Horology: time measuring systems or devices – Time interval – Electrical or electromechanical
Reexamination Certificate
2001-11-16
2003-07-22
Miska, Vit (Department: 2859)
Horology: time measuring systems or devices
Time interval
Electrical or electromechanical
C368S113000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06597637
ABSTRACT:
The present invention concerns an electronic analogue chronograph watch including at least a first motor driving hands for displaying the current time, at least a second motor driving at least a chronograph hand, a stem-crown for adjusting or setting the current time and two push-buttons for controlling the chronograph functions, the watch including two operating modes for the chronograph, the first of these modes being the current operating mode wherein the chronograph fulfils the start, stop, zero reset and intermediate time measuring functions, the second operating mode being a mode for adjusting the rest position of the chronograph hand.
A well known problem for this type of watch lies in the fact that the additional hands, which fulfil the chronograph functions, are capable of shifting from the zero position which they should normally indicate when they are in their rest position. This situation generally occurs during manufacturing before the battery is set in place or, subsequently, when the battery has to be replaced or simply removed.
Solutions have been proposed in the prior art to overcome this problem, as in European Patent No. 0 493 613 which discloses an electronic multi-functional watch with an analogue display, having in particular a chronograph function. In a variant, this watch includes three display hands respectively for the hours, minutes and seconds of the current time. The rest position of these hands is adjusted by combined use of a stem-crown having several axial positions and push-buttons. The stem-crown, which includes contacts on its stem, acts as a switch which opens and closes circuits due to the contacts when the crown is pulled out into its different axial positions. In the end axial position, one of the contacts establishes an electric connection between two parts of a circuit used to correct the position of the hands. The watch is then in the hand rest position adjustment mode, and applications of pressure to a first push-button allow the position of a first of these hands to be adjusted, while the position of the two other hands is adjusted using two other push-buttons.
However, this solution has certain drawbacks. In particular, the watch has to be provided with as many push-buttons as there are hands to be adjusted.
Swiss Patent No. 685 467 attempts to overcome these drawbacks by proposing an electronic analogue display multi-functional watch, having in particular a chronograph function, wherein the structure has been simplified to the extreme. The watch disclosed in this document only includes two hands which can act both for indicating the current time and for displaying measured times depending upon the operating mode selected by the user. All the functions or modes of the watch can be accessed by manipulating two control push-buttons, including the hand rest position adjustment function, when the latter are in the display mode corresponding to the chronograph. This structure is advantageous given the reduced number of parts which it requires, however it complicates the use of the watch, insofar as only two buttons provide access to all the functions. Controlling the numerous functions thus gives rise to multiple combinations of short, long or simultaneous applications of pressure on the control buttons. Consequently, unless he has an excellent memory, the user of such a watch has to refer to an instruction manual when he wishes to use a different function to the conventional time setting.
The object of the present invention is thus to provide an electronic chronograph watch with an analogue display, which avoids the aforementioned drawbacks, in particular owing to a simple construction, which is of small thickness and is inexpensive to manufacture, and which also enables the use thereof to be simplified.
The invention thus concerns a watch of the type indicated hereinbefore, characterised in that the two push-buttons are associated with means for accessing the mode for adjusting the rest position of the chronograph hand and for performing said adjustment, and in that said means are activated independently of the position of the stem-crown.
In a particular embodiment, the watch includes at least three chronograph hands capable of displaying measured times on distinct small dials, these chronograph hands preferably being driven by distinct motors.
In a preferred embodiment, means are provided so that a simultaneous application of pressure on both push-buttons causes the watch to pass into the chronograph hand rest position adjustment mode. These means may also be designed such that this passing into adjustment mode is confirmed by a simultaneous rotation of 360 degrees at accelerated speed by the three hands.
These two push-buttons may also be sufficient to perform all the desired operations, by using means such that the function of selecting the chronograph hand whose position has to be adjusted is associated with a first of the buttons, and the function of adjusting the position of the selected chronograph hand by rotation at accelerated speed is associated with the second. The use of such a watch may also be facilitated by making the hand which has just been selected effect a rotation of 360 degrees at accelerated speed. Thus the user selects the chronograph hand whose position he wishes to adjust without any difficulty.
Finally, adjustment of the position of the chronograph hands may be summarized in the steps consisting in:
exerting pressure simultaneously on the two push-buttons to activate the rest position adjustment mode for said chronograph hands,
exerting at least one application of pressure on a first push-button to select the chronograph hand to be adjusted,
exerting discreet applications of pressure or continuous pressure on the second push-button to make the selected hand rotate respectively step by step or at accelerated speed until the desired adjustment is obtained,
beginning again from the second step to adjust the rest position of the other chronograph hands if necessary,
waiting a few seconds or pressing both push-buttons simultaneously to deactivate the chronograph hand rest position adjustment mode.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4537514 (1985-08-01), Moriya
patent: 4623260 (1986-11-01), Kamiyama
patent: 4655606 (1987-04-01), Giger
patent: 5166912 (1992-11-01), Kanesaka
patent: 493613 (1992-08-01), None
patent: 502292 (1992-09-01), None
Eta SA Fabriques d'Ebauches
Miska Vit
Sughrue & Mion, PLLC
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