Abstract:
The invention relates to a timepiece including a timepiece movement provided with an information display mechanism driven from a power take-off, said display mechanism including N display members for said information regularly distributed over a perimeter of the movement, characterized in that the N display members are each pivoted on a drive arbour perpendicularly and can take different first and second radial positions in relation to the centre of the movement, the display members being driven in succession over time by common first annular jumping drive means so that each display member changes in succession from the first position to the second position and is held in said second position until the end of a cycle in which all of the display members are in their second position and in that second annular drive means are arranged to reposition all of the display members in their first position at the start of the following cycle.

Description:
[0001]    This application claims priority from European Patent application No. 13165393.3 filed Apr. 25, 2013, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference. 
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to the field of horology, and more specifically concerns a time display device for a mechanical or electromechanical timepiece, and a mechanism for making this device. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    In mechanical horology, the time is generally indicated by means of hour and minute hands which move opposite a graduation. 
         [0004]    There are state of the art mechanical watches including display devices, particularly for the time, having original features distinguishing them from traditional analogue displays, which mostly include coaxial hour and minute hands at the centre of the movement. 
         [0005]    There are known, for example, mechanical timepieces which propose rotatably mounted studs offering different display faces. For example, WO Patent No 20080144948 proposes an embodiment simulating the movement of a display hand. To achieve this, studs are arranged in the normal manner of timepiece display indicators. The stud corresponding to a piece of information to be displayed has a specific surface, whereas the other studs have a uniform surface. For example, the stud signifying the information has a face of a particular colour, whereas the other studs have a different colour. At the next hour change, the specific stud active during the preceding hour is actuated to exhibit the same colour as the other studs. Simultaneously, the stud active in the new hour is also actuated to exhibit a specific colour. Thus, in this embodiment, the studs are actuated at least twice per period, and the result obtained is identical to that of the motion of a hand. 
         [0006]    It is an object of the present invention to propose another original display device for indicating, in particular, the hours and/or minutes. 
         [0007]    The invention therefore concerns a timepiece including a timepiece movement provided with an information display mechanism driven from a power take-off, said display mechanism including N display members for said information regularly distributed over a perimeter of the movement, characterized in that the N display members are each pivoted on a drive arbour perpendicularly and can take different first and second radial positions in relation to the centre of the movement, the display members being driven in succession over time by common first annular jumping drive means so that each display member changes in succession from the first position to the second position and is held in said second position until the end of a cycle in which all of the display members are in their second position and in that second annular drive means are arranged to reposition all of the display members in their first position at the start of the following cycle. 
         [0008]    According to an embodiment, the indicator member takes the form of a hand, the two radial positions of the display members being separated from each other by an angle of 40° in relation to the drive axis, and the successive driving of the display members is accomplished by means of a pin secured to the first annular drive means, the pin being arranged to push a cam integral with the display member, said cam being associated with a jumper spring to define the first and second positions in a stable manner. Preferably, the display member displays time information and the timepiece includes 59 display members each defining a different minute. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]    The features of the invention will appear more clearly upon reading the description of a preferred embodiment, given solely by way of non-limiting example with reference to the annexed Figures, in which: 
           [0010]      FIG. 1  is a top perspective view of a timepiece according to the invention. 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  shows a front view of a timepiece according to the invention. 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  shows a perspective view of a detail of the barrel winding mechanism of the timepiece movement according to the invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 4A  is a partial illustration, from the back cover side, of the device for driving the minute display member of the timepiece according to the invention. 
           [0014]      FIGS. 4B and 4C  illustrate details, viewed from the dial side, of the drive device for the minute display members of the timepiece according to the invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  is a perspective cross-section, on the back cover side, of the timepiece movement according to the invention. 
           [0016]      FIGS. 6 and 6A  respectively show perspective views of the drive mechanism for the minute display members and a detail thereof viewed from the back cover side of the timepiece of the invention. 
           [0017]      FIGS. 7A and 7B  show perspective views of the mechanism for repositioning the minute display members viewed from the back cover side of the timepiece of the invention. 
           [0018]      FIGS. 8 and 8A  respectively show perspective views of the drive mechanism for the hour display members and a detail thereof, viewed from the back cover side of the timepiece of the invention. 
           [0019]      FIG. 8B  shows a perspective view of the drive mechanism for the hour display members, seen from the dial side of the timepiece of the invention. 
           [0020]      FIG. 9  shows a perspective cross-section of the display mechanism for the 12th hour, viewed from the dial side of the timepiece of the invention. 
           [0021]      FIG. 10  shows a perspective view of the mechanism for correcting the hour display members, viewed from the dial side of the timepiece of the invention. 
           [0022]      FIG. 10A  shows a perspective view of a detail of the mechanism for correcting the hour display members, viewed from the back cover side of the timepiece of the invention. 
           [0023]      FIG. 10B  shows a perspective view of the mechanism for correcting the minute display members, seen from the back cover side of the timepiece of the invention. 
           [0024]      FIG. 11  shows an exploded perspective view of the main plate and the various bars viewed from the back cover side of the timepiece movement of the timepiece of the invention. 
           [0025]      FIGS. 12 and 13  respectively show front views of the timepiece movement of the timepiece of the invention, from the dial side (dial omitted) and from the back cover side. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0026]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , there is shown a wristwatch  1  provided with an hour-circle formed of a case  2 , formed in a conventional manner, of a middle part and a back cover, containing a dial  3 , a time display device  4  according to the invention, a movement MVT, a crystal  5  and a crown  7 . 
         [0027]    Time display device  4  includes eleven hour hands  8  rotating on themselves through 180° opposite an hour-circle, with the exception of the 12 o&#39;clock hand. The eleven hour hands are triangular and extend in the plane of the dial. They are pivoted on drive arbours extending perpendicularly to dial  3 . The time is indicated by the orientation of the apex of the triangle in an external radial direction. Only one hand  8  of the eleven hands can occupy this position at a given moment. 
         [0028]    The arbour of the 12 o&#39;clock hand carries a disc on which there is hinged a connecting rod whose other end is connected to a hatch sliding in translation in a fixed guide structure. The hatch has a circular aperture. The disc, like the hands, can occupy two fixed positions determined by the hand drive system. The hatch device is actuated at midday and at midnight for a period of one hour and reveals an indication, for example a logo, in the hatch aperture. 
         [0029]    The minute display is achieved by means of fifty-nine hands  10  which are mounted on arbours perpendicular to dial  3 . These hands  10  rotate over an angle of 40°. The two end positions of these hands  10  correspond to a display position visible to the user of the watch and to a retracted position in which hands  10  are concealed by dial  3 . The last minute is indicated by simultaneously resetting the fifty-nine hands  10 . The minute reading corresponds to the number of minute hands  10  oriented in a determined radial position. 
         [0030]    The hour and minute display are driven by means of two jumping devices, and the minute display is provided with a retrograde drive system. 
         [0031]    Dial  3  is partially transparent and includes a peripheral annular area  3 A and a central area  3 B which are opaque and delimit between them a transparent annular area  3 C. The opaque central area  3 B is in relief in the illustrated example and takes the form of a faceted crown. Dial  3  has a central aperture  3 D where a transparent portion cooperates with the hatch and reveals the top of the movement. At midday and at midnight the hatch aperture is superposed on the dial aperture to reveal the logo. Preferably, the dial is treated with an anti-reflective coating. In the visible display position, minute hands  10  appear in the transparent annular area  3 C of dial  3 . 
         [0032]    With reference to the Figures, the movement and drive mechanism of these various display devices carried by plate P of the movement will be described. 
         [0033]    In particular,  FIG. 3  shows that the movement includes two barrels  100 ,  101  mounted between plate P and a barrel bar  207  ( FIG. 11 ). A first barrel  100  is dedicated in a conventional manner to driving the gear train and the regulating member (sprung balance) mounted in a conventional manner between plate P and a balance cock  208  ( FIG. 11 ). The second barrel  101  is used for driving the display devices. The two barrels  100 ,  101  are independently wound by winding stem  102  in its neutral wearing position. The second barrel  101  is wound in the clockwise winding direction, and the first barrel  100  is wound counterclockwise. To achieve this, winding stem  102  is associated with a sliding intermediate wheel  103  including a pinion  104  which meshes with one or other of ratchet wheels  100 A,  101 A of barrels  100 ,  101  in the direction of rotation of stem  102 . The winding of first barrel  100  is achieved via a direction reversing pinion  105 . 
         [0034]      FIG. 4A  shows second barrel  101  which, via a train including two wheel sets  106 ,  107  and a pinion  108 , drives the minute control ring  109  in the direction of arrow F 1  at the rate of one revolution per hour via inner toothing  109 A. Control ring  109  includes a radially extending drive finger  110  at its external periphery. Control ring  109  is guided in rotation between a minute bar  111  and the main plate via intermediate bars (one  202  of which is shown in  FIG. 5 ) by means of preferably ruby guide rollers  112 . This control ring  109  is held up by a bar of minute ring  204  ( FIG. 11 ). Drive finger  110  includes a contact pin  110 A intended to come into contact with a cam  113  connected to arbours  114  carrying the minute indicators to drive them successively in rotation through a 40° angle. 
         [0035]    These arbours  114 , which traverse plate P, are pivoted in pairs of ruby bearings respectively driven into orifices  200 ,  201  of a minute bar  111  and of a display bar  203  arranged on either side of plate P. 
         [0036]    Viewed from above, cam  113  has the general shape of a bicorn including two beaks  113 A and  113 B connected by two shaped surfaces  113 C and  113 D. Contact pin  110 A enters into contact with beak  113 A during its rotation to rotate arbours  114  through a 40° angle. The amplitude of rotation is set by beak  113 B which abuts against a flank  115 A of an abutment ring  115  including a plurality of stop members defined by the radial flanks of an external slotted toothing having 59 teeth ( FIGS. 4B ,  4 C), one of teeth  115 B extending over an angular sector corresponding to two successive teeth. This abutment ring  115  is arranged concentrically to and in a lower plane than control ring  109 . This abutment ring  115  has an additional function to the locking function which will be described below. Cam  113  is held in position in the various positions corresponding to those of the minute hands (visible or concealed) by a plurality of springs  116 A carried by a jumper spring  116 , springs  116 A extending from the inner periphery of jumper spring  116  at an angle. There are 59 of these springs, each associated with an assembly comprising cam  113  and minute hand arbour  114 . 
         [0037]    Minute control ring  109  is rotated forward by means of a regulating device allowing the indexed forward motion of control ring  109  in 6° jumps which will be described with reference to  FIG. 6 . The regulating device is driven by first barrel  100 , connected to the gear train and to the regulating member, whose drum  100 A is meshed via toothing  100 B with a pinion  117  integral with the cannon-pinion (not shown), which carries a sixty wheel  118  making one complete rotation in 60 minutes. Sixty wheel  118  meshes via an intermediate wheel  119  with a control assembly  120  for a lever assembly  121  for stopping/releasing the rotation of control ring  109 . Lever assembly  121  is formed of a lever body of generally longitudinal shape. Lever assembly  121  is pivoted between main plate P and a bar (not shown). The body of lever assembly  121  includes at each end thereof a lifting piece  121 B cooperating respectively with two superposed inner toothings  109 B and  109 C arranged above toothing  109 A. Lever assembly  121  further includes, in an end portion close to one of lifting pieces  121 B, an arbour  122  carrying an annular jewel  123  ( FIG. 6A ). Annular jewel  123  cooperates with a cam path  124 A of a wheel  124  driven by intermediate wheel  119  via a pinion  125  coaxial to wheel  124 . In the illustrated example, wheel  124  has a shaped annular hollow  126  defining cam path  124 A. The shape of cam path  124 A is configured to impart an oscillating motion to lever assembly  121  to alternately stop and release the rotating motion of control ring  109 , via the contact between lifting pieces  121 B and toothings  109 B and  109 C of control ring  109 . 
         [0038]    Once the 59 minutes have passed and the 59 minute hands  10  have each passed into their display position via control ring  109 , they must be all repositioned in their rest position in which they are concealed from the user before starting a new time cycle. To achieve this, the movement of the invention has a mechanism  127  for repositioning minute hands  10  illustrated in  FIGS. 7A ,  7 B. This repositioning mechanism  127  acts simultaneously on all of cams  113  via abutment ring  115 . Repositioning mechanism  127  includes a control and return lever  128  pivoted at A between two bars (not shown). Lever  128  has, at a first end, two arms  128 A,  128 B in the manner of a fork, and at a second opposite end a return spring  128 C bent into a U-shape, this latter being in one piece with the body of lever  128 . The end of arm  128 A is engaged in a corresponding notch  115 C arranged at the inner periphery of abutment ring  115 , whereas the end of arm  128 B extends between abutment ring  115  and drive ring  109 . The latter carries a pin  129  positioned to come into contact once per hour with the end of arm  128 B and thus to drive lever  128  in rotation in the direction of arrow F ( FIG. 7A ) which in turn drives abutment ring  115  via the end of arm  128 A. The rotation of abutment ring  115  drives in rotation, via flanks  115 A, all of beaks  113 B and simultaneously tips them into their rest position in which the hands associated therewith are concealed from the user. More specifically in  FIG. 7A , repositioning mechanism  127  is shown after all of the hands have been returned to their concealed position. Pin  129  has just released arm  128 B and lever  128  has been returned to its rest position by means of spring  128 C. In  FIG. 7B , mechanism  127  is shown in a state 3 minutes after the hour. Pin  110 A has tipped the first three cams  113   1 ,  113   2 ,  113   3  to bring the corresponding hands into their display position. 
         [0039]    Referring to  FIGS. 8 ,  8 A and  8 B, the driving of the time indicator members will now be described. A barrel  101  drives a pinion  130  on the arbour of which there is mounted a snail-shaped cam  131 , on which the beak of a first arm  132 A of a drive lever  132  pivoting at B slides. This drive lever  132  pivots in a pair of ruby bearings respectively driven into a lever bar  205  and a display bar  206  ( FIG. 11 ). Drive lever  132  includes a second arm  132 B forming an angle (of around 90° in the illustrated example) with first arm  132 A. This second arm  132 B is extended by a toothed circular sector  132 C centred on pivot pin B. The radial end of second arm  132 B carries a stop member  133  provided with a jewel  133 A cooperating with a spring  134  returning drive lever  132  in the direction of arrow C ( FIG. 8 ) to maintain a permanent contact between the beak of arm  132 A and cam  131 . Spring  134  is secured via one end to a bar of the movement. Drive lever  132  also includes a stop member  132 D which extends substantially in the radial extension of second arm  132 B. Toothed sector  132 C meshes with a pinion  135  secured to an arbour  136  mounted to rotate freely in an assembly comprising, secured to each other, a roller  137 , a cam  138  and a second drive pinion  139  for the hour control ring  140 . Roller  137  also carries a pivotally mounted beak  141  held in contact with cam  138  by a spring  142 . This control device allows hour control ring  140  to move forward in jumps, from the continuous rotation of cam  131 . Hour control ring  140  includes on the external periphery thereof two toothed sectors  140 A,  140 B angularly spaced by 30° and each including two teeth in the illustrated example. The toothed sectors mesh in turn with two star wheels  143  having 6 teeth regularly distributed at the periphery of hour control ring  140 . Each star wheel  143  is secured to an arbour  143 A carrying hour hands  8 , with the exception of arbour  143 B, which is shorter than arbours  143 A and arranged at 12 o&#39;clock and whose display function will be described below. Arbours  143 A and arbour  143 B are pivoted between pairs of ruby bearings driven respectively into plate P and an hour ring bar  210 . 
         [0040]      FIG. 8B  also shows that drive ring  140  is secured on one face thereof to a non-return ring  144  which is concentric thereto and whose function, via a locking jumper spring  145  secured to plate P, is to lock in rotation drive ring  140  in the direction of arrow S 4  after each of the forward jumps of drive ring  140 . Jumper spring  145  includes a first locking arm  145 A cooperating with non-return ring  144  and a second arm  145 B whose function will be explained below with reference to  FIG. 10 . Non-return  144  includes at the inner periphery thereof twelve toothed sectors  144 A wherein each tooth has the shape of a wolf-tooth and a flank  144 B which cooperates in abutment with the beak of jumper spring  145 . 
         [0041]    It goes without saying that, in variant embodiments, the number of teeth of each toothed sector  140 A,  140 B may be different from two and that star wheels  143  may include a number of teeth different from six depending on the desired angle of rotation of the indicators secured to star wheels  143 . Likewise, in another variant, it is possible to provide only one toothed sector  140 A on control ring  140 . In that case, however, a device for repositioning the display members secured to the star wheels of the type described above will have to be provided. 
         [0042]    When snail  131 , driven by barrel  101 , makes its continuous rotation in the direction of arrow S 1 , arm  132   a  passes over snail profile  131 , causing drive lever  132  to pivot about its pin B in the direction of arrow S 2  against the return force of spring  134 , until the beak of arm  132 A attains the maximum diameter of snail  131 , at which moment arm  132 A drops along the radial flank of snail  131  to come into contact with the minimum diameter of snail  131 . At the same time, drive lever  132  is returned in the direction of arrow C, driving arbour  126  via pinion  135 . When one of the two flanks  138 A,  138 B ( FIG. 8A ) enters into contact with the assembly comprising roller  137 , cam  138  and pinion  139  via beak  141 , this assembly is then driven in rotation and pinion  139  drives hour control ring  140  in the direction of arrow S 3 , so that the two toothed sectors  140 A,  140 B drives two successive star wheels  143 . 
         [0043]    The 12 o&#39;clock display will be more specifically described now with reference to  FIG. 9 . Arbour  143 B of the 12th hour carries a disc  146  on which there is hinged a connecting rod  147 , the other end of which is connected to a hatch  148  sliding in translation in a fixed guide structure  149 , preferably provided with a linear ball bearing. Guide structure  149  is mounted on a top hour bar  209  which is fixed to the hour ring bar  210  ( FIG. 11 ). Hatch  148  has a circular aperture  148 A. Disc  146  and hands  8  can occupy two fixed positions determined by drive ring  140 . In a first position, the aperture of hatch  148  is juxtaposed with a corresponding aperture  3 D of dial  3  and reveals an indication M carried by the movement. In a second position, hatch  147  closes aperture  3 D. This hatch device  148  is actuated at midday and at midnight, for a period of one hour, and reveals an indication, for example a logo, through the aperture of hatch  148 , the aperture of hatch  148  showing the 12 o&#39;clock indication. 
         [0044]    Hour and minute correction device  150  will be described with reference to  FIGS. 10 ,  10 A and  10 B. In addition to its neutral wearing position, winding stem  102  can occupy a pulled-out position in which it allows correction of the hours and minutes. 
         [0045]    The hours are corrected by rotating winding stem  102  in the clockwise direction (arrow SH) in the pulled-out position of the stem. Once pulled-out, winding stem  102  actuates lever  151  to position sliding pinion  152  in mesh with wheel set  153  including a wheel  153 A and a pinion  153 B. Pinion  153 B then rotates in the anti-clockwise direction viewed from the dial. Pinion  153 B meshes with a gear train including wheels  154 ,  155 ,  156 . This gear train is pivoted on pins arranged on plate P and is held up by an hour drive bar  211  ( FIG. 11 ). Wheel  156  carries on one face thereof a wheel  157  including three toothed sectors  157 A each including three teeth in this example. Wheel  157  is temporarily in mesh with a first toothed sector  158  including, in this example, three teeth of an annular wheel  159  pivoted on a circular wall  160  of plate P. Wheel  159  includes, at an angular distance from first toothed sector  158 , a second toothed sector  161  in permanent mesh with a toothed sector  162  integral with a return rack  163  pivoted between plate P and a corrector bar  212  ( FIG. 11 ). Return rack  163  includes a lug carrying a pin  164  extending perpendicularly to the plane of return rack  163  and cooperating with arm  145 B of return spring  145 . Annular wheel  159  further includes a lug  159 A extending radially from the periphery of wheel  159 . Toothed sectors  158 ,  162  and lug  159 A are separated by an angle of substantially 120°. Lug  159 A ends in a beak  165  extending in a tangential direction to wheel  159 . An actuating finger  166  is pivotally mounted at C in the end portion of lug  159 A. This finger  166  includes an end portion  166 A held in contact with the inner periphery of ring  144  via a spring  167  in abutment against a bar of the plate (not shown). Finger  166  further includes an abutment pin  168  cooperating with beak  165  of lug  159 A to limit the angular travel of the finger in relation to lug  159 A with reference to  FIG. 10A . 
         [0046]    When the stem rotates in the clockwise direction, wheel  159  is thus, in a first phase, temporarily driven in rotation over an angular distance in the anticlockwise direction (viewed from the dial) by gear train  153 ,  154 ,  155 ,  156 ,  157 . During this first phase, the end portion  166 A of finger  166  is placed in contact with the next plane  144 B in the anticlockwise direction. At this stage, toothed sector  158  is unmeshed from the various toothed sectors  157 A. In a second phase, return rack  163 , moved by the return force of spring  145 B, drives wheel  159  in rotation in the clockwise direction (viewed from the dial) and allows ring  144  to be driven in rotation in the clockwise direction via finger  166  which was brought into contact with flank  144   b  in the first phase. The rotation of flank  144  causes the hour display to be driven in correction via toothed sectors  140 A,  140 B and star wheels  143 . 
         [0047]    The minutes are corrected by rotating stem  102  in the anticlockwise direction (arrow SAH) in the pulled-out position of the stem. Pinion  153 B then rotates in the clockwise direction viewed from the dial and drives wheel  170  integral with a pinion  171  in the anticlockwise direction (viewed from the dial). The assembly comprising wheel  170  and pinion  171  is carried by a sliding gear structure  172 , whose centre of rotation merges with the axis of pinion  153 B. During the anticlockwise rotation of stem  102 , sliding gear structure  172  is angularly moved to bring pinion  171  into mesh with a wheel  173  integral with sixty wheel  118 , which drives the minute display mechanism with reference to  FIG. 10B . 
         [0048]    Referring now to  FIG. 11 , plate P and the various bars of the movement MVT acting as support for the mechanisms described above are shown in an exploded perspective view. 
         [0049]      FIGS. 12 and 13  respectively show a front view of the timepiece movement of the timepiece of the invention, from the dial side, with the dial omitted, and from the back cover side. 
         [0050]    In a variant embodiment of the invention, the number of hands  10  may be different from 59 and gradually display any type of time or other information/animation, for example each hand could carry a letter or a portion of a message which appears over time or could display the time, the month, the day of the week and/or the date.