Horology: time measuring systems or devices – Oscillating or reciprocating means – Balance wheel type
Reexamination Certificate
2001-04-27
2003-09-02
Martin, David (Department: 2841)
Horology: time measuring systems or devices
Oscillating or reciprocating means
Balance wheel type
C368S127000, C368S140000, C368S169000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06612734
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a mechanical time piece having a hairspring holder adjusting mechanism capable of adjusting a position of a hairspring holder.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
According to a conventional mechanical time piece, as shown in FIG.
6
and
FIG. 7
, a movement (machine body)
1100
of a mechanical time piece is provided with a main plate
1102
constituting a base plate of the movement. A winding stem
1110
is rotatably integrated to a winding stem guide hole
1102
a
of the main plate
1102
. A dial
1104
(shown in
FIG. 7
by an imaginary line) is attached to the movement
1100
.
Generally, in both sides of the main plate, a side thereof having the dial is referred to as “back side” of the movement and a side thereof opposed to the side having the dial is referred to as “front side” of the movement. A train wheel (or wheel train) integrated to the “front side” of the movement is referred to as “front wheel train” and a train wheel integrated to the “back side” of the movement is referred to as “back train wheel” (or “back wheel train”).
The position in the axis line direction of the winding stem
1110
is determined by a switch apparatus including a setting lever
1190
, a yoke
1192
, a yoke spring
1194
and a setting lever jumper
1196
. A winding pinion
1112
is provided rotatably at a guide shaft portion of the winding stem
1110
. When the winding stem
1110
is rotated in the state in which the winding stem
1110
is disposed at a first winding stem position (0-stage) which is the position furthest inward along the stem axis, the winding pinion
1112
is rotated via rotation of a clutch wheel. A crown wheel
1114
is rotated by rotation of the winding pinion
1112
. A ratchet wheel
1116
is rotated by rotation of the crown wheel
1114
. By rotating the ratchet wheel
1116
, a mainspring
1122
contained in a barrel
1120
is wound up. A center wheel & pinion
1124
is rotated by rotation of the barrel
1120
. An escape wheel & pinion
1130
is rotated via rotation of a fourth wheel & pinion
1128
, a third wheel & pinion
1126
and the center wheel & pinion
1124
. The barrel
1120
, the center wheel & pinion
1124
, the third-wheel & pinion
1126
and the fourth wheel & pinion
1128
constitute a front wheel train.
An escapement & speed control apparatus for controlling rotation of the front wheel train includes a balance with hairspring
1140
, the escape wheel & pinion
1130
and a pallet fork
1142
. The balance with hairspring
1140
includes a balance stem
1140
a
, a balance wheel
1140
b
and a hairspring
1140
c
. Based on rotation of the center wheel & pinion
1124
, a cannon pinion
1150
is simultaneously rotated. A minute hand
1152
attached to the cannon pinion
1150
displays “minute”. The cannon pinion
1150
is provided with a slip mechanism relative to the center pinion & wheel
1124
. Based on rotation of the cannon pinion
1150
, via rotation of a minute wheel (not illustrated), an hour wheel
1154
is rotated. An hour hand
1156
attached to the hour wheel
1154
displays “hour”.
The barrel
1120
is supported rotatably by the main plate
1120
and a barrel bridge
1160
. The center wheel & pinion
1124
, and the third wheel & pinion
1126
, the fourth wheel & pinion
1128
and the escape wheel & pinion
1130
are supported rotatably by the main plate
1102
and a train wheel bridge
1162
. The pallet fork
1142
is supported rotatably by the main plate
1102
and a pallet bridge
1164
. The balance with hairspring
1140
is supported rotatably by the main plate
1102
and a balance bridge
1166
.
The hairspring
1140
c
is a leaf spring in a helical (spiral) shape having a plural turn number. The inner end portion of the hairspring
1140
c
is fixed to an inner hairspring holder
1140
d
fixed to the balance stem
1140
a
. A stud support
1170
is rotatably attached to the balance bridge
1166
. The rotational center of the stud support
1170
is the same as the rotational center of the balance with hairspring
1140
.
As shown in FIG.
6
through
FIG. 9
, a hairspring holder
1172
is fixedly screwed to the stud support
1170
by a hairspring holder screw
1174
. The outer end portion of the hairspring
1140
c
is fixed to the hairspring holder
1172
. In a state in which the hairspring holder screw
1174
is loosened, the hairspring holder
1172
can be moved in a direction in parallel with the axis line of the balance with hairspring
1140
.
A regulator
1168
is attached rotatably to the balance bridge
1166
. A hairspring bridge
1168
a
and a hairspring rod
1168
b
are attached to the regulator
1168
. A portion of the hairspring
1140
c
proximate to the outer end portion is disposed between the hairspring bridge
1168
a
and the hairspring rod
1168
b.
However, according to the conventional mechanical time piece, the hairspring holder can be moved only in a direction in parallel with the axis line of the balance with hairspring. Therefore, in fabricating a highly accurate mechanical time piece, it has been difficult to effectively carry out an operation of aligning the rotational center of the balance with hairspring and the center of the hairspring (the so-called operation of “centering of rotation of hairspring”). That is, according to the operation of centering of rotation of the hairspring, there is needed an operation of adjusting the original shape of the hairspring by using hairspring tweezers.
The operation of adjusting the original shape of the hairspring is a very difficult operation even in the case in which an operator having a highly skilled technique carries out the operation. Therefore, there poses a problem in which fabrication of a highly accurate mechanical time piece requires an operator having a highly skilled technique and a long period of time.
It is an object of the invention to provide a mechanical time piece having a hairspring holder adjusting mechanism constituted such that the position of a hairspring holder relative to a rotational center of a balance with hairspring can be adjusted simply and firmly.
It is another object of the invention to provide a highly accurate mechanical time piece capable of easily carrying out adjustment of the original shape of a hairspring and facilitating fabrication thereof.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention, there is provided a mechanical time piece characterized in that in a mechanical time piece having a mainspring constituting a power source of the mechanical time piece, a front wheel train rotated by the rotational force from rewinding the mainspring and an escapement & speed control apparatus for controlling rotation of the front wheel train in which the escapement & speed control apparatus is constituted to include a balance with hairspring alternately repeating right rotation and left rotation, an escape wheel & pinion rotated based on the rotation of the front wheel train and a pallet fork for controlling rotation of the escape wheel & pinion based on an operation of the balance with hairspring, the mechanical time piece comprising a stud holder provided rotatably to a central axis line of a balance with hairspring, a hairspring holder attached to the stud holder to be movable orthogonal to the central axis line of the balance with hairspring, and a hairspring an inner end portion of which is fixed to the balance with hairspring and an outer end portion of which is fixed to the hairspring holder in the mechanical time piece having the mainspring constituting the power source of the mechanical time piece, the front wheel train rotated by the rotational force of rewinding the mainspring and the escapement & speed control apparatus for controlling the rotation of the front wheel train in which the escapement & speed control apparatus is constituted to include the balance with hairspring alternately repeating right rotation and left rotation, the escape wheel & pinion rotated based on the rotation of the front wheel train and the pallet fork for controlling the rotation of the escape wheel & pinion based on
Tokoro Takeshi
Watanabe Mamoru
Adams & Wilks
Goodwin Jeanne-Marguerite
Martin David
Seiko Instruments Inc.
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