MECHANICAL OSCILLATING SYSTEM FOR CLOCKS AND FUNCTIONAL ELEMENT FOR CLOCKS

• US 20110292770A1
• Filed: 02/04/2010
• Published: 12/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Damasko GmbH
• Original Assignee: Petra Damasko
• Inventors: Damasko, Konrad
• Application Number:
  US13/148,160
• Publication Number:
  US 20110292770A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 368/175
• CPC Class Codes: G04B 17/066 Manufacture of the spiral spring locking of the spiral spring by the regulating lever G04B18/026; spiral spring with temperature compensation G04B17/227; fixation of the spiral spring on the collet G04B17/32; mainspring G04B1/14

Abstract

The invention relates to a mechanical oscillating system for watches, especially wrist watches, having a balance spring and an oscillating body.

Claims

1. A mechanical oscillating system for clocks with a balance spring and an oscillating body, wherein the balance spring is manufactured from a non-metallic crystalline or sintered material with a grain size between 10 and 50,000 nm, preferably between 10 and 10,000 nm, or in the case of elongated grains for example with a grain width between 10 and 1000 nm and a grain length between 2 and 50 μ

m, preferably between 5 and 50 μ

m and with a linear thermal expansion coefficient smaller than 8×

10<sup>−

6</sup>/K or silicon and the oscillating body, for temperature compensation, is manufactured from molybdenum or an alloy with a high molybdenum content.

2. The mechanical oscillating system according to claim 1, wherein the winding area of the balance spring is 0.001 mm² to 0.01 mm² or 0.001 mm² to 0.03 mm² or 0.001 mm² to 0.3 mm².

3. The mechanical oscillating system according to claim 1, wherein the balance spring is provided on its surfaces with a layer of silicon oxide, and the layer of silicon oxide has a maximum layer thickness for example of 4 μ

m, preferably a maximum layer thickness of 3 μ

m.

4. The mechanical oscillating system according to claim 1, wherein the oscillating body is a wheel- or disk-shaped oscillating body, and/or

the balance spring is made of polycrystalline silicon or a silicon ceramic, e.g. of silicon nitride.

5. The mechanical oscillating system according to claim 1, wherein adjusting elements are provided on one radially outward area of the oscillating body or of a balance wheel forming this oscillating body for adjusting the dynamic moment of inertia of the oscillating body relative to its axis of oscillation,

in which, the centering elements respectively comprise at least one center of mass which is rotatably or pivotably offset on the mass body in relation to the rotary or pivot axis around an axis parallel or essentially parallel to the axis of oscillation, and/or

in which for example the adjusting elements are held by clipping or locking on the oscillating body or on the inner side of the balance wheel or a ring of the balance wheel.

6. The mechanical oscillating system according claim 1, including a spring retainer block with a clamping gap for holding by clamping of the spiral or balance spring in the area of its outer spring end.

7. A spiral spring for a mechanical oscillating system, wherein the spiral spring is provided in the area of its outer end with a wave-shaped section including multiple waves, in which the spiral spring is made of silicon, of polycrystalline silicon or a silicon ceramic, such as silicon nitride.

8. An oscillating body or balance wheel for a mechanical oscillating system for clocks, comprising adjusting elements attached to a radially outer area of the oscillating body for adjusting the dynamic moment of inertia of the oscillating body in relation to its oscillating axis, characterized in that the centering elements respectively comprise at least one center of mass which is rotatably or pivotably offset on the mass body in relation to the rotary or pivot axis around an axis parallel or essentially parallel to the axis of oscillation, in which the oscillating body is designed in the form of a spoked wheel, and/or the adjusting elements are held by clipping or locking on the oscillating body or on the inner side of the balance wheel or a ring of the balance wheel, and/or the oscillating body is manufactured for example from molybdenum or an alloy with a high molybdenum content.

9. A functional element for clocks comprising a spring retainer block for a spiral balance spring of a mechanical oscillating system, wherein the spring retainer block is designed for holding the spiral balance spring by clamping.

10. A functional element for clocks the function element being manufactured from silicon or a silicon-based sintered material or of a silicon-sintered material and forming at least one bearing and/or sliding and/or mounting surface, on which the surface of the functional element consists of one inner layer of silicon oxide and one DLC coating forming the outer surface, wherein at least one metal intermediate layer is provided between the outer layer formed by the DLC coating and the inner layer of silicon oxide.

11. A functional element for clocks the functional element being manufactured from a non-metallic material, wherein the non-metallic material is a crystalline or sintered material with a grain size between 10 and 50,000 nm, preferably with a grain size between 10 and 10,000 nm, and/or in the case of elongated grains with a grain width between 10 and 1000 nm and a grain length between 2 and 50 μ

m, preferably between 5 and 50 μ

m and with a linear thermal expansion coefficient smaller than 8×

10<sup>−

6</sup>/K and/or is a silicon-based material or a silicon-sintered material, and/or the winding area is 0.001 mm² to 0.01 mm² or 0.001 mm² to 0.03 mm² or 0.001 mm² to 0.3 mm².

12. The functional element according to claim 11, wherein it forms at least one bearing and/or sliding and/or mounting surface on which the surface of the function element consists of an inner layer of silicon oxide and a DLC coating forming the outer surface, and at least one metal intermediate layer is provided between the outer layer formed by the DLC coating and the inner layer of silicon oxide.

13. The functional element according to claim 11, wherein the intermediate layer is designed as a single or multiple layer and/or the intermediate layer or the at least one layer of this intermediate layer consists of titanium nitride and/or titanium carbide and/or tungsten carbide.

14. The functional element according claims 11, wherein the functional element comprises a spiral balance spring, an oscillating body, a staff, especially a balance staff, an escapement, an escape wheel, a watch plate on the balance staff, or a dented wheel.