An automatic watch, a complete barrel 30 is disposed on the side opposite from the dial of a main plate 22, i.e. on the front side, and has the center of rotation thereof within a first domain 310 or a fourth domain 340 of the main plate 22. An escape wheel & pinion 50, a pallet fork 60 and a balance 70 have their center of rotation within a third domain 330 or a fourth domain 340, respectively. A setting lever 120 and a yoke 130 are disposed on the front side of the main plate 22 and have their center of oscillation within the second domain 320, respectively. A yoke holder 140 holds a part of the setting lever 120 and a part of the yoke 130, respectively.
A device for limiting the acceleration which an oscillating weight (1) used to drive or wind a power generator powering an instrument of small volume, can undergo, includes a bearing raceway (2) against which such weight abuts when it undergoes an acceleration substantially exceeding that occurring in normal use of the instrument. For this purpose, the weight (1) is elastically mounted on a moving support member (4) so as to move in the plane of such weight which is then braked by the bearing raceway (2) when the weight undergoes an acceleration which exceeds a certain maximum value.
A clutch wheel for a timepiece includes a cylindrical portion having an inner peripheral surface for slidably receiving an indicator hand setting stem of the timepiece, an outer peripheral surface, and a flanged base surface. A plurality of teeth are formed on an upper surface of the flanged base surface surrounding the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion. The teeth may be in contact with or spaced from the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion, and the clutch wheel may be forged of metal.
To provide a self-winding timepiece having a thin and small-sized movement in which a train wheel setting apparatus for setting a balance with hairspring is efficiently arranged at the movement. A self-winding timepiece includes a main plate, a time indicating wheel, a winding stem and a switching apparatus. A movement barrel complete is arranged on a top side of the main plate and arranged to overlap a main plate reference horizontal axis line between a first region and a fourth region. A balance with hairspring is arranged on the top side of the main plate and arranged to overlap the main plate reference horizontal axis line between a second region and a third region. The switching apparatus is arranged on a back side of the main plate. A train wheel setting apparatus includes a train wheel setting portion for setting the balance with hairspring by penetrating the main plate. A portion of the train wheel setting portion of the train wheel setting apparatus for setting the balance with hairspring is disposed in the second region and a rotating center of the train wheel setting apparatus is disposed in the second region.
A movement 100 of a self-winding watch has a main plate 102, a train wheel bridge 104, a center wheel bridge 106, a third wheel bridge 107 and a transmission bridge 108. An oscillating weight 160 is rotatably attached to a third bridge 107. A first transmission intermediate gear 178a is structured to mesh with a first transmission gear 180a and oscillation weight pinion 176. An eccentric shaft-part 180d is provided on the first transmission wheel 180. A pawl lever 182 is assembled between the third wheel bridge 107 and the center wheel bridge 106. The pawl lever 182 has a guide hole 182a rotatably assembled on the eccentric shaft part 180d. The eccentric motion of pawl lever 182 winds up a spiral spring.
A temperature sensitive element within a timepiece which includes a casing, movement, mainspring and a bi-directional rotation to unidirectional rotation converting mechanism for winding the mainspring where the temperature sensitive element tends to angularly deflect with change in temperature and such tendency produces energy to wind the mainspring. More specifically, the invention in one form thereof utilizes a temperature sensitive bimetallic coil, which is restrained from radial deflection and the free end moves to rotate the shaft in the self-winding mechanism and effects self-winding of the timepiece. The free end of the coil will move with change in temperature. The coil is anchored at its inner end and the other end thereof, upon movement, will drive a driver member in the form of an orbit gear. In this embodiment, the orbit gear will drive a plurality of planet gears, which drive a sun gear mounted to a shaft. The shaft of the sun gear then produces rotation of a cam which drives the bi-directional to unidirectional conversion mechanism. In another embodiment of the invention, the coil will rotate a driver member, which drives a shaft of the winding mechanism. These arrangements will provide perpetual self-winding of the watch unless the watch is stored in an environment where there is extremely low tolerance temperature control.
