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US 9,880,522 B2Granted
Method for creating a component
AssigneeThe Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
InventorsThierry Hessler, Nicolas Rebeaud, Jean-Luc Helfer, David Richard, Sebastien Graf
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for manufacturing a component in a substrate including: a) modifying a structure of at least one region of the substrate to make the at least one region more selective; and b) chemically etching the at least one region to selectively manufacture the component.
Claims27
A method for manufacturing a timepiece component in a substrate, the method comprising:
- a) modifying a structure of at least one region of the substrate in order to increase an etching selectivity of said at least one region relative to another unmodified region of the substrate, said at least one region being underneath a surface of the substrate;
- and
- b) chemically etching said at least one region selectively, forming at least one recess, at least one reservoir, and at least one laterally closed channel in said at least one region of the substrate, the at least one recess being in fluid communication with the at least one reservoir via the at least one laterally closed channel, and the at least one reservoir being disposed at a portion of said at least one region that is deeper underneath the surface than a deepest portion of the at least one recess underneath the surface.
A timepiece component arranged to cooperate with an arbour, said component comprising:
- a hole into which a pivot-shank of said arbour is inserted;
- and
- at least one recess extending into said component from at least one surface of the hole, the at least one recess including at least one reservoir and at least one laterally closed channel, the at least one recess being in fluid communication with the at least one reservoir via the at least one laterally closed channel, and the at least one reservoir being disposed deeper underneath the at least one surface of the hole than a deepest portion of the hole into which the pivot-shank of said arbour is inserted.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.