Patent ID: 12189340

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

The present invention proceeds from the general inventive idea which consists in providing a device allowing to display in an equal and continuous manner periodic events which form an annual cycle and whose durations are not equal. To this end, the present invention provides a display device comprising a cam driven by a date and month indicator device and which, at the end of each month when necessary, pre-positions a lever so that, when the day of the passage from a periodic event to the immediately following periodic event comes, a display organ displays the relevant periodic event. Thanks to these features, the present invention thus provides a device for displaying periodic events forming an annual cycle which is continuously repositioned according to the day of the month when the periodic event to be considered begins. It is thus possible to display periodic events which do not necessarily succeed one another regularly over time without this being perceptible by the owner of the timepiece.

Care will be taken to note that, in the figures appended to this patent application, the directions of rotation of the various wheels are indicated by arrows.

Designated as a whole by the general reference numeral1, the device for displaying a succession of periodic events which form an annual cycle according to the invention comprises a date indicator mechanism3which, in a preferred but non-exclusive embodiment, is provided with a date driving wheel2which is driven by a horological movement (not shown) at the rate of one turn per day. In turn, this date driving wheel2drives a date indicator wheel4at the rate of one pitch per day, this date indicator wheel4performing one complete turn in thirty-one days.

A month finger6is pivotally mounted on the date indicator wheel4around a first pivot axis8eccentrically carried by said date indicator wheel4. This month finger6also comprises a first beak10, a first point12of which describes a first path14of substantially conchoidal shape which is determined by an appropriate choice of the position of the pivot axis8on the date indicator wheel4and the length of this month finger6. So that the point12of the beak10can describe a conchoidal path14, the month finger6is also provided with a first oblong hole16wherein is engaged a first pin18fixedly mounted in a plate of the horological movement and which ensures pivotally and translatably guiding the month finger6.

The display device1according to the invention also comprises a month indicator wheel20which advances by one pitch per month and which performs one complete turn per year. To this end, the month finger6is arranged so that, during each passage from the date “31” to the date “1” of the following month, the point12of the beak10penetrates into a first toothing22of this month indicator wheel20and advances the latter by one pitch. After having driven the month indicator wheel20, the point12of the beak10of the month finger6is released from the toothing22of the month indicator wheel20and will not engage with this toothing22until the passage of the date “31” to the next date “1”. In the meantime, the position of the month indicator wheel20is indexed by a first jumper spring24.

When the month indicator wheel20advances by one pitch, it drives therewith a cam26for managing the periodic event display duration which is fixedly mounted on this month indicator wheel20.

The display device1described here is arranged to display the succession of the12signs of the zodiac. It will nevertheless be understood that this example is only given for a purely illustrative purpose and that, with an adaptation of the management cam26, it is quite possible to display another succession of periodic events having the particularity of forming an annual cycle. Particularly the display of the Chinese horoscope is considered.

In the zodiac system called tropical zodiac system which is of interest here, the12periods of the zodiac start, as the case may be, on the 20th, the 21st, the 22nd or the 23rd of the concerned month. Moreover, when two successive zodiac periods do not start on the same day of the month, there is never more than one day of difference between the beginning of the first considered zodiac period and the beginning of the immediately following zodiac period. More specifically, from March to May, the concerned periods of the zodiac, namely Aries, Taurus and Gemini, all start on the 21st of the month. The next zodiac period, that of Cancer, in turn, begins on June 22. From July to November, the corresponding zodiac periods, namely Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio and Sagittarius, all start on the 23rd of the month. In December, the Capricorn period starts on the 22nd, in January, the Aquarius period starts on the 21 st, and in February, the Pisces period starts on the 20th.

As will be better understood below, the management cam26is arranged so that the display device1changes from a zodiac period on the first day of the considered zodiac period. Thus, a profile28of the management cam26has a first radius R1which will allow the display device1to change the zodiac period during the night of the 22nd to the 23rd of the months of July, August, September, October and November. Similarly, the profile28of the management cam26has a second radius R2different from the first radius R1which will allow the display device1to change the zodiac period during the night of the 21st to the 22nd of the months of June and December. Similarly, the profile28of the management cam26has a third radius R3, different from the first and second radiuses R1and R2, which will allow the display device1to change the zodiac period during the night of the 20th to the 21st of the months of January, March, April and May. Finally, the profile28of the management cam26has a fourth radius R4, different from the first, second and third radiuses R1, R2and R3, which will allow the display device1according to the invention to change the zodiac period in the night of the 19th to the 20th of February.

Thus, the profile28of the management cam26has a first portion of constant radius R1for the months of July, August, September, October and November, then a second portion of radius R2for the month of December, then a third portion of radius R3for the month of January, then a fourth portion of radius R4for the month of February, then a fifth portion of constant radius R3for the months of March, April and May, and finally a sixth and last portion of radius R2corresponding to the month of June.

In accordance with the invention, the display device1also comprises a lever30pivotally mounted about a second pivot axis32fixedly mounted in the plate of the horological movement. This lever30has a feeler finger34by which it is applied against the profile28of the management cam26. This lever30also carries a second pin36which protrudes into a second oblong hole38formed in a finger of the periodic events39for which it ensures both pivoting and translational guidance. This periodic event finger39which, in the example relating to the display of the zodiac system described here, is in the form of a zodiac finger40, is pivotally mounted on the date indicator wheel4about a third pivot axis42eccentrically carried by said date indicator wheel4. This zodiac finger40also comprises a second beak44, a second point46of which describes a second path48of substantially conchoidal shape which is determined by the positioning of the third pivot axis42on the date indicator wheel4and by the length of this zodiac finger40.

The display device1according to the invention also comprises a zodiac indicator organ49. In the example shown in the drawing for illustrative purposes only, this organ is a zodiac indicator wheel50which advances by one pitch during each change of the zodiac period and which performs one complete turn per year. To this end, the zodiac finger40is arranged so that, at each change of the zodiac period, the point46of its beak44penetrates into a toothing52of the zodiac indicator wheel50and advances the latter by one pitch. After having driven the zodiac indicator wheel50by one pitch, the point46of the beak44of the zodiac finger40is released from the toothing52of the zodiac indicator wheel50and will not be engaged again with this toothing52until the next change of the zodiac period. In the meantime, the position of the zodiac indicator wheel50is indexed by a second jumper spring54. The assembly is completed, for example, by a zodiac indicator disc56on which are indicated the zodiac indications, these zodiac indications being for example visible through an aperture formed in a dial of the timepiece and whose position is indicated by a double arrow on the drawing.

It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment which has just been described and that various simple modifications and variants can be considered by the person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Particularly, it will be understood that, although the present invention has been described in connection with the display of the twelve periods of the zodiac, this invention is not limited to such an embodiment and can be applied to the display of other periodic events forming an annual cycle. In particular, the display of the Chinese horoscope is considered. It will also be understood that although, in the present description, the only case considered is the case wherein the month finger6and the zodiac finger40are pivotally mounted on the date indicator wheel4about two coincident pivot axes8,42carried by said date indicator wheel4, a simplified embodiment wherein the month finger6and the zodiac finger40are pivotally mounted about two distinct pivot axes carried by the date indicator wheel4is also considerable. It will also be understood that, as illustrated inFIG.6, the first point12of the first beak10of the month6finger describes a path of substantially conchoidal shape. “Circle conchoid” means a two-dimensional curve which is the path of a point PIof a connecting-rod, namely the month finger6, required to slide by a fixed pole F, namely the first pin18fixedly mounted in the plate of the horological movement, and a point C of this connecting-rod describes a circle. Considering the point PEof the connecting-rod located, starting from the circle described by point C, after the fixed pole F, the path schematically illustrated inFIG.1Amade by the point12of the beak10of the month finger6is obtained. The point46of the beak44of the zodiac finger40also describes a circle conchoid path.

NOMENCLATURE

1. Device for displaying a succession of periodic events which form an annual cycle2. Date driving wheel3. Date indicator mechanism4. Date indicator wheel6. Month finger8. First pivot axis10. First beak12. First point14. First path16. First oblong hole18. First pin20. Month indicator wheel22. First toothing24. First jumper spring26. Management cam28. Management cam profile30. Lever32. Second pivot axis34. Feeler finger36. Second pin38. Second oblong hole39. Periodic event finger40. Zodiac finger42. Third pivot axis44. Second beak46. Second point48. Second path49. Periodic event and zodiac indicator organ50. Zodiac indicator wheel52. Second toothing54. Second jumper spring56. Zodiac indicator disc