Abstract:
The invention concerns a timepiece component comprising a watch movement provided with a main barrel acting as power source for a timekeeping device of the watch movement and an auxiliary barrel designed to supply mechanical power to an additional device, and mechanical control means capable of being manually actuated to trigger said additional device, characterised in that said control means are arranged to simultaneously trigger the additional device and wind the auxiliary barrel.

Description:
This is a National Phase Application in the United States of International Patent Application No. PCT/EP01/03346 filed Mar. 21, 2001. The entire disclosure of the above patent application is hereby incorporated by reference. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention concerns a timepiece including a mechanism for triggering a time-related function and simultaneous winding of a barrel spring. More particularly, the invention concerns a timepiece of this type wherein the mechanism winds a barrel spring intended to activate a striking-work mechanism at the expiry of a predetermined time interval counted down by a timer mechanism connected to the timekeeping device of the timepiece. “Timer mechanism” means a device counting down a predetermined time interval. 
   There are already known in the prior art mechanical devices that ring on demand or automatically, for example to strike the hours in the case of watches provided with minute-repeater mechanisms, or to wake someone at a certain time in the case of alarm-watches. Conventionally, the energy necessary to activate the hammers of the striking work is provided from a striking work barrel via a gear train, the striking work barrel being distinct from the motor barrel, which provides the energy to the timekeeping module of the movement, and conventionally having its own winding device. 
   Two types of winding devices for the striking work barrel are generally found, depending upon whether it is for an alarm-watch or a watch with a minute-repeater mechanism. In alarm-watches, the striking work barrel is conventionally wound via its own winding or time-setting stem, the striking work being triggered at a given moment by a trigger device which then enables the barrel to provide its energy to the hammer until the striking work barrel is completely let down. One drawback of this type of arrangement lies in the fact that the user can select an alarm time and activate the alarm function without the barrel necessarily being wound, so that it is possible that the striking work is not triggered at the selected alarm time if the barrel is totally let down. In watches with minute-repeater mechanisms, the striking work barrel is conventionally wound by means of a slide-button which slides over the external surface of the watchcase and which is mechanically connected, through an oblong aperture, to a sliding block with a rack arm co-operating with the striking work barrel. The time indication is given by strikes activated by the mechanism immediately after having released the slide-button. One drawback of these slide-button mechanisms is that their construction is complex, cumbersome and generally does not ensure water-resistance without an additional device for sealing and locking the slide-button which complicates the handling thereof. Such a mechanism is for example disclosed in CH Patent No. 672 868. Another drawback of this type of mechanism lies in the fact that it does not enable energy to be stored in the striking work barrel in order to trigger the mechanism at any time. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is a main object of the present invention to overcome the drawbacks of the aforementioned prior art by providing a timepiece including a mechanism triggering a time function and simultaneous winding of a barrel spring, said mechanism having a simple and compact construction. 
   It is also an object of the invention to provide a timepiece of the type described hereinbefore, and in particular a wristwatch, wherein the control means for the mechanism can be integrated in the watchcase without affecting the water-resistance of the latter. 
   It is also an object of the invention to provide a timepiece of the type described hereinbefore wherein the control means include a control member of the conventional type. 
   It is also an object of the invention to provide a timepiece of the type described hereinbefore including a mechanism that simultaneously winds the striking work barrel and triggers an additional device, for example a timer mechanism, without disturbing the operation of the timepiece&#39;s timekeeping device. 
   The invention therefore concerns a timepiece including a watch movement provided with a main barrel acting as power source for a timekeeping device of the watch movement and an auxiliary barrel provided to supply mechanical energy to an additional device, and mechanical control means capable of being activated manually to trigger said additional device, characterised in that said control means are arranged for simultaneously triggering the additional device and winding the auxiliary barrel. 
   Owing to these features, the auxiliary barrel that supplies mechanical energy to the additional device is systematically wound when it is triggered so that the user no longer has to worry about the state of winding of the barrel. Utilisation of the timepiece is thus also simplified for the user. This construction is also advantageous from the point of view of compactness and cost, insofar as it allows two functions to be controlled using the same control means. 
   According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the additional device includes a striking work associated with a timer mechanism connected to the timekeeping device of the watch movement, the striking work being triggered at the end of a time interval counted down by the timer mechanism. 
   According to an advantageous feature of the invention, the control means include a push-button. The use of a conventional push-button to wind the auxiliary barrel easily resolves the problems of water-resistance encountered with control members for auxiliary barrels of the slide-contact type of the prior art. Moreover, since the push-buttons are easily available on the market, costs linked to development of a new control member are also eliminated. Owing to this feature, the manufacture of this timepiece in the form of a water-resistant wristwatch is also simplified. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     Other features and advantages of the present invention will appear in the following description of a preferred embodiment, given by way of non-limiting example with reference to the annexed drawings, in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a top view of a timepiece according to the invention; 
       FIGS. 2 and 3  are respectively detailed plan views of the controlled means, shown in two operating positions and seen from the opposite side to the dial, of a timepiece according to the invention; and 
       FIG. 4  shows a partial cross-section of the guide means for one component of the control means of a timepiece according to the invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     FIG. 1  is a top view of a timepiece  10  of the wristwatch type conventionally including a watch movement including the invention. This timepiece  10  includes an hour hand  30 , a minute hand  31  and a small second hand  32  respectively driven by a timekeeping device of the watch movement. The timekeeping device is conventionally supplied with energy by a main barrel. A large aperture date device  33  completes the readings provided by the timekeeping device. Watch  10  shown here further includes a second hand  34  and a minute counter  11  assuring a chronograph function. Hand  34  and counter  11  are started and stopped by means of a first push-button  35 , whereas a second push-button  36  resets said indicators  34  and  11  to zero. A crown  37 , depending upon the axial positions into which it is brought, winds a main barrel acting as energy source for the timekeeping device, sets the date and sets the time of the timekeeping device hands. 
   The timepiece according to the invention further includes an additional device that uses minute counter  11 , and which is supplied with energy at least in part by an auxiliary barrel BA ( FIG. 2 ) arranged in the watch movement. In the example illustrated, the additional device includes a striking work mechanism associated with a timer mechanism  100  that is kinematically connected to the timekeeping device of the watch movement, the striking work being triggered at the end of a pre-selected time interval, which is counted down by the timer mechanism. Auxiliary barrel BA thus supplies the mechanical energy necessary to activate the hammers of the striking work mechanism, which will not be described in more detail here, whereas the main barrel supplies the mechanical energy necessary to drive the timer. Pre-selection of the length of time to be counted down is set by rotating crown  37  which, via a gear train (not shown), acts on a hand  19  with three branches of different lengths and offset angularly at 120°. Only one of the branches is shown in  FIG. 1 . The three branches co-operate with a dial  13  in the shape of a circular sector including three concentric scales each of 10 minutes. 
   According to the invention, watch  10  includes mechanical control means MC including a push-button  38  located at around 9 o&#39;clock and which are arranged to simultaneously trigger the additional device and wind auxiliary barrel BA. For this purpose, control means MC further include a lever  40  pivoted at A on the plate of the movement (not shown) for controlling the triggering of the additional device and a winding bar  42 , which extends across the movement between push-button  38  and auxiliary barrel BA to wind the latter. Push-button  38  simultaneously acts on lever  40  and on winding bar  42  via an articulated lever  43  inserted between lever  40  respectively winding bar  42  and end  38   a  of the stem of push-button  38 . The travel of the push-button is designated by length L in  FIG. 2 . In the example illustrated, lever  43  has the shape of a strip substantially curved in the plane. Lever  43  is articulated at B on the movement plate by one of its ends in a known manner. Lever  43  further includes three pins  44 ,  45  and  46  distributed over its length and which extend perpendicularly to its surface. Two of these pins  44  and  45  act respectively as points of support for the transmission of the movement of lever  43  to lever  40  and to winding bar  42 . The third pin  46  acts as a point of support for a return spring  47  that tends to cause lever  43  to pivot in the direction of arrow F. In the example illustrated, pin  45 , which acts on winding bar  42 , also forms a point of support for the end  38   a  of the stem of push-button  38 . 
   It goes without saying that, by way of variant, one could envisage omitting articulated lever  43  and associating a part (not shown) including two fingers cooperating respectively with lever  40  and winding bar  42 , with the stem of push-button  38 . 
   Winding bar  42  has, at its distal end, a rack  42   a  which meshes with a pinion  48 , connected to the shaft of auxiliary barrel BA, whereas its proximal end co-operates with articulated lever  43 . Winding bar  42  extends along a direction parallel to the movement of push-button  38  and is preferably aligned along the longitudinal direction thereof. In order to assure a movement of translation of bar  42  in the direction of arrow H when push-button  38  is actuated, bar  42  is associated with translation guide means  50 . One detail of these guide means  50  is shown in  FIG. 4 . These guide means  50  include in the illustrated example two oblong holes  51  arranged respectively at the opposite ends of bar  42  and each associated with a stud  52  secured to plate P of the movement. Preferably, and in order to ensure precise guiding of the bar with a minimum of friction, studs  52  are formed of a stone or jewel with a large hole  53 , for example a ruby, held flat on the plate by a screw  54 . A movement of translation of winding bar  42  via the action of push-button  38  via lever  43  drives pinion  48  in the direction of arrow I which winds the spring of auxiliary barrel BA. In the example described, once the action on push-button  38  has been released, bar  42  remains in place in an end of travel position in which the spring of auxiliary barrel BA is completely wound ( FIG. 3 ). 
   It will be noted in this regard, that a travel L of the order of 1 mm by bar  42  causes a rotation by pinion  48  of the order of 180° and that this rotation provides sufficient winding to power the additional device, a striking work mechanism in the example described. 
   This wound position is maintained until the striking work is triggered, at which point the spring of auxiliary barrel BA is released to actuate the striking work, thereby driving pinion  48  meshed with the rack in the direction of arrow G and thus returning bar  42  to its rest position in which the spring of barrel BA is completely let down ( FIG. 2 ). The return of bar  42  to the rest position is assisted by a return spring  55 , which acts in the direction of arrow K on a pin  49  driven into bar  42 . 
   Control lever  40  of the additional device includes a body  56  from which extend four arms  57 ,  58 ,  59  and  60 . Lever  40  is articulated in a conventional manner at the end of a first arm  57  on the plate of the movement. The free end of a second arm  58  extends facing pin  44  of lever  43 . A third arm  59  co-operates with a column wheel  61  controlled by a device (not shown) connected to push-buttons  35  and  37  ( FIG. 1 ). A fourth arm  60  co-operates via its free end with a jumper spring  62 , which indexes two pre-defined positions of lever  40 . In order to achieve such indexing, the free end of fourth arm  60  includes two notches  63  and  64  in which the end of jumper spring  62  engages. 
   It will be noted in this regard that the tension of jumper spring  63  and its position with respect to notches  63  and  64  are adjustable by means of a screw  65  and a cam  66  respectively co-operating with two oblong holes  67  and  68  arranged in one end of spring  62 . Arm  60  further carries a reversing wheel  69  permanently meshing with a chronograph wheel  70  which is carried by a lever of chronograph  77  pivoted at C ( FIG. 2 ) and which in turn meshes with a wheel  71  whose shaft carries small second hand  32 . Depending upon the position of lever  40 , the reversing wheel is engaged or released from a wheel  72 , which drives the chronograph second hand anticlockwise. 
   It will be noted that the free ends of arms  58  and  60  each include an oblong hole  73 ,  74  associated with a stud  75 ,  76  in order to ensure precise guiding of lever  40  and to hold it against the plate. 
   It will also be noted that in the particular example, column wheel  61  is arranged to lock lever  40  in a position in which reversing wheel  69  is released from wheel  72  when the chronograph function is triggered and to lock chronograph lever  77  in a position in which wheel  70  is released from wheel  72  when the timer function is triggered. Finally, lever  40  co-operates with an cam shaped stop, which allows adjustment of the depth of penetration of the teeth of reverser wheel  69  in the toothing of chronograph second wheel  72 .