Balance-Spring Stud with Stop Means for Glue Retention
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for fixing the last turn of a spiral spring in a timepiece movement, such as using hot-melt glue or UV-polymerizable glue, often result in mechanical stresses and detachment issues, affecting the regularity of the timepiece's operation due to inadequate adhesion to the balance-spring stud.
Innovation Solution
A balance-spring stud design featuring a base with arms separated by a gap, equipped with stop means like holes, grooves, or beads to prevent the glue from disengaging even if it loses adhesion, ensuring the glue remains trapped and secure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If adhesive bonding is used to fix the last turn of the spiral spring to the balance-spring stud, then the regularity of the spiral spring's operation is improved, but the glue may detach from the balance-spring stud over time, compromising reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The balance-spring stud is pre-designed with stop means (protrusions or recesses) that physically constrain the glue before detachment can occur. This preliminary structural preparation ensures that even if adhesion fails over time, the glue remains trapped within the stud's gap, preventing spiral spring detachment and maintaining operational regularity throughout the glue's service life
Solution Approach 2:
The stop means act as a safety mechanism that cushions against the potential failure of glue adhesion. By providing a physical barrier that prevents the glue from completely detaching, the design compensates for the inherent instability of adhesive bonding over time, ensuring continuous reliable operation
2Device complexity
If the balance-spring stud uses a simple gap structure without stop means, then the device complexity is reduced, but the glue can disengage from the gap, affecting reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The balance-spring stud is segmented into functional zones: the gap for glue placement and the stop means for glue retention. This segmentation allows the simple gap structure to maintain its low complexity while the added stop means provide the necessary reliability for glue retention, creating an efficient division of functional responsibilities
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 effectively prevents the detachment of the glue from the balance-spring stud, maintaining the regularity of the spiral spring's operation and enhancing the reliability of the timepiece movement by ensuring the glue remains captive within the stud's gap.
Implementation Method 1
a balance-spring stud in which a last turn on the outside of a spiral spring of a timepiece movement is fixed by adhesive bonding
Data Source
AI summary
A balance-spring stud for fixing with a spot of glue a free end of a last turn on the outside of a spiral spring for a timepiece movement, this balance-spring stud includes a base within a plane, first and second arms extending from the plane and free at their end opposite the base, the first and second arms being separated from one another by a gap in which the free end of the last turn on the outside of the spiral spring that is trapped in the hardened spot of hardened glue is housed, at least one of the first and second arms being provided with a stop device arranged to prevent the spot of hardened glue in which the free end of the last turn on the outside of the spiral spring is trapped from being released from the gap in which the spot of hardened glue is housed when this spot of hardened glue no longer adheres to the balance-spring stud.