Method for production of a horology assembly, and horology assembly thus obtained

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10935931-B2
Application number	US-201715633973-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 27, 2017
Priority date	Jul 4, 2016
Publication date	Mar 2, 2021
Grant date	Mar 2, 2021

Abstract

A method for production of a horology assembly of two components, includes (i) supplying a first component (2) being a spring, and including at least one element made of elastic material provided with a tongue (20); supplying a second component (3) provided with at least one cut-out or opening (31, 32); permanently assembling the two components. The two components cooperate by an obstacle to create the assembly, and in particular the tongue is accommodated in the at least one cut-out or opening (31, 32).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for production of a horology assembly of a first component and a second component, one of the first and second components being a spring and the other of the first and second components being a flange, the method comprising:
supplying the first component comprising at least one element made of elastic material, provided with a tongue, wherein portions of the first component extend along the tongue and past an end of the tongue so that the first component is present on both sides of the tongue and past the end of the tongue;
supplying the second component provided with at least one cut-out or opening;
permanently assembling the first and second components,
wherein the first and second components cooperate so as to create the assembly, wherein the tongue is accommodated in the at least one cut-out or opening so as to form an obstacle between the spring and the flange;
wherein the assembling of the first and second components comprises:
performing a mechanical action on the tongue in order to deform the tongue elastically;
putting the tongue into the at least one cut-out;
ending the mechanical action on the tongue, and
further comprising, before the performing of the mechanical action, implementing elastic deformation of the at least one element made of elastic material in a vicinity of the tongue, without deformation of the tongue, in order to make the tongue come out.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the horology assembly does not comprise other connection elements of the riveting, gluing or welding type.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the supplying of the first component comprises:
routing the first component in a strip of elastic material, or electro-forming the first component; and
cutting the tongue in the first component.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the cutting comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of laser cutting, cutting by electro-erosion, cutting by machining, and cutting by stamping.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the supplying of the first component comprises:
electro-forming the first component incorporating the creation of the tongue in the first component.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 , which comprises forming and securing the element made of elastic material.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the implementation of the elastic deformation of the at least one element made of elastic material is maintained until after the end of the mechanical action on the tongue.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the implementation of the elastic deformation of the at least one element made of elastic material is carried out during an operation of coiling of the spring.

9. An assembled barrel spring device produced by the method of claim 1 .

10. The device as claimed in claim 9 , wherein at least one selected from the group consisting of:
(1) the tongue comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) a rounded free end, (ii) flanks which are parallel or substantially parallel, and (iii) flanks that form an angle of between 0° and 40°, a length between 1 mm and 3 mm, or a length between 0.5 times and 2 times the width of the spring, and
(2) a width of at least one selected from the group consisting of the tongue and the at least one cut-out is at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) in a range of from 0.2 mm to 1.2 mm, and (ii) in a range of from 0.1 times to 0.8 times the width of the spring.

11. A barrel comprising a device produced by the method of claim 1 .

12. A horology piece or horology movement, comprising the barrel as claimed in claim 11 .

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
supplying a strip of amorphous material;
cutting a component from the strip,
wherein the cutting is carried out using a femtosecond laser,
wherein the component is the spring.

14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one element made of elastic material is made of an amorphous metal material or an alloy based on CoNiCr, or an electro-formed alloy based on nickel.

15. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the elastic deformation of the at least one element is implemented by extending the at least one element made of elastic material between two studs.

16. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the spring is a barrel spring and the flange is a slipping flange.

17. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
supplying a strip of amorphous material;
cutting a component from the strip,
wherein the cutting is carried out using a femtosecond laser,
wherein the component is the flange.

18. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a width of the first component is not reduced throughout the portions of the first component that extends along the tongue and past the end of the tongue.

19. The method according to claim 18 , wherein a width of the first component does not change throughout a length of the tongue.

20. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the tongue is obtained by cutting a shape of the tongue in the first component without discarded material other than material on a cutting curve.

21. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the spring and the flange are in contact in an area of the portions of the first component extending along the tongue and past an end of the tongue.

22. A method for production of a horology assembly of a first component and a second component, one of the first and second components being a spring and the other of the first and second components being a flange, the method comprising:
supplying the first component comprising at least one element made of elastic material, provided with a tongue;
supplying the second component provided with at least one cut-out or opening;
permanently assembling the first and second components;
performing a mechanical action on the tongue in order to deform the tongue elastically;
putting the tongue into the at least one cut-out; and
ending the mechanical action on the tongue,
wherein before the performing of the mechanical action, implementing elastic deformation of the at least one element made of elastic material in a vicinity of the tongue, without deformation of the tongue, in order to make the tongue come out, and
wherein the first and second components cooperate so as to create the assembly, wherein the tongue is accommodated in the at least one cut-out or opening so as to form an obstacle between the spring and the flange.

23. The method as claimed in claim 22 , wherein the implementation of the elastic deformation of the at least one element made of elastic material is maintained until after the end of the mechanical action on the tongue.

24. The method as claimed in claim 22 , wherein the first component is the spring, and the implementation of the elastic deformation of the at least one element made of elastic material is carried out during an operation of coiling of the spring.

25. The method as claimed in claim 22 , wherein the elastic deformation of the at least one element is implemented by extending the at least one element made of elastic material between two studs.

Assignees

• Rolex Sa

Inventors

• Farine Sylvain
• Vaucher Philippe
• Von Niederhäusern Vincent

Classifications

• G04B1/145

  Composition and manufacture of the springs (compositions and manufacture of components, wheels, spindles, pivots, or the like G04B13/02; compositions of component escapements G04B15/14; composition and manufacture or hairsprings G04B17/066; compensation for the effects of variations of temperature of springs using alloys, especially for hairsprings G04B17/227; materials for bearings of clockworks G04B31/00; heat treatment and chemical or mechanical treatment for control of the structure C21D8/00; iron and steel alloys C22C; non-ferrous alloys C22C and B22F) · CPC title

• G04B1/18 Primary

  Constructions for connecting the ends of the mainsprings with the barrel or the arbor {(mainsprings and bridles therefor G04B1/14; clamping the hairspring on the regulator G04B18/026; clamping the hairspring on the arbor G04B17/32)} · CPC title