Anti-trip Device for Escapement Mechanism Shock Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing escapement mechanisms, particularly detent escapements, are vulnerable to shocks which can cause the balance wheel to pivot beyond its normal amplitude, leading to distortions in isochronism and energy loss, and existing anti-trip mechanisms are complex, expensive, and difficult to adapt across different mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
A simple and reliable anti-trip device comprising a limitation pin fixed to the plate and a bistable assembly with a rotor and a flip-flop that pivots synchronously with the balance wheel, featuring amplitude limiting means and indexing positions to prevent over-amplitude pivoting during impacts, allowing for easy integration into existing escapement mechanisms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a complex anti-trip mechanism is implemented to prevent over-amplitude pivoting during shocks, then the reliability of the escapement mechanism improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the essential anti-trip function from complex existing mechanisms and implements it through a simple pin that limits the amplitude of balance wheel pivoting. The pin is positioned to prevent the balance wheel from exceeding its normal amplitude during shocks, providing protection without requiring complex mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a simple, inexpensive pin as the anti-trip element rather than complex mechanical assemblies. This pin-based solution provides effective shock protection while being easy to manufacture and replace if needed, representing a cost-effective approach to improving reliability.
2Reliability
If existing anti-trip mechanisms are designed to prevent gallop phenomenon, then the isochronism distortion is reduced, but the ease of manufacture decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The pin-based anti-trip device is designed to be universally applicable to various detent escapement mechanisms. The same pin configuration can be integrated into different escapement designs without requiring mechanism-specific complex anti-trip assemblies, improving ease of manufacture and integration while maintaining isochronism.
3Ease of operation
If the balance wheel is allowed to pivot freely during shocks, then the ease of operation is maintained, but the loss of energy increases due to gallop phenomenon
Solution Approach 1:
The pin is pre-positioned to provide preliminary resistance against excessive pivoting before the gallop phenomenon can occur. During normal operation, the pin does not interfere with balance wheel motion, but during shocks it immediately limits the amplitude, preventing the conditions that lead to energy-wasting gallop oscillations.
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
Anti-gallop device (1) for a balance wheel (2) pivoting about a first axis (D1) fixed on a plate (3). It includes a pin (5) fixed to said plate (3), and a bistable assembly (8) comprising a rotor (5) synchronous with said balance wheel (2), and a rocker (11) pivoting relative to a second axis (D2) of said rotor (9) between two positions that can be occupied by indexing means (12) to memorize the state of said balance wheel (2), a part of the trajectory of said rocker (11) during the pivoting of said balance wheel (2) being interfering with said pin (5), and said bistable assembly (8) comprising amplitude limiting means (15) in case of shock.These (15) include stop means (16) between said rocker (11) and said pin (5), constituting a pivoting end of travel during a normal stroke of the rocker and on which a support generates a change of position of said indexing means (12), and a stop for said rocker (2) in case of re-beating.