Horology: time measuring systems or devices – With calendar indicator
Patent
1994-05-28
1995-11-21
Miska, Vit W.
Horology: time measuring systems or devices
With calendar indicator
368 18, G04B 1924, G04C 314
Patent
active
054694108
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
At the present time there are on the market multifunctional analog hand watches, comprising several stepping motors independently driving several gear trains. In the most simple version, two motors drive two hands, but one could also have three, four or five motors each driving one or even several hands, likewise combinations with digital displays. This is the case, for example, with the clockwork-movements 251.262 and 251.272 which have already been marketed for several years by ETA in Grenchen (Switzerland), and also the clockwork-movement disclosed in patent EP A O 247.520, corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 4,748,603.
These configurations allow a number of additional functions, over and above classical timekeeping functions, to be displayed simultaneously or successively, for example the hours, minutes and seconds of a chronograph function.
Another of the most prevalent additional functions is without doubt the date. This date function can be simple, semi-perpetual, or perpetual. In the latter case, in addition to the date, it is necessary to program the month and leap year. Moreover, the date can be complemented by the display of the phases of the moon.
One of the principal difficulties is to display clearly the number of days in the month which can vary from 28 to 31, which presupposes, particularly in the case of an analog hand display, a special scale often difficult to read, as can be seen in the above mentioned patent.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention concerns a watch with a particularly easy to read date display, this display being able to be used temporarily for the display of the month or time in a 24 hour system. This watch with a date function comprising at least several display mobiles driven completely independently of each other by at least several stepping motors is characterised in that it comprises electronic means arranged in such a way as to display the date by means of two scales placed on two distinct dials, tens being displayed on a first dial by a first of said display mobiles driven by a first motor, and units on a second dial by a second of said display mobiles driven by a second motor.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 shows by way of example a watch according to the invention with display of the day and leap year.
FIG. 2 shows schematically by way of example one part of the electronic means of a watch according to the invention.
FIG. 3 shows by way of example a watch according to the invention to which displays of the month and phases of the moon have been added.
FIG. 4 shows by way of example a particular arrangement of a display mobile in which the hand has been replaced by a disc bearing a scale.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 1 shows by way of example a watch comprising hour hands (1) and minute hands (2) in addition to two hands (3 and 4) operating on two separate dials at 2 o'clock and at 10 o'clock to display the additional functions. These four hands are independent of each other and form as many display mobiles, each driven through a gear train by their own stepping motor, the position of each of these hands being governed directly by the electronic circuit.
In the configuration shown in FIG. 1, the hand (3) which makes 24 steps each turn, displays simultaneously the tens of the date and the leap year on one dial. This dial has a double scale formed by four segments numbered from 0 to 3 (6), each segment comprising an internal scale with four positions (7). The hand (3) thus indicates simultaneously the tens of the days in the corresponding segment, that is 2 in the case of FIG. 1, and the leap year in the internal scale of the segment. The hand (4) for its part indicates the units of the days on a scale of 0 to 9 (8). Thus, in the example in FIG. 1, the 23rd day of the month in a leap year is displayed. This particular design arrangement of the date display on two display mobiles allows a particularly accurate reading.
In order to proceed to the programming of a perpetual date, it is also necessary to
REFERENCES:
patent: 2764828 (1956-10-01), Wolaver
patent: 2976672 (1961-03-01), Ducommun
patent: 3477222 (1969-11-01), Leung et al.
patent: 4748603 (1988-05-01), Ray et al.
patent: 5327401 (1994-07-01), Besson et al.
Eta SA Fabriques d'Ebauches
Miska Vit W.
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