Mechanical Horology Movement With Automatic Resonator Restart

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Solution Overview

Problem

Mechanical watches with flexible guide resonators face challenges in starting due to insufficient torque at the escapement and require vigorous shaking to initiate the resonator, especially when the balance is far from the arbor or the movement is cumbersome.

Innovation Solution

A horology movement with a control arbor and immobilizing mechanism that allows stopping and winding the flexible guide resonator to a lower limit angle without external acceleration, using a lever system to immobilize the balance and ensure automatic restarting by actuating the control arbor.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a flexible guide resonator is used to overcome chronometric problems, then chronometric performance is improved, but the resonator becomes difficult to start due to greater rigidity and insufficient torque

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvechronometric performanceVSAvoidease of starting

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The control arbor is used to preliminarily wind the flexible guide resonator to a lower limit angle position before releasing it, ensuring that the resonator has sufficient initial torque to start oscillation without requiring external shaking or acceleration

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Length of moving object

If the balance is positioned far from the arbor, then certain design requirements are met, but access to the balance becomes difficult and stopping mechanisms are less effective

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedistance between balance and arborVSAvoidaccess to balance

Core Design Contradiction:

Length of moving objectVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

A control lever is introduced as an intermediary mechanism between the control arbor and the balance. This lever can pivot about a pivot axis and transfer motion from the arbor to the balance, enabling effective stopping and control of the balance even when it is positioned far from the arbor

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Speed

If vigorous shaking is applied to start the resonator, then the resonator can be initiated, but the operation becomes complex and user-unfriendly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresonator starting capabilityVSAvoiduser operation simplicity

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system is designed to be self-starting through the control arbor mechanism. When the user operates the control arbor, it automatically winds the flexible guide resonator to the appropriate angle and releases it, eliminating the need for external shaking or acceleration by the user

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS20250321541A1Mechanical horology movement

Publication Date: 2025.10.16 THE SWATCH GRP RES & DEVELONMENT LTD

AI summary

A horology movement includes a control arbor (3) movealbe by pulling the arbor in the axial direction, a resonator (4) including a rotary balance (10) mounted on flexible blades, and a mechanism for stopping the oscillation of the balance. The mechanism incudes a lever (23) connected to the arbor, such that the lever is pivoted about a pivot axis (24) when the arbor, and an auxiliary lever (30) connected to the lever such that pivoting the lever causes the auxiliary lever to rotate about a rotational axis (31) separate from the pivot axis (24). The auxiliary lever is arranged such that it stops the balance (10), regardless of the position of the balance when the arbor (3) is initially pulled. Also, the lever (30) keeps the balance in a stationary position enabling the resonator (4) to restart automatically when the auxiliary lever (30) returns from active to rest position.