STRIKING MECHANISM, WATCH AND REGULATOR

Abstract

A regulator for a striking mechanism of a mechanical watch including a base, which can be assembled in a fixed manner with regard to the housing and which rotatably mounts a rotary wheel. At least two mass elements are arranged on the rotary wheel and by way of a rotation of the rotary wheel are deflectable radially outwards counter to a spring force on account of the centrifugal force, in order to regulate the rotation speed of the rotary wheel. At least three bearing elements are attached to the base, the bearing elements engaging peripherally on the rotary wheel, in order to mount this relative to the base.

Claims

1. A regulator for a striking mechanism for a mechanical watch, the regulator comprising a base equipped to be assembled in a fixed manner with regard to the housing, and a rotary wheel, wherein the rotary wheel is rotatably mounted relative to the base and carries at least two mass elements, the mass elements being deflectable, by a centrifugal force, radially outwards counter to a spring force upon a rotation of the rotary, so as to regulate a rotation speed of the rotary wheel, the regulator further comprising at least three bearing elements attached to the base, said bearing elements engaging peripherally on the rotary wheel in order to mount the rotatory wheel relative to the base.

2. The regulator according to claim 1, wherein the bearing elements are ball bearings.

3. The regulator according to claim 1, wherein the rotary wheel comprises a radially outer outside surface serving as a running surface for the bearing elements.

4. The regulator according to claim 3, wherein the outer surface forms a groove into which an outer ring of the bearing elements engages.

5. The regulator according to claim 1, wherein the mass elements are coupled onto one another so that they can only be deflected together.

6. The regulator according to claim 5, comprising a single spring element which commonly exerts the spring force which counteracts the centrifugal force, upon both mass elements.

7. The regulator according to claim 6, wherein the spring element is a spiral spring.

8. The regulator according to claim 5, comprising a restoring gearwheel being rotatably fastened to the rotary wheel, the restoring gearwheel being toothed with the mass elements and being rotatable relative to the rotary wheel by way of a deflection of the mass elements.

9. The regulator according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the bearing elements is mounted by a bearing portion whose position relative to the base can be set at least in the radial direction for the purpose of adjustment.

10. The regulator according to claim 9, wherein the bearing portion is an eccentrically attached pin portion of a bearing pin.

11. The regulator according to claim 1, wherein the base comprises a rotationally cylindrical inner surface arranged such that the mass elements on account of the centrifugal force can be deflected to such an extent that they contact the inner surface.

12. The regulator according to claim 1, wherein the rotary wheel comprises a toothed ring with a toothing, into which a gearwheel of a gear can engage, as well as a bearing ring, and wherein the bearing elements engage on the bearing ring of the rotary wheel.

13. A striking mechanism for a mechanical watch, comprising a striking device, a drive and the regulator according to claim 1.

14. The striking mechanism according to claim 13, being a repetition striking mechanism and comprising an actuation element via which a bell strike can be manually activated.

15. The striking mechanism of claim 14, wherein the repetition striking mechanism is a minute repeater.

16. A wristwatch comprising the striking mechanism according to claim 13.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] The subsequent drawings represent exemplary embodiments of the invention, by way of which the invention is described in detail. In the drawings, the same reference numerals denote the same or analogous elements. The drawings show:

[0024] FIG. 1 a schematic diagram of the building blocks of a striking mechanism;

[0025] FIG. 2 a view of the regulator together with the components which drive it;

[0026] FIG. 3 a view of the regulator and the components according to FIG. 3 from another viewing direction;

[0027] FIG. 4 the regulator which is also visible in FIGS. 2 and 3, only with the gearwheel which directly drives it;

[0028] FIG. 5 an exploded representation of the components which are shown in FIG. 4;

[0029] FIG. 6 a front view of the regulator with the gearwheel;

[0030] FIG. 7 the regulator sectioned along the plane A-A in FIG. 6;

[0031] FIG. 8 an exploded representation of components of the regulator, specifically of the rotary wheel with the elements which are attached thereto; and

[0032] FIG. 9 a detail of FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0033] The manner of functioning and the implementation of the invention are hereinafter shown by way of different exemplary embodiment examples. It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to these embodiments but also includes other embodiments which are in conformity with the claims.

[0034] FIG. 1 in a very schematic manner shows the building blocks for a striking mechanism, specifically here for a repeater. The actuation of an actuation element 1, for example a lever, on the one hand has the effect that a mechanical energy store 2, for example a barrel with a spiral spring is charged. On the other hand, it has the effect that a mechanical control 3 permits the energy, which is stored in the energy store, via a gear (wheel mechanism) 4 to be released in a targeted manner, on the one hand to a striking mechanism 5—for example with a hammer or several hammers, which strikes/strike upon one or more different sound elements, for example gongs—and, on the other hand, to a regulator 6. The control operates such that it enquires the current time from a movement 7 of the watch and effects a certain sequence of strikes in the striking mechanism 5 in a manner dependent on this time.

[0035] Traditional striking mechanisms differ from repetition striking mechanisms in that the activation is not effected via an actuation element, but automatically by the movement at predefined times. It can also be different by way of the mechanical control not having to enquire the time, but itself including a coding of the sequence of strike sequences.

[0036] Mechanical controls and striking mechanics for striking mechanisms, which can be quite complex, are known per se. Many variants of such striking mechanisms are described in literature. The advantages of the present invention do not depend on the construction of the mechanical control 3 and likewise not on the construction of the actuation element 1 or other wind-up mechanism, of the mechanical energy store 2, of the gear 4 or of the striking mechanism 5. For these reasons, the subsequent description of embodiments of the invention is restricted to the description of the construction and manner of functioning of the regulator.

[0037] The function of the regulator 6—and this applies to repeaters as well as other striking mechanisms—is to regulate the speed of the striking sequence in a manner such that it is approximately independent of the state of the energy store, thus, for example, of the tension of the spiral spring. This is effected by way of a speed-dependent resistance being brought to oppose a drive of a moved element of the regulator—in the present example of the rotary wheel. The movement of the moved element of the regulator on the one hand and of the striking mechanism on the other hand are coupled to one another.

[0038] FIGS. 2 and 3 show a regulator 6 together with the components the drive it, with an energy store and parts of the gear 4. The energy store includes a barrel 12 with a flat spiral spring 11; in FIG. 3 one can also see the winding stem 13.

[0039] FIGS. 4 to 7 show the regulator 6 together with the gearwheel 41 of the gear that drives it in a direct manner. The regulator includes a base 21 with an annular portion 22 which defines a rotationally cylindrical inner surface 23. Furthermore, several screw holes 24 for the fastening on an element which is fixed with regard to the housing, for example a movement plate are present on the base. Ball bearings 25 are attached in a stationary manner relative to the base via bearing pins 26. Each ball bearing includes an outer ring 27 and an inner element, specifically an inner ring 28, wherein the outer ring 27 can rotate with a low friction relative to the inner ring on account of the balls (roller bodies) 29 that are arranged therebetween. The rotary wheel 31 is rotatably mounted relative to the base 21 by the ball bearings 25.

[0040] The bearing pin 26 includes a first pin portion 71 that, in FIG. 5, lies at the bottom and a second pin portion 72 that, in FIG. 5, lies at the top, with position plate 73 therebetween. The first pin portion has a position that is fixed with regard to the housing, and is mounted, for example, by way of a movement plate (not drawn). The second pin portion is attached eccentrically relative to the first pin portion and carries the respective ball bearing. By way of rotating the bearing pin, the position of the associated ball bearing can therefore be finely adjusted relative to the rotary wheel, for which a screwdriver slot can optionally be present as represented. The eyelets 30 (elongate holes) in the base 21, through which holes the second pin portion projects provides an adequate play for this purpose.

[0041] FIG. 8 shows the construction of the rotary wheel 31 and the components which are present on it. The rotary wheel includes a toothed ring 32 and a bearing ring 33 that is fastened thereto. The bearing ring 33 includes an outer surface 34, which is provided with a groove and serves as a running surface. The radially outermost portion of the outer rings 27 of the ball bearings can engage into the groove of the running surface, in order to thus fix the position of the bearing ring and herein permits its low-friction rotation about its axis. The rotary wheel is thus laterally, i.e., floatingly mounted by the three ball bearings 25.

[0042] FIG. 9 shows a detail of FIG. 7. One can see that the outer surface 34 is designed in a roughly V-shaped manner in cross section. In the present example, on account of the roughly V-shaped design of the groove that forms the running surface and the convex shape of the outer rings 27, there are only two contact points 61 per ball bearing, by way of which the resistance is minimised.

[0043] As an alternative to a groove, the outer surface of the bearing ring could also include a projection that engages into a corresponding groove of the outer rings of the ball bearings.

[0044] The outer surface can be coated with a low-wearing material that minimises the rolling friction, for example diamond like carbon (DLC). Otherwise, the applied materials can be metals or composite materials, in particular special plastics, or also ceramics, which per se are considered as being suitable for the described purpose, for example high-quality steels, titanium alloys etc.

[0045] Furthermore, a web 35, which is particularly well visible in FIG. 8, is fastened or present on the bearing ring 33. Furthermore, a first and a second mass element 51 and 52 are attached to the rotary wheel. The mass elements 51, 52 are pivotably fastened to the bearing ring 33 each via a fastening pin 53 (a fastening to the web or possibly to the toothed ring 32 would alternatively also be conceivable).

[0046] The regulator moreover includes a restoring mechanism, which brings the mass elements in the basic state into the position that is represented in FIG. 4 and which opposes the centrifugal force with the mentioned spring force. This restoring mechanism includes a spiral spring 54 as well as a restoring gearwheel 57. The restoring gearwheel 57 is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to an inner ring 56 of the spiral spring 54 by way of a connection element 58. The inner ring 56, the connection element 58 and the restoring gearwheel 57 are commonly mounted on the web 35 in a rotatable manner, for which a central pin 59 serves. The mass elements each include a toothing 61 that engages into the teeth of the restoring gearwheel 57. A deflection of the mass elements to the outside effects a rotation of the restoring gearwheel 57. Since an outer-side coupling structure 55 of the spiral spring is suspended in a spring pin 37 of the web 35, and since the restoring cog is coupled to the inner ring 56 of the spiral spring in a rotationally fixed manner, this is effected counter to the spring force of the spiral spring 54.

[0047] On account of this design, only a single spring, here the spiral spring 54 is sufficient to simultaneously exert the necessary restoring force upon both mass elements 51, 52. Furthermore, the two mass elements are always deflected synchronously. In contrast to a design each with one spring per mass element, it is therefore not possible for one mass element to be deflected out further than the other.

[0048] The same effect can also be achieved if the spiral spring were to be fastened to the bearing ring or web at the inner side in a rotationally fixed manner and were to engage at the outer side on one of the mass elements and the mass elements were to be coupled via a freely rotatably cog.