US 11,815,857 B2
Horological movement provided with a generator and a circuit for regulating the frequency of rotation of this generator
Jean-Jacques Born, Morges (CH); Philippe Sauvain, Chavornay (CH); Stéphane Perrier, Bernin (FR); and Olivier Matthey, Mauborget (CH)
Assigned to The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd, Marin (CH)
Filed by The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd, Marin (CH)
Filed on Nov. 19, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/455,758.
Claims priority of application No. 20212293 (EP), filed on Dec. 7, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0179361 A1, Jun. 9, 2022
Int. Cl. G04B 17/20 (2006.01); G04C 3/06 (2006.01); G04C 11/08 (2006.01)
CPC G04B 17/20 (2013.01) [G04C 3/065 (2013.01); G04C 11/088 (2013.01)] 5 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A horological movement comprising a barrel, an analogue time display mechanism and a regulator module for regulating the running of the analogue display mechanism comprising a continuously rotating generator and a regulation circuit, the generator being formed of a rotor with permanent magnets rotated by the barrel and comprising at least one coil, forming a stator, which is connected to the regulation circuit, which is arranged to be able to regulate the average frequency of rotation of the rotor; the horological movement comprising a power supply circuit connected to said at least one coil and intended to supply power to the regulation circuit, said power supply circuit comprising a rectifier for rectifying the induced alternating voltage and a power supply capacity which is recharged, by the voltage induced via the rectifier, during charging periods in each of which said induced voltage reaches a peak value; the regulation circuit being arranged to be able to measure the rotation of the rotor over time and thus detect a drift in the average frequency of rotation of the generator relative to a set frequency, determined by an electronic oscillator associated with the regulation circuit, and/or a variation in the frequency of rotation, and to be able to generate braking pulses of the rotor by momentarily reducing the impedance at the terminals of said at least one coil, so as to brake the rotor according to said drift and/or said variation to regulate the speed of rotation of the generator and thus the operation of the analogue display mechanism; the regulation circuit being arranged to be able to detect a zero crossing of an induced alternating voltage generated in said at least one coil by the rotating rotor and to generate first braking pulses which are each triggered after a detection of the zero crossing of the induced voltage, the duration of each first braking pulse being scheduled so that it ends before the induced alternating voltage reaches the peak value after the zero crossing used to trigger said first braking pulse; wherein the regulation circuit is arranged so as to be able to further generate second braking pulses which are each triggered after a detection of the end of one of the charging periods of the power supply capacity and each of which has a duration scheduled for each second braking pulse to end before the induced alternating voltage crosses zero.