3D Carousel Regulating Organ With Peripheral Ball Bearing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current configurations of regulating organs in mechanical watches, such as tourbillons and carousels, are limited and lack alternatives, particularly in terms of compactness and independence of rotational movements, with the cage's axial shaft often requiring ruby bearings or ball bearings that restrict design flexibility.
Innovation Solution
A three-dimensional carousel-type regulating organ with a ball bearing positioned peripherally on the outer cage, allowing independent rotational movements of the inner and outer cages, driven in parallel by the drive means, and equipped with retaining gears to control rotational speeds, eliminating the need for an axial shaft beneath the cage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the axial shaft is mounted on a ball bearing beneath the cage, then the cage can rotate smoothly, but the height of the regulating organ increases and design flexibility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The ball bearing is relocated from the axial dimension (beneath the cage on the shaft) to the peripheral dimension (at the side of the cage). This dimensional shift eliminates the need for axial shaft extension while maintaining rotational functionality, thereby reducing the overall height of the regulating organ.
2Device complexity
If the axial shaft is used to drive the cage rotation, then the drive mechanism is simple, but the shaft and bearing assembly restrict design alternatives and increase complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The axial shaft is extracted from the rotational support function, leaving it only for escapement actuation. The ball bearing support function is extracted from the axial position and placed peripherally, freeing the shaft from dual constraints and enabling greater design versatility.
3Volume of stationary object
If the cage rotation and escapement actuation are arranged in series (tourbillon), then the structure is compact, but the escapement cannot function independently when the cage is blocked
Solution Approach 1:
The drive system is segmented into independent rotational paths: the outer cage rotates independently on peripheral ball bearings, while the inner cage and escapement mechanism operate on a separate axial path. This segmentation allows the escapement to function independently even when outer cage rotation is blocked.
4Device complexity
If peripheral teeth are used to drive the cage, then the drive mechanism is simplified, but the teeth increase the overall size and interfere with compact configuration
Solution Approach 1:
A dedicated drive gear acts as an intermediary between the power source and the outer cage. This intermediary transmits rotational motion through meshing teeth, simplifying the drive mechanism while containing the toothed interface within a compact gear structure rather than requiring large peripheral teeth on the cage itself.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables new configurations with enhanced compactness and flexibility, allowing independent control of rotational speeds for the inner and outer cages, improving the accuracy and aesthetic appeal of mechanical watches.
Implementation Method 1
a first ball bearing arranged to allow the rotation of the outer cage in the clockwork movement, the first ball bearing being arranged at the periphery of the outer cage
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a tourbillon or three-dimensional carousel type regulating organ for a watch movement (10), the regulating organ comprising drive means (15) equipped with a barrel (7) and a gear train (13), said regulating organ comprising an inertial mass (6), elastic return means (4) for the inertial mass (6), an escapement mechanism (5), an inner cage (2) rotatable about a first axis of rotation (D1), an outer cage (3) rotatable about a second axis of rotation (D2), the inner cage (2) being housed inside the outer cage (3), the inner cage (2) carrying the inertial mass (6), the elastic return means for the inertial mass (6) and the escapement mechanism (5), and comprising a first ball bearing (33) arranged to allow the rotation of the outer cage (3) in the movement watchmaking (10),the first ball bearing (33) being arranged on the periphery of the outer cage (3). The invention also relates to a clockwork movement comprising such a regulating organ.