Horology: time measuring systems or devices – Escapements – With oscillating or reciprocating means
Reexamination Certificate
2001-08-27
2003-04-29
Miska, Vit (Department: 2841)
Horology: time measuring systems or devices
Escapements
With oscillating or reciprocating means
C368S140000, C368S169000, C368S175000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06554468
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mechanical time piece having a balance rotational angle control mechanism constituted to exert a force for restraining rotation of a balance with hairspring.
Particularly, the invention relates to a mechanical time piece having a balance rotational angle control mechanism including a balance magnet provided to a balance with hairspring and a coil arranged to be related to the balance magnet.
2. Background Information
According to a conventional mechanical time piece, as shown in FIG.
13
and
FIG. 14
, 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. 14
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 integrated to the “front side” of the movement is referred to as “front train wheel” and a train wheel integrated to the “back side” of the movement is referred to as “back train wheel”.
A 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) on a side most proximate to the inner side of the movement along the rotational axis line, 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 complete
1120
is wound up. A center wheel & pinion
1124
is rotated by rotation of the barrel complete
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 complete
1120
, the center wheel & pinion
1124
, the third wheel & pinion
1126
and the fourth wheel & pinion
1128
constitute a front train wheel.
An escapement & speed control apparatus for controlling rotation of the front train wheel 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, an hour wheel
1154
is rotated. An hour hand
1156
attached to the hour wheel
1154
displays “hour”.
The barrel complete
1120
is supported rotatably by the main plate
1102
and a barrel bridge
1160
. The center wheel & pinion
1124
, 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. An inner end portion of the hairspring
1140
c
is fixed to a hairspring holder
1140
d
fixed to the balance stem
1140
a
and an outer end portion of the hairspring
1140
c
is fixed via a hairspring stud
1170
a
attached to a stud support
1170
fixed to the balance bridge
1166
by fastening screws.
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.
Generally, according to a conventional representative mechanical timepiece, as shown by
FIG. 8
, with elapse of a duration time period of rewinding the mainspring from a state in which the mainspring has completely been wound up (fully wound state), mainspring torque is reduced. For example, in the case of
FIG. 8
, the mainspring torque is about 27 g.cm in the fully wound state, becomes about 23 g.cm after elapse of 20 hours from the fully wound state and becomes about 18 g.cm after elapse of 40 hours from the fully wound state.
Generally, according to a conventional representative mechanical time piece, as shown by
FIG. 9
, when the mainspring torque is reduced, the swing angle of the balance with hairspring is also reduced. For example, in the case of
FIG. 9
, when the mainspring torque is 25-28 g.cm, the swing angle of the balance with hairspring is about 240-270 degree and when the mainspring torque is 20-25 g.cm, the swing angle of the balance with hairspring is about 180-240 degree.
In reference to
FIG. 10
, there is shown a transitional change of instantaneous rate with regard to swing angle of a balance with hairspring according to a conventional representative mechanical time piece (numerical value indicating accuracy of time piece). In this case, the “instantaneous rate” is defined as “a value indicating gain or loss of a mechanical time piece after elapse of one day after the mechanical time piece is assumed to be left for one day while maintaining state or environment of swing angle of a balance with hairspring or the like when the rate is measured”. In the case of
FIG. 10
, when a swing angle of a balance with hairspring is equal to or larger than 240 degree or is equal to or smaller than 200 degree, the instantaneous rate is retarded.
For example, according to a conventional representative time piece, as shown by
FIG. 10
, when the swing angle of the balance with hairspring falls in a range of about 200 through 240 degree, the instantaneous rate is about 0 through 5 seconds/day (gain of 0 through 5 seconds per day), however, when the swing angle of the balance with hairspring is about 170 degree, the instantaneous rate becomes about −20 seconds/day (loss of about 20 seconds per day).
In reference to
FIG. 12
, there is shown a transitional change of elapse time and instantaneous rate when a mainspring is rewound from a fully wound state in a conventional representative mechanical time piece. In this case, in the conventional mechanical time piece, “rate” indicating gain of the timepiece or loss of the time piece per day, is provided by integrating instantaneous rate with regard to elapse time of rewinding the balance with hairspring from a fully wound state, which is indicated in
FIG. 12
by an extremely slender line, over 24 hours.
Generally, according to the conventional mechanical timepiece, with elapse of duration time period of rewinding the mainspring from the fully wound state, the mainspring torque is reduced, the swing angle of the balance with hairspring is also reduced and accordingly, the instantaneous rate is retarded. Therefore, according to the conventional mechanical timepiece, by estimating loss of the time piece after elapse of the duration time period of 24 hours, instantaneous rate when the mainspring is brought into the fully wound state, is previously gained and previously adjusted such that the “rate” indicating gain of the time piece or l
Jujo Koichiro
Manaka Saburo
Tokoro Takeshi
Adams & Wilks
Miska Vit
Seiko Instruments Inc.
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