Chronograph Totalizer Mechanism Angular Positioning

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Solution Overview

Problem

Chronograph watches with digital displays face challenges in energy efficiency and complexity, with trailing displays being inconvenient and instantaneous displays requiring additional energy sources, increasing manufacturing costs and bulk.

Innovation Solution

A chronograph watch with a totalizer mechanism featuring a chronograph gear train and a totalizer mechanism kinematically connected, where the second mobile is positioned angularly by the first mobile, eliminating the need for an elastic positioning member and allowing the mechanism to be powered by the barrel of the base movement, thus reducing energy consumption.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If an instantaneous digital display is implemented using a disc totalizer mechanism with jumper springs, then the reading comfort is improved, but the energy consumption increases and additional energy sources are required

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvereading comfortVSAvoidenergy consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the positioning functions of multiple display elements into a single positioning member (the first mobile display element). This first element positions both the units display and tens display simultaneously through its angular positioning, eliminating the need for separate jumper springs for each display element. The combined approach reduces the number of elastic positioning members from multiple to just one, thereby significantly reducing energy consumption while maintaining instantaneous digital display functionality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The first mobile display element serves multiple functions: it displays units, positions the units display element, displays tens, and positions the tens display element. This multi-functional design allows a single element to perform what previously required multiple separate elements and their associated positioning mechanisms, reducing overall system complexity and energy requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Ease of operation

If additional energy sources are added to power each indicator disc, then the instantaneous display functionality is achieved, but the complexity and bulk of the chronograph mechanism increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinstantaneous display functionalityVSAvoidmechanism complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple display and positioning functions into a single integrated system. The first mobile display element simultaneously displays units, positions the units display, displays tens, and positions the tens display. This merging eliminates the need for separate energy sources and positioning mechanisms for each display element, thereby reducing mechanism complexity and bulk while maintaining instantaneous display functionality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts and eliminates the unnecessary additional energy sources and separate positioning mechanisms from the chronograph system. By removing these redundant components and replacing them with a single positioning member, the overall complexity and bulk of the mechanism is reduced while the essential instantaneous display functionality is preserved.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Use of energy by moving object

If a trailing digital display is used, then the energy consumption is low and the base movement barrel is sufficient, but the reading comfort is reduced and time reading is not immediate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenergy consumptionVSAvoidreading comfort
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by moving objectVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a dynamic display system where the first mobile display element can be positioned at different angular positions to provide either continuous trailing display or instantaneous jump display. This dynamic capability allows the system to switch between display modes, providing immediate reading comfort when needed while maintaining low energy consumption characteristics of trailing displays when instantaneous update is not required.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP2113817B1Chronograph
Publication Date: 2018.12.26 ETA SA MFG HORLOGERE SUISSE
  • EP2113817B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2113817B1 patent drawingFigure 2~4
  • EP2113817B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The watch has a chronograph mechanism comprising a totalizing mechanism (64) kinematically connected to a chronograph gear-train (50). The mechanism (64) has two mobiles (78, 82) respectively equipped with display disks (36, 38). The mobile (78) is angularly positioned using a jumper spring (86) for being turned step by step, where the spring is formed by an elastic part. The mobile (82) is angularly positioned by the mobile (78).