Component for a timepiece movement
AssigneeNivarox-FAR S.A.
InventorsAlexandre Fussinger, Christian Charbon, Marco Verardo
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A pivot arbor for a timepiece movement includes a pivot made of a first non-magnetic metal material at at least one end in order to limit the sensitivity to magnetic fields. An outer surface of the pivot is coated with a first layer of a second material such as Ni, NiB, and/or NiP. The first layer of the second material is partially coated with a second layer of a third material selected from gold, silver, copper, platinum, rhodium, palladium and their alloys.
Claims28
A pivot arbor for a timepiece movement, comprising:
- at least one pivot made of a first non-magnetic metal material at at least one end of the at least one pivot that limits sensitivity of the at least one pivot to a magnetic field,
- wherein the first non-magnetic metal material is selected from the group consisting of an austenitic cobalt alloy, a titanium alloy, an aluminium alloy, a copper and zinc-based brass, a copper-beryllium, a nickel silver, a bronze, an aluminium bronze, a copper-aluminium, a copper-nickel, a copper-nickel-tin, a copper-nickel-silicon, a copper-nickel-phosphorus, and a copper-titanium,
- wherein at least an outer surface of the at least one pivot is coated with a first layer of a second material, wherein the second material consists of Ni, NiB, NiP, or a combination thereof and is different from the first non-magnetic metal material, and
- wherein the first layer of the second material is at least partially coated with a second layer of a third material selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, copper, platinum, rhodium, palladium, and an alloy thereof.
A method for fabricating a pivot arbor for a timepiece movement, the method comprising:
- a) forming a pivot arbor comprising at least one pivot made of a first non-magnetic metal material at at least one end of the at least one pivot that limits sensitivity of the at least one pivot to a magnetic field,
- wherein the first non-magnetic metal material is selected from the group consisting of an austenitic cobalt alloy, a titanium alloy, an aluminium alloy, a copper and zinc-based brass, a copper-beryllium, a nickel silver, a bronze, an aluminium bronze, a copper-aluminium, a copper-nickel, a copper-nickel-tin, a copper-nickel-silicon, a copper-nickel-phosphorus, and a copper-titanium;
- b) depositing a first layer of a second material on at least an outer surface of the pivot arbor, wherein the second material consists Ni, NiB, NiP, or a combination thereof and is different from the first non-magnetic metal material;
- and
- c) at least partially depositing, on the first layer of the second material, a second layer of a third material selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, copper, platinum, rhodium, palladium and an alloy thereof.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.