Time-keeping device with transistor control using oscillating magnet

Claim 2

An electronic oscillatory drive for a clockwork or like mechanism comprising: a rotor member and a stator member, said rotor member being oscillatory about an axis relative to said stator member; a pair of permanent magnets spaced apart on one of said members in the direction of oscillation of said rotor member and having generally parallel induction axes but opposite magnetic polarization directions; electromagnetic coil means on the other of said members sweepingly juxtaposed with said permanent magnets upon oscillation of said rotor member and including a drive winding energizable to interact with said permanent magnets to displace said rotor member, and a sensing winding responsive to displacement relative to said permanent magnets for generating input signals, said windings having respective magnet axes generally parallel to the induction axes of said magnets; and a control circuit responsive to said input signals for energizing said drive winding, said control circuit including a transistor constituting the sole transistor of the drive, first means for connecting said drive winding in circuit with the collector of said transistor and a direct-current voltage source, a first resistor connected in series with a first terminal of said sensing winding and the collector of said transistor, second means for connecting a second terminal of said sensing winding in series with the base of said transistor, and a capacitor connected between said source and said first terminal of said sensing winding.

Claim 3

The drive defined in claim 1 wherein said drive winding is in series with said collector of said transistor further comprising a condenser connected between said source and said collector of said transistor and bridged across said drive winding.

Claim 4

The drive defined in claim 1 further comprising a second resistor connected in series with said drive winding to said source.

Claim 5

The drive defined in claim 2 wherein said transistor is of the NPN type, and said drive winding is connected in circuit between said collector and a positive terminal of said source, the emitter of said transistor being connected to the negative terminal of said source, said source being a single dry cell, said circuit including further a second resistor connected in series with said drive winding to said source, said condenser being connected across both said drive winding and said second resistor.

Claim 6

The drive defined in claim 4 wherein said electromagnetic coil means comprises a pair of coils in adjacent substantially contacting relationship, one of said coils constituting said sensing winding and the other of said coils constituting said drive winding.

Claim 7

The drive defined in claim 4 wherein said windings are coaxial, with said sensing winding surrounding said drive winding.

Claim 8

The drive defined in claim 4 wherein said permanent magnets frustoconically converge in the dirEction of said electromagnetic coil means.

Claim 9

The drive defined in claim 4 wherein said permanent magnets each have an effective magnetic cross section at most equal to half the width of said sensing winding.

Claim 10

The drive defined in claim 4 wherein said electromagnetic coil means is mounted upon a printed-circuit plate carrying said control circuit.

Claim 11

The drive defined in claim 4 further comprising a support, said stator member being mounted on said support and carrying said electromagnetic coil means, said rotor member comprising a pair of axially spaced soft-magnetic disks carrying said permanent magnets, said disks being provided with segmental cutouts and a weight for counterbalancing said permanent magnets, said stator member being provided with a printed-circuit plate carrying said transistor, said condenser, said capacitor and at least one of said resistors and reaching between said disks, said windings being at least in part embedded in said printed circuit plate.

Claim 12

An electronic oscillatory drive for a clockwork or like mechanism comprising: a rotor member and a stator member, said rotor member being oscillatory about an axis relative to said stator member; a pair of permanent magnets spaced apart on one of said members in the direction of oscillation of said rotor member and having generally parallel induction axes but opposite magnetic polarization directions; electromagnetic coil means on the other of said members sweepingly juxtaposed with said permanent magnets upon oscillation of said rotor member and including a drive winding energizable to interact with said permanent magnets to displace said rotor member, and a sensing winding responsive to displacement relative to said permanent magnets for generating input signals, said windings having respective magnet axes generally parallel to the induction axes of said magnets; a control circuit responsive to said input signals for energizing said drive winding, said control circuit including a transistor, means for connecting said drive winding in series with the collector-emitter network of said transistor and a direct-current source, means for connecting said sensing winding in circuit between the collector and base of said transistor, a capacitor connected between said source and a terminal of said sensing winding remote from the base of said transistor, said drive winding being connected in series with said collector of said transistor and a condenser bridged across said drive winding and connected between said source and said collector.

Claim 13

An electronic oscillatory drive for a clockwork or like mechanism comprising: a rotor member and a stator member, said rotor member being oscillatory about an axis relative to said stator member; a pair of permanent magnets spaced apart on one of said members in the direction of oscillation of said rotor member and having generally parallel induction axes but opposite magnetic polarization directions; electromagnetic coil means on the other of said members sweepingly juxtaposed with said permanent magnets upon oscillation of said rotor member and including a drive winding energizable to interact with said permanent magnets to displace said rotor member, and a sensing winding responsive to displacement relative to said permanent magnets for generating input signals, said windings having respective magnet axes generally parallel to the induction axes of said magnets; a control circuit responsive to said input signals for energizing said drive winding, said control circuit including a transistor, means for connecting said drive winding in series with the collector-emitter network of said transistor and a direct-current source, means for connecting said sensing winding in circuit between the collector and base of said transistor, a capacitor connected between said source and a terminal of said sensing winding remote from the base of said transistor, said drive winding being connected in series with said collector of said transistor and a condenser bridged across said drive winding and connected between said source and said collector.

Claim 14

The drive defined in claim 11 wherein said transistor is of the NPN type, further comprising a first resistor connected in series with said drive winding and a positive terminal of said source to said collector, and a second resistor connected between said collector and said terminal of said sensing winding, the other terminal of said sensing winding being connected to said base, said capacitor and said second resistor lying in series across a series network formed by said first resistor and said drive winding, said condenser being connected across said series network, the emitter of said transistor being connected to the negative terminal of said source, said source being a single dry cell.

Claim 15

The drive defined in claim 11 wherein said electromagnetic coil means comprises a pair of coils in adjacent substantially contacting relationship, one of said coils constituting said sensing winding and the other said coils constituting said drive winding.

Claim 16

The drive defined in claim 11 wherein said windings are coaxial, with said sensing winding surrounding said drive winding.

Claim 17

The drive defined in claim 11 wherein said permanent magnets frustoconically converge toward the direction of said electromagnetic coil means.

Claim 18

The drive defined in claim 11 wherein said permanent magnets each have an effective magnetic cross section at most equal to half the width of said sensing winding.

Claim 19

The drive defined in claim 11 wherein said electromagnetic coil means is mounted upon a printed-circuit plate carrying said control circuit.

Claim 20

The drive defined in claim 11, further comprising a support, said stator member being mounted on said support and carrying said electromagnetic coil means, said rotor member comprising a pair of axially spaced soft-magnetic disks each carrying two permanent-magnet members, the permanent-magnet members of the two disks being aligned to form said permanent magnets, said disks being provided with segmental cutouts and a weight for counterbalancing said permanent magnets, said stator member being provided with a printed-circuit plate carrying said transistor, said condenser, said capacitor and at least one of said resistors and reaching between said disks, said windings being at least in part embedded in said printed circuit plate.