CH709362A2 - Mechanism timepiece display, part of clockwork and timepiece. - Google Patents

Abstract

To return an indication portion 40 to an initial position by means of a continuous needle movement while controlling the reset speed. The invention relates to a time display mechanism 24 equipped with an indication portion 40 configured to rotate using an initial position as a reference; a display portion 14 showing timing information based on the rotation of the indication portion; a resetting portion 41, configured to return the indication portion to the home position based on a stop command of the time information display; and a rotation suppressing portion 42 configured to suppress the rotational speed of the indication portion until the indication portion is returned to the home position.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the invention

The present invention relates to a timepiece display mechanism, a timepiece movement and a timepiece.

[0003] 2. Description of the state of the art

[0004] In a conventional manner, a large number of timepieces equipped with a chronograph mechanism are known (for example, see Japanese Patent No. 5,341,494 (Patent Literature 1)). In the chronograph mechanism, the reset structure for returning the chronograph hand to the initial position (zero position) is generally, according to a general classification, a mechanical reset system in which resetting is performed by striking a heart, or a motorized reset system in which resetting is performed by intermittent movement of the needle using the rotational force of an engine.

In the case of the mechanical reset system, the reset is performed by striking a forced heart in a chronograph shaft on which is mounted the chronograph hand, so that it is possible to rotate the high-speed chronograph hand, which advantageously makes it possible to reset instantly.

However, because of the instantaneous reset, an excessive load (impact force) is likely to act on the chronograph hand at the beginning of the realization of the reset, so that The chronograph hand may be deformed. Thus, it is necessary to design the chronograph hand taking into account the load, which results in constraints on the size and configuration of the chronograph hand.

In addition, an excessive load is also exerted on the portion fixed between the chronograph hand and the chronograph shaft, so that the chronograph hand is subject to play. Thus, to prevent this game, it is necessary, for example, to strengthen the fastening torque by forming the portion of the chronograph shaft in which the chronograph hand is forced into a special configuration, for example, a rectangular configuration in a transverse view, resulting in a constraint.

On the other hand, in the case of the motorized reset system, the chronograph hand is reduced to zero using the rotation of a motor, so that, compared with the mechanical system of delivery to zero, the reset speed is rather low, making it difficult to recover the chronograph operation without difficulty. In addition, the chronograph hand is reduced to zero by intermittent movement of the needle, resulting in a rather mediocre exterior appearance, so there is room for improvement. In addition, in some cases, the reset speed differs between the normal rotation and the reverse rotation of the motor, which also means room for improvement.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems; therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a time display mechanism capable of returning the indication portion to the home position by means of a continuous needle movement while controlling the reset speed. , and a timepiece movement and a timepiece, equipped with it.

[0010] (1) According to the present invention, there is provided a time display mechanism comprising an indication portion configured to rotate using an initial position as a reference; a display portion showing timing information based on the rotation of the indication portion; a resetting portion configured to return the indication portion to the initial position based on a stop command of the time information display; and a rotation suppressing portion (braking) configured to suppress (brake) the rotational speed of the indication portion until the indication portion is returned to the home position.

In the time display mechanism above, the display portion shows time information based on the rotation of the rotating indication portion using the initial position as a reference, so that it is possible, for example, to perform a time measurement with precision. And, when an instruction to stop the display of the time information is generated to stop the time measurement, the reset portion returns the indication portion to the initial (reset) position. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the positions of the indication portion and the display portion to the previous positions, making the timepiece ready for the next time measurement.

While the indication portion is returned to the initial position by the resetting portion, the rotation suppressing portion suppresses the rotational speed of the indication portion. Therefore, it is possible to control the reset speed of the indication portion, allowing the indication portion to be returned by means of a continuous needle movement at a desired reset speed instead of bring it back instantly to the original position.

Thus, it is possible to prevent excessive load is exerted on the indication portion and the viewing portion, to eliminate the design constraints taking into account the load. In addition, it is possible to return the indication portion and the display portion by means of a continuous needle movement at a desired reset speed, so that it is possible to quickly make the coin watchmaking ready for the following time display (time measurement); and, at the same time, it is possible to improve the external appearance of the movement of the indicating part and the viewing part at the time of resetting, thereby obtaining an improvement in design .

(2) The reset portion may be equipped with: a first rotatable member configured to rotate with the rotation of the indication portion; a heart that rotates with the rotation of the indication portion and is forcibly rotated on the basis of the stop command so as to be placed in position at a prescribed position relative to the initial position; and an elastic member which undergoes an elastic deformation with the forced rotation of the heart and which rotates the first rotary member, by means of a recovery of shape, in accordance with the forced rotation of the heart to return the indication portion to the initial position.

In this case, when the indication portion rotates by means of the initial position as a reference, the first rotary member and the heart rotate integrally with the indication portion. Here, in the event that the instruction to complete the display of time information is produced, the heart is forcibly turned, for example, by being struck to be placed in the prescribed position. At this time, the elastic member undergoes an elastic deformation with the forced rotation of the heart, so that it is possible to turn the heart in priority. And, when the heart is placed in the prescribed position, the resilient member is reshaped, and rotates the first rotational member with a delay in accordance with the forced rotation of the heart. Therefore, it is possible to return the indication portion and the display portion to their previous positions.

In this way, the heart is first turned by force, then the indication portion is reduced to zero using the recovery of shape of the elastic member, so that it is possible to perform a reset by means of a more regular continuous needle movement.

(3) The elastic member may be a spiral spring which is reinforced so as to have an initial elastic force, whose outer end portion is connected to the first rotary member, and whose inner end portion is connected to the heart or to a drive train connected to the heart.

In this case, it is possible to use the bending deformation of the spiral spring, so that it is possible to return the indication portion accurately to zero for a long period of time, thus achieving a improvement in reliability.

(4) The spiral spring may be equipped with a first spiral spring and a second spiral spring armed in a direction opposite to the first spiral spring.

In this case, using the first spiral spring and the second spiral spring armed in opposite directions, so that, at the moment of recovery of shape, it is possible to elastically deform a spiral spring so as to reduce its diameter, and elastically deform the other spiral spring so as to increase its diameter. In this way, it is possible to use the first spiral spring and the second spiral spring configured to reshape in opposite directions, so that the indication portion can be brought to a halt in a manner more stable and fast compared to the initial position; and, furthermore, the indication portion can be reduced to zero more precisely.

(5) The rotation suppressing portion may be provided with a second rotatable member configured to rotate with the rotation of the indication portion, and a resistance body configured to apply rotational resistance to the second member. rotary.

In this case, the resistance body communicates a resistance to rotation to the second rotary member to thereby suppress the rotational speed of the indication portion, so that, by adjusting the resistance body, it is It is possible to control the reset speed of the indication part. Thus, it is possible to easily control the reset speed, to freely design the movement (behavior) of the indication part and the display part at the time of reset, and to obtain an improvement in design property matter.

(6) The resistor body may apply rotational resistance proportional to the angular velocity of the second rotatable member.

In this case, the resistance body communicates a resistance to rotation proportional to the angular velocity of the second rotary member, so that it is possible, for example, to temporarily increase the reset speed of the indication part, then bring it back to the initial position while gradually decelerating it, thereby varying the resetting speed. Thus, it is possible to communicate a unique change different from that existing in the prior art in the movement of the indication portion and the display portion at the time of resetting, thereby obtaining an additional improvement. in terms of design property and enhance value-added.

[0025] (7) The timepiece movement according to the present invention is equipped with the timepiece display mechanism above.

In the timepiece movement above, there is provided the time display mechanism as described above, so that there is no restriction in terms of design, which allows to provide a quality timepiece movement whose operating performance is superior.

[0027] (8) The timepiece according to the present invention is equipped with the timepiece movement above.

The timepiece above is equipped with the timepiece movement as described above, so that it is possible in the same way to provide a timepiece of superior quality in performance. Operating. This is, in particular, suitable for a quartz timepiece equipped with a chronograph mechanism.

According to the present invention, it is possible to return the indication portion to the initial position by means of a continuous needle movement.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SKETCHES

[0030] <tb> Fig. 1 <SEP> is a diagram illustrating a first motion of the present invention; it is an external view of a timepiece. <tb> Fig. 2 <SEP> is a partial sectional view of the motion shown in FIG. 1. <tb> Fig. 3 <SEP> is a plan view illustrating the relationship between a chronograph shaft, a transmission wheel, a core, a spiral spring, an oil rotor and a hammer, shown in FIG. 2. <tb> Fig. 4 <SEP> is a plan view illustrating how, in the state shown in FIG. 3, the heart is placed at a prescribed position using the hammer and how the chronograph shaft is brought back to the original position. <tb> Fig. <SEP> is a plan view of a first spiral spring shown in FIG. 2. <tb> Fig. 6 <SEP> is a plan view of a second spiral spring shown in FIG. 2. <tb> Fig. 7 <SEP> is a plan view illustrating how, in the state shown in FIG. 3, the hammer works to apply an external force on the heart. <tb> Fig. <SEP> is a plan view illustrating how, in the state shown in FIG. 7, the heart is placed in the prescribed position using the hammer. <tb> Fig. <SEP> is a schematic plan view of a chronograph mechanism according to a second embodiment of the present invention. <tb> Fig. <SEP> is a sectional view of the chronograph mechanism taken along the line A-A of FIG. 9. <tb> Fig. 11 <SEP> is a schematic plan view of a modification of the chronograph mechanism of the second embodiment. <tb> Fig. 12 <SEP> is a sectional view of the chronograph mechanism taken along the line B-B of FIG. 11. <tb> Fig. <SEP> is a schematic sectional view of a chronograph mechanism according to a third embodiment of the present invention. <tb> Fig. <SEP> is a plan view illustrating the relationship between a chronograph shaft, a transmission gearwheel, a heart, a control lever, a control lever spring, an oil rotor and a hammer in FIG. 13. <tb> Fig. <SEP> is a plan view illustrating how, in the state shown in FIG. 14, the heart is placed in the prescribed position using the hammer. <tb> Fig. <SEP> is a plan view illustrating how, in the state shown in FIG. 15, the chronograph shaft is returned to the initial position. <tb> Fig. <SEP> is a schematic sectional view of a modification of the chronograph mechanism according to the present invention. <tb> Fig. 18 <SEP> is a plan view illustrating the relationship between the chronograph shaft, the transmission gearwheel, the heart, the control lever, the control lever spring, the rotor, the spiral spring and the hammer, shown in fig. 17.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(First embodiment)

In what follows, the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the sketches. In the present embodiment, a quartz wristwatch (electronic watch) equipped with a chronograph mechanism will be described by way of example.

[Construction of the timepiece]

In general, the mechanical assembly of the timepiece comprising its drive part is called the "movement". What is achieved by mounting a dial and hands to this movement and placing the assembly in a timepiece case as a complete product is referred to as a "complete set" of the timepiece. On either side of a main plate constituting the frame of the timepiece, the side where the glass of the timepiece case is located (the side where the dial is located) is called the "back side" of the movement. On either side of the main stage, the side where the back of the timepiece case (the opposite side of the dial) is located is called the "front face" of the movement.

In the present embodiment, the direction from the dial to the caseback will be referred to as the upward direction, and the opposite direction will be referred to as the downward direction.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the complete set of the timepiece 1 of the present embodiment is equipped with a dial 11 having a scale or the like indicating information relating to at least the time, and a movement 10 (forming the movement timepiece mentioned in the claims) within a timepiece case 3 consisting of a caseback (not shown) and a glass 2.

Between the dial 11 and the glass 2, there is arranged, as indicator needles for the ordinary display of the hour, an hour hand 12 indicating the hour and a minute hand 13 indicating the minute and, at the same time, a chronograph second hand 14 was arranged for the time measurement. The hour hand 12, the minute hand 13 and the chronograph seconds hand 14 are arranged coaxially. Further, in the present embodiment, as an indicator needle for ordinary time display, a second hand 15 is disposed, for example, at the 3 o'clock position of the dial 11.

The seconds hand 15, however, is not essential; it may or may not be planned; in the case where it is provided, its placement position is not limited to the 3 o'clock position; its placement position can be freely chosen. In addition, not only the chronograph seconds hand 14, but also a chronograph minute hand and a chronograph hour hand for the time measurement can be provided.

[Structure of the timepiece movement]

As shown in FIG. 2, the movement 10 is equipped with a main plate 20, a gear wheel 21 disposed on the front face of the main plate 20 and a chronograph bridge 22 disposed on the front face of the gear wheel 21.

On the rear face of the main plate 20, the dial 11 is arranged so as to be visible through the glass 2. On the front face of the main plate 20, there is arranged at least one battery (not shown ), a drive train mechanism 23 for ordinary time display, a chronograph mechanism for executing a time measurement 24 (forming the time display mechanism mentioned in the claims), a first step motor; step 25 shown in FIG. 1 to operate the drive train mechanism 23, and a second stepper motor 26 shown in FIG. 1 to operate the chronograph mechanism 24.

As shown in FIG. 1, the first stepper motor 25 is equipped with a winding block 25a comprising a winding wire wound around a magnetic core, a stator 25b arranged to be in contact with both the end portions of the magnetic core of the winding block 25a, and a rotor 25c in which is incorporated a rotor magnet. The rotor 25c is disposed in a rotor hole formed in the stator 25b, and is arranged to be rotatable relative to the main plate 20 and the gear wheel 21, respectively.

In addition, on the front face of the main plate 20, there is disposed a circuit board (not shown) electrically continuous with the battery. Mounted on this circuit board, there is a quartz unit (not shown) containing a quartz oscillator oscillating at a predetermined frequency, and an integrated circuit (C1) (not shown).

The integrated circuit is constituted, for example, of a C-MOS or PLA, and contains an oscillating part (oscillator) producing a reference signal on the basis of the oscillation of the quartz oscillator, a part splitter (divider) configured to divide the reference signal of said oscillating portion, and a drive portion (pilot) configured to produce a motor drive signal based on the output signal of the splitter portion. And, the first stepper motor 25 is driven on the basis of the motor drive signal produced by the driving part.

As the first stepping motor 25, the second stepping motor 26 is equipped with a winding block 26a, a stator 26b and a rotor 26c. The rotor 26c of the second stepper motor 26 is controlled by a chronograph drive portion (not shown) operating on the basis of the operation of a chronograph start / stop button 27. When the start button / stop 27 is depressed to operate the chronograph, the chronograph drive portion produces a motor drive signal to the rotor 26c of the second stepper motor 26; and, when the start / stop button 27 is depressed again to stop the chronograph, the output of the motor drive signal is stopped. Therefore, the rotor 26c of the second stepper motor 26 rotates only at the time of operation of the chronograph.

In the example shown, the start / stop button 27 is mounted on the timepiece case 3 so as to be disposed at the 2 o'clock position of the dial 11. However, this should not be interpreted restrictively; the position of the start / stop button 27 can be set freely.

In addition, a reset button 28 for resetting the chronograph is mounted on the timepiece case 3 so as to be arranged, for example, at the 4 o'clock position of the dial 11. By pressing this button reset 28, it is possible to produce an instruction to terminate the display of time information, and it is possible to return a chronograph shaft 40 described below to an initial position P1 (reset). The initial position P1 is a position where the chronograph seconds hand 14 indicates 12 hours (see Figs 1 and 4).

As shown in FIG. 2, on the front face of the main plate 20, there is disposed a fifth mobile (not shown) configured to rotate on the basis of the rotation of the rotor 25c of the first stepper motor 25, a second mobile (not shown ) configured to rotate on the basis of the rotation of the fifth mobile, a third mobile (not shown) configured to rotate on the basis of the rotation of the second mobile, a center mobile 30 configured to rotate on the basis of the rotation of the third mobile, a minute wheel (not shown) configured to rotate based on the rotation of the center wheel 30, and an hour wheel 31 configured to rotate based on the rotation of the minute wheel. These wheels represent the aforementioned drive train mechanism 23 on the front face.

The fifth mobile, the second mobile, and the third mobile are all rotatably supported relative to the main plate 20 and the gearbox 21. A lower pivot portion of the shaft of the second mobile exceeds the the side of the glass 2 beyond the dial plate 11, and the second hand 15 shown in FIG. 1 is mounted on this projecting portion.

The center mobile 30 is formed in a tubular configuration, is arranged coaxially with the axis 01 of the chronograph shaft 40 described below, and is rotatably supported by a cylindrical portion 32 formed of integrally with the main plate 20. More specifically, a portion of the center wheel 30 is disposed within the cylindrical portion 32, and the upper end portion side thereof is rotatably disposed on the the upper opening end of the cylindrical portion 32. Therefore, the center mobile 30 is capable of stable rotation.

In the example shown, the center mobile 30 is meshing with the third mobile (not shown) via a first relay wheel 33 and a second relay wheel 34. In addition, the mobile center 30 is formed to rotate per hour, and the minute hand 13 is mounted on the lower end portion thereof. In this sense, the minute wheel 13 is located on the side of the dial 11 of the chronograph seconds hand 14 mounted on the chronograph shaft 40.

The hour wheel 31 is disposed coaxially with the axis 01 of the chronograph shaft 40, and is equipped with a main tube body 31a rotatably mounted on the cylindrical portion 32, and a wheel toothed tube 31b integrally connected to the main tube body 31a and in mesh with the minute wheel (not shown). However, it is not necessary for the tube main body 31a and the tube gear 31b to be formed as independent components; they can also be formed integrally.

The hour wheel 31 is formed to rotate every 12 hours, and the hour hand 12 is mounted on the lower end portion of the main tube body 31a. In this case, the hour hand 12 is located on the dial side 11 of the minute hand 13.

The minute wheel is formed so as to be rotated by means of a clutch wheel or the like (not shown) disposed on the front face of the main plate 20 when it is rotated. with a winding stem (not shown) out. Therefore, it is possible to rotate the center wheel 30 and the hour wheel 31 through the minute wheel, which allows a time adjustment.

On the front face of the main plate 20, there is arranged a reset lever (not shown) having a reset function of the integrated circuit operation when performing a time adjustment and to bring the third mobile and the center mobile 30 out of engagement with each other. Therefore, in the state in which the winding stem has been pulled out, the third mobile and the mobile 30 are out of engagement with each other, and the second movable with the second hand 15 is mounted does not turn. Thus, by rotating with the winding stem extended through a ring shown in FIG. 1, it is possible to turn only the center wheel 30 to which the minute hand 13 is mounted and the hour wheel 31 at which the hour hand 12 is mounted until the correct time.

The second mobile is meshing with the rotor 25c of the first stepper motor 25 via the fifth mobile; however, the rotor magnet has a force (index torque) to keep it where it is, so that the second wheel does not rotate.

(Chronograph mechanism)

The chronograph mechanism 24 is equipped with a chronograph shaft 40 (forming the indication part mentioned in the definition of the present invention) configured to rotate using the initial position P1 as a reference, a hand of chronograph seconds 14 (forming the display part mentioned in the claims) configured to show a measurement time (sec) which represents the time information based on the rotation of the chronograph shaft 40, a delivery part at zero 41 returning the chronograph shaft 40 to the initial position P1 on the basis of a chronograph reset instruction (instruction to terminate the display of time information), and a rotation suppressing portion 42 configured to remove the rotational speed of the chronograph shaft 40 until the chronograph shaft 40 is returned to the initial position P1.

The chronograph shaft 40 is a shaft rotating about the axis 01 on the basis of the chronograph start instruction; it has an upper pivot portion 40a at its upper end portion, and the second chronograph hand 14 is mounted on its lower end portion. The lower end portion of the chronograph shaft 40 protrudes downward beyond the lower end portion of the center wheel 30. Thus, the second chronograph hand 14 is disposed closer to the glass 2 than the minute hand 13.

In the example shown, the chronograph shaft 40 is formed as a multi-stage tree on which a first portion of large diameter 40b, a second portion of large diameter 40c, a third portion of large diameter, is provided continuously. a large diameter portion 40d, a rim portion 40e, and a fourth large diameter portion 40f in this order from the upper pivot portion 40a to the lower end portion.

The first portion of large diameter 40b is a portion of larger diameter than the upper pivot portion 40a; a transmission gear wheel 50 described below is attached to this portion, for example, by force insertion. The second portion of large diameter 40c is a portion of larger diameter than the first portion of large diameter 40b; a core 51 described below is engaged by clamping with this portion rotatably with respect to the chronograph shaft 40. The third portion of large diameter 40d is a portion of larger diameter than the second portion of large diameter 40c; a chronograph gear 45 is nested by clamping with this portion rotatably relative to the chronograph shaft 40. The rim portion 40e is a portion of a diameter even larger than the third portion of large diameter 40d; and the inner edge portion of a chronograph spring 46 is held in pressure contact with this portion. The fourth portion of large diameter 40f is a portion of a diameter smaller than the rim portion 40e, but larger in diameter than the third portion of large diameter 40d.

The portion of the fourth portion of large diameter 40f of the chronograph shaft 40 thus constructed located below the fourth portion of large diameter 40f is disposed within the center mobile 30 and, in this state, the fourth large diameter portion 40f is rotatably provided on the upper opening end of the center wheel 30. In addition, the upper pivot portion 40a of the chronograph shaft 40 is rotatably supported by a bearing 22A provided on the chronograph bridge 22. Therefore, the chronograph wheel can rotate about the axis 01 in a stable manner.

The chronograph gear wheel 45 has a toothed portion on the entire periphery of its outer edge portion, and is equipped with an annular gear wheel main body 45a, rotated by the transmitted rotational force of the rotor 26c. the second stepping motor 26, and an annular ring 45b attached to the inner edge portion of the gear main body 45a, for example, by force insertion; the chronograph gear 45 is rotatably engaged with the third large diameter portion 40d of the chronograph shaft 40 through the ring 45b.

And, the rotational force of this chronograph gear 45 is transmitted to the chronograph shaft 40 via a chronograph spring 46.

The chronograph spring 46 is a ring-type plate spring member mounted on the third portion of large diameter 40d; it is disposed under the chronograph gear 45 and is mounted to be held between the rim portion 40e of the chronograph shaft 40 and the chronograph gear 45 in the direction of the axis 01.

This chronograph spring 46 has a plurality of leg portions 46a formed in radial direction at equal intervals in the peripheral direction (the direction in which it rotates about the axis 01). These multiple leg portions 46a are upwardly bent as they extend toward the outer side in the radial direction (the direction orthogonal to the axis 01), and the outer edge portions thereof are in pressure contact with the lower surface of the gearwheel main body 45a of the chronograph gear 45. In addition, the inner edge portions of the chronograph spring 46 are in press contact with the rim portion 40e while surrounding the third portion of large diameter 40d from the outer side in radial direction.

Thus, the gear wheel chronograph 45 fitted by rotatingly clamping with the third portion of large diameter 40d is connected integrally with the chronograph shaft 40 via the chronograph spring 46; at the time of operation of the chronograph, the rotational force of the chronograph gear 45 can be transmitted to the chronograph shaft 40 via the chronograph spring 46. Thus, the chronograph shaft 40 rotates together with the chronograph gear 45 due to the rotational force from the rotor 26c of the second stepper motor 26.

On the other hand, the chronograph gear 45 is rotatably engaged with the third large-diameter portion 40d of the chronograph shaft 40, so that it is also possible to turn only the chronograph shaft 40 about the axis 01, the chronograph gear 45 being stationary. In this process, the chronograph spring 46 rotates about the axis 01 in conjunction with the chronograph shaft 40, and the outer edge portion of the leg portion 46a is frictionally displaced on the lower surface of the toothed wheel. chronograph 45 so as to slide on it.

As described above, the position where the chronograph seconds hand 14 indicates 12 hours is the initial position P1 (see FIG 4) of the chronograph shaft 40, which rotates, at the moment of operation of the chronograph, using this initial position P1 as a reference.

As shown in FIG. 2, the aforementioned reset portion 41 is equipped with a transmission gearwheel 50 (forming the first rotary member mentioned in the claims) configured to rotate with the rotation of the chronograph shaft 40, a heart 51 which is configured to rotate with the rotation of the chronograph shaft 40, which is forcibly rotated on the basis of the chronograph reset instruction to be placed in the prescribed position P2 (see Fig. 4) and a spiral spring 52 (forming the elastic member mentioned in the claims) which is elastically deformed with the forced rotation of the core 51 and which, by a recovery of shape, rotates the transmission gear wheel 50 in accordance with the forced rotation of the heart 51 to bring back the chronograph shaft 40 at the initial position P1.

As described above, the transmission gear wheel 50 is fixed to the first large-diameter portion 40b of the chronograph shaft 40 and is arranged coaxially with the axis 01 of the chronograph shaft 40. Thus, the transmission gear wheel 50 rotates about the axis 01 in conjunction with the chronograph shaft 40. A toothed portion 50a is formed at the outer edge portion of the transmission gear wheel 50 over the entire periphery. of it. Further, the transmission gear wheel 50 has an annular transmission wall portion 50b protruding downwardly and surrounding the second large diameter portion 40c of the chronograph shaft 40 radially from the outer side. This transmission wall portion 50b protrudes downwardly so as not to be brought into contact with the core 51.

As described above, the core 51 is nested by clamping rotatively with the second large diameter portion 40c of the chronograph shaft 40. At this time, a predefined friction force is provided between the second portion. of large diameter 40c and the heart 51, the heart 51 can rotate together with the chronograph shaft 40. For this reason, the heart 51 rotates about the axis 01 together with the chronograph shaft 40 at the time of operation of the chronograph.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the core 51 is formed as a flat contact portion 51a, and the portion thereof on the opposite side of the contact portion 51a radially, with the axis 01 between them, is formed as protuberance 51b; thus, the heart is formed in a heart-like configuration in a plan view. A portion of the core 51 on the side of the inner edge portion is formed as a protruding tube portion 51c, protruding upwardly.

And, when the chronograph reset instruction is produced, the heart 51 is forced by being struck by the hammer 53, and it is placed in the prescribed position P2 relative to the initial position P1.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, in the present embodiment, when the chronograph shaft 40 is located at the initial position P1, and the second chronograph hand 14 indicates 12 hours, the protuberance 51b of the heart 51 is directed in the direction of 12 hours; and the position of the heart 51 at this time is the prescribed position P2 mentioned above. In fig. 4, the second spiral spring 56 described below is omitted (in Figs 7 and 8 also, the second spiral spring 56 is omitted).

And, when the chronograph reset instruction is produced, the heart 51 is struck by the hammer 53 with a force greater than the aforementioned friction force, so that it is turned by force relative to the 40. And, the hammer 53 comes into contact with the contact portion 51a of the heart 51, so that the positioning is performed on the heart 51 at the prescribed position P2 in a stable manner.

In this way, at the time of operation of the chronograph, the heart 51 rotates together with the chronograph shaft 40; and when the chronograph is reset, it rotates relative to the chronograph shaft 40.

As shown in FIG. 2, the hammer 53 is disposed between the gear wheel 21 and the chronograph 22; it is a timepiece component actuated when the reset button 28 is depressed to strike the heart 51 so as to apply an external force thereto.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the spiral spring 52 is cocked so as to have an initial elastic force, and is disposed between the protruding tube portion 51c of the core 51 and the transmission wall portion 50b of the transmission gear wheel 50. In FIG. As shown, the spiral spring 52 is composed of two spiral springs: a first spiral spring 55, and a second spiral spring 56 disposed under the first spiral spring 55 at a certain interval and cocked in a direction opposite to the first spiral spring 55.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 5, an outer end portion 55a of the first spiral spring 55 is connected to the inner surface of the transmission wall portion 50b, and an inner end portion 55b thereof is connected to a ferrule 57 connected to the protruding tube portion 51c of the heart 51. Therefore, the first spiral spring 55 is connected to the heart 51 via the ferrule 57.

In this first spiral spring 55, the winding direction of the outer end portion 55a to the inner end portion 55b coincides with the direction of forced rotation T1 of the heart 51 at the time of resetting the chronograph. Thus, the first spiral spring 55 undergoes elastic deformation so as to be reduced in diameter (in the direction of the arrow L1 in Fig. 5) with the forced rotation of the heart 51 at the time of the reset of the chronograph.

The direction of forced rotation T1 of the heart 51 at the time of the reset of the chronograph coincides with the direction of rotation of the heart 51 at the time of operation of the chronograph.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 6, like the first spiral spring 55, the outer end portion 56a of the second spiral spring 56 is connected to the inner surface of the transmission wall portion 50b, and the inner end portion 56b of the It is connected to the shell 57. Therefore, the second spiral spring 56 is connected to the core 51 via the ferrule 57.

As described above, this second spiral spring 56 is armed opposite the first spiral spring 55, so that it undergoes an elastic deformation so as to increase its diameter (in the direction of the arrow L2 of FIG. 6) with the forced rotation of the heart 51 at the time of resetting the chronograph.

As shown in FIG. 2, the rotation suppressing portion 42 is equipped with an oil rotor 60 (forming the second rotary member mentioned in the claims) configured to rotate with the rotation of the chronograph shaft 40, and a viscous fluid 61 (forming the resistor body mentioned in the claims) configured to apply rotational resistance to the oil rotor 60.

The oil rotor 60 is equipped with a rotor gear 60a and a rotor disc 60b; and an upper pivot portion thereof is rotatably supported by a bearing 22B provided in the chronograph bridge 22, and a lower pivot portion thereof is rotatably supported by a bearing groove 62a. a cavity 62 fixed to the gear train 21. Therefore, the oil rotor 60 can be rotated about the axis O2 in a stable manner.

The rotor gear 60a is meshing with the toothed portion 50a of the transmission gear wheel 50. Therefore, the oil rotor 60 can rotate with the rotation of the chronograph shaft 40. The rotor disk 60b is disposed within the cavity 62 and is rotatable within the viscous fluid 61 filling the cavity 62.

The cavity 62 is formed as a cylinder provided with a bottom, open upwards, and is fixed to the gear wheel 21. The interior of the cavity 62 is filled with the viscous cavity 61. In addition, mounted on the cavity 62, there is an annular cap 63 closing the opening portion, thereby sealing the viscous fluid 61 in the cavity 62, for example, in a liquid-tight manner. At the central portion of the lower surface of the cavity 62, there is formed the bearing groove 62a rotatably supporting the lower pivot portion of the oil rotor 60.

The viscous fluid 61 is, for example, a silicone oil of a predefined viscosity, which communicates to the rotor disk 60b resistance to rotation (viscous resistance) proportional to the angular velocity. Thus, the higher the speed of rotation, the greater the resistance to the rotation communicated, thus eliminating the rotation of the oil rotor 60.

[Operation of the timepiece]

Then, the operation of the timepiece 1, constructed in the manner described above, will be described.

First, the display of the time will be briefly described.

In this case, the quartz oscillator of the quartz oscillator unit oscillates at a predetermined frequency, so that, on the basis of the oscillation of this quartz oscillator, the oscillating portion contained in the integrated circuit produces a reference signal, and the dividing portion divides the reference signal from the oscillating portion. And, based on the output signal from the dividing portion, the driving portion produces a motor drive signal driving the first stepper motor 25. Therefore, the stator 25b of the first motor not not shown in FIG. 1 is magnetized, and the rotor 25c rotates.

Then, the rotational force of the rotor 25c is transmitted to the second mobile via the fifth mobile, and the second mobile describes a rotation per minute to rotate the second hand 15 so as to describe a rotation by minute. In addition, the rotational force transmitted to the second mobile is transmitted to the third mobile, the center mobile 30, and the hour wheel 31, which causes these wheels to rotate. At this time, the center wheel 30 is rotated per hour, and the hour wheel 31 rotates every 12 hours. Therefore, the minute hand 13 shown in FIG. 1 is made to describe a rotation per hour, and the hour hand 12 is made to rotate every 12 hours. In this way, it is possible to time out the time correctly and to display the time.

Then, the case where the chronograph is operated will be described.

In this case, the start / stop button 27 shown in FIG. 1 is depressed. Then, the chronograph drive portion produces a motor drive signal at the rotor 26c of the second stepper motor 26, so that the stator 26b of the second stepper motor 26 is magnetized to rotate. the rotor 26c. The rotational force of this rotor 26c is transmitted to the chronograph gear 45 shown in FIG. 2, and is transmitted to the chronograph shaft 40 via the chronograph spring 46. Therefore, it is possible to cause the chronograph shaft 40 to rotate about the axis 01 using the position initial P1 as a reference. And, as shown in fig. 1, the chronograph seconds hand 14 shows time information (seconds measurement) based on the rotation of the chronograph shaft 40, so that it is possible to execute a time measurement accurately.

In addition, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, at the time of operation of the chronograph, both the heart 51 and the gear wheel 50 rotate with the rotation of the chronograph shaft 40. At this time, the first spiral spring 55 and the second spiral spring 56 do not are not elastically deformed due to the synchronous rotation of the core 51 and the drive gear 50, but rotate in accordance with the core 51 and the transmission gear 50. The oil rotor 60 rotates about the axis 02 with the rotation of the transmission gear wheel 50. At this time, the rotor disc 60b rotates within the viscous fluid 61, so that a resistance to rotation is communicated thereto; however, the rotation speed at the time of operation of the chronograph is not high, so that the resistance to rotation by the viscous fluid 61 is low, and is not large enough to affect the performance of the chronograph.

Then, we will describe the case in which the operation of the chronograph is stopped before performing a reset.

In this case, the start / stop button 27 shown in FIG. 1 is pressed again. Then, the output of the engine drive signal from the chronograph drive part is stopped, so that the rotor 26c of the second stepper motor 26 is stopped, and the rotation of the chronograph shaft 40 and the chronograph seconds hand 14 is stopped.

[0100] Next, the reset button 28 shown in FIG. 1 is depressed to produce the reset instruction; then, the resetting portion 41 returns the chronograph shaft 40 to the initial position P1 (reset). Therefore, it is possible to return the chronograph shaft 40 and the chronograph seconds hand 14 to the previous positions, making the timepiece ready for the next chronograph operation.

The aforementioned reset will be described in detail.

As shown in FIG. 7, when the reset instruction is produced, the hammer 53 operates to strike the outer peripheral surface of the core 51 to apply an external force thereto. Then, as shown in fig. 8, the heart 51 is forced around the axis 01 by the external force from the hammer 53, and is placed in the prescribed position P2 by the hammer 53. At this time, the core 51 receives an external force in addition the friction force between itself and the second portion of large diameter 40c of the chronograph shaft 40, so that it precedes the chronograph shaft 40 in rotation.

When the heart 51 is rotated by force, the shell 57 rotates jointly with the heart 51, the rotation of the chronograph shaft 40 and the transmission gear wheel 50 being at rest, so that the first spiral spring 55 and the second spiral spring 56 undergo elastic deformation. At this moment, as shown in figs. 5 and 8, the first spiral spring 55 undergoes elastic deformation so as to be reduced in diameter and, as shown in FIG. 6, the second spiral spring 56 undergoes elastic deformation so as to increase in diameter.

Thus, when the heart 51 is placed in the prescribed position P2, the first spiral spring 55 and the second spiral spring 56 begin to recover form; and, as shown in FIG. 8, the transmission gear wheel 50 is rotated with a delay so as to be in accordance with the forced rotation of the heart 51. Therefore, it is possible to rotate the chronograph shaft 40 and the second hand. chronograph 14 about the axis 01 via the gear wheel 50 and, as shown in FIG. 4, it is possible to bring them back to their previous positions.

In this way, the heart 51 is first turned by force, then the chronograph shaft 40 and the second chronograph seconds hand 14 are returned to zero using the recovery of shape of the first spiral spring 55 and the second spiral spring 56, so that it is possible to perform a reset by means of a continuous regular needle movement.

As described above, until the chronograph shaft 40 is returned to the initial position P1 by the resetting portion 41, the rotation suppressing portion 42 suppresses the rotational speed of the rotation. chronograph shaft 40. Therefore, it is possible to control the reset speed of the chronograph shaft 40; and, instead of instantly returning the chronograph shaft 40 to the initial position P1, it is possible to perform the reset while performing a continuous needle movement at a desired reset speed.

This will be described in detail below.

When the transmission gear wheel 50 is turned by means of the recovery of shape of the first spiral spring 55 and the second spiral spring 56, the oil rotor 60 rotates about the axis 02 with the rotation of the gear wheel transmission 50, as shown in FIG. 2. In this process, the rotor disk 60b rotates within the viscous fluid 61, so that the oil rotor 60 receives from the viscous fluid 61 rotational resistance proportional to the angular velocity. Thus, instead of instantly returning the chronograph shaft 40 to the initial position P1, it is possible to bring it back, with the reset speed being suppressed.

By adjusting the viscous fluid type 61, the volume of the interior of the cavity 62, the configuration of the rotor disk 60b, etc., it is possible to adjust the reset speed.

As described above, in the chronograph mechanism 24 of the present embodiment, it is possible to return the chronograph shaft 40 and the chronograph seconds hand 14 to their previous positions by means of a continuous needle movement while controlling the reset speed. Thus, it is possible to prevent excessive loading from acting on the chronograph shaft 40 and the chronograph second hand 14, thereby eliminating design limitations by taking into account the load. In addition, it is possible to return the chronograph shaft 40 and the chronograph seconds hand 14 by means of a continuous needle movement at a desired reset speed, so that it is possible to quickly make the timepiece ready for the next time measurement and, at the same time, it is possible to improve the external appearance of the movement of the chronograph shaft 40 and the chronograph seconds hand 14 to time of resetting, which provides an improvement in design property.

In particular, the rotational speed of the transmission gear wheel 50 tends to increase gradually with the recovery of shape of the first spiral spring 55 and the second spiral spring 56. Thus, in the present embodiment, when the reset of the chronograph shaft 40, it is possible to temporarily increase the reset speed, then bring it back to the initial position P1 while gradually reducing its speed due to braking by the viscous fluid 61 Thus, it is possible to communicate a unique variation in the movement of the chronograph shaft 40 and the second chronograph seconds hand 14 different from that in the prior art, which makes it possible to obtain an additional improvement in the property design and enhance value-added.

In addition, in the embodiment above, the spiral spring 52 having the first spiral spring 55 and the second spiral spring 56 is used, so that it is possible to use the bending deformation of the spring. spiral 52, which allows to reset the chronograph shaft 40 with high accuracy for a long period of time, which provides an improvement in reliability.

In addition, it uses the first spiral spring 55 and the second spiral spring 56 having inverted form reversals, so that it is possible to bring the chronograph shaft 40 at rest relative to the initial position. P1 in a more stable manner and faster, which allows to reset the chronograph shaft 40 even more precisely.

In addition, the movement 10 and the timepiece 1 according to the present embodiment are equipped with the chronograph mechanism 24 above, so that there is no limitation in terms of design; in addition, it is possible to provide a quality movement and a superior timepiece 1 in operating performance.

[0115] (Second embodiment)

Next, the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the sketches. In this second embodiment, the parts that are the same as the components of the first embodiment are indicated by the same reference numerals, and a description thereof will be excluded.

While in the first embodiment, the chronograph shaft 40 and the core 51 are arranged coaxially, they are arranged in a planar manner in the second embodiment.

As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, in a chronograph mechanism 70 of the present embodiment, a core wheel 72 having the chronograph shaft 40, a transmission wheel 71 and the core 51 is disposed in a planar manner between the axle bridge 21 and the chronograph bridge 22. In FIGS. 9 and 10, some of the timepiece components are omitted depending on the situation to simplify the sketches.

A second chronograph gear 73 is attached to the first large diameter portion 40b of the chronograph shaft 40, for example, by force insertion. At the outer edge portion of the second chronograph gear 73, a toothed portion 73a is formed on the entire periphery, and is in mesh with the rotor gear 60a of the oil rotor 60.

The transmission wheel 71 is equipped with a transmission wheel shaft 74, and a transmission gear wheel 50 fixed to the transmission wheel shaft 74. An upper pivot portion of the transmission shaft transmission wheel 74 is rotatably supported by a bearing 22C provided on the chronograph bridge 22, and a lower pivot portion thereof is rotatably supported by a bearing groove 21A provided in the gear train 21. Therefore, the transmission wheel 71 can rotate in a stable manner around an axis 03.

The transmission gear wheel 50 is fixed to the portion of the transmission wheel shaft 74 located below the upper pivot portion. In addition, the toothed portion 50a of the transmission gearwheel 50 of the present embodiment is in mesh with the toothed portion 73a of the second chronograph gear 73. Therefore, the transmission wheel 71 rotates about the axis. 03 with the rotation of the chronograph shaft 40.

The ferrule 57 is nested by rotatingly clamping with the portion of the transmission wheel shaft 74 located below the transmission gear wheel 50. And between the ferrule 57 and the transmission wall portion 50b of the toothed transmission gear 50, a spiral spring 75 (forming the resilient member mentioned in the claims) has been arranged so as to have an initial elastic force. The outer end portion of the spiral spring 75 is connected to the transmission wall portion 50b and its inner end portion is connected to the ferrule 57.

In addition, an annular coupling gear 76 having a toothed portion 76a on the entire periphery of its outer edge portion is attached to the ferrule 57 so as to be disposed under the spiral spring 75.

A predefined friction force is provided between the transmission wheel shaft 74 and the ferrule 57, and the ferrule 57 can rotate together with the transmission wheel shaft 74. Thus, at the time of operation of the chronograph, the ferrule 57 and the coupling gear 76 rotate about the axis 03 together with the drive wheel shaft 74.

The core wheel 72 is equipped with a heart wheel shaft 77, the core 51 fixed to the core wheel shaft 77 and a circular heart gear 78 in a plan view and fixed to the heart wheel shaft 77.

The upper pivot portion of the core wheel shaft 77 is rotatably supported by a bearing 22D provided on the chronograph bridge 22, and the lower pivot portion thereof is rotatably supported by a bearing groove 21B provided in the gear train 21. As a result, the core wheel 72 is rotatable about an axis 04 in a stable manner.

A heart gear wheel 78 is disposed between the upper pivot portion of the heart wheel shaft 77 and the core 51; it comprises, at its outer edge portion and on the entire periphery, a toothed portion 78a meshing with the toothed portion 76a of the coupling gear 76. Therefore, at the time of operation of the chronograph, the heart wheel 72 rotates around the axis 04.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the inner end portion of the spiral spring 75 is connected to the core 51 via the ferrule 57, the coupling gear 76, the heart wheel 78 and core wheel shaft 77. Thus, ferrule 57, coupling gear 76, heart gear 78 and core wheel shaft 77 constitute a drive train 79 connected to the heart 51, and the inner end portion of the spiral spring 75 and the core 51 are connected to each other via this drive train 79.

[Operation of the chronograph mechanism]

In the chronograph mechanism 70, constructed as described above, at the time of operation of the chronograph, with the rotation of the chronograph shaft 40, the transmission wheel 71 rotates about the axis 03, the wheel core 72 rotates about the axis 04 and the oil rotor 60 rotates about the axis 02. At this time, the transmission gear 50 and the coupling gear 76 rotate in synchronism with each other. other, so that the spiral spring 75 does not undergo elastic deformation, but rotates in accordance with the transmission gear wheel 50 and the coupling gear wheel 76.

Then, after stopping the operation of the chronograph, when a reset instruction is produced, the hammer 53 strikes the outer peripheral surface of the heart 51 to apply an external force to it, so that the entire heart wheel 72 is forced around the axis 04. Thus, the coupling gear 76 and the ferrule 57 rotate around the axis 03 with the forced rotation of the heart 51. At this time, the ferrule 57 receives an external force in more of the frictional force between itself and the transmission wheel shaft 74, so that it precedes the transmission wheel shaft 74 at rest in rotation. Therefore, the spiral spring 75 undergoes elastic deformation so as to be reduced or increased in diameter.

And, the spiral spring 75 begins to undergo a recovery of shape after the elastic deformation, causing that the gear wheel 50 rotates with a delay in accordance with the forced rotation of the heart wheel 72 and the Thus, it is possible to rotate the chronograph shaft 40 and the chronograph seconds hand 14 around the axis 01 via the transmission gear wheel 50 and the gear wheel. second gear chronograph 73, and bring them back to their previous position.

In this way, as in the case of the first embodiment, also in the case of the chronograph mechanism 70 of the present embodiment, it is possible to first force the heart 51, then to return to zero the chronograph shaft 40 and the second chronograph seconds hand 14 using the reshaping of the spiral spring 75, which allows the reset to be performed by means of a continuous regular needle movement.

In particular, in the case of the present embodiment, the chronograph shaft 40, the transmission wheel 71 and the core wheel 72 comprising the core 51 are arranged flat, which contributes to a reduction of the thickness of the movement 10 and the timepiece 1. Otherwise, this embodiment can provide the same effects as the first embodiment.

[0135] (Modification)

While in the second embodiment described above, a spiral spring 75 is used, this should not be interpreted restrictively; as in the first embodiment, it is also possible to use the two spiral springs of the first spiral spring 55 and the second spiral spring 56. In particular, by using two spiral springs of different winding directions, the chronograph 40 can be easily brought to rest at the initial position P1, which is desirable.

In addition, while in the second embodiment above, the transmission wheel 50 and the core 51 are arranged in a planar manner, it is also possible, as shown, for example, in FIGS. 11 and 12, to arrange them coaxially.

Figs. 11 and 12 show a chronograph mechanism 80, the transmission wheel 71 of which is equipped with the core 51. More specifically, instead of the coupling gear 76, the core 51 is fixed to the ferrule 57 which is rotatably clamped together. with the transmission wheel shaft 74.

Also in this structure, it is possible to obtain the same effect as the second embodiment. In particular, in this case, it is possible to omit the core wheel 72, so that it is possible to perform a simplification of structure.

[0140] (Third embodiment)

Next, the third embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to the sketches. In this third embodiment, the components which are the same as those of the first embodiment are indicated by the same reference numerals, and a description thereof will be excluded.

While in the first embodiment, the first coil spring 55 and the second coil spring 56 are used as an example of the resilient member, the third embodiment employs a control lever spring.

As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, in a chronograph mechanism 90 according to the present embodiment, a control lever 91 and a control lever spring 92 (forming the elastic member mentioned in the claims) are mounted on the lower surface of the wheel transmission gear 50.

The control lever 91 is arranged to be superimposed on the lower surface of the transmission gear wheel 50; and its distal end portion 91a is formed as a free end, and its proximal end portion 91b is mounted on the lower surface of the transmission gear wheel 50 through a rotation pin 93 of rotatively around the rotation pin 93.

As the control lever 91, the control lever spring 92 is arranged to be superimposed on the lower surface of the transmission gear wheel 50, and is formed in an arcuate configuration along the outer periphery of the the gear toothed wheel 50. An end portion side of the control lever spring 92 is attached to the lower surface of the transmission gear wheel 50 by means of two securing pins 94. The other portion of The end of the control lever spring 92 is formed as a resiliently elastic free end 92a which constantly presses the control lever 91 towards the heart 51. Therefore, the control lever 91 receives a force elastic (thrust force) due to the control lever spring 92, and the distal end portion 91a thereof constantly press the outer peripheral surface 51. In the initial state, the distal end portion 91a of the control lever 91 presses the contact portion 51a of the heart 51.

The core 51 of the present embodiment has a thickness greater than that of the first embodiment; and the hammer 53 can strike the outer peripheral surface of the core 51 without interfering with the control lever 91 and the control lever spring 92.

[Operation of the chronograph mechanism]

In the chronograph mechanism 90, constructed as described above, as shown in FIG. 14, at the time of operation of the chronograph, with the rotation of the chronograph shaft 40, the transmission gear wheel 50 and the core 51 rotate about the axis 01 in synchronization with each other, so that the control lever 91 and the control lever spring 92 are inoperative, but rotate in accordance with the transmission gear 50 and the core 51.

Then, when the reset instruction is produced after stopping the operation of the chronograph, the hammer 53 strikes the outer peripheral surface of the heart 51 to apply an external force, as shown in FIG. 15, so that the core 51 is rotated forcefully about the axis 01, and is placed in the prescribed position P2 by the hammer 53. At this time, the core 51 receives an external force in addition to the force friction between itself and the second portion of large diameter 40c of the chronograph shaft 40, so that it precedes the chronograph shaft 40 in rotation.

When the heart 51 is rotated by force, the distal end portion 91a of the control lever 91 describes a relative movement along the outer peripheral surface of the heart 51, and the distal end portion 91a rotates around the rotation pin 93 so as to move radially outwardly. As a result, the control lever spring 92 undergoes outwardly elastic deformation in the radial direction. Thus, when the heart 51 is placed in the prescribed position P2, the control lever spring 92 begins to recover formally, and further presses the distal end portion 91a of the control lever 91 against the outer peripheral surface of the core 51. At this moment, the control lever 91 and the control lever spring 92 receive the reaction force R of the core 51, so that they receive the moment of rotation around the transmission gear wheel 50, causing the transmission gear wheel 50 to rotate with a delay in accordance with the forced rotation of the heart 51.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 16, it is possible to rotate the chronograph shaft 40 and the chronograph second hand 14 about the axis 01 via the transmission gear wheel 50, which allows to bring them back to the position initial P1. As a result of this reset, the distal end portion 91a of the control lever 91 is again placed in the state in which it presses the contact portion 51a of the heart 51.

In this way, also in the case of the present embodiment, it is possible to first force the heart 51 and then reset the chronograph shaft 40 and the chronograph seconds hand. 14 using the reshaping of the control lever spring 92, which allows to perform the reset by means of a continuous movement of regular needle. Otherwise, this embodiment can provide the same effects as the first embodiment.

The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to that of the above embodiments, but allows various modifications without departing from the scope of the spirit of the present invention.

For example, while the embodiments described above are applied to the quartz timepiece 1 by way of example, it is also possible to apply them to a mechanical timepiece. In addition, as described above, one or two spiral springs can be used as an elastic member; or a structure other than a spiral spring, such as a control lever spring, may be adopted.

In addition, while in the embodiments described above, the chronograph shaft 40 on which the second chronograph seconds hand 14 is mounted is reduced to zero as an example, it is also possible to reset the chronograph shaft 40 on which the chronograph minute hand and the chronograph hour hand are mounted.

In addition, in the embodiments described above, it is also possible to form a resistance adjustment groove for adjusting the viscous resistance or a resistance protrusion such as a fin in or on the rotor disk 60b. This makes it possible to easily adjust the resistance to rotation of the oil rotor 60, which further facilitates the control of the reset speed of the chronograph shaft 40.

In addition, while in the embodiments described above, the viscous fluid 61 is used as a resistance body by way of example, this should not be interpreted restrictively. For example, it is also possible to use a gas such as air or a specific gas. In this case also, rotation resistance can be applied by means of a suitable mechanism for configuring the rotor disc 60b, etc.

In addition, as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, it is also possible to use a spiral spring.

[0159] Figs. 17 and 18 show a chronograph mechanism 100 based on a modification of the third embodiment; components that are the same as those of the third embodiment are indicated by the same reference numerals, and a description thereof will be excluded.

In this case, the chronograph mechanism 100 is equipped with a rotation suppression part 103 comprising a rotor (forming the second rotary member mentioned in the claims) 101 configured to rotate with the rotation of the chronograph shaft. 40, and a spiral spring 102 (forming the resistor body mentioned in the claims) imparting rotational resistance to the rotor 101.

The rotor 101 has a rotor pinion 101a meshing with the toothed portion 50a of the transmission gear wheel 50, and a ring 105 attached to a portion located under the rotor pinion 101a. The spiral spring 102 is armed so as to have an initial elastic force; its inner end portion 102a is attached to the ferrule 105 and its outer end portion 102b is formed as a free end, which is in contact with the inner surface of the cavity 62. In this case, the outer end 102b of the spiral spring 102 presses the inner surface of the cavity 62 from the inner face. Therefore, with the rotation of the rotor 101, the spiral spring 102 rotates, with its outer end portion 102b constantly pressing the inner surface of the cavity 62.

Thus, in this case also, it is possible to apply resistance to rotation to the rotor 101, which makes it possible to suppress the reset speed of the chronograph shaft 40.

Claims (8)

1. Time display mechanism comprising: an indication portion (40) configured to rotate using an initial position (P1) as a reference; a display portion (14) showing timing information based on the rotation of the indication portion (40); a resetting portion (41) configured to return the indication portion (40) to the initial position based on a stop command of the time information display; and a rotation suppressing portion (42; 103) configured to suppress the rotational speed of the indication portion (40) until the indication portion (40) is returned to the home position. 2. A timepiece display mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the reset portion (41) can be equipped with: a first rotatable member (50) configured to rotate with the rotation of the indication portion (40); a heart (51) which rotates with the rotation of the indication portion (40) and which is forcibly rotated on the basis of the stop control so as to be placed in a prescribed position relative to the position initial; and an elastic member (52, 55, 56; 75; 92) which undergoes an elastic deformation with the forced rotation of the heart (51) and which rotates the first rotary member (50) by means of a recovery of shape, in accordance with the forced rotation of the heart (51) to return the indication portion (40) to the initial position. 3. A timepiece display mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the resilient member is a spiral spring (52, 55, 56; 75) which is armed to exhibit an initial elastic force, the portion of which outer end portion is connected to the first rotatable member (50), and whose inner end portion is connected to the core (51) or to a drive train connected to the core (51). 4. A timepiece display mechanism according to claim 3, wherein the spiral spring (52) is equipped with a first spiral spring (55) and a second spiral spring (56) armed in a direction opposite to the first spiral spring. 5. A timepiece display mechanism according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the rotation suppressing portion (42; 103) is equipped a second rotatable member (60; 101) configured to rotate with the rotation of the indication portion, and a resistor body (61; 102) configured to apply rotational resistance to the second rotatable member. 6. A timepiece display mechanism according to claim 5, wherein the resistance body imparts rotational resistance proportional to the angular velocity of the second rotational member. 7. A timepiece movement equipped with a timepiece display mechanism (24) according to any one of claims 1 to 6. 8. Timepiece equipped with a timepiece movement (10) according to claim 7.