Timepiece driven by a source of mechanical energy and regulated by an electric circuit

Abstract

The hands of the timepiece are connected to a barrel spring which also drives the rotor of a generator at a speed greater than a desired speed Vc. The electric energy supplied by the generator energizes a slaving circuit that includes a transistor which short-circuits the coil of the generator and thus brakes the rotor down to a speed less than the desired speed Vc when a comparator indicates that this rotor is ahead with respect to its theoretical angular position. A limiting circuit limits the duration of the braking action of the rotor to a fraction of the period of the a.c. voltage supplied by the generator. This arrangement ensures that the slaving circuit is adequately energized even if the rotor is substantially ahead.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A timepiece having: an electrical energy generator comprising a rotor and means for supplying electrical energy in response to rotation of said rotor;   a source of mechanical energy mechanically coupled to said rotor to cause said rotor to rotate at a speed greater than a set desired speed; and   slaving means for slaving the rotational speed of said rotor to said desired speed, said slaving means being electrically connected to said generator to receive electrical energy therefrom and comprising:   measuring means coupled to said generator for producing a plurality of measurement pulses, each of said measurement pulses being produced in response to said rotor travelling through a particular angular position so as to determine its actual angular position;   reference means for producing a plurality of periodic reference pulses having a period equal to that of said measurement pulses when said rotor is rotating at said desired speed, said reference pulses being independent of said measurement pulses and being representative of a theoretical angular position of said rotor;   comparing means for supplying a comparison signal representative of the difference between a first number, which is the number of said reference pulses that are produced from a determined instant, and a second number, which is the number of said measurement pulses that are produced from said determined instant, said comparison signal having a first state and a second state dependent on whether said first number is less than or greater than said second number respectively;   braking means responsive to a command signal for applying to said rotor a braking torque that imposes upon said rotor a speed of rotation that is less than said desired speed, said braking means then short-circuiting said means for supplying electrical energy;   and control means responsive to each of said measurement pulses only when said comparison signal is in said first state to produce a command signal in the form of a command pulse of fixed duration so that the braking means only applies a braking torque to the rotor when the latter is leading with respect to said theoretical angular position.   
     
     
       2. A timepiece according to claim 1, wherein said slaving means further comprises an initialization circuit for determining said determined instant at the moment that the electrical energy supplied by the generator reaches a set threshold value which is equal to or greater than the value at which said slaving means functions properly. .Iadd. 
     
     
       3.  A timepiece having: an electrical energy generator comprising a rotor and means for supplying electrical energy in response to rotation of said rotor;   a source of mechanical energy mechanically coupled to said rotor to cause said rotor to rotate at a speed greater than a desired speed; and   slaving means for slaving the rotational speed of said rotor to said desired speed, said slaving means being electrically connected to said generator to receive electrical energy therefrom and comprising:   measuring means coupled to said generator for producing a plurality of |measurement pulses, each of said measurement pulses being produced in response to said rotor travelling through a particular angular position so as to determine its actual angular position;   reference means for producing a plurality of periodic reference pulses having a period equal to that of said measurement pulses when said rotor is rotating at said desired speed, said reference pulses being independent of said measurement pulses and being representative of a theoretical angular position of said rotor;   comparing means for supplying a comparison signal representative of the difference between a first number, which is the number of said reference pulses that are produced from a determined instant, and a second number, which is the number of said measurement pulses that are produced from said determined instant, said comparison signal having a first state and a second state dependent on whether said first number is less than or greater than said second number respectively;   braking means responsive to a command signal for applying to said rotor a braking torque by short-circuiting said means for supplying electrical energy to impose upon said rotor a speed of rotation that is less than said desired speed;   and control means responsive to each of said measurement pulses only when said comparison signal is in said first state to produce said command signal in the form of a command pulse of determined limited duration so that the braking means only applies a braking torque to the rotor when the latter is leading with respect to said theoretical angular position..Iaddend..Iadd.   
     
     
       4.  A timepiece according to claim 3, wherein said slaving means further comprises an initialization circuit for determining said determined instant at the moment that the electrical energy supplied by the generator reaches a set threshold value which is equal to or greater than the value at which said slaving means functions properly..Iaddend..Iadd.5. A timepiece having: an electrical energy generator comprising a rotor and means for supplying electrical energy in response to rotation of said rotor;   a source of mechanical energy mechanically coupled to said rotor to cause said rotor to rotate at a speed greater than desired speed; and   slaving means for slaving the rotational speed of said rotor to said desired speed, said slaving means being electrically connected to said generator to receive electrical energy therefrom and comprising:   measuring means coupled to said generator for producing a plurality of measurement pulses, each of said measurement pulses being produced in response to said rotor travelling through a particular angular position so as to determine its actual angular position;   reference means for producing a plurality of periodic reference pulses having a period equal to that of said measurement pulses when said rotor is rotating at said desired speed, said reference pulses being independent of said measurement pulses and being representative of a theoretical angular position of said rotor;   comparing means for supplying a comparison signal representative of the difference between a first number, which is the number of said reference pulses that are produced from a determined instant, and a second number, which is the number of said measurement pulses that are produced from said determined instant, said comparison signal having a first state and a second state dependent on whether said first number is less than or greater than said second number respectively;   braking means responsive to a command signal for applying to said rotor a braking torque by short-circuiting said means for supplying electrical energy to impose upon said rotor a speed of rotation that is less than said desired speed;   and control means responsive to each of said measurement pulses only when said comparison signal is in said first state to produce said command signal in the form of a command pulse of a duration limited to a predetermined fraction of the period of a voltage provided by the generator so that the braking means only applies a big torque to the rotor when the latter is leading with respect to said theoretical angular   
     
     
        position..Iaddend..Iadd.6.  A timepiece according to claim 5, wherein said slaving means further comprises an initialization circuit for determining said determined instant at the moment that the electrical energy supplied by the generator reaches a set threshold value which is equal to or greater than the value at which said slaving means functions properly..Iaddend..Iadd.7. A timepiece having: an electrical energy generator comprising a rotor and means for supplying electrical energy in response to rotation of said rotor;   a source of mechanical energy mechanically coupled to said rotor to cause said rotor to rotate at a speed greater than a desired speed; and   slaving means for slaving the rotational speed of said rotor to said desired speed, said slaving means being electrically connected to said generator to receive electrical energy therefrom and comprising:   measuring means coupled to said generator for producing a plurality of measurement pulses, each of said measurement pulses being produced in response to said rotor travelling through a particular angular position so as to determine its actual angular position;   reference means for producing a plurality of periodic reference pulses having a period equal to that of said measurement pulses when said rotor is rotating at said desired speed, said reference pulses being independent of said measurement pulses and being representative of a theoretical angular position of said rotor;   comparing means for supplying a comparison signal representative of the difference between a first number, which is the number of said reference pulses that are produced from a determined instant, and a second number, which is the number of said measurement pulses that are produced from said determined instant, said comparison signal having a first state and a second state dependent on whether said first number is less than or greater than said second number respectively;   braking means responsive to a command signal for applying to said rotor a braking torque by short-circuiting said means for supplying electrical energy to impose upon said rotor a speed of rotation that is less than said desired speed;   and control means for producing said command signal in the form of a command pulse, said control means comprising logic circuitry for initiating said command pulse only when said comparison signal is in said first state, and a timing circuit for terminating said command pulse so that the braking means only applies a braking torque to the rotor for a period of time defined by said timing circuit when the rotor is leading   
     
     
        with respect to said theoretical angular position..Iaddend..Iadd.8.  A timepiece according to claim 7, wherein said slaving means further comprises an initialization circuit for determining said determined instant at the moment that the electrical energy supplied by the generator reaches a set threshold value which is equal to or greater than the value at which said slaving means functions properly..Iaddend..Iadd.9. A timepiece according to claim 7, wherein said logic circuitry comprises: means for determining when said rotor is leading relative to said theoretical angular position; and   circuit means responsive to said means for determining to initiate said command pulse..Iaddend..Iadd.10. A timepiece according to claim 9, wherein said timing circuit comprises counter means connected to said reference means and to said circuit means for establishing said period of time and resetting said circuit means at the end of said period of time, thereby terminating said command pulse..Iaddend.