US 2014/0341005 A1 · SHOCK RESISTANT BEARING FOR A TIMEPIECE

Abstract

Shock resistant bearing for a timepiece including an elastic structure and a central portion carried by the elastic structure, the central portion having a blind hole intended to receive a pivot of a rotating wheel set of the timepiece. The elastic structure and the central portion are formed by a single-piece part formed of single crystal quartz and the blind hole has at least partially the shape of a truncated or non-truncated trigonal pyramid against which the end of the pivot abuts. The invention also concerns a method of manufacturing a shock resistant bearing of this type wherein the single-piece wafer is machined in an anisotropic etching bath for single crystal quartz. Preferably, two masks are respectively arranged on the two sides of the wafer to simultaneously etch the quartz from both sides.

Claims16

Dependent claims

1-12. (canceled)

A method for manufacturing a shock resistant bearing including an elastic structure and a central portion carried by said elastic structure, said central portion having a blind hole intended to receive a pivot of a rotating wheel set of the timepiece, the elastic structure and the central portion being formed by one single-piece part, said method being characterized by the following steps:

A) Making a single crystal quartz wafer whose two main faces, respectively the first and second faces, are substantially oriented perpendicularly to the optical axis of the crystalline structure of the single crystal quartz;
B) Forming a first initial mask on the first face of the single crystal quartz wafer, said first mask being structured by photolithography so as to define on said first face the contour of said elastic structure but not the contour of said blind hole;
C) Partially machining said elastic structure, defined by the first initial mask, in said single crystal quartz wafer by placing said wafer in a chemical etching bath adapted for an anisotropic etch of single crystal quartz greatly facilitating an etch along said optical axis, said first initial mask being selected to resist the etch of said chemical etching bath;
D) Structuring said first initial mask so as to define the contour of said blind hole and to obtain a first final mask;
E) Final machining of said elastic structure and simultaneous machining of said blind hole, in said single crystal quartz wafer by placing said wafer in said chemical etching bath again.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

14/364,550Filed 7 Dec 2012

Priority

EP 11193058.212 Dec 2011

Published

20 Nov 2014

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

G04B 31/02
Bearings; Point suspensions or counter-point suspensions; Pivot bearings; Single parts therefor: shock-damping bearings
G04B 31/004
Bearings; Point suspensions or counter-point suspensions; Pivot bearings; Single parts therefor: characterised by the material used
G04B 31/016
Characterised by the material used: plastic bearings
G04B 31/06
Bearings; Point suspensions or counter-point suspensions; Pivot bearings; Single parts therefor: manufacture or mounting processes

Shock resistant bearing for a timepiece

Life of this patent

Shock resistant bearing for a timepiece

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims16