Watch-making or clock-making component comprising an amorphous metal alloy

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9315884-B2
Application number	US-201313747084-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 22, 2013
Priority date	Jul 21, 2010
Publication date	Apr 19, 2016
Grant date	Apr 19, 2016

Abstract

The invention relates to a watch-making or clock-making component comprising an amorphous metal alloy corresponding to the formula: Fe a Co b Ni c Nb d V e B f Ta g , in which: 0<a<70; 0<b<70; 8<c<60; 1<d<19; 1<e<10; 12<f<25; 0<g<5; with 20<a+b<70; 50<a+b+c<90; 5<d+e<20; and a+b+c+d+e+f+g=100. This watch-making or clock-making component may be a spring, such as a barrel spring.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A watch-making or clock-making component comprising an amorphous metal alloy corresponding to the formula
Fe a Co b Ni c Nb d V e B f Ta g
in which:
0≦a≦70;
0≦b≦70;
8<c≦60;
1≦d≦19;
1≦e≦10;
12<f≦25;
0≦g≦5;
with
20≦a+b≦70;
50≦a+b+c≦86;
8≦d+e≦20; and
a+b+c+d+e+f+g=100.

2. The watch-making or clock-making component as claimed in claim 1 , in which, in the alloy:
0≦a≦60;
0≦b≦60;
10≦c≦50;
2≦d≦17;
2≦e≦8;
14≦f≦20;
0≦g≦4;
with
25≦a+b≦65;
60≦a+b+c≦80; and
8≦d+e≦17.

3. The watch-making or clock-making component as claimed in claim 2 , in which, in the alloy:
0≦a≦56;
0≦b≦54;
12≦c≦40;
4≦d≦14;
4≦e≦6;
15≦f≦17;
0≦g≦4;
with
30≦a+b≦60;
68≦a+b+c≦75; and
11≦d+e≦15.

4. The watch-making or clock-making component as claimed in claim 3 , in which the alloy is selected from the following alloys:
Co 50 Ni 18 Nb 12 V 5 B 15 ;
Co 54 Ni 14 Nb 12 V 5 B 15 ;
Co 32 Ni 40 Nb 8 V 5 B 15 ;
Co 40 Ni 32 Nb 8 V 5 B 15 ;
Co 42 Ni 30 Nb 8 V 5 B 15 ;
Co 50 Ni 22 Nb 8 V 5 B 15 ; and
Co 50 Ni 22 Nb 4 Ta 4 V 5 B 15 .

5. The watch-making or clock-making component as claimed in claim 4 , in which the alloy is selected from the following alloys:
Co 32 Ni 40 Nb 8 V 5 B 15 ;
Co 40 Ni 32 Nb 8 V 5 B 15 ;
Co 42 Ni 30 Nb 8 V 5 B 15 ;
Co 50 Ni 22 Nb 8 V 5 B 15 ; and
Co 50 Ni 22 Nb 4 Ta 4 V 5 B 15 .

6. The watch-making or clock-making component as claimed in claim 1 , in which, in the alloy, g=0.

7. The watch-making or clock-making component as claimed in claim 1 , in which, in the alloy, a=0.

8. The watch-making or clock-making component as claimed in claim 7 , in which, in the alloy:
31≦b≦56;
13≦c≦41;
7≦d≦13;
4≦e≦10; and
13≦f≦17.

9. The watch-making or clock-making component as claimed in claim 1 , in which, in the alloy, b=0.

10. The watch-making or clock-making component as claimed in claim 1 , in which, in the alloy:
47≦a≦57;
17≦c≦23;
3≦d≦9;
4≦e≦10;
13≦f≦17; and
g=0.

11. The watch-making or clock-making component as claimed in claim 1 , in which the alloy is selected from the following alloys:
Fe 50 Ni 22 Nb 8 V 5 B 15 ;
Fe 52 Ni 20.66 Nb 7.33 V 5 B 15 ;
Fe 56 Ni 18 Nb 6 V 5 B 15 ;
Fe 54 Ni 20 Nb 6 V 5 B 15 ;
Fe 52 Ni 22 Nb 6 V 5 B 15 ;
Fe 48 Ni 22 Nb 6 V 9 B 15 ;
Fe 52 Ni 22 Nb 4 V 7 B 15 ;
Fe 50 Ni 22 Nb 6 V 7 B 15 ;
Fe 30 Co 20 Ni 22 Nb 8 V 5 B 15 ; and
Fe 36 Co 24 Ni 12 Nb 8 V 5 B 15 .

12. The watch-making or clock-making component as claimed in claim 11 , in which the alloy is selected from the following alloys:
Fe 56 Ni 18 Nb 6 V 5 B 15 ;
Fe 52 Ni 22 Nb 6 V 5 B 15 ;
Fe 54 Ni 20 Nb 6 V 5 B 15 ;
Fe 50 Ni 22 Nb 6 V 7 B 15 ;
Fe 30 Co 20 Ni 22 Nb 8 V 5 B 15 ; and
Fe 36 Co 24 Ni 12 Nb 8 V 5 B 15 .

13. The watch-making or clock-making component as claimed in claim 12 , in which the alloy is selected from the alloys Fe 30 Co 20 Ni 22 Nb 8 V 5 B 15 and Fe 36 Co 24 Ni 12 Nb 8 V 5 B 15 .

14. The watch-making or clock-making component as claimed in claim 1 , said component being a spring.

15. The watch-making or clock-making component as claimed in claim 14 , said component being a barrel spring.

16. A method of preparing a watch-making or clock-making component as claimed in claim 1 , in which, under an inert atmosphere:
a) pre-melting of the pure metallic elements Fe and/or Co, Ni, Nb and V is carried out in a container;
b) boron is heated, so as to degas it;
c) the pre-melted metallic elements and the boron in solid form are mixed;
d) the mixture obtained is heated;
e) the mixture is cooled;
f) optionally steps d) and e) are repeated one or more times, the last step e) being a hyperquench;
g) the alloy obtained is formed to the desired shape so as to obtain the watch-making or clock-making component of claim 1 .

17. The method as claimed in claim 16 , in which step c) is divided into substeps of formation of partial mixtures so as to form pre-alloys whose melting point is below that of their individual constituents.

18. The method as claimed in claim 16 , in which, in step g), the amorphous metal alloy is cast in the form of ribbon or wire.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18 , in which hyperquenching and casting in the form of ribbon or wire are performed simultaneously.

20. The method as claimed in claim 19 , in which hyperquenching and casting are carried out by planar flow casting.

21. The method as claimed in claim 16 , in which Ta is added in step a).

22. The method as claimed in claim 21 , wherein Ta is pre-melted in step a).

Assignees

• Rolex Sa
• Rolex Sa

Inventors

• Aljerf Moustafa
• Georgarakis Konstantinos
• Gyger Thomas
• Le Moulec Alain
• Von Niederhäusern Vincent
• Yavari Alain

Classifications

• C22C19/07

  based on cobalt · CPC title

• C22C45/008

  with Fe, Co or Ni as the major constituent (C22C45/02, C22C45/04 take precedence) · CPC title

• C22C33/003

  making amorphous alloys · CPC title

• C22C45/02 Primary

  with iron as the major constituent · CPC title

• G04B1/145

  Composition and manufacture of the springs (compositions and manufacture of components, wheels, spindles, pivots, or the like G04B13/02; compositions of component escapements G04B15/14; composition and manufacture or hairsprings G04B17/066; compensation for the effects of variations of temperature of springs using alloys, especially for hairsprings G04B17/227; materials for bearings of clockworks G04B31/00; heat treatment and chemical or mechanical treatment for control of the structure C21D8/00; iron and steel alloys C22C; non-ferrous alloys C22C and B22F) · CPC title