Abstract:
The patent application relates to an automatic winding device used for automatic winding watch, which comprises a box body, a rotating seat arranged on the box body and relatively rotatable to the box body, a holding seat fixed on the rotating seat and used for placing the automatic winding watch, a driving mechanism driving the rotating seat to rotate, and a control device controlling the rotating mode of the driving mechanism, wherein the driving mechanism is arranged in the box body. The automatic winding device used for automatic winding watch can be rotatably arranged on the box body through the rotating seat; compared with the existing rotation in a rotating cavity, the patent application reduces the noise, and is beneficial for displaying the watch; the watch is sheathed on the holding seat and then placed on the rotating seat.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority of Hong Kong patent application No. 13112084.7 filed on Oct. 28, 2013, the entire content of which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
       TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The patent application relates to a winding device, and in particular, to an automatic winding device used for automatic winding watch. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    An automatic winding watch (mechanical watch) drives a hour hand and a minute hand therein to run through an internal winding mechanism. The winding principle of the winding mechanism is to employ an eccentric rotor and utilize a gravity effect as well as the oscillating or winding of an arm of a user while wearing to rotate, so as to drive gears to wind up a mainspring to realize winding. The energy for winding the watch can be stored in the winding mechanism, and can maintain the watch to run for at least 24 hours. In the case that the automatic winding watch is not worn, the energy stored therein is gradually consumed till it is used up, and the watch stops running then there is no driving force. When wearing the watch again, it needs to re-wind the watch, which is inconvenient to use. 
         [0004]    In order to make the automatic winding watch still work continuously in the case of being not worn, a winding device for watch appears in the market, for winding the watch in the case of displaying the watch or in the case that the user does not wear the watch. The winding device on the present market comprises a hollow bowl-shaped or drum-shaped rotating cavity and a sheathing mechanism used for sheathing the automatic winding watch. The sheathing mechanism is contained in the rotating cavity. The rotating cavity is driven by a motor to rotate along an axis thereof so as to drive the watch to rotate, thereby winding the watch. However, the noise generated by the motor in the existing winding device during the rotating process is amplified by the rotating cavity, thus increasing the noise. Furthermore, the arrangement of the rotating cavity makes a watch band of the watch be hidden therein, which is not beneficial for displaying. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    A technical problem to be solved by the patent application is to provide an automatic winding device used for automatic winding watch, which can wind the automatic winding watch in the case that the automatic winding watch is not worn. 
         [0006]    To solve the technical problem, the patent application employs a technical solution as follows: the patent application provides an automatic winding device used for an automatic winding watch, which comprises a box body, a rotating seat arranged on the box body and relatively rotatable to the box body, a holding seat fixed on the rotating seat and used for placing the automatic winding watch, a driving mechanism driving the rotating seat to rotate, and a control device controlling the rotating mode of the driving mechanism, wherein the driving mechanism is arranged in the box body. 
         [0007]    In the automatic winding device used for automatic winding watch according to the patent application, the holding seat comprises a U-shaped framework and a flexible mandrel arranged in the framework for sheathing the automatic winding watch. Two relative side plates of the framework are respectively formed with an elastic locking arm used for fixing the holding seat on the rotating seat. 
         [0008]    In the automatic winding device used for automatic winding watch according to the patent application, the tail end of the elastic locking arm towards the rotating seat is provided with a clamping bolt. The rotating seat is provided with a clamping groove matched with the clamping bolt. 
         [0009]    In the automatic winding device used for automatic winding watch according to the patent application, the rotating seat is circular, and the clamping groove is arranged on the internal side surface of the rotating seat. Or, the rotating seat is tabular, and the clamping groove is arranged on the surface of the rotating seat facing to the holding seat. 
         [0010]    In the automatic winding device used for automatic winding watch according to the patent application, the control device comprises a control unit, an optical sensor used for inducing the rotational velocity and rotation angle of the driving mechanism, a random number generation module for generating random parameters, a pulse duration modulation module matched with the random parameter generation module so as to generate a corresponding random rotating mode, and an H bridge driving circuitry. The optical sensor, the random parameter generation module, the pulse duration modulation module and the H bridge driving circuitry are all electrically connected with the control unit. 
         [0011]    In the automatic winding device used for automatic winding watch according to the patent application, the driving mechanism comprises a motor and a transmission case connected between the motor and the rotating seat. The motor is electrically connected with the control unit through the H bridge driving circuitry. 
         [0012]    In the automatic winding device used for automatic winding watch according to the patent application, the transmission case comprises an input gear connected with the motor, a first gear engaged with the input gear, an output gear, a plurality of second gears engaged between the first gear and the output gear in sequence, and a detection gear engaged with the first gear. The optical sensor is matched with the detection gear. The transmission case is fixedly connected with the rotating seat through the output gear. The bottom of the rotating seat is provided with a joint pin stretching into the box body and connected with the output gear. A bearing support corresponding to the joint pin is arranged in the box body. 
         [0013]    In the automatic winding device used for automatic winding watch according to the patent application, the box body is further provided with a power indicator light. The power indicator light is electrically connected with the control unit. 
         [0014]    In the automatic winding device used for automatic winding watch according to the patent application, a plurality of uniformly-spaced through holes are arranged on the detection gear, encircling the central axis of the detection gear. Infrared light beams of the optical sensor are alternatively irradiated on the detection gear through the through holes during the rotating process of the detection gear. 
         [0015]    In the automatic winding device used for automatic winding watch according to the patent application, the automatic winding device further comprises a box cover. The box cover is covered on the box body to shield the rotating seat and the holding seat between the box body and the box cover. The box body is a sealed box body. 
         [0016]    The advantageous effects to implement the patent application are as follows: the automatic winding watch is easy to hold and disassemble; the automatic winding device used for automatic winding watch can be rotatably arranged on the box body through the rotating seat; compared with the existing rotation in a rotating cavity, the patent application reduces the noise, and is beneficial for displaying the watch; the watch is sheathed on the holding seat and then placed on the rotating seat; with the rotation of the rotating seat, the automatic winding device used for an automatic winding watch can simulate the swinging of a human arm to wind the watch, so that the watch still keeps enough power to run normally in the case of being not worn. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0017]    The patent application will be further described hereinafter with reference to the drawings and embodiments, in the drawings: 
           [0018]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an automatic winding device used for automatic watch according to an embodiment of the patent application; 
           [0019]      FIG. 2  is a structure schematic view of a box body and a rotating seat in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0020]      FIG. 3  is a structure schematic view of a holding seat in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0021]      FIG. 4  is a structure schematic view of a framework in  FIG. 3 ; 
           [0022]      FIG. 5  is a structure schematic view of the rotating seat, the holding seat and an automatic winding watch in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0023]      FIG. 6  is a sectional view of a holding seat in  FIG. 5 ; 
           [0024]      FIG. 7  is an internal structure schematic view of the box body in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0025]      FIG. 8  is a structure schematic view of a transmission case in  FIG. 7 ; 
           [0026]      FIG. 9  is a schematic view of a module of a control device according to an embodiment of the patent application; 
           [0027]      FIG. 10  is a structure schematic view of the bottom of the box body in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0028]      FIG. 11  is a circuit diagram of pulse duration modulation control according to the patent application; and 
           [0029]      FIG. 12  is a circuit diagram of a control motor of an H bridge driving circuitry according to an embodiment of the patent application. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0030]    As shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 7 , an automatic winding device used for automatic watch according to an embodiment of the patent application comprises a box body  10 , a rotating seat  20 , a holding seat  30 , a driving mechanism  40  and a control device. The rotating seat  20  is arranged on the box body  10  and can rotate relatively to the box body  10 . The holding seat  30  is used for holding the automatic winding watch  100 . The holding seat  30  is fixed on the rotating seat  20  so as to rotate with the rotating seat  20 . The driving mechanism  40  is used for driving the rotating seat  20  to rotate. The control device is then used for controlling the rotating mode of the driving mechanism  40 . The automatic winding device controls the driving mechanism  40  to work through the control device, thus driving the rotating seat  20  to rotate, so as to drive the holding seat  30  and the automatic winding watch  100  thereon to rotate according to a required rotating mode. The rotating mode is mainly based on simulating the swinging of a human arm, comprising such modes as rotating at a random rotational velocity, rotating with a random rotation angle, rotating in a random rotation direction (clockwise or anticlockwise), rotating in a random continuing rotation time, and a random suspended rotating time, and the like. During the running process, an eccentric rotor in the automatic winding watch  100  is utilized to automatically wind the watch under a gravity force. 
         [0031]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , the box body  10  is a hollow structure so as to hold the driving mechanism  40 . Moreover, the box body  10  is a sealed box body preferably, which can prevent the noise produced during the working of the driving mechanism  40  from being transferred out, and reduce the noise of the automatic winding device. Materials and shapes of the box body  10  are not defined. The materials can be lumber, plastic or metal and the like, and the shapes can be polygon, round and the like, which can be arranged according to the demands. The rotating seat  20  is arranged on the box body  10 . The bottom of the rotating seat stretches into the box body  10  and is connected with the driving mechanism in the box body  10  through arranging a joint pin  21 . Similarly, materials and shapes of the rotating seat  20  are not defined. The materials can be lumber, plastic or metal and the like, and the shapes can be polygon, round and the like, which can be arranged according to the demands. Moreover, the rotating seat  20  can be circular or tubular. 
         [0032]    The box body  10  is further provided with a power indicator light  11 . The power indicator light  11  is electrically connected with the control device. The power indicator light  11  can have lighting modes of different colors, for example, when the automatic winding device is running, the light is green. When the power supply of the automatic winding device is insufficient, the light is red. Therefore, the control device can be provided with a dimming driving module accordingly so as to drive the lighting mode of the power indicator light  11 . In order to reduce the power consumption of the power indicator light  11 , the power indicator light can be controlled by the dimming driving module to light flickeringly. When the automatic winding device is running, the power indicator light  11  is primarily green, and then gradually turns to dark so as to save the power consumption of lighting. The power indicator light can flicker in every five seconds or above to display the running state of the device. 
         [0033]    As shown in  FIG. 2-6 , the holding seat  30  is fixed on the rotating seat  20  and driven by the rotating seat  20  to rotate. The holding seat  30  is bowl-shaped or drum-shaped. In the embodiment, the holding seat  30  can be fixed on the rotating seat  20  in a detachable way. The holding seat  30  can comprise a U-shaped framework  31  and a flexible mandrel  32  arranged in the framework  31 . The automatic winding watch  100  can be sheathed on the flexible mandrel  32 . Two relative side plates  311  of the framework  31  are respectively formed with an elastic locking arm  312  used for fixing the holding seat  30  on the rotating seat  20 . The distance between the two elastic locking arms  312  is or larger than the width or diameter of the corresponding position of the rotating seat  20 . When the automatic winding watch  100  is sheathed on the holding seat  30 , a watch dial of the watch  100  is arranged on a panel  313  between the two side plates  311  of the framework  31 , while a watch band is twisted on the flexible mandrel  32  between the two side plates  311 . The arrangement of the flexible mandrel  32  makes the holding seat  30  be applicable for sheathing the watch  100  having the watch band of different lengths. 
         [0034]    Preferably, the tail end of the elastic locking arm  312  towards the rotating seat  20  is provided with a clamping bolt  314 . The rotating seat  20  is provided with a clamping groove  22  matched with the clamping bolt  314 . When the rotating seat  20  is circular, the clamping groove  22  is arranged on the internal side surface of the rotating seat  20 . When the rotating seat  20  is tabular, the clamping groove  22  is arranged on the surface of the rotating seat  20  facing to the holding seat  30 . The flexible mandrel  32  is made of elastic materials such as foam material, sponge and the like. The outside of the flexible mandrel  32  can further be coated with a flexible material layer such as a woven fabric or leather and the like, to enhance the blazonry and grade of the holding seat  30 . The framework  31  is made of rigid materials, such as plastic, sheetmetal and the like, has certain elasticity and toughness, and can be bent so as to be not easily fractured. 
         [0035]    When the holding seat  30  is fixed on the rotating seat  20 , the elastic locking arms  312  at the two sides of the framework  31  are pressed towards the inside of the framework  31 . When the two elastic locking arms  312  are pressed towards the inside, the flexible mandrel  32  is also pressed. The clamping bolt  314  of the elastic locking arm  312  is aligned with the clamping groove  22  of the rotating seat  20  and then clamped therein. The pressing of the elastic locking arm  314  is released, and the flexible mandrel  32  extends to a primary state, while after the elastic locking arm  312  restores to a primary position, the clamping bolt  314  thereof is stably clamped in the clamping groove  22  of the rotating seat  20 , thus finishing the fixation of the holding seat  30  on the rotating seat  20 . During disassembling, the elastic locking arm  312  is pressed towards the inside similarly so that the clamping bolt  314  breaks away from the clamping bolt  22 ; in this way, the holding seat  30  can be taken down from the rotating seat  20 ; therefore, operation is convenient. The extendable elasticity effect of the flexible mandrel  32  after being compressed can help the elastic locking arm  312  to recovery, and can make the elastic locking arm  312  to be more stably clamped with the rotating seat  20 , and not easily broken away. 
         [0036]    Further, concave limiting grooves  310  can be respectively arranged on the side surfaces of the two elastic locking arms  312 , which are convenient for fingers to be aligned in the limiting grooves  310 , to press the elastic locking arms  312  and control the clamping bolts  314  to be clamped with or broken away from the clamping grooves  22 . 
         [0037]    As further shown in  FIG. 1 , the automatic winding device can further comprise a box cover  60 . The box cover  60  is covered on the box body  10  to shield the rotating seat  20  and the holding seat  30  between the box body  10  and the box cover  60 , thus being capable of protecting the rotating seat  20 , the holding seat  30  and the automatic winding watch  100  and the like, and can prevent dust. The box cover  60  can be a transparent box cover made of a transparent material. In this way, even if the box cover  60  is covered on the box body  10 , the situations of the rotating seat  20  and the automatic winding watch  100  and the like arranged therein can be still seen clearly. Certainly, the box cover  60  can also be a nontransparent box cover made of a nontransparent material, thus avoiding that the situations of the rotating seat  20  and the automatic winding watch  100  and the like between the box cover and the box body  10  are visible. 
         [0038]    As shown in  FIG. 7  and  FIG. 8 , the driving mechanism  40  comprises a motor  41  and a transmission case  42  connected between the motor  41  and the rotating seat  20 . The motor  41  is electrically connected with the control device. The power indicator light  11  is electrically connected with the control device. A dimming driving module is arranged on the control unit. The transmission case  42  comprises an input gear  421  connected with the motor  41 , a first gear  422  engaged with the input gear  421 , an output gear  424 , and a plurality of second gears  423  engaged between the first gear  422  and the output gear  424  in sequence. The transmission case  42  is fixedly connected with the rotating seat  20  through the output gear  424 . The bottom of the rotating seat  20  is provided with a joint pin  21 . The joint pin  21  stretches into the box body  10  and is connected with the output gear  424 . Moreover, the inside of the box body  10  is provided with a bearing support  12  corresponding to the joint pin  21 . The bearing support  12  is used for installing a bearing, wherein two bearings are preferred; in this way, the rotating seat  20  stably rotates on the box body  10  without rocking. 
         [0039]    In the transmission case  42 , the motor  41  having the characteristics of normal high speed/low torque can be converted into the motor  41  having the characteristics of low speed/high torque motor  41  through the arrangement of the first gear  422  and the plurality of second gears  423 , and the rotating seat  20  is driven to rotate through the output gear  424 . As shown in  FIG. 8 , and in the embodiment, the transmission case  42  comprises four second gears  423 . The control device controls the motor  41  to rotate at a rotational velocity to drive the input gear  421  to rotate, drives the four second gears  423  to rotate in sequence through the first gear  422 , and finally drives the output gear  424  to rotate. The rotational velocity is gradually reduced after passing through the first gear  422  and the four second gears  423 , so that the final rotational velocity of the output gear  424  is preferably 4-9 revolutions/minute (RPM). 
         [0040]    With reference to  FIG. 7  and  FIG. 8 , the transmission case  42  can also comprise a shell  420 . The input gear  421 , the first gear  422 , the plurality of second gears  423  and the output gear  424  are all installed in the shell  420 . The shell  420  can be connected in the box body  10  through a plurality of erection columns  13 . 
         [0041]    As shown in  FIG. 9 , and with reference to  FIG. 7  and  FIG. 8 , the control device comprises a control unit  51 , an optical sensor  52  used for inducing the rotational velocity and rotation angle of the driving mechanism, a random number generation module  53  for generating random parameters, a pulse duration modulation module  54  (pulse duration modulation (PWM)) matched with the random parameter generation module  53  so as to generate a corresponding random rotating mode, and an H bridge driving circuitry  55 . The optical sensor  52 , the random parameter generation module  53 , the pulse duration modulation module  54  and the H bridge driving circuitry  55  are all electrically connected with the control unit  51 . Moreover, the random parameter generation module  53 , the pulse duration modulation module  54  and the H bridge driving circuitry  55  can all be arranged on the control unit  51 . In the embodiment, the control device is arranged in the box body  10 . The random parameter generation module  53  generates random parameters and generates a corresponding random rotating mode with reference to the pulse duration modulation module  54 . The H bridge driving circuitry  55  controls the random rotation direction of the motor  41  according to a corresponding signal of the pulse duration modulation module  54 , so that the motor  41  rotates according to the random rotating mode. The rotating mode comprises such modes as rotating at a random rotational velocity, rotating with a random rotation angle, rotating in a random rotation direction, rotating in a random continuing rotation time, and a random suspended rotating time, and the like. The random rotational velocity is no lower than 4 revolutions/minute, and is preferably 4-9 revolutions/minute. The random rotation angle is not smaller than 90 degrees. The rotation direction is clockwise or anticlockwise; moreover, the total revolutions on the clockwise direction are not smaller than 700, and the total revolutions on the anticlockwise direction are similarly not smaller than 700. The continuing rotating time is not less than 15 seconds, and the suspended rotating time does not exceed 10 seconds. Various rotating modes of the driving mechanism are circularly operated in every 24 hours. The plurality of random rotating modes enable the winding manner of the automatic winding device on the automatic winding watch  100  to simulate the swinging manner of a human arm, and enables the winding manner diversified and personalized. 
         [0042]    The power indicator light  11  is also connected with the pulse duration modulation module  54  through the control unit  51 , and control the voltage volume of the power supply applied to the power indicator light  11  through a pulse duration modulation technology, which can realize such modes that the luminous intensity of the power indicator light  11  is increased from small to big and decrease from big to small, and the like. 
         [0043]    The transmission case  42  also comprises a detection gear  425  engaged with the first gear  422 . The optical sensor  52  mainly senses the rotational velocity and rotation direction of the detection gear  425 . The optical sensor  52  is matched with the detection gear  425 , so that the light beams of the optical sensor  52  irradiate towards the direction of the detection gear  425 . The optical sensor  52  is electrically connected with the H bridge driving circuitry  55  through the control unit  51 . The H bridge driving circuitry  55  controls the rotation direction of the motor  41  according to a signal of the pulse duration modulation module  54 . The motor  41  drives each gear in the transmission case  42  to rotate. Meanwhile, the detection gear  425  also rotates, and is sensed by the optical sensor  52  during the rotating process. Moreover, the signal sensed is fed back to the control unit  51 . The rotation situation of the output gear  424  is detected through the detection gear  425 , i.e. the rotational velocity and rotation angle of the output gear  424  can be obtained through the rotational velocity and rotation angle of the detection gear  425 . The detection gear  425  and the output gear  424  are linked and engaged through the first gear  422  and the plurality of second gears  423 . The detection gear  425  is arranged capable of detecting that the rotation angle of the output gear  424  is smaller than 1 degree. 
         [0044]    The optical sensor  52  is preferably an infrared sensor, senses the rotational velocity and angle of the detection gear  425  through emitting infrared light beams onto the detection gear  425 , and generates a corresponding signal and feeds the signal back to the control unit  51 . The control unit  51  can determine the actual rotational velocity and angle of the input gear  424  through processing the received feedback signal. A plurality of uniformly-spaced through holes  400  are arranged on the detection gear  425 , encircling the central axis of the detection gear  425 . Infrared light beams of the optical sensor  52  are alternatively irradiated on the detection gear  425  through the through holes  400  during the rotating process of the detection gear  425 . When the infrared light beams are irradiated to the through holes  400 , the infrared light beams are not irradiated on to the detection gear  425  through the through holes  400 . 
         [0045]    The automatic winding device can employ such modes as battery, electronic or directly external power supply and the like to supply power and run. In the embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 10  and with reference to  FIG. 7 , a battery room  14  used for accommodating a battery  70  is arranged on the side surface or bottom of the box body  10 . The battery room  14  is electrically connected with the control unit  51 . A dry battery or a rechargeable battery can be employed as the battery  70 , and the rechargeable battery is preferred. Accordingly, the box body  10  is further provided with a power socket  15  connected with the battery room  14 , for a power line to be spiced with an external power supply and charge the rechargeable battery. The box body  10  is also provided with an on-off key electrically connected with the control unit  51 , used for connecting or disconnecting the power supply. 
         [0046]    The control unit  51  of the control device applies a voltage onto the motor  41  through the pulse duration modulation module  54  so as to control the rotational velocity of the motor  41 . As shown in  FIG. 11 , the voltage is applied to the motor  41  through the pulse duration modulation module  54  with one time period  210 , wherein  208  is a time period for switching on the voltage, and the voltage is applied to the motor  41  by switching on and off the power supply  204  through a switch  202 . Because the rotational velocity of the motor  41  depends on the voltage level of the power supply  204  and the self load of the motor  41 , closed-loop velocity control of an electrode  41  is realized through detecting the voltage level of the power supply  204  and the signal feedback time for the optical sensor  52  to sense the position between the detection gear  425  and the through holes  400 . 
         [0047]    As a preferred embodiment, and as shown in  FIG. 12 , the control device controls the rotation direction of the motor  41  through the H bridge driving circuitry  55 . The switch  202  comprises a first switch  302 , a second switch  302 , a third switch  303  and a fourth switch  304 . When the first switch  301  and the third switch  303  are switched on, the voltage of the power supply  204  is applied to the motor  41  through the first switch  301  and the third switch  303 , to control the motor  41  to rotate in a specific direction (for example, clockwise or anticlockwise); while when the second switch  302  and the fourth switch  304  are switched on, the voltage of the power supply  204  is applied to the motor  41  through the second switch  302  and the fourth switch  304 , to control the motor  41  to rotate in an opposite direction (for example, anticlockwise or clockwise), thus realizing the control of the rotation direction of the motor  41 . 
         [0048]    The foregoing descriptions are merely preferred embodiments of the patent application, and the protection scope of the patent application are not limited by the foregoing embodiments. All technical solution under the concept of the patent application shall all fall within the protection scope of the patent application. It should be pointed out that, a plurality of improvements and polishing figured out by those having ordinary skill in the technical field under the premise of not departing from the principle of the patent application shall also be deemed as the protection scope of the patent application.