Method for producing an assembly of an elastic holding member-timepiece component assembly with a support element

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12481249-B2
Application number	US-202017630394-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 21, 2020
Priority date	Aug 16, 2019
Publication date	Nov 25, 2025
Grant date	Nov 25, 2025

Abstract

A method produces an assembly of an elastic holding member-timepiece component assembly with a support element. The elastic holding member is made of an electrically insulating material and the support element is made of an electrically conductive material. The method includes mounting the assembly with the support element aiming to define at least one zone for receiving at least one element for blocking a movement of the holding member relative to the support element, and producing by galvanic metal growth the at least one blocking element on at least one of the reception zones.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A method for producing a first assembly of a second assembly comprising an elastic holding member and a timepiece component with a support element, said elastic holding member being made of an elastic electrically insulating material having an aperture located at a central axis thereof, having first contact portions each having a face being configured to cooperate with respective second contact portions of the support element, and said support element being made of an electrically conductive material, the method comprising:
mounting said second assembly on the support element, wherein the support element delimits on a peripheral wall of the support element at least one zone for receiving at least one element for blocking a movement of said elastic holding member relative to the support element, producing by galvanic metal growth said at least one blocking element on the at least one receiving zone, and making contact between the at least one blocking element and the face of at least one of the first contact portions of the elastic holding member in the aperture, the contact extending across the face of the at least one first contact portion, wherein the elastic holding member comprises flexible arms, each of the first contact portions is located at a distal end of one of the flexible arms, the elastic holding member, flexible arm and first contact portion are formed as a unitary member of the same elastic electrically insulating material.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the mounting comprises inserting the support element into the elastic holding member of the second assembly with a non-blocked holding of the support element in the elastic holding member.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the mounting comprises inserting and the inserting comprises a phase of elastic tightening of the support element in the elastic holding member to produce contact interfaces between the first contact portions of the elastic holding member and the support element by eccentric deformation of the flexible arms relative to the central axis.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the producing comprises determining a location of said at least one zone for receiving said at least one blocking element in a mounting zone of the support element.

5 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein the determining comprises a phase of identifying zones for delimiting contact interfaces.

6 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein the producing comprises constructing by galvanic metal growth said at least one blocking element in the at least one receiving zone located in the mounting zone of the support element, which comprises at least one identified delimitation zone.

7 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein the producing comprises constructing, the constructing comprising a phase of building by galvanic metal growth said at least one blocking element in the at least one receiving zone located in the mounting zone of the support element, which comprises identified zones for delimiting two contact interfaces, the delimitation zones being arranged facing one another.

8 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein the producing comprises a constructing, the constructing comprising a phase of forming by galvanic metal growth said at least one blocking element in at least one receiving zone located in the mounting zone of the support element, which comprises at least one identified zone for delimiting at least one contact interface, said at least one delimitation zone being arranged facing one of two ends of the support element.

9 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the elastic holding member comprises a collet and the support element comprises a shaft.

10 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the elastic holding member comprises upper and lower opposing faces, the method comprising mounting the elastic holding member on the support element such that galvanic metal growth contacts the elastic holding member in the central aperture between the upper and lower faces.

11 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein
the elastic holding member is coupled to the support element via the first contact portions, and the flexible arms are configured to eccentrically deform relative to the central axis.

12 . An assembly for a horological movement of a timepiece comprising:
a first assembly comprising an elastic holding member and a timepiece component, and a support element having first contact portions, said elastic holding member being made of an electrically insulating material and having an aperture located at a central axis thereof and second contact portions configured to respectively cooperate with the first portions, the second contact portions each having a face, the support element being made of an electrically conductive material, and the first assembly being coupled with the support element from at least one blocking element included on at least one reception zone of the support element and in contact with the elastic holding member in the aperture such that at least one blocking element is in contact with and the contact extends across the face of at least one of the second contact portions, wherein the elastic holding member comprises flexible arms, each of the second contact portions is located at a distal end of one the flexible arms, and the elastic holding member, flexible arms and second contact portions are formed as a unitary member of the same elastic electrically insulating material.

13 . A horological movement, comprising:
at least one of the assembly according to claim 12 .

14 . A timepiece comprising:
the horological movement according to claim 13 .

Assignees

• Nivarox Far Sa

Inventors

• Mallet Daniel
• Vaucher Frédéric
• Cusin Pierre

Classifications

• G04B13/022 Primary

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

• G04B17/34

  for fastening the hairspring onto the balance · CPC title

• G04B17/345 Primary

  Details of the spiral roll · CPC title