Photostructurable Glass Timepiece Component Design
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The limitations in shaping techniques for fragile materials like silicon and ceramic used in timepiece components restrict the possibilities for complex designs in horology.
Innovation Solution
A timepiece component is created by integrating a photostructurable glass part with another material such as silicon, metal, or ceramic, allowing for more flexible shapes and bonding methods, including direct welding and various etching processes, to form a one-piece component.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If traditional etching techniques are used on fragile materials like silicon and ceramic, then manufacturing precision can be maintained, but shape versatility is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The timepiece component is divided into multiple separate parts made from different materials (photostructurable glass, silicon, ceramic, metal), which are then joined together. This segmentation allows each part to be manufactured using the most suitable technique for that material, enabling complex overall shapes while maintaining manufacturing feasibility for each individual component.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite timepiece component by joining parts made from different materials (photostructurable glass with silicon, ceramic, or metal). This composite approach allows the final component to achieve shapes and properties that would be impossible with a single material, as each material can be optimized for its specific function and manufacturability.
2Shape
If complex shapes are created using photostructurable glass, then shape versatility improves, but manufacturing complexity increases due to bonding requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs intermediary elements such as adhesive layers, metallicization layers, or sintering processes as mediators to join the photostructurable glass parts with other materials. These intermediaries facilitate the bonding process by providing compatible surfaces and bonding mechanisms, thereby reducing the overall complexity of joining dissimilar materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes parameter changes in the bonding process, such as temperature variations during sintering, to join different materials. By controlling thermal parameters and other process variables, the bonding complexity is managed while achieving strong joints between the photostructurable glass and other materials like silicon or ceramic.
3Adaptability or versatility
If single material components are used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but design flexibility and material optimization are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The timepiece component is designed with local quality by assigning different materials to different parts based on their specific functional requirements. For example, photostructurable glass may be used for aesthetic elements requiring complex shapes, while silicon or ceramic is used for mechanical components requiring precision and durability. This localized material selection optimizes performance without requiring the entire component to be complex.
Solution Approach 2:
The composite structure enables universality by allowing a single timepiece component to incorporate multiple materials, each contributing different properties. The final assembly achieves multi-functionality, combining the aesthetic and shaping advantages of photostructurable glass with the mechanical precision of silicon or ceramic, thereby optimizing both design flexibility and functional performance in one integrated component.
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 approach enables the creation of complex timepiece components with greater shape versatility while retaining the benefits of silicon or ceramic materials, facilitating mass production and diverse material combinations.
Implementation Method 1
a first part based on photostructurable glass
Data Source
AI summary
A substrate for forming timepiece components includes a first part based on photostructurable glass and at least a second part based on at least one second material. One surface of the first part is made integral with a surface of the second part so as to form a one-piece timepiece component.