Anchor Escapement Multi-Surface Pallets Wear Distribution
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing anchor escapements in mechanical clockworks, such as those in pocket watches and wristwatches, suffer from wear-related issues that affect gear accuracy and require extended run-in phases due to frictional forces between the escape wheel teeth and anchor pallets, leading to reduced service life and maintenance intervals.
Innovation Solution
The design of anchor escapements with multiple defined contact surfaces on the anchor pallets allows escape wheel teeth to slide on at least two different surfaces, reducing wear and improving gear accuracy by distributing the contact pressure and preventing overlap of wear surfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the escape wheel teeth and anchor pallets are designed with single contact surfaces, then the structure is simple, but wear occurs rapidly and gear accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The contact surface of the anchor pallet is divided into multiple segments (first contact surface and second contact surface). Each escape wheel tooth contacts a different segment during rotation, which distributes the wear across multiple surfaces rather than concentrating it on a single surface. This segmentation extends the service life while maintaining the basic structural simplicity of the escapement mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution transitions from a single-plane contact surface to a multi-level contact surface structure. The first and second contact surfaces are arranged at different positions along the component height, effectively utilizing the vertical dimension to create multiple contact zones. This dimensional approach allows wear distribution without adding lateral complexity to the mechanism.
2Strength
If hard material coating is applied to reduce wear, then abrasion resistance improves, but the run-in phase is extended
Solution Approach 1:
By dividing the contact surface into multiple segments, the wear is distributed across these segments rather than concentrated on one surface. This allows the use of softer materials that can still achieve adequate wear resistance through the distribution effect, thereby reducing or eliminating the need for extended hard material coating run-in phases while maintaining abrasion resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the geometric parameters of the contact surfaces by creating multiple surfaces at different positions. This parameter change allows the system to achieve wear resistance through geometric distribution rather than relying solely on material hardness and extended run-in phases, thus reducing the time required for run-in.
3Stress or pressure
If the contact surface area is increased, then the pressure distribution improves, but the wear surface overlap increases
Solution Approach 1:
The contact surface is segmented into multiple distinct areas (first and second contact surfaces) that are positioned to prevent overlap during escape wheel rotation. Each segment handles a portion of the contact load, providing good pressure distribution while the spatial separation prevents wear surface overlap that would compromise gear accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution uses the vertical dimension (component height) to separate contact surfaces that would otherwise overlap in a single-plane arrangement. By positioning contact surfaces at different heights along the component, the design achieves both good pressure distribution and prevention of wear overlap, maintaining gear accuracy.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design significantly reduces wear, extends the service life of mechanical clockworks, and shortens the run-in time while enhancing gear accuracy by ensuring each contact surface experiences uniform wear, thus improving overall performance.
Implementation Method 1
The two components move against each other under pressure, which creates a frictional force that results in abrasion on the respective contact surfaces and thus in wear of the anchor escapement
Data Source
AI summary
An anchor escapement (100) for a mechanical clockwork, in particular for pocket watches and wristwatches, having an anchor pivotable (110) around its bearing axis (111) and an escape wheel (120) rotatable around its axis of rotation (121), wherein the escape wheel (120) has successive escape wheel teeth (122) in the direction of rotation, which extend over a first component height (h) and the anchor (110) has anchor pallets (112) extending over a second component height (H) at its ends facing toward the escape wheel (120), which are arranged to mesh with the escape wheel teeth (122) of the escape wheel (120), so that when the anchor escapement (100) is in operation, the escape wheel teeth slide (122) in succession on the anchor pallets (112). The escape wheel teeth (122) slide on at least two different contact surfaces (a, b) of an anchor pallet (112) during operation.