ACTUATION MECHANISM OF FLEXIBLE DISPLAY HAND DRIVEN BY A CLOCKWORK MOVEMENT

Abstract

An actuation mechanism (60) of a flexible hand (44) to which a clockwork movement applies a first angular rotation (1), the flexible hand (44) including a first drive barrel (46) and a second drive barrel (50) connected to a tip (54) of the flexible hand (44) by a first and a second flexible arm (48), the first drive barrel (46) being provided with a first toothing (56) and the second drive barrel (50) being provided with a second toothing (58), the first and second drive barrels (46, 50) being mounted so the first toothing (56) of the first drive barrel (46) engages with the second toothing (58) of the second drive barrel (50) in the stressed position of the flexible hand (44), the angular rotation (1) applied by the clockwork movement to the actuation mechanism (60) being modulated by an angle of rotation () by the actuation mechanism (60).

Claims

1. An actuation mechanism of a flexible hand to which a clockwork movement applies a first angular rotation 1, the flexible hand comprising: a first drive barrel and a second drive barrel connected to a tip of the flexible hand by means of a first flexible arm and of a second flexible arm respectively, the first drive barrel being provided with a first toothing and the second drive barrel being provided with a second toothing, the first and second drive barrels being spaced apart from one another when the flexible hand is in a free, unstressed state, an operating position in which the flexible hand has a defined shape and length being a stressed position in which the first drive barrel is mounted at a defined first pre-stressed angle, and the second drive barrel is mounted at a defined second pre stressed angle in opposite direction to the first drive barrel, the first drive barrel and the second drive barrel being arranged such that the first toothing of the first drive barrel is engaged with the second toothing of the second drive barrel in the stressed position of the flexible hand, the flexible hand being arranged so as to change the shape and length in a desired manner when the angular position of the second drive barrel is varied by pivoting relative to the first drive barrel, the angular rotation applied by the clockwork movement to the actuation mechanism being modulated by an angle of rotation by the actuation mechanism, this angle of rotation , applied in opposite direction to the first and second flexible arms of the flexible hand by meshing the first toothing of the first drive barrel with the second toothing of the second drive barrel determining the change in shape and length of the flexible hand.

2. The actuation mechanism according to claim 1, further comprising a planetary wheel-holding frame to which the clockwork movement applies the first angular rotation 1, the planetary wheel-holding frame being provided with a first and a second tube on which a first and a second driving barrel-pinion respectively are mounted to be freely rotatable, the actuation mechanism also comprising a cam follower finger arranged to run along the profile of a cam against which the cam follower finger is held by the resilience of the flexible hand, the cam being a fixed element of the actuation mechanism, the cam follower finger being arranged to follow the profile of the cam so that the first angular rotation 1 applied by the clockwork movement to the planetary wheel-holding frame is further modulated by an angle of rotation applied in a direction opposite the second flexible arm by the first flexible arm by engagement of the first toothing with the second toothing, the angle modulation determining the change in shape and length of the flexible hand.

3. The actuation mechanism according to claim 2, wherein one of the driving barrel-pinions is equipped with the cam follower finger.

4. The actuation mechanism according to claim 2, wherein one of the first or second flexible arms is equipped with the cam follower finger.

5. The actuation mechanism of a flexible hand to which a clockwork movement applies a first angular rotation 1, the flexible hand comprising a first drive barrel and a second drive barrel connected to a tip of the flexible hand by means of a first flexible arm and a second flexible arm respectively, the first drive barrel being provided with a first toothing and the second drive barrel being provided with a second toothing, the first and second drive barrels being spaced apart from one another when the flexible hand is in an unstressed free state, an operating position in which the flexible hand has a defined shape and length being a stressed position in which the first drive barrel is mounted at a defined first prestressed angle, and the second drive barrel is mounted at a defined second prestressed angle in opposite direction to the first drive barrel, the first drive barrel and the second drive barrel being arranged such that the first toothing of the first drive barrel is engaged with the second toothing of the second drive barrel in the stressed position of the flexible hand, the flexible hand being arranged so as to change the shape and length in a desired manner, when the angular position of the second drive barrel is varied by pivoting relative to the first drive barrel, the clockwork movement applying the first angular rotation 1 to a cam against which a feeler-spindle bears, the feeler-spindle pivoting by an angle of rotation from the effect of the first angular rotation 1 applied by the clockwork movement to the cam, the pivoting of the feeler-spindle being applied to one of the first or second drive barrels, whichever of the first or second drive barrels to which the pivoting of the feeler-spindle is applied applying the pivoting in opposite direction to the other drive barrel, which causes the radial deformation of the flexible hand.

6. The actuation mechanism according to claim 5, further comprising first and second tubes fixed onto a support and on which the first and second driving cannon-pinions are mounted to freely rotate, the first drive barrel of the flexible hand being driven onto the first driving cannon-pinion at a defined prestressed angle, and the second drive barrel of the same flexible hand being driven onto the second driving cannon-pinion at an identical prestressed angle but in opposite direction to that of the first drive barrel, one of the first and second driving barrel-pinions supporting the feeler-spindle bearing against the rotary cam.

7. A flexible hand comprising a first drive barrel and a second drive barrel connected to a tip of the flexible hand by means of a first flexible arm and a second flexible arm respectively, the first drive barrel being equipped with a first toothing and the second drive barrel being provided by a second toothing, the first and second drive barrels being spaced apart from one another when the flexible hand is in an unstressed free state, an operating position in which the flexible hand has a defined shape and length being a stressed position in which the first drive barrel is mounted at a first defined prestressed angle, and the second drive barrel is mounted at a second defined prestressed angle in opposite direction to the first drive barrel, the first drive barrel and the second drive barrel being arranged such that the first toothing of the first drive barrel is in engagement with the second toothing of the second drive barrel in the stressed position of the flexible hand, the flexible hand being arranged so as to change shape and length in a desired manner when the angular position of the second drive barrel varies pivotally relative to the first drive barrel.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0021] Further features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description below of an embodiment of the flexible hand according to the invention, this example being given purely by way of illustration and without any limitation with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

[0022] FIG. 1, already referred to, is a perspective and exploded view of an embodiment of an actuation mechanism of a flexible hand of the prior art, this actuation mechanism including a differential type device supported by a planetary wheel-holding frame, the first and second drive barrels of the flexible hand being coaxial about a first and second driving cannon-pinion;

[0023] FIG. 2, already referred to, depicts the angles of rotation of the barrels and the flexible hand so that the tip of this flexible hand covers an angle 1 which corresponds to the rotation applied by the clockwork movement at the input of the actuation mechanism;

[0024] FIG. 3 is a perspective and exploded view of an embodiment of an actuation mechanism of a flexible hand according to the invention;

[0025] FIG. 4 is a perspective and exploded view of a special embodiment of the actuation mechanism of FIG. 3, in which the cam follower finger is attached to one of the arms of the flexible hand;

[0026] FIG. 5 is a perspective and exploded view of a special embodiment of the actuation mechanism of the flexible hand, in which the clockwork movement applies an angular rotation 1 to the cam;

[0027] FIG. 6A is a plan view of a flexible hand according to the invention in a free unstressed state, this view being accompanied by an enlargement in the region of the first and second drive barrels;

[0028] FIGS. 6B to 6D are plan views each accompanied by an enlargement of the flexible hand of FIG. 6A in an operating position in which the flexible hand has a defined shape and length which are conditional on the prestressed angle at which the first and second drive barrels are mounted, the first and second barrels each being provided with a toothing by which they mesh with one another so that the flexible hand gradually changes shape and length in the desired manner when the angular position of the second drive barrel varies relative to the first drive barrel by pivoting.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0029] The present invention proceeds from the general inventive idea of providing an actuation mechanism of simplified design for transmitting to a flexible hand an angular rotation applied by a clockwork movement. For this purpose, the present invention teaches providing both the first and second drive barrels of the flexible hand with a toothing, so that the annular rotation applied by the clockwork movement to the first drive barrel is communicated to the second drive barrel by meshing the toothing of the first drive barrel with the toothing of the second drive barrel. Thus, by avoiding the need to apply the angular rotation provided by the clockwork movement via the actuation mechanism to the first and second drive barrels separately, the actuation mechanism is simplified.

[0030] FIG. 3 is a perspective and exploded view of an embodiment of an actuation mechanism of a flexible hand according to the invention. Referred to overall by the general reference number 44, this flexible hand comprises a first drive barrel 46 connected to a first end of a first flexible arm 48 and a second drive barrel 50 connected to a first end of a second flexible arm 52. At their second end, the first and second flexible arms 48, 52 are joined together at a tip 54. Lastly, the flexible hand 44 is completed by the addition, on each of the first and second drive barrels 46, 50, of a first and second toothing 56, 58 respectively. As shown in FIG. 6A, in an unstressed free state of the flexible hand 44, the first and second drive barrels 46, 50 are spaced apart from one another, the first and second toothings 56, 58 are not in engagement with one another. Conversely, when the flexible hand 44 is in an operating position as shown in FIG. 6B, it has a defined shape and length in which the first drive barrel 46 is mounted at a defined first prestressed angle, and the second drive barrel 50 is mounted at a second defined prestressed angle opposite that of the first drive barrel 46, the first drive barrel 46 and the second drive barrel 50 being arranged such that the first toothing 56 of the first drive barrel 46 is in engagement with the second toothing 58 of the second drive barrel 50.

[0031] With regard to the actuation mechanism, the latter, denoted as a whole by the general reference number 60, comprises a planetary wheel-holding frame 62 to which the clockwork movement applies a first angular rotation 1.

[0032] The planetary wheel-holding frame 62 is also provided with a first and a second tube 64, 66 on which a first and second driving cannon-pinion 68, 70 respectively are pivotably mounted. The first drive barrel 46 of the flexible hand 44 is driven on the first driving barrel-pinion 68 at a defined prestressed angle, then the second driving cannon-pinion 50 of this same flexible hand 44 is driven on the second driving cannon-pinion 70 at an identical prestressed angle but in opposite direction to that of the first drive barrel 46. One of the driving cannon-pinions 68, 70, for example the first, is equipped with a cam follower finger 72 arranged to travel along the profile 74 of a cam 76 against which this cam follower finger 72 is held by the resilience of the flexible hand 44. This cam 76 is a fixed element of the actuation mechanism 60. The first and second drive barrels 46, 50 are arranged such that the first and second toothings 56, 58 are engaged with one another. When turning, the first driving cannon-pinion 68 drives the first driving cannon-pinion 46 in rotation, this first drive barrel 46 in turn driving in rotation the second drive barrel 50 by meshing the first and second toothings 56, 58 with one another.

[0033] It is understood that, when the clockwork movement applies an angular rotation 1 to the planetary wheel-holding frame 62, this planetary wheel-holding frame 62 drives therewith the first and second driving cannon-pinions 68 and 70, and the first driving cannon-pinion 68 turns with the planetary wheel-holding frame 62 by travelling along the profile 74 of the cam 76 with its cam follower finger 72, so that the angular rotation 1 applied by the clockwork movement to the planetary wheel-holding frame 62 and the flexible hand 44 is further modulated by an angle of rotation by the action of the cam follower finger 72. This angle of rotation , applied in opposite direction to the second flexible arm 52 by the first flexible arm 48 by engagement of the first toothing 56 with the second toothing 58, determines the change in shape and length of the flexible hand 44. In addition to the rotation, this flexible hand 44 deforms radially according to a radius R which passes between the two drive barrels 46, 50 and through the tip 54 of the flexible hand 44.

[0034] According to a special embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, the cam follower finger 72 is fixed, not to one of the first or second barrel-pinions 68 or 70, but to one of the first or second flexible arms 48 or 52, for example the first, of the flexible hand 44. Otherwise, the actuation mechanism 60 remains unchanged.

[0035] It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments just described, and that various modifications and simple variants may be envisaged by the person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. In particular, according to a special embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. 5, the actuation mechanism 60 comprises a cam 76 to which the clockwork movement applies the angular rotation 1. The tubes 64, 66 are fixed onto a support such as a plate or bridge 78 and, on these tubes 64, 66, the first and second driving cannon-pinions 68, 70 are mounted to be freely rotatable. The first drive barrel 46 of the flexible hand 44 is driven on the first driving cannon-pinion 68 at a defined prestressed angle, then the second drive barrel 50 of this same flexible hand 44 is driven on the second driving cannon-pinion 70 at an identical prestressed angle but in opposite direction to that of the first drive barrel 46. One of the first and second driving cannon-pinions 68, 70, for example the first, is equipped with a feeler-spindle 80 bearing against the rotating cam 76. As a result of the rotation of the cam 76, the first driving cannon-pinion 68 pivots by an angle of rotation , which causes the radial deformation along the radius R of the flexible hand 44 without the latter rotating on itself. This is illustrated in FIGS. 6B-6D in which it is shown that the flexible hand 44 changes shape and length but does not rotate on itself.

LIST OF REFERENCES

[0036] 1. Flexible hand [0037] 2. First drive barrel [0038] 4. First flexible arm [0039] 6. Second drive barrel [0040] 8. Second flexible arm [0041] 10. Tip [0042] D. Output axis [0043] 1. Angular rotation [0044] . Angle of rotation [0045] 12. Actuation mechanism [0046] 14. First drive means [0047] 16. Second drive means [0048] 18. Planetary wheel-holding frame [0049] 20. First pivot [0050] 22. Planetary wheel [0051] 24. Cam follower finger [0052] 26. Profile [0053] 28. Cam [0054] 30. Tube [0055] 32. First driving cannon-pinion [0056] 34. Second driving cannon-pinion [0057] 36. First solar pinion [0058] 38. Second solar pinion [0059] 40. Wheel of intermediate wheel [0060] 42. Second pivot [0061] 44. Flexible hand [0062] 46. First drive barrel [0063] 48. First flexible arm [0064] 50. Second drive barrel [0065] 52. Second flexible arm [0066] 54. Tip [0067] 56. First toothing [0068] 58. Second toothing [0069] 60. Actuation mechanism [0070] 62. Planetary wheel-holding frame [0071] 64. First tube [0072] 66. Second tube [0073] 68. First driving cannon-pinion [0074] 70. Second driving cannon-pinion [0075] 72. Cam follower finger [0076] 74. Profile [0077] 76. Cam [0078] 78. Plate [0079] 80. Feeler-spindle [0080] R Radius