Electro-mechanical watch

• US 4,196,578 A
• Filed: 02/15/1978
• Issued: 04/08/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ETS Incorporated (AKKA Technologies SE)
• Original Assignee: Ebauches SA
• Inventors: Besson, Rene
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackmon, Edith S.
• Application Number:
  US05/877,859
• Time in Patent Office: 783 Days
• Field of Search: 58/4 A, 58/23 R, 58/23 D, 58/23 A, 58/58, 58/85.5
• US Class Current: 368/188
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 5/02 by temporarily changing the number of pulses per unit time, e.g. quick-feed method

Abstract

An electro-mechanical watch for advancing the uncorrected watch indicating members to their correct time indicating positions, after a correction period during which one of the indicating members is adjusted and the advancement of the uncorrected members is interrupted. In regular operation, a pulsed signal at a normal frequency from a watch frequency divider drives a stepping motor to advance the indicating members. At the beginning of the correction period, the pulsed signal is switched from the stepping motor to a pulse counter which counts the pulses occurring during the correction period. After the correction period, the pulsed signal is switched back to the stepping motor and a number of signal pulses at a higher than normal frequency, equal to the count of the pulse counter are applied to the stepping motor to advance rapidly the uncorrected indicating members to their correct time indicating positions.

Claims

1. An electro-mechanical watch for advancing indicating members of the watch to display the correct time after a correction period in which the position of at least one of the indicating members is adjusted, said watch comprising:

generator means for generating a high frequency pulsed signal and a normal lower frequency pulsed signal, stepping motor means coupled to one of said pulsed signals for advancing said indicating members at a normal time indicating speed in response to said normal signal and at a faster than normal speed in response to said high frequency signal, maintaining circuit means coupled between said generator means and said motor means for driving said motor means in response to said pulsed signals, correction means coupled to said indicating members for adjusting at least one of said indicating members during said correction period in response to a control member of the correction means being manually operated, pulse counter means coupled to said generator means for producing a count of said normal signal pulses during said correction period, switch means coupled to said control member for switching said normal signal from said maintaining means to said pulse counter means during said correction period in response to said control member being operated, and logic circuit means for applying to said maintaining means a number of pulses of said high frequency signal equal to said count after the end of the correction period to advance at a speed faster than normal said indicating members to a position to display the correct time.

2. An electro-mechanical watch as claimed in claim 1 in which said generator means include time base means for producing a time base signal, and frequency divider means coupled to said time base signal for producing said pulsed signals, there being an intermediate stage of said divider means between said time base signal and said normal signal which produces said high frequency signal.

3. An electro-mechanical watch as claimed in claim 1 in which said control member is manually operable between a pushed position and a pulled position, said control member in said pulled position being able to operate said correction means, said switch means switching said normal signal from said maintaining means during the passage of the control member from its pushed to pulled position and switching said normal signal back to said maintaining means during the passage of the control member from its pulled to pushed position.

4. An electro-mechanical watch as claimed in claim 1 in which said correction means include a rocking lever which is moved by said control member against the force of a blade spring which tends to maintain said lever in its rest position, said blade spring forming a contact element of an electric switch of said switch means which controls said switch means.