Support for middle piece of watch case

Abstract

The invention provides a support comprising a support head (11) comprising a carrier plate (25) for carrying a watch case intermediate piece; the support head further comprises a foot (27) provided with a transverse pin (30). The support further comprises a tubular part (15) having an open end and a closed end, and inside the tubular part a spring (31) is provided. At its open end, the tubular part is provided with a pair of grooves (16) in its wall, which are configured to retain both ends of the transverse pin (30) after compression of the spring and rotation of the foot, thereby forming a bayonet connection between the support head (11) and the tubular part (15). Thereby, the invention enables quick transfer of a watch case intermediate piece between different polishing machines without the need for repeated screwing or unscrewing operations of the watch case intermediate piece.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a manufacturing method in the field of watchmaking. More particularly, it relates to the polishing of the intermediate components of a watch case. Background Technology

[0002] In the watchmaking industry, the polishing of certain parts (such as the metal case components) is often performed using chemical mechanical polishing, also known as tribofinition or trovalisation. In this method, the parts are immersed in a container containing an abrasive mixture. This mixture consists of a liquid (such as water or oil) to which abrasive components, in powder or paste form, and / or abrasive elements called "chips," are added. The container holding the parts to be polished and the mixture is subjected to vibration or other types of motion, thereby polishing the parts through the interaction between the abrasive components present in the mixture and the parts themselves.

[0003] In particular, for watch case intermediates, a variety of different chemical mechanical polishing machines have been developed, and the polishing process usually involves multiple steps, which are carried out in different polishing machines, so that the watch case intermediates are exposed to a variety of different abrasive mixtures in sequence.

[0004] In these polishing machines, the watch case intermediates are attached to supports specifically designed for each type of polishing machine. However, transferring a watch case intermediate from one polishing machine to another requires manipulating each individual intermediate: first removing the intermediate from the first type of support, and then attaching it to the second type of support.

[0005] Since most watch case intermediates are currently connected to support components via threaded connections, this transfer causes a long interruption in the process flow, requiring operators to perform numerous loosening and retightening operations, and carries the risk that the watch case intermediates may not be securely fixed to the support components.

[0006] Therefore, there is a need to provide a solution that allows for faster and safer replacement of the watch case intermediate components. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The object of this invention is to provide a solution to the aforementioned problems. This object is achieved by the support member and its usage as defined in the appended claims.

[0008] This invention relates to a support member for a watch case intermediate component in a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) machine. The support member includes a support head comprising a bearing plate for holding the watch case intermediate component and a foot with a transverse pin. The support member also includes a tubular portion having an open end and a closed end, within which a spring is disposed. At its open end, the wall of the tubular portion has a pair of grooves configured to receive the two ends of the transverse pin after the spring is compressed and the foot is rotated, thereby forming a bayonet connection between the support head and the tubular portion. Thus, this invention enables rapid transfer of the watch case intermediate component between different polishing machines without the need for disassembly and retightening. The support head with the watch case intermediate component attached can be directly transferred, and its installation on different types of polishing machines can be quickly accomplished via this bayonet connection.

[0009] According to a particular embodiment, the support member is provided with a locking system for bayonet engagement. A specific locking system according to one embodiment of the invention includes a sleeve arranged around the tubular portion and rotatable between two positions configured for locking or releasing the bayonet engagement, respectively.

[0010] The present invention also relates to an apparatus comprising multiple chemical mechanical polishing machines of different types, the polishing machines including different support structures for supporting multiple case intermediates, wherein each support structure includes multiple support members according to the present invention, and the support members on different polishing machines are adapted to receive / install the same support head by bayonet connection. Attached Figure Description

[0011] The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are given by way of non-limiting example only, wherein:

[0012] Figure 1 illustrates a known configuration in the prior art for the chemical mechanical polishing of multiple case intermediates.

[0013] Figures 2 to 4 A three-dimensional view of a support member according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0014] Figure 5 It shows Figures 2 to 4 An exploded view of the various components of the support shown.

[0015] Figure 6a and Figure 6b The working principle of a bayonet-type connection fastening system according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0016] In known configurations of the prior art, such as Figure 1As shown, each watch case intermediate component 1 is attached to one end of a rod-shaped support component 2. The other end of the support component 2 is detachably attached to a hole provided in a tray 3. The tray 3, which carries the support component 2 and the watch case intermediate component 1, is installed in the container of a chemical mechanical polishing machine containing an abrasive mixture for polishing the watch case intermediate components. The watch case intermediate component 1 is attached to the corresponding support component 2 via a threaded connection (not shown in the figure), which is the root of the problem mentioned earlier. This configuration is shown as an example only. The same problem will occur in other polishing machines that fix the watch case intermediate components to different types of support components via threaded connections.

[0017] Figures 2 to 5 A support member 5 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown, the support member being designed to be installed as... Figure 1 On the tray shown. Figures 2 to 5 The embodiments shown do not limit the scope of the invention, which is defined only by the independent claims. As will be further explained below, certain details are optional and / or can be replaced by alternatives.

[0018] from Figure 2 and Figure 3 As can be seen, the support member 5 includes a rod-shaped base 10 and a support head 11 that can be detached from the base. The base includes a sleeve 12 that can pivot between two angular positions, which are marked with "C" and "O" on the surface of the sleeve, respectively. The function of the sleeve 12 will be described in detail later.

[0019] Figure 4 A view of the support member with sleeve 12 removed is shown to clearly show the multiple components. All components of the support member are available... Figure 5 As shown in the exploded view.

[0020] The base 10 includes a solid portion 13 designed for insertion into a hole in the support plate 3 and having a large-diameter shoulder 14 serving as a limiting portion for the sleeve 12. The base 10 also includes a tubular portion 15, which is a hollow cylinder opposite the solid portion 13 with respect to the shoulder 14. The tubular portion 15 has a closed end near the shoulder 14 and an open end at the other end. At the open end, a pair of L-shaped grooves 16 are provided on the wall of the tubular portion 15. Each L-shaped groove includes a longitudinal portion extending along the central axis 9 of the tubular portion 15 and a radial portion perpendicular to the central axis 9, the end of which has a circular recess 17. The tubular portion 15 also has an annular groove 18 near the shoulder 14 for receiving an O-ring seal 19. Figure 5 As can be seen, the spring 31 is arranged inside the tubular part 15.

[0021] The support head 11 includes a circular support plate 25, with a plurality of openings 26 on its upper surface and cylindrical feet 27 on its lower surface. The feet 27 are fixed to the support plate 25 or integrally formed with the support plate 25 and are arranged coaxially with the support plate 25. The inner wall of the openings 26 is threaded so that the intermediate part of the watch case can be fixed to the upper surface of the support plate 25 by means of threaded connection.

[0022] In the specific and non-limiting embodiment illustrated, the foot 27 includes a first portion 27a directly adjacent to the support plate 25 and a second portion 27b with a diameter smaller than that of the first portion. The first portion 27a has two annular grooves 28 for accommodating two O-rings 29. The second portion 27b has a transverse pin 30, which is fixed to or integrally formed with the second portion 27b and oriented perpendicular to the central axis 9′ of the foot 27. The transverse pin 30 extends the same length on both sides of the second portion 27b of the foot 27.

[0023] from Figure 4 As can be seen, the combined structure of spring 31, groove 16, foot 27, and transverse pin 30 allows the support head 11 to be attached to the base 10 via a bayonet connection. Therefore, when not in the locked state described later, foot 27 can be inserted into the open end of the tubular portion 15. During the insertion of foot 27, both ends of the transverse pin 30 can be inserted into the longitudinal portion of groove 16. Subsequently, by rotating foot 27, both ends of the transverse pin 30 pass through the radial portion of groove 16 and finally embed into recess 17. Insertion of foot 27 requires compression of spring 31. After foot 17 has rotated, spring 31 pushes both ends of transverse pin 30 against the concave surface of recess 17, thereby forming a bayonet connection between support head 11 and base 10. To release the support head 11, simply push the support head 11 into the tubular portion to compress the spring 31, causing the two ends of the transverse pin 30 to disengage from their respective recesses 17. Then rotate the base 27 to disengage the two ends of the transverse pin 30 from the groove 16.

[0024] A bayonet connection is a fundamental feature of the support components according to the invention. This connection method enables the transfer of multiple case intermediates between different polishing machines without disassembling and retightening the case intermediates, provided that each polishing machine is equipped with a support base capable of connecting to the same support head 11. These support bases are characterized by having tubular portions 15 that allow the insertion of feet 27 on the support head 11, as described above. However, the mounting method of the tubular portions 15 in the polishing machine depends on the type of polishing machine. For polishing machines configured to receive a tray 3, the tubular portions 15 are mounted on the solid portion 13 as shown. Other configurations are suitable for other types of polishing machines. For example, in some types of polishing machines, the case intermediates are mounted at the ends of multiple arms in a star-shaped structure, which radiate from the center of the structure. Multiple "star-shaped structures" containing case intermediates are then mounted vertically in the polishing machine. To enable this type of polishing machine to accommodate the attachment of the support head 11 to the arms of the star-shaped structure, the tubular portions 15 can be fixed, for example, at the ends of the arms of the star-shaped structure to form the star-shaped structure. In this case, the support member of the present invention forms part of the star-shaped structure, meaning that the structure includes multiple support members according to the present invention. In addition to the support member itself, the present invention also relates to applying the support head 11 to various different types of chemical mechanical polishing machines, all of which are adapted to receive the same support head via the same type of bayonet connection.

[0025] As previously stated, in the non-limiting embodiment shown in the figures, the support 5 further includes a sleeve 12 disposed around the tubular portion 15. The sleeve 12 is part of an optional assembly for locking the bayonet connection. This assembly is indeed optional; that is, the invention is not limited to a support equipped with a locking system.

[0026] As shown in Figure 5, inside the tubular portion 15 of the base 10, the spring 31 is arranged between two T-shaped members 35 and 36 (viewed in cross-section), with the vertical rods of the two T-shaped members inserted into the spring 31 from both sides. The two T-shaped members 35 and 36 are hereinafter referred to as the proximal member 35 (mounted at the bottom / closed end of the tubular portion 15) and the distal member 36 (mounted near the open end of the tubular portion 15), respectively. Except for their opposing ends inside the spring 31, the two T-shaped members 35 and 36 are generally axisymmetric, with right-angled cutouts 37 at the opposing ends. For a clearer illustration of the function of these components, Figures 6a and 6b are provided. Figure 6b The springs are not shown in the T-shaped parts 35 and 36 shown.

[0027] When the foot 27 of the support head 11 is inserted into the tubular portion 15, and the two ends of its transverse pin 30 are inserted into the longitudinal portion of the groove 16, the end of the foot 27 contacts the distal part 36 of the T-shape. To close the bayonet connection, the foot 27 needs to be pushed to move the distal part 36 against the spring force of the spring 31 towards the proximal part 35, and then the foot 27 needs to be rotated so that the spring 31 can push the two ends of the transverse pin 30 into the recess 17. Similarly, to open the connection and separate the foot 27 from the tubular portion 15, the spring 31 must be compressed to disengage the two ends of the transverse pin 30 from the corresponding recess 17, and then the foot 27 must be rotated.

[0028] Whether the above actions are permitted depends on the angular position of the sleeve 12, due to the function of the locking system. Both parts 35 and 36 have transverse holes at their heads into which transverse pins 38 and 39 are inserted. In the assembled support, the two ends of the transverse pin 38 are inserted into a pair of radial openings 40 in the wall of the tubular portion 15, i.e., elongated holes extending perpendicularly to the central axis 9. The two ends of the transverse pin 39 are inserted into another pair of longitudinal openings 41, i.e., elongated holes extending parallel to the central axis 9. The width of the radial openings 40 and the longitudinal openings 41, relative to the diameter of the transverse pins 38 and 39, allows only the proximal part 35 to rotate about the central axis 9, while the distal part 36 can only move linearly.

[0029] The end of the transverse pin 38 inserted into the proximal part 35 extends beyond the wall of the tubular portion 15 and is inserted into two holes 45 on the sleeve 12. Rotating the sleeve 12 causes the proximal part 35 to rotate relative to the distal part 36 along an angular path determined by the length of the radial opening 40. This angular path lies between two angular positions of the sleeve 12, marked C (closed) and O (open) on the outer surface of the sleeve, respectively. The relative positions of the proximal part 35 and the distal part 36 correspond to the angular positions C and O of the sleeve 12, as shown below. Figure 6a and 6b As shown.

[0030] exist Figure 6a In position “C”, the ends of the proximal component 35 and the distal component 36 are in contact with each other, thus preventing the distal component 36 from approaching the proximal component 35, which is necessary for compressing the spring 31 and closing the bayonet connection. Therefore, in this position, the sleeve 12 prevents the foot 27 from entering the tubular portion 15.

[0031] At position “O” ( Figure 6bIn the sleeve 12, L-shaped cutouts 37 are located on both sides of the central axis 9. Therefore, when the distal part 36 is pushed towards the proximal part 35, the cutouts 37 intersect, allowing compression of the spring 31, which is necessary for the bayonet connection to close. Movement of the distal part 36 is achieved by sliding of the transverse pin 39 within the longitudinal opening 41. The end of the transverse pin 39 does not extend beyond the wall of the tubular portion 15, so its position is independent of the angular position of the sleeve 12. The length of the longitudinal opening 41 allows the distal part 36 to move along a predetermined longitudinal path, thereby achieving the closure and opening of the bayonet connection.

[0032] After the bayonet connection is closed (at which point the sleeve is in the "O" position), the sleeve 12 will rotate to the "C" position to achieve locking. When the sleeve is in this position, due to the positional relationship between the proximal part 35 and the distal part 36, the spring 31 cannot be compressed sufficiently to disengage the two ends of the transverse pin 30 from the recess 17, such as... Figure 6a As shown. In order to remove the support head 11 from the base 10, the sleeve 12 must first be rotated to the "O" position.

[0033] O-rings 19 and 29 achieve their sealing function by contacting the inner surface of sleeve 12, i.e., when the support carrying the intermediate part of the case is immersed in the abrasive mixture in a chemical mechanical polishing machine, they are used to isolate the inside of sleeve 12 from the abrasive mixture.

[0034] In the illustrated embodiment, an additional element is also included. A pin 46 with a spring-loaded ball 47 is inserted into a transverse hole 48 located near the shoulder 14. When the sleeve is in the "C" and "O" positions, the spring-loaded ball 47 is respectively embedded in two recesses, such as blind holes (not shown), on the inner surface of the sleeve 12. The spring force inside the pin 46 does not impede manual rotation of the sleeve 12, but the spring force prevents the sleeve from rotating due to external forces during chemical machining.

[0035] As previously stated, the present invention is not limited to the component combinations shown in the illustrated embodiments. Locking of the bayonet connection (e.g., achieved by rotating the sleeve 12) can be selectively employed depending on the composition of the mechanochemical mixture. If the mixture contains large-sized abrasive chips, significant forces may be applied to the support during processing, potentially causing the unlocked bayonet connection to disengage. Mixtures containing only powder do not present this problem, thus allowing the use of a support with only a bayonet connection and no locking system. Such a support may include the tubular portion 15, spring 31, and proximal and distal portions 35 and 36 as shown in the illustrated embodiment, but without the notch 37, and the distance between the proximal and distal portions 36 allows for the closure and opening of the connection regardless of the angular position of the proximal portion 35. In this embodiment, the proximal portion 35 is preferably held fixed relative to the tubular portion 15. The sleeve 12 may still be retained and equipped with O-rings 19 and 29 to ensure a sealing / waterproof seal, but the sleeve 12 does not need to rotate relative to the tubular portion 15. Alternatively, other sealing systems may be employed.

[0036] Without limiting the scope of the invention, most of the components of the support member of the present invention are preferably made of metal.

[0037] The configuration of different types of chemical mechanical polishing machines according to the present invention is characterized in that each polishing machine is equipped with a support member according to the present invention, and the support members of different polishing machines can be assembled with the same support head through the same bayonet connection method. For example, one device of the present invention may include, for example... Figure 1 The polishing machine shown has a receiving tray 3 on which a polishing machine is mounted. Figures 2 to 5 The support member 5 in the illustrated embodiment. Another polishing machine includes multiple star-shaped support structures, the ends of the arms of which include tubular portions 15. The support member 5 on the first polishing machine includes the same type of tubular portion. This configuration allows the support head 11, which carries the watch case intermediate component, to be quickly transferred between polishing machines.

Claims

1. A support (5) for a watch case intermediate (1) in a chemical mechanical polishing machine, said support comprising: The base (10), which forms part of the support structure of the chemical mechanical polishing machine or is designed to be detachably attached to the support structure, includes a tubular portion (15) having an open end and a closed end; Support head (11), the support head comprising: A support plate (25) having an upper surface and a lower surface, the support plate being designed to support the watch case intermediate (1) which is detachably attached to the upper surface of the support plate; A foot (27) is fastened to the center of the lower surface of the bearing plate (25) and is provided with a transverse pin (30); in: The tubular portion (15) includes a spring (31) located inside the tubular portion, and includes a pair of grooves (16) in the wall of the tubular portion and located at the open end of the tubular portion; The assembly consisting of the spring (31), the groove (16), the foot (27), and the transverse pin (30) is adapted to attach the support head (11) to the base (10) via a bayonet connection.

2. The support member according to claim 1, wherein, The spring (31) is arranged between two components (35, 36). In a cross-sectional view along a plane passing through the central axis (9) of the tubular portion (15), both components are T-shaped. The portions of the two components that form the vertical legs of the T-shape are inserted into the spring (31). The two components include a proximal component (35) installed at the bottom of the tubular portion and a distal component (36) installed near the open end of the tubular portion (15).

3. The support member according to claim 2, wherein, The distal component (36) includes a removable transverse pin (39) whose two ends are inserted into an elongated opening (41) oriented in a direction parallel to the central axis (9) of the tubular portion (15) to restrict longitudinal movement of the distal component (36) relative to the tubular portion within a predetermined longitudinal path.

4. The support member according to any one of the preceding claims further includes a sleeve (12) arranged around the tubular portion (15), wherein the tubular portion is provided with grooves (18, 28) and O-rings (19, 29) are provided in the grooves so as to achieve the sealing of the bayonet connection by contact between the inner surface of the sleeve (12) and the O-rings.

5. The support member according to claim 3, further comprising a sleeve (12) arranged around the tubular portion (15), wherein: The proximal component (35) of the T-shape includes a removable transverse pin (38) whose two ends are inserted into a pair of holes (45) provided on the sleeve (12), such that rotation of the sleeve relative to the tubular portion (15) can cause the proximal component (35) to rotate relative to the distal component (36). The two ends of the transverse pin (38) of the proximal part (35) are also inserted into a pair of elongated openings (40) in the wall of the tubular part (15), the elongated openings (40) being oriented perpendicular to the central axis (9) of the tubular part, thereby restricting the rotation of the sleeve (12) and the rotation of the proximal part (35) within a predetermined angular path, the predetermined angular path extending between two angular positions of the sleeve; The proximal end (35) and distal end (36) of the T-shape are provided with notches (37) facing the interior of the spring (31); The notch (37) is arranged such that: At the first of the two angular positions of the sleeve (12), movement of the distal part (36) toward the proximal part (35) is prevented, thereby locking the bayonet connection when the bayonet connection is closed; At the second of the two angular positions of the sleeve (12), the distal component (36) is allowed to move closer to the proximal component (35), which is necessary to close or open the bayonet connection.

6. The support member according to claim 5 further includes a pin (46) having a spring-loaded ball (47) inserted laterally into the tubular portion (15), the spring-loaded ball being configured to fit into either of two recesses inside the sleeve (12) to indicate that the sleeve has reached either of its two angular positions.

7. The support member according to claim 5 or 6, wherein, The tubular portion (15) is provided with grooves (18, 28), wherein an O-ring (19, 29) is installed in the groove, thereby achieving the seal of the bayonet connection through the contact between the inner surface of the sleeve (12) and the O-ring.

8. The support member according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The base (10) of the support member includes a rod-shaped portion (13), and the tubular portion (15) is fixed to or integrally formed with the rod-shaped portion. The rod-shaped portion (13) is designed to be installed in a hole in a support structure in the form of a tray (3) of the chemical mechanical polishing machine.

9. The support member according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein, The base (10) of the support member forms part of the support structure of the chemical mechanical polishing machine.

10. The support member according to claim 9, wherein, The support structure includes a plurality of arms extending outward in a star shape from the center of the support structure, and the base (10) of the support member is fixed to one of the arms or integrally formed with one of the arms.

11. An apparatus comprising multiple chemical mechanical polishing machines of different types, the chemical mechanical polishing machines comprising different support structures for supporting multiple case intermediates (1), wherein each of the support structures comprises multiple support members according to any one of the preceding claims, the support members on the different chemical mechanical polishing machines being designed to receive the same support head (11) via the bayonet connection.

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