Device for measuring a horological component

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11720065-B2
Application number	US-202117343049-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 9, 2021
Priority date	Jun 19, 2020
Publication date	Aug 8, 2023
Grant date	Aug 8, 2023

Abstract

A device for measuring a horological component comprising a measurement cell, at least two optical systems and a driver unit. The measurement cell comprises a measurement channel filled with a liquid and flat and parallel faces. Each optical system comprises a light emitter suitable for emitting a light in a predefined wavelength so as to illuminate a horological component that is present and being displaced in the measurement channel in the measurement zone and an optical sensor associated with said light emitter to receive at least a part of the light emitted by said light emitter. The optical systems operate in different respective wavelengths. The driver unit drives the optical systems and processes the digital data obtained from the optical systems. It is configured to implement calculations of at least one measurement of a horological component.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for measuring a horological component, wherein the device comprises:
(a) a measurement cell comprising:
(i) a measurement channel extending in a longitudinal direction and filled with a liquid, capable of displacing a horological component;
(ii) outer faces that are flat and parallel pairwise,

(b) at least two optical systems arranged opposite at least a part of the outer faces of the measurement cell at a measurement zone of the measurement cell, each of the optical systems comprising:
(iii) a light emitter suitable for emitting a collimated light in a predefined wavelength or a defined polarization in the direction of the measurement channel through an outer face of the measurement cell, so as to be able to illuminate a horological component present and being displaced in the measurement channel in the measurement zone, and
(iv) an optical sensor associated with the light emitter for receiving at least a part of the light emitted by the light emitter,

the at least two optical systems comprising light emitters operating in different respective wavelengths or polarizations,
(c) a driver unit, capable of driving the optical systems and of processing digital data obtained from the optical systems, configured to implement calculations of at least one dimension of a horological component.

2. The device for measuring a horological component as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the measurement cell is made of a material that is transparent to the wavelengths of the at least two optical systems, wherein the measurement cell has a polygonal outer section which forms the outer faces, the outer faces having a surface area greater than or equal to the surface area of the field of view of an optical system arranged opposite, and wherein the measurement cell has a round internal section delimiting the measurement channel.

3. The device for measuring a horological component as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least two optical systems are positioned in the same plane at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the measurement channel, the at least two optical systems being angularly offset relative to one another.

4. The device for measuring a horological component as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the respective light emitters of the at least two optical systems operate at a respective wavelength in a range of from 435 to 500 nm and in a range of from 495 to 570 nm, respectively.

5. The device for measuring a horological component as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the measurement channel of the measurement cell is arranged to allow free displacement of the horological component, in a static liquid by gravitation or by entrainment by the liquid in laminar flow, by gravitation, or both in laminar flow and by gravitation.

6. The device for measuring a horological component as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the device is arranged for displacement of a horological component at a speed in a range of from 70 to 180 mm/s, and comprising at least one component of non-zero displacement in the longitudinal direction of the measurement channel.

7. The device for measuring a horological component as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the liquid of the measurement channel is a liquid having a kinetic viscosity in a range of from 2 to 50 mm 2 /s.

8. The device for measuring a horological component as claimed in claim 1 , wherein refractive indices of the liquid and of the material of the measurement cell are substantially identical.

9. The device for measuring a horological component as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the device further comprises complementary lighting devices arranged alongside optical sensors of the at least two optical systems to enhance a perception of the at least two optical systems.

10. The device for measuring a horological component as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the driver unit is configured to drive the at least two optical systems so as to synchronize the at least two optical systems so that each of the at least two optical systems takes at least one simultaneous image of a same horological component.

11. The device for measuring a horological component as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the driver unit comprises a computer configured to implement calculations of at least one dimension of a horological component by a computer program, to assess conformity or non-conformity of the horological component with respect to reference data.

12. The device for measuring a horological component as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the computer is configured to perform the calculation of a length of a horological component, of a dimension transversal to the length, which corresponds substantially to a diameter of a horological component when the horological component has a symmetry of revolution, and of an angle between the direction of the length and the longitudinal direction of the measurement channel.

13. The device for measuring a horological component as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the device comprises a detection sensor capable of detecting a presence, and optionally a speed, of a horological component being displaced in the measurement channel of the measurement cell.

14. The device for measuring a horological component as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the detection sensor operates on the basis of a wavelength that is different from a wavelength of the at least two optical systems.

15. The device for measuring a horological component as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the device comprises an arrangement allowing a horological component to be transferred to an input and oriented toward the measurement channel of the measurement cell, capable of transferring a horological component, directly without cleaning, from an output of a machining machine to the measurement channel.

16. The device for measuring a horological component as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the device is capable of measuring a horological component of revolution, with a cylindrical symmetry and a horological component that is not cylindrical or not symmetrical.

17. A device for manufacturing a horological component, wherein the device comprises a machining unit and a measurement device as claimed in claim 1 , and wherein the device for manufacturing a horological component comprises an introduction part allowing a horological component to be transferred from the output of the machining unit to a measurement cell of the measurement device without intermediate cleaning.

18. A method for measuring a horological component, wherein the method comprises:
setting in motion a horological component in a liquid in a measurement channel of a measurement cell;
optionally, detecting the horological component by a detection sensor and transmitting the detection data to a driver unit;
driving at least two optical systems by a driver unit for simultaneous images to be taken at the moment of passage of the horological component in a measurement zone of a measurement cell;
transmitting digital data representative of the images obtained by the at least two optical systems to a driver unit;
calculating at least one dimension of the horological component by a computer of the driver unit from the digital data.

19. The method for measuring a horological component as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the method comprises simultaneously taking several images during a free displacement of the horological component, according to a speed of displacement that has a non-zero component in a longitudinal direction of the measurement channel of the measurement cell, the speed being in a r

Assignees

• Rolex Sa

Inventors

• Amstutz Mathieu
• Luthi Rowan
• Mougin Christian
• Perrinjaquet Olivier
• Salvadé Yves

Classifications

• G04D7/00 Primary

  Measuring, counting, calibrating, testing or regulating apparatus {(measuring devices and calibers in general G01B; counters in general H03K)} · CPC title

• G01B11/02

  for measuring length, width or thickness (G01B11/08 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01B11/08

  for measuring diameters · CPC title

• G01B13/04

  specially adapted for measuring length or width of objects while moving · CPC title

• G01B13/08

  for measuring diameters · CPC title