Interaction between two timepiece components

• US 10,459,406 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2015
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Swatch Group Research And Development Ltd (The Swatch Group AG)
• Original Assignee: The Swatch Group Research And Development Ltd (The Swatch Group AG)
• Inventors: Di Domenico, Gianni, Helfer, Jean-Luc, Winkler, Pascal, Favre, Jerome
• Primary Examiner(s): Kayes, Sean P
• Application Number:
  US15/317,313
• Publication Number:
  US 20170123379A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,593 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G04B 15/08 Lever escapements
• CPC Class Codes: G04B 15/14 Component parts or constructional details, e.g. construction of the lever or the escape wheel assembly and manufacture of the spring G04B1/145; assembly and manufacture of components, e.g. pinions, spindles G04B13/02; lubrication of clockwork bearings G04B31/008; oils for clockwork bearings in general G04B31/08
• CPC Class Codes: G04C 3/047 using other coupling means, e.g. electrostrictive, magnetostrictive
• CPC Class Codes: G04C 3/105 pawl and ratched-wheel being magnetically coupled
• CPC Class Codes: G04C 5/005 Magnetic or electromagnetic means

Abstract

A timepiece mechanism including a first component and a second component configured to cooperate with each other in a relative motion on a trajectory in an interface area, wherein a first path of the first component includes magnetic and/or electrostatic actuation components, configured to exert a contactless stress on complementary magnetic and/or electrostatic actuation components included in a second path belonging to the second component. Throughout a monotonous relative movement of the second path with respect to the first path, interaction energy between the first component and second component has a variable gradient with at least one position of discontinuity of the gradient, which corresponds to a variation in the contactless stress, the position of discontinuity of the gradient corresponding, in a variant, to an abrupt variation in the contactless stress.

Claims

1. A timepiece mechanism comprising:

at least a first component and a second component configured to cooperate with each other in a relative motion on a trajectory in an interface area,

wherein a first path of the first component includes first actuation means configured to exert a contactless stress on second complementary actuation means comprised in a second path belonging to the second component,

wherein, throughout a monotonous relative movement of the second path with respect to the first path, a change of interaction energy between the first component and the second component based on a change of a relative angle has a variable and a linear non-zero gradient, the gradient having at least one change point, the change point of the gradient corresponding to a transition angle, a level of the contactless stress being changed at the transition angle, and

wherein the relative angle is formed by the first component and the second component when the second component pivots to the first component, the second component being configured to adjust a position at the transition angle independent of the contactless stress applied to the second component.

2. The timepiece mechanism according to claim 1,

wherein the first component moves in at least a first degree of freedom,

wherein the first or second component moves in at least a second degree of freedom distinct from the first degree of freedom, and

wherein a level of interaction energy at the change point of the gradient varies when the second degree of freedom of the first or second component varies.

3. The mechanism according to claim 1,

wherein a range of torque is applied to the second component between a first torque value and a second torque value,

wherein the relative angle remains fixed at the transition angle, independent of the torque applied to the second component when a value of the torque applied to the second component is greater than an absolute value of the first torque value and smaller than an absolute value of the second torque value, the transition angle corresponding to the change point of the gradient as a function of the relative angle between a first gradient in a first stress area corresponding to the first torque value, and a second gradient in a second stress area corresponding to the second torque value, the second gradient having a greater absolute value than the first gradient.

4. The mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the second complementary actuation means includes at least one area of penetration close to and distinct from a blocking area, which cooperate differently with the first actuation means, and at a boundary of the change point of the gradient.

5. The mechanism according to claim 4, wherein a barrier area corresponds to the change point of the gradient.

6. The mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the cooperation between the first actuation means and the second complementary actuation means makes it possible, in certain first relative positions of the first component and of the second component, to synchronize speed or position thereof, and, in certain other second relative positions of the first component and of the second component, to allow one of the first or second components to move with respect to the other under action of a force and/or a torque.

7. The mechanism according to claim 1, wherein one of the first component and one of the second component are configured to cooperate with each other in a relative motion on a repetitive trajectory in an interface area.

8. The mechanism according to claim 1, wherein, at least in proximity to a limit position, the first actuation means exerts a first substantially constant stress on a penetration area.

9. The mechanism according to claim 8, wherein, in proximity to the limit position, a particular curvilinear contour of the first component faces a barrier area of the second component.

10. The mechanism according to claim 9, wherein the gradient is greater in a second stress area than in a first stress area.

11. The mechanism according to claim 10,

wherein the at least a first component and the at least a second component interact with each other via action of magnetic or respectively electrostatic fields, and

wherein the first stress area corresponds to an accumulation of magnetic or respectively electrostatic energy during a relative motion between the at least a first component and the at least a second component.

12. The mechanism according to claim 11, wherein energy accumulated in the first stress area, during monotonous relative motion of the second path with respect to the first path, up to a position at a change of the gradient, is constant and fixed by a design of the mechanism.

13. The mechanism according to claim 12, wherein, when the change point of the gradient is crossed, stored energy is returned in a same degree of freedom or in at least one other degree of freedom.

14. The mechanism according to claim 12, wherein, in the first stress area and the second stress area, the gradient is created by continuous variation of a physical parameter that contributes to magnetic or respectively electrostatic interaction between the at least a first component and the at least a second component.

15. The mechanism according to claim 1, wherein, at least in proximity to a limit position, the first actuation means exerts a second substantially constant stress on a blocking area.

16. The mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the mechanism further comprises:

one of the first component and one of the second component, which are configured to effect a relative motion in a useful area, the useful area includes

a first part corresponding to a first stress area in which a relative torque or stress exerted by one of the components on the other is at a first level, and

a second part corresponding to a second stress area in which the relative torque or stress exerted by one of the components on the other is at a second level, different from the first level, at least around a given position, such that, at an interface at a boundary between the first stress area and the second stress area, the first component and the second component are precisely positioned with respect to each other, for a determined useful stress range.

17. The mechanism according to claim 16,

wherein in the first stress area, the relative torque or stress exerted by one of the components on the other is substantially constant at the first level, and

wherein in the second stress area, the relative torque or stress exerted by one of the components on the other is substantially constant at the second level, which is different from the first level.

18. The mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the change point of the gradient, which corresponds to a variation in the contactless stress, is at a start, or at an end, of driving of one of the first component and the second component by the other.

19. A timepiece comprising at least one mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the timepiece is a watch.