Abstract:
A timepiece movement includes a magnetic escapement formed of a magnetic escape wheel with an annular magnetized structure and a pallet fork whose shaft is formed by a ferromagnetic material. The pallet shaft exerts on the escape wheel a magnetic disturbance torque due to the fact that the annular magnetized structure exhibits an angular variation of at least one defining physical parameter thereof, such that the magnetic attraction varies as a function of the angular position of the escape wheel and has a tangential component. A magnetic compensation pin is incorporated in the timepiece movement, this magnetic compensation pin being arranged such that the second magnetic disturbance torque that it exerts on the escape wheel exhibits an angular phase shift relative to the first magnetic disturbance torque generated by the pallet shaft, so as to compensate largely for this first magnetic disturbance torque.
Abstract:
A horological movement includes an escapement with a magnetic system to generate magnetic force impulses, so as to sustain the oscillation of the mechanical resonator associated with the escapement. In order to make possible an effective self-starting of the assembly formed of the mechanical resonator and of the escapement during a winding of the barrel, after a stop of the horological movement due to the unwound barrel spring, the escape wheel includes teeth and the pallet assembly includes two mechanical pallet-stones arranged to receive, upon starting, at least one mechanical force impulse of the escape wheel via one of the teeth thereof, the mechanical force impulse generating a starting force torque on the pallet assembly that is transmitted to the balance of the mechanical resonator to begin an oscillation of the latter so that the assembly can operate normally after a starting phase.
Abstract:
The horological movement includes a mechanical resonator and an escapement including an escapement wheel, which has a plurality of teeth, and an anchor formed by a stick and two arms having respectively two mechanical pallets likely to come into contact, when the anchor is subject to an alternative movement, with any of the teeth according to the angular position of the escapement wheel. To avoid damage to the escapement during rocking of the anchor while the escapement wheel is positioned in an unfavourable angular position, the anchor is arranged, during the rocking of this anchor, to be able to bend being subjected to an elastic deformation. The anchor has an elastic capacity between each of the two mechanical pallets and a fork of the anchor, enabling it to absorb elastically, during the elastic deformation, a maximum mechanical energy that the mechanical resonator can have during the normal functioning of the horological movement.
Abstract:
A method for maintaining and regulating frequency of a timepiece resonator mechanism around its natural frequency, the method including: at least one regulator device acting on the resonator mechanism with a periodic motion, to impose a periodic modulation of resonant frequency or quality factor or a position of a point of rest of the resonator mechanism, with a regulation frequency between 0.9 times and 1.1 times the value of an integer multiple of the natural frequency, the integer being greater than or equal to 2 and less than or equal to 10, and the periodic motion imposes a periodic modulation of the quality factor of the resonator mechanism, by acting on losses and/or damping and/or friction of the resonator mechanism.
Abstract:
A horological movement includes a resonator and an escapement wheel with flexible teeth, and an anchor formed of two mechanical pallets capable of abutting, when the anchor switches between its two rest positions, with any one of the flexible teeth depending on the angular position of the escapement wheel. Each flexible tooth is arranged to bend by undergoing an elastic deformation under a radial force that can be exerted by one of the two mechanical pallets abutting against this flexible tooth while the escapement wheel has an unfavourable angular position and the resonator is braked by the anchor. Each tooth has an elastic capacity to elastically absorb, in a radial direction, most of a maximum mechanical energy that the mechanical resonator may have during normal operation of the horological movement, to avoid breakage or deterioration of the escapement.
Abstract:
A horological movement including a mechanical resonator and a hybrid escapement including an escapement wheel and a pallet assembly with at least one magnetic pallet-stone formed of a magnet and associated with a mechanical banking, the escapement wheel including a periodic magnetised structure defining increasing gradients of magnetic potential energy for the magnetic pallet-stone, and protruding parts associated with the increasing gradients of magnetic potential energy. When the force torque is equal to a nominal force torque or has a value within at least an upper part of a given range of values, one of the protruding parts of the escapement wheel is subjected to at least one shock on the mechanical banking of the pallet assembly after the magnetic pallet-stone has climbed any one of the increasing gradients of magnetic potential energy, thus dissipating at least partially a kinetic energy of the escapement wheel.
Abstract:
A timepiece assembly including a combined resonator with at least two degrees of freedom which includes a first linear or rotary oscillator with reduced amplitude in a first direction relative to which oscillates a second linear or rotary oscillator with reduced amplitude in a second direction substantially orthogonal to the first direction. The rotary oscillator includes a second weight carrying a sliding-block. A wheel set is arranged for application of a torque to the resonator, the wheel set including a groove in which the sliding-block slides with minimal play. The sliding-block is arranged at least either to follow curvature of the groove when present, or to rub with friction in the groove, or to repel the inner lateral surfaces of the groove by magnetically or electrically charged surfaces in the sliding-block.
Abstract:
A method for maintaining and regulating frequency of a timepiece resonator mechanism around its natural frequency, the method including: at least one regulator device acting on the resonator mechanism with a periodic motion, to impose a periodic modulation of resonant frequency or quality factor or a position of a point of rest of the resonator mechanism, with a regulation frequency between 0.9 times and 1.1 times the value of an integer multiple of the natural frequency, the integer being greater than or equal to 2 and less than or equal to 10, and the periodic motion imposes a periodic modulation of the quality factor of the resonator mechanism, by acting on losses and/or damping and/or friction of the resonator mechanism.
Abstract:
Method for maintaining and regulating the frequency of a timepiece resonator mechanism (1) around its natural frequency (ω0).A regulator device (2) acts on said resonator (1) with a periodic motion which requires a periodic modulation of at least the resonant frequency of said resonator (1), by requiring at least a modulation of the active length of a spring comprised in said resonator mechanism (1), with a regulation frequency (ωR) which is comprised between 0.9 times and 1.1 times the value of an integer multiple of said natural frequency (ω0), said integer being greater than or equal to 2 and less than or equal to 10.