EP1777598B1 - Timepiece with a mechanism to measure adjustable predetermined times - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a timepiece provided with a mechanism for measuring adjustable predetermined durations, comprising a first counter, means for selectively connecting it to the timepiece's work train, a second counter, a synchronous connection. between the first and the second counter and means for returning to the starting position of said counters.

Counters of this type are used in particular to control the start of regattas where competitors are notified a few minutes in advance of the time of departure by a cannon. A second cannon shot is again fired to indicate the middle of the time between the first and third shots that will give the start. This second shot allows the competitors to check if they are in phase with the official time. In general this duration is ten or six minutes so that the second shot is fired exactly at half-time to five, respectively three minutes.

A counter of this type has already been proposed in the CH 692 523 . It has openings in the dial and a disc with different areas of color that appear under the openings and moves for the duration of the measurement. Such a device does not include an indication of the seconds and does not allow correction to be made in case the meter has not been engaged at the right time, nor to program the countdown time interval.

It has also been proposed in WO 02/077725 a chronograph mechanism capable of operating either in the conventional direct sense or in the retrograde direction for counting down. Such a mechanism does not allow in particular reset the counter being measured, especially during the second shot fired before the start of a regatta. In the event of a false start, it does not make it possible to keep the previously programmed duration and requires, after each measurement of a determined duration, to carry out a new adjustment of the following duration to be measured, even when this one is identical to the previous duration.

In addition, with this counter, at the end of the predetermined measured duration, the minute counter does not stop at zero, but continues its retrograde movement until it is stopped.

As can be seen, the solutions proposed up to now all have several disadvantages.

The object of the present invention is to overcome, at least in part, these disadvantages.

For this purpose, the subject of the present invention is a timepiece provided with a measuring mechanism of adjustable predetermined duration according to claim 1.

Thanks to its design, the timepiece according to the invention allows the programming of the measured duration and the maintenance of this programming, each reset to the starting position until this programming has not been changed. The counting mechanism may be re-synchronized by user action from an external time base at any time during the measurement of the predetermined duration. This possibility is important since it makes it possible to correct any error made during the triggering of the predetermined duration measurement, as well if it is a question of correcting a delay or an advance. This possibility of re-synchronization has the advantage of being able to re-synchronize the counter accurately to the second shot before the start of a regatta.

Advantageously, the second counter, which is preferably the minute counter, is stopped at the end of the predetermined duration measured, while the first counter, which is preferably the seconds counter, continues its course until we stop him. This can include counting the time elapsing from the start of the regatta.

• La figure 1 est une vue en plan d'une forme d'exécution destinée à illustrer le principe de l'invention;
• la figure 2 est une vue partielle de la figure 1 illustrant le dispositif de comptage en fonctionnement;
• la figure 3 est une vue semblable à la figure 2 à la fin de la durée mesurée;
• la figure 4 est une vue semblable à la figure 1 dans une autre phase de fonctionnement;
• la figure 5 est une vue en plan d'un côté de la pièce d'horlogerie illustrant une partie d'une seconde forme d'exécution du mécanisme de mesure de la pièce d'horlogerie objet de l'invention;
• la figure 6 est une vue en plan de l'autre côté de la pièce d'horlogerie illustrant l'autre partie de cette seconde forme d'exécution;
• la figure 7 est une vue en coupe selon la ligne VII-VII de la figure 5;
• la figure 8 est une vue partielle en coupe, perpendiculaire au plan du mouvement, du boîtier de la pièce d'horlogerie, passant par l'axe du poussoir de réinitialisation et de re-synchronisation, au repos;
• la figure 9 est une vue semblable à la figure 8 montrant le poussoir de réinitialisation et de re-synchronisation, en position active;
• la figure 10 illustre une vue semblable à la figure 8, la coupe passant cette fois par l'axe du poussoir marche/arrêt.

Other features and advantages will appear in the following description of two embodiments of the timepiece, illustrated schematically and by way of example in the accompanying drawings.

• The figure 1 is a plan view of an embodiment for illustrating the principle of the invention;
• the figure 2 is a partial view of the figure 1 illustrating the counting device in operation;
• the figure 3 is a view similar to the figure 2 at the end of the measured duration;
• the figure 4 is a view similar to the figure 1 in another phase of operation;
• the figure 5 is a plan view of one side of the timepiece illustrating part of a second embodiment of the measuring mechanism of the timepiece object of the invention;
• the figure 6 is a plan view on the other side of the timepiece illustrating the other part of this second embodiment;
• the figure 7 is a sectional view along the line VII-VII of the figure 5 ;
• the figure 8 is a partial sectional view, perpendicular to the plane of movement, of the housing of the timepiece, passing through the axis of the push reset and re-synchronization, at rest;
• the figure 9 is a view similar to the figure 8 showing the reset and re-synchronization pushbutton, in the active position;
• the figure 10 illustrates a view similar to the figure 8 , the cut passing this time by the axis of the push on / off.

As will be seen by examining the second embodiment, it is relatively complex because its mechanism is distributed on both sides of the timepiece. This is why it seemed useful to first describe the invention with the aid of a simplified solution which facilitates the understanding of the inventive concept.

The mechanism illustrated by the figure 1 comprises a control rod 1 secured to an actuating ring in rotation, like a winding stem and two pushers 2 and 3. The pusher 2 is engageable with the ratchet toothing a column wheel 8 via a ratchet lever 14 and serves for the on / off control of the counter mechanism. The pusher 3 is the push button for resetting and re-synchronizing the mobiles of the counters 4 and 5, integral with the seconds hand 4 ', respectively of the minute hand 5'. The action of the pusher 3 is transmitted to two reset cams 11, respectively 9 by two hammers reset starting position 13, respectively 13 '. The hammer 13 'is articulated to the hammer 13 and is engaged with a sliding member 13a pressed against the column wheel 8 by a spring 13b, for the purpose that will be explained later. It should be noted that the reset cam 9 must be shaped so that the pressure exerted by the hammer 13 'during the reset, always make it rotate in the direction S1 for the reason that will be explained by the after.

The mobile 4 of the first seconds counter 4 'meshes on the one hand with a mobile 11' secured to the reset cam 11 and on the other hand, with a mobile 16 whose pinion meshes with a wheel 7 mounted freely on the axis 6 'of a wheel 6 and a 6 "spiral cam, integral with this axis 6', which is still integral with a unidirectional connecting element 6a concentric with a unidirectional connecting element 7a solidaire of the wheel 7. Beads 7 'are arranged between these unidirectional connecting elements 6a, 7a which are shaped so that, in the direction of rotation S1 of the axis 6' and of the unidirectional connecting element 6a, this axis 6 'is integral in rotation with the wheel 7. On the other hand, when the wheel 7 rotates in the direction S2, it drives the axis 6', and the utility of this unidirectional drive will be explained later. the axis 6 'and the unidirectional connecting element 6a rotate in the direction of rotation S2, they are free with respect to the wheel 7 and the latter can rotate freely in the direction S1 with respect to the axis 6 '.

The mobile 5 of the second minute counter, constituted by a needle 5 'and a graduation (not shown), is engaged with the toothed sector of a rake lever 10 pressed against the spiral cam 6 "by a spring 10' , by means of a roller 10 "which transmits the pressure of the spring 10 'to this spiral cam 6" creating a torque tending to rotate, and the wheel 6 also integral with the axis 6', in the direction S1, this wheel 6 meshes with an adjustment wheel 9 "which is connected to the reset cam in the starting position 9 integral with a star 9a, positioned by a detent member 9 ', making it possible to modify the angular position of the adjusting wheel 9 "relative to that of the reset cam 9, in increments of one step of the star 9a, when it is immobilized by the hammer 13 '. For this purpose, this adjusting wheel 9 "meshes with a return 15 via a sliding pinion 15 'pivoted freely on a rocker and which makes it possible to transmit the rotation of the return 15 to the wheel 9" only when this sliding pinion 15 'rotates in the direction S2. This rotation is controlled by the manual control rod 1 via a pinion (not shown) coaxial and integral with the rod 1 and having a toothing of the same as that of a sliding pinion. The pitch of the teeth of the star 9a for setting the duration to be measured preferably corresponds to one minute of the minute counter 5.

The angular displacement of this adjusting wheel 9 "in the direction S1 relative to the reset cam 9 is transmitted to the spiral cam 6" which rotates in the direction S2, which transmits this movement to the needle. 5 'of the minute counter 5 which is driven in the direction S2 by the rake lever 10 which, lifted by the spiral cam 6 ", rotates in the direction S1.It should be noted that this adjustment can only be made by rotating the movers of the minute counter adjusting mechanism 5 in the direction indicated above, because of the unidirectional drive device between the wheels 6 and 7. Indeed, the action of the two hammers 13, 13 'being simultaneously, the wheel of the first seconds counter 4 is immobilized so that the wheel 7 is too, not allowing the displacement of the unidirectional connecting element 6a, integral with the wheel 6 and the spiral cam 6 ", only in the direction S2.

For the same reason, the return to the starting position of the minute counter 5 can only be done by rotating the spiral cam 6 "in the direction S 2. To achieve this objective, the adjusting wheel 9" has a diameter bigger than that of the wheel 6, thus allowing the optimal realization from the energy point of view, the cam 9 to reset position.

The selective connection between the counter mechanism and the gear train (not shown) of the timepiece T which serves to drive this counter is performed by a clutch device 12 of known type formed of two axially movable circular elements. and a spring 12 'which constantly tends to engage one with the other. This clutch device is controlled on the one hand by a lever 26 applied by a spring 26 'against the columns of the column wheel 8 and on the other hand by a finger 13c integral with the hammer 13, the lever 26 and this finger 13c both acting against the force of the clutch spring 12 'to separate the circular elements of the clutch 12 from each other.

Although the essential purpose of the counter mechanism according to the invention is the counting of adjustable predetermined durations, intended to measure in particular the time preceding the start of an event, more particularly the start of a regatta, nothing would prevent this. mechanism to continue measuring the time from the start of the regatta.

For this purpose, the wheel 11 'selectively connected to the wheel of the timepiece T by the clutch 12 is integral with a disc having a drive finger 25. Moreover, the axis 6' integral with the wheel 6 and the spiral cam 6 "is secured to a disc 20 provided with a recess 20 'whose angular position is adjusted to coincide with the stop position of the second counter 5. A 21" end of a lever 21 is pressed by a spring 21 'against the edge of the disk 20. This lever 21 is pivotally mounted on the axis of a wheel 22 of an auxiliary minute counter and carries a pinion 24 meshing with the wheel 22. A jumper 23 serves to position this wheel 22. When the recess 20 'of the disc 20 arrives opposite the end 21 "of the lever 21, it switches in the direction S1, allowing the finger of the disk 25 to drive the pinion 24 and the wheel 22 of the minute counter by one step every turn, every 60 seconds, since the wheel 11 'has a ratio 1: 1 with the wheel 4 of the seconds counter.

During programming, the counter mechanism described above requires the maintenance of the pusher 3 in the depressed position as will be seen later. Advantageously, to avoid having to simultaneously use two hands, which would require removing the watch from his wrist to do so, a temporary locking device of the pusher 3 is provided. This device is illustrated by the Figures 8 and 9 . As can be seen in these figures, the pusher 3 is normally held in the position illustrated by the figure 8 by a spring 3a. it is also noted that a piston 27 is slidably mounted in a ring 28 integral with a rotating bezel 29 of known type, mounted on the middle of box 30. This piston 27 is pressed against the pusher 3 by a spring 31. The pusher 3 has a clearance 3b, so that when it is pushed into the housing and the rotating bezel 29 has previously been brought into the angular position illustrated by the Figures 8 and 9 where the axis of the piston 27 is concurrent with that of the pusher 3, the piston 27 is pushed into the recess 3b by the spring 31. To release it, it is sufficient to bring the telescope 29 back to its initial angular position, so that the piston 27 releases the pusher 3.

When the telescope 29 is in the angular position illustrated by the figure 10 , allowing the locking of the pusher 3, it simultaneously makes it possible to neutralize the pusher 2, thus preventing the user from mistaking the pusher and starting the meter instead of performing the setting of the duration to be measured. For this purpose, the ring 28 secured to the rotating bezel 27 has a semi-annular projection 28a which, during the rotation of the rotating bezel 27 in its position for locking the pusher 3 in the pushed position, enters a clearance 2a of the pushbutton 2, preventing its actuation.

As will be seen from the foregoing description, since the measuring mechanism serves to measure an adjustable definable time, the minute hand indicates the total time to be measured and once in operation, this needle then indicates constantly the remaining time until the end of the measured time.

The operation of the mechanism described above comprises different phases, namely: the setting of the duration to be measured, the start-up, the re-initialization or re-synchronization during operation, the stopping and the repositioning of departure of meters 4 and 5.

To adjust the duration to be measured, the rotating bezel 29 of the box must first be rotated to the position illustrated by the Figures 8, 9 and 10 , in which the pusher 2 on / off control is neutralized. Then it is necessary to press the reset pushbutton in the reset and re-synchronization position 3 to bring it into the position illustrated by the figures 1 and 10 in which it is held by the piston 27 and in which the hammers 13 and 13 'prevent the return cams 11 and 9 from rotating. It is then necessary to turn the control rod 1 by means of the ring gear in the direction S3 to cause a relative displacement of the adjusting wheel 9 "in the direction S1 with respect to the reset cam 9 Given, as explained previously, that the adjustment of the duration can be done only by rotating the spiral cam 6 "in the direction S2, if we want to reduce the duration to be measured from 10 to 6 minutes for example, assuming that 10 minutes is the maximum adjustable maximum time, we must pass the roller 10 "of the rake lever 10 from 10 minutes to 0 minute and then increment until the needle 5 'is next to the division corresponding to 6 minutes, the opposite is not possible, because of the spiral shape of the cam 6 "and the fact that the wheel 7 unidirectional drive is blocked by the hammer 13 in engagement with the cam 11 of return to the starting position, integral with the wheel 11 'in desmodromic connection with the wheel 7, then allowing the rotation of the element of unidirectional link 6a, secured to the winding cam 6 "and the wheel 6, only in the direction S2.

To put the counter thus set in operation, it brings the rotating bezel 29 of the box in its inactive position, which has the effect of releasing the pushers 2 and 3 and the reset cams in starting position 9 and 11. Press the pusher 2 which rotates the column wheel 8 by means of the ratchet lever 14. The column wheel 8 releases the lever 26 which allows the clutch device 12 to connect the gear of the meter to that of the timepiece T. The freewheel 7 synchronizes the counter 5 subjected to the force of the spring 10 'to the speed of rotation of the work train of the counter in kinematic connection with the wheel of the timepiece. For its part, the force that the spring 10 'exerts on the wheel 6 and the unidirectional connecting element 6a at the same time makes it possible to keep the train of the meter under tension and to avoid the floating of the needles, resulting from the play of a gear that is not energized. Moreover, the force required for the winding of this spring 10 'is not taken on the barrel spring of the timepiece, but this spring is manually armed, at each delivery of counters 4, 5 in starting position. Consequently, the drive of the measuring mechanism of the predetermined duration is caused by the disarming of the spring 10 'which restores the stored energy without resorting to the energy of the mainspring of the timepiece.

In the case of counting the time before the start of a regatta, a first shot is fired, usually 10 minutes and in some cases 6 minutes before the start and a second shot is fired at half-time at 5 minutes, respectively 3 minutes before the third shot that indicates the start. It is often difficult to get the counter to go exactly at the first shot, which is not known exactly when it will be fired. On the other hand, the competitor can more easily anticipate the moment when the second shot will be fired, since he knows that it is five minutes, respectively three minutes, after the first. He can read at that moment the gap between the start of his counter and the second shot to know how many seconds before or after the gun he started his meter.

The measuring mechanism of the timepiece according to the present invention solves this problem by giving the possibility of re-synchronizing the counter being measured. The explanation of this new function is made with regard to the figure 4 . When the meter is turned on, the column wheel 8 raises and neutralizes the hammer 13 'as illustrated in this figure 4 . When pressure is exerted on the pusher 3, the hammer 13 resets the needle 4 'of the first counter of seconds to zero, which has the effect of bringing the needle 5' of the second minute counter to the whole minute. closer. As long as the pressure is maintained on the pusher 3, the countdown is stopped, it restarts when the pusher 3 is released. This makes it possible to press the pusher a few tens of seconds before the second shot and to release it at the precise moment of the second shot. In the example shown, with a heart-shaped symmetrical cam 11, the moment when the pusher 3 is actuated should however not be greater than 30 seconds before the minute counter 5 arrives at the whole minute at which it should be drawn. the second shot, otherwise it will be brought back to the minute before the second shot should be fired, so that by releasing the pusher 3 to the gun, the minutes counter 5 would be one minute late. The user can also exert a short pressure on the pusher 3 at the precise moment of the second shot. Since the hammer 13 'is neutralized, only the hammer 13 strikes the cam 11 secured to the wheel 11'. Simultaneously, the finger 13c disengages the clutch device 12 and thus allows the reset of the seconds counter 4. The user releases the pressure on the pusher 3 to allow the counters 4, 5 to resume their counting.

If the reset to the starting position of the seconds counter 4 is done by almost instantaneous displacement of the wheel 11 'in the direction S2, the wheel 7 is moved almost instantaneously in the direction S1 of an angle proportional to the ratio of gear. Given the unidirectional connection between the wheel 7 and the wheel 6 and the torque exerted on the latter in the direction S1 by the spring 10 ', the wheel 6 follows the almost instantaneous displacement of the wheel 7 and thus corrects the position of minute hand 5 '. If the correction of the seconds counter is done by quasi-instantaneous displacement of the wheel 11 'in the direction S1, the wheel 7 is then moved in the direction S2, that is to say that it recoils with respect to its normal direction of travel. Given the unidirectional drive between this wheel 7 and the wheel 6, the latter is also driven in the direction S2 against the torque exerted by the spring 10 ', thus raising the rake lever 10 along the cam 6 "and turn the minute hand 5 'in the direction S2.

When the minute hand 5 'reaches the end of the measured time, the roller 10 "of the rake lever 10 is stopped by the radial face of the spiral cam 6", as illustrated by FIG. figure 3 . On the other hand, because of the unidirectional connection between the wheels 6 and 7, the seconds hand 4 'can continue its normal course. At the precise moment when the spiral cam 6 "stops, the end 21" of the lever 21 falls into the recess 20 'of the disc 20, engaging the return 24 with the drive finger 25 secured to the wheel 11 ', making it possible to count, by means of the auxiliary minute counter 22 and the seconds counter 4, the time that elapses from the end of the predetermined predetermined duration, measured by the first minute counter 5.

The counter is stopped by pressing the on / off pushbutton 2 which turns the column wheel 8 causing the clutch device 12 to disengage and the counters 4 and 22 to stop. Counters 4, 5 and 22 are started using push-button 3 and hammers 13, 13 '. The reset hammer of the auxiliary minute counter 22 has not been shown, but is constituted by a third arm secured to the other two hammers. It is worth mentioning the fact that one automatically finds the duration to measure chosen by operating the reset position. If one wishes to change this duration, it suffices to perform the corresponding operation mentioned above.

The form of execution illustrated by Figures 5 to 7 shows a practical embodiment of the principle illustrated by the Figures 1 to 4 . For ease of reading, all organs of this form of execution of Figures 5 to 7 having the same functions as in the previous embodiment have the same references. Note that this second embodiment does not include an auxiliary minute counter.

As can be seen from the sectional view of the figure 7 , the counting mechanism of a chosen duration is designed to allow to have its organs on the bridge side and the dial side, between which is the watch movement T. Part, including the clutch 12 and the wheels 11, 4, 16 and 7 are located on the bridge side, while the rake lever 10, the wheel 6, the spiral cam 6 "and the pinion 5 of the minute counter are on the dial side.The column wheel 8 and the hammers 13, 13 'are located on both sides of the movement, the axis 6' connecting the wheel 6 to the unidirectional connecting element 6a working with the wheel 7 also traverses the movement, it can also be seen that the axis of the pinion 4 seconds counter is coaxial to the minute counter 5 gear, which allows reading the minutes and seconds on the same dial.

The unidirectional connecting device between the wheels 6 and 7 of this embodiment differs from that of the first embodiment essentially in that it comprises a ratchet gear 7a integral with the wheel 7 in engagement with a pawl 6b articulated on a disk 6a, integral with the axis 6 'and the wheel 6. If the embodiment is somewhat different from that of the first embodiment, the unidirectional connection principle is identical.

Claims (7)

1. A timepiece with a mechanism for measuring settable predetermined periods, comprising a first timer (4), means (12) for connecting it selectively to the train of the timepiece (T), a second timer (5), a synchronous coupling between the first (4) and second (5) timers, and fly-back means (13, 13', 9, 11) for said timers (4, 5), wherein an auxiliary motive source (10') is in a driving relationship with the second timer (5) and a one-way coupling (6a, 7a) is situated between the first (4) and second (5) timers to regulate the speed of movement of the latter at a predetermined ratio with the speed of movement of the first timer (4) while allowing one-way relative movement of the first timer (4) with respect to the second (5) when the latter is in the stop position and one-way relative movement of the second timer (5) in the opposite sense when the first timer (4) is in the stop position.
2. The timepiece as claimed in claim 1, in which said fly-back means of said timers (13, 13', 9, 11) serve simultaneously to re-tension said auxiliary motive source (10').
3. The timepiece as claimed in one of the preceding claims, in which said auxiliary motive source (10') is in a driving relationship with a part (6") of limited amplitude of movement, a positively controlled link being provided between this part (6") and the second timer (5), hand-driven means (1') serving to modify the position of said part (6") of limited amplitude of movement relative to a position defined by a stop belonging to said part of limited amplitude of movement (6") as a function of the selected period to be measured.
4. The timepiece as claimed in one of the preceding claims, in which the measuring mechanism comprises means (8, 13a, 13b) for disabling the fly-back means (13', 9) of said second timer (5), to allow said first timer (4) to be reset while said predetermined period is being measured and to move the second timer (5) in proportion to the corrected error of said first timer (4) and means (13c) for disconnecting the means (12) for selectively connecting the first timer (4) to the train of the timepiece (T).
5. The timepiece as claimed in claim 4, comprising locking means (3b, 27) for keeping the fly-back means (13, 13') of the timers (4, 5) in engagement with the timers during actuation of the means (1') for modifying the angular position of said second timer (5) relative to the position defined by said stop belonging to said part of limited amplitude of movement (6").
6. The timepiece as claimed in one of the preceding claims, in which the first timer (4) is a seconds timer and the second timer (5) is a minutes timer.
7. The timepiece as claimed in one of the preceding claims, comprising means (20, 21) for starting a second minutes timer (22) at the end of the predetermined measured period.

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