Pivot for timepiece mechanism

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9684283-B2
Application number	US-201414764080-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 13, 2014
Priority date	Mar 19, 2013
Publication date	Jun 20, 2017
Grant date	Jun 20, 2017

Abstract

A pivot for a timepiece mechanism, including a first rotational guide member for radially holding an arbor in a plate, and a second front guide member for axially limiting an end of the arbor, and including at least one resilient shock absorber acting on at least the first rotational guide member and/or the second front guide member. The resilient shock absorber is made in a one-piece manner in a micromachinable material or in silicon or quartz or diamond with a structural element other than the first rotational guide member and the second front guide member.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A timepiece plate comprising:
at least one pivot for a timepiece mechanism, the pivot including a first rotational guide member for radially holding an arbor in the plate, and a second front guide member for axially limiting an end of the arbor; and
at least one resilient shock absorber, including an upper shock absorber and a lower shock absorber, acting on at least the first rotational guide member and/or the second front guide member, wherein the upper shock absorber and the lower shock absorber are made in a one-piece manner by a MEMS or LIGA or lithography manufacturing technology for microcomponents, in a micromachinable material or silicon or quartz or diamond or ruby or corundum with at least one structural element other than the first rotational guide member and the second front guide member such that the upper shock absorber, the lower shock absorber, and the at least one structural element form one piece;
the pivot including a first level and a second level which are superposed, and the first rotational guide member being suspended to the structural element via at least the upper shock absorber on the first level, and the second front guide member being suspended to the structural element via at least the lower shock absorber on the second level;
the plate forming the structural element for at least one of the pivot comprised therein,
wherein the first rotational guide member and the second front guide member are both made in a one-piece manner with the plate by a MEMS or LIGA or lithography manufacturing technology for microcomponents, in a micromachinable material or in silicon or quartz or diamond or ruby or corundum, and
wherein:
on the first level the first rotational guide member is suspended from an upper jewel-setting by a first connecting element, the first connecting element being a flexible element separate from the upper shock absorber, the upper jewel-setting being suspended from the structural element by the upper shock absorber, or
on the second level the second front guide member is suspended from a lower jewel-setting by a second connecting element, the second connecting element being a flexible element separate from the lower shock absorber, the lower jewel-setting being suspended from the structural element by the lower shock absorber.

2. The plate according to claim 1 , wherein the first rotational guide member, the upper jewel-setting, the first connecting element, and the upper shock absorber form a one-piece component.

3. The plate according to claim 2 ,
wherein the second front guide member, the lower jewel-setting, the second connecting element, and the lower shock absorber form a one-piece component, and
wherein the first rotational guide member, the upper jewel-setting, the first connecting element, the upper shock absorber, the second front guide member, the lower jewel-setting, the second connecting element, and the lower shock absorber form a single-piece component.

4. The plate according to claim 1 , wherein the second front guide member, the lower jewel-setting, the second connecting element, and the lower shock absorber form a one-piece component.

5. The plate according to claim 1 , wherein the upper jewel-setting and the lower jewel-setting form a single rigid component.

6. The plate according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one resilient shock absorber is made in a one-piece manner with the second front guide member.

7. The plate according to claim 6 , wherein the at least one resilient shock absorber is made in a one-piece manner with the first rotational guide member, and wherein the at least one resilient shock absorber is made in a one-piece manner with the second front guide member and with the first rotational guide member.

8. The plate according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one resilient shock absorber is made in a one-piece manner with the first rotational guide member.

9. The plate according to claim 1 , wherein the first rotational guide member and the second front guide member together form a single component.

10. The plate according to claim 1 , wherein at least the first rotational guide member or the second front guide member includes a guide surface for the arbor coated with a DLC coating.

11. A mechanical timepiece movement comprising at least one plate according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Nivarox Far Sa

Inventors

• Stranczl Marc
• Hessler Thierry
• Helfer Jean-Luc

Classifications

• G04B43/002

  Component shock protection arrangements (shock damping bearings G04B31/02; shock-damping in the case G04B37/04; protection of the pendulum or chime during transport G04B41/00) · CPC title

• G04B31/04

  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

• G04B31/06

  Manufacture or mounting processes · CPC title

• G04B31/016

  Plastic bearings · CPC title

• G04B31/004

  characterised by the material used · CPC title