Economical timepiece display component
AssigneeNivarox-FAR S.A.
InventorChristian Charbon
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Economical method for manufacturing a timepiece display or hand-fitting component: a casing material is chosen for each visible surface: amorphous metal or nanocrystalline alloy or alloy of gold and/or silver and/or copper and/or rhodium and/or titanium and/or aluminium; a thick, hollow blank of a thickness greater than 20 micrometres is created in a first tool, from the casing material with an initial thickness greater than or equal to 50 micrometres, with an overthickness with respect to each visible surface, with a first cavity for reception of a support structure; an interior material is chosen to make a support structure; the support structure is made and joined to the first cavity; one visible surface remaining visible, is diamond tool machined, removing all or part of the overthickness from the blank.
Claims22
A method of manufacturing a timepiece display or hand-fitting component including at least one aesthetical and/or visible surface, the method comprising:
- selecting a casing material to make each said aesthetical and/or visible surface, said casing material comprising nickel-phosphorous;
- obtaining a first tool having a surface, said surface having a shape corresponding to said at least one aesthetical and/or visible surface;
- creating a hollow blank formed of said casing material on said surface of said first tool, said hollow blank having a thickness greater than or equal to 50 micrometres, and said hollow blank including a first cavity for reception of a support structure;
- selecting an interior material capable of being shaped by deformation, punching and/or press forming, and/or machining and/or injection and/or galvanic growth and/or casting;
- creating said support structure made of said interior material by punching and/or press forming and/or machining and/or injection and/or galvanic growth and/or casting, using a second tool or directly inside said first cavity or in free form, and said support structure is joined to said first cavity of said blank;
- and machining, using a diamond tool, at least one said aesthetical and/or visible surface which is intended to remain visible, said machining removing casing material from the hollow blank in a thickness direction,
- wherein, after said machining, the thickness of said hollow blank is greater than or equal to 20 micrometres, and a surface roughness of said at least one said aesthetical and/or visible surface which is intended to remain visible is between 2 nm Ra and 100 nm Ra.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.