Geometric inspection device for horological mobile components

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11960246-B2
Application number	US-201917259375-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2019
Priority date	Dec 18, 2018
Publication date	Apr 16, 2024
Grant date	Apr 16, 2024

Abstract

A geometric inspection device for horological mobile components, including a headstock bearing a first spindle defining a first axis of rotation and a tailstock defining a second axis of rotation, on a common sole relative to which the headstock or the tailstock can move along a common direction parallel with the first axis of rotation. The device includes interchangeable micro-centering devices, at least one of the first spindle and the second spindle includes receiving means arranged to coaxially house a removable centering device, and at least one of the headstock and the tail stock includes pulling means arranged to pull without contact a micro-centering device axially along a common direction, opposite a space separating the headstock and the tailstock.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A geometric inspection device for horological mobile components, comprising:
a headstock bearing a first rotatable spindle with a first hole defining a first axis of rotation;
a tailstock bearing a second spindle defining a second axis of rotation, arranged on a common sole relative to which at least one of the headstock and the tailstock can move according to at least one degree of freedom in translation along alignment guiding means along a common direction parallel with the first axis of rotation; and
means arranged to at least one of ensure and set the coaxiality of the second axis of rotation relative to the first axis of rotation, wherein
the second spindle includes a second hole of the same diameter as the first hole,
the device includes a plurality of removable and interchangeable micro-centering devices,
each micro-centering device is arranged to be inserted indifferently into one of the first hole and the second hole,
each micro-centering device includes a peripheral shoulder of a diameter arranged for a tight sliding fit thereof with one of the first hole and the second hole, and
each micro-centering device includes a ferromagnetic or magnetic polar core arranged to cooperate in attraction with a magnetic pole included in at least one of the headstock and the tailstock and which defines one of a magnetic field of revolution about the first axis of rotation in a space separating the headstock and the tailstock, and a magnetic field formed by the polar core.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the tailstock includes elastic return means configured to push the tailstock toward the headstock and to damp recoil of the tailstock, and calibrated at 0.2 N.

3. The device according to claim 1 , wherein
at least one micro-centering device forms a cartouche which includes a tubular body, and
the external diameter is arranged for the tight sliding fit thereof with one of the first hole and the second hole, the tubular body containing a ferromagnetic or magnetic polar core.

4. The device according to claim 1 , wherein at least one centering device includes means for concentrating an axial magnetic field, to which it is at least one of subjected at a first axial end opposite the space and generated by the at least one centering device, about the common direction, at a second end oriented toward the space.

5. The device according to claim 4 , wherein
at least one micro-centering device forms a cartouche which includes a tubular body, and
the external diameter is arranged for the tight sliding fit thereof with one of the first hole and the second hole, the tubular body containing a ferromagnetic or magnetic polar core forming the means for concentrating the axial magnetic field.

6. The device according to claim 1 , wherein at least one micro-centering device includes, on the side of the space, a gripper arranged to cooperate by mechanical contact with an axial end of a horological mobile component, and to rotate the axial end when the micro-centering device is subjected to a rotation which is imparted thereon by one of the headstock and the tailstock.

7. The device according to claim 6 , wherein the gripper includes a conical bearing toothing, one of male and female, arranged to cooperate with the axial end of a horological mobile component for rotating the mobile component.

8. The device according to claim 6 , wherein the gripper includes, at a level of a surface thereof for driving a mobile component, a roughness between 2 micrometers Ra and 5 micrometers Ra.

9. The device according to claim 1 , wherein at least one micro-centering device includes, on a side of the space, a ferromagnetic or magnetic polar mass arranged to cooperate in one of magnetic attraction and repulsion with a magnetic or ferromagnetic axial end of a horological mobile component, the polar mass being one of juxtaposed and merged with the polar core.

10. The device according to claim 9 , wherein the polar mass is arranged to transmit to a magnetic or ferromagnetic axial end of a horological mobile component a rotational drive torque.

11. The device according to claim 1 , wherein at least one micro-centering device includes, on a side of the space, a bearing mass of one of harder material than the horological mobile components to be inspected, and ruby, which is arranged to limit axial travel of an axial end of a horological mobile component.

12. The device according to claim 1 , wherein at least the headstock includes first motorization means arranged to rotate the first spindle around the first axis of rotation, and includes between the first motorization means and the first spindle, first coupling means of one of cardan joint and similar type to ensure unrestricted rotation of the first spindle.

13. The device according to claim 12 , wherein at least the tailstock includes second motorization means arranged to rotate the second spindle around the second axis of rotation, which can be synchronized with the first motorization means, and includes between the second motorization means and the second spindle, second coupling means of one of cardan joint and similar type to ensure unrestricted rotation of the second spindle.

14. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the second spindle is loose in rotation.

15. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the device includes at least one of micrometric setting and measurement means of a relative position of the tailstock relative to the headstock along the common direction.

16. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the device includes lateral setting means of a position of the second axis of rotation relative to the first axis of rotation.

17. The device according to claim 1 , wherein bodies of the headstock, the first spindle, the tailstock, and the second spindle, are made of non-magnetic material so as not to scatter magnetic flux away from the common direction.

18. The device according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the headstock and the tailstock includes at least one stress gauge at least one of for measuring axial force along the common direction and for comparison to a set-point value of the axial force.

19. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the device includes a main frame arranged to one of directly and indirectly bear the common sole, and to bear viewing means arranged to at least one of observe and measure a horological mobile component held by two of the centering devices, in the space, and including positional setting means of the viewing means.

20. The device according to claim 19 , wherein the main frame is arranged to indirectly bear the common sole via at least one rotary plate arranged to present the horological mobile component in different positions in a gravitational field.

21. The device according to claim 19 , wherein the device includes means for analyzing at least one of images and measurements made by the viewing means with respect to set-point values, means for computing deviations, and means for linking with at least one of an integrated product quality management and production management system, for correcting settings of the production means according to the deviations.

Assignees

• Eta Sa Mft Horlogere Suisse

Inventors

• Ganguin Fabrice
• Welz Erich

Classifications

• G04D7/003 Primary

  for electric or electronic clocks · CPC title

• G01B7/31

  for testing the alignment of axes · CPC title

• G04B31/00

  Bearings; Point suspensions or counter-point suspensions; Pivot bearings; Single parts therefor (bearings in general F16C {; manufacture and composition of springs G04B1/145; suspension of oscillating weights G04B5/18; suspension of a pendulum G04B17/02; bearings for electrical measurement apparatus G01R1/10, G01R1/12, G01R11/12, G01R11/14; inserting jewels A44C17/04; inserting cutting diamonds B23P5/00; devices for fixation of bearing jewels, bearing sleeves, or the like G04D3/04}) · CPC title

• G04D1/00

  Gripping, holding, or supporting devices {(stands in general F16M; for instruments G01D11/30, B01L)} · CPC title

• G04D3/02 Primary

  Lathes, with one or more supports; Burnishing machines, with one or more supports {(metal lathes B23B; automatic lathes B23B; grinding and polishing in general class B24)} · CPC title