Compact balance spring of constant section

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10564605-B2
Application number	US-201615287021-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 6, 2016
Priority date	Oct 22, 2015
Publication date	Feb 18, 2020
Grant date	Feb 18, 2020

Abstract

The invention relates to a one-piece balance spring comprising a single strip wound on itself between an inner coil and an outer coil, the strip having a geometry such that when the angle of contraction of the balance spring has a value of 360 degrees, there is a constant distance between each coil from the inner coil to the penultimate coil.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A one-piece balance spring comprising:
only a single strip that includes a plurality of loops wound on itself, the single strip being wound between an inner coil loop of the single strip and an outer coil loop of the single strip, each coil loop of the single strip is immediately adjacent to a next coil loop of the single strip from the inner coil loop of the single strip to a penultimate coil loop of the single strip, wherein the single strip further includes
a first area between an end of the inner coil loop of the single strip and a start of the second coil loop of the single strip, wherein a pitch decreases in the first area, and
a second area in an extension of the first area, wherein, in the second area, the pitch between each coil loop of the single strip continuously increases, and each coil loop of the single strip from the inner coil loop of the single strip to the penultimate coil loop of the single strip has a constant distance between each coil loop of the single strip when an angle of contraction of the balance spring has a value of 360 degrees.

2. The one-piece balance spring according to claim 1 , wherein, in the second area, the pitch between each coil loop of the single strip continuously increases by a first constant value.

3. The one-piece balance spring according to claim 1 , wherein the second area has a constant section.

4. The one-piece balance spring according to claim 3 , wherein the constant section has a constant thickness comprised between 10 μm and 50 μm and a constant height comprised between 50 μm and 250 μm.

5. The one-piece balance spring according to claim 1 , wherein a thickness the first area and the second area are identical.

6. The one-piece balance spring according to claim 1 , wherein the balance spring is silicon-based.

7. A resonator wherein the resonator includes a balance cooperating with the one-piece balance spring according to claim 1 .

8. The one-piece balance spring according to claim 1 , wherein a distance between each coil loop of the single strip decreases in the first area.

9. A one-piece balance spring comprising:
only a single strip that includes a plurality of loops wound on itself, the single strip being wound between an inner coil loop of the single strip and an outer coil loop of the single strip, each coil loop of the single strip is immediately adjacent to a next coil loop of the single strip from the inner coil loop of the single strip to a penultimate coil loop of the single strip, wherein the single strip further includes
a first area between an end of the inner coil loop of the single strip and a start of the second coil loop of the single strip, wherein a pitch decreases in the first area,
a second area in an extension of the first area, wherein, in the second area, the pitch between each coil loop of the single strip continuously increases, and each coil loop of the single strip from the inner coil loop of the single strip to the penultimate coil loop of the single strip has a constant distance between each coil loop of the single strip when an angle of contraction of the balance spring has a value of 360 degrees, and
a third area, in an extension of the second area and comprised between a start of the penultimate coil loop of the single strip and an end of the outer coil loop of the single strip, wherein the pitch between the penultimate coil loop of the single strip and the outer coil loop of the single strip continuously increases in the third area.

10. The one-piece balance spring according to claim 9 , wherein, the Ditch between each coil loop of the single strip continuously increases by a first constant value in the second area and the pitch between each coil loop of the single strip continuously increases by a second constant value in the third area, the second constant value being greater than the first constant value.

11. The one-piece balance spring according to claim 9 , wherein the third area includes a first portion and a second portion in an extension of the first portion, wherein a thickness of the first portion and the second area are substantially identical, and the thickness of the second portion increases towards the end of the outer coil loop of the single strip.

12. The one-piece balance spring according to claim 9 , wherein the third area includes a first portion and a second portion in an extension of the first portion, wherein a thickness of the first portion and the second area are substantially identical, and the thickness of the second portion increases with respect to the thickness of the second area and constant up to the end of the outer coil loop of the single strip.

13. The one-piece balance spring according to claim 9 , wherein each coil loop of the single strip having a minimum distance between the penultimate coil loop of the single strip and the outer coil loop of the single strip when an angle of expansion of the balance spring has a value of 360 degrees, each coil loop of the single strip is not in contact with the next coil loop of the single strip.

Assignees

• Eta Sa Mft Horlogere Suisse

Inventors

• Helfer Jean-Luc
• Cosandier Yves-Alain

Classifications

• G04B17/066

  Manufacture of the spiral spring (locking of the spiral spring by the regulating lever G04B18/026; spiral spring with temperature compensation G04B17/227; fixation of the spiral spring on the collet G04B17/32; mainspring G04B1/14) · CPC title

• G04B17/063 Primary

  Balance construction (balances with frequency adjustment screw G04B18/006; balances with temperature compensation G04B17/222; balancing devices G04B17/28) · CPC title

• F16F1/047

  characterised by varying pitch · CPC title

• F16F1/043 Primary

  the cross-section varying with the wire length · CPC title

• F16F1/10

  Spiral springs with turns lying substantially in plane surfaces {(F16F1/326 takes precedence)} · CPC title