Patent ID: 8570841

Claim:
A mechanism for limiting the duration of a timepiece function of a timepiece mechanism, including a release element, wherein an initial motion of said release element initiates said function, and further including a means for coupling said function, wherein said mechanism includes a timing wheel set for limiting the duration of play of said function after a start of said function, said timing wheel set being arranged to cooperate with said release element and further arranged to cooperate with said coupling means, said timing wheel set including a timing hook arranged to be operated by said coupling means to be placed in cooperation with a ratchet or to be released from said ratchet, said ratchet being pivotally mounted on an arbour coaxially to a timing wheel, and being pivoted back towards an angular position of said timing wheel by elastic return means, said timing wheel being arranged to cooperate, directly or indirectly, with said release element, and further wherein said release element is formed by a release wheel of a release wheel set or of a striking mechanism unit, said release wheel including a pin parallel to an arbour of said release wheel, said release wheel set or striking mechanism unit including a locking means, on which are exerted, in an antagonistic manner, forces exerted by said pin of said release wheel which meshes with said timing wheel, and by a spring, and further wherein, in a first pivoting travel of said timing wheel relative to said timing ratchet the return force exerted by said elastic return means via said pin on said locking means is less than the force exerted on said locking means by said spring to enable said function to be carried out driven by a pipe ratchet connected to drive means, whereas, in a second pivoting travel of said timing wheel relative to said timing ratchet, the return force exerted by said elastic return means via said pin on said locking means is greater than the force exerted on said locking means by said spring and allows a movement of said pin to release the closing movement of a click on said pipe ratchet to stop said function from being carried out.