Abstract
A balance-spring stud for fixing with a spot of glue a free end of a last turn on the outside of a spiral spring for a timepiece movement, this balance-spring stud includes a base within a plane, first and second arms extending from the plane and free at their end opposite the base, the first and second arms being separated from one another by a gap in which the free end of the last turn on the outside of the spiral spring that is trapped in the hardened spot of hardened glue is housed, at least one of the first and second arms being provided with a stop device arranged to prevent the spot of hardened glue in which the free end of the last turn on the outside of the spiral spring is trapped from being released from the gap in which the spot of hardened glue is housed when this spot of hardened glue no longer adheres to the balance-spring stud.
Claims
1. A balance-spring stud for fixing, with a spot of glue, a free end of a last turn on an outside of a spiral spring for a timepiece movement, said balance-spring stud comprising: a base that lies in a plane, and a first arm and a second arm that extend from the plane, free ends of the first and second arms being opposite to the base, wherein the first and second arms are separated from one another by a gap in which the free end of the last turn on the outside of the spiral spring that is trapped in a hardened spot of glue is housed, wherein at least one of the first arm and the second arm is provided with a stop means arranged to prevent the spot of hardened glue in which the free end of the last turn on the outside of the spiral spring is trapped from being released from the gap in which said spot of hardened glue is housed when said spot of hardened glue no longer adheres to the balance-spring stud, wherein the stop means projects in the gap receiving the spot of hardened glue in which the free end of the last turn on the outside of the spiral spring is trapped, and wherein the stop means is at least one bead that is made in one piece with the at least one of the first arm and the second arm.
2. A method for manufacturing a balance-spring stud for fixing a free end of a last turn on an outside of a spiral spring for a timepiece movement, wherein said balance-spring stud comprises a base that lies in a plan; and a first arm and a second arm that extend from said plane, the first and second arms being separated from one another by a gap intended to house the free end of the last turn on the outside of the spiral spring that will be trapped in a spot of hardened glue, the gap being initially produced with a first width, the method comprising: widening the gap by stamping and creating, by upsetting, a stop means that projects in the gap designed to receive the spot of hardened glue in which the free end of the last turn on the outside of the spiral spring is trapped.
3. A method for manufacturing a balance-spring stud for fixing a free end of a last turn on an outside of a spiral spring for a timepiece movement, wherein said balance-spring stud comprises a base that lies in a plane and on which first and second arms, which each includes a free end opposite to the base, are erected, the first and second arms being separated from one another by a gap in which the free end of the last turn on the outside of the spiral spring that is trapped in a spot of hardened glue is housed, the method comprising: machining a first hole in the balance-spring stud from the free end of the first and second arms towards the base, and machining a second hole in the stud from the base towards the free end of the first and second arms, the machining being carried out so that the first hole emerges partially in the second hole in order to locally preserve a collar that projects in the gap provided for receiving the spot of hardened glue in which the free end of the last turn on the outside of the spiral spring is trapped.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
(1) Other features and advantages of the present invention will emerge more clearly from the following detailed description of an example embodiment of a balance-spring stud according to the invention, this example being given purely for illustration and solely non-limitatively in relation to the accompanying drawing, on which:
(2) FIGS. 1A and 1B are views respectively in elevation and perspective of a first embodiment of the invention in which the first and second arms of the balance-spring stud according to the invention are pierced with a through hole;
(3) FIG. 1C is a view similar to the one in FIG. 1B, on which a silicon spiral spring can be seen, the free end of the last turn on the outside of which is fixed to the balance-spring stud by means of a spot of glue;
(4) FIGS. 2A, 2B and 2C are views in elevation and perspective of a second embodiment of the invention in which a groove machined in the first and second arms of the balance-spring stud according to the invention delimits two hooks;
(5) FIG. 2D is a view similar to the one in FIG. 2C, on which a silicon spiral spring can be seen, the free end of the last turn on the outside of which is fixed to the balance-spring stud by means of a spot of glue;
(6) FIG. 3A is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the invention in which a bead formed on each of the facing internal lateral surfaces of the first and second arms of the balance-spring stud according to the invention project in the gap;
(7) FIG. 3B is a view similar to the one in FIG. 3A, on which a silicon spiral spring can be seen, the free end of the last turn on the outside of which is fixed to the balance-spring stud by means of a spot of glue;
(8) FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate schematically a first variant of the method for machining beads on the facing internal lateral surfaces of the first and second arms of the balance-spring stud;
(9) FIGS. 5A to 5D illustrate schematically a second variant of the method for machining beads on the facing internal lateral surfaces of the first and second arms of the balance-spring stud, and
(10) FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate schematically the method for bonding the free end of the last turn on the outside of the spiral spring to the balance-spring stud by means of a spot of glue.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION
(11) The present invention proceeds from the general inventive idea that consists of providing a balance-spring stud intended for fixing a spiral spring of a timepiece movement with a stop means designed to prevent a free end of the last turn on the outside of the spiral spring from becoming uncoupled from the balance-spring stud and causing immediate stoppage of the timepiece movement. More precisely, the balance-spring stud comprises a base that lies in a plane from which first and second arms extend, separated from one another by a gap. This gap is designed to receive the free end of the last turn on the outside of the spiral spring, which will be immobilised by means of a spot of glue hardened by ultraviolet radiation. In accordance with the invention, at least one of the two arms of the balance-spring stud is provided with a stop means designed to prevent the spot of glue, and therefore the free end of the turn on the outside of the spiral spring, from escaping from the gap should the spot of glue become disconnected from the balance-spring stud. This stop means may be in various forms such as, non-limitatively, a hole, a bead or a hook.
(12) In the following detailed description of several particular embodiments of the invention, the gluing of a silicon spiral by means of a liquid glue intended to be polymerised by means of ultraviolet radiation will be dealt with. It will however be understood that the invention is not limited to this particular embodiment and that it applies identically to any type of spiral spring such as metal spiral springs produced for example by means of a steel alloy.
(13) Designated overall by the numerical reference 1, a first particular embodiment of a balance-spring stud 2 according to the invention is shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B appended to the present patent application. As can be seen from an examination of these two FIGS. 1A and 1B, the balance-spring stud 2 comprises a base 4 that lies in a plane P on which a first arm 6 and a second arm 8, which are free at their end opposite to the base 4, are erected. In the example shown in the drawing, the first and second arms 6 and 8 extend perpendicular to the plane P of the base 4 and are separated from one another by a substantially parallelepipidal gap 10. Still in FIGS. 1A and 1B, it can be seen that the external surfaces 12 and 14 of the first and second arms 6 and 8, that is to say the surfaces of these two arms 6 and 8 that do not delimit the gap 10, have a tendency to converge towards one another as these two arms 6 and 8 move away from the base 4, so that it will immediately be understood that, if the gap 10 were filled in and the two arms 6 and 8 joined to one another, these two arms 6 and 8 would fit in an external envelope frustoconical in shape. This geometry for the balance-spring stud 2 is preferred in particular for reasons of compactness and ease of adjustment of the regulator (not shown) that forms part of the timepiece movement. Nevertheless, this geometry is in no way imposed by the requirements of the invention and other external forms of the balance-spring stud 2 can be envisaged without departing from the scope of the invention defined in the claims.
(14) In accordance with the invention, the balance-spring stud 2 is provided with a stop means designed to prevent a spot of glue 16 in which a free end 18 of a last turn on the outside of a spiral spring 20 is trapped from escaping from the gap 10 in the case where the spot of glue 16 becomes disconnected from the balance-spring stud 2. According to the first particular embodiment 1 of the invention, this stop means is in the form of a hole 22 pierced right through in at least one of the first and second arms 6, 8. In the example illustrated in FIGS. 1A, 1B, a hole 22 is pierced in each of the two arms 6 and 8.
(15) The example of a silicon spiral spring 20 more particularly visible in FIGS. 6A and 6B conventionally consists of a very fine spring wound in concentric turns and the cross section of which is constant over substantially the entire length thereof. This spiral spring 20 is fixed via a free end 24 of a first turn on the inside to a balance staff of the timepiece movement (not shown) for example by means of a collet 28, and via the free end 18 of its last turn on the outside to the balance-spring stud 2 according to the invention. For this purpose, the last turn on the outside of the spiral spring 20, slightly thicker than the other turns over part of its length, can be provided at its free end 18 with a disc 30 made in a single piece with the spiral spring 20. The presence of the disc 30 is dictated by considerations particular to the technique for manufacturing silicon spiral springs 20 solely. It is important to understand that the presence of this disc 30 is in no way made necessary by the requirements of the present invention and that it is entirely possible to fix a spiral spring with no such disc to the balance-spring stud 2 according to the invention.
(16) In the example illustrated in FIGS. 1A to 1C, a hole 22 is pierced right through in each of the two arms 6 and 8. Thus, when the liquid glue is deposited in the gap 10, it diffuses in the holes 22 by capillarity, holes 22 in which the liquid glue will remain trapped and harden after insolation by means of UV radiation or in contact with the air. Thus a spot of glue 16 forms, in which the free end 18 of the last turn on the outside of the spiral spring 20 is trapped. Consequently if, over time, the spot of glue 16 comes to be disconnected or unstuck from the balance-spring stud 2, it will nevertheless not come to be disengaged from the gap 10 in which it is housed and to be uncoupled from the balance-spring stud 2 according to the invention, so that this will have no repercussions on the functioning of the timepiece movement. This is because the spot of glue 16 will not become disengaged from the gap 10, in particular in the region where the liquid glue has hardened in the holes 22.
(17) Hereinafter, the elements identical to those described in relation to FIGS. 1A to 1C will be designated by the same numerical references.
(18) Designated overall by the general numerical reference 36, a second particular embodiment of a balance-spring stud 2 according to the invention is shown in FIGS. 2A to 2C appended to the present patent application. In accordance with this second embodiment 36, a groove 38 that extends in a plane that forms an angle with the plane P of the base 4 is machined in at least one of the first and second arms 6, 8. In the example illustrated in FIGS. 2A to 2C, the groove 38 is machined in the two arms 6 and 8 and extends in a plane perpendicular to the plane P of the base. Thus machined, the groove 38 delimits, for each of the first and second arms 6 and 8, a hook 40 which, once the spot of glue 16 has hardened, for example by insolation by means of UV radiation or in contact with the air, will hold the resulting spot of glue 16 and prevent it from becoming released from the gap 10 in the case where the spot of glue 16 becomes disconnected from the balance-spring stud 2. This is because, combined with the recess formed by the groove 38, the hooks 40 form two support surfaces 42 on which the liquid glue will be deposited by capillarity before hardening in order to form the spot of glue 16 and which will prevent any possible withdrawal of this spot of glue 16.
(19) FIG. 2D is a view similar to those in FIGS. 2A to 2C, in which the silicon spiral spring 20 can be seen, fixed to the balance-spring stud 2 by the free end 18 of its last turn on the outside by means of a spot of glue 16.
(20) Designated overall by the general numerical reference 44, a third particular embodiment of a balance-spring stud 2 according to the invention is shown in FIG. 3A appended to the present patent application. In accordance with this third particular embodiment 44 of the invention, the stop means projects in the gap 10 provided for receiving the hardened spot of glue 16 in which the free end 18 of the last turn on the outside of the spiral spring 20 is trapped. By way of example that is illustrative and non-limitative only, the stop means is in the form of a bead 46 made in one piece with each of the internal lateral surfaces 48 that face each other of the first and second arms 6 and 8. It will be understood clearly that, once the spot of glue 16 in which the free end 18 of the last turn on the outside of the spiral spring 20 is trapped hardens, the beads 46 that project in the gap 10 definitively prevent the spot of glue 16 from escaping from this gap 10 should it come to be detached from the balance-spring stud 2.
(21) FIG. 3B is a view similar to the one in FIG. 3A, in which the silicon spiral spring 20 can be seen, fixed by the free end 18 of its last turn on the outside to the balance-spring stud 2 by means of a spot of glue 16.
(22) One possible technique for producing the beads 46 is illustrated in FIGS. 4A and 4B. This technique consists of procuring a balance-spring stud 2 having a gap 10 the initial width of which is d1, and then introducing into this gap 10 a stamping tool 50 the width d2 of which is greater than the width d1 and corresponds to the final width of the gap 10 sought. By forcing the stamping tool 50 into the gap 10, material is driven and a bead 46 is created on each of the internal lateral surfaces 48 of the first and second arms 6, 8. It should be noted that the beads 46 correspond to a preferred but non-limitative embodiment of the invention. This is because, in order to obtain a stop means projecting in the gap 10, it may also be envisaged, for example, piercing at least one of the two arms 6, 8 right through, and then introducing into the orifice thus obtained a pin that projects in the gap 10.
(23) Another possible technique for creating an annular collar 52 is illustrated in FIGS. 5A to 5D. This technique consists of procuring a balance-spring stud 2 having a gap 10 and then introducing into this gap 10 a piercing tool 54 the end of which is conical. By advancing the piercing tool 54 into the gap 10 from the free end of the arms 6, 8 towards the base 4, a first hole 56 is created in the balance-spring stud 2 (FIG. 5B). Conversely, a second hole 58 is machined in the balance-spring stud 2 from the base 4 towards the free end of the first and second arms 6, 8 (FIG. 5A). The machining is carried out so that the second hole 58 emerges partially in the first hole 56, locally preserving the annular collar 52 on the internal lateral surfaces 48 of the first and second arms 6 and 8 (FIG. 5C). After having engaged the spiral spring 20 by the free end 18 of its last turn on the outside in the gap 10 and having deposited a drop of liquid glue, the latter is hardened so as to form a spot of glue 16 (FIG. 5D). The spot of glue 16 thus formed is held by the annular collar 52 so that, even if this spot 16 becomes detached from the balance-spring stud 2, it will be retained inside the gap 10, from which it will not be able to escape.
(24) It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment that has just been described and that various simple modifications and variants can be envisaged by a person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the accompanying claims. In particular, in relation to FIGS. 6A and 6B, the method for bonding the free end of the last turn on the outside of the spiral spring to a balance-spring stud according to the invention is illustrated schematically. In FIG. 6A, the free end 18 of the last turn on the outside of the spiral spring 20 is disposed by its disc 30 in the gap 10 of the balance-spring 2 and is bonded by means of a drop of liquid glue 32 able to be polymerised by means of a source of ultraviolet radiation 34. This drop of liquid glue 32 is for example deposited by means of an automated distribution device 60 such as a syringe, also known by its English term dispenser. The exposure of the drop of liquid glue 32 to ultraviolet light allows polymerisation and complete hardening thereof. It should be noted that the example of the liquid glue polymerisable by exposure of ultraviolet light is given solely by way of example and that other types of liquid glue can be envisaged, such as a glue hardening in contact with the air.
INDEX
(25) 1. First particular embodiment 2. Balance-spring stud 4. Base P. Plane 6. First arm 8. Second arm 10. Gap 12, 14. External surfaces 16. Spot of glue 18. Free end on the outside 20. Spiral spring 22. Hole 24. Free end on the inside 28. Collet 30. Disc 32. Drop of glue 34. Ultraviolet radiation source 36. Second particular embodiment 38. Groove 40. Hooks 42. Support surfaces 44. Third particular embodiment 46. Beads 48. Internal lateral surfaces 50. Stamping tool d1. Initial width d2. Final width 52. Annular collar 54. Piercing tool 56. First hole 58. Second hole 60. Glue dispenser
