Abstract: Striking mechanism for a watch including: an hour snail driven by a movement, a strike wheel set including a detent ratchet and a repeating rack pinion, a pivoting hour-rack for reading this snail and driving this pinion, a click set in motion at each passing strike to drive this detent ratchet, with a mode selector mechanism for selection by the user of a particular strike mode, among distinct modes including a silent mode, defining the angular position of a cam having an external profile, wherein, in silent mode, the largest radius pushes back a beak of a silencing lever, to orient it into a position where its main arm moves this click away from this ratchet in order to disable every passing strike.

Abstract: A timepiece includes a chime mechanism (1) having an hours component (2), a quarters component (4) and a minutes component (6), the hours (2), quarters (4) and minutes (6) components being pivot-mounted about one and the same spindle (3), the quarters component (4) and the minutes component (6) being kinematically linked by a first driving member collaborating with a first driving toothset (34). Out of the hours component (2) and the quarters component (4), one includes a second driving toothset (21) and the other includes a second driving member designed to be capable of collaborating with the second driving toothset (21) and of kinematically linking the hours component (2) and the quarters component (4), thereby eliminating the dead time between the chimes for the hours and those for the quarters, or between those for the hours and those for the minutes when there isn't a quarter to chime.

Abstract: A sealing device for a minute-repeater mechanism, comprising a striking work control bolt which can move in an aperture of a case between a rest position and a pulled-out position. The case includes a seat for receiving in sealed abutment, in the rest position of the bolt, a first sealing gasket mounted in a sealed manner on the bolt and moveable therewith, and which is at a distance from the seat when the bolt is in a pulled-out position for operating the striking work. The case includes a chamber, one wall of which comprises the aperture, which limits the travel of a second sliding sealing gasket in which the bolt slides in a sealed manner, and which is in sealed abutment on an inner surface of the chamber.

Abstract: The watch striking mechanism (1) includes at least one gong (11) fixed to a gong-carrier (12) and at least one hammer (2) for activating the vibration of the gong. The striking mechanism includes a first magnetic element (20) in the form of a moving micro-magnet, which is arranged on a striking portion of the hammer, and a second magnetic element (21) in the form of a fixed micro-magnet, which is arranged in one part of the gong. The second magnetic element is at least partly opposite the first magnetic element and is capable of generating a magnetic field of opposite polarity to the magnetic field of the first magnetic element. In a striking mode, said hammer may be driven in the direction of the gong to activate the vibration of said gong via a magnetic impulse due to the repulsion force of the two magnetic elements.

Abstract: The invention proposes a timepiece comprising a repeater striking mechanism (14), wherein the striking mechanism (14) comprises a release lever (24) fitted with a click (26) which is pivotably mounted on the release lever (24) and which meshes with the teeth (27) of a ratchet detent wheel (28) such that, during automatic release, a release cam (16) causes the release lever (24) to pivot towards the detent wheel (28), characterized in that the striking mechanism (14) comprises a winding cam (34), which cooperates with a shoulder (36) associated with the release lever (24) to control the winding thereof, in that the release lever (24) is restrained in its wound position, by a locking device (42), and in that the release cam (16) releases the striking mechanism by unlocking the locking device (42).

Abstract: Disclosed is a personal organization tool comprising an indicator and an analog display divided into areas representing days of the week to help people organize themselves and remind them of various events or activities. The tool may be used in co-operation with an apparatus for providing information. The tool is particularly useful for people with short-term memory loss who often experience difficulty in keeping track of when they are supposed to do something.

Abstract: System for signaling that a product expiration date has passed. The bar code indicia system for signaling that a product has expired includes a bar code indicia, a detecting means of detecting the bar code indicia and a signaling means for signaling to a consumer that the product has passed a date of detection.

Abstract: A timer for controlling an appliance includes a bell chime assembly having a striker, a torsion spring, and a bell. The striker is secured to the torsion spring. The timer further includes a cam follower operatively coupled to the torsion spring. The cam follower is operatively associated with a cam assembly which includes a first cam and a second cam. The first cam and the second cam are configured such that during manual setting of the timer, the torsion spring is prevented from deflecting by an amount sufficient to cause the striker to contact the bell whereby relatively quiet manual setting of the timer is enabled.

Abstract: A timer mechanism for an appliance such as a clothes dryer includes a pulser cam and a timer cam. The timer cam has a notch along its perimeter while the pulser cam has a step formed in its perimeter. The cams rotate in opposite directions with a cam follower biased against the cams. A clapper is connected to the cam follower and is adapted to strike a chime if the cam follower is aligned with the notch in the timer cam and the cam follower drops off the step in the pulser cam as the pulser cam rotates past the cam follower. The pulser cam is connected to the timer motor and continuously rotates at a first speed throughout a cycle while the timer cam is connected to the timer motor and the timer dial of the appliance and rotates in the opposite direction at a second slower speed.