Shock-absorbing support

Abstract

To provide a support for a watch movement equipped with a shock absorber that does not increase the dimensions and especially the thickness of the bearing. [Solution] A support 1 for a watch movement, particularly a bar or plate, wherein the support 1 comprises a base 2 and an interface 3 designed to hold watch components, and the support 1 also comprises a shock absorber 4 positioned between the base 2 and the interface 3 and positioned to absorb vibrations between the watch components and the base 2 of the support 1. The present invention also relates to a movement having such a support and a watch having such a movement.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of watchmaking technology. More specifically, it relates to supports such as plates or bars for watch movements. The invention also relates to a movement comprising such a support, and to a watch to which such a movement is attached.

Background Art

[0002] To meet the need to limit the propagation of vibrations in watch movements, many solutions have been used. Most of them aim, for example, to limit the impact of shocks on the watch due to its fall. Other devices aim to make the movement quieter by restricting the propagation of vibration waves.

[0003] In the latter category, European Patent No. 3418595 describes a ball bearing for a watch designed to support a vibrating mass for automatic winding. It appears that vibrations are generated by the rotation of the balls on the rolling track of a conventional bearing, and these vibrations propagate throughout the movement via the bearing's fixing part and the bar on the vibrating mass. Since vibrations are easily transmitted between contacting hard materials, for example between the movement and the watch case, they can be perceived by the wearer of the watch. To reduce the noise and vibrations caused by the vibrating mass bearing, it has been proposed to add a shock absorber ring between the inner cage of the bearing and its fixing ring so that vibrations from the bearing cannot propagate to the rest of the movement without first being removed by the material from which the shock absorber is made.

[0004] However, there are several drawbacks to using such bearings. Adding a shock-absorbing ring made of a shock-absorbing material with lower rigidity than the hard material to the bearing will result in performance with respect to the same rigidity as a conventional bearing of equivalent dimensions made of metal or ceramic material. On the other hand, it is important to ensure that the vibrating mass is securely held in a plane so that it does not come into contact with the glass, middle case, plate, or bar. As a result, the dimensions and especially the thickness of these bearings must be increased to achieve the same rigidity as bearings without shock absorbers. Furthermore, most watches have a glass case back that allows you to see the underside of the movement, particularly the oscillating mass and its bearings. The visibility, at least partially, of shock absorbers made from non-precious metal materials, typically elastomers, alters the perceived quality of the movement and may discourage the use of these bearings in high-end components. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] European Patent No. 3418595 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] Therefore, we are interested in developing alternative solutions to improve upon the shortcomings of conventional technologies. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The object of the present invention is achieved by a support such as a bar or plate in a watch movement, the support comprising a base and an interface for holding watch components. In a novel approach, the support also comprises a shock absorber positioned between the base and the interface.

[0008] This configuration allows for the absorption of vibrations between the watch components and the support base, and consequently between the watch components and the rest of the movement.

[0009] According to an advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the shock absorber (4) is at least partially placed within the thickness of the support (1).

[0010] According to an advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the shock absorber is made of an elastomer, particularly EPDM rubber, a thermoplastic resin, a shape memory material, an epoxy resin, or a polyurethane resin.

[0011] According to an advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the impact absorber is obtained by overmolding onto a base.

[0012] According to an advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the impact absorber is obtained by overmolding onto the interface.

[0013] According to an advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the shock absorber is sandwiched between the base and the interface.

[0014] According to an advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the base is provided with an outer groove, and the interface is provided with an inner groove.

[0015] According to an advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the support is a bar, and the interface is designed to hold a vibrating mass and its bearings relative to the bar.

[0016] According to an advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the support is a bar, and the interface is designed to hold a plate relative to the bar.

[0017] According to an advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the support is a plate, and the interface is designed to hold a bar with respect to the plate.

[0018] According to an advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the shock absorber has a hardness between 40 Shore A and 95 Shore A.

[0019] The present invention also relates to a timepiece movement comprising the above-described support.

[0020] According to an advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the support of the timepiece movement is a vibrating mass bar, the base of which is fixed to a plate, and the interface of which is fixed to fixing means (5, 6) designed to keep the inner ring of the bearing supporting the vibrating mass pressed against the shock absorber with respect to the support.

[0021] Finally, the present invention relates to a timepiece comprising the above-described timepiece movement.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0022] The objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent by reading embodiments provided only as non-limiting examples, with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Figure 1] A perspective cross-sectional view of a vibrating mass bar according to the prior art is shown. [Figure 2] A similar cross-sectional view of a vibrating mass bar according to the present invention is shown. [Figure 3] A cross-sectional view of the bar of FIG. 2 without a shock absorber is shown. [Figure 4] A cross-sectional view identical to FIG. 3 with a shock absorber is shown. [Figure 5] A partial cross-sectional view of a movement comprising a bar according to the present invention is shown. [Figure 6] A partial cross-sectional view of the fixing of the bar to the plate with the shock absorber according to the present invention disposed on the bar is shown. [Figure 7] A partial cross-sectional view of the fixing of the bar to the plate with the shock absorber according to the present invention disposed on the plate is shown.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0023] Figures 2 to 5 show a first embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to this particular embodiment.

[0024] The present invention relates to a support, a general term given in this application to indicate a bar or plate in a watch movement. A conventional support 1' according to the prior art is shown in Figure 1 in the form of an oscillating mass bar. The entire bar is made of a hard material, either metal or ceramic. The conventional support 1' has an opening into which a threaded insert 5 is pressed to hold a bearing that supports the oscillating mass. The inner ring of the bearing is pressed against the conventional support 1' by a nut that engages with the threaded insert 5. In this configuration, the contact of the inner ring of the bearing pressed directly against the bar on the oscillating mass facilitates the transmission of vibrations from the bearing to the rest of the movement.

[0025] Figures 2 to 5 show a first embodiment of a support 1 according to the invention of a vibrating mass bar similar to that shown in Figure 1. However, the support 1 differs from the conventional support 1' of the prior art in that it consists of several elements, namely a base 2, an interface 3, and a shock absorber 4 positioned between the base 2 and the interface 3.

[0026] Interface 3 is designed to hold a watch component, meaning that the interface can accommodate the component or a fastening means designed to connect the support 1 to the watch component. In a first exemplary embodiment, the watch component is an oscillating mass with its bearing, and Interface 3 holds a means for fastening the bearing. The illustrated fastening means is a threaded insert 5 designed to engage with a nut 6. Other fastening means, such as a threaded foot and screw, or a screw and nut, are also suitable.

[0027] The term “watch components” should be interpreted broadly and refer to all watch elements that can be attached to or fixed to a support. Examples include components such as jewels attached to a plate or bar, but also other supports such as plates or bars, as shown in other embodiments.

[0028] The shock absorber 4 is positioned between the base 2 and the interface 3 and is used to absorb vibrations between the watch components and the base 2 of the support 1. The direction of vibration propagation is irrelevant, and the shock absorber support according to the present invention is used both to isolate components that are vibration sources, such as vibration masses, and to protect components from vibrations or shocks originating from outside the watch.

[0029] To optimize vibration absorption, the shock absorber 4 is made from an absorbent material, such as an elastomer polymer like EPDM rubber, a thermoplastic resin, an epoxy resin or polyurethane resin, or a shape memory alloy (SMA).

[0030] Preferably, the material used to make the shock absorber has a hardness between 40 Shore A and 95 Shore A.

[0031] The shock absorber 3 can be manufactured by injection molding or casting in a mold. Preferably, the shock absorber 3 can be overmolded onto the base 2 and interface 3. To do this, the base 2 and interface 3 are placed in the mold at the positions shown in Figure 3. The absorbent material is then injected into the cavity formed by the base 2, interface 3 and mold.

[0032] To ensure a good bond between the shock absorber, base 2, and interface 3, the surfaces of base 2 and interface 3 that come into contact with the shock absorber 4 preferably have distinct irregularities such as ribs, grooves, or cavities. In the example shown, base 2 has an outer groove 2.1 and interface 3 has an inner groove 3.1.

[0033] As an alternative to overmolding, the shock absorber 4 can be sandwiched between the base 2 and the interface 3, or in other words, press-fitted, by utilizing the elastic properties of the material from which the shock absorber 4 is made.

[0034] Naturally, the overmolding method and the sandwiching method can be combined. For example, the impact absorber 4 may be overmolded on the base 2 before being sandwiched in the interface 3. Conversely, the impact absorber 4 may be overmolded on the interface 3 before being sandwiched in the base 2.

[0035] When the various components of support 1 are assembled, the result is a single, easy-to-handle assembly similar to the conventional support 1'.

[0036] Figure 5 shows a partial cross-sectional view of a watch movement comprising a support 1 according to the present invention. The support is an oscillating mass bar, and its base 2 is fixed to a plate 9. The interface 3 is fixed to a threaded insert 5 that engages with a nut 6. The inner ring 7.1 of the bearing 7 supporting the oscillating mass 8 is kept pressed against the shock absorber 4 against the support 1 by the nut 6. Preferably, a washer 10 is installed between the nut 6 and the inner ring 7.1 of the bearing 7. This design allows the bearing to be separated from the base 2, thereby damping vibrations from the oscillating mass and the bearing in the rest of the movement.

[0037] Those skilled in the art can modify this exemplary design without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0038] In advantageous variations, interface 3 is a direct means of fastening watch components. In the case of bearings, interface 3 may be a threaded rod or a tapped (female-threaded) threaded foot. In the case of jewels, the interface may be a jewel setting designed to hold the jewel. This design reduces the number of parts and simplifies the assembly of the movement.

[0039] Naturally, multiple shock absorbers can be mounted on a single support 1. These various shock absorbers can be manufactured in a single overmolding operation, which means lower manufacturing costs compared to a solution where each component has a specific shock absorber insert.

[0040] In the case of vibrating mass bars, the proposed solution offers greater design flexibility because it is compatible with conventional bearings. By incorporating the shock absorber within the thickness of the bar, vibrations from the vibrating mass bearing can be eliminated without requiring a specific thick bearing, and the shock absorber is not visible to the user.

[0041] Figure 6 shows another embodiment of the present invention, in which the support 1 is in the form of a bar 11 comprising a base 2, an interface 3, and a shock absorber 4. The interface 3 is designed to hold a screw 12 that engages with a nut 6 to secure the bar 11 to a plate 9. By tightening the nut 6 onto the screw 12, the interface 3 can be pressed against the plate 9 via a washer 10. Preferably, the shock absorber 4 is slightly compressed when the nut is tightened. The interface makes it possible to achieve a predetermined compression of the shock absorber 4 while preventing the shock absorber 4 from collapsing during tightening. This design also allows for precise positioning of the bar relative to the plate in the vertical direction. Since the base 2 of the bar is in contact only with the shock absorber 4, the transmission of vibrations between the base 2 of the bar 11 and the plate 9 is greatly reduced. Preferably, the bar 11 is provided with shock absorbers on each element that secures the bar 11 to the plate 9.

[0042] Figure 7 shows a fixture for a bar 11 and plate 9 similar to those described above. However, the fixture differs in that the support 1 in this case is a plate 9 consisting of a base 2, an interface 3, and a shock absorber 4, and the watch component is a bar 11. All vibrations propagating between the bar 11 and the base 2 of the plate 9 are attenuated because they pass through the shock absorber 4.

[0043] Another advantage of the present invention is the arrangement of the shock absorber so that it rotates at least partially within the thickness of the support. Compared to a solution in which the shock absorber is simply superimposed by being sandwiched between the support and the watch components, this particular arrangement makes it possible to achieve greater deformation of the shock absorber and, thereby, a higher absorption capacity, particularly in the vertical direction, without increasing the thickness of the assembly. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0044] 1 Support 1' Conventional support 2 bases 2.1 Outer groove 3 Interfaces 3.1 Inner groove 4. Shock absorber 5 threaded inserts 6 nuts 7 bearings 7.1 Inner circle 8 Vibrating mass 9 plates 10 washers 11 bars 12 screws

Claims

1. A support (1) for a watch movement, more particularly a bar or plate, wherein the support (1) comprises a base (2) and an interface (3) for holding watch components, and the support (1) comprises a shock absorber (4) positioned between the base (2) and the interface (3) and designed to absorb vibrations between the watch components and the base (2) of the support (1).

2. The support according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the shock absorber (4) is at least partially placed within the thickness of the support (1).

3. The support according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the shock absorber (4) is made of an absorbent material, particularly an elastomer, EPDM rubber, thermoplastic resin, epoxy resin, polyurethane resin, or shape memory alloy.

4. The support according to claim 1, characterized in that the impact absorber (4) is obtained by overmolding onto the base (2).

5. The support according to claim 1, characterized in that the shock absorber (4) is obtained by overmolding onto the interface (3).

6. The support according to claim 1, characterized in that the shock absorber (4) is sandwiched between the base (2) and the interface (3).

7. The support according to claim 1, characterized in that the base (2) is provided with an outer groove (2.1) and the interface (3) is provided with an inner groove (3.1).

8. The support according to claim 1, characterized in that the support (1) is a bar, and the interface (3) is designed to hold a vibrating mass and its bearing with respect to the bar.

9. The support according to claim 1, characterized in that the support (1) is a bar (11) and the interface (3) is designed to hold a plate (9) with respect to the bar (11), or the support (1) is a plate (9) and the interface (3) is designed to hold a bar (11) with respect to the plate (9).

10. The support according to claim 1, characterized in that the shock absorber has a hardness of 45 Shore A to 95 Shore A.

11. A watch movement comprising the support (1) described in claim 1.

12. The watch movement according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the support (1) is a vibrating mass bar, its base (2) is fixed to a plate (9), and its interface (3) is fixed to fixing means (5, 6) designed to keep the inner ring (7.1) of a bearing (7) supporting a vibrating mass (8) pressed against the shock absorber (4) relative to the support (1).

13. A clock comprising the clock movement described in claim 11.

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