Annual calendar for mechanical watches

Abstract

A date display device with an annual calendar function comprises the following elements: a drive wheel (8) which is coupled to a mechanical movement, a driving device which is driven by the drive wheel (8), a date wheel (4) which periodically interacts with the driving device and is driven by this and a month wheel (5) which is periodically interacts with the date wheel, as well as a month cam disc (6) which is connected to the month wheel. The driving device comprises a driver (8.1) and a rotation axis (8.3), wherein the driver moves on a path about the rotation axis (8.3) of the driving device and the rotation axis adopts at least two different positions relative to the date wheel (4), wherein in a first position, the driving device advances the date wheel by a single unit and in a second position by a plurality of units and wherein the adopted position depends on the number of days of the month concerned.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. A date display device for a watch (100), wherein the device is equipped for realizing an annual calendar function and comprises the following elements: a drive wheel (8) which is coupled to a mechanical movement; a driving device which is driven by the drive wheel (8); a date wheel (4) which periodically interacts with the driving device and is driven by said driving device and whose angular position is characteristic of the date; and a month wheel (5) which is periodically driven in a manner depending on a condition of the date wheel, characterized in that the driving device comprises a driver (8.1) and a rotation axis (8.3), wherein the driver moves on a path about the rotation axis (8.3) and the driving device adopt at least two different positions relative to the date wheel (4), wherein given the periodic interaction with the date wheel, the driving device in a first position advances the date wheel by a single unit and in a second position by a plurality of units and wherein the device is configured, given a predefined angular position of the date wheel, to bring the driving device from the first into the second position or not depending on a condition of the month wheel.

17. The device according to claim 16, wherein the driver is designed as a driver head (8.1).

18. The device according to claim 16, wherein the driver is connected to the rotation axis (8.3) such that the driver is resiliently mounted in the direction which is radial with respect to its path.

19. The device according to claim 16, wherein the rotation axis (8.3) of the driving device is identical to the rotation axis (7.4) of the drive wheel and is fixedly connected to this.

20. The device according to claim 16, wherein in the first of the at least two positions of the driving device, the driver per complete revolution about its rotation axis rotates the date wheel by about 360/(31*n) degrees and in the second of the at least two positions of the driving device, the driver per complete revolution about its rotation axis rotates the date wheel by about 2*360/(31*n) degrees, wherein n is an integer.

21. The device according to claim 20, wherein the date wheel is designed as a date gear wheel with 31*n teeth.

22. The device according to claim 16, wherein the driving device via the driver interacts with the date wheel in a direct manner, i.e. without using an intermediate wheel.

23. The device according to claim 16, wherein the position of the rotation axis (8.3) of the driving device differs between the first and the second position.

24. The device according to claim 23, comprising a coupling lever (7), on which the rotation axis (8.3) of the driving device is seated, wherein the coupling lever for its part comprises a coupling lever rotation axis (7.8) which does not coincide with the rotation axis of the driving device, and wherein a movement between the first and the second position entails a rocking movement of the coupling lever about the coupling lever rotation axis.

25. The device according to claim 24, wherein the coupling between the movement and the drive wheel (8) is effected via a gear wheel (15), whose rotation axis is seated on the rotation axis (7.8) of the coupling lever.

26. The device according to claim 24, wherein the coupling lever (7) comprises a first coupling portion in the form of a roller (7.2) which moves on a running track (4.2) which is fixedly connected to the date wheel (4) and which has a recess (4.3), wherein a movement of the roller (7.2) into the recess (4.3) corresponds to a transition from the first into the second position.

27. The device according to claim 24, comprising a month cam disk (6) which is coupled onto the month wheel (5) or is formed by this, wherein the coupling lever comprises a second coupling portion which interacts with the month cam disc such that the month cam disc permits or prevents a movement into the second angular position depending on its angular position.

28. The device according to claim 16, comprising a month cam disc (6) which is coupled onto the month wheel (5) or is formed by this, wherein the month cam disc codes a month length and permits or prevents a movement into the second position depending on its angular position.

29. The device according to claim 16, wherein the rotation axis (8.3) of the driving device adopts a third position relative to the date wheel (4), in which third position the driving device does not interact with the date wheel; and in which the date can be set via crown which is attached at the outside on a casing (14) of the watch, wherein the driving device can be brought into the third position by way of actuating the crown.

30. A watch, comprising the device according to claim 16.

Description

[0054] 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 refer to the same or analogous elements. The drawings show in:

[0055] FIG. 1a-1b in each case, an outer and an inner view of a watch which comprises an annual calendar of the type according to the invention;

[0056] FIG. 2 the construction of an embodiment of the annual calendar;

[0057] FIGS. 3a-3 an embodiment for the correction of the date by the user;

[0058] FIGS. 4a-4f an embodiment of an automatic consideration of months with 30 and 31 days;

[0059] FIG. 5 an exemplary embodiment of the date wheel;

[0060] FIG. 6 an exemplary embodiment of the month wheel and the month cam disc; and

[0061] FIG. 7 an exemplary embodiment of a coupling lever.

[0062] 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 embodiment examples which are in conformity with the claims.

[0063] FIGS. 1a and 1b show an outer view (FIG. 1a) and an inner view (FIG. 1b) of a mechanical watch 100 with an annual calendar, with regard to which, apart from the time, the day of the month and the month itself are displayed. Such a watch comprises the following elements: a dial 12, on which devices (for example indices) are attached, said devices in combination with hands or other visualisation methods permitting the reading of the time, the day of the month and the month. Moreover, a minute hand 102, an hour hand 103 and a month hand 104 as well as date display 105 which in the shown embodiment is incorporated radially outwards on the watch dial can also be seen. Moreover, the shown watch comprises a setting (adjusting) device 13 as well as a complication (intricacy) for the display of the phase of the moon (moon phase watch 101) with an associated hand 106, whereby such a complication is not essential to the invention. The setting device at its end which is situated outside the watch can be terminated by a crown (not shown), wherein the crown for example is fixedly (firmly) connected to the setting device.

[0064] Amongst other things, the mechanics of the annual calendar comprise the following elements which can be easily recognised in FIG. 1b: intermediate wheel 2, transfer date gear wheel, month wheel 5, rotation pivot (axis) 7.4 of the drive wheel 8 which in the shown embodiment is identical to the rotation pivot (axis) 8.3 of the driver 8.1, a gear wheel 15 for coupling the annual calendar to the mechanical watch a well as its rotation pivot 7.8. The hands for reading off minutes 102, hours 103, month 104 and the moon phase 106 are also included in the inner view for a better orientation. The watch itself is closed by a casing 14.

[0065] The functions of these and further elements of an annual calendar which is based on the invention and their interaction are described by way of the subsequent figures.

[0066] FIG. 2 shows the components which are necessary for realising the annual calendar as well as their interaction. The annual calendar is driven by way of the drive wheel 8 which is connected to the movement via a gear wheel 15. The rotation pivot 7.4 of the drive wheel is mounted on a coupling lever 7 and is designed such that per day, the drive wheel rotates once in a complete manner, i.e. by 360, about the rotation axis which is given by the position of the coupling lever.

[0067] A driving device which comprises a driver which is designed as a driver head 8.1 and further comprises a rotation pivot (axis) 8.3 is connected to the drive wheel. The rotation axis 8.3 of the driver head 8.1 coincides with the rotation axis 7.4 of the drive wheel 8, wherein these two rotation axes are connected to one another in a rotationally fixed manner. The driver head 8.1 likewise rotates about its axis 8.3 once per day in a complete manner by way of this.

[0068] The driver head 8.1 is designed such that it interacts with a date wheel 4 once per day. The date wheel 4 is designed as a gear wheel with 31 teeth which are equidistantly arranged on a given radius. The date wheel moreover comprises a running track 4.2 and a month wheel driving pin 4.1. FIG. 5 shows a detailed view of an exposed date wheel 4. Apart from the mentioned elements, one can recognise a fixation opening 4.4 whose centre coincides with the rotation axis of the date wheel. The running track 4.2 is designed as a circular disc which at a location and radially to the outside comprises a semicircular recess 4.3.

[0069] The date wheel 4 for its part is actively connected to a month wheel 5 via the month wheel driving pin 4.1. The month wheel 5 comprises twelve teeth which are arranged equidistantly on a given radius. A month cam disc 6 is fixedly connected to the month wheel. FIG. 6 shows a detailed view of an exposed month wheel with a month cam disc. The month wheel driving pin 4.1 is arranged on the date wheel 4 such that this meshes with a tooth of the month wheel once per complete revolution (rotation) of the date wheel 4 and catches this further by one position due to its further advance on its circular path. By way of this, it is ensured that the month wheel has rotated about its axis once in a complete manner, i.e. by 360, after twelve complete revolutions of the date wheel. The reference numeral 5.1 indicates a fixation opening which passes centrally through the month cam disc and whose centre coincides with the rotation axes of the month wheel and the month cam disc.

[0070] Lever springs 16 ensure that the gear wheels only assume well-defined angular positions and that they remain in these angular positions until the next interaction with another element of the device or of the watch takes place. The lever springs also prevent external influences from leading to faulty functions.

[0071] The coupling lever 7 and thus the rotation axes 7.4/ 8.3 of the drive wheel 8 and the driver head 8.1 respectively can assume two positions, in order to ensure a correct differentiation between months with 30 and 31 days and thus to avoid an incorrect date display as well as the necessity of resetting the date by hand (except for at the end of February). The coupling lever 7 is designed in a Y-shaped manner, wherein the three ends of the coupling lever which are given by the Y-shape comprise elements for interaction with further components of the annual calendar.

[0072] For an improved visualisation, FIG. 7 shows a detailed view of an exposed coupling lever. The head-side end 7.6 of the coupling lever comprises a roller 7.2 as well as a coupling pin 7.1. The coupling pin 7.1 traces the month cam disc 6 which is divided into twelve segments. These segments are arranged such that they are in an unambiguous relation to the positions of the month which are given by the teeth of the month wheel 5, by way of the month cam disc 6 being connected to the month wheel 5 in a rotationally fixed manner. The segments moreover vary in their radii, by way of them having one of two possible radii. The larger of the two radii thereby codes a month with 31 days, whilst the smaller of the two radii represents a month with 30 days.

[0073] The coupling lever 7 is pressed in the direction of the date wheel 4 by way of a spring force which is produced by a leaf spring 7.3, so that the roller 7.2 rolls on the running track 4.1. The roller 7.2 reaches a recess 4.3 at the end of each month, by which means the running track cannot prevent a movement of the coupling lever towards the date wheel.

[0074] If the coupling pin 7.1 now lies in the region of a segment having the larger of the two radii, then a butting of the coupling pin 7.1 on the respective segment of the month cam disc prevents the roller from being pressed into the recess 4.3. The coupling lever and thus the rotation axes 7.4/8.3 of the drive wheel and driver head respectively therefore remain at the first position, which leads to the driver head 8.1 continuing to catch the date wheel 4 by exactly one position per complete orbit, just as if the roller 7.2 were not to be located at the recess 4.3 of the running track 4.2.

[0075] However, if the coupling pin 7.1 lies in the region of a segment which has the smaller of the two radii, then as soon as the roller comes into the region of the recess 4.3 of the running track 4.2, the coupling pin cannot prevent a positional change of the coupling lever 7. The coupling lever rotates about its rotation axis 7.8 on account of this, and the rotation axes 7.4/8.3 of the drive wheel and of the driver head respectively displace in the direction of the date wheel 4. The latter leads to the enlargement of the overlap of the path, on which the driver heads moves and the path, on which the 31 teeth of the date wheel are arranged.

[0076] A fixation opening 7.8 and a further coupling pin 7.9 are moreover represented in FIG. 7. The axis of the fixation opening coincides with the rotation axis of the coupling lever and with that of the gear wheel 15 which e.g. is shown in FIG. 2 and which accomplishes the coupling of the annual calendar to the movement. By way of this design, it is ensured that the gear wheel 15 on the one hand has an interaction with the movement itself and on the other hand with the drive wheel, said interaction being independent of the assumed position of the coupling lever 7.

[0077] The interaction between the driver head 8.1 and the date wheel 4 in particular is effected by way of the circle, on which the drive head moves and the circle, on which the 31 teeth of the date wheel are arranged, partially overlapping so that the driver head meshes with a tooth of the date wheel and catches this with its further advance on its circular path. If, in the second position of the driving device, the overlap of the paths is larger, then the stretch, over which the date wheel is caught, increases accordingly: the date wheel is adjusted by two units.

[0078] Due to this mechanism, the recess 4.3 and the roller 7.2 are designed such that the driver head catches the date wheel by two units at the end of the 30th day of a month, said month being identified as a month with 30 days via the month cam disc 6. After this one day, the roller leaves the recess 4.3 again, by which means the driver head again assumes the position which is retracted with respect to the date wheel. By way of this, given its subsequent interaction with the date wheel, the driver head catches this date wheel again by only one position.

[0079] The driver head is mounted in a radially resilient manner, in order to compensate the different distances to the date wheel in the first and second position. In the represented embodiment, this is realised by way of the connection between the driver head 8.1 and the rotation pivot 8.4 of the driver head being designed in an elastically deformable manner. This permits the driver head to temporarily displace its position in the direction of its rotation axis, should an accordingly directed force be exerted upon the driver head by the date wheel.

[0080] The driver head can moreover be designed such that an alignment of the driver head which is changed relative to the teeth of the date wheel and which is caused by the position of its rotation axis cannot lead to a jamming.

[0081] A further advantage of a radially resilient mounting of the driver head is the fact that the driver head is pressed in between the teeth of the date wheel due to a suitable design of the resilient mounting. Relative position errors between the date wheel and the driving device, with regard to the relative position of their rotation axes as well as to the angular positions of the date wheel and the driver head can be corrected by way of this.

[0082] The mechanism which has just been described and which forms the basis of the device is drawn step for step in the FIGS. 4a-4f As already mentioned, the length of the month is coded by way of a segmenting of the cam disc 6. In the represented embodiment, a segment with the greater radius represents a month with 31 days and a segment with the smaller radius represents a month with 30 days. If the larger radius is specified by H and the smaller radius by L, the month cam disc comprises the following radii sequence for the months of January to December: HLHLHLHHLHLH.

[0083] FIG. 4a shows the initial position on the 29th day of a month having 30 days. The roller 7.2 is still located before the recess 4.3, by which means a switching of the coupling lever is prevented, although the coupling pin 7.1 would not prevent such a switching. By way of this, the rotation axis 8.3 of the driver head 8.1 remains in the position which is retracted with respect to the date wheel 4, and the driver head catches the date wheel by only one position in the upcoming interaction.

[0084] FIG. 4b shows the situation on the 30th day of a month having 30 days. Since the coupling pin 7.1 is located over a segment of the cam disc 6 which has a smaller radius, a running of the roller 7.2 into the recess 4.3 is not prevented. The coupling lever consequently rotates, and the rotation axis 8.3 of the driving device changes into the position which is closer to the date wheel. This leads to the driver head catching the date wheel by two positions in the upcoming interaction.

[0085] FIG. 4c shows the situation on the first day of the subsequent month. The roller 7.2 has left the recess 4.3 again. The coupling lever has consequently rotated back into its initial position, by which means the rotation axis 8.3 of the driving device again assumes the position which is retracted with respect to the date wheel.

[0086] FIG. 4d shows the situation on the 30th day of a month with 31 days. Since it is a month with 31 days, the coupling pin 7.1 is located over a segment of the cam disc 6 which has a larger radius. A switching of the coupling lever and therewith of the rotation axis of the driving device is prevented by way of the coupling pin lying on the segment.

[0087] FIG. 4e shows the situation on the 31st day of a month having 31 days. The coupling pin 7.1 as well as the roller 7.2 now prevent a switching of the coupling lever, by which means the rotation pivot or axis 8.4 of the driver device remains in the position which is retracted with respect to the date wheel 4. On this day, the driving head 8.1 therefore catches the date wheel 4 by only one position, to the next day of the subsequent month.

[0088] The watch comprises a mechanism which permits a decoupling of the date display and its drive by the movement, for setting the date for the first time which is to say for resetting the date, e.g. after the watch not having been used for a long time, as well as for setting the date at the end of February, by the user. The elements which in an exemplary embodiment effect the transfer of the control over the date display from the drive wheel 8 to the setting gear wheel 11 are likewise represented in FIG. 2. This mechanism is now explained by way of the detailed views which are shown in FIGS. 3a-3c.

[0089] In the shown embodiment, the mechanism is based on a decoupling lever 9 (FIG. 3a) which at the end 9.1 which is situated towards the coupling lever 7 comprises two surfaces which are angled to one another. One of these two surfaces in accordance with its function is hereinafter called the coupling surface 9.5 and the other is called a decoupling surface 9.6. The decoupling lever moreover comprises a coupling pin 9.3 which is situated towards a setting device 13, laterally a spring leaf 9.2 and a fixation opening 9.7, wherein the centre of the fixation opening coincides with the rotation axis of the decoupling lever. The mechanism finally comprises a deflecting element 10.

[0090] FIG. 3b shows the situation, in which the date detail is controlled by the mechanical annual calendar. The setting device 13 here is in its basic position, in which it is recessed maximally into the casing. In this position, the deflecting element 10 and the decoupling lever 9 assume an alignment which leads to a decoupling pin 7.5 which is attached on the lower side of a foot part 7.7 of the coupling lever 7 lying on the coupling surface 9.5 (see also FIGS. 7 and 3.c).

[0091] FIG. 3c shows the mechanism which leads to the control over the date display changing from the movement to the setting device 13. The arrows which are drawn in FIG. 3c here indicate directions of movements, said movements being able to be carried out by the respective elements during the steps i to vi. The pulling of the setting device 13 (step i) out of the casing 14 in the radial direction up to a stop or latching point (not shown) leads to the deflecting element 10 pressing the coupling pin 9.3 in the direction of the centre of the watch (step ii), and the end 9.1 of the decoupling lever which is situated towards the coupling lever rotating radially outwards (step iii). The decoupling pin 7.5 changes from the coupling surface 9.5 onto the decoupling surface 9.3 by way of this, which leads to the rotation axis 8.3 of the driver head 8.1 which is located on the coupling lever 7 distancing itself so far from the date wheel (step iv), that the path, on which the driver head moves and the circle, on which the 31 teeth of the date wheel are arranged no longer overlapping. The date display is consequently decoupled from the drive wheel and therefore from the movement. The setting gear wheel 11 which is shown in FIG. 2 comes into contact with the display toothed ring 1 and with the thread of the setting device 13, simultaneously with the decoupling of the date display and the drive wheel. By way of this, it is possible to rotate the date forwards as well as backwards (step vi) by way of rotating the setting device (step v).