Overmoulded timepiece wheel
AssigneeETA SA Manufacture Horlogere Suisse
InventorsIvan Villar, Laurent Kaelin, Xavier Tinguely
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A timepiece wheel overmolded onto an arbor. The wheel is plastic injection overmolded onto a washer fitted onto the arbor. This washer has a lower density than the arbor. This washer includes at least one plane surface forming a bearing and sealing surface for cooperating in a sealed manner with an injection mold for the overmolding operation. The timepiece wheel may be an escape wheel whose teeth are formed during overmolding onto the arbor and the washer, and it includes an escape pinion mounted and abutted to the washer or integral with the washer.
Claims13
A timepiece wheel overmoulded onto a steel arbor having a pivot axis, by plastic injection overmoulding onto a metal washer fitted onto said arbor, said washer having a lower density than that of said arbor, said injected plastic material forming a peripheral overmoulded area carrying a toothing of said wheel,
- wherein said washer comprises elastic arms performing a damping function for said peripheral toothing,
- wherein the wheel comprises at least one pinion coaxially mounted and fixedly secured to said arbor,
- wherein said pinion is mounted in abutment on said washer or is integral with said washer,
- wherein said washer further comprises at least a first peripheral projecting or recessed profile, or a groove of revolution about said axis or a shoulder of revolution about said axis, configured to axially immobilise the overmoulded plastic material after the overmoulding operation, and/or in that said washer comprises at least a second peripheral projecting or recessed profile configured to angularly immobilise the overmoulded plastic material after the overmoulding operation, and
- wherein a portion of said pinion is immobilised by the plastic material used for overmoulding.
A method of manufacturing an overmoulded timepiece wheel, the method comprising:
- preparing an arbor for incorporation into said wheel, by fitting a metal washer comprising at least one plane bearing surface onto said arbor, said washer being of lower density that that of said arbor and comprising elastic arms performing a damping function;
- fitting a pinion onto said arbor in abutment on said washer;
- placing said prepared arbor in an injection mould comprising a complementary bearing and sealing surface arranged to cooperate in a sealed manner with said plane bearing surface forming a bearing and sealing surface;
- injecting a plastic overmoulding material for said arbor is injected into said mould remote from said arbor, and
- immobilising, during overmoulding in said mould, a portion of said pinion by the plastic material used for overmoulding.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.