Component for a timepiece movement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11092932-B2
Application number	US-201715652287-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 18, 2017
Priority date	Jul 19, 2016
Publication date	Aug 17, 2021
Grant date	Aug 17, 2021

Abstract

The invention relates to a pivot arbor ( 1 ) for a timepiece movement comprising at least one pivot ( 3 ) made of a first non-magnetic metal material ( 4 ) at one of the ends thereof in order to limit the sensitivity thereof to magnetic fields. At least the outer surface of said pivot ( 3 ) is coated with a layer ( 5 ) of a second material selected from the group comprising Ni and NiP, and preferably chemical NiP.
The invention concerns the field of timepiece movements.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A pivot arbor, comprising a pivot made of a first non-magnetic metal material at an end thereof, wherein at least the outer surface of the pivot is coated with a layer of a second material, wherein the second material is NiP, and wherein a sub-laver of gold and/or a sub-layer of electroplated nickel is disposed underneath the layer of the second material.

2. The pivot arbor according to claim 1 , wherein the second material is chemical NiP.

3. The pivot arbor according to claim 1 , wherein the pivot arbor is made of the first non-magnetic metal material, and wherein the outer surface thereof is coated with a layer of the second material.

4. The pivot arbor according to claim 3 , wherein the second material is chemical NiP.

5. The pivot arbor according to claim 1 , wherein the first non-magnetic metal material is selected from the group consisting of an austenitic steel, an austenitic cobalt alloy, an austenitic nickel alloy, a titanium alloy, an aluminium alloy, a copper and zinc-based brass, a copper-beryllium, a nickel silver, a bronze, an aluminium bronze, a copper-aluminium, a copper-nickel, a copper-nickel-tin, a copper-nickel-silicon, a copper-nickel-phosphorus, and a copper-titanium.

6. The pivot arbor according to claim 1 , wherein the first non-magnetic metal material has a hardness of less than 600 HV.

7. The pivot arbor according to claim 1 , wherein the layer of the second material has a thickness comprised between 0.5 μm and 10 μm.

8. The pivot arbor according to claim 7 , wherein the layer of the second material has a thickness comprised between 1 μm and 5 μm.

9. The pivot arbor according to claim 8 , wherein the layer of the second material has a thickness comprised between 1 μm and 2 μm.

10. The pivot arbor according to claim 1 , wherein the layer of the second material has a hardness of more than 400 HV.

11. The pivot arbor according to claim 10 , wherein the layer of the second material has a hardness of more than 500 HV.

12. The pivot arbor according to claim 1 , wherein the first non-magnetic metal material is a copper-beryllium alloy and wherein the layer of the second material is a chemical NiP layer.

13. The pivot arbor according to claim 1 , wherein the first non-magnetic metal material is a copper-nickel-tin alloy and wherein the layer of the second material is a chemical NiP layer.

14. The pivot arbor according to claim 1 , wherein the first non-magnetic metal material is a stainless steel and wherein the layer of the second material is a chemical NiP layer.

15. The pivot arbor according to claim 1 , wherein the layer of the second material is an outer layer.

16. A movement, comprising a pivot arbor comprising a pivot made of a first non-magnetic metal material at an end thereof, wherein at least the outer surface of the pivot is coated with a layer of a second material, wherein the second material is NiP, and wherein a sub-laver of gold and/or a sub-laver of electroplated nickel is disposed underneath the layer of the second material.

17. The movement according to claim 16 , wherein the second material is chemical NiP.

18. The movement according to claim 16 , wherein the layer of the second material is an outer layer.

19. A movement, comprising a balance staff, a pallet staff and/or an escape pinion comprising a pivot arbor comprising a pivot made of a first non-magnetic metal material at an end thereof, wherein at least the outer surface of the pivot is coated with a layer of a second material, wherein the second material is NiP, and wherein a sub-laver of gold and/or a sub-laver of electroplated nickel is disposed underneath the layer of the second material.

20. The movement according to claim 19 , wherein the second material is chemical NiP.

21. The movement according to claim 19 , wherein the layer of the second material is an outer layer.

22. A method for fabricating a pivot arbor, the method comprising:
a) forming a pivot arbor comprising a pivot made of a first non-magnetic metal material at an end thereof;
b) disposing a layer of cold and/or a layer of electroplated nickel on at least the outer surface of the pivot and/or a layer disposed on the outer surface of the pivot; and
c) depositing a layer of a second material on at least the layer of gold, the layer of electroplated nickel and/or a layer disposed on the layer of gold and/or the layer of electroplated nickel, wherein the second material is NiP.

23. The method according to claim 22 , wherein the layer of the second material has a thickness comprised between 0.5 μm and 10 μm.

24. The method according to claim 23 , wherein the layer of the second material has a thickness comprised between 1 μm and 5 μm.

25. The method according to claim 24 , wherein the layer of the second material has a thickness comprised between 1 μm and 2 μm.

26. The method according to claim 22 , wherein c) is achieved by a method selected from the group consisting of PVD, CVD, ALD, electroplating and chemical deposition.

27. The method according to claim 26 , wherein c) is achieved by a process of chemical nickel deposition from hypophosphite.

28. The method according to claim 22 , wherein the method further comprises, after c), d) heat treating the layer of the second material.

29. The method according to claim 22 , wherein the layer of the second material is an outer layer.

Assignees

• Nivarox Sa

Inventors

• Fussinger Alexandre
• Charbon Christian
• Verardo Marco

Classifications

• G04B43/007

  Antimagnetic alloys (antimagnetic alloys with temperature compensation G04B17/227; apparatus for antimagnetising G04D9/00; alloys in general C22C) · CPC title

• G04B17/32

  Component parts or constructional details, e.g. collet, stud {, virole or piton} · 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

• G04B13/022 Primary

  with parts made of hard material, e.g. silicon, diamond, sapphire, quartz and the like · CPC title

• G04B1/16 Primary

  Barrels; Arbors; Barrel axles (arrangements facilitating the removal of the mainspring G04B33/14) · CPC title