HOROLOGICAL ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A BALANCE SPRING AND A STUD

Abstract

An assembly (1) for attaching a free end (8) of an outer last coil (10) of a balance spring (12) for a horological movement, this attachment assembly (1) including a stud (2) and a blocking element (14), the stud (2) being provided with a groove (6) in which the free end (8) of the outer last coil (10) of the balance spring (12) is engaged, the blocking element (14) also being engaged in the groove (6), in contact with the outer last coil (10) of the balance spring (12), the attachment assembly (1) further including a clamping member (16) which presses the blocking element (14) against the free end (8) of the outer last coil (10) of the balance spring (12), such that the free end (8) of the outer last coil (10) of the balance spring (12) is immobilised in the groove (6) of the stud (2).

Claims

1. An assembly (1) for attaching a free end (8) of an outer last coil (10) of a balance spring (12) for a horological movement, this attachment assembly (1) comprising a stud (2) and a blocking element (14), the stud (2) being provided with a groove (6) in which the balance spring (12) is engaged at a point along its length, the blocking element (14) also being engaged in the groove (6), in contact with the balance spring (12), the attachment assembly (1) further comprising a clamping member (16) which presses the blocking element (14) against the balance spring (12), such that the balance spring (12) is immobilised in the groove (6) of the stud (2) in a direction (Z) perpendicular to the plane in which the winding of the coils lies.

2. The attachment assembly (1) according to claim 1, wherein the balance spring (12) is engaged within the groove (6) of the stud (2) via the free end (8) of its outer last coil (10).

3. The attachment assembly according to claim 2, wherein the free end (8) of the outer last coil (10) of the balance spring (12) is immobilised by mechanical clamping and blocking in a direction perpendicular to the plane in which this free end (8) of the balance spring (12) extends.

4. The attachment assembly (1) according to claim 1, wherein the groove (6) extends from an outer wall (4) of the stud (2) towards the inside thereof.

5. The attachment assembly (1) according to claim 4, wherein the groove (6) has a height and the blocking element (14) a thickness such that, once the blocking element (14) is engaged in this groove (6), enough space remains to be able to engage the free end (8) of the outer last coil (10) of the balance spring (12) within the groove (6).

6. The attachment assembly (1) according to claim 5, wherein the space in which the free end (8) of the outer last coil (10) of the balance spring (12) is engaged extends between the blocking element (14) and a bottom (46) of the groove (6).

7. The attachment assembly (1) according to claim 6, wherein the free end (8) of the outer last coil (10) of the balance spring (12) terminates in a plate (50) which is attached to this free end (8) or which is made in one piece with this free end (8).

8. The attachment assembly (1) according to claim 1, wherein a hole (22) in which the clamping member (16) is engaged is formed in the stud (2) such that the clamping member (16) extends into the groove (6) and presses against the blocking element (14), pressing the latter against the free end (8) of the outer last coil (10) of the balance spring (12).

9. The attachment assembly (1) according to claim 8, wherein the clamping member (16) is a threaded rod (18) and wherein the hole (22) is tapped.

10. The attachment assembly (1) according to claim 8, wherein the blocking element (14) is a clamp (28) provided with two jaws (30a, 30b) connected to one another at a distal end (32a, 32b), these two jaws (30a, 30b) defining therebetween a space (34) that is open on their proximal end (36a, 36b) side.

11. The attachment assembly (1) according to claim 10, wherein the stud (2) comprises a wall (38) which delimits the groove (6).

12. The attachment assembly (1) according to claim 11, wherein the inner face of one of the jaws (30a, 30b) of the clamp (28) has a surface (40) which extends away from the wall (38) of the stud (2) in the direction of engagement of the clamp (28) on the stud (2).

13. The attachment assembly (1) according to claim 11, wherein the inner faces of the jaws (30a, 30b) of the clamp (28) are provided with recesses (42a, 42b), the shapes whereof are complementary and match those of the wall (38), allowing the clamp (28) to grip the wall (38) and hold it.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0031] Other features and advantages of the present invention will be better understood upon reading the following detailed description of one embodiment of an attachment assembly according to the invention, said example being provided for the purposes of illustration only and not intended to limit the scope of the invention, given with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

[0032] FIG. 1 is a perspective top view of the assembly according to the invention, in which is attached a free end of an outer last coil of a balance spring for a horological movement;

[0033] FIG. 2 is a perspective bottom view of the attachment assembly according to the invention shown in FIG. 1;

[0034] FIG. 3 is a perspective top view of the attachment assembly according to the invention in the separated state;

[0035] FIG. 4 is a perspective bottom view of the attachment assembly according to the invention in the separated state;

[0036] FIG. 5 is a top view of the attachment assembly according to the invention, in which is engaged the free end of the outer last coil of a balance spring for a horological movement;

[0037] FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the attachment assembly according to the invention taken along the line VI-VI shown in FIG. 5;

[0038] FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the attachment assembly according to the invention taken along the line VII-VII shown in FIG. 5;

[0039] FIG. 8 is a top view of the attachment assembly according to the invention mounted in a sprung balance assembly for a horological movement;

[0040] FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic view of a simplified embodiment of the attachment assembly according to the invention;

[0041] FIGS. 10 and 11 are perspective top and bottom views respectively of the sprung balance assembly provided with the attachment assembly according to the invention shown from a top view in FIG. 8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0042] The present invention was drawn from the general inventive idea consisting of attaching the free end of the outer last coil of a horological balance spring in a stud by means of an attachment assembly immobilising this free end by a combined mechanical pressing and blocking action. In this way, the free end of the balance spring does not need to be bonded in order to produce the attachment, giving total freedom in the choice of materials used to produce the balance spring. Moreover, as there is no bonding, the attachment assembly according to the invention can be disassembled at any time. Another major advantage of the attachment assembly according to the invention lies in the fact that the free end of the outer last coil of the balance spring is immobilised by mechanical clamping and blocking in a direction perpendicular to the plane in which this free end of the balance spring extends. As a result, the attachment of this free end of the balance spring does not induce any mechanical tensile or torsional torque in the free end of the outer last coil of the balance spring, such that the consistency of the rate of the balance spring is in no way affected by attaching the free end of its outer last coil in the stud. This is even truer as the mechanical stresses exerted on the outer last coil of the balance spring in the direction perpendicular to the plane in which this outer last coil extends are zero or entirely negligible.

[0043] Denoted as a whole by the general reference numeral 1, the attachment assembly according to the invention is shown as a whole in FIGS. 1 and 2 and comprises in particular a stud 2. By way of illustration only, the stud 2 shown in the drawing is delimited externally by a casing that is overall cylindrical in shape. It is understood that the shape of the stud 2 is not a decisive factor for the purposes of the invention, as such a stud 2 can have a shape that differs from a cylindrical shape and can be parallelepipedal for example.

[0044] Preferably, but by no means exclusively, a groove 6, preferably having a square or rectangular cross-section, as shown in particular in FIGS. 3 and 4, is formed, leading from an outer wall 4 of the stud 2 towards the inside thereof. This groove 6 is intended to receive a free end 8 of an outer last coil 10 of a balance spring 12 for a horological movement in order to block the latter as described in detail hereinbelow.

[0045] The attachment assembly 1 according to the invention further comprises a blocking element 14 which is also intended to be engaged in the groove 6, in contact with the free end 8 of the outer last coil 10 of the balance spring 12, and then to be pressed against this free end 8 to immobilise the balance spring 12 within this groove 6.

[0046] To this end, the attachment assembly 1 is further supplemented by a clamping member 16 which is arranged so as to adjustably press the blocking element 14 against the free end 8 of the outer last coil 10 of the balance spring 12.

[0047] According to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawing (see FIG. 3 for example), the clamping member 16 can be of the type of a threaded rod 18 provided with a slotted head 20. This threaded rod 18 is intended to be screwed into a tapped hole 22 made in the stud 2 such that this threaded rod 18 extends into the groove 6 and presses against the blocking element 14, pressing the latter against the free end 8 of the outer last coil 10 of the balance spring 12.

[0048] It is easily understood that, depending on the degree to which the threaded rod 18 is screwed in, the clamping force which, via the blocking element 14, is exerted on the free end 8 of the outer last coil 10 of the balance spring 12 and which ensures that this free end 8 is immobilised in the groove 6 of the stud 2, can be precisely adjusted.

[0049] A rubbing surface 24, for example a knurling 26, can be provided on the stud 2. In particular, this rubbing surface 24 can be used by the operator to get a better grip on this stud 2 when screwing the threaded rod 18 into the tapped hole 22 in the stud 2.

[0050] As described hereinabove, the clamping member 16 is a threaded rod 18. It goes without saying that this is only an example, and the clamping member 16 can take other forms such as, for example, a simple pin engaged with sufficiently greasy friction in the hole made in the stud 2 so as to be able to press against the blocking element 14, firmly pressing the latter against the free end 8 of the outer last coil 10 of the balance spring 12, while being able to be disengaged from this hole where necessary, for example if the balance spring 12 breaks.

[0051] In its preferred but non-limiting embodiment, the blocking element 14 is of the type formed by a clamp 28 with a certain elasticity and provided with two overall rectilinear jaws 30a and 30b which extend substantially parallel to, and at a distance from, one another. Connected to one another at their distal end 32a, 32b, these two jaws 30a, 30b define therebetween a space 34 that is open on their proximal end 36a, 36b side.

[0052] With its space 34 open on the proximal end 36a, 36b side of its jaws 30a, 30b, the clamp 28 is engaged on either side of a wall 38 of the stud 2 resulting from the machining of the groove 6. The mere overlap of the clamp 28 on the wall 38 of the stud 2 is enough to sufficiently hold this clamp 28 in place long enough for the operator to tighten the threaded rod 18. However, this hold can be slightly increased by providing the inner face of one of the jaws 30a, 30b of the clamp 28 with a surface 40 which extends away from the wall 38 of the stud 2 in the direction of engagement of the clamp 28. The hold of the clamp 28 on the wall 38 of the stud 2 can be further improved by providing recesses 42a, 42b on the inner face of its jaws 30a, 30b, the shapes of which recesses 42a, 42b are complementary and match those of this wall 38, thus allowing the clamp 28 to grip the wall 38 of the stud 2 and ensure that it is held by friction.

[0053] It is important to understand that the height of the groove 6 is greater than the thickness of the jaws 30a, 30b of the clamp 28, so that, once the clamp 28 is engaged in this groove 6, there is still enough space to be able to easily engage the free end 8 of the outer last coil 10 of the balance spring 12 in the groove 6.

[0054] The operation of attaching the free end 8 of the outer last coil 10 of the balance spring 12 is carried out as follows: the clamp 28 is firstly engaged via its space 34 open on the proximal end 36a, 36b side of its jaws 30a, 30b in the groove 6 of the stud 2, on either side of the wall 38 of this stud 2. The overlapping of the clamp 28 on the wall 38 of the stud 2 is sufficient to ensure that the clamp 28 is held on this wall 38 long enough to attach the free end 8 of the outer last coil 10 of the balance spring 12 to the stud 2. When the clamp 28 is being mounted, care is taken to ensure that this clamp 28 is positioned so that enough space 44 remains between the jaws 30a, 30b of this clamp 28 and a back 46 of the groove 6 to be able to easily engage the free end 8 of the outer last coil 10 of the balance spring 12. Once the clamp 28 has been suitably positioned and attached in the groove 6 of the stud 2, the free end 8 of the outer last coil 10 of the balance spring 12 is easily engaged in the groove 6, between the back 46 thereof and the jaws 30a, 30b of the clamp 28. The free end 8 of the outer last coil 10 of the balance spring 12 often terminates in a plate 50. Depending on the case, this plate 50 is attached to the free end 8 of the outer last coil 10 of the balance spring 12, for example by welding, or is made in one piece with this free end 8. The guide-mark is adjusted by pivoting the attachment assembly 1, in other words by pivoting the point of attachment of the outer last coil 10 of the balance spring 12 about an axis 52 of a balance 48, to align an impulse pin 54 of a roller 56 with an escapement line 58 (see FIG. 8). To this end (see FIGS. 10 and 11), the stud 2 is engaged in an opening 60 made in a stud-holder part 62 which is carried by a bridge 64, commonly referred to as a cock, and which is mounted such that it pivots about the staff 52 of the balance 48. Similarly, rather than being made in the stud 2 from the outside thereof, the groove 6 can very well be made as a through-hole 66 in the thickness of the stud 2 (see FIG. 9). A blocking element 14, for example of the type formed by a rod 68, is engaged in this through-hole 66. Finally, the operator tightens the threaded rod 18 so that it presses against the jaws 30a, 30b of the clamp 28, pressing the latter against the free end 8 of the outer last coil 10 of the balance spring 12. The operations for mounting the free end 8 of the outer last coil 10 of the balance spring 12 are thus complete and the balance spring 12 is now removably attached to the stud 2.

[0055] It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described hereinabove and that various simple alternatives and modifications can be considered by a person skilled in the art without leaving the scope of the invention as defined by the accompanying claims. In particular, it is understood that the groove 6 can have a cross-section that is not square or rectangular. It should also be noted that the rubbing surface 24 such as the knurling 26 provided on the stud 2 is particularly useful after the stud 2 has been driven into the stud-holder part 62. More specifically, the threaded rod 18 can be screwed into the locking position relatively easily. Only the friction induced by the threads of the threaded rod 18 in the tapped hole of the stud 2 is capable of causing the stud 2 to rotate during this operation. At this stage of the operation, however, this friction is negligible in light of the torque required to turn the stud 2. However, when the threaded rod 18 reaches the blocking position inside the tapped hole 22, a large part of the tightening torque transmitted to the threaded rod 18 by the operator is transmitted to the stud 2, which can cause the stud 2 to pivot relative to the stud-holder part 62. It goes without saying that such pivoting must be avoided, which is why the stud 2 has been provided, for example, with a knurling 26 which, by contact with the stud-holder part 62, has the effect of increasing the resistance of the stud 2 to this torque. It must also be understood that, depending on the geometric shape of the balance spring 12, which can be particular, this balance spring 12 can be engaged in the groove 6 of the stud 2 at a point along its length that is different from that of the free end 8 of its outer last coil 10. It must also be understood that the free end 8 of the outer last coil 10 of the balance spring 12 is immobilised by mechanical clamping and blocking in a direction perpendicular to the plane in which this free end 8 of the balance spring 12 extends. In the case where the balance spring 12 terminates in a plate 50, if this plate 50 extends parallel to the plane in which the balance spring 12 lies, the clamping-blocking of this plate 50 will take place perpendicularly to the plane of the balance spring 12. Conversely, if the plate 50 extends perpendicular to the plane in which the balance spring 12 lies, the clamping-blocking of this plate 50 will take place in a direction parallel to the plane of the balance spring 12. In other words, the threaded rod 18 will be screwed into the stud 2 in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of symmetry of the stud 2. It should also be noted that since the balance spring 12 takes the form of an extremely thin ribbon wound about itself in a succession of coils, the plane in which the free end 8 of the outer last coil 10 of the balance spring 12 extends is understood to mean the plane in which this winding lies. It should also be noted that the plate 50 is a surface element, of rectangular shape for example, and that, depending on the case, this surface element either lies in the plane of the balance spring 12, or perpendicular to this plane.

NOMENCLATURE

[0056] 1. Attachment assembly [0057] 2. Stud [0058] 4. Outer wall [0059] 6. Groove [0060] 8. Free end [0061] 10. Outer last coil [0062] 12. Balance spring [0063] 14. Blocking element [0064] 16. Clamping member [0065] 18. Threaded rod [0066] 20. Slotted head [0067] 22. Tapped hole [0068] 24. Rubbing surface [0069] 26. Knurling [0070] 28. Clamp [0071] 30a, 30b. Jaws [0072] 32a, 32b. Distal ends [0073] 34. Space [0074] 36a, 36b. Proximal ends [0075] 38. Wall [0076] 40. Surface [0077] 42a, 42b. Recesses [0078] 44. Space [0079] 46. Bottom [0080] 48. Balance [0081] 50. Plate [0082] 52. Staff [0083] 54. Impulse pin [0084] 56. Roller [0085] 58. Escapement line [0086] 60. Oblong opening [0087] 62. Stud-holder part [0088] 64. Bar [0089] 66. Through-hole [0090] 68. Rod