Abstract:
A timepiece is equipped with a novel type of entertainment, that is a mechanical card game. The timepiece includes: a dial ( 10 ) provided with a plurality of windows ( 12 ); systems ( 14 ) for opening and closing at least some of the windows ( 12 ), actuated by control bodies; a plurality of display disks ( 16 ) carrying representations of cards to be played, to be visible via the windows ( 12 ), the disks being pivoted on axes that are perpendicular to the plane of the dial ( 10 ); and a system ( 18 ) for rotating the disks and stopping them at random.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to the field of mechanical horology. It more particularly relates to a timepiece with a complication offering entertainment to a user. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    A priori, the primary function of timepieces is to provide time-related information. Traditional horology mechanisms have been used to offer more recreational mechanical systems, such as machines or music boxes. 
         [0003]    Furthermore, certain watches of the state of the art include, in addition to the typical mechanisms making it possible to display time information, complications allowing a user to have a game on his watch. One remarkable embodiment, known under the name Vintage 1945 Jackpot Tourbillon, is, in addition to a higher horology timepiece, a masterpiece in miniaturization, including a slot machine game. The mechanism is activated by pulling a lever on the right side of the case. A rack then rises along the movement to actuate three rollers, each of which bears five symbols: spade, heart, diamond, horseshoe and bell. When the rack is lowered again, it activates the stoppers that stop the rollers one by one and simultaneously sounds a striking-work. Of the 125 possible combinations, only the three aligned bells represent the jackpot. 
         [0004]    The present invention aims to propose a new entertaining timepiece. 
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    More specifically, the invention relates to a timepiece equipped with a set of mechanical cards. To produce such a game, the timepiece comprises:
       a dial provided with a plurality of apertures,   systems for opening and closing at least some of said apertures actuated by control organs,   a plurality of display discs bearing depictions of playing cards, to be visible through said apertures, the discs being pivoted on axes perpendicular to the plane of the dial, and   a system for rotating and randomly stopping the discs.       
 
         [0010]    In one particular embodiment of the invention, the illustrated card game is a blackjack game. The dial is pierced with three apertures for the bank, distributed in a first area of the dial, and four apertures for the player, distributed in another area of the dial. For the bank and the player, two of the apertures are closed upon dealing the cards and may be opened on command, by respectively actuating first and second command push-pieces. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    Other details of the invention will appear more clearly upon reading the following description, done in reference to the appended drawing, in which: 
           [0012]      FIGS. 1 and 2  are illustrations of the mechanism according to a first embodiment of the invention, 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  shows an enlarged view of part of the mechanism, 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  shows the bottom side of the mechanism according to the invention, 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  shows a timepiece according to a first embodiment of the invention, 
           [0016]      FIGS. 6   a ,  6   b  and  7  show alternatives of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0017]    The timepiece according to the invention is equipped with a mechanical card game. As will be understood hereafter, this card game is independent of the time base and the clockwork movement to which it may be attached. This movement may provide time information and display it using hands or other conventional organs and will not be described in this description. Advantageously but non-limitingly, the card game mechanism according to the invention is arranged in a modular manner on the basic movement. In such a configuration, the different elements of the mechanism are mounted on the housing of the module. 
         [0018]    To allow only the cards dealt during the game to be visible, the timepiece according to the invention comprises a dial  11  provided with a plurality of apertures  12 . The following description relates to one particular embodiment illustrated in the drawing, in which the card game produced is a blackjack game. In this game, after the cards have been dealt, the player and the bank choose to expose cards (i.e., in a real game, to turn them over) to reach  21  points by adding the value of each visible card. To reproduce this particularly of the game, the apertures  12  may be closed or left open, using opening and closing systems  14  actuated by control organs. In the blackjack game, only some of the apertures  12  are provided with an opening and closing system  14 , others being left permanently open. 
         [0019]    The depictions of the cards are arranged on a plurality of display discs  16 . The discs are positioned matching the apertures  12 , such that the depictions of one disc are visible through one of the apertures  12 , when that aperture is open. The discs are pivoted on axes perpendicular to the plane of the dial  10 . 
         [0020]    The timepiece according to the invention further includes a system  18  for rotating and randomly stopping the discs, allowing the display discs  16  to stop in random positions. One thus obtains random card distributions, which makes it possible to renew the draws. 
         [0021]    According to the illustrated embodiment, the system  18  for rotating and randomly stopping the discs comprises a spring organ, advantageously but non-limitingly assuming the form of a balance-spring  20 , mounted in a drum  22 , pivoting around an arbor  24 , like a barrel. The balance-spring  20  is thus fixed, at a first end, on the arbor  24  around which the transmission plate  32  pivots, and, at a second end, on the drum  22 . This spring organ may be wound by a winding click  26 , provided with a beak  27  capable of cooperating with a blom stud  29  protruding on the drum  22 . The barrel includes two clicks  31 , shown in  FIG. 4 , acting on the arbor  24  so as to adjust the pre-winding of the spring  20 . However, the barrel is not provided for long-term storage by the spring of energy beyond the pre-winding energy. Thus, when the spring  20  is wound, it lets down once the winding click  26  no longer holds the drum and supplies all of the energy stored during winding. 
         [0022]    The winding click  26  is preferably actuated manually. It is pivotably mounted on a lever  28 , actuated by a winding push-piece  30 . When a user actuates that push-piece, he winds the spring organ by driving the drum in one direction. 
         [0023]    After having performed a determined travel, the beak  27  unclicks and the winding click  26  leaves the spring  20 . The energy supplied by the pressure from the push-piece is released abruptly by returning the drum in the other direction. An idle position is advantageously defined by a banking. 
         [0024]    The timepiece further comprises a transmission plate  32  secured to the drum to receive the energy transmitted by the spring organ when the latter is released. Other methods of fixing the spring may be considered, by fixing the second end on a pin secured to the transmission plate, or by fixing the spring directly on the transmission plate. 
         [0025]    The transmission plate  32  comprises a series of toothed sectors  34  interrupted by non-toothed sectors  36 . The toothed sectors  34  and the non-toothed sectors  36  are positioned so as respectively to be engaged or not engaged with wheels  38  secured and coaxial to the display discs  16 , in a synchronized manner. Thus, the transmission plate  32  is kinematically connected with the display discs  16  sequentially. More concretely, the toothed sectors  34  of the transmission plate  32  each attack a wheel  38 , in a synchronized manner. Likewise, the toothed sectors  34  leave contact with those wheels  38  in a synchronized manner. The gear ratios between the wheels and the toothed sectors  34  are optimized to yield a speed of rotation adapted to the discs, favoring the renewal of the draws. When the drum is in the idle position, the non-toothed sectors  36  are across from the wheels  38 , leaving the rotation of the wheels  38  and the display discs  16  free. 
         [0026]    Thus, when the spring organ is wound, the toothed sectors engage with the wheels  38  and slowly drive them in a first direction. Then, when the spring organ is released after being wound, the toothed sectors engage with the wheels  38  and rotate the discs in the other direction, with all of the force transmitted by the spring organ. When the drum is returned to its idle position, the display discs  16  can rotate freely, under the effect of their inertia, aside from the friction of a jumper  40  arranged to stop the discs. Aside from the friction it generates, the jumper  40  also defines the stopped position of the discs  16 , such that the depictions of cards are well positioned across from the aperture  12 . Depending on the number of depictions of cards appearing on the disc, the jumper  40  acts on a star  41  secured to the disc or directly on the wheel  38 . 
         [0027]    In the example of blackjack, three display discs  16  each including  6  card depictions, visible behind three apertures  12  grouped together in an area of the dial  10 , define the bank&#39;s hands. Four display discs  16  each including  8  depictions of cards, visible behind four apertures  12  distributed in another area of the dial  10 , define the player&#39;s hands. The different springs of the jumpers  40  having different behaviors, the discs are braked differently, which makes it possible to vary the combinations, the total number of possible alternatives of which is 884,736, which guarantees that the game remains interesting. In practice, the bank may have 216 hand combinations and the player may have 4,096. 
         [0028]    We will now describe the systems  14  for opening and closing the apertures  12 . 
         [0029]    The systems each include a covering flap  42  pivotably mounted below the dial  10  and capable of moving between a first position in which it closes the aperture  12  and a second position in which it leaves the aperture  12  open. Each covering flap  42  is mounted secured to a pinion  44 , with which a positioning device meshes. 
         [0030]    In the proposed example, the positioning device comprises a lever  45  provided with a rack  46  engaged with the pinion  44  mounted secured to a covering flap  42  and a feeler-spindle  48  kept bearing against a cam  50 , the positions of which are indexed using a jumper (not shown). 
         [0031]    To go from one indexed position to another, the cam  50  is mounted coaxially with a driving star  52 , with which the control organ cooperates. Advantageously, the control organ is a push-piece arranged to actuate a lever  54  whereof the end can cooperate with the driving star  52  to pivot it. 
         [0032]    After the cards are dealt, both the bank and the player have two apertures  12  that are closed, the other apertures  12  remaining open. Thus, the cam  50  is arranged so as to perform the following chronological actions, from an initial position in which the two apertures  12  that may be closed are covered:
       a first actuation of the control organ drives the pivoting of the first covering flap  42  and the opening of a first aperture  12 ,   a second actuation of the control organ drives the pivoting of the second covering flap  42  and the opening of a second aperture  12 , and   a third actuation of the control organ drives the pivoting of the first and second covering flaps  42  and the closing of the first and second apertures  12 .       
 
         [0036]    It is possible to provide an automatic closing system by which, in case of pressure on the winding push-piece, a positioning hammer actuates a heart-piece situated on the cam and automatically drives the closing of the flaps while positioning the cam. 
         [0037]    Thus proposed is a blackjack mechanism in which pressing on a winding push-piece  30  makes it possible to “deal” a new hand, for a new game. The bank and the player then have one and two cards visible, respectively. Using two other push-pieces acting as control organs of the systems  14  for opening and closing the flaps, the player can expose his cards by actuating one push-piece and the bank&#39;s cards by actuating the other push-piece, based on the progression of the game. 
         [0038]    Based on the mechanism described above, it is possible to consider developing other card games involving successive deals and turning over of cards. 
         [0039]    For example, it is also possible to produce a baccarat game, as proposed in  FIGS. 6   a  and  6   b . The player and the bank each have cards distributed on three discs, each disc being partially visible through an aperture  12  covered by an opening and closing system  14 , comprising a moving flap. The discs of the flaps are actuated in the same way as described above relative to the blackjack game. It may be noted that in the blackjack and baccarat alternatives, the apertures are positioned concentrically to the movement. 
         [0040]    In the progression of the baccarat game, after having shuffled the cards using a system  18  for rotating and randomly stopping the discs, similar to that described above, the moving flaps of two cards belonging to the player and the bank are opened, respectively using a first control organ associated with the player&#39;s three apertures and a second control organ associated with the bank&#39;s three apertures. Based on the cards exposed and the standard rules of the game, the third card of the player and the bank may or may not be exposed. The values of the cards are added according to the rules to determine the winner. 
         [0041]    In an additional alternative proposed in  FIG. 7 , a poker game can be produced, in the example a game called “Texas hold&#39;em”. To preserve the interest of the progression of hands, the cards must be dealt accurately and have exactly the 52 cards of a complete deck, which may be distributed in the different areas of the game, i.e., to each of the players or and the central part of the game (connected to the dealer) that includes the cards turned over later (flop, turn and river). 
         [0042]    To do this and unlike in the previous examples, the cards are positioned on coaxial discs, allowing the cards of the same disc to appear in the different playing areas. The cards appear at apertures that are advantageously arranged radially. Apertures  12   a  are provided for the players or apertures  12   b  are provided for the cards later turned over. Each player is associated with two apertures  12   a  positioned in an area of the dial. The example proposes two players, but there may be more. These apertures may not be covered by moving flaps but, to prevent the cards from being visible by the other players, a hiding system will be provided. For example, leafs (not shown), oriented obliquely, typically at 45°, and positioned through the aperture, make it possible to leave the discs visible only to the player situated facing the leafs. 
         [0043]    The apertures  12   b  for the flop, turn and river are associated with an opening and closing system, each with a covering flap (not shown), which can be actuated by a control organ. Based on the above description, one skilled in the art will not have any difficulty in providing the cam and lever systems to turn over all 3 cards of the flop then, separately, the turn and the river. 
         [0044]    To improve the interest of the progression of hands and increase the number of possible card combinations, and to prevent players from guessing other players&#39; hands from their own hand, some of the cards are positioned on three coaxial and advantageously coplanar display discs  16   a  and the rest of the cards are positioned on an additional display disc  16   b,  overlapping at least one of the three so-called lower discs. In the example, the additional display disc overlaps the two lower discs with a larger diameter. The display discs can cover the entire movement and be concentric thereto to allow the passage of hands at the center of the discs. However, other arrangements are also possible. The 52 cards are distributed between the three display discs  16   a  and the additional disc  16   b.  The additional disc  16   b  also includes openings  16   c  through which the lower discs are visible. Thus, depending on the position of the additional display disc  16   b,  appearing in the apertures  12   a  and  12   b  are either cards from the additional display disc  16   b  or cards from the lower discs  16   a,  visible through openings of the additional display disc. 
         [0045]    It will be noted that, in the proposed example, the lower display discs  16   b  bear 16 cards for the two display discs with a larger diameter and 8 cards for the disc with a smaller diameter. The additional disc bears 12 cards and 20 openings, positioned on two rings superimposed on the two lower display discs with a larger diameter. The two rings of the additional disc and the two lower display discs with a larger diameter therefore each include 16 angular portions, each receiving a card or an opening. This configuration makes it possible to obtain 32,768 different draws, making the progression of the game truly random. 
         [0046]    As was proposed above, each disc is associated with a drive pinion, which can be sequentially connected to a transmission plate moved by a spring organ. As mentioned above, it is possible to provide jumpers acting on the pinions to brake and position them. The pinions and the jumpers define an indexing system ensuring that the cards of the lower discs indeed appear across from the openings of the additional disc  16   b,  which is also possible due to the fact that the two lower display discs with a larger diameter and the additional display disc have angular portions with the same dimensions. 
         [0047]    This configuration offers cards of an agreeable size and a realistic and varied game, not allowing the player to guess the other players&#39; hands. 
         [0048]    It is also possible to provide a striking mechanism coupled to the game mechanism proposed above, making it possible to trigger a bell, for example upon opening or closing a covering flap  42 . To that end, the striking mechanism includes a gong and a hammer  60  actuated by a lift  62  and positioned to strike the gong while emitting a sound. The lift  62  is kinematically connected to the control organs of the systems  14  for opening and closing the apertures  12 . For example and advantageously, a ring  64  is rotatably mounted at the center of the game mechanism. It includes three teeth  66   a,    66   b  and  66   c.  A first one  66   a  is designed to cooperate with the lift  62  and the other two  66   b  and  66   c  are designed to be pushed, respectively, by first  68   b  and second  68   c  fingers, connected to the levers  54  of each of the opening and closing systems. It will thus be understood that, when one of the levers  54  is actuated, the ring  64  is pivoted and drives the actuation of the hammer  60  by the tooth  66   a  and the emission of a sound. Similarly, a striking may be produced during actuation of the winding push-piece  30 . 
         [0049]    One skilled in the art may consider other alternatives, without going beyond the scope of the invention as defined by the claims.