Metal structure, method of manufacturing metal structure, spring component, chronograph coupling lever for timepiece, and timepiece

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9310772-B2
Application number	US-201414204150-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 11, 2014
Priority date	Mar 14, 2013
Publication date	Apr 12, 2016
Grant date	Apr 12, 2016

Abstract

A metal structure includes, by mass %, Fe: 10% to 30%; S: 0.005% to 0.2%; and the balance consisting of Ni and unavoidable impurities, in which a maximum grain size of the metal structure is 500 nm or less. The metal structure preferably has one or more of a stress relaxation rate of 10% or less, a lattice constant of 3.535 Å to 3.56 Å, a yield stress of 1500 MPa or more, a Young's modulus of 150 GPa or more and a Vickers hardness of Hv 580 or more.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A metal structure comprising, by mass %:
Fe: 10% to 30%;
S: 0.005% to 0.2%; and
the balance consisting of Ni and unavoidable impurities,
wherein a maximum grain size of the metal structure is 500 nm or less, and
wherein a stress relaxation rate of the metal structure is 10% or less.

2. The metal structure according to claim 1 , wherein a lattice constant of the metal structure is 3.535 Å to 3.56 Å.

3. The metal structure according to claim 1 , wherein a yield stress of the metal structure is 1500 MPa or more and a Young's modulus of the metal structure is 150 GPa or more.

4. The metal structure according to claim 1 , wherein a Vickers hardness of the metal structure is Hv 580 or more.

5. A spring component which is formed by the metal structure according to claim 1 .

6. A timepiece which uses the spring component according to claim 5 as a component thereof.

7. The metal structure according to claim 2 , wherein a yield stress of the metal structure is 1500 MPa or more and a Young's modulus of the metal structure is 150 GPa or more.

8. The metal structure according to claim 2 , wherein a Vickers hardness of the metal structure is Hv 580 or more.

9. The metal structure according to claim 3 , wherein a Vickers hardness of the metal structure is Hv 580 or more.

10. The metal structure according to claim 7 , wherein a Vickers hardness of the metal structure is Hv 580 or more.

11. A spring component which is formed by the metal structure according to claim 2 .

12. A spring component which is formed by the metal structure according to claim 3 .

13. A spring component which is formed by the metal structure according to claim 4 .

14. A spring component which is formed by the metal structure according to claim 7 .

15. A spring component which is formed by the metal structure according to claim 8 .

16. A method of manufacturing a metal structure, the method comprising:
forming by an electroforming a metal structure including, by mass %,
Fe: 10% to 30%;
S: 0.005% to 0.2%; and
the balance consisting of Ni and unavoidable impurities; and
performing a heat treatment to the metal structure under conditions in which a heat treatment temperature is 140° C. to 350° C. and a Larson-Miller parameter is in a range from 7500 to 9500.

17. The method of manufacturing a metal structure according to claim 16 , wherein the heat treatment temperature is equal to or higher than 140° C. and lower than 275° C.

18. A chronograph coupling lever for a timepiece, the chronograph coupling lever comprising:
a spring component,
wherein the spring component includes a metal structure,
wherein the metal structure includes by mass %,
Fe: 10% to 30%,
S: 0.005% to 0.2%,
and the balance consisting of Ni and unavoidable impurities, and

wherein a maximum grain size of the metal structure is 500 nm or less.

19. A timepiece comprising:
a chronograph coupling lever having a spring component which uses the chronograph coupling lever for a timepiece,
wherein the spring component includes a metal structure,

wherein the metal structure includes by mass %,
Fe: 10% to 30%,
S: 0.05% to 0.2%,
and the balance consisting of Ni and unavoidable impurities, and

wherein a maximum grain size of the metal structure is 500 nm or less.

Assignees

• Seiko Instr Inc

Inventors

• Konishi Miei
• Kishi Matsuo
• Niwa Takashi

Classifications

• C22F1/10

  of nickel or cobalt or alloys based thereon · CPC title

• C25D3/56

  of alloys · CPC title

• G04F7/0842

  with start-stop control mechanisms · CPC title

• G04B11/00

  Click devices; Stop clicks; Clutches {(mechanisms for winding up by hand G04B3/00; automatic winding up G04B5/00; clutches in general, class 111)} · CPC title

• C22C19/03 Primary

  based on nickel · CPC title