Silicon Watch Component with Single Coating for Mechanical Strength
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing watchmaking components, particularly those made of silicon, face challenges with mechanical resistance and tribological properties, requiring multiple coatings to achieve adequate performance, which complicates the manufacturing process.
Innovation Solution
A timepiece mechanism part is designed with a support made of one material and a coating of a different material, where the support's mechanical properties are utilized for cooperation with other parts, and the coating enhances specific properties like mechanical resistance without needing multiple layers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a coating is applied to silicon components to improve mechanical strength, then the mechanical resistance is improved, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex due to requiring multiple coatings
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the tribological function from the coating and assigns it to the silicon substrate itself through surface treatment, while the coating only provides mechanical strength. This separation allows a single coating to suffice, eliminating the need for multiple layered coatings and simplifying the manufacturing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite structure combining treated silicon substrate with a single coating layer. The silicon surface is chemically or physically treated to provide tribological properties, while the coating provides mechanical reinforcement, achieving both functions with a simpler single-coating architecture.
2Reliability
If multiple coatings are applied to achieve both mechanical strength and tribological properties, then the component performance is improved, but the number of manufacturing steps increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the tribological function from the coating material selection and instead achieves it through surface treatment of the silicon substrate. This allows the coating to focus solely on providing mechanical strength, enabling a single coating application to deliver both required functions and improving manufacturing efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the surface parameters of the silicon substrate through chemical or physical treatment to achieve tribological properties. This parameter modification of the substrate eliminates the need for specialized tribological coatings, allowing a single coating to provide both mechanical strength and acceptable surface performance.
3Weight of moving object
If silicon is used as the substrate material, then the density and elasticity are improved, but the mechanical strength and impact resistance are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The invention creates a composite structure where silicon substrate provides low density and good elasticity, while a reinforcing coating provides enhanced mechanical strength and impact resistance. This composite approach allows the component to maintain the advantageous lightweight properties of silicon while compensating for its mechanical weaknesses through the coating layer.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3a~3f
AI summary
The piece (1) has a support (2) made of material, and a coating (3) formed on the support, where the coating is made of material different from the material of the support. The support has a surface (4), which is not covered by the coating and being in contact with another piece during operation of the watch mechanism. The coating is formed on an upper surface and on a lower surface of the support. The surface levels an adjacent outer surface of the coating. An independent claim is also included for a method for manufacturing a piece used in watch mechanism.