"WATCHWINDER DEVICE" SUBJECT OF THE INVENTION The subject of the present invention is a winding device for automatic watches, and more in particular for keeping automatic watches wound up when not worn. A further subject of the present invention is a support for watches, which enables them to be fixed thereto and which may be used in association with said device for keeping watches wound up.

STATE OF THE ART Self-winding mechanical watches, in particular wrist watches, are characterised by more or less complex mechanical systems such as, for example, the ones that underlie operation of associated calendars or those for determining the lunar phases or for providing other indications.

Mechanical wrist watches are rewound by means of a rotating weight or element in the form of a circular sector. At each movement of the wrist, the element rotates about its own axis and, via a series of additional gears, transmits its energy to the barrel of the loading spring. The system for rewinding each watch can be one-directional-i. e. , it winds just in one direction, whereas, in the other direction, it turns idle-or else two-directional - i. e. , it winds in both directions. If the watch is regularly kept on the wrist and<BR> the person who is wearing it keeps moving, i. e. , is not altogether immobile for long periods, but performs a normal activity, the watch is rewound automatically, and no further operations of winding or rectification are necessary.

The problem, however, arises when the watch is not used for periods of time, including even short ones or when its use is only occasional. This occurs, for example, in the case of watch collectors or anyway people who possess more than one automatic watch, typically jewellers and watchmakers. In such cases, in fact, the problem arises of keeping also the watches that are not in use wound up. As has already been said, in fact, above all in the case of automatic watches characterised by complicated mechanical systems, it is very important that there should be no interruption in their operation. The

operations of rewinding following upon stopping of a watch of the type described above, in fact, albeit rather convenient in the case of"time-only" <BR> <BR> watches, i. e. , watches characterised by simple mechanisms, become particularly complicated in the case of watches for example of the"day-date" type and almost impossible and risky in the case of certain specimens of high quality of the"perpetual calendar"type. It should moreover be said that long periods of inactivity of mechanical watches can cause numerous problems, such as, for example, phenomena of oxidation, as well as thickening and displacement of the lubricants, which, instead, the running of the watch tends to counteract.

There thus emerges clearly the importance of making available reliable systems for keeping automatic mechanical watches wound up, in particular wrist watches.

There are currently available on the market some rewinding systems for automatic watches. For example, a first type is based upon a system of the "carousel"type, which envisages a plane rotating support, on which there are arranged one or more pins, each of which supports a watch, by means of anchorage with screws or the like. The system enables rotation of the support and the consequent rotation of all the watches in the same direction and at the same speed. These devices are generally electrically supplied and hence are not suited for being used, for example, for putting watches away in safes or cupboards or other suitable closed containers, and are moreover not particularly elegant.

There then exist on the market alkaline-battery-supplied systems, which are thus suitable for being put away in closed places, for example of the type commonly known as"scatola del tempo". These systems, which are more elegant and of greater aesthetic effect as compared to the ones described above, enable a variable number of watches to be held thereon, even more than ten, according to the dimensions of the container, and envisage a movement of rotation of the casing, via aligned gears, in a vertical direction or else in a horizontal direction. In this system, each watch is engaged and

positioned within the container by means of a system of springs and screws.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is to provide a system for keeping watches, in particular automatic wrist watches, wound up, which may be put away in closed places and does not need to be supplied with electric current.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a system for keeping watches wound up, in particular automatic wrist watches, which will afford guarantees of safety for the operator, in the event of intervention on the operating mechanism.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a system for keeping watches wound up, in particular automatic wrist watches, which will enable rotation of each watch irrespective of the movement of the base to which the watches are anchored.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a supporting device for watches, in particular automatic wrist watches, which will be elegant in appearance and will enable easy and fast, as well as safe, positioning of the watch on the support and removal therefrom.

Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a supporting device for watches, in particular automatic wrist watches, which will be suitable for being associated to a system for keeping watches wound up.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The above objects are achieved by a system for keeping automatic watches wound up, in particular wrist watches, which comprises: - a planetary-gear device for keeping said watches wound up, said device being realized by means of gears comprising a central gear or sun wheel and at least one planet wheel or planet gear in direct and/or indirect contact with said central gear; and - a fixing/supporting device for each watch, said device being designed to be associated to said planetary-gear device, which comprises a support constrained to a rotatable portion of the gearing and an element for holding the watch, which is suitable for being associated to said rotatable support.

In particular, the planetary system according to the invention is characterised by rotary motion transmitted, for example by a micromotor, to the central gear. The movement of the central gear is transmitted to the planet gears, each of which is preferably set meshed directly with the central gear.

According to a preferential embodiment, the gearing is supported by a surface that functions as a partition wall between the gearing itself and the supports for the watches so as to prevent access to the gears when a watch is picked up off the device.

By decreasing the dimensions of the central gear and the corresponding dimensions of the planet gears proportionally, it is possible to increase the number of the planet gears and, consequently, the number of the watches that can be positioned on the system for keeping them wound up. In fact, according to the invention, a fixing/supporting device carrying a watch is constrained in a position corresponding to each planet gear. In this way, the movement of each planet gear, transmitted by the motor through the central gear, causes rotation of each fixing/supporting device and hence of each watch.

According to a preferential embodiment, the device for fixing/supporting each watch comprises a fork-like support and an element for holding the watch, namely, an element on which the watch is mounted. The fork-like support is pivoted on an axis, which is mounted coaxial with respect to the corresponding planet wheel. The fork-like support is made of an elastic material of a music-wire type and is provided, at one end, with connecting means that enable it to be mounted on a planet wheel, whilst at the other end (on each side of the fork-like end) there are present slots or similar means for housing the device for holding the watch. The device for holding the watch may advantageously have a spherical, oval or elliptical shape, or any other shape suitable for being associated to, and held by, said fork-like system, as well as suitable for holding the watch. Said holding device, which can be made of a suitable material, for example wood or plastic material, is provided with at least means designed for being engaged with the housing

means of the"fork"in a reversible way, namely, so as to be able to be removed therefrom. For example, there are provided coaxial pins, which project in opposite directions, for engaging the slots or equivalent means for housing the device for holding the watch. According to the present invention, the holding device may be positioned within said"fork"so as to be held in a single position or so as to be subject to oscillating motion.

The invention presents numerous advantages as compared to the known art.

The adoption of a planetary-gear device, namely, a gear system consisting of a central gear or sun wheel and a plurality of planet gears or wheels arranged tangentially with respect to and meshed with the central gear, results in a compact and effective device with low levels of consumption and hence suitable for being battery-supplied, and able to house a plurality of watches in an elegant container. The device for fixing the watch has a detachable portion with means for engagement of the support (for example, the two pins projecting on opposite sides thereof) of small dimensions so that it can be removed from the rewinding device and displayed in a show case, together with the watch.

The above and other advantages will emerge more clearly from the ensuing description, with reference to the attached drawings, which are provided by way of illustrative and non-limiting example and in which: <BR> <BR> - Figure 1 is a view from the side of the planetary-gear device, i. e. , the rear, of the rewinding device for watches according to the invention; and <BR> <BR> - Figures 2 and 3 are perspective views of the front side, i. e. , that of housing of the watches, of the device of Figure 1.

A preferred embodiment is illustrated in Figures 1 to 3, where a system is represented for keeping automatic watches 1 wound up, said system comprising a device for keeping said watches wound up realized by means of gears such as a central or sun gear 2 and a plurality of planet gears or wheels 3 in direct contact with said central gear 2 and, on the opposite side of a partition surface 9, a plurality of devices 4 for fixing and supporting each watch, which are designed to be associated to said gears. The partition

surface or plate 9 functions as a support for the gear system.

The central gear 2 is preferably a double gear and comprises a first gear 2a set adjacent to the partition surface 9, which receives motion from a small motor 8 (Figure 2), and a second gear 2b, which has a diameter larger than that of the first gear and is set outside with respect to the partition surface 9.

The gear with larger diameter is the one that meshes with the planet wheels 3, which are arranged tangentially and in direct engagement with the central gear 2.

The supporting and fixing device comprises a substantially fork-shaped supporting bracket 5 and a holding and display element 6 for the watch 7, which has means for connection with the fork-like bracket 5.

In the embodiment illustrated in the figures, the rotary motion exerted by the micromotor 8 is transmitted to the central gear 2, which is equipped with a double crown wheel and has a larger diameter than the planet wheels 3.

Rotation of the central gear both in the clockwise direction and in the counterclockwise direction, is transmitted to the planet wheels, which are arranged at the vertices of an ideal polygon and which have a point of contact with the central gear.

As mentioned above, the partition surface 9 functions as a support for the gears, the shafts of which extend through it. In particular, each fixing/supporting system receives the movement of rotation via a square- ended shaft 10 fixed to the planet wheels 3. The micromotor 8 is housed on the same side as the devices for supporting the watches with respect to the partition surface, and its shaft extends through it for driving the central gear 2.

The entire assembly can function both vertically and horizontally and can be combined with a casing, which may be of different shapes and made of different materials. In particular, the model represented in the figure has a front door that enables direct access for the user for positioning and removal of the watches, and a rear door, which enables access to the mechanisms and is preferably provided with safety means. In fact, all the moving

members are enclosed in a suitable container or casing purposely provided with special microswitches, which can stop the machine from turning and which, in any case, enable the rotating members to be kept within a chamber protected from external agents.

The fork-shaped bracket 5 is made of a material at least in part elastic and preferably made of steel or other metal or material of a music-wire type and has means for being associated in a reversible way to an element 6 for holding the watch. Said element 6 is substantially spherical and is made, for example, of wood or some other high-quality material. In the embodiment illustrated, the bracket is provided, at one end, with a square notch, which enables rotation, and, at the other end, with appropriate housing slots 11, designed for housing the corresponding means 12 provided on the holding element 6. The entire piece is characterised by a precisely designed spoking that enables perfect insertion and housing of the spherical element 6 in the fork-like supporting bracket.

The spherical holding element 6 comprises, within it, a bushing, which constitutes a housing for a pre-loaded spring that is then closed within the bushing itself by means, for example, of a screwed cover, which enables a range of travel of a stem, with a terminal having the shape of a spherical cap.

The operator must act on the terminal to insert and remove the watch with the watch strap closed.

At the opposite poles of the spherical element 6 there are arranged means for constraint thereof to the bracket 5. In the embodiment illustrated, said means are constituted by two elements in the form of a hemispherical dome with a central pin 12, each designed to be housed by the fork-like element 5, namely designed to find housing in said containment slots 11. The fixing/supporting device 4 according to the present invention can also be used just as it is, appropriately housed and/or positioned, with just the function of display stand for watches, including ones that do not need to be kept wound up, for example for the packaging of watches and/or their transportation.

It is possible to associate to the system for keeping watches wound up, in particular automatic watches, according to the present invention, an electronic card, combined in particular with the micromotor, which will afford the possibility of selecting different speeds and movements of rotation of the planet wheels and, consequently, of rotation of the watches.

In addition, once again according to the present invention, it is possible to position a reference timepiece in association with the micromotor, which will serve as a reference and calibration element.