阅读说明：本技术 制造钟表的钟表部件的方法 (Method for manufacturing a timepiece component of a timepiece ) 是由 G·罗西耶 M·博多 F-X·迪比 于 2021-05-17 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明涉及一种用于制造镶字块的方法,该镶字块包括旨在供用户观看的上表面和外周缘、用于该镶字块靠置在钟表的表盘或结构上的下表面、以及从该下表面突出的至少一个支脚,所述方法可以获得涂清漆的镶字块。(The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a tesserae block comprising an upper surface and an outer periphery intended to be viewed by a user, a lower surface for resting of the tesserae block on a dial or a structure of a timepiece, and at least one foot projecting from the lower surface, said method making it possible to obtain a varnished tesserae block.)

1. A manufacturing method for manufacturing a tesserae block (1), said tesserae block (1) comprising an upper surface (2) and an outer peripheral edge (3) intended to be viewed by a user, a lower surface (4) for resting of said tesserae block (1) on a dial or a structure of a timepiece, and at least one foot (5) projecting from said lower surface (4), said method comprising the steps of:

-making a base body (10) of a metallic material, said base body having a top face (11) and a bottom face (12);

-machining the upper surface (2) and the outer periphery (3) of the tesserae block (1) in the basic body starting from the top surface with a predetermined machining depth P;

-cleaning the processed substrate;

-depositing a varnish layer on said processed top surface of said substrate to cover said top surface, said upper surface (2) of said block (1) and said outer periphery (3);

-drying the deposited varnish layer;

-depositing a glue layer (14) on the top surface of the substrate (10) at least over the entire working depth and allowing the glue to dry, wherein the glue layer is superimposed on the varnish layer;

-machining the lower surface (4) and the feet (5) of the block (1) through the bottom surface (12) of the base (10) with a depth P' greater than the thickness E of the base (10) minus the machining depth P of the top surface;

-inserting the matrix into a bath of liquid solution to dissolve the glue layer (14) and release the tesserae block (1);

-packaging the block according to its delivery.

2. The manufacturing method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

-finishing the upper surface (2) and the outer periphery (3) of the tesserae block (1) machined in the basic body (10);

-subjecting the matrix (10) to electroleaching.

3. The manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the varnish layer (13) is between 20 and 100 μ ι η.

4. The production method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the varnish layer (13) is dried at 80 ℃ for 30 minutes and then dried at 140 ℃ for 60 minutes.

5. Manufacturing method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the substrate (10) is made of a metallic material, such as brass, aluminium or a precious metal.

6. The manufacturing method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the glue layer (14) is dried in an oven at 45 ℃ for 5 hours.

7. The manufacturing method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the bath of the liquid solution of the matrix is carried out in a basket.

8. The manufacturing method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein a surface smoothing step of the glue layer is performed to obtain a uniform thickness.

9. Manufacturing method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the tesserae are machined under at least one covering element via the bottom face (12) of the basic body (10) and are dimensioned slightly larger than the outer periphery (3) of the tesserae (1).

10. A manufacturing method according to claim 9, wherein at least one foot (5) is formed for the tesserae block (1) at the same time as machining is performed via the bottom surface of the basic body to form the lower surface of the tesserae block (1).

11. Watch comprising at least one mosaic block (1) manufactured by a manufacturing method according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

Technical Field

The invention concerns a method for making a timepiece part, in particular a varnished appliques, intended to be attached to the dial of a timepiece by means of fixing feet to replace all or part of the numerals indicating the time. This method can also be used to produce dials or bezels.

Background

The tesserae arranged on hour circles (hour-circle) or sub-dials are usually produced by tracing or even by screen printing, which gives a printed impression. Timepiece blocks are the basic elements of a timepiece, in particular a watch, which give the timepiece a particular appearance. The clock setting must therefore be obtained with particular care, with a high degree of reproducibility, and without any surface defects. These appearance parts are very small in size and difficult to grip and therefore difficult to obtain perfectly. The rejection rate may be high. Such a manufacture is even more tricky when the tesserae block is provided with a coating such as a varnish or a gloss finish to obtain a particular aesthetic effect. In the case of varnished tessera, it is known to place the tessera on a support and to apply a varnish layer thereon. It will be appreciated that in this case the varnish is deposited on both the tesserae and the support. This results in a joint between the block and the support by capillary action, which is therefore unacceptably poor in appearance.

Disclosure of Invention

It is an object of the present invention to overcome all or part of the above drawbacks by providing a method for manufacturing high-quality timepiece blocks which ensures a perfect surface condition of the visible part.

To this end, the invention relates to a method for manufacturing a mosaic block, comprising the following steps according to the invention:

-forming a base body of a metallic material, said base body having a top surface and a bottom surface;

-machining the upper surface and the outer peripheral edge (rim) of the tesserae block in the basic body starting from the top surface and with a predetermined depth;

-cleaning the processed substrate;

-depositing a varnish, varnish or paint layer on the processed top surface of the substrate to cover the top surface;

-drying the deposited varnish layer;

-depositing a glue layer on the top surface of the substrate at least over the entire working depth, said glue layer being superimposed on the varnish layer and allowing the glue to dry;

-machining the lower surface and the legs of the block through the bottom surface of the base to a depth greater than the thickness of the base minus the depth of the top surface, thereby retaining the formed block in the glue layer;

-inserting the substrate into a bath to dissolve the glue and release the tesserae;

-packaging the tesserae according to their delivery.

According to other advantageous variants of the invention:

the manufacturing method comprises the steps of grinding the upper surface and the outer periphery of the block machined in the matrix, to ensure uniform removal of the varnish layer and to eliminate sharp edges that brighten the appearance of the colour;

-carrying out an electrolytic leaching step of the matrix after polishing to ensure the cleanliness of the support;

-the thickness of the varnish layer is between 20 μm and 100 μm;

-drying the varnish layer preferably at 80 ℃ for 30 minutes and then at 140 ℃ for 60 minutes;

the base body is made of a metallic material, such as brass, aluminum, copper or a noble metal;

-drying the glue layer in an oven, preferably at 45 ℃, for 5 hours;

-carrying out a bath for degumming the substrate in a basket;

-performing a surface smoothing step on the glue layer in order to obtain a reference surface for the dimensioning during the bottom surface machining;

-performing a machining of the tesserae block via the bottom surface of the base body below the at least one covering element, and the machining being slightly larger than the outer periphery of the tesserae block;

-forming at least one leg of the block while machining through the bottom surface of the base to form the lower surface of the block.

The invention also relates to a watch comprising at least one tesserae block according to the invention.

Thanks to these features, the method for manufacturing a timepiece block allows a block to be obtained quickly, with a perfect surface condition of the visible part.

Drawings

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will become more apparent when reading the following description of a specific embodiment thereof, given by way of simple illustrative non-limiting example, and the accompanying drawings, in which:

figures 1 to 6 show the various steps of the manufacturing method according to the invention;

FIG. 7 is a top view of the base body, the top surface of which has been machined;

FIGS. 8 and 9 are cross-sectional views of a substrate processed through the top surface and a substrate covered with a varnish layer, respectively;

fig. 10 is a perspective view of the substrate processed through the top surface.

Detailed Description

The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a timepiece setting block 1.

"applique" refers to any display or decorative element, such as a symbol, a logo, a number, a logo, a letter combination, etc., intended for viewing by a user, placed on an object, in particular a dial, a flange, a plate, a bridge or the like.

Such a block 1 generally comprises an upper surface 2 and an outer peripheral edge 3 intended to be viewed by a user, and a lower surface 4 for resting the block 1 on a dial or watch structure.

This lower surface 4 generally comprises at least one foot 5 if it can be glued directly to the dial or structure. Each foot 5 protrudes from the lower face 4 and (more particularly but not exclusively) coincides in space with a specific direction with respect to the lower face 4, for fastening the lower face 4 to the dial or structure.

According to the invention, in order to manufacture such a mosaic block 1, the following steps are carried out in sequence:

-forming a base body 10 of a metallic material, said base body having a top face 11 and a bottom face 12;

machining the upper surface 2 and the outer peripheral edge 3 of the tesserae block 1 in the basic body starting from the top surface and with a predetermined depth P;

-cleaning the processed substrate 10;

-depositing a varnish layer 13 on the processed top surface of the substrate 10 to cover the top surface;

-drying the deposited varnish layer 13;

depositing a glue layer 14 on the top surface of the substrate 10 at least over the entire working depth, the glue layer 14 being superimposed on the varnish layer 13 and allowing the glue to dry;

machining the lower surface 4 and the legs 5 of the block 1 through the bottom surface 12 of the base 10 with a depth P' greater than the thickness E of the base minus the machining depth P of the top surface, the block thus formed being retained in the glue layer;

-inserting the matrix 10 in a bath to dissolve the glue and release the tesserae 1;

packing the tesserae 1 according to their delivery.

Machining of the upper surface 2 and the outer periphery 3 by a CNC machine for producing the upper surface 2 and the outer periphery 3 may be carried out on a single tool, or even on a plurality of tools each dedicated to the operation of machining a specific surface, as the case may be. Obviously, the processing may employ various techniques, which may or may not be combined, and are not limited to: milling, grinding, electro-erosion, laser, or other techniques.

Of course, the upper surface 2 and the outer periphery 3 of the tessellating block 1 may be of some complexity, for example comprising a plurality of elementary surfaces such as flat facets, or other configurations. Depending on the complexity of the upper surface, the upper surface 2 is machined and/or diamond polished by a machining unit and/or a diamond polishing unit that can be moved along at least 5 axes relative to the substrate.

The base body 10 is made of a metal material or a metal alloy such as brass, aluminum, or a noble metal. The base body 10 also serves as a support for the mosaic block 1 during manufacture, before the lower surface 4 and the feet 5 are machined.

According to a particular feature of the invention, the upper surface 2 and the outer peripheral edge 3 of the tesserae block 1 are machined in the basic body 10 starting from the top surface of the basic body 10, the machining having a predetermined depth P. Advantageously, the working depth P is set to be greater than the final height H of the tesserae block 1.

According to a particular feature of the invention, after the upper surface 2 and the outer peripheral edge 3 have been made, the processed substrate 10 is cleaned by ultrasonic cleaning to remove any dust and residues associated with the processing and to prevent any defects in the varnish layer.

More particularly, according to a particular feature of the invention, the upper surface 2 and the outer periphery 3 of the tesserae block 1 machined in the basic body 10 are ground to polish the edges of the tesserae block and to improve the covering power of the varnish.

A new cleaning step is performed after grinding, cleaning the substrate by electrolytic leaching.

According to a variant of the invention, the substrate may be subjected to a surface treatment to increase the resistance of the varnish layer, such treatment may comprise, for example, sanding or a plasma operation. A new cleaning step may then be required to remove the impurities present.

According to a particular feature of the invention, a varnish layer 13 is deposited on the finished top surface of the substrate 10 to cover the top surface of the substrate, which means the upper surface 2 and the peripheral edge 3 of the block 1. The hardening of the substrate can also be carried out by depositing a layer of varnish by a spraying operation. The varnish layer has a thickness sufficient to cover the mosaic block, which is typically between 20 μm and 100 μm.

The varnish layer 13 was then dried in an oven at 80 ℃ for 30 minutes and then at 140 ℃ for 60 minutes. Two-step drying allows slow and regular polymerization, resulting in better uniformity of varnish thickness. Obviously, the parameters of this drying step may vary according to the characteristics required by the manufacturer.

According to a particular feature of the invention, a glue layer 14 is deposited on the top surface of the substrate 10, the glue layer 14 thereby overlapping the varnish layer 13 and surrounding the upper surface 2 and the outer periphery 3 of the mosaic block 1. Advantageously, the glue layer 14 is deposited over at least the entire working depth, or even slightly more so as to exceed the plane formed by the top surface of the substrate. Preferably, use is made ofWater-based glues of the type to prevent damage to the varnish during dissolution of the glue in subsequent steps.

A subsequent step consists in drying the deposited glue layer 14, for which purpose the glue-coated substrate is placed in an oven at 45 ℃ for at least 5 hours.

Once the glue layer 14 has dried, an optional flattening step is performed. The glue layer is processed, for example by surface smoothing, to obtain a uniform layer, in order to speed up the release of the mosaic block at the end of the method, and to form a flat reference surface for the dimensioning during the processing of the bottom surface.

According to a particular feature of the invention, the lower surface 4 and the feet 5 of the tesserae block 1 are machined through the bottom surface 12 of the base 10. The depth of this machining P 'is greater than the thickness E of the substrate 10 minus the machining depth P of the top surface, i.e., P' > (E-P).

The tesserae 1 are machined through the bottom surface of the base body with a dimension slightly larger than the outer periphery 3 of the tesserae 1 so that the tesserae are separated from the base body, and the tesserae thus formed are no longer connected to the base body 10, but are retained only by the previously deposited glue layer 14.

According to a particular feature of the invention, the matrix is inserted in an aqueous solution to dissolve the glue and release the tesserae from the glue layer. In order to be able to easily retrieve the released tesserae, the substrate 10 is subjected to a bath in a basket.

In the case described here, the liquid solution used is an aqueous alkaline solution to dissolve the glue, and the matrix 10 is inserted in a series of dipping baths at 55 ℃ for 60 minutes to ensure good dissolution of the glue. Obviously, other liquid solutions may be used, depending on the glue chosen, just as the leaching time and the temperature of the aqueous solution may vary depending on the glue used.

Finally, the block may be cleaned again to remove any glue residue and then allowed to dry. The mosaic blocks may also be subjected to other decorative treatments, such as deposition of luminescent material.

Finally, the character-embedded blocks are packed on the storage tray according to the condition of delivery mode.

The invention also relates to a watch comprising at least one insert 1.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the examples shown and may have various variations and modifications apparent to those skilled in the art.

Reference numerals

1 mosaic word block

2 upper surface of

3 outer peripheral edge

4 lower surface

5 support leg

10 base body

11 top surface

12 bottom surface

13 varnish layer

14 glue layer

Thickness of E base

Height of H-shaped inlaid block

P, P' depth of cut