Horology: time measuring systems or devices – Chronological – With power monitor
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-29
2003-01-14
Miska, Vit (Department: 2841)
Horology: time measuring systems or devices
Chronological
With power monitor
C368S203000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06507537
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a power reserve mechanism and indicator unit for same and, more particularly, to a power reserve mechanism and indicator unit for same which indicates a power storage amount using two indicator hands and the like.
2. Background of the Invention
FIG. 6
is a sectional view showing a train wheel structure of a power reserve structure.
FIG. 7
is a top view showing the train wheel of the power reserve structure shown in FIG.
6
. The power reserve mechanism
500
train wheel is structured by a barrel complete
501
accommodating a spiral spring as a power source, a ratchet wheel
502
arranged on a dial side of the barrel complete
501
, a intermediate planetary wheel gear
503
in mesh with the barrel complete
501
, a planetary wheel
504
rotatably arranged in an eccentric part of the intermediate planetary wheel gear
503
, a planetary wheel gear
505
and planetary pinion
506
fixed to the planetary wheel
504
in a form sandwiching the intermediate planetary wheel gear
503
, a sun wheel
507
in mesh with the planetary pinion
506
of the planetary wheel
504
, on the other hand a second sun wheel
508
in mesh with the planetary wheel gear
505
of the planetary wheel
504
, a intermediate indicator wheel
510
in mesh with the sun pinion
509
of the sun wheel
507
, a indicator wheel
512
in mesh with the intermediate indicator pinion
511
of the intermediate indicator wheel
510
, and a intermediate planetary wheel
514
in mesh with the ratchet wheel
502
and the second sun wheel gear
513
of the second sun wheel
508
.
A reference numeral
515
is an indication degree determining pin. The intermediate indicator wheel
510
is structured to slip at a contact point when a predetermined difference of torque is caused between the intermediate indicator wheel gear
5101
and the intermediate indicator wheel pinion
511
. The indicator wheel
512
is provided with a fan-shaped cutout
516
to view the indication degree determining pin
515
. The indication degree determining pin
515
is secured to a second wheel train bridge
601
to regulate an angle of rotation of the indicator wheel
512
.
Next, the operation of the power reserve mechanism will be explained. When spring power to the spiral spring, the ratchet wheel
502
is first rotated through a crown, winding stem and crown wheel from an outside. Because the intermediate planetary wheel gear
503
is regulated in rotation by the barrel complete
501
, the same intermediate planetary wheel gear
503
is a substantially fixing gear. The rotation of ratchet wheel
502
is transmitted through the intermediate planetary wheel
514
, second sun gear
508
, planetary gear
504
, sun gear
507
, intermediate indicator wheel
510
and indicator wheel
512
, in this order. This causes the indicator wheel
512
to rotate leftward (reverse to a rotation direction in usual hand movement). The rotation of indicator wheel
512
causes the indicator hand
517
mounted on the indicator wheel
512
to rotate in a spiral spring power storing direction.
If the spiral spring achieves a fully wound state, the fan-shaped cutout
516
of the indicator wheel
512
and the indication degree determining pin
515
are brought into engagement to thereby regulate rotation of the indicator wheel
512
. In this case, slip occurs at a contact plane between the intermediate indicator wheel gear
5101
and the intermediate indicator wheel pinion
510
. Due to this, even if the crown is excessively wound, the indicator hand
517
is unchanged in position without imposing a load onto the train wheel.
Next, during usual movement of the hands, the power on the barrel complete
501
is transmitted from the barrel complete gear
5011
to the intermediate planetary wheel gear
503
. On the other hand, the second sun wheel
508
coaxial to the intermediate planetary wheel gear
503
is in mesh with the ratchet wheel
502
through the intermediate planetary wheel
514
. Because this ratchet wheel
502
is out of rotation during usual hand movement, the second sun wheel
508
is a fixing gear. Consequently, when the intermediate planetary gear wheel
503
rotates, the planetary wheel
504
of the intermediate planetary wheel gear
503
makes movement of rotation and revolution along the second sun wheel
508
. Because the sun wheel gear
5072
and the planetary pinion
506
are secured on a sun stem
5071
and in mesh with each other, the rotation of planetary wheel
504
is transmitted to the indicator wheel
512
through the sun wheel gear
5072
, sun stem
5071
, sun pinion
509
and intermediate indicator wheel
510
. The rightward rotation of indicator wheel
512
also rotates rightward the indicator hand
517
mounted on the indicator wheel
512
. It will be understood that as this indicator hand
517
rotates rightward the power storage amount on the spiral spring decreases.
However, the prior art power reserve mechanism
500
using the planetary wheel gear mechanism comprising the planetary wheel
504
, etc. have involved the following problems:
(1) cost increase because of increased number of movement parts,
(2) difficult and troublesome assembling because of increased number of movement assembling steps;
(3) reduced freedom in method of indicating a spiral spring power storage amount,
(4) much sectional space required.
Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above, and it is an object to provide a power reserve mechanism and indicator unit thereof which is
(1) capable of reducing the number of parts,
(2) easy to assemble,
(3) obtain a freedom of a method of indicating a spiral spring power storage amount,
(4) capable of reducing sectional space.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to achieve the above object, a power reserve mechanism comprises: a first power reserve wheel for obtaining rotation of a ratchet wheel through a train wheel; a first indicator member attached on the first power reserve wheel; a second power reserve wheel for obtaining rotation of a barrel complete through a train wheel; a second indicator member attached on the second power reserve wheel to change relative to the first indicator member; wherein a spiral spring power storage amount is indicated by a difference between the first indicator member and the second indicator member.
That is, a spiral spring power storage amount is indicated by a relative change of the first indicator member and the second indicator member. Where a remaining amount is indicated by one indicator member (indicator hand) as in the conventional, there is a need to rotate the one indicator member in respective directions thereby requiring a planetary gear mechanism. However, indication by a mere relative change requires rotation only in one direction. Accordingly, a planetary gear mechanism is not necessary. Also, the structure is simple because only relative change is made by the two indicator members. As a result, the number of parts can be reduced and assembling is facilitated. Also, indicator freedom increases. Furthermore, because it is possible to structure by simple two train wheels, space efficiency is good due to the planar structure.
An indicator unit of the power reserve mechanism is disposed coaxially relative to the first power reserve wheel connected to the first indicator member and the second power reserve wheel connected to the second indicator member, so that a spiral spring power storage amount is indicated by a difference between the first indicator member and the second indicator member. By this construction, it is possible to determine a spiral spring power storage amount from the relative position relationship between both indicator members. Furthermore, in order to transmit rotation to the indicator members, separate train wheels may be connected respectively from the ratchet wheel and the barrel complete.
In another a power reserve mechanism comprises: a first power reserve wheel for obtaining rotation of a ratchet wheel through a train wheel; a first indicator hand attach
Adams & Wilks
Miska Vit
Seiko Instruments Inc.
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