INTERACTION BETWEEN TWO TIMEPIECE COMPONENTS

• US 20170123379A1
• Filed: 06/19/2015
• Published: 05/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Swatch Group Research And Development Ltd
• Original Assignee: The Swatch Group Research And Development Ltd
• Inventors: DI DOMENICO, Gianni, HELFER, Jean-Luc, WINKLER, Pascal, FAVRE, Jerome
• Granted Patent: US 10,459,406 B2
• Time in Patent Office: 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

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. :

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 comprises 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, interaction energy between the first component and the second component has a variable and non-zero gradient with at least one position of discontinuity of the gradient, which corresponds to a discontinuity of the contactless stress.

22. :

The timepiece mechanism according to claim 21,

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,

wherein, throughout a monotonous relative movement of the second path with respect to the first path in the first degree of freedom, interaction energy between the first component and the second component has a variable and non-zero gradient with at least one position of discontinuity of the gradient which corresponds to a variant in the contactless stress, and

wherein an energy level of the position of discontinuity varies when the second degree of freedom of the first or second component varies.

23. :

The timepiece mechanism according to claim 22,

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

wherein the first or second component moves in a second degree of freedom distinct from the first degree of freedom.

24. :

The mechanism according to claim 21, 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 formed by the second component with the first component, when the second component pivots with respect to the first component, remains fixed at a value of a particular angle of transition, independent of the torque applied to the second component when;

|torque A|<

torque C<

|torque B,

the angle of transition corresponding to a value of a break in slope of the change in interaction energy as a function of the relative angle between a first slope in a first stress area corresponding to the first torque value, and a second slope in a second stress area corresponding to the second torque value, the second slope having a greater absolute value than the first slope.

25. :

The mechanism according to claim 21, wherein the second complementary actuation means comprises 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 which a break in the slope corresponds to the position of discontinuity of the gradient.

26. :

The mechanism according to claim 25, wherein the break in the slope is a barrier area which corresponds to the position of discontinuity of the gradient.

27. :

The mechanism according to claim 21, 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.

28. :

The mechanism according to claim 21, 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.

29. :

The mechanism according to claim 21, wherein, at least in proximity to a limit position, the first actuation means exerts a first substantially constant stress on the penetration area.

30. :

The mechanism according to claim 21, wherein, at least in proximity to a limit position, the first actuation means exerts a second substantially constant stress on the blocking area.

31. :

The mechanism according to claim 29, wherein, in proximity to the limit position, a particular curvilinear contour of the first component faces a barrier area of the second component.

32. :

The mechanism according to claim 21, wherein the mechanism comprises one of the first component and one of the second component, which are configured to effect a relative motion in a useful area which comprises a first part corresponding to a first stress area in which the relative stress or torque exerted by one of the components on the other is at a first level, and which comprises 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 in places 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.

33. :

The mechanism according to claim 32, 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.

34. :

The mechanism according to claim 31, wherein gradient of interaction energy between the first component and the second component is greater in the second stress area than that in the first stress area.

35. :

The mechanism according to claim 34, 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 second component.

36. :

The mechanism according to claim 35, wherein energy accumulated in the first stress area, during monotonous relative motion of the second path with respect to the first path, up to the position of discontinuity of the gradient, is constant and fixed by a design of the mechanism.

37. :

The mechanism according to claim 36, wherein, when the position of discontinuity of the gradient is crossed, stored energy is returned in a same degree of freedom or in at least one other degree of freedom.

38. :

The mechanism according to claim 36, wherein, in the first stress area and the second stress area, the gradient of interaction energy between the first component and the second component 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.

39. :

The mechanism according to claim 21, wherein the position of discontinuity 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.

40. :

A timepiece comprising at least one mechanism according to claim 21, wherein the timepiece is a watch.