Titanium Calendar Disk Teeth for Wear-Resistant Time Mechanisms
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing calendar mechanisms using aluminum alloys for calendar disks are prone to delamination and coating wear, leading to potential pollution and degradation of driving components due to high contact pressures, which compromises the reliability and robustness of the mechanism.
Innovation Solution
Employing titanium or titanium alloy for the obstacle elements, such as teeth, in the calendar mobile to enhance resistance to wear and minimize marking of driving components, thereby ensuring reliable and robust operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If aluminum alloy is used for the calendar disk, then the density is reduced, but the coating delaminates and the toothings are marked due to high contact pressures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from aluminum alloy to titanium or titanium alloy, which fundamentally alters the mechanical properties including density, strength, and hardness. This material substitution resolves the contradiction by providing a base metal with inherently superior strength-to-density ratio and wear resistance, eliminating the need for protective coatings that were prone to delamination.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs titanium alloy as a composite material solution that combines the low density requirement with high strength and wear resistance. The titanium alloy integrates multiple desirable properties (low density like aluminum, but with titanium's strength and corrosion resistance) into a single material system, resolving the contradiction between weight reduction and reliability.
2Weight of moving object
If the calendar disk is made from aluminum alloy with coating, then the density is low, but the coating risks delamination and pollution under contact pressures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the problematic coating layer from the system by using titanium or titanium alloy as the base material. The inherent properties of titanium (high strength, corrosion resistance, surface stability) make the coating unnecessary, thereby removing the source of delamination and pollution problems while maintaining the low density requirement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potential harm of high contact pressures that caused coating delamination into a benefit by using titanium's superior mechanical properties. The same contact pressures that were harmful to coated aluminum now serve to demonstrate titanium's wear resistance and surface stability, with the material's natural oxide layer providing protection without delamination.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the calendar mobile has complex conformation with multiple toothings, then the calendar function is enhanced, but the volume and section increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the calendar mobile into multiple functional components (date disk, month indicator, year indicator) that can be independently designed and optimized. Each segment can be minimized in size, and the titanium material allows for compact, thin-walled constructions that reduce overall volume while maintaining the complexity of multiple toothings and indicators.
Data Source
AI summary
A calendar mobile (10) indicating time information or information derived from the time, comprising at least one first obstacle element (1a, 2a, 3a) intended to receive a driving contact action driving the calendar mobile and/or intended to transmit a driving contact action from the calendar mobile, the first obstacle element being made of titanium or of titanium alloy, the mobile being a disk or the mobile having substantially the shape of a disk or the mobile having substantially the shape of a disk ring.