CH712187B1 - Shock absorber device for an axis of a mobile of a timepiece comprising a spring ring mounted bayonet. - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a shock absorbing device (100) for an axis of a mobile of a timepiece comprising a support (200) comprising a bottom cup surmounted by a peripheral rim (203) delimited to the opposite said cup, by an upper surface and comprising an outer wall, said cup and the flange (203) together defining a housing in which at least one pivot module (400) is arranged. The device comprises fastening means comprising a peripheral surface (501) extending from the flange (203) towards the center of the cup, resilient means (300) being arranged between the at least one pivot module (400) and the scope (501) for exerting stress on the at least one pivot module.

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a shock-absorbing device, also known as an anti-shock system, for an axis of a mobile of a timepiece. The axis comprises a tigeron, and the shock absorbing device comprises a support, said support being provided with a housing adapted to receive a pivot module in which the tigeron is inserted. The shockproof system further comprises elastic means arranged to exert on said pivot module at least one axial force.

The technical field of the invention is the technical field of fine mechanics.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to bearings for timepieces, more particularly of the type for damping shocks. The mechanical watch manufacturers have long since designed numerous devices allowing an axis to absorb the energy resulting from an impact, in particular a side impact, by abutment against a wall of the hole of the base block that it crosses. while allowing a momentary movement of the tigeron before it is brought back to its rest position under the action of a spring.

Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate an inverted double-cone device that is currently used in timepieces on the market.

A support 1, whose base comprises a hole 2 for the passage of a balance shaft 3 terminated by a tigeron 3a, used to position a kitten 20 in which are immobilized a pierced stone 4 crossed by the tigeron 3a and 5. The support 1 is a part of revolution comprising a circular flange 11. This flange 11 is interrupted in two diametrically opposite locations by an opening 12 so as to create two semi-circular flanges 11a, 11b. The opening 12 is formed partly in the two semicircular edges 11a, 11b so as to materialize two returns 13. The kitten 20 is held in a housing 6 of the support 1 by elastic means such as a spring 10 which comprises in this example of the radial extensions 9 compressing the counter pivot stone 5. The spring 10 is of the axial type and has a form of lyre arranged to bear under the return semicircular flanges 11a, 11b. The housing 6 comprises two bearing surfaces 7, 7a in the form of inverted cones on which support complementary bearing surfaces 8, 8a of the kitten 20, said bearing surfaces 7, 7a to be executed with very high accuracy. In the event of axial impact, the pierced stone 4, the counter-pivot stone 5 and the balance shaft 3 move and the spring 10 acts alone to bring the balance shaft 3 back to its initial position. The spring 10 is dimensioned to have a limit of displacement, so that beyond this limit, the balance shaft 3 comes into contact with abutments 14 allowing said axis 3 to absorb the shock, which the tigerons 3a of the axis 3 can not make under penalty of breaking. In the event of lateral impact, that is to say when the end of the tigeron 3a unbalances the kitten 20 outside its resting plane, the spring 10 cooperates with the complementary inclined planes 7, 7a and 8, 8a to refocus the kitten 20. Such bearings have for example been sold under the trademark Incabloc®. The springs can be made of phynox or brass and are made by traditional means of cutting.

However, a disadvantage of these shock absorbing devices is that their assembly is not easy. Indeed, some parts such as the support 1 and the spring 10 must be oriented and manipulated in a certain way during the assembly operation for the assembly can be done. Thus, the assembly of a shock absorber device begins by providing a support, then a kitten with its stones. The latter is placed in the support housing. Then, one is equipped with a spring of the axial type and which presents a form of lyre. It is manipulated so that it can take support under the return of semicircular flanges 11a, 11b of the support. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0007] The purpose of the invention is to overcome the drawbacks of the prior art by proposing to provide a shock-absorbing device whose assembly is automatable, simple and safe.

For this purpose, the invention relates to a shock absorbing device for an axis of a mobile of a timepiece comprising a support having a bottom cup surmounted by a delimited peripheral rim, the opposite of said cup, by an upper surface and comprising an outer wall, said cup and the rim together defining a housing, the device further comprising at least one pivot module extending along a central axis, said at least one pivot module being arranged in said housing and adapted to cooperate with the axis of the mobile of the timepiece, said device comprising fixing means comprising a peripheral bearing extending from the rim towards the axial center of the cup, elastic means being arranged between the at least one pivot module and the scope for exerting stress on the at least one pivot module, characterized in that the elastic means comprise a spring ring provided with at least two radial extensions extending towards the center of said ring, and at least two lugs extending in a reverse direction, said bearing comprising at least one notch to allow bayonet mounting of said ring; spring, and in that the scope comprises, on either side of said at least one notch, a nozzle oriented towards the bottom cup for locking in rotation said elastic means.

In a first advantageous embodiment, the scope comprises three notches, said spring ring comprising three lugs.

In a second advantageous embodiment, said resilient means comprise a spring ring having at least two arms extending towards the axial center of said spring ring to press said at least one pivot module in the housing of the support.

In a third advantageous embodiment, the at least two arms are diametrically opposed.

In another advantageous embodiment, the spring ring comprises three angularly distributed arms.

In another advantageous embodiment, said elastic means comprise a spring ring having internal radial extensions disposed between annular parts, said internal radial extensions being constituted by the band forming the ring curved towards the inside of the ring.

In another advantageous embodiment, said internal radial extensions are regularly distributed.

In another advantageous embodiment, the spring ring comprises three internal radial extensions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES [0016] The aims, advantages and characteristics of the anti-shock system, also referred to as the shock absorbing device, according to the present invention will become more clearly apparent in the following detailed description of at least one embodiment of the invention given only by way of nonlimiting example and illustrated by the appended drawings in which: FIGS. 1 and 2, already mentioned, show schematically a shock absorber device timepiece according to the prior art; figs. 3 and 4 show schematically a shock absorber device of the timepiece according to the invention when it is mounted; figs. 5 and 6 show different solutions of the elastic means of the shock absorber device of timepiece according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION [0017] The present invention proceeds from the general inventive idea of providing a shock absorbing device or simple shockproof system, easy to assemble and offering less risk of problems during assembly. This shock absorbing device is arranged to be mounted on a plate and / or at least one bridge of a watch movement. The watch movement is placed in a timepiece comprising a middle part closed by a bottom and an ice.

In figs. 3 and 4, a shock absorbing device 100, also called shockproof system, according to a first embodiment is shown. This shock absorbing device or shockproof system 100 is mounted in a base element of a timepiece movement. In particular, the plate or the bridges of the movement are the basic element in which the anti-shock system 100 according to the invention is placed. This anti-shock system 100 comprises a support 200. This support 200 is in the form of a cup 201, provided with a hole 202, surmounted by a peripheral rim 203 delimited, opposite said cup, by an upper surface. 213. This peripheral flange 203 also has an outer wall 214 and an inner wall 215. This flange 203 and the bottom cup 201 define a housing 206 in which a pivot module 400 is inserted. The flange 203 and the bottom cup 201 may be monoblocks or parts dissociated. A conventional pivot module 400 comprises a kitten 401, that is to say a piece having a circular central orifice, an outer wall and an inner wall. In the central orifice is inserted a pierced stone 402 whose diameter corresponds to that of the central orifice. The inner wall 215 includes a shoulder so that a backstop stone 403 can be attached. The pivot module 400 is then placed in the housing 206 of the support 200 and cooperates with the shank of an axis.

The shockproof system 100 further comprises resilient means 300 which are arranged to cooperate with the pivot module 400. This helps dampen shocks and bring the pivot module 400 in its rest position when the constraints exerted following the shocks fade. The elastic means 300 are fixed on the support 200. Preferably, the elastic means 300 are also placed on the pivot module 400. The shockproof system 100 is then inserted into an orifice of the plate or in one of the bridges of the movement.

The elastic means 300 are, for example, in the form of a spring ring 301. This spring ring 301 is of the flat type, that is to say that it consists of a strip or ribbon having a width greater than the thickness. The band or ribbon constituting the spring ring 301 is metallic and circular with respect to a central axis C.

In a first embodiment of this spring ring 301 visible in FIG. 5, the elastic means 300 are in the form of a circular spring ring 301 which comprises arms 302 extending towards the axial center of said spring ring 301. These arms 302 are radial extensions and serve to press said pivot module 400 in the housing 206 of the support 200. The spring ring 301 may comprise two diametrically opposed arms, preferably three arms.

Claims (8)

In a second embodiment of this spring ring 301 visible in FIG. 6, the spring ring 301 comprises internal radial extensions 303 disposed between annular portions 304. These internal radial extensions 303 are constituted by the band forming the ring 301 which is curved towards the inside of the ring 301. These extensions internal radial 303 are preferably evenly distributed around the round of the flat ring 301 so that the spring ring 301 can act homogeneously as can be seen in FIG. 5. It is then understood that the spring ring 301 can be oriented in any way with respect to the support 200. The spring ring 301 may comprise two, preferably three radial extensions. To mount and fix the elastic means 300 to the support 200, a bayonet system 500 is used. Such a bayonet system comprises a peripheral surface 501 extending from the flange 203 towards the center of the support 200. This bearing surface 501 forms, with the support 200 and the flange 203, a holding zone 503. This holding zone 503 can comprise in addition, a peripheral groove 505 for the elastic means 300 to be inserted therein. In order to mount the elastic means, the bearing 501 includes notches 507 so that the bearing is divided into portions. Advantageously, the spring ring 301 has lugs 305 extending so as to move away from the axial center of said spring ring 301. These lugs 305 are arranged to maintain said spring ring 301. Indeed, the dimensions of the 301 spring ring and 501 range are calculated so that the lugs 305 can be inserted into the slots 507 of the scope 501. The number of notches 507 will preferably be identical to the number of pins 305. Preferably, this number will be three. This insertion of the lugs 305 in the notches 507 of the bearing 501 allows said spring ring 301 to be inserted into the holding zone 503. It is then sufficient to rotate the spring ring 301 so that the lugs 305 are placed under 501. Indeed, the mounting of the spring is subsequent to the step of placing the pivot module 400 in its housing 206 so that the mounting of the spring ring 301 causes the appearance of a stress applied to said spring ring 301. This constraint is due to the pivot module 400 which tends to push the spring ring 301 towards the outside of the housing while the lugs 305 of said spring ring 301 abut on the bearing surface 501, thus retaining said ring spring 301. Of course, it may be possible to have a single notch 507 at the level of the bearing 501 but to have a spring ring 301 having two or three lugs 305. The presence of the lugs 305 makes it possible to limit the c stress exerted on said spring ring 301 by the bearing 501 so that this constraint is only located on these pins 305. Therefore, these lugs 305 are passive areas that is to say without influence on the behavior of the ring Therefore, the initial behavior of the spring ring 301 is not modified by its assembly to the support 200. Advantageously according to the invention, the portions of the span 501 are designed to present, at each end, a spout 509. These spouts 509 located at each end of a portion of the span 501 have a locking function of the spring ring 301. Indeed, in operating condition, the shock absorber system works so that the spring is more or less solicited. However, it happens that the spring is no longer under stress so that a movement of this ring-spring is possible. This displacement can be a rotational movement of the ring spring on itself. Therefore, if the rotation is too important, there is a risk that the lugs are facing the notches and therefore the spring ring is disassembled. Thus, the presence of the nozzles advantageously solves this problem by acting as rotation limiter. During a rotation of the spring-ring on itself in case of low stress, the nozzles act as a stop to stop this rotation. The lugs of the spring ring can not be found next to the notches and therefore the spring ring can not disassemble itself. It can be imagined that the support 200 and the element of the movement in which the shock absorbing device 100 is placed are only one and the same piece, the support 200 and the element of the movement are therefore monoblocks. It is then understood that the base member has a recess arranged to form a bottom pierced with a hole and forming the housing 206 in which the pivot module 400 is placed. It is also understood that this second variant can coexist with the first variant. Indeed, as a bridge or plate has any shape, an assembly area arranged to be sure to install the fastening means and thus maintain the pivot module 400 in the housing. It will be understood that various modifications and / or improvements and / or combinations obvious to those skilled in the art can be made to the various embodiments of the invention described above without departing from the scope of the invention defined by the appended claims. Indeed, it is possible that the pivot module 400 may consist of a single stone or that the pierced stone and the pivot-pivot stone are integral with one another. It is understood that the pierced stone and the counter-pivot stone can be driven into one another or be one-piece. These possibilities make it possible to limit the number of parts of the shock-absorbing device. claims 1. A shock absorbing device (100) for an axis of a mobile of a timepiece comprising a support (200) comprising a bottom cup (201) surmounted by a peripheral rim (203) delimited to the opposite said cup, by an upper surface (213) and comprising an outer wall (214), said cup (201) and the flange (203) together defining a housing (206), the device further comprising at least one pivot module (400) extending along a central axis (C), said at least one pivot module being arranged in said housing and adapted to cooperate with the axis of the mobile of the timepiece, said device comprising fixing means ( 500) comprising a peripheral bearing surface (501) extending from the rim towards the axial center of the cup, resilient means (300) being arranged between the at least one pivot module and the bearing for exerting stress on the at least one pivot module, characterized in e that the elastic means (300) comprise a spring ring (301) provided with at least two radial extensions (302, 303) extending towards the center of said ring and at least two lugs (305) extending into a reverse direction, said bearing surface (501) comprising at least one notch (507) for bayonet mounting said spring ring and in that the bearing surface (501) comprises, on either side of said at least one notch, a spout (509) oriented towards the bottom cup for locking in rotation said elastic means. 2. shock absorbing device (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that the bearing surface (501) comprises three notches (507), said spring ring comprising three lugs (305). 3. shock absorbing device (100) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said elastic means (300) comprise a spring ring (301) having at least two arms (302) extending towards the axial center of said ring spring for pressing said at least one pivot module into the housing of the support. 4. shock absorbing device (100) according to claim 3, characterized in that the at least two arms (302) are diametrically opposed. 5. shock absorbing device (100) according to claim 3, characterized in that the spring ring comprises three arms (302) angularly distributed. The shock absorbing device (100) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said resilient means (300) comprises a spring ring (301) having internal radial extensions (303) disposed between annular portions (304), said inner radial extensions being constituted by the band forming the ring curved towards the inside of the ring. 7. shock absorbing device (100) according to claim 6, characterized in that said inner radial extensions (303) are regularly distributed. 8. shock absorbing device (100) according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the spring ring comprises three inner radial extensions (303).