EP2107433B1 - Method for assembling a part on an axle - Google Patents

Method for assembling a part on an axle Download PDF

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Publication number
EP2107433B1
EP2107433B1 EP08153971.0A EP08153971A EP2107433B1 EP 2107433 B1 EP2107433 B1 EP 2107433B1 EP 08153971 A EP08153971 A EP 08153971A EP 2107433 B1 EP2107433 B1 EP 2107433B1
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
material part
hard material
rim
soft material
assembly
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EP08153971.0A
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German (de)
French (fr)
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EP2107433A1 (en
Inventor
Romain Nagel
Lucas Humair
Stéphane von Gunten
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Manufacture et Fabrique de Montres et Chronometres Ulysse Nardin Le Locle SA
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Manufacture et Fabrique de Montres et Chronometres Ulysse Nardin Le Locle SA
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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G04—HOROLOGY
    • G04B—MECHANICALLY-DRIVEN CLOCKS OR WATCHES; MECHANICAL PARTS OF CLOCKS OR WATCHES IN GENERAL; TIME PIECES USING THE POSITION OF THE SUN, MOON OR STARS
    • G04B17/00—Mechanisms for stabilising frequency
    • G04B17/32—Component parts or constructional details, e.g. collet, stud, virole or piton
    • G04B17/34—Component parts or constructional details, e.g. collet, stud, virole or piton for fastening the hairspring onto the balance
    • G04B17/345—Details of the spiral roll
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G04—HOROLOGY
    • G04B—MECHANICALLY-DRIVEN CLOCKS OR WATCHES; MECHANICAL PARTS OF CLOCKS OR WATCHES IN GENERAL; TIME PIECES USING THE POSITION OF THE SUN, MOON OR STARS
    • G04B13/00—Gearwork
    • G04B13/02—Wheels; Pinions; Spindles; Pivots
    • G04B13/021—Wheels; Pinions; Spindles; Pivots elastic fitting with a spindle, axis or shaft
    • G04B13/022—Wheels; Pinions; Spindles; Pivots elastic fitting with a spindle, axis or shaft with parts made of hard material, e.g. silicon, diamond, sapphire, quartz and the like

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to the field of watchmaking. It relates, more particularly, to a method of assembling a piece of hard material such as silicon, diamond or corundum, on a support axis.
  • the document EP 1850193 proposes to assemble a piece of hard material on an axis by inserting an intermediate piece between the axis and the hard part. This intermediate piece is deformed against the wall of a hole in the hard part, to assemble and fix these three elements. However, during this assembly and deformation step, the hard part undergoes radial stresses that are difficult to control and unfavorable for the hard part.
  • the present invention therefore provides a method of assembling a part on an axis, free from the aforementioned drawbacks.
  • the assembly of the piece in hard material and the intermediate piece is independent of mounting on the support axis of the assembly.
  • the invention also relates to a set of a piece of soft material selected from gold, nickel or alloys based on copper, and a part of the field of watchmaking hard material selected from silicon, diamond or corundum, the piece of soft material being pierced with a hole to be mounted rigidly on a support axis.
  • the piece of soft material defines a range and a rim around the hole.
  • the piece of hard material is pierced with an opening and is fitted on the edge of the piece of soft material, resting on the scope.
  • the piece of soft material has a deformation not resulting from a radial compression, that is to say not resulting from a compression exerted inside the hole, solidarisant permanently, axially and angularly, the piece of soft material and the piece of hard material, said opening of the piece of hard material defining facets facing the edge of the intermediate piece, the angles formed between two consecutive facets defining interstices opposite the edge of the workpiece. soft material and said piece of soft material having deformations taking place at least partially in the interstices to secure the two parts.
  • the edge of the piece of soft material is of height H, the thickness e of the piece of hard material being less than the height H, so that the piece of soft material has a flange protruding from the workpiece in hard material.
  • the collar is folded over the piece of hard material.
  • the figures illustrating the invention relate to the particular example of the assembly of a spiral 10, typically silicon, on its axis.
  • the invention can be adapted to the assembly of any piece of hard material, such as silicon, diamond or corundum, on a support axis.
  • the axis may optionally comprise a toothing thus defining a pinion, on which can be assembled a wheel of hard material.
  • the assembly method according to the invention requires the provision of an intermediate piece of soft material.
  • soft material is meant a material capable of plastic deformation, in particular during a driving operation.
  • the material used is preferably softer than the piece of hard material and can thus be selected from gold or nickel or copper-based alloys.
  • the intermediate piece is a ferrule 12, to which the inner end of the spiral is intended to be fixed.
  • the ferrule 12 has a cylindrical tube 14 pierced with a hole 16 intended to be mounted rigidly on the axis supporting the spiral 10. It has an outside diameter d , and extends around its outer periphery, by a portion of diameter D greater than d .
  • the portion defines a bearing 18 concentric with respect to the hole 16, and a flange 20, the bearing surface 18 and the flange 20 being disposed on the side intended to receive the hairspring 10.
  • the spiral 10 has in its center an opening of diameter close to d .
  • the hairspring 10 is fitted to the rim 20 of the shell 12 and is resting on the bearing surface 18. It must be understood by “adjusting" that the opening is dimensioned so that the hairspring 10 is mounted on the shell 12 with a slight clearance or a very slight tightening. The two pieces are not then assembled permanently.
  • the flange 20 of the ferrule 12 is of height H, while the thickness e of the spiral 10 is less than the height H. In this way, the flange 20 protrudes from the spiral 10 and forms a flange 22 ( Figure 1 (b) .
  • the deformation of the flange 22 is by riveting, which allows a particularly precise control of the intensity and direction of the force applied to the ferrule.
  • the deformation of the collar 22 could also be effected by thermal riveting, in particular by means of a laser, possibly with welding between the spiral and the ferrule. The proposed techniques can deform the ferrule 12 to secure it with the spiral 10, without the latter undergoes significant radial stress.
  • the ferrule does not undergo radial compression, that is to say that the deformation of the ferrule does not result from a compression exerted inside the hole 16, typically by a driving. Such an operation would lead to exerting too much stress on the hairspring.
  • the assembly thus formed by the ferrule 12 and the hairspring 10 can then be mounted rigidly and permanently on the support shaft, by driving, riveting, laser welding or any other suitable technique.
  • the hairspring 10 thus suffers a minimum of direct stress and very little radial deformation during assembly on the axis.
  • the assembly of the hairspring 10 and the shell 12 is independent of mounting on the support axis of the assembly that these two parts form.
  • the hairspring 10 and the shell 12 thus form a perfectly usable assembly that can be counted and stored.
  • the counting of the spiral is an operation which consists in determining the length of a spiral coupled to a pendulum so that it has the desired number of oscillations.
  • the proposed method does not involve a coin that greatly increases the thickness of the assembly fixed on the axis and provides excellent centering spiral 10.
  • the opening of the spiral 10 has facets on its inner wall, intended to be positioned opposite the rim. These facets can be regular and form a regular polygonal section, centered with reference to the opening. As before, the dimensions of the polygon make it possible to adjust the spiral on the rim of the ferrule 12, resting on the span. Thus, when the hairspring 10 is fitted to the shell 12, the angles formed between two consecutive facets define interstices between the shell and the hairspring. The ferrule and the spiral can then be secured by deforming by thermal riveting, in particular by laser, the ferrule 12 so that it takes place at least partially in the interstices.
  • the ferrule 12 it is not necessary for the ferrule 12 to have a collar 22, which makes it possible to reduce the height of the assembly as much as possible. Nevertheless, in a variant, it is conceivable to combine the thermal riveting of the facets with the first embodiment, in which the collar 22 is folded down. Any geometry making it possible to obtain, on the one hand, precise zones of contact with the ferrule for adjusting these two parts together and, on the other hand, gaps between the two that can be filled by thermal deformation, for example laser, may be suitable for this embodiment.
  • the rim of the ferrule 12 is provided with an annular groove 26, parallel to the bearing surface 18.
  • the groove 26 is disposed at a height h substantially equal to the thickness e of the spiral 10.
  • the groove 26 is facing the edge of the spiral 10 located on the opposite side to the bearing surface 18, which advantageously makes it possible to absolutely avoid any stress exerted on this edge during the assembly of the ferrule-spiral assembly on the support shaft because this edge, very sharp, can present a greater fragility.

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  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Connection Of Plates (AREA)
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Description

Domaine techniqueTechnical area

La présente invention se rapporte au domaine de l'horlogerie. Elle concerne, plus particulièrement, un procédé d'assemblage d'une pièce en matériau dur de type silicium, diamant ou corindon, sur un axe support.The present invention relates to the field of watchmaking. It relates, more particularly, to a method of assembling a piece of hard material such as silicon, diamond or corundum, on a support axis.

Etat de la techniqueState of the art

L'utilisation de matériaux durs, tel que du silicium, du diamant ou du corindon est particulièrement intéressante. On peut notamment citer la possibilité de réaliser des pièces compliquées de manière très précise, par gravage ou par croissance. Par ailleurs, il a récemment été proposé, comme l'enseigne le document EP1422436 , de réaliser un spiral en silicium, recouvert d'une couche d'oxyde afin d'obtenir un comportement élastique stable par rapport à des variations de température.The use of hard materials, such as silicon, diamond or corundum is particularly interesting. In particular, it is possible to mention the possibility of producing complicated parts in a very precise manner, by engraving or by growth. Moreover, it has recently been proposed, as the document teaches EP1422436 , to produce a silicon spiral, covered with an oxide layer in order to obtain a stable elastic behavior with respect to temperature variations.

Toutefois, l'utilisation de pièces en matériaux durs dans le domaine de l'horlogerie pose encore de nombreux problèmes, notamment en ce qui concerne l'assemblage de telles pièces sur des axes. En effet, particulièrement pour des pièces qui doivent tourner, le centrage est très important. La technique habituellement utilisée en horlogerie pour assembler des pièces de manière concentrique est le chassage. Cependant, les matériaux durs précédemment cités ne se déforment que très peu plastiquement et les contraintes mécaniques engendrées par un chassage les endommagent fréquemment.However, the use of hard material parts in the field of watchmaking still poses many problems, especially as regards the assembly of such parts on axes. Indeed, particularly for parts that must turn, centering is very important. The technique usually used in watchmaking to assemble parts in a concentric manner is hunting. However, the hard materials previously mentioned deform only very little plastically and the mechanical stresses caused by a hunting often damage them.

Il a été proposé, dans le document EP 1705533 d'assembler sans contrainte la pièce en matériau dur et de la pincer entre un élément de butée et une rondelle fixée sur l'axe. Cette technique présente toutefois l'inconvénient d'imposer le montage d'une pièce supplémentaire, opération délicate vu les dimensions des éléments considérés. De plus, cette pièce augmente l'épaisseur de l'ensemble et peut nécessiter d'allonger l'axe sur lequel la pièce est montée, ce qui n'est évidemment pas toujours possible.It was proposed in the document EP 1705533 to assemble without constraint the piece of hard material and to pinch it between an abutment element and a washer fixed on the axis. This technique however has the disadvantage of imposing the mounting of an additional piece, a delicate operation given the dimensions of the elements considered. In addition, this piece increases the thickness of the assembly and may require to extend the axis on which the part is mounted, which is obviously not always possible.

Le document EP 1850193 propose d'assembler une pièce en matériau dur sur un axe en intercalant une pièce intermédiaire entre l'axe et la pièce dure. Cette pièce intermédiaire est déformée contre la paroi d'un trou ménagé dans la pièce dure, afin d'assembler et de fixer ces trois éléments. Toutefois, lors de cette étape d'assemblage et de déformation, la pièce dure subit des contraintes radiales difficiles à maitriser et défavorables pour la pièce dure.The document EP 1850193 proposes to assemble a piece of hard material on an axis by inserting an intermediate piece between the axis and the hard part. This intermediate piece is deformed against the wall of a hole in the hard part, to assemble and fix these three elements. However, during this assembly and deformation step, the hard part undergoes radial stresses that are difficult to control and unfavorable for the hard part.

Le document US227726 A divulgue un procédé d'assemblage d'une pièce sur un axe. Les matériaux ne sont pas spécifiés.The document US227726 A discloses a method of assembling a workpiece on an axis. The materials are not specified.

La présente invention propose donc un procédé d'assemblage d'une pièce sur un axe, exempt des inconvénients susmentionnés.The present invention therefore provides a method of assembling a part on an axis, free from the aforementioned drawbacks.

Divulgation de l'inventionDisclosure of the invention

Plus particulièrement, l'invention concerne un procédé d'assemblage d'une pièce du domaine de l'horlogerie en matériau dur choisi parmi le silicium, le diamant ou le corindon sur un axe support, comprenant les étapes suivantes :

  1. i. se doter d'une pièce intermédiaire en matériau tendre choisi parmi l'or, le nickel ou les alliages de cuivre, percée d'un trou et destinée à être montée rigidement sur ledit axe support, ladite pièce intermédiaire définissant, autour du trou, une portée et un rebord,
  2. ii. la pièce en matériau dur présentant une ouverture, ajuster ladite pièce en matériau dur sur le rebord de la pièce intermédiaire, en appui sur la portée,
  3. iii. déformer la pièce intermédiaire de manière à solidariser axialement et angulairement la pièce intermédiaire et la pièce en matériau dur, lesdites pièces formant ainsi un ensemble,
  4. iv. monter rigidement ledit ensemble sur l'axe support,
dans lequel ladite ouverture de la pièce en matériau dur définit des facettes en regard du rebord de la pièce intermédiaire, les angles formés entre deux facettes consécutives définissant des interstices entre la pièce en matériau dur et celle en matériau tendre, et dans lequel l'étape iii se fait par déformation thermique de la pièce intermédiaire de manière à ce qu'elle prenne place au moins partiellement dans les interstices.More particularly, the invention relates to a method for assembling a part of the watchmaking domain made of hard material chosen from silicon, diamond or corundum on a support axis, comprising the following steps:
  1. i. have an intermediate piece of soft material selected from gold, nickel or copper alloys, pierced with a hole and intended to be mounted rigidly on said support axis, said intermediate piece defining, around the hole, a scope and a ledge,
  2. ii. the piece of hard material having an opening, adjust said piece of hard material on the edge of the intermediate piece, resting on the bearing,
  3. iii. deforming the intermediate piece so as to axially and angularly secure the intermediate piece and the piece of hard material, said pieces thus forming an assembly,
  4. iv. rigidly mounting said assembly on the support axis,
wherein said opening of the piece of hard material defines facets facing the edge of the intermediate piece, the angles formed between two consecutive facets defining interstices between the piece of hard material and that of soft material, and wherein the step iii is by thermal deformation of the intermediate piece so that it takes place at least partially in the interstices.

Ainsi, seule la pièce intermédiaire est nécessaire pour positionner et maintenir la pièce en matériau dur dans toutes les directions et solidariser ces deux pièces de manière permanente. De plus, l'assemblage de la pièce en matériau dur et de la pièce intermédiaire se fait indépendamment du montage sur l'axe support de l'ensemble.Thus, only the intermediate piece is necessary to position and maintain the piece of hard material in all directions and to secure these two parts permanently. In addition, the assembly of the piece in hard material and the intermediate piece is independent of mounting on the support axis of the assembly.

Grâce au fait que l'assemblage de la pièce en matériau dur et de la pièce intermédiaire se fait au cours d'une étape indépendante du montage sur l'axe, l'invention concerne également un ensemble d'une pièce en matériau tendre choisi parmi l'or, le nickel ou des alliages à base de cuivre, et d'une pièce du domaine de l'horlogerie en matériau dur choisi parmi le silicium, le diamant ou le corindon, la pièce en matériau tendre étant percée d'un trou pour être montée rigidement sur un axe support. La pièce en matériau tendre définit, autour du trou, une portée et un rebord. La pièce en matériau dur est percée d'une ouverture et est ajustée sur le rebord de la pièce en matériau tendre, en appui sur la portée. De manière avantageuse, la pièce en matériau tendre présente une déformation ne résultant pas d'une compression radiale, c'est à dire ne résultant pas d'une compression exercée à l'intérieur du trou, solidarisant de manière permanente, axialement et angulairement, la pièce en matériau tendre et la pièce en matériau dur, ladite ouverture de la pièce en matériau dur définissant des facettes en regard du rebord de la pièce intermédiaire, les angles formés entre deux facettes consécutives définissant des interstices en regard du rebord de la pièce en matériau tendre et ladite pièce en matériau tendre présentant des déformations prenant place au moins partiellement dans les interstices pour solidariser les deux pièces.Due to the fact that the assembly of the piece of hard material and the intermediate piece is done during a step independent of the mounting on the axis, the invention also relates to a set of a piece of soft material selected from gold, nickel or alloys based on copper, and a part of the field of watchmaking hard material selected from silicon, diamond or corundum, the piece of soft material being pierced with a hole to be mounted rigidly on a support axis. The piece of soft material defines a range and a rim around the hole. The piece of hard material is pierced with an opening and is fitted on the edge of the piece of soft material, resting on the scope. Advantageously, the piece of soft material has a deformation not resulting from a radial compression, that is to say not resulting from a compression exerted inside the hole, solidarisant permanently, axially and angularly, the piece of soft material and the piece of hard material, said opening of the piece of hard material defining facets facing the edge of the intermediate piece, the angles formed between two consecutive facets defining interstices opposite the edge of the workpiece. soft material and said piece of soft material having deformations taking place at least partially in the interstices to secure the two parts.

Dans une première variante, le rebord de la pièce en matériau tendre est de hauteur H, l'épaisseur e de la pièce en matériau dur étant inférieur à la hauteur H, de sorte que la pièce en matériau tendre présente une collerette dépassant de la pièce en matériau dur. La collerette est rabattue par-dessus la pièce en matériau dur.In a first variant, the edge of the piece of soft material is of height H, the thickness e of the piece of hard material being less than the height H, so that the piece of soft material has a flange protruding from the workpiece in hard material. The collar is folded over the piece of hard material.

Brève description des dessinsBrief description of the drawings

D'autres caractéristiques de la présente invention apparaîtront plus clairement à la lecture de la description qui va suivre, faite en référence au dessin annexé, dans lequel les figures 1, 2 et 3 montrent différents modes de réalisation de l'invention, respectivement avec des vues de dessus (a), en coupe (b) et en perspective (c).Other features of the present invention will appear more clearly on reading the description which follows, made with reference to annexed drawing, in which the figures 1 , 2 and 3 show different embodiments of the invention, respectively with top views (a), sectional (b) and perspective (c).

Mode(s) de réalisation de l'inventionMode (s) of realization of the invention

Les figures illustrant l'invention se rapportent à l'exemple particulier de l'assemblage d'un spiral 10, typiquement en silicium, sur son axe. L'invention peut être adaptée à l'assemblage d'une pièce quelconque en matériau dur, tel que du silicium, du diamant ou du corindon, sur un axe support. L'axe peut éventuellement comporter une denture définissant ainsi un pignon, sur lequel peut être assemblé une roue en matériau dur.The figures illustrating the invention relate to the particular example of the assembly of a spiral 10, typically silicon, on its axis. The invention can be adapted to the assembly of any piece of hard material, such as silicon, diamond or corundum, on a support axis. The axis may optionally comprise a toothing thus defining a pinion, on which can be assembled a wheel of hard material.

Comme le montrent les figures, le procédé d'assemblage selon l'invention, nécessite de se doter d'une pièce intermédiaire en matériau tendre. On entend par matériau tendre, un matériau susceptible de se déformer plastiquement, notamment au cours d'une opération de chassage. Le matériau utilisé est de préférence plus mou que la pièce en matériau dur et peut ainsi être choisi parmi l'or ou le nickel ou des alliages à base de cuivre. Dans l'exemple, la pièce intermédiaire est une virole 12, à laquelle l'extrémité intérieure du spiral est destinée à être fixée. On remarquera que, bien que les termes « dur » et « tendre » soient relatifs, ils sont parfaitement clairs pour l'homme du métier.As shown in the figures, the assembly method according to the invention requires the provision of an intermediate piece of soft material. By soft material is meant a material capable of plastic deformation, in particular during a driving operation. The material used is preferably softer than the piece of hard material and can thus be selected from gold or nickel or copper-based alloys. In the example, the intermediate piece is a ferrule 12, to which the inner end of the spiral is intended to be fixed. It will be noted that, although the terms "hard" and "tender" are relative, they are perfectly clear to those skilled in the art.

La virole 12 présente un tube cylindrique 14 percée d'un trou 16 destinée à être montée rigidement sur l'axe supportant le spiral 10. Elle est de diamètre extérieur d, et s'étend sur son pourtour extérieur, par une portion de diamètre D supérieur à d. La portion définit une portée 18 concentrique par rapport au trou 16, et un rebord 20, la portée 18 et le rebord 20 étant disposés du côté destiné à recevoir le spiral 10.The ferrule 12 has a cylindrical tube 14 pierced with a hole 16 intended to be mounted rigidly on the axis supporting the spiral 10. It has an outside diameter d , and extends around its outer periphery, by a portion of diameter D greater than d . The portion defines a bearing 18 concentric with respect to the hole 16, and a flange 20, the bearing surface 18 and the flange 20 being disposed on the side intended to receive the hairspring 10.

Le spiral 10 présente en son centre une ouverture de diamètre voisin de d. Le spiral 10 est ajusté sur le rebord 20 de la virole 12 et est mis en appui sur la portée 18. On doit entendre par « ajuster » que l'ouverture est dimensionnée de manière à ce que le spiral 10 soit monté sur la virole 12 avec un léger jeu ou un très léger serrage. Les deux pièces ne sont alors pas assemblées de manière permanente.The spiral 10 has in its center an opening of diameter close to d . The hairspring 10 is fitted to the rim 20 of the shell 12 and is resting on the bearing surface 18. It must be understood by "adjusting" that the opening is dimensioned so that the hairspring 10 is mounted on the shell 12 with a slight clearance or a very slight tightening. The two pieces are not then assembled permanently.

Dans le mode de réalisation de la figure 1, le rebord 20 de la virole 12 est de hauteur H, tandis que l'épaisseur e du spiral 10 est inférieure à la hauteur H. De la sorte, le rebord 20 dépasse du spiral 10 et forme une collerette 22 (figure 1 b).In the embodiment of the figure 1 , the flange 20 of the ferrule 12 is of height H, while the thickness e of the spiral 10 is less than the height H. In this way, the flange 20 protrudes from the spiral 10 and forms a flange 22 ( Figure 1 (b) .

Après que le spiral 10 ait été ajusté sur la virole 12, cette dernière, plus particulièrement la collerette 22, est déformée en la rabattant au moins partiellement, par-dessus le spiral 10, de manière à solidariser de manière permanente, axialement et angulairement le spiral 10 et la virole 12. De manière avantageuse, la déformation de la collerette 22 se fait par rivetage, ce qui permet un contrôle particulièrement précis de l'intensité et de la direction de la force appliquée sur la virole. La déformation de la collerette 22 pourrait également être effectuée par rivetage thermique, notamment au moyen d'un laser, avec éventuellement un soudage entre le spiral et la virole. Les techniques proposées permettent de déformer la virole 12 pour la solidariser avec le spiral 10, sans que ce dernier subisse de contrainte radiale importante. Plus particulièrement, la virole ne subit pas de compression radiale, c'est-à-dire que la déformation de la virole ne résulte pas d'une compression exercée à l'intérieur du trou 16, typiquement par un chassage. Une telle opération conduirait à exercer des contraintes trop importantes sur le spiral.After the hairspring 10 has been fitted to the collar 12, the latter, more particularly the collar 22, is deformed by folding it at least partially over the hairspring 10 so as to permanently, axially and angularly 10 and the ferrule 12. Advantageously, the deformation of the flange 22 is by riveting, which allows a particularly precise control of the intensity and direction of the force applied to the ferrule. The deformation of the collar 22 could also be effected by thermal riveting, in particular by means of a laser, possibly with welding between the spiral and the ferrule. The proposed techniques can deform the ferrule 12 to secure it with the spiral 10, without the latter undergoes significant radial stress. More particularly, the ferrule does not undergo radial compression, that is to say that the deformation of the ferrule does not result from a compression exerted inside the hole 16, typically by a driving. Such an operation would lead to exerting too much stress on the hairspring.

L'ensemble ainsi formé par la virole 12 et le spiral 10 peut ensuite être monté rigidement et de manière permanente sur l'axe support, par chassage, rivetage, soudage laser ou tout autre technique appropriée.The assembly thus formed by the ferrule 12 and the hairspring 10 can then be mounted rigidly and permanently on the support shaft, by driving, riveting, laser welding or any other suitable technique.

Le spiral 10 ne subit ainsi qu'un minimum de contrainte directe et très peu de déformation radiale lors de l'assemblage sur l'axe. En outre, il est à noter que l'assemblage du spiral 10 et de la virole 12 se fait indépendamment du montage sur l'axe support de l'ensemble que ces deux pièces forment. Le spiral 10 et la virole 12 forment ainsi un ensemble parfaitement utilisable, pouvant être compté et stocké. Le comptage des spiraux est une opération qui consiste à déterminer la longueur d'un spiral accouplé à un balancier pour que celui-ci ait le nombre d'oscillations recherché. La méthode proposée ne met pas en jeu de pièce augmentant fortement l'épaisseur de l'ensemble fixé sur l'axe et permet d'obtenir un excellent centrage du spiral 10.The hairspring 10 thus suffers a minimum of direct stress and very little radial deformation during assembly on the axis. In addition, it should be noted that the assembly of the hairspring 10 and the shell 12 is independent of mounting on the support axis of the assembly that these two parts form. The hairspring 10 and the shell 12 thus form a perfectly usable assembly that can be counted and stored. The counting of the spiral is an operation which consists in determining the length of a spiral coupled to a pendulum so that it has the desired number of oscillations. The proposed method does not involve a coin that greatly increases the thickness of the assembly fixed on the axis and provides excellent centering spiral 10.

Dans un deuxième mode de réalisation illustré sur la figure 2, l'ouverture du spiral 10 présente des facettes sur sa paroi intérieure, destinée à être positionnée en regard du rebord. Ces facettes peuvent être régulières et former une section polygonale régulière, centré en référence à l'ouverture. Comme précédemment, les dimensions du polygone permettent d'ajuster le spiral sur le rebord de la virole 12, en appui sur la portée. Ainsi, lorsque le spiral 10 est ajusté sur la virole 12, les angles formés entre deux facettes consécutives définissent des interstices entre la virole et le spiral. La virole et le spiral peuvent alors être solidarisés en déformant par rivetage thermique, notamment par laser, la virole 12 de manière à ce qu'elle prenne place au moins partiellement dans les interstices. Dans ce deuxième mode de réalisation, il n'est pas nécessaire que la virole 12 présente une collerette 22, ce qui permet de diminuer au maximum la hauteur de l'ensemble. Néanmoins, dans une variante, il est envisageable de combiner le rivetage thermique des facettes avec le premier mode de réalisation, dans lequel la collerette 22 est rabattue. Toute géométrie permettant d'obtenir, d'une part, des zones de contact précises avec la virole pour ajuster ces deux pièces ensemble et, d'autre part, des interstices entre l'un et l'autre pouvant être remplis par déformation thermique, par exemple au laser, peuvent convenir pour ce mode de réalisation.In a second embodiment illustrated on the figure 2 , the opening of the spiral 10 has facets on its inner wall, intended to be positioned opposite the rim. These facets can be regular and form a regular polygonal section, centered with reference to the opening. As before, the dimensions of the polygon make it possible to adjust the spiral on the rim of the ferrule 12, resting on the span. Thus, when the hairspring 10 is fitted to the shell 12, the angles formed between two consecutive facets define interstices between the shell and the hairspring. The ferrule and the spiral can then be secured by deforming by thermal riveting, in particular by laser, the ferrule 12 so that it takes place at least partially in the interstices. In this second embodiment, it is not necessary for the ferrule 12 to have a collar 22, which makes it possible to reduce the height of the assembly as much as possible. Nevertheless, in a variant, it is conceivable to combine the thermal riveting of the facets with the first embodiment, in which the collar 22 is folded down. Any geometry making it possible to obtain, on the one hand, precise zones of contact with the ferrule for adjusting these two parts together and, on the other hand, gaps between the two that can be filled by thermal deformation, for example laser, may be suitable for this embodiment.

Dans une variante supplémentaire s'adaptant aux modes de réalisation précédemment décrits et illustrée sur la figure 3, le rebord de la virole 12 est muni d'une gorge annulaire 26, parallèle à la portée 18. La gorge 26 est disposée à une hauteur h sensiblement égale à l'épaisseur e du spiral 10. Ainsi, la gorge 26 se trouve en regard de l'arête du spiral 10 située du côté opposé à la portée 18, ce qui permet, de manière avantageuse, d'éviter absolument toute contrainte exercée sur cette arête lors du montage de l'ensemble virole-spirale sur l'axe support, car cette arête, très vive, peut présenter une fragilité plus importante.In a further variant adapting to the previously described embodiments and illustrated on the figure 3 , the rim of the ferrule 12 is provided with an annular groove 26, parallel to the bearing surface 18. The groove 26 is disposed at a height h substantially equal to the thickness e of the spiral 10. Thus, the groove 26 is facing the edge of the spiral 10 located on the opposite side to the bearing surface 18, which advantageously makes it possible to absolutely avoid any stress exerted on this edge during the assembly of the ferrule-spiral assembly on the support shaft because this edge, very sharp, can present a greater fragility.

La description ci-dessus a été donnée à titre d'exemple non limitatif de l'invention et pourra donner lieu à des adaptations de la part de l'homme du métier, sans sortir du cadre de l'invention tel que défini par les revendications.The above description has been given by way of non-limiting example of the invention and may lead to adaptations on the part of the man of the profession, without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the claims.

Claims (10)

  1. Method for assembling a part (10) from the field of horology and made of hard material chosen from silicon, diamond or corundum on a support axle, comprising the following steps:
    i. providing an intermediate part (12) made of soft material chosen from gold, nickel or copper-based alloys that is pierced with a hole (16) and intended to be mounted rigidly on the said support axle, the said intermediate part (12) defining, about the hole, a shoulder (18) and a rim (20),
    ii. since the hard material part (10) is pierced with an opening, fitting the said hard material part onto the rim of the intermediate part so as to bear on the shoulder,
    iii. deforming the intermediate part (12) so as to axially and angularly secure the intermediate part and the hard material part, the said parts thus forming an assembly,
    iv. rigidly mounting the said assembly on the support axle,
    the said opening in the hard material part defining facets facing the rim of the intermediate part, the angles formed between two consecutive facets defining interstices between the hard material part and the soft material part, the step iii being carried out by thermal deformation of the intermediate part in such a way that it takes position at least partially in the interstices.
  2. Method according to Claim 1, in which the rim (20) of the intermediate part (12) has a height H, the thickness e of the hard material part being less than the height H, such that the intermediate part has a collar (22) projecting beyond the hard material part (10), characterized in that the step iii is additionally carried out by deformation of the said collar (22) by folding it down over the hard material part.
  3. Method according to Claim 2, characterized in that the deformation of the collar (22) is carried out by riveting.
  4. Method according to Claim 2, characterized in that the deformation of the collar (22) is carried out by thermal riveting.
  5. Method according to one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the rim (20) is provided with an annular groove (26) arranged at a height h substantially equal to the thickness e of the part.
  6. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the said assembly is mounted on the support axle by force-fitting.
  7. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the said assembly is mounted on the support axle by riveting.
  8. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the said assembly is mounted on the support axle by welding.
  9. Assembly of a part (12) made of soft material chosen from gold, nickel or copper-based alloys and of a part (10) from the field of horology and made of a hard material chosen from silicon, diamond or corundum, the said soft material part being pierced with a hole in order to mount it rigidly on a support axle, the said soft material part defining, around the hole, a shoulder (18) and a rim (20), the hard material part being pierced with an opening and fitted onto the rim of the soft material part so as to bear on the shoulder, wherein the soft material part (12) has a deformation not resulting from a radial compression, that is to say not resulting from a compression exerted inside the hole, axially and angularly securing the soft material part (12) and the hard material part (10), the said opening in the hard material part (10) defining facets facing the rim of the intermediate part, the angles formed between two consecutive facets defining interstices facing the rim (20) of the soft material part (12), the said soft material part (12) having deformations taking position at least partially in the interstices in order to secure the two parts.
  10. Assembly according to Claim 9, in which the rim of the soft material part has a height H, the thickness e of the hard material part being less than the height H, with the result that the soft material part has a collar (22) projecting beyond the hard material part, characterized in that the said collar (26) is folded down over the hard material part.
EP08153971.0A 2008-04-02 2008-04-02 Method for assembling a part on an axle Active EP2107433B1 (en)

Priority Applications (1)

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EP08153971.0A EP2107433B1 (en) 2008-04-02 2008-04-02 Method for assembling a part on an axle

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Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP08153971.0A EP2107433B1 (en) 2008-04-02 2008-04-02 Method for assembling a part on an axle

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EP2107433A1 EP2107433A1 (en) 2009-10-07
EP2107433B1 true EP2107433B1 (en) 2016-07-27

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CH704259A2 (en) * 2010-12-22 2012-06-29 Nivarox Sa Metal/metal alloy based axially extending unit and plasticless component assembly e.g. steel/steel alloy based pivot pin and balance spring assembly, for timepiece, has deformed part to radially clamp wall for joining component and unit
CH704258A2 (en) 2010-12-22 2012-06-29 Nivarox Sa Assembly for assembling pivoting axle in opening of piece e.g. pallet, of timepiece, has intermediate portion that clamps element and radially forces piece elastically so as to secure assembly in non-destructive manner for piece
CH706645A1 (en) * 2012-06-26 2013-12-31 Cornel Marxer Coupling system for coupling e.g. cog wheel with metal axle, in clockwork field, has plastically deformable material layer interposed between hole and axle and positioned to absorb plastic deformation related to driving operation
EP3106929A1 (en) * 2015-06-16 2016-12-21 Nivarox-FAR S.A. Part with improved welding surface
EP3106935A1 (en) * 2015-06-16 2016-12-21 Nivarox-FAR S.A. Method for manufacturing a part comprising a modified browning step
CH711218B1 (en) * 2015-06-16 2019-06-14 Nivarox Sa Method of manufacturing a watch component

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US227726A (en) * 1880-05-18 Balance staff and wheel for watches
CH95065A (en) * 1920-12-10 1922-06-01 Louis Koehn Edouard Clockwork balance.
AU2003205503A1 (en) * 2002-09-25 2004-04-19 Fore Eagle Co Ltd Mechanical parts
ATE307990T1 (en) 2002-11-25 2005-11-15 Suisse Electronique Microtech SPIRAL CLOCK MOVEMENT SPRING AND METHOD FOR THE PRODUCTION THEREOF
EP1705533B1 (en) 2005-03-22 2010-04-07 Patek Philippe SA Genève Assembly of a mechanical part onto an axle
EP1850193B1 (en) * 2006-04-28 2019-06-12 Patek Philippe SA Genève Method of force fitting one piece in another piece

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