Protection of a timepiece component made of micromachinable material

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10496038-B2
Application number	US-201615299033-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 20, 2016
Priority date	Dec 2, 2015
Publication date	Dec 3, 2019
Grant date	Dec 3, 2019

Abstract

Timepiece sub-assembly including a component made of micromachinable material including an attachment area with a peripheral contact surface, and a shell element deformable between two shapes, one contracted and one expanded, arranged to hold the attachment area inside a housing with at least one degree of freedom, and which includes a complementary contact surface arranged, in its contracted shape, to exert a clamping force on the contact surface and to securely immobilise the attachment area in all directions, the shell element including a first element and a second element that are movable with respect to each other in its expanded shape, each including a complementary contact surface, and including clamping means for holding the first and second elements clamped together in its contracted shape.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A timepiece sub-assembly comprising:
a timepiece component made of micromachinable material comprising at least one attachment area; and
a shell element arranged to surround said at least one attachment area, said at least one attachment area comprising at least one peripheral contact surface, and said shell element being deformable with a geometry varying between a contracted shape and at least one expanded shape, and arranged to hold said at least one attachment area inside a housing contained in said shell element, and said shell element comprising at least one complementary contact surface configured to, in said contracted shape of said shell element, exert a clamping force on said at least one peripheral contact surface and firmly immobilize said at least one attachment area inside said shell element in all directions,
wherein said shell element comprises at least a first element and a second element, movable with respect to each other in said at least one expanded shape, the first and second element comprising a first and second complementary contact surface, respectively, of said at least one complementary contact surface, and
wherein said shell element comprises clamping means configured to hold at least said first element and second element clamped to each other in said contracted shape of said shell element.

2. The sub-assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one attachment area comprises at least one positioning surface, and wherein said shell element comprises at least one complementary positioning surface arranged to cooperate with said at least one positioning surface for the precise positioning of said at least one attachment area inside said housing contained in said shell element with at least one degree of freedom.

3. The sub-assembly according to claim 2 , wherein at least one of said at least one attachment area comprises at least one elastic arm carrying a positioning surface of said at least one positioning surface for said timepiece component, arranged to cooperate in a complementary manner with a complementary positioning surface of said at least one complementary positioning surface comprised in a stiff portion of said shell element.

4. The sub-assembly according to claim 3 , wherein said shell element comprises, in each said housing, stiff portions carrying two of said at least one complementary positioning surface which are parallel and opposite, forming a U-shape with a respective complementary contact surface of said at least one complementary contact surface, and wherein an attachment area of said at least one attachment area comprises two elastic arms, of said at least one elastic arm, which are symmetrical and opposite arranged to bear under stress on said two complementary positioning surfaces which are parallel and opposite at least in said contracted shape of said shell element.

5. The sub-assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said shell element is in one-piece, and in that at least said first element and said second element comprised in said shell element are articulated to each other to allow an opening of said shell element for the insertion or the removal of said timepiece component, and, in said contracted shape of said shell element, to ensure that said timepiece component comprised in said sub-assembly is held clamped in position in an operating position of said sub-assembly.

6. The sub-assembly according to claim 5 , wherein said shell element forms a sheath comprising said housing for said at least one attachment area of said timepiece component comprised in said sub-assembly, each of said at least one attachment area being, in said expanded shape of said at least one expanded shape, movable in an axial direction inside said housing thereof, and, in said contracted shape, enclosed in a substantially concentric manner inside said housing.

7. The sub-assembly according to claim 1 , wherein at least said first element and said second element comprised in said shell element are independent of each other to allow an opening of said shell element for the insertion or the removal of said timepiece component, and have complementary profiles to ensure the relative clamping together thereof in said contracted shape of the shell element, and to ensure that said timepiece component comprised in said sub-assembly remains clamped in position in an operating position of said sub-assembly.

8. The sub-assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said clamping means comprise at least one substantially annular peripheral component arranged to clamp together at least said first element and said second element.

9. The sub-assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said clamping means comprise snap-fit means arranged to clamp together at least said first element and said second element, on which are disposed said snap-fit means.

10. The sub-assembly according to claim 1 , wherein one of said first element and said second element comprises at least one element that is more flexible than a stiffer portion carrying one of said at least one complementary contact surface, forming said clamping means and arranged to elastically clamp the other of said first element and said second element.

11. The sub-assembly according to claim 1 , wherein each of said at least one attachment area is plane and comprises two peripheral contact surfaces of said at least one peripheral contact surface which are parallel and opposite, and said shell element comprises said housing for receiving each of said at least one attachment area, said housing being delimited by said first complementary contact surface and said second complementary contact surface which are parallel and opposite.

12. A timepiece assembly comprising at least one receiving component and at least one sub-assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said receiving component comprises a receiving chamber for each said sub-assembly, and wherein the inner surface of each said receiving chamber is arranged to receive an outer surface comprised in each said shell element of each said sub-assembly.

13. The timepiece assembly according to claim 12 , wherein at least one said inner surface of said receiving chamber is dimensioned to compress said outer surface of said corresponding shell element upon the insertion of said corresponding sub-assembly into said receiving chamber, to cause said shell element to change from said at least one expanded shape to said contracted shape thereof upon said insertion.

14. A timepiece movement including at least one said timepiece assembly according to claim 12 .

15. A watch including at least one said timepiece assembly according to claim 12 .

16. The sub-assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said clamping means is configured to hold said first element and said second element clamped to each other in said contracted shape of said shell element such that said at least one attachment area of said timepiece component becomes immobilized inside said shell element.

17. The sub-assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said shell element is configured to directly sandwich, in a radial direction of said timepiece component, said timepiece component between said first complementary contact surface of said first element and said second complementary contact surface of said second element.

Assignees

• Nivarox Sa

Inventors

• Stranczl Marc
• Mallet Daniel

Classifications

• G04B29/04

  Connecting or supporting parts · CPC title

• G04B31/004 Primary

  characterised by the material used · CPC title

• G04B13/02

  Wheels; Pinions; Spindles; Pivots (bearings G04B31/00 {; chain wheels, spindles for chain wheels, also chains and driving weights G04B1/08}) · CPC title

• G04B31/06

  Manufacture or mounting processes · CPC title

• G04B17/00

  Mechanisms for stabilising frequency {(for setting frequency G04B18/00; magnetic G04C5/005; in striking mechanisms G04B21/06; stopping and regulating of the running G04B23/023; electrically driven mechanical regulation G04C3/165; electrical and thermo-electric regulating mechanisms G04C5/00)} · CPC title