Horology: time measuring systems or devices – Escapements – With oscillating or reciprocating means
Reexamination Certificate
2002-01-15
2003-02-18
Miska, Vit (Department: 2841)
Horology: time measuring systems or devices
Escapements
With oscillating or reciprocating means
C368S140000, C368S169000, C368S175000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06520674
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mechanical timepiece having a position-detecting device structured to detect a position of the mechanical timepiece and control rotation of the balance with hairspring based on a result of the position detection.
2. Background Information
(Conventional Mechanical Timepiece Structure)
In the conventional mechanical timepiece, as shown in FIG.
28
and
FIG. 29
, the mechanical-timepiece movement
1100
(mechanical body) has a main plate
1102
constituting a base plate for the movement. A hand setting stem
1110
is rotatably assembled in a hand-setting-stem guide hole
1102
a
of the main plate
1102
. A dial
1104
(shown by the virtual line in
FIG. 29
) is attached to the movement
1100
.
Generally, of the both sides of a main plate, the side having a dial is referred to as a “back side” of the movement and the opposite side to the side having the dial as a “front side”. The train wheel assembled on the “front side” of the movement is referred to as a “front train wheel” and the train wheel assembled on the “back side” of the movement is as a “back train wheel”.
Furthermore, the state of directing up a side having the dial is referred to as a “back horizontal state” and the state of directing down the side having the dial is referred to as a “horizontal-state”.
Furthermore, the state of placing the dial vertical is referred to as a “standing position”, the state of placing the dial 12:00 division vertically above is referred to as a “12:00 up (12U) position”, the state of placing the dial 3:00 division vertically above is referred to as a “13:00 up (3U) position”, the state of placing the dial 6:00 division vertically above is referred to as a “6:00 up (6U) position”, and the state of placing the dial 9:00 division vertically above is referred to as a “9:00 up (9U) position”.
The hand setting stem
1110
is determined in axial position by a switch device including a setting lever
1190
, a yoke
1192
, a yoke spring
1194
and a back holder
1196
. A winding pinion
1112
is rotatably provided on a guide axis portion of the hand setting stem
1110
. When rotating the hand setting stem
1110
in a state the hand setting stem
1110
is in a first hand-setting-stem position closest to an inward of the movement along a rotation axis direction (0 stage), the winding pinion
1112
rotates through rotation of the clutch wheel. A crown wheel
1114
rotates due to rotation of the winding pinion
1112
. A ratchet wheel
1116
rotates due to rotation of the crown wheel
1114
. By rotating the ratchet wheel
1116
, a mainspring
1122
accommodated in a barrel complete
1120
is wound up. A center wheel and pinion
1124
rotates due to rotation of the barrel complete
1120
. An escape wheel and pinion
1130
rotates through rotation of a fourth wheel and pinion
1128
, third wheel and pinion
1126
and center wheel and pinion
1124
. The barrel complete
1120
, center wheel and pinion
1124
, third wheel and pinion
1126
and fourth wheel and pinion
1128
constitutes a front train wheel.
An escapement/speed-control device for controlling rotation of the front train wheel includes a balance with hairspring
1140
, an escape wheel and pinion
1130
and pallet fork
1142
. The balance with hairspring
1140
includes a balance stem
1140
a
, a balance wheel
1140
b
and a stud mainspring
1140
c
. Based on the center wheel and pinion
1124
, an hour pinion
1150
rotates simultaneously. A minute hand
1152
attached on the hour wheel
1150
indicates “minute”. The hour pinion
1150
is provided with a slip mechanism for the center wheel and pinion
1124
. Based on rotation of the hour pinion
1150
, an hour wheel
1154
rotates through rotation of a minute wheel. An hour hand
1156
attached on the hour wheel
1154
indicates “hour”.
The barrel complete
1120
is rotatably supported relative to the main plate
1102
and barrel bridge
1160
. The center wheel and pinion
1124
, the third wheel and pinion
1126
, the fourth wheel and pinion
1128
and the escape wheel and pinion
1130
are rotatably supported relative to the main plate
1102
and train wheel bridge
1162
. The pallet fork
1142
is rotatably supported relative to the main plate
1102
and pallet fork bridge
1164
. The balance with hairspring
1140
is rotatably supported relative to the main plate
1102
and balance bridge
1166
.
The stud mainspring
1140
c
is a thin leaf spring in a spiral (helical) form having a plurality of turns. The stud mainspring
1140
c
at an inner end is fixed to a stud ball
1140
d
fixed on the balance stem
1140
a
, and the stud mainspring
1140
c
at an outer end is fixed by screwing through a stud support
1170
a
attached to a stud bridge
1170
fixed on the balance bridge
1166
.
A regulator
1168
is rotatably attached on the balance bridge
1166
. A stud bridge
1168
a
and a stud rod
1168
b
are attached on the regulator
1168
. The stud mainspring
1140
c
has a near-outer-end portion positioned between the stud bridge
1168
a
and the stud rod
1168
b.
(Conventional Mechanical Timepiece Mainspring Torque and Balance with Hairspring Swing Angle)
Generally, in the conventional representative mechanical timepiece, as shown in
FIG. 30
, the torque on the mainspring decreases while being rewound as the sustaining time elapses from a state the mainspring is fully wound (full winding state). For example, in the case of
FIG. 30
, the mainspring torque in the full winding state is about 27 g·cm, which become about 23 g·cm at a lapse of 20 hours from the full winding state and about 18 g·cm at a lapse of 40 hours from the full winding state.
Generally, in the conventional representative mechanical timepiece, as shown in
FIG. 31
, the decrease of mainspring torque also decreases a swing angle of the balance with hairspring. For example, in the case of
FIG. 31
, the swing angle of the balance with hairspring is approximately 240 to 270 degrees when the mainspring torque is 25 to 28 g·cm while the swing angle of the balance with hairspring is approximately 180 to 240 degrees when the mainspring torque is 20 to 25 g·cm.
(Conventional Mechanical Timepiece Instantaneous Watch Error)
Referring to
FIG. 32
, there is shown transition of an instantaneous watch error (numeral value indicative of timepiece accuracy) against a swing angle of a balance with hairspring in the conventional representative mechanical timepiece. Here, “instantaneous watch error” refers to “a value representative of fast or slow of a mechanical timepiece at a lapse of one day on the assumption that the mechanical timepiece is allowed to stand while maintaining a state or environment of a swing angle of a balance with hairspring upon measuring a watch error”. In the case of
FIG. 32
, the instantaneous watch error delays when the swing angle of the balance with hairspring is 240 degrees or greater or 200 degrees or smaller.
For example, in the conventional representative mechanical timepiece, as shown in
FIG. 32
, the instantaneous watch error is about 0 to 5 seconds per day (about 0 to 5 second fast per day) when the swing angle of the balance with hairspring is about 200 to 240 degrees while the instantaneous watch error becomes about −20 seconds per day (about 20 seconds slow per day) when the swing angle of the balance with hairspring is about 170 degrees.
Referring to
FIG. 27
, there is shown a transition of an instantaneous watch error and a lapse time upon rewinding the mainspring from a full winding state in the conventional representative mechanical timepiece. Here, in the conventional mechanical timepiece, the “watch error” indicative of timepiece advancement per day or timepiece delay per day is shown by a bold thin line in
FIG. 27
, which is obtainable by integrating over 24 hours an instantaneous watch error against a lapse time of rewinding the mainspring from the full winding.
Generally, in the conventional mechanical timepiece, the instantaneous watch error slows down because the mainspring torque decreases and
Adams & Wilks
Miska Vit
Seiko Instruments Inc.
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