US 12,326,694 B2
Elastic retaining member for attaching a timepiece component to a support element
Ivan Hernandez, Cressier (CH); and Pierre Cusin, Villars-Burquin (CH)
Assigned to Nivarox-FAR S.A., Le Locle (CH)
Appl. No. 17/276,429
Filed by Nivarox-FAR S.A., Le Locle (CH)
PCT Filed Aug. 28, 2019, PCT No. PCT/EP2019/072968
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Mar. 15, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/057919, PCT Pub. Date Mar. 26, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 18196016 (EP), filed on Sep. 21, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2022/0075318 A1, Mar. 10, 2022
Int. Cl. G04B 17/34 (2006.01)
CPC G04B 17/34 (2013.01) 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An elastic retaining member for attaching a timepiece component to a support element, the elastic retaining member comprising:
an opening into which said support element is configured to be inserted;
rigid arms; and
elastic arms defined between connecting zones to ensure elastic clamping of the support element in the opening,
wherein the rigid arms are provided with the only contact zones of the retaining member with the support element,
wherein the rigid arms and the elastic arms are arranged in the retaining member successively and alternately,
wherein an inner peripheral surface of each contact zone of the rigid arms is configured to face in a direction of the support element, each inner peripheral surface is comprised of a plurality of contact surfaces configured to engage the support element,
wherein each of the contact surfaces has a planar shape,
wherein the elastic retaining member comprises an attachment point with the timepiece component, the attachment point being positioned along an outer circumference of the elastic retaining member, and
wherein a first rigid arm of the rigid arms is positioned immediately adjacent the attachment point on a first side of the attachment point along the outer circumference, and a first flexible arm of the flexible arms is positioned immediately adjacent the attachment point on a second side of the attachment point along the outer circumference opposite the first side such that the attachment point is positioned between the first rigid arm and the first flexible arm along the outer circumference of the elastic retaining member.