Self-lubricating composite coating

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10047450-B2
Application number	US-201515517301-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 5, 2015
Priority date	Oct 8, 2014
Publication date	Aug 14, 2018
Grant date	Aug 14, 2018

Abstract

A self-lubricating solid composite coating configured for an application to timepiece mechanisms, including particles of graphene and/or graphene oxide distributed in a metal matrix.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A timepiece mechanism comprising:
a timepiece comprising a solid self-lubricating composite coating, comprising particles of graphene and/or graphene oxide distributed in a metal matrix, and the graphene and/or graphene oxide is in a form of fibers, particles or aggregates, wherein the aggregates are formed from solid elements, and wherein an attachment layer is deposited prior to formation of the coating.

2. The timepiece according to claim 1 , wherein the graphene oxide is reduced graphene oxide.

3. The timepiece according to claim 1 , wherein the graphene and/or graphene oxide is bound to metal ions from a pure metal or a metal alloy.

4. The timepiece according to claim 3 , wherein the solid coating has undergone a thermal curing treatment.

5. The timepiece according to claim 3 , wherein the coating has a polished or lapped surface.

6. The timepiece according to claim 3 , wherein the coating is covered with a 5 to 100 nm film of gold.

7. The timepiece according to claim 3 , wherein thickness of the coating ranges between 0.2 microns and 20 microns.

8. The timepiece according to claim 7 , wherein the thickness of the coating ranges between 0.5 microns and 2 microns.

9. The timepiece according to claim 3 , wherein the coating is deposited electrochemically or chemically, wherein constituents of the coating are in suspension in a bath.

10. The timepiece according to claim 3 , further comprising particles chosen from the group of aluminium, diamond, boron nitride, tungsten carbide, silicon in pure form, carbide, nitride or oxide, including a mixture of these.

11. The timepiece according to claim 3 , further comprising particles chosen from the group of titanium, molybdenum bisulphite and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), including a mixture of these.

12. The timepiece according to claim 1 , wherein the particles distributed in the metal matrix comprise of graphene oxide.

13. A timepiece mechanism comprising:
a timepiece comprising a solid self-lubricating composite coating, comprising particles of graphene and/or graphene oxide distributed in a metal matrix, and the graphene and/or graphene oxide is in a form of fibers, particles or aggregates and the graphene and/or graphene oxide is bound to metal ions from a pure metal or a metal alloy, wherein the aggregates are formed from solid elements, and the coating is covered with a 5 to 100 nm film of gold.

Assignees

• Swatch Group Res & Dev Ltd

Inventors

• Marlot Doerr Agnes
• Bourban Stewes
• Drieux Brice

Classifications

• C10N2040/06

  Instruments or other precision apparatus, e.g. damping fluids · CPC title

• G04B15/14

  Component parts or constructional details, e.g. construction of the lever or the escape wheel {(assembly and manufacture of the spring G04B1/145; assembly and manufacture of components, e.g. pinions, spindles G04B13/02; lubrication of clockwork bearings G04B31/008; oils for clockwork bearings in general G04B31/08)} · CPC title

• C25D3/562 Primary

  containing more than 50% by weight of iron or nickel or cobalt · CPC title

• G04D3/0087

  for components of the escapement mechanism, e.g. lever escapement, escape wheel · CPC title

• C25D5/12

  at least one layer being of nickel or chromium · CPC title