Horological carriage-stop comprising two resilient stop elements

A limiting device for a watch, including an oscillator, and capable of blocking this oscillator carried by the carriage of a tourbillon or karussel, with two intermediate drive wheels integral with arbors pivoted in a plate and rotating in opposite directions to one another, one whereof is driven in rotation by an engaging rod engaging with a control member external to the tourbillon or karussel, each of the intermediate wheels carries at least one resilient element, is arranged so as to bear against a mobile component of the oscillator in order to stop same upon passage of the control member from a rest position to an active position wherein each resilient element bears against this mobile component of the oscillator, or against the carriage, and so as to remain remote from the carriage and from any mobile component of the oscillator when the control member is in the rest position thereof.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to European Patent Application No. 19187810.7 filed on Jul. 23, 2019, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a horological limiting device for a watch, comprising an oscillator, and comprising means for limiting the variation of rate of this oscillator in the different positions of said watch in space, said device comprising at least one tourbillon or a karussel, which comprises a carriage which is mounted such that it pivots about a carriage axis relative to a plate, which carries a fixed wheel when said limiting device comprises a tourbillon, which carriage carries said oscillator and comprises a carriage wheel arranged so as to be driven by an energy source of the watch or of a movement by way of a gear train, and which carriage carries an escapement mechanism arranged so as to engage with said oscillator, and comprising an escape pinion meshing with said fixed wheel when said limiting device comprises a tourbillon or meshing with a third wheel or a fourth wheel, comprised in said gear train, when said limiting device comprises a karussel.

The invention further relates to a watch comprising a horological movement comprising energy storage means, an oscillator, hand-setting means, and such a limiting device.

The invention relates to the field of mechanical watches with high chronometric precision equipped with tourbillons or karussels, and so-called second-stop or carriage-stop mechanisms arranged so as to finely adjust the state of the watch.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

British patent No. 674764 filed by HEPTINSTALL discloses a spring-finger for blocking a balance.

European patent No. 1617305B1 filed by MONTRES BREGUET discloses control for manually stopping, via the stem, pad levers for blocking a balance.

European patent No. 2787400B1 filed by CHOPARD discloses a stop element, integral with a carriage such that it rotates therewith, and which is a disc coaxial to this carriage, axially displaced for axial friction with a balance.

European patent No. 2085832B1 filed by FREDERIC PIGUET discloses a friction clutch mechanism, by radial placing clutching elements at the ends of star-shaped arms in a cylindrical surface of a driving plate, under the axial effect of a clutch spring.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention proposes stopping a tourbillon or karussel carriage when setting the hands so as to adjust the watch to the nearest second.

For this purpose, the invention relates to a horological limiting device for limiting the variation of rate of an oscillator comprised in a watch, according to claim1.

The invention further relates to a watch comprising a horological movement comprising energy storage means, an oscillator, hand-setting means, and such a limiting device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The invention relates to the field of mechanical watches with high chronometric performance levels.

Known methods of improving insensitivity to the positions of a watch1000involve equipping it with a horological limiting device100, comprising an oscillator, and capable of limiting the variation of rate of this oscillator200, in the different positions of the watch1000in space.

This device100comprises at least one tourbillon300or a karussel which, in either case, comprises a carriage10which is mounted such that it pivots about a carriage axis D relative to a plate900.

This plate900carries a fixed wheel210when the limiting device100comprises a tourbillon300.

The carriage10comprises a lower bridge11and an upper bridge12. The lower bridge11of the carriage10carries the oscillator200, and comprises a carriage wheel41, which is arranged so as to be driven by an energy source400of the watch1000or of a movement800comprised in the watch, by way of a gear train. This energy source400can in particular comprise at least one barrel or similar element.

The lower bridge11further carries a part of the escapement mechanism700, which is arranged so as to engage with the oscillator200, and which comprises an escape pinion201.

An upper carriage bridge12protects both the oscillator200and the escapement mechanism700held by an escapement bridge203; this upper bridge12can also protect a part of the mechanism according to the invention.

This escape pinion meshes with the fixed wheel210when the limiting device100comprises a tourbillon300, or meshes with a third wheel or a fourth wheel, comprised in the gear train, when the limiting device100comprises a karussel.

The limiting device100according to the invention allows a mobile component of the oscillator200to be stopped, in particular an inertia mobile component such as a balance91, carried by a tourbillon or karussel carriage10, during the hand-setting operation. The mechanism is designed to also stop the carriage10.

The figures show a specific alternative, non-limiting embodiment, wherein the mechanism according to the invention stops a sprung balance assembly, constituting the oscillator200, on a carriage10comprised in a tourbillon300, during the hand-setting operation.

Thus, relative to a conventional tourbillon or karussel, which comprises a carriage10, which itself carries an oscillator200, in particular but not limited to a sprung balance as shown in the figures, the mechanism according to the invention comprises a limited number of specific components, mounted on a carriage wheel41comprised in the carriage10:an engaging rod3, controlled by a control member of the watch, which in particular comprises, in the case shown in the figures, a winding and setting stem1, articulated with a pull-out piece2;two intermediate drive wheels51and52meshing with one another so as to rotate in opposite directions, and one whereof meshes with a rack31, or a toothed sector, comprised in the engaging rod3; each intermediate drive wheel51,52is carried by a respective arbor61,62pivoted in the plate900;each intermediate drive wheel51,52carries, at the other end of the arbor61,62thereof, at least one resilient element71,72, itself comprising at least one resilient strip and/or at least one resilient wire, and which is arranged so as to bear against a mobile component of the oscillator200, which is the balance91in the specific case shown in the figures, and which is also capable of bearing against the upper carriage bridge12, and has, for this purpose, the required resilience for bearing against different diameters.

Advantageously, the mechanism according to the invention further comprises a dial pipe8, arranged so as to house and protect the resilient elements71and72.

Thus, according to the invention, the device100comprises a first intermediate drive wheel51and a second intermediate drive wheel52, both pivoted in the plate900and rotating in opposite directions to one another, and one of the two thereof is driven in rotation by an engaging rod3arranged so as to engage with a control member external to the tourbillon300or karussel, for synchronous rotation of the first intermediate drive wheel51and of the second intermediate drive wheel52under the effect of a movement exerted by the control member.

The first intermediate drive wheel51and the second intermediate drive wheel52each carry at least one resilient element71,72, comprising at least one resilient strip and/or one resilient wire. Each resilient element71,72is arranged so as to bear against at least one mobile component of the oscillator200in order to stop the oscillator200upon passage of the control member from a rest position to an active position wherein each resilient element71,72bears against a mobile component of the oscillator200, or against the upper bridge12of the carriage10, and so as to remain remote from the upper bridge12and from any mobile component of the oscillator200when the control member is in the rest position thereof.

More particularly, the first intermediate drive wheel51and the second intermediate drive wheel52each have a sufficient angular displacement to allow a resilient element71,72to bear against an upper bridge12of the carriage10, when this bridge12enters the angular sector covered by the resilient element71,72considered.

More particularly, the device100comprises hand-setting means500, which constitute or control the control member, which is arranged so as to move the engaging rod3in a first activation direction upon the passage of the hand-setting means500from a rest position T1to an activated position T2, and to move the engaging rod3in a second direction opposite the first direction upon the passage of the hand-setting means500from the activated position T2to the rest position T1.

More particularly, the control member comprises a pull-out piece2mounted such that it pivots and arranged such that, during a translation of a control stem1controlling the pivoting of the pull-out piece2, it causes a translation of the engaging rod3, which comprises a rack31, or a toothed sector, meshing with the first intermediate drive wheel51or the second intermediate drive wheel52for passing from the rest position to the activated position, or vice-versa.

More particularly, the tourbillon300or karussel comprises a dial pipe8comprising a substantially cylindrical wall about the carriage10thereof. Thus, in the rest position, the resilient elements71,72are protected and concealed by the dial pipe8, and are folded back in contact with the inner surface of the substantially cylindrical wall or in the immediate vicinity thereof.

More particularly, this dial pipe8comprises a substantially annular frontal display surface81, facing which moves a display index13comprised in the carriage10, for example to display the seconds or other information.

More particularly, each resilient element71,72extends in the cantilever position relative to an arbor61,62, carrying the first intermediate drive wheel51or respectively the second intermediate drive wheel52.

More particularly, each resilient element71,72has a convex surface on the carriage10side.

More particularly, each resilient element71,72comprises, opposite the respective arbor61,62thereof, a distal end comprising a loop with a concavity in the same direction as the resilient element71,72, and a radius of curvature that is less than that of the part arranged so as to come into contact with the mobile component of the oscillator200.

More particularly, the oscillator200is a sprung balance assembly.

The invention further relates to a watch1000comprising a horological movement800comprising energy storage means400, an oscillator200, hand-setting means500, and such a limiting device100incorporating this oscillator200.

More particularly, the tourbillon300or karussel constitutes a display member of the watch1000, or is arranged so as to drive at least one display member of the watch1, and the hand-setting means500constitute or control the control member.

The operating principle is as follows:

In the rest position T1, the mechanism is under the following conditions: The pull-out piece2is fixed, comprises a bezel pin24which holds in position a first slot34of the engaging rod3, which, in this specific, non-limiting case, is capable of moving linearly thanks to two oblongs32and33which engage with pins320and330fixed in the plate900. This rod3has a toothing31which meshes with one of the intermediate drive wheels51,52. This driven intermediate wheel meshes with the other intermediate drive wheel. These two intermediate wheels are integral with pivot arbors61,62at one of the ends thereof, and create the play of the assembly between the plate900and a bridge, in particular a barrel bridge. The resilient elements71,72are situated on the other end of the arbors61,62, and are advantageously tensioned against the dial pipe8. The tourbillon carriage10is free to rotate inside the dial pipe8, the resilient elements71,72not being in the path of travel of the sprung balance9.

In position T2, the mechanism is under the following conditions:

The winding stem1is pulled out and displaces the pull-out piece2into position T2. The pull-out piece2thus displaces the engaging rod3. Through the movement thereof, it causes the intermediate drive wheels51,52to pivot. The first intermediate wheel pivots in one direction and the second in the opposite direction. Being integral with the pivot arbors61,62, which carry the resilient elements71,72, the rotation of the intermediate drive wheels51,52detaches the resilient elements71,72from the wall of the dial pipe8and brings them into contact with the sprung balance9.

At this precise moment in time, two situations can exist:the resilient elements71,72both come into contact with the sprung balance9and stop the carriage10of the tourbillon;only one of the resilient elements71,72comes into contact with an arm of the tourbillon carriage and the other of the resilient elements71,72comes into contact with the balance91. This also causes the carriage10to stop.

The arrangement of the elements (intermediate wheels51,52, arbors61,62, and resilient elements71,72) guarantees that in any angular position of the tourbillon carriage10, if a resilient element71,72touches an arm of the upper bridge12of the carriage10, the other of the resilient elements71,72must be touching the balance91.

To summarise, the invention allows:an inertial mass of an oscillator, in particular a balance, to be instantly stopped;a tourbillon or karussel carriage to be instantly stopped;the oscillator to be restarted after a hand-setting operation, for which the oscillator has been stopped;the time to be set to the nearest second;the carriage to be stopped regardless of the angular position of the tourbillon or karussel;the device to be concealed inside the dial pipe; and without overloading the carriage.

This mechanism is compact, the manufacture thereof requires conventional technology and the cost thereof is thus low.