Timepiece component and method of manufacturing timepiece component

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11042124-B2
Application number	US-201515533463-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 11, 2015
Priority date	Dec 12, 2014
Publication date	Jun 22, 2021
Grant date	Jun 22, 2021

Abstract

By configuring a timepiece component to include an intermediate film provided on at least a portion of a surface of a base material formed by using a nonconductive first material as a main component and to include a buffer film stacked on the intermediate film and mainly composed of a second material having a tenacity higher than that of the first material, the timepiece component may be manufactured with high precision, the weight thereof may be reduced, and even when the base material is formed by using a brittle material such as silicon, the timepiece component becomes resistant to breakage and capable of exhibiting high strength when an impact is externally applied.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A timepiece component of a drive mechanism for driving hands of a mechanical timepiece, comprising:
a base material consisting of silicon;
an intermediate film comprising copper and provided on at least a portion of a surface of the base material; and
a buffer film which is stacked on the intermediate film and is an electrodeposition resist made of an acrylic resin.

2. The timepiece component according to claim 1 , wherein
the base material includes a stepped portion on an outer surface, and
the intermediate film is provided at a position covering at least the stepped portion.

3. The timepiece component according to claim 1 , wherein
the timepiece component is a hairspring of a speed governing mechanism of the drive mechanism of the mechanical timepiece.

4. The timepiece component according to claim 3 , wherein the buffer film is formed on an outermost surface of the hairspring.

5. The timepiece component according to claim 1 , wherein
the timepiece component is one of a gear, an anchor, or a balance wheel of the drive mechanism of the mechanical timepiece, and the timepiece component has a hole configured to receive another member.

6. The timepiece component according to claim 1 , wherein
the base material has a corner,
a portion of the intermediate film covers the corner, and
a portion of the buffer film is stacked on the portion of the intermediate film that covers the corner.

7. The timepiece component according to claim 6 , wherein
the intermediate film covers an entirety of the base material.

8. The timepiece component according to claim 1 , wherein the buffer film has a constant thickness.

9. The timepiece component according to claim 1 , wherein the intermediate film has a higher toughness than the base material.

10. The timepiece component according to claim 1 , wherein each of an end of a first surface of the base material and a second surface of the base material is provided with a groove portion having a predetermined width and a predetermined depth, wherein the intermediate film is provided at least at an inner surface of the groove portion.

11. A method of manufacturing a timepiece component of a drive mechanism for driving hands of a mechanical timepiece, the method comprising:
forming a base material consisting of silicon into a shape of the timepiece component of the drive mechanism of the mechanical timepiece by etching a substrate;
forming an intermediate film comprising copper on at least a portion of a surface of the base material; and
forming a buffer film by stacking, on the intermediate film, an electrodeposition resist made of an acrylic resin.

12. The method according to claim 11 , comprising
forming a stepped portion on the surface of the base material, wherein
the forming of the intermediate film is performed after the forming of the stepped portion.

13. The method according to claim 11 , wherein
the forming of the buffer film includes forming the buffer film by applying a predetermined voltage to the intermediate film after the base material having the intermediate film formed thereon is immersed in an electrodeposition liquid including an electrodeposition resist comprising an acrylic resin.

14. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the timepiece component is a hairspring of a speed governing mechanism of the drive mechanism of the mechanical timepiece, and the buffer film is formed on an outermost surface of the hairspring.

15. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the buffer film has a constant thickness.

Assignees

• Citizen Watch Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ikeda Tomoo

Classifications

• G04B31/06

  Manufacture or mounting processes · CPC title

• C25D13/12 Primary

  characterised by the article coated · 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

• G04B13/02

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

• G04B17/08

  Oscillators with coil springs stretched and unstretched axially · CPC title