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Timepiece component and method for making same

A component and clock technology, applied in the field of clock components and its manufacturing, can solve the problems of fragility and lack of plasticity

Active Publication Date: 2010-03-17
PATEK PHILIPPE SA
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

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Problems solved by technology

[0004] However, silicon does have some disadvantages: it is brittle, in other words it does not have any plasticity, which makes it difficult, for example, to attach a silicon wheel to an axle
Moreover, its extreme lightness does not allow components such as balance wheels or rotors to be made entirely of silicon and to be made into small dimensions, which must have sufficient inertia or unbalance

Method used

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  • Timepiece component and method for making same
  • Timepiece component and method for making same
  • Timepiece component and method for making same

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Embodiment Construction

[0021] reference figure 1 According to the present invention, a balance (balance, balance device) 1 for a clock movement (movement) includes a main silicon structure 2 and a metal element 3. The silicon structure 2 includes an annular central part 4, arms 5 extending radially from the central part 4, and a closed contour 6 at the ends of these arms 5, the contour 6 defining a through cavity 7, such as a bean shape. The cavities 7 are respectively filled with metal elements 3 and form separate edge sections with these elements 3.

[0022] The metal element 3 is formed of a material having a higher density than silicon. Thus, they make the periphery of the balance 1 heavier and increase the inertia of the balance to achieve the required inertia. The inner part of the balance wheel 1 formed by the central part 4 and the arm 5 is very light because it is formed of silicon and it is largely hollow. Since the internal components of the balance wheel have less influence on the inertia...

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PUM

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Abstract

The invention relates to a timepiece component, such as a balance (1), an oscillating mass (12) or a wheel (20), that comprises a structure (2) made according to a micro-manufacturing technique, such as the DRIE technique. The component is characterised in that it further comprises at least one member (3) formed in or at the periphery of the structure (2) and made of a material different from that of the structure (2). This member (3) is typically metal and is formed by electro-forming using a cavity (7) of the structure (2) as a mould.

Description

Technical field [0001] The invention relates to a clock component and a manufacturing method thereof. [0002] More particularly, the present invention relates to a clock component formed using microfabrication technology. Background technique [0003] Today, some clock components are made of silicon, such as balance springs and balance wheels. The benefits of silicon are due to its lightness, flexibility, and its non-magnetic properties, and it can be processed using microfabrication techniques, especially deep reactive ion etching (DRIE). [0004] However, silicon does have some disadvantages: it is fragile, in other words, it does not have any plasticity, which makes it difficult to connect the silicon wheel to the axle, for example. Moreover, its extreme lightness does not allow components such as a balance wheel or an oscillating weight to be entirely made of silicon and formed into a small size, and the components must have sufficient inertia or imbalance. [0005] In addition...

Claims

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Application Information

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IPC IPC(8): G04B5/16G04B13/02G04B17/06G04D3/00G04F7/08B81C5/00B81C99/00
CPCG04B13/026G04B5/165B81B2201/035G04D3/0069B81C99/0085G04F7/08G04B17/063B81C99/0095Y10T29/49579Y10T29/49581G04B13/022G04B13/02G04D3/00
Inventor F·迈尔S·冯贡滕S·让纳雷
Owner PATEK PHILIPPE SA
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