Shock Absorber Bearing Centring Mechanism for Timepiece Balance Staff
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional shock absorber bearings for timepiece wheel sets, particularly for balance staffs, face challenges in ensuring proper centring and flat positioning due to tolerance variations in components, leading to potential misalignment and instability.
Innovation Solution
A shock absorber bearing with a recentring play device that includes a centring element with internal and external conical walls, along with an elastic support arrangement featuring flexible strips and reinforcement assemblies, which ensures the bearing support is centred and flat, regardless of manufacturing variations, by utilizing a return effect mechanism to adjust for dimensional tolerances.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional shock absorber bearing configurations are used with standard tolerance ranges, then manufacturing is easier and cost-effective, but the bearing support cannot be reliably centred and positioned flat, leading to misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
A dedicated centring element is introduced as an intermediary component between the bearing support and the bearing assembly. This centring element features a conical external wall that interfaces with a conical internal wall in the bearing assembly, providing a positive mechanical guidance system that ensures accurate centring of the bearing support regardless of tolerance variations in other components.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes conical surfaces with specific taper angles to transform the centring problem. The conical external wall of the centring element and the conical internal wall of the bearing assembly create a self-aligning mechanism where the geometry of the cones ensures proper positioning through mechanical constraints rather than relying on tight tolerances.
2Manufacturing precision
If the setting is centred on the axis of rotation, then the pivot positioning is improved, but the centring position becomes undefined due to tolerance ranges
Solution Approach 1:
The centring element serves as a mediator that provides a defined mechanical reference for positioning. Its conical external wall engages with the conical internal wall of the bearing assembly to establish a unique, reproducible centring position that eliminates the undefined nature of tolerance-based centring.
Solution Approach 2:
The centring element is pre-positioned within the bearing assembly during manufacturing, establishing the correct geometric relationship before the bearing support is installed. This preliminary positioning ensures that when the bearing support is mounted, it automatically assumes the correct centred position relative to the axis of rotation.
3Manufacturing precision
If the setting has a conical external wall, then centring is improved, but the setting may pivot about a perpendicular axis causing angular misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
The centring element acts as a stabilizing intermediary between the conical external wall of the bearing support and the conical internal wall of the bearing assembly. It prevents the bearing support from pivoting about a perpendicular axis by providing continuous mechanical guidance through the conical interface, ensuring the setting remains stable and properly aligned.
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
The recentring play device effectively addresses the uncertainty in centring and support caused by component tolerances, ensuring the bearing support is both centred and pressed flat, enhancing the stability and reliability of the balance guiding component.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic support arrangement for the pivot of the wheel set arbor
Implementation Method 2
a second part resting on the bearing assembly and arranged to have a return effect on the first part
Data Source
AI summary
A shock absorber bearing for an arbor of a timepiece wheel set, particularly for a balance staff. The bearing includes a bearing assembly including a housing, a bearing support arranged inside the housing and including an external centring wall, a pivot bearing mounted on the bearing support for receiving a pivot of a wheel set arbor and an elastic support arrangement for the wheel set arbor pivot. The shock absorber bearing further includes a device for recentring play. This device for recentring play includes, on the one hand, a first part including a centring element having an internal centring wall in which is arranged the external centring wall of the bearing support, and on the other hand, a second part resting on the bearing assembly and arranged to have a return effect on the first part.