheel platform.

[0003] This drive mechanism has several disadvantages. First, the spring expands when the date ring is driven, and its coil is supported against the inner wall of the drum when the spring is loaded, intended to limit the expansion of the spring and prevent it from reaching its plastic limit. This results in a sharp reduction in the active length of the spring. Given the manufacturing tolerances of the various components, the loading time of the drive mechanism can vary because the time the spring is in contact with the inner wall of the drum can change from one loading to the next, and the angular position of the contact zone can also change. This leads to inaccuracies in the time when the ring is triggered to advance to the next date. Another problem arises from the fact that the driving force is transmitted to the finger through the spring's coil, which consequently must have sufficient stiffness / rigidity over its entire length—more specifically, over the part located between the contact zone with the wall of the drum and the connecting member for engagement with the drum arranged at the second end of the spring—and this part must ultimately withstand the total additional torque generated from the moment of contact until the moment the indicator jumps.

[0004] The drawings in the aforementioned literature show that the connecting member of the spring is arranged within a shallow recess from which the member can easily exit. The two lateral surfaces of the recess are radially parallel passing through the center of the recess, and the connecting member has two radial flanks, and the angular width of the connecting member is smaller than the angular width of the recess so that the member can easily penetrate into the recess. Furthermore, the connecting member is intended to have a large amount of play within the recess to allow the connecting member to move within the recess. Therefore, a relatively small impact can easily cause the connecting member to exit the recess. In such cases, when the spring is loaded while supported against the gear of the date ring, or before loading the spring which typically exhibits slight expansion due to friction applied to the drum, the connecting member slips out from the side of the finger radial drive flank. In this situation, the side wall of the drum applies a radial force to the connecting member, and the side wall receives a frictional force. When the connecting element emerges from its recess when the spring supported by the gear of the date ring is loaded, it then slides along the inner lateral surface, and a date jump does not occur until at least one rotation of the drive wheel and the connecting element re-enters the recess (a best-case scenario that nevertheless results in the loss of an accurate date display with missed daily jumps), or until the coil contacts the sidewall and a date jump occurs at an indeterminate time, the frictional force is sufficient for the spring to expand again, thereby increasing the frictional force further. In the latter case, after the date jump, the spring is relaxed by the drive of the drum. If this situation is repeated, the next date change no longer occurs around midnight. If the connecting element undergoes a specific sudden angular displacement along the sidewall, this situation will be repeated for at least a few days with date increments at indeterminate and variable times.In any case, the date drive mechanism will cease to function for at least a few days as soon as the coupling member comes out of its recess, which is highly likely for the mechanism as illustrated in the drawings of patent document EP 3828644.

[0005] The geometric shape of the coupling member for the recess allows for a large amount of play and specific mobility of the coupling member within the recess, thereby creating another problem. More specifically, when the spring is loaded, this deforms the spring coil and causes the coupling member to rotate on its own. This rotation causes the coupling member to slide against the front sidewall of the recess, thereby reducing the point of force application from the spring on the drum-finger radially as the spring is loaded. Consequently, for a given level of spring loading, the driving torque provided by the spring to the finger decreases proportionally to the reduction in the application of force from the spring to the drum-finger by the lever arm, which is problematic because the driving force of the finger on the indicator gear decreases at the same rate for a given point of contact. Since a given driving torque is required to jump the indicator, the spring must generate a greater force because the lever arm is reduced during spring loading; this requires providing more torque, which negatively affects the performance of the side movement loading the spring of the drive mechanism. This also requires the spring to have dimensions that are more robust than necessary.

[0006] Finally, another problem with the mechanism arises from the fact that when the indicator is driven, the spring coil is directed outward in an area exactly opposite to the finger and thus applies a radial force to the drum, which is substantially directed along the length of the rectangular hole, which tends to move the finger away from the tooth profile of the ring. Consequently, the finger is more likely to pass through the gear without the indicator being driven, especially in the case of a small impact in such situations. It should also be noted that this situation reduces the angular path through which the finger can drive the gear by remaining in contact, and thus it is possible for the finger to pass through the gear before receiving the driving torque over an angular distance sufficient to ensure a jump on the date, and the date ring may remain stationary in an intermediate position or return to its previous stable position once the finger passes through the gear. Furthermore, reducing the lever arm to apply driving force to the gear requires an increase in the required driving force for a given driving torque, which requires a force supplied by the spring, and thus its tension is also increased.

[0007] The object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism for driving a jumping indicator that overcomes at least some of the disadvantages of the prior art described above. The present invention also aims to provide a watching movement comprising an indicator and a mechanism for jumping-driving the indicator, wherein the mechanism is efficient and can be precise in each watching movement comprising such mechanism, and the operation is hardly or not hindered by external stresses, e.g., shocks.

[0008] In particular, the driving mechanism is intended to allow the indicator to be rapidly corrected by another specific mechanism specific to the observation movement by the additional torque generated by the presence of the driving mechanism during the passage of one gear or the continuous passage of multiple gears on the outer flank of the driving finger of the indicator, and this torque is minimal and does not include abrupt fluctuations.

[0009] To achieve this purpose, the present invention relates to a sighting movement comprising an indicator and a mechanism for jump-driving the indicator, wherein the mechanism comprises a wheel platform defining a first rotation axis, a driving finger for driving the indicator, and a spring formed by a first end, a coil, and a second end, wherein the first end is attached to the wheel platform and rotates together with it, and the second end is attached to the driving finger and rotates together with it during each loading of the spring preceding the jump by the indicator and during the driving of the indicator by the mechanism during the jump. The mechanism comprises a rigid support member rotatable about a first rotation axis relative to the wheel platform, and a lever mounted on the rigid support member so as to be rotatable about a second rotation axis located far from the first rotation axis, wherein the second rotation axis is located at the first end of the lever, and the driving finger is formed by the lever on the side of its second end. The mechanism further includes a first stop portion integral with a rigid support and restricting rotation of the lever in a first direction corresponding to a direction in which the finger moves radially away from the first axis of rotation, and the lever is arranged to rotate in a second direction opposite to the first direction so as to be supported against the first stop portion when the spring is loaded before the jump of the indicator, and to be able to retract toward the first axis of rotation under the action of a force applied to the driving finger having a progressively increasing radial component.

[0010] When the spring is loaded, the first stop makes it possible to maintain a constant radial distance between the contact point of the driving finger on the gear of the indicator and the first rotation axis (central rotation axis) of the mechanism. In contrast to the prior art, the leverage is therefore maintained at a constant level and the mechanism is more efficient.

[0011] In a specific alternative embodiment, the indicator is a date indicator comprising a toothed portion. In particular, the indicator is a date ring comprising an internal toothed portion to be rotatably driven by a mechanism.

[0012] Thanks to a drive finger that is not integrated with the rigid support but is rotatable around a second axis of rotation defined by the rigid support and located far from the first axis of rotation of the rigid support and the wheel platform, radial retraction of the drive finger in the direction of the first axis of rotation is achieved by rotation of the lever without radial displacement of the rigid support in this case under the action of a force applied to this drive finger by the indicator, and this lever is relatively light and can exhibit relatively low friction during rotation. Accordingly, through a calibration device other than the above mechanism, the force couple applied by the user to perform rapid calibration of the indicator in the intended driving direction or to perform calibration of time in a counterclockwise direction (creating rotation of the wheel platform in the opposite direction to the driving direction) (especially in the case of a calendar indicator) by passing midnight is relatively weak, and the passage of the indicator gear across the drive finger retracting mainly radially with respect to the central axis is less noticeable than in the prior art.

[0013] Secondly, the elastic deformation of the spring can be lower than that of the prior art, and thus generate lower stress in the spring, which is an advantage regarding the size of the spring, and is mainly due to the rotation of the lever around the second axis of rotation with the driving finger moving toward the first axis of rotation. The spring necessarily undergoes radial elastic deformation due to the driving finger and, consequently, the radial retraction of the second end of the spring; however, the angular deformation of the spring due to the force couple applied to this second end can be much less than in the case of the mechanism of the prior art. Advantageously, the interaction of the teeth on the finger applies a force on the rigid support through the lever alone, and thus on the second off-centre axis of rotation. The direction of the force generated by the gear of the indicator pressing the outer flank of the driving finger, applied on the second axis, tends to generate torque on the rigid support to rotate it, and this torque is weaker than that of the prior art. Given the stiffness of the spring (necessary to store energy during normal operation of the indicator), the lever can rotate relative to a stiff support under the action of a gear pressing the outer flank of the driving finger, and this stiff support is not required to rotate relative to the wheel platform. Thus, it can be seen that the spring undergoes mainly radial elastic deformation due to the retraction of the driving finger caused by rotation around a second axis of rotation far from the first axis of rotation. Thus, the driving mechanism of the present invention allows for the same contraction of the finger during correction as in the prior art, but generates less elastic deformation of the spring compared to the mechanism of the prior art in which the spring undergoes significant angular deformation in addition to radial deformation.

[0014] The advantages of the present invention described above are significantly obtained in an advantageous alternative embodiment in which the outer flank of the driving finger is arched, and this arched outer flank has a radial size with respect to a first rotation axis that increases monotonically as it approaches the driving flank of the driving finger to press against the lateral flank of the gear of the tooth portion during the jump increment of the indicator while the lever is in contact with the first stop portion.

[0015] According to an advantageous alternative embodiment, the spring and the lever are arranged such that when the spring is not under angular stress, the lever also supports the first stop.

[0016] According to a primary embodiment, the rigid support comprises a plate forming a first stop. In particular, the rigid support is composed of such a plate.

[0017] According to a preferred embodiment, the mechanism is arranged so that the spring contracts when the spring is loaded, so as to produce a jump, particularly a semi-instantaneous jump of the indicator. By contracting the spring, a certain radius can be obtained to apply the driving force of the finger, in particular, to the indicator gear supported by the finger, thereby optimizing this driving force and thus the driving torque required to cause the indicator to jump.

[0018] According to a preferred alternative embodiment, the angular displacement of the second end of the spring and thus the driving finger relative to the wheel platform is limited by a second stop that limits the angular stop to be attached to the wheel platform and rotate together when the coil contracted as a result of the loading of the spring is stressed, and the indicator and mechanism are arranged such that, in normal operation, at the end of the loading of the spring preceding the jump, the angular displacement is stopped by the second stop, and after corresponding to the angular distance determined therefrom, a jump by the indicator occurs.

[0019] The present invention also relates to a watch comprising a movement according to the present invention. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0020] Objects, advantages, and features of the present invention will be described in more detail below with the help of the accompanying drawings provided as non-limiting examples: FIG. 1 is a plan view of a timepiece mechanism according to an advantageous embodiment of the present invention, which is intended to drive a jumping indicator, in particular semi-instantaneous jumps. Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the timepiece mechanism of Figure 1. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the rigid support of the spring and lever of the timepiece mechanism of FIG. 1, shown in an inverted position. Figure 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the lever. FIG. 5 is a drawing similar to FIG. 1 of an alternative embodiment of the timepiece mechanism illustrated in FIG. 1. FIGS. 6a through 6d partially illustrate a viewing movement according to the present invention, and such movement includes an advantageous embodiment of the driving mechanism described in the preceding drawings in each of four consecutive states that occur when the date ring is driven by the driving mechanism. FIGS. 7a and FIGS. 7b partially illustrate the directional movement of FIG. 6a in two consecutive states, respectively, which occur when the date ring is rapidly driven by a conventional control member in the date ring driving direction. FIGS. 8a and FIGS. 8b partially illustrate the time movement of FIG. 6a in two consecutive states, respectively, which occur when the time display hands are driven counterclockwise and thus the wheel platform is driven in the opposite direction to the driving direction of the platform when the date ring is driven. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0021] With reference to the attached drawings, and more specifically with reference to FIGS. 6a through 8b, one advantageous embodiment of a mechanism for driving an indicator by a jump, particularly a half-instantaneous jump, will be described, and the operation of a viewing movement according to the present invention including such a driving mechanism will be described.

[0022] The mechanism (6) for driving the jumping indicator (4) comprises a wheel platform (8) rotating about a first rotation axis (20), a driving finger (12) for driving the indicator, and a spring (16). In a primary alternative embodiment, the indicator is a date indicator, specifically a date ring including an internal tooth (5). In other specific alternative embodiments provided as non-limiting examples, the indicator is, for example, a minute, hour, day, or month indicator. The spring (16) is formed by a first end (17), a coil (18), and a second end (19), the first end being attached to the wheel platform and rotating with it, and the second end being attached to the driving finger (12) and rotating with it during each loading of the spring (16) preceding the jump by the indicator (4) and during the driving of the indicator by the mechanism during this jump. The first end (17) of the spring is connected to a center (24) attached to the wheel platform (8) to rotate together. Preferably, the spring and the center form a single identical part. The mechanism (6) includes a rigid support (10) capable of rotating about a first rotation axis relative to a wheel platform, and a lever (26) mounted on the rigid support to rotate about a second rotation axis (22) located away from the first rotation axis (20).

[0023] A second rotation axis (22) is located at the first end of the lever, forming a driving finger at its second end. In particular, the lever has a circular stud (34) that is inserted into a hole (33) formed in a rigid support at its first end, so that the lever can rotate around the rotation axis (22) formed by this hole (33), and in particular, as described in more detail below, the driving finger (12) can be retracted during rapid correction of the date or during a specific counterclockwise correction of the time passing midnight.

[0024] The mechanism (6) includes a center hub (32) that defines a shaft passing through a center hole in a rigid support (10) and rotatably guiding the rigid support relative to a wheel platform (8), and the latter and the center part (24) are driven onto the center hub (32).

[0025] Typically, the driving mechanism comprises a first stop that is integral with the rigid support and limits the rotation of the lever in a first direction corresponding to the direction in which the finger moves radially away from the first rotation axis (20), and the lever is arranged to be supported against the first stop at least when the spring is loaded before the indicator jumps, and preferably also when the indicator is driven during this jump, and can rotate in a second direction opposite to the first direction, thus causing the driving finger to retract toward the first rotation axis (20) under the action of the tangential component of the force applied to this driving finger by the tooth portion of the indicator during correction with respect to the second rotation axis (22). Preferably, the spring and the lever are arranged in such a way that the lever is also supported against the first stop when the spring is not under angular stress. According to a primary alternative embodiment, the rigid support comprises a plate forming the first stop. According to an advantageous alternative embodiment illustrated in the drawing, the rigid support is a plate (10).

[0026] According to a specific alternative embodiment illustrated in the drawings, the lever (26) is formed by an arm (36) and a drive finger (12), the arm having a first height and is arranged at least partially between the wheel platform and the plate. The drive finger (12) has a second height (H) in at least a thick portion defining a drive flank (14) intended to support against the gear of the tooth portion (5) associated with the indicator (4) (Figs. 6a to 8b) when the indicator is driven by the mechanism (6). The second height (H) is greater than the first height, and the thick portion of the drive finger is not stacked on the plate for any useful angular position of the lever, and this thick portion extends at least partially axially over the thickness of at least one area of ​​the plate positioned over the arm. The drive flank (14) is substantially radial with respect to the first rotation axis (20) when the lever is supported against the first stop portion (30).

[0027] According to a favorable alternative embodiment, the plate (10) has a lateral surface having a substantially radial area defining the first stop portion (30). The driving finger (12) has a second height (H) over the entire range within the plane of the tooth portion (5), and is positioned so that the rear upper portion can be supported against the first stop portion (30) whenever the spring is loaded, and is maintained at an angular position fixed with respect to the second rotation axis, and thus at a position fixed with respect to the first rotation axis. In particular, the rear upper portion defines a stop surface (15) that cooperates with the first stop portion (30) to limit the rotation of the lever in the first rotation direction, and this stop surface (15) is supported against the first stop portion (30) whenever the spring (16) is loaded, and the indicator subsequently performs a jump, i.e., a date jump, when the time display indicates midnight.

[0028] In the first alternative embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3, the plate (10) has an entirely circular profile having a lateral cavity (38) configured such that the driving finger (12) enters and retracts into the lateral cavity as the gear passes along the outer flank (13) of the driving finger, and most of the spring (16) is always covered by the plate. In the second alternative embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5, the plate (10A) of the mechanism (6A) comprises: - a central portion defining a central hole; - a projection (58) covering a portion of the spring (16) on the side of its second end (19) for retention of the spring in a general plane between the wheel platform (8) and the plate (10A); - an annular sector-shaped portion extending radially from the central portion and defining a hole (33) for a first stop (30) at the first angled end and a stud (34) of the lever (26) on the side of the second angled end.

[0029] In an illustrated alternative embodiment, the driving finger (12) has an arched outer flank (13) that can be pressed by at least one gear (5b) of the tooth portion (5) of the indicator (4) during rapid correction of the indicator using a correction device other than the mechanism, and the arched outer flank has a dimension radially with respect to a first rotation axis (20) that increases monotonically as it approaches the driving flank (14) when the lever contacts the first stop portion (30).

[0030] Additionally, according to an advantageous alternative embodiment illustrated in the drawing, the lever (26) has a recess (42) having a lateral opening on the spring (16) side in an inner portion (46) that runs parallel to the drive finger (12). A second end (19) of the spring (16) is extended by a member (40) for coupling with the lever (26), and this coupling member (40) is rigid and can penetrate at least partially into the recess (42) and allows the spring to apply a driving force coupling to the rigid support (10) and the lever (26), thereby allowing the drive finger (12) to drive the indicator (4).

[0031] Preferably, the coupling member (40) is configured to penetrate at least partially into the recess (42) through the lateral opening of this recess. In particular, the recess (42) has a lateral surface (52) oriented obliquely in the rotational direction (50) of the wheel platform (8), and in the rotational direction, the indicator is intended to be driven about the central rotation axis (20) in a radial direction passing through the center of the lateral surface, and the coupling member (40) has a lateral flank (54) facing the lateral surface (52), which is also obliquely inclined about the central rotation axis (20) in the same direction as the lateral surface and is supported at least partially by the lateral surface when the indicator is driven. The lateral surface and the lateral flank are relatively long. These specific features ensure that the coupling member is firmly secured within the recess as soon as the spring (16) is compressed. In particular, the contact point or contact zone of the recess, which is the point or zone where the spring force is applied through the coupling member, does not change when the spring is loaded. Additionally, the connecting member (40) cannot rotate on its own in the direction of rotation of the wheel platform while the spring is being loaded.

[0032] The lever (26) advantageously has a lateral ramp (48) on the front portion of the inner portion (46), which allows the coupling member (40) to be coupled to the lever (26), particularly the driving finger, by simply rotating the plate (10) clockwise relative to the wheel platform (8) from the angular position of the coupling member located upstream of the lateral ramp (48) and inserting the coupling member into the recess (42).

[0033] The recess (42) is typically triangular in shape and opens progressively toward its lateral opening. The shape of the portion of the coupling member (40) that is inserted into the recess through the lateral opening substantially corresponds to the shape of the recess. This configuration advantageously allows the coupling member to be easily inserted into the recess, but a priori, even if the recess is intended to be relatively deep, it will allow the member to come out quite easily in the event of an impact. However, the spring (16) is arranged so that when the spring is loaded, the coupling member is at a short distance from the inner end (17) of the spring, which is firmly connected to the center (24). In this situation, the coupling member (40) cannot come out of the recess upon impact. Additionally, when the spring (16) is substantially relaxed without the driving finger interacting with the tooth portion (5) of the indicator, the coupling member (40) also cannot come out laterally from the recess upon impact. Accordingly, the mechanism (6) is arranged so that the connecting member cannot move out of the recess (42) when the spring is relaxed or stressed during the loading of the spring before the indicator jump.

[0034] Once inserted into the recess (42), the coupling member (40) may be maintained within this recess by a radial force about the rotational axis (20) applied outward by the spring (16) to the coupling member, although this is not essential. This radial force (more precisely, the radial component of the force applied to the lever through the coupling member by the spring) is increased during the counterclockwise time correction passing through midnight or during the rapid change of date by the fact that the driving finger and the coupling member are subsequently retracted / withdrawn in the direction of the rotational axis (20) through clockwise rotation (the second rotational direction of the lever), and thus the coupling member is maintained normally in the recess even if the spring (16) expands somewhat in this situation.

[0035] When the drive finger (12) retracts while rapidly correcting the date or time in a counterclockwise direction, including passing midnight by the clockwise rotation of the lever (26), the coupling finger moves closer to the center (24), so that after a certain initial rotation of the lever, the coupling member can no longer come out of the recess. During the initial rotation, the spring (16) may undergo a certain angular stress that causes expansion and theoretically causes the coupling member to come out of the recess in the event of an impact. However, when the coupling member undergoes acceleration substantially in the direction of the axis of rotation (20) of the wheel platform (8), the lever undergoes a certain force couple that causes the lever to rotate around the axis of rotation (22), and the drive finger follows the coupling member, the latter being kept at least partially inside the recess. When acceleration occurs in a direction substantially passing through the center of gravity of the lever and its axis of rotation (22), the coupling member (40) may undergo a movement that causes it to come out of the recess (42). However, the internal protrusion (44) of the spring may be configured in such a way that it prevents the coupling member from coming out of its recess completely. Alternatively, and advantageously, the rear portion of the coupling member may be configured to collide with the rigid portion integrated with the wheel platform before it can come out of its recess completely during correction. Consequently, the mechanism (6) is arranged so that the coupling member (40) remains within its recess (42) during normal operation, and thus the coupling member is always integrated with the driving finger during normal operation, so that in most cases it cannot come out of its recess during impact, and preferably cannot come out at all.

[0036] Preferably, the mechanism (6) is arranged so that when this spring is loaded, the spring (16) contracts to generate a jump by the indicator. Preferably, the angular displacement of the second end (19) of the driving finger (12) and the spring (16) coupled to the coupling member (40) with respect to the wheel platform (8) is limited by a second stop (28) that limits the angular stop attached to the wheel platform (8) to rotate together when the contracted coil (18) is stressed as a result of the loading of the spring, and the indicator and mechanism are arranged so that, during normal operation, at the end of the loading of the spring preceding the jump, the angular displacement is stopped by the second stop and corresponds to an angular distance (α) determined accordingly (see FIG. 6a).

[0037] In an illustrated alternative embodiment, the spring (16) includes an internal protrusion (44) arranged along the coil (18) on the side of the second end (19), the internal protrusion having its end in the loading of the spring against the second stop (28) (angle stop), and then arranged so that the indicator (4) jumps to the next stable position, i.e., the next date in the case of a date indicator.

[0038] FIGS. 6a through 8b illustrate in more detail the operation of a mechanism (6) for driving a timekeeping movement (2), particularly a date ring (4) integrated into the timekeeping movement. A central hub (32) is not shown in these drawings to avoid overloading the drawings, but is clearly necessary for the mechanism (6) to function.

[0039] FIGS. 6a through 6d illustrate four consecutive states of the mechanism (6) for driving the date ring (4) in jumps, particularly in semi-instantaneous jumps. FIGS. 6a through 6d each illustrate the mechanism (6) and the date ring (4) when the ring is driven to change to the next date at midnight:

[0040] - At the time when the driving finger (12) contacts the gear (5a) of the ring (4) and the spring (16) is substantially relaxed at an angle (i.e., not under stress at an angle);

[0041] - Once the inner protrusion (44) of the spring has undergone an angular displacement α with respect to the wheel platform (8) and has settled on the angular stop (28), the loading of the spring (16) is terminated;

[0042] - During the date jump caused by the mechanical energy stored in the compressed spring being applied to the assembly; and

[0043] - At the end of the jump, when the date ring (4) has substantially reached the next stable position.

[0044] In a specific embodiment, it should be noted that in normal operation, a jump by the indicator occurs before the angular displacement of the spring is stopped by the angle stop (28). In this case, the angle stop is a spring protection stop. In another specific embodiment, the driving mechanism does not have any angle stop. The spring contracts, and the coil of the spring freely expands between the two ends of the spring during the loading period.

[0045] It should be noted that, in order to prevent the gear (5a) of the indicator (4) from passing over or under the driving finger (12) when the indicator is driven, the height between the lower side of the wheel platform (8) and the tooth section (5), including the clearance, is provided to be kept constant between the lower height and the upper height of the driving finger from the wheel platform, including the clearance. To this end, in a favorable alternative embodiment, the lower height of the finger is smaller than the thickness of the gear of the tooth section (5). Preferably, in a watch incorporating a side-watch movement (2), the distance between the upper height of the finger and the dial covering the driving mechanism and the indicator is designed to be smaller than the thickness of the gear of the tooth section (5). A large height of the finger (12) that can rise over the plate (10) defining the upper surface of the mechanism (6) from at least the lower side of the spring (16) facilitates preventing the tooth section (5a) from passing under or over the finger (12).

[0046] FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate the behavior of the mechanism (6) during rapid correction of the date ring (4) by a control member that can be operated by a user in a conventional manner, for example, in the evening when the wheel platform (8) and plate (10) are initially in the configuration shown in FIG. 7A, so that the finger (12) is positioned between the gear (5a) and the gear (5b) leading with respect to the rotational direction (60), and thus the finger (12) is within the path of the indicator gear (5b). The ring (4) is intended to rapidly advance in the rotational direction (60) corresponding to a single rotational direction of the date ring. As illustrated in FIG. 7b, when the ring (4) is rotated, the gear (5b) of the tooth portion (5) comes into contact with the arched outer flank (13) of the finger (12), and then a radial force is gradually applied to the finger, which causes the lever (26) to rotate clockwise around its axis of rotation (22), thereby causing the finger (12) to move toward the center hub of the plate (10) and thus cause the finger to retract toward the axis of rotation (20). This retraction is made possible by the configuration of the driving finger (12) and the profile of the lateral cavity (38) provided in the plate (10), as well as by the arrangement of the spring (16) and the center portion (24) to which the spring is attached, and by the configuration of the inner protrusion (44). As can be seen in FIG. 7b, the finger (12) retracts as the gear (5b) passes, causing the gear to follow the outer flank (13) of the finger until the gear protrudes at an angle beyond the finger.

[0047] As previously described, the interaction of the tooth portion (5) on the drive finger (12) applies force to the plate (10) and thus to the second rotation axis (22) only through the lever (26). The direction of the force generated by the indicator gear (5a or 5b) applying to the second rotation axis pressing the outer flank (13) of the drive finger tends to generate torque on the plate and cause it to rotate, and this torque is weaker than that of the prior art. Given the stiffness of the spring (16), the lever (26) can rotate relative to the plate without a stiff support that rotates significantly relative to the wheel platform under the action of the gear pressing the outer flank of the drive finger. It can be seen that the spring undergoes mainly radial elastic deformation with respect to the central axis of rotation (20) due to the retraction of the driving finger (12) caused by rotation around the second axis of rotation (22) which is far from the first axis of rotation (20) (the central axis of rotation of the mechanism). Thus, the driving mechanism (6) allows the same contraction of the finger during correction as in the prior art, but generates less elastic deformation of the spring than in the prior art mechanism, where the spring undergoes significant angular deformation in addition to radial deformation. Therefore, during the correction, the work that must be supplied to the mechanism (6) by the date ring (4) to allow the gear (5b) to pass over the driving finger (12) (in a plane perpendicular to the axes of rotation (20 and 22)) is less than in the case of a driving finger fixed to a plate having a similar profile but with a rectangular hole through which the central shaft passes, and the shaft is particularly formed by a hub as in the prior art.

[0048] As the finger (12) moves radially, the spring (16) contracts radially and the connecting member (40) moves closer to the center part (24). It should be noted that the spring (16), more precisely its coil (18), also expands slightly during the rapid correction of the date ring, at the same time as the radial stress the spring experiences in the direction of the rotation axis of the wheel platform. However, given the profile of the outer flank (13) of the finger (12) and the rotation of this finger in the direction of the rotation axis (20) (the first rotation axis which is the center) as described above, the stress of the expansion spring is relatively small or even substantially zero depending on the configuration of the system. This is very advantageous for the design of the spring (16), so that it can be arranged to withstand as much contraction as possible when the indicator (4) is driven by the device (6), without needing to ensure that this spring behaves appropriately against significant expansion stress.

[0049] FIGS. 8a and 8b illustrate the behavior of the mechanism (6) during the correction of time displayed by the timepiece mechanism rotating the wheel platform (8) counterclockwise through midnight. In this case, the date ring (4) remains stationary in the stable position when the time is corrected. The succession of the states of the mechanism (6) is similar to that which occurs during the rapid correction of the aforementioned date display. When the assembly formed by the wheel platform (8) and accordingly the plate (10) and the lever (26) rotates in the opposite direction to the rotational normal (corresponding to the clockwise direction of the time indicator), the arched outer flank (13) of the finger (12) is supported against the gear (5a) of the toothed portion (5) (Fig. 8a), and while the plate (10) continues to rotate slightly slower than the wheel platform due to the small expansion of the spring at least in the initial stage, the driving finger moves radially toward the axis of rotation (20) through the clockwise rotation of the lever (26) penetrating deeper into the lateral cavity (38), and the finger retracts while the non-moving gear (5a) advances along the outer flank (13) of the finger.

[0050] The mechanism (6) is configured to prevent blocking during fast date correction or counterclockwise time correction.

[0051] Additionally, the present invention relates to a watch comprising a directional movement (2) according to the present invention, wherein the movement is integrated into a case, and the case also comprises a dial arranged in such a manner that it allows for the display of jumps, particularly data items that change over time by date.

Claims

Claim 1 A horological movement (2) comprising an indicator (4) and a mechanism (6) for jump-driving the indicator, wherein the mechanism comprises a wheel platform (8) rotating about a first rotation axis (20), a driving finger (12) for driving the indicator, and a spring (16) formed by a first end (17), a coil (18), and a second end (19), wherein the first end is attached to rotate together with the wheel platform, and the second end is attached to rotate together with the driving finger during each loading of the spring preceding the jump by the indicator and during the driving of the indicator by the mechanism during the jump, and wherein the mechanism (6) comprises a rigid support (10) capable of rotating about the first rotation axis (20) with respect to the wheel platform, and a lever (26) mounted on the rigid support so as to rotate about a second rotation axis (22) located far from the first rotation axis, and wherein the second A rotation axis is located at a first end of the lever, and the driving finger (12) is formed by the lever at its second end side, and the mechanism (6) includes a first stop (30) that is integral with the rigid support (10) and limits the rotation of the lever in a first direction corresponding to the direction in which the driving finger moves radially away from the first rotation axis (20), and the lever is arranged to be supported against the first stop when at least the spring (16) is loaded, and is arranged to be able to rotate in a second direction opposite to the first direction to retract the driving finger radially toward the first rotation axis under the action of a force having a progressively increasing radial component applied to the driving finger. Claim 2 In claim 1, the spring (16) and the lever (26) are arranged such that when the spring is not subjected to angular stress, the lever is also supported against the first stop, in a lateral movement. Claim 3 In claim 1 or 2, the rigid support comprises a plate (10) that is rotatably guided around the first rotation axis (20) by a shaft (32) attached to the wheel platform to rotate together, and the plate forms the first stop part (30), a side movement. Claim 4 In paragraph 3, the lever is formed by an arm (36) and a driving finger (12), the arm has a first height and is at least partially arranged between the wheel platform (8) and the plate (10), the driving finger has a second height (H) in at least a thick portion defining a driving flank (14) intended to be supported against the gear (5a) of the tooth portion (5) associated with the indicator (4) when the indicator is driven by the mechanism (6), the second height is greater than the first height, the thick portion of the driving finger is not stacked on the plate for any useful angular position of the lever, and the thick portion extends at least partially axially over the thickness of at least one area of ​​the plate located on the arm, a lateral movement. Claim 5 In claim 4, the plate (10) has a lateral surface having a section (30) defining the first stop portion, and the driving finger is positioned so that the rear upper portion of the thick portion of the driving finger is supported against the first stop portion (30) whenever the spring is loaded, thereby maintaining a fixed angular position with respect to the second rotation axis and accordingly a fixed position with respect to the first rotation axis, a lateral movement. Claim 6 In claim 4, the plate (10) has an overall circular profile having a lateral cavity (38) configured such that when the gear (5a, 5b) passes along the outer flank (13) of the driving finger, the driving finger (12) enters and retracts into the lateral cavity, and most of the spring (16) is always covered by the plate, lateral movement. Claim 7 In paragraph 4, the driving finger (12) has an arched outer flank (13) that can be pressed by at least one gear (5a) of the tooth portion (5) during rapid correction of the indicator using a correction device other than the mechanism, and the arched outer flank has a dimension radially with respect to the first rotation axis that increases monotonically as the lever contacts the first stop portion (30) and approaches the driving flank (14), a lateral movement. Claim 8 In claim 1 or 2, the mechanism (6) is arranged such that the spring (16) contracts when the spring (16) is loaded so as to cause a jump by the indicator (4), a side movement. Claim 9 In claim 8, the spring (16) comprises an internal protrusion (44) arranged along the coil (18) at its second end (19) side, and the internal protrusion is arranged to be supported against a second stop (28) to form an angle stop attached to the wheel platform (8) to rotate together at the end of the loading of the spring and before the indicator jumps, a side-view movement. Claim 10 In claim 1 or 2, the first end (17) of the spring (16) is connected to a center (24) attached to the wheel platform (8) to rotate together, a lateral movement. Claim 11 A lateral movement according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the lever (26) has a recess (42) having a lateral opening on the side of the spring (16) and on the side of the driving finger, and the second end (19) of the spring is extended by a coupling member (40) for coupling with the lever (26), the coupling member (40) is rigid and configured to penetrate at least partially into the recess through the lateral opening and to allow the spring to apply a driving force coupling to the lever so as to allow the driving finger to drive the indicator. Claim 12 In claim 11, the recess (42) has a lateral surface (52) oriented obliquely in the rotational direction (50) of the wheel platform (8), and is intended to be driven about the first rotational axis in the rotational direction with respect to the radial direction passing through the center of the lateral surface, and the coupling member (40) has a lateral flank (54) facing the lateral surface, which is also inclined obliquely with respect to the first rotational axis in the same direction as the lateral surface and is at least partially supported with respect to the lateral surface when the indicator is driven, a lateral movement. Claim 13 In paragraph 1 or 2, the indicator (4) is a minute indicator, hour indicator, date indicator, day of the week indicator or month indicator, a time movement. Claim 14 In paragraph 13, the indicator (4) is a date ring, a time-watching movement. Claim 15 A watch including a watch movement (2) according to paragraph 1 or 2.

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