Silicon Escape Wheel Recesses for Watch Lubrication
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing watch components, such as escape wheels, face significant wear due to friction with pallet stones, and existing lubrication methods struggle to retain sufficient oil on the side surfaces of tooth portions, leading to inadequate lubrication and increased mechanical stress.
Innovation Solution
A watch component with recesses on its tooth and base surfaces, manufactured using a Bosch process, retains lubricating oil effectively by providing a maximum depth of 0.02 μm to 1.20 μm and an angle of 0.05° to 1.25°, ensuring efficient oil retention and reduced friction with other components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If oil retaining grooves and oil supply grooves are provided on the surface of the escape wheel, then lubricating oil can be retained, but it is difficult to supply sufficient lubricating oil to the side surface of the tooth portion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the lubrication function from the surface grooves and relocates it to the side surface of the tooth portion through a recess. This allows the lubricating oil to be retained directly at the contact point between the pallet stone and tooth side surface, eliminating the supply chain issue from surface grooves to side surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from retaining lubricating oil on the surface (2D plane) to retaining it on the side surface through a recess (3D depth). By creating a recess with specific depth (0.02 μm to 1.20 μm) and angle (0.05° to 1.25°), the lubricating oil is retained in a three-dimensional space directly at the contact interface, improving delivery effectiveness.
2Reliability
If recesses are made deeper to retain more lubricating oil, then lubrication is improved, but mechanical strength is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the recess parameters (depth and angle) to achieve the best balance between lubrication retention and mechanical strength. The depth is controlled within 0.02 μm to 1.20 μm and the angle within 0.05° to 1.25°, creating an optimal configuration that retains sufficient lubricating oil while maintaining the structural integrity of the tooth portion.
Solution Approach 2:
The recess is created only in the specific region where lubrication is needed (side surface of the tooth portion at the contact point with pallet stone), rather than throughout the entire component. This localized modification provides lubrication retention where required while minimizing impact on overall mechanical strength.
3Reliability
If recesses are provided on the side surface of the tooth portion, then friction is reduced through better lubrication, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent defines specific parameter ranges (depth: 0.02 μm to 1.20 μm, angle: 0.05° to 1.25°) that balance lubrication effectiveness with manufacturability. These ranges are wide enough to accommodate normal manufacturing variations while still achieving the desired lubrication retention and wear resistance.
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 solution significantly reduces wear and maintains mechanical strength by ensuring sufficient lubrication, enhancing the performance and longevity of watch components like escape wheels and gears.
Implementation Method 1
a recess is provided in a contact surface 112A of the tooth portion 112... it is possible to retain a sufficient amount of lubricating oil in the recess 116 of the contact surface 112A
Data Source
AI summary
An escape wheel serving as a watch component that constitutes a drive mechanism of a watch includes a tooth portion, and a base mainly composed of silicon. A contact surface where the tooth portion makes contact with another component includes a recess.