Shock-proof system with simplified assembly for timepiece

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9625880-B2
Application number	US-201314409657-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 19, 2013
Priority date	Jun 21, 2012
Publication date	Apr 18, 2017
Grant date	Apr 18, 2017

Abstract

A shock-absorber bearing for a staff of a moving part of a timepiece, the bearing including: a support including a housing configured to receive a pivot module configured to cooperate with the staff; an elastic mechanism configured to exert at least one axial force on the pivot module to retain the pivot module in its housing, the pivot module and the housing having a geometry of revolution defined to have freedom of angular orientation, one relative to the other; and a fixing mechanism for fixing the elastic mechanism.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A shock-absorber bearing for a staff of a moving part of a timepiece, the bearing comprising:
a support including a housing configured to receive a pivot module configured to cooperate with the staff, the pivot module including at least one stone;
an elastic mechanism configured to exert at least one axial force on a top of the at least one stone towards the staff to retain the pivot module in its housing, the pivot module and the housing having a geometry of revolution defined to have freedom of angular orientation, one relative to the other;
a fixing mechanism to fix the elastic mechanism to the support;
wherein at least the elastic mechanism has a geometry of revolution defined to have a 360° freedom of angular orientation relative to the pivot module and to the housing, and the fixing mechanism is configured to fix the elastic mechanism to the support whatever an angular orientation of the elastic mechanism relative to the pivot module and to the housing, allowing the bearing to be mounted vertically from top to down by placing elements of the bearing one on the other.

2. The shock-absorber bearing according to claim 1 , wherein the support, the housing, the pivot module, and the elastic mechanism each have a defined geometry to have freedom of angular orientation relative to each other.

3. The shock-absorber bearing according to claim 2 , wherein the fixing mechanism is a material linkage between the support and the elastic mechanism.

4. The shock-absorber bearing according to claim 2 , wherein the fixing mechanism comprises a cap fixed to the support to place the elastic mechanism against the support.

5. The shock-absorber bearing according to claim 2 , wherein the fixing mechanism comprises at least two fins disposed on the support and extending parallel to a central axis of the support, the at least two fins configured to be folded down to squeeze the elastic mechanism.

6. The shock-absorber bearing according to claim 5 , wherein the fixing mechanism comprises a plurality of fins disposed in a circle and distributed regularly.

7. The shock-absorber bearing according to claim 6 , wherein the elastic mechanism comprises an annular spring including three internal radial extensions.

8. The shock-absorber bearing according to claim 5 , wherein the elastic mechanism comprises an annular spring including three internal radial extensions.

9. The shock-absorber bearing according to claim 1 , wherein the fixing mechanism is a material linkage between the support and the elastic mechanism.

10. The shock-absorber bearing according to claim 1 , wherein the fixing mechanism comprises a cap fixed to the support to place the elastic mechanism against the support.

11. The shock-absorber bearing according to claim 1 , wherein the fixing mechanism comprises at least two fins disposed on the support and extending parallel to a central axis of the support, the at least two fins configured to be folded down to squeeze the elastic mechanism.

12. The shock-absorber bearing according to claim 11 , wherein the fixing mechanism comprises a plurality of fins disposed in a circle and distributed regularly.

13. The shock-absorber bearing according to claim 12 , wherein the elastic mechanism comprises an annular spring including three internal radial extensions.

14. The shock-absorber bearing according to claim 1 , wherein the elastic mechanism comprises an annular spring including at least one internal radial extension extending towards a center of the annular spring.

15. The shock-absorber bearing according to claim 14 , wherein the annular spring comprises three internal radial extensions.

16. A clock movement comprising a bottom plate and at least one bridge, the bottom plate comprising an orifice, wherein, into the orifice of the bottom plate, a shock-absorber bearing according to claim 1 is inserted.

17. The clock movement according to claim 16 , wherein the support of the shock-absorber bearing and the bottom plate are monobloc.

18. A timepiece comprising a width closed by a casing and a base, wherein the timepiece comprises a clock movement according to claim 16 .

19. A clock movement comprising a bottom plate and at least one bridge, the at least one bridge comprising an orifice, wherein, into the orifice of the at least one bridge, a shock-absorber bearing according to claim 1 is inserted.

20. The clock movement according to claim 19 , wherein the support of the shock-absorber bearing and the at least one bridge are monobloc.

Assignees

• Eta Sa Mft Horlogere Suisse

Inventors

• Girardin Yves
• Villar Ivan

Classifications

• G04B31/04 Primary

  with jewel hole and cap jewel {(jewel bearings with jewel hole and cap jewel G04B31/0082; tools for inserting jewel bearings G04D3/042)} · CPC title

• G04B31/02 Primary

  Shock-damping bearings {(shock damping in the case G04B37/052, G04B37/055, G04B37/0418)} · CPC title