WATCH COMPONENT

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a watch component intended to be mounted on a shaft. In particular, the present invention relates to a watch component intended to be mounted on a shaft in order to create a friction clutch.

[0002] In certain applications, a watch component is mounted on a shaft with a specific friction force to create a friction clutch between the component and the shaft. A friction clutch allows torque to be transmitted from the shaft to the watch component, or vice versa, up to a predetermined torque value that depends directly on the static friction force between the component and the shaft. When the torque applied to the component or the shaft exceeds this predetermined torque value, the component can be moved angularly relative to the shaft. Such friction clutches are commonly used, for example, to assemble the wheel onto the center pinion to enable the gear train to run and set the time, or for counter wheels that must be able to drive their shaft and also reset the time.

[0003] Friction clutches are often achieved by clamping the watch component onto its axis. This involves plastically deforming a sleeve of the watch component onto the axis to grip it with a specific force. The frictional force holding the watch component onto the axis depends on various parameters, such as the nature of the materials in contact, the quality of their respective surfaces, the clamping force applied during clamping, and so on. A disadvantage of clamping is its difficulty in reproducing, even when performed automatically. It is therefore difficult to accurately predict the frictional force that will result from the adjustment of the watch component onto its axis, and consequently, the force required to angularly move the watch component relative to its axis.

[0004] Another disadvantage of lantern fitting is its difficulty in reversing the process. Reassembling the watch component onto its axis after it has been disassembled, for example, for repair or maintenance, is difficult, and often impossible. The disassembled watch component must then be replaced with a new, undeformed one. Furthermore, the frictional force resulting from a plastic deformation adjustment such as lantern fitting exhibits low stability over time. This frictional force tends to decrease as the contacting elements wear.

[0005] Other forms of friction clutches utilize flexible elements of the watch component to grip and hold a shaft inserted into an opening in the watch component. figure 1 This illustrates an example of a watch component 1' designed to be mounted on a shaft by elastic adjustment. The watch component 1' is, for example, a toothed wheel comprising a rim 4' and two blades 2' that are essentially parallel to each other and each has a convex circular portion facing the center of the wheel, thus forming an opening 10' for receiving a shaft. During the insertion of a shaft into the opening 10', the blades 2' are elastically separated. Once the watch component 1' is mounted on the shaft, the shaft is held in the opening 10' by the elastic return force of the blades 2'. This type of friction clutch is used, for example, in the gear trains of watch movements with a center wheel to assemble the drive wheel by friction onto the bearing. Documents DE3034135A1, EP3667431A1 and EP3955064A1 describe other forms of elastic adjustments of a watch component on an axis.Document JP 2006 071503 A describes, for example, a micromechanical part similar to that of the . figure 1 but comprising three elastic blades. Document CH 700 811 B1 describes a fastening piece comprising an upper beam and an elastically deformable lower beam having a clamp whose jaws are intended to grip a shaft. Document EP 2 550 566 B1 discloses a component according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0006] One advantage of such elastic adjustments is that the watch component can be disassembled from its axis and return to its original shape. The watch component can thus be readjusted on the axis with practically the same frictional force as during the initial assembly. However, these assemblies have the disadvantage that the positioning of the axis within the opening of the watch component depends on the relative elasticity of the elastic elements: a less flexible elastic element will deform less than the more flexible one(s). Furthermore, the frictional force between the axis and the watch component is difficult to adjust and is limited by the dimensions of the flexible elements, which cannot be too large, so as to allow the insertion of an axis without causing plastic deformation or breakage of the flexible elements.This limitation of friction force restricts the possibility of driving heavy moving parts using such a friction clutch. Document EP 2 112 565 A1 describes, for example, a micromechanical component designed to be mounted on a shaft and having an opening whose edges comprise three rigid and three elastic zones arranged alternately around the opening. When the shaft is correctly driven into the opening, it is held between the three elastic zones. The rigid zones serve to detect any anomaly in the driving force and thus protect the elastic zones against plastic deformation.

[0007] Furthermore, the friction force is highly dependent on the manufacturing tolerances of each of the elastic elements and on the extent of their displacement when the stem is inserted into the opening, which can depend, for example, on the stem's manufacturing tolerances. The tolerance range around the target friction force for a particular assembly is therefore relatively wide. This can lead to uneven engagement between the watch component and the stem, or even complete disengagement when the friction force is at the lower end of this tolerance range, or to difficulty in adjusting the relative position of the stem and the watch component, for example, when setting or resetting the time, when the friction force is at the upper end of the tolerance range.

[0008] One aim of the present invention is to provide a watch component that can be mounted by friction on an axis in a precise manner.

[0009] Another objective of the present invention is to provide a watch component capable of gripping an axle with a friction force strong enough to allow the driving of relatively heavy moving parts through the friction clutch thus formed.

[0010] Another aim of the present invention is to provide a watch component that can be mounted by friction on an axis in a reversible manner and with a determined friction force within a relatively small tolerance range.

[0011] These goals and other advantages are achieved by a watch component as claimed in claim 1, comprising an opening for the insertion of a shaft, the opening comprising three contact zones each intended to make point contact with a shaft inserted in the opening, a first contact zone being located on an elastic portion of the watch component, a second and a third contact zones being located on a rigid portion of the watch component, the elastic portion being configured to hold by elastic restoring force a shaft inserted in the opening between the three contact zones, the elastic portion comprising at least one pair of flexible blades arranged in a chevron and holding the first contact zone suspended in the opening, the first contact zone being located at the top of the chevron.

[0012] With two contact zones formed on a rigid portion of the watch component and in point contact with a shaft inserted into the opening, the position of the shaft bearing against these two contact zones relative to the watch component can be precisely determined. Since only one contact zone is located on an elastic portion of the watch component, the bearing force, and therefore the friction force between the shaft and the watch component, can be precisely determined by the configuration of the elastic portion, in particular the dimensions, position, and / or number of the flexible blades. Furthermore, as the first contact zone is at the apex of the chevron formed by the pair of flexible blades, the apex of the chevron is oriented towards the center of the opening in the watch part.Thus, when an axle is inserted into the opening, the force exerted by the axle on the first contact area constrains the flexible blades in compression, which allows better control of the deformation of the latter and of the elastic restoring force than during a tensile constraint.

[0013] Preferably, the flexible blades are flexible in the plane of the opening and rigid in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the opening. The first contact area is thus maintained in the plane of the opening of the watch component, even during the insertion of a shaft.

[0014] The angle formed at rest by the flexible blades of at least one pair of flexible blades is preferably greater than or equal to 155°, more preferably greater than or equal to 160° and less than or equal to 170°. It has been demonstrated that such an open angle between the flexible blades of the same pair of flexible blades allows for better control of the deformation of the flexible blades under compression and thus allows for better control of the force exerted by the first contact zone during the insertion of a shaft into the opening of the watch component of the invention.

[0015] According to certain embodiments of the invention, the elastic portion comprises a plurality of pairs of flexible blades arranged in a chevron pattern and parallel to each other. For example, the elastic portion comprises exactly two pairs of flexible blades.

[0016] The elastic portion preferably includes a connector linking the apexes of the rafters formed by the pairs of flexible blades, the connector preferably being more rigid than the flexible blades. This relatively rigid connector thus allows the bearing force of an axle inserted into the opening to be distributed evenly across all the blades of the elastic portion.

[0017] In one variant, the elastic portion includes a connector linking the apex of a chevron formed by a pair of flexible blades to the ends of other flexible blades. The connector forms a notch oriented towards the center of the opening and is flexible such that the angle between the opposite faces of the notch varies with the bending of the elastic portion. The first contact area thus grips the shaft inserted into the opening at two symmetrically distributed points and contributes to its precise positioning within the opening.

[0018] Preferably, the watch component of the invention is a single piece.

[0019] The watchmaking component is, for example, a wheel.

[0020] The goals mentioned above and other advantages are also achieved by an assembly comprising a watch component according to the invention and an axis held by friction in the opening of the watch component.

[0021] The clockwork component of the assembly is, for example, a wheel and the axle is a wheel axle designed to drive the wheel by friction.

[0022] The goals mentioned above and other advantages are also achieved by a timepiece comprising such an assembly.

[0023] The present invention will be better understood upon reading the following description, illustrated by the figures, where: there figure 1 is an illustration of a well-known watch component, the figure 2 is a top view of a watch component according to one embodiment of the present invention, the figure 3 is a top view of a watch component according to another embodiment of the invention, the figure 4 is a perspective view of the watch component of the figure 3 , there figure 5 illustrates the watchmaking component of the figure 3 with an axis inserted into its opening, the figure 6 is a perspective view of the watch component and the axis of the figure 5 , there figure 7 shows the watchmaking component of the figure 5 without the axis, the figure 8 is a top view of a watch component according to yet another embodiment of the invention, the figure 9 is a top view of a watch component according to yet another embodiment of the invention, the figure 10 illustrates a first mode of deformation of the elastic portion of the watch component of the figure 9 when inserting an axle into its opening, the figure 11 illustrates a second mode of deformation of the elastic portion of the watch component of the figure 9 when inserting an axle into its opening, the figure 12 is a graph representing an example of the evolution of the elastic restoring force exerted by the elastic portion of a watch component according to the invention on an axis inserted in its opening, the figure 13 is a top view of a watch component according to yet another embodiment of the invention.

[0024] According to the forms of execution represented as illustrative but not limiting examples in the figures 2 à 11 and to the figure 13 The watch component 1 of the invention is a toothed wheel. The watch component 1 includes an opening 10 configured to receive a shaft. The opening 10 is preferably located and configured so that a shaft inserted into the opening 10 is at the center of the wheel. Other embodiments are, however, possible within the scope of the invention; in particular, other types of watch components are conceivable that are intended to be mounted and held by friction on a shaft according to the invention, for example, pinions, fingers, display elements, hands, animation elements, etc. The opening is then located so that a shaft inserted into the opening is at the location intended for the axis of rotation of the watch component.

[0025] The opening 10 of the watch component 1 comprises three contact zones 11, 12, 13 on its periphery, designed to make point contact with an outer surface of a shaft inserted into the opening 10, and to hold this shaft in the opening 10 by friction. The contact zones 11, 12, 13 are thus preferably located on straight or convex portions of the periphery of the opening 10 and are each designed to make contact with a convex portion of the outer surface of a shaft. According to the invention, a first contact zone 11 is located on an elastic portion of the watch component 1, the elastic portion being configured such that the first contact zone 11 is pushed towards a rest position in the direction of the center of the opening 10. The second and third contact zones 12, 13 are formed on a rigid portion of the watch component 1, such that their position relative to the rest of the watch component is fixed.

[0026] The opening 10 and the three contact zones 11, 12, 13 are configured so that when a shaft is inserted into the opening 10, it makes point contact with each of the three contact zones 11, 12, 13. During insertion, the shaft bears against the second and third contact zones 12, 13 and pushes the first contact zone 11 out of its rest position, towards the periphery of the opening 10, against the restoring force exerted by the elastic portion. Once the shaft is inserted into the opening 10, it is held by the first contact zone 11 against the second and third contact zones 12, 13 under the effect of the restoring force exerted by the elastic portion.

[0027] According to the form of execution illustrated as an example in the figure 2 , the watch component 1 is a toothed wheel comprising a rim 4, an elastic portion connected to the rim 4 and comprising the first contact zone 11, and a rigid portion 3 also connected to the rim 4 and comprising the second and third contact zones 12, 13.

[0028] The rigid portion 3 is, for example, formed by a rigid strip 3 passing through the wheel near its center. The rigidity of the rigid portion 3 is ensured, for example, by its relatively large dimensions. Opposite the center of the wheel 1, the rigid strip 3 includes a notch, preferably a V-shaped notch, on two faces of which the second and third contact zones 12, 13 are located. The notch is preferably configured so that the second and third contact zones 12, 13 are equidistant from the center of the wheel, so that an axle of a suitable diameter bearing point-bearing against the second and third contact zones 12, 13 is positioned at the center of the wheel 1.

[0029] The elastic portion comprises a pair of flexible blades 2 that hold the first contact zone 11 suspended within the opening 10, preferably in the plane of the opening. The first contact zone 11 is located at the apex formed by the two flexible blades 2 of the blade pair. The flexible blades 2 are flexible in the plane of the opening 10 and preferably rigid in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the opening 10. The flexible blades 2 are, for example, rectangular in cross-section, and the dimension of the cross-section parallel to the plane of the opening 10 is smaller than the dimension perpendicular to the plane of the opening 10. Each flexible blade 2 of the blade pair connects the first contact zone 11 to the rim 4 of the wheel 1. The flexible blades 2 of the blade pair are arranged on either side of the first contact zone 11, forming an obtuse angle between them in the manner of a chevron, with its apex oriented towards the center of the opening 10.Preferably, the flexible blades 2 form a very open angle with each other, for example an angle greater than or equal to 155°, preferably an angle greater than or equal to 160°, and less than or equal to 170°.

[0030] According to another form of execution illustrated in figures 3 et 4 The elastic portion of the watch component 1 comprises a plurality of pairs of flexible blades 2 elastically connecting the first contact area 11 to the rim 4 of the wheel. Each pair of flexible blades 2 is preferably arranged similarly to the pair of flexible blades in the embodiment shown in the figure 2 The flexible blades 2 of each pair of flexible blades form a very wide angle with each other, for example, an angle greater than or equal to 155°, preferably greater than or equal to 160°, and less than or equal to 170°, with the apex of the angle oriented towards the center of the opening 10. The pairs of flexible blades 2 are thus arranged in a chevron pattern and preferably parallel to each other. A connector 20 links the apex of each chevron to the first contact zone 11, which is located at the apex of the chevron closest to the center of the opening 10. The connector 20 is preferably more rigid than the flexible blades 2, so that it does not deform significantly when the elastic portion of the watch component 1 is subjected to the thrust of a shaft inserted into the opening 10.

[0031] Optionally, the watch component 1 includes a light 19 to adjust the weight distribution of the watch component 1 and to make the center of gravity of the watch component 1 coincide, for example, with its geometric center and / or with its axis of rotation.

[0032] THE figures 5 et 6 represent the watch component 1 according to the execution form shown in figures 3 et 4 , into the opening 10 of which an axle 9 is inserted. The axle 9 carries, for example, a pinion 90 for its drive. The watch component 1 is, for example, a friction drive wheel intended to be part of the finishing gear train of a watch movement and to receive its force, typically from the center pinion. The axle 9 is then a bearing intended to carry the minute hand (not shown) and whose pinion 90 enables the time setting. Other applications of the friction assembly of the invention are, however, possible, for example, for assembling a pinion, a hand, a display element, or an animation element onto its axle, or any other watch component to be driven by means of a friction clutch.

[0033] When the shaft 9 is inserted into the opening 10 of the watch component 1, the first contact area is pushed by the shaft 9 towards the periphery of the opening 10, against the force of the flexible blades 2. The arrangement of the flexible blades 2, particularly the straight flexible blades 2 at rest, in a chevron pattern with their apex pointing towards the center of the opening 10, means that when the shaft 9 is inserted into the opening 10, the flexible blades 2 are subjected to compression. The flexible blades 2 are therefore subject to buckling during the insertion of the shaft 9 into the opening 10. Since the flexible blades 2 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the connector 20, the force exerted by the shaft 9 on the first contact area is distributed substantially equally across each of them. The flexible blades 2 thus deform similarly with respect to each other.Preferably, the relative rigidity of the connector 20 compared to the flexible blades 2 allows the tops of the rafters to remain aligned with each other, thus avoiding any risk of pivoting of the connector 20 in the plane of the opening 10, thus ensuring a constant direction to the support force of the first contact zone 11 on the axis 9 during its insertion.

[0034] Optionally, for example to prevent and / or control buckling of the flexible blades 2 when the axle 9 is inserted into the opening 10, the watch component 1, in particular the flange 4, has a certain degree of flexibility in the areas to which the flexible blades 2 are connected. These areas thus absorb part of the force exerted by the flexible blades 2 by deforming slightly elastically. Therefore, in the case of a wheel, for example, the flange 4 is very slightly deformed when the axle 9 is inserted into the opening 10. Preferably, the elastic portion and the flange 4 are configured so that this deformation of the flange 4 is contained within limits that do not affect the operation of the gear train of which the wheel is a part.

[0035] Determining the number of pairs of flexible blades 2 in the elastic portion, the angle of the chevron formed by each pair of flexible blades 2, as well as the choice of the dimensions and shape of the flexible blades 2, makes it possible to dimension the restoring force that will be exerted by the first bearing area on the shaft 9 inserted into the opening 10, thus making it possible to determine the friction force between the watch component 1 and its shaft 9. Increasing the number of pairs of flexible blades 2 makes it possible, in particular, to increase the restoring force while maintaining a certain flexibility in the elastic portion, allowing the shaft 9 to be inserted without plastically deforming or breaking the flexible blades 2.

[0036] There figure 7 shows the watch component 1 deformed by the insertion of an axle such as on the figures 5 et 6 , but without the axis, in order to better illustrate the deformation of the flexible blades 2 when an axis is inserted into the opening 10.

[0037] The compressive stress on the flexible blades 2 tends to cause them to buckle when a shaft is inserted into the opening 10 of the watch component 1, as illustrated in the figure 7 The dimensioning of the flexible blades 2 and the choice of the angle of the rafter make it possible to determine the type of buckling to which the flexible blades 2 will be subjected when the axle is inserted into the opening 10, and consequently the functional behavior of the elastic portion during the insertion of an axle into the opening 10.

[0038] In certain embodiments, for example, the behavior of the elastic portion is constant; that is, the elastic restoring force exerted by the elastic portion, in particular by the first contact zone 11, on the shaft inserted into the opening 10 is constant, or at least substantially constant, within a defined compression range. Preferably, the compression range within which the elastic restoring force is constant covers the compression range of the flexible blades 2 due to the insertion of a shaft of a defined dimension into the opening 10, taking into account the manufacturing tolerances of such a shaft. Thus, the frictional force between such a shaft and such a watch component 1 is always substantially identical, regardless of variations due to the manufacturing tolerances of the components.According to these forms of execution, the flexible blades 2 pass, during their compression, directly from the first buckling mode (one concavity) to the third buckling mode (three concavities, two inflection points), without passing through the second buckling mode (two concavities, one inflection point).

[0039] THE figures 8 à 11 And 13 show other forms of execution of the watch component of the invention.

[0040] In the execution form of the figure 8 The elastic portion comprises two pairs of flexible blades 2 arranged parallel to each other in a chevron pattern and a wide connector 20 linking the vertices of the chevrons together. The first contact area 11 is located at the end of the connector 20 oriented towards the center of the opening 10. The width of the connector 20 gives it significant rigidity relative to the flexible blades 2, so that it does not deform significantly and the force exerted by a shaft inserted into the opening 10 is thus distributed equally between the flexible blades 2. According to the illustrated embodiment, the elasticity of the elastic portion is also determined by the configuration of the webbing 4, particularly in the area(s) to which the flexible blades 2 are connected.In the illustrated example, the areas of the serge 4 to which the flexible blades 2 of the pair of blades furthest from the center of the opening 10 are attached are thinner than the rest of the serge 4. This allows for greater elastic deformation of the serge 4 in these areas than on the rest of the periphery of the wheel 1. These thinned areas of the serge 4 therefore contribute to the elasticity of the flexible blades 2 attached to them. The configuration of the areas of the serge 4 to which the flexible blades 2 are attached, in particular the modification of the width of these areas, thus makes it possible to adjust the elastic force of the elastic portion and therefore the intensity of the friction force with which an axle inserted into the opening 10 will be held between the contact areas 11, 12, 13.

[0041] According to the form of execution illustrated in figures 9 à 11 The watch component 1 is a toothed wheel whose plate is solid except for the cutouts forming the central opening 10 and the elastic portion. The rigid portion of the watch component 1 is thus constituted by at least part of the toothed wheel plate. A V-shaped notch carrying the second and third contact areas 12, 13 is formed in the plate of the watch component 1 around the central opening 10. Similar to the embodiment illustrated in the figure 8 , the elastic portion comprises two pairs of flexible blades 2 arranged in a chevron pattern and parallel to each other, connected at their apexes by a wide connector 20.

[0042] According to this embodiment, the behavior of the elastic portion of the watch component 1 is bistable, meaning that the elastic restoring force is positive during the initial compression of the flexible blades 2, then becomes negative beyond a certain compression value, so that the first contact area 11 moves away from the axis 9 inserted in the opening 10, as illustrated in the figure 11 According to this embodiment, the flexible blades 2 pass, during their compression, from the first buckling mode (one concavity) in which the restoring force exerted by the flexible blades 2 is positive, to the second buckling mode (two concavities, one inflection point), in which the restoring force is negative.

[0043] There figure 12 illustrates an example of the bistable behavior of the elastic portion of a watch component according to the invention. The graph of the figure 12 represents the elastic restoring force, in Newtons, exerted by the first support zone 11 on an axis inserted in the opening 10 as a function of the displacement of the central connector measured in millimeters. On the graph of the figure 12 The value of the elastic restoring force is plotted on the y-axis, and the value of the displacement of the central connector is plotted on the x-axis. Such behavior of the elastic portion is desirable, for example, when it is necessary to prevent a shaft with dimensions exceeding a certain limit—for example, one whose diameter exceeds what is permitted by production tolerances—from being held in friction against the watch component.

[0044] According to the embodiment of the watch component of the invention illustrated in the figure 13The second and third bearing zones 12, 13 are located on a rigid portion 3 extending radially from the rim 4 towards the center of the watch component 1. The distal end of the rigid portion 3 includes a "V" shaped notch on the opposite faces of which the second and third contact zones 12, 13 are located respectively. The second and third contact zones 12, 13 are preferably located at an equal distance from the center of the watch component 1.

[0045] The elastic portion is formed by two pairs of flexible blades 2 arranged parallel to each other in a chevron pattern. The ends of the flexible blades 2 are connected to a connector 20 on which the first contact zone 11 is located. The connector 20 is formed by a structure connecting the pairs of blades together and is flexible at its center. The connector 20 connects the apex of the chevron formed by the pair of flexible blades 2 furthest from the center of the opening 10, separately, to the apex of each of the flexible blades 2 of the other pair. The apex of the chevron formed by the pair of flexible blades 2 closest to the center of the opening 10 is thus truncated, and the connector 20 forms a notch open towards the center of the opening 10, the bottom of which preferably coincides with the apex of the chevron formed by the pair of flexible blades 2 furthest from the center of the opening 10.The connector 20 is preferably flexible at the bottom of the notch, so that the angle between the opposite faces, forming the first contact zone 11, varies as the first contact zone 11 moves towards the periphery of the opening, for example, during the insertion of a shaft into the opening. The elasticity of the elastic portion, and thus the force exerted by it on a shaft inserted into the opening 10, can be determined precisely and reproducibly by dimensioning the flexible blades 2 and the connector 20 and / or by choosing the material for their construction. The first contact zone 11 is then in contact with a shaft inserted into the opening at two point contacts located on the faces of the notch in the connector 20.

[0046] Preferably, the watch component 1 of the invention is a single-piece component, for example made of metal, silicon or any other suitable material, formed by lithography, electroforming and molding (LIGA technology), by engraving, for example by deep reactive ion etching (DRIE), by laser engraving, or by any other suitable technology.

Claims

1. Timepiece component (1) comprising an opening (10) provided for the insertion of an arbor (9), the opening (10) comprising three areas of contact (11, 12, 13) intended to each come into point contact with an arbor (9) inserted into the opening (10), a first area of contact (11) being located on a resilient portion of the timepiece component, a second and a third area of contact (12, 13) being located on a rigid portion (3) of the timepiece component, the resilient portion being configured to hold a cylindrical arbor (9) - inserted into the opening (10) - between the three areas of contact (11, 12, 13) by the elastic returning force, the arbor (9) being held by the first area of contact (11) against the second and third areas of contact (12, 13) under the effect of the returning force exerted by the resilient portion, the resilient portion comprising at least one pair of flexible strips (2) disposed in a V-shape and keeping the first area of contact (11) suspended in the opening (10), characterised in that the first area of contact (11) is located at the tip of the V-shape.

2. Timepiece component (1) as claimed in the preceding claim, wherein the flexible strips (2) of the at least one pair of flexible strips are flexible in the plane of the opening (10) and are rigid in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the opening (10).

3. Timepiece component (1) as claimed in the preceding claim, wherein the angle formed at rest by the flexible strips (2) of the at least one pair of flexible strips is greater than or equal to 155°, preferably greater than or equal to 160°, and less than or equal to 170°.

4. Timepiece component (1) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the resilient portion comprises a plurality of pairs of flexible strips (2) arranged parallel to each other and in a V-shape.

5. Timepiece component (1) as claimed in the preceding claim, wherein the resilient position comprises precisely two pairs of flexible strips (2).

6. Timepiece component (1) as claimed in any one of claims 4 and 5, wherein the resilient portion comprises a connector (20) connecting the tips of the V-shapes formed by the pairs of flexible strips (2), the connector (20) being more rigid than the flexible strips (2).

7. Timepiece component (1) as claimed in any one of claims 4 and 5, wherein the resilient portion comprises a connector (20) connecting the tip of a V-shape formed by a pair of flexible strips (2) of the plurality of flexible strips (2) and the end of the flexible strips (2) of the other pairs of flexible strips, the connector (20) forming a notch facing towards the centre of the opening (10) and being flexible such that the angle between the opposite surfaces of the notch varies with the bending of the resilient portion.

8. Timepiece component (1) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, the timepiece component being a friction drive wheel intended to form part of a finishing going train of a timepiece movement with a centre wheel.

9. Assembly comprising a timepiece component (1) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims and an arbor (9) held by friction in the opening (10) of the timepiece component (1).

10. Assembly as claimed in the preceding claim, the timepiece component (1) being a friction drive wheel intended to form part of a finishing going train of a timepiece movement with a centre wheel and the arbor (9) being a cannon pinion intended to bear a minutes hand.

11. Timepiece comprising an assembly as claimed in any one of claims 9 and 10.