Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G04—HOROLOGY
  • G04B—MECHANICALLY-DRIVEN CLOCKS OR WATCHES; MECHANICAL PARTS OF CLOCKS OR WATCHES IN GENERAL; TIME PIECES USING THE POSITION OF THE SUN, MOON OR STARS
  • G04B19/00—Indicating the time by visual means
  • G04B19/22—Arrangements for indicating different local apparent times; Universal time pieces
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G04—HOROLOGY
  • G04B—MECHANICALLY-DRIVEN CLOCKS OR WATCHES; MECHANICAL PARTS OF CLOCKS OR WATCHES IN GENERAL; TIME PIECES USING THE POSITION OF THE SUN, MOON OR STARS
  • G04B19/00—Indicating the time by visual means
  • G04B19/22—Arrangements for indicating different local apparent times; Universal time pieces
  • G04B19/223—Arrangements for indicating different local apparent times; Universal time pieces with rotary disc, rotary bezel, or rotary dial

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a timepiece, called universal, whose dial allows to quickly read the time of different time zones. It relates more particularly to such a timepiece comprising a first dial bearing geographical indications corresponding to different time zones and defining a 24-hour turn, and comprising a second dial carrying a 24-hour turn, the second dial being concentrically movable to the first dial and being arranged to be rotated at the rate of a turn in 24 hours by the movement of the timepiece, the hourly indications being arranged opposite the geographical indications of the first dial to indicate local hours .
• the Swiss patent CH 270 ⁇ 85 in particular describes a universal watch which comprises a fixed central dial of twelve hours above which are turned in a conventional manner hour hands minutes and seconds. A first twenty-four hour ring dial is rotatably mounted around the central dial. This annular dial is arranged to be driven by the movement, in the opposite direction of the hands of the watch, to the rhythm of a turn in twenty-four hours. It is still synchronized with the needles so that the passage of indications 1 2 hours and 24 hours in positon "twelve hours' of the watch is made at the moment when the hands are superimposed at twelve o'clock.
• a second annular dial bearing geographical indications corresponding to the time zones is rotatably mounted around the first annular dial. It is arranged to be moved manually by means of a ring whose rod ends with a conical pinion meshing with a peripheral toothing of the second annular dial.
• a problem with this type of universal watches is the transition from winter time to summer time and vice versa. Indeed, because of this change of time biannual, the time difference between two places is not always constant. On the contrary, when the time change does not take place at the same time in the two locations considered, the change of seasonal time is accompanied by variations in the time difference. This is usually the case, in particular, where both locations are, one in the northern hemisphere and the other in the southern hemisphere. Moreover, it is, of course, always the case when the country where one of the places is located does not practice summer time, while the country of the other place practices it.
• An object of the present invention is to overcome the disadvantages of the aforementioned prior art.
• the present invention achieves this goal by providing a universal timepiece in accordance with the appended claim 1.
• FIG. 1 is a plan view from the dial side of a universal watch according to a particular embodiment of the invention.
• FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of Figure 1, showing in particular the first and the second dial;
• FIG. 3 is a plan view from the bottom side of the watch of FIG. 1, the watch being partially disassembled to allow the programming disc to be seen;
• FIG. 4 is a sectional view along A-A of Figure 1;
• FIG. 5 is a view similar to that of FIG. 3, the programming disk, the toothed sectors and the jumpers having also been removed so as to show the support of the first dial;
• Figure 6 is a view similar to that of Figure 5 also showing the toothed sectors and jumpers:
• FIG. 7 and 8 are two schematic exploded views showing the main elements of the watch of fig 1.
• FIG 1 is a plan view from the dial side of a universal watch according to the invention.
• Figures 7 and 8 are two views schematic exploded showing the main elements of this same watch. Referring simultaneously to Figures 1, 7 and 8, it can be seen that the watch shown has a middle part 39 closed on the top by three dial.
• a fixed annular dial 44 which carries a 12 hour turn, and which is arranged to cooperate with hour and minute hands respectively referenced 41 and 42.
• the annular dial 44 surrounds a first dial 3 formed by a dial support (or board) 9 which here has the shape of a disc and which carries mobile dial sectors (1 1 to 1 5).
• the first dial 3 is provided with geographical indications 5 which go around the dial and which correspond to the 24 time zones of the planet.
• the first dial has a second central dial (referenced 7) concentrically arranged at the first dial.
• the second dial carries a 24-hour tour designed to cooperate with the geographical indications of the first dial to indicate local times.
• the second dial 7 is arranged to be rotated by the movement 46 of the watch in the opposite direction of the needles. Note that according to other embodiments, the second dial could just as well turn in the same direction as the hands. In this case, the order of succession of hours on the turn of hours of the dial 7 would also be reversed.
• the first dial 3 is arranged to be manually controlled in rotation by a manual control member operable from outside the middle part. This control member comprises a ring 53 integral with a pinion 55.
• the pinion 55 is arranged to mesh with a peripheral edge toothing 57 of the support 9. It will be understood that this arrangement allows the wearer of the watch to rotate the first dial. 3, and therefore the geographical indications 5 it carries, by actuating the crown 53.
• a programming disc 25 which is mounted under the support 9 of the first dial 3, coaxially with the latter.
• the programming disc 25 is part of the manual means which, according to the invention, are arranged to selectively shift some of said geographical indications of 1/24 th of a turn.
• the watch of the illustrated example comprises a dedicated control member in the form of a rotating ring 27 mounted at four o'clock in the middle of the watch.
• the ring 27 is rotationally integral with a pinion 29 arranged inside the watch case.
• the gear 29 engrains with a peripheral toothing 31 of the programming disk 25.
• a jumper spring 51 (FIG. 6) is furthermore arranged to fasten the programming disk of the first dial 3. It should be noted that the jumper 51 must not be too strong. , so that when the ring 27 is actuated, the disk 25 can rotate without driving the dial 3 with him.
• the middle part 39 is also arranged to receive the movement 46 of the watch.
• the movement of the watch comprises a roadway and a concentric hour cannon (not shown) which respectively carry minute hands 42 and hours 41.
• the movement 46 further comprises a 24-hour gun concentric to the axis of the needles and which is arranged to drive the second dial 7 at the rate of a turn in 24 hours.
• An opening 48 is still arranged in the middle part 39 to allow the passage of the winding stem 47 and setting the time of movement.
• This rod ends with a knurled crown 50 ( Figure 1).
• Figure 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of Figure 1, showing in particular the first and second dial (respectively referenced 3 and 7).
• the mobile dial sectors 1 1, 12, 13, 14 and 15 carry some of the geographical indications 5, while other geographical indications are affixed directly to the plate 9 of the dial.
• the board 9 is pierced with a number of oblong openings 17 (better visible in Figure 5) which define arcs of concentric circles to the dial.
• the different sectors 1 1 to 15 are arranged for each slide in one of the oblong apertures, so as to angularly shift is a 1/24 th of a turn with respect to the board 3 of the first dial.
• Geographical indications 5 which are carried by the same mobile dial sector designate places where the passages between summer time and winter time take place on the same date in one direction or the other.
• the dial sector referenced 12 carries, from left to right, the geographical indications "Azores”, “London”, “Geneva” and "Helsinki”.
• Each of these three geographical indications corresponds to a place in the southern hemisphere where, as is well known, the seasons are reversed with respect to the northern hemisphere. For example, in Sydney (dial sector 13) and in southern Australia, daylight saving time is on the first Sunday in October, and the return to winter time is held. the first Sunday of April of the following year. In Auckland (dial sector 14) and in the rest of New Zealand, the summer time changeover takes place on the last Sunday of September, and the return to winter time takes place on the first Sunday. April of the following year. Finally in Rio de Janeiro, (dial sector 1 5), the changeover to daylight saving time takes place the third Sunday in October, and the return to winter time is the third or fourth Sunday of February of the following year.
• the first annular dial 3 still bears, from left to right, the geographical indications "Abidjan”, “Tripoli”, “Pretoria”, “Djibouti”, “Moscow”, “Karachi”, “Dacca” “,” Bangkok “,” Hong Kong “,” Tokyo “,” Brisbane “,” Noumea “,” Midway “,” Samoa “,” Hawaii “,” Gambier Islands “,” Henderson Islands “,” Culiacan “,” Galapagos ",” Lima “,” Caracas “and” wholesome Aires ".
• These last geographical indications correspond to places where one does not practice daylight saving time. As there is therefore no change in seasonal time in these regions, the corresponding geographical indications do not need to be carried by mobile dial sectors, and can therefore be carried directly on board 9 of the first dial.
• FIG. 5 is a view from the bottom side of the watch, the bottom and the movement having been removed so as to provide a bottom view of the board 9 of the dial 3.
• board 9 is pierced with a number of oblong openings 17 which define concentric circle arcs on the dial. In this example, these different arcs are not all subtended by the same circle.
• a first circle underlies four, while the fifth is on a circle of larger diameter.
• the board 9 also carries five small starred mobiles (respectively referenced 19, 20, 21, 22, and 23) each formed of a four-pointed star and a small toothed wheel assembled together. coaxial position.
• the five small starred mobiles are rotatably mounted on the board 9 and, as shown in FIG. 5, the distances separating them from the axis of the watch are all different in the present example.
• the mobile dial sectors 1 1, 12, 13, 14 and 15 are arranged to slide in the openings in an arc of circle 17.
• the mobile dial sectors have feet (not shown) which are inserted into the oblong openings so that the end of the feet comes out under the board of the first dial.
• Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 further showing five tooth sectors (referenced respectively 1 1 A, 1 2A, 13A, 14A and 15A). On the basis of FIG.
• the mobile dial sectors are each secured to one of the toothed sectors via the feet traversing the openings 1 7 in an arc (when the part is assembled time, for example, by first inserting the feet into the openings of the board, and then driving the distal end of each foot into a hole provided for this purpose in one of the toothed sectors).
• each of toothed sectors 1 1 A, 12A, 1 3A, 14A and 15A meshes with the toothing of one of the small starred mobiles (respectively 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23). .
• a rotation of one of the small starred mobiles will have the effect of sliding the corresponding dial sector in one of the openings of the plate of the first dial.
• FIG. 3 is a view similar to those of FIGS. 5 and 6, but in which a programming disc 25 is also shown whose function is to determine the order in which the different mobile dial sectors 1 1, 1 2, 13 , 14 and 15 are operated.
• the programming disk In this view from the bottom side of the watch, the programming disk almost completely hides the board 9 of the first dial, of which only the peripheral toothing 57 is visible. It will be further understood that the toothed sectors 1 1 A, 1 2A, 1 3A, 14A and 15A and the small starred mobiles 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23 which are arranged between the programming disk 25 is the plate 9 are not not visible either in Figure 3.
• the programming disc has ten pins referenced 19H, 19E, 20H, 20E, 21E, 21H, 22E, 22H, 23E and 23H.
• the lugs are arranged on the face of the programming disc 25 facing the board 9, and that they are therefore not visible strictly speaking in Figure 3.
• the lugs are driven in holes in the programming disk. These are in fact the holes in which the lugs are driven which are visible in Figure 3.
• the ring 27 is integral in rotation with a pinion 29 arranged inside the watch case.
• the pinion 29 engrains with a peripheral toothing 31 of the programming disc 25.
• the programming disk is provided to turn in the same direction as the clockwise hands when it is actuated. Means known to those skilled in the art (not shown) are also preferably provided to prevent the rotation of the programming disc in the opposite direction of the hands of the watch. It will be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the case where the programming disc is to be actuated in the clockwise direction. On the contrary, according to other embodiments, the programming disk could be arranged to turn in the opposite direction of the clock when it is actuated. In this case, the lugs would be arranged in a different configuration on the disk.
• the respective distances separating the ten lugs from the axis of the watch are all different.
• these distances are increasing in the order of the lugs 19H, 19E, 20H, 20E, 21E, 21H, 22E, 22H, 23E and, finally, 23H.
• the wearer of the watch rotates the programming disc 25 by actuating the control member 27, each of the lugs carried by the disc move in a circular path whose radius is equal to the distance separating this lug from the axis needles of the watch. It has already been noted above that the distances separating the five stellar mobiles from the axis of the watch are also all different.
• every mobile starry is arranged in such a way that its star intercepts the trajectory of two precise pins.
• the starry mobile 19 is arranged to intercept the circular trajectories of the lugs 1 9H and 19E
• the starred mobile 20 is arranged to intercept the trajectories of the lugs 20H and 20E, and so on.
• the lug 19H is situated slightly closer to the axis of the hands of the watch than is the axis of the starred mobile 19. Thus, it will be understood that when the lug 19H turns and meets the star of the mobile 19, it rotates it a quarter of a turn in the opposite direction to the direction of rotation of the programming disk. Conversely, the lug 1 9E is located slightly farther from the axis of the needles of the watch than is the starred mobile 19. Thus, when the lug 1 9E meets the star of the mobile 19, it does so rotate in the same direction as the programming disc.
• the toothing of the toothed sector 1 1 A is an internal toothing (in other words, turned towards the axis of the needles).
• the lugs are arranged on the programming disk 25 in such a way that each encounter of one of the lugs with a star-shaped mobile corresponds to a different angular position of the disk. programming.
• the relation between the position of the lugs and that of the starred mobiles is such that the lugs intervene in the order 23H, 19E, 20E, 21H, 22H, 22E, 21E, 23E, 20H and, finally, 19H, when the programming disc is rotating in the clockwise direction.

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• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Electromechanical Clocks (AREA)
• Electric Clocks (AREA)

Priority Applications (1)

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• 2012
  • 2012-03-15 WO PCT/EP2012/054590 patent/WO2012123550A2/fr active Application Filing
  • 2012-03-15 CH CH01571/13A patent/CH706348B1/fr not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2012-03-15 CN CN201280013259.9A patent/CN103534653B/zh active Active
  • 2012-03-15 US US14/004,602 patent/US9116507B2/en active Active
  • 2012-03-15 JP JP2013558444A patent/JP5663675B2/ja active Active
  • 2012-03-15 RU RU2013145937/12A patent/RU2598558C2/ru not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2012-03-15 EP EP12710477.6A patent/EP2686742B1/de active Active
• 2014
  • 2014-07-21 HK HK14107383.4A patent/HK1194156A1/zh unknown

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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