HK1210281B - Assembly system utilising a flat, elastic locking element - Google Patents

Description

Assembly system using flat resilient locking member

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an assembly/assembly system utilizing a substantially flat resilient lock, making it possible to assemble parts made of materials without available plastic domains (i.e. with very limited plastic domains) to components containing different types of materials.

Background

Current assemblies comprising silicon-based components are generally fixed by bonding/gluing. This type of operation requires very delicate operations, which makes it expensive.

Disclosure of Invention

The object of the present invention is to overcome all or part of the above drawbacks by providing an adhesive-free assembly/assembly that can secure a part made of a material that does not have a usable plastic domain to a member comprising a ductile material, such as a metal or metal alloy.

To this end, the invention relates to an assembly system comprising a component made of at least one first material, the component comprising a shaft, a shaft or a mandrel and a shoulder, the shaft of the component being received in an opening of a part made of a second material, characterized in that the assembly system comprises a lock made of a third material arranged to elastically attach the part between the shoulder of the component and the lock, wherein the lock is a washer, the inner wall of which radially clamps the shaft of the component, and the peripheral portion of which exerts an elastic axial force perpendicular to the shoulder of the component, thereby fixing the component-part-lock assembly.

This arrangement advantageously enables the component-part-lock assembly to be secured to a common precisely controlled component without adhesive, while ensuring that the part is not subjected to damaging stresses even if the part is constructed of, for example, a silicon-based material. In fact, the applicant has surprisingly been able to fix component-part-lock assemblies of such a simple structure, in particular in relative rotation, since the prejudice regarding the mechanical resistance of the parts made of silicon-based material has hitherto required that no axial force can be exerted on parts made of materials having little or no plastic domain.

According to other advantageous features of the invention:

-the third material comprises a metal or metal alloy having a resistance to relaxation after 10,000 hours at a temperature of 70 ℃ equal to at least 50% of the applied force representing 75% of the stress required to obtain 0.2% plastic deformation of the third material, so as to maintain the fixation of the member-component-lock assembly;

the third material comprises copper, brass, nickel silver (also called "cupronickel" or "silver oceanic"), ARCAP alloy, Pfinodal alloy, Spinodal alloy, Durnico alloy, duramphy alloy, copper-beryllium alloy and/or 20AP steel;

in a section lying in the axial plane, the height-to-width ratio of the locking element is between 0.1 and 5;

the locking member is chamfered to prevent any damage of the second material;

the second material is a silicon-based material, such as silicon, quartz, silicon dioxide, silicon nitride or silicon carbide;

-the at least one first material comprises a metal or a metal alloy;

the shaft and the shoulder are in one piece.

Furthermore, the invention relates to a timepiece, characterized in that it comprises at least one assembly system according to any one of the above variants, the component without plastic domain being a wheel, a pallet or a balance spring.

Finally, the invention relates to a method of manufacturing a component system, comprising the steps of:

a) forming a member comprising a shaft, a shaft or a mandrel and a shoulder made of at least one first material, a part with an aperture made of a second material and a locking element in the form of a washer made of a third material, and the aperture of said locking element being smaller than the shaft of said member;

b) freely inserting the shaft of the member into the aperture of the component;

c) placing the shaft against the hole in the locking element and forcibly sliding the locking element against the shaft by using a tool to deform the locking element so that the outer peripheral portion of the locking element is closest to the component;

d) stopping and removing the tool when a predetermined force, less than the yield strength of the third material, is reached between the tool and the shoulder of the member.

This method advantageously makes it possible to fix the component-part-lock assembly in a simple elastic manner without possible relative movements. In fact, advantageously, according to the invention, only one locking element is provided and deformed to achieve a complete elastic peripheral grip. It will be readily appreciated that this type of method can secure the member-component-lock assembly while accommodating manufacturing variations in the various components.

Finally, surprisingly, the axial stress exerted by the peripheral portion of the locking element in the present method does not cause any destruction of the second material with little or no plastic domain. This technical advantage can considerably simplify the assembly of components with little or no plastic domain onto the pivot. It should be particularly understood that no adhesive, additional securing caps or complementary cover shapes need be provided to secure the components to each other, particularly with respect to relative movement about the axis of rotation of the pivot.

According to other advantageous features of the invention:

-stopping step d) when the force exerted by the tool is between 20% and 90% of the yield strength of the third material;

-the third material comprises a metal or metal alloy having a relaxation resistance after 10,000 hours at a temperature of 70 ℃ equal to at least 50% of the applied force in step d) representing 75% of the stress required to obtain 0.2% plastic deformation of the third material, thereby maintaining the fixed member-part-lock assembly;

the third material comprises copper, brass, nickel silver (also called "cupronickel" or "silver oceanic"), ARCAP alloy, Pfinodal alloy, Spinodal alloy, Durnico alloy, duramphy alloy, copper-beryllium alloy and/or 20AP steel;

in a section lying in the axial plane, the height-to-width ratio of the locking element is between 0.1 and 5;

the locking member is chamfered to prevent any damage of the second material;

the second material is silicon-based, such as silicon, quartz, silicon dioxide, silicon nitride or silicon carbide;

-the at least one first material comprises a metal or a metal alloy;

-said component is a timepiece wheel set, a timepiece pallet, or a timepiece balance spring.

Drawings

Further characteristics and advantages will appear from the description given hereinafter, by way of non-limiting illustration, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

figure 1 is a perspective view of a locking element according to the invention;

figure 2 is a cross section in the axial plane of the locking element of figure 1;

FIG. 3 is a graphical representation of the force applied in the method with respect to the axial position of the tool applying said force;

figures 4 to 8 are schematic cross-sectional views of successive steps of the method according to the invention;

figures 9 and 10 are partial schematic views of a timepiece movement including a system of components according to the invention.

Detailed Description

As mentioned above, the present invention relates to a system for assembling a component made of a material that does not have a usable plastic domain (i.e. has a very limited plastic domain) onto a member containing different types of materials.

The assembly/assembly system is designed for applications in the field of horology. However, use in other fields, such as, in particular, the aeronautical, jewellery, automotive or tableware fields, is also envisaged.

In the horological field, more and more components made of brittle materials, such as silicon-based materials like doped or undoped monocrystalline (or polycrystalline) silicon, silicon dioxide, such as quartz or silica, monocrystalline or polycrystalline corundum, or, more generally, alumina, silicon nitride and silicon carbide, make such assembly necessary. For example, it is possible to envisage forming the balance spring, balance, pallet, bridge or even wheel sets such as escape wheels, entirely or partially from a brittle material base.

However, the use of ordinary steel shafts, axles or mandrels, the manufacture of which is already well-mastered, often entails limitations that are difficult to reconcile with the use of components that do not have plastic domains. In fact, when the tests were carried out, it was not possible to drive in steel shafts and such systematically/regularly (systematically) broken brittle components, i.e. those not having a usable plastic domain. For example, it is clear that shear created by a metal shaft entering an aperture in a silicon part systematically fractures the part.

This is why the invention relates to an assembly system 1, 101, 121, 201 comprising a component 3, 103, 123, 203 made of at least one first material, which component comprises a shaft 2, 102, 122, 202 and a shoulder 4, the shaft 2 of the component being received in an opening 6 of a part 5, 105, 205 made of a second material having little or no plastic domain.

It will thus be appreciated that the shaft 2, 102, 122, 202 and shoulder 4 may be a unitary piece using a single first material, or the shaft 2, 102, 122, 202 and shoulder 4 of the member 3, 103, 123, 203 may be constructed of multiple materials and/or multiple parts.

Advantageously, according to the invention, the assembly system 1, 101, 121, 201 comprises a locking element 9, 109, 129, 209 made of a third material, arranged to elastically attach the component 5, 105, 205 between the shoulder 4 of the member 3, 103, 123, 203 and the locking element 9, 109, 129, 209. As better shown in fig. 8, it is advantageous according to the invention that the part 5 is clamped against the shoulder 4 of the member 3 by the elastic force of the locking member 9. The simplicity of the assembly system 1, 101, 121, 201 according to the invention, which does not require adhesives, additional fixing caps, complementary cover shapes or plastic deformations such as creep, is directly evident.

Preferably, according to the invention, the locking element 9, 109, 129, 209 is a washer, the inner wall 10 of which radially grips the shaft 2, 102, 122, 202 of the member 3, 103, 123, 203 and the peripheral portion 13 of which exerts an axial elastic force perpendicular to the shoulder 4 of the member 3, 103, 123, 203, so as to fix the assembly comprising the member 3, 103, 123, 203-the part 5, 105, 205-the locking element 9, 19, 109, 129, 209.

Fig. 1 and 2 also show the locking element 9, 19, 109, 129, 209 comprising an upper surface 11 and a lower surface 12, the upper surface 11 being intended to be in contact with a preferably flat tool 15 and the lower surface 12 being intended to be in contact with the upper surface of the part 5, 105, 205.

In fact, as described below, surprisingly, the axial stress exerted by the peripheral portion 13 of the locking element 9, 109, 129, 209 in this method does not cause any damage to the second material with little or no plastic domain. This technical advantage makes it possible to assemble the component 5, 105, 205 very simply, for example, on the pivot 2, 102, 122, 202. In particular, this advantage is obtained because the peripheral portion 13 of the locking member 9, 109, 129, 209 presses on the shoulder 4 exerting a force and is not in a cantilevered position with respect to the shoulder 4. It is therefore important that the surface of the locking element 9, 109, 129, 209 does not exceed the surface of the shoulder 4.

In the example shown in fig. 1 and 2, the locking element 9 is symmetrical, i.e. the surfaces 11 and 12 can be either upper or lower surfaces. However, this symmetry is only optional and is preferably applied to prevent operational errors in the fabrication of the device.

The elastic assembly of the locking element 9, 109, 209 is advantageously obtained by using a third material comprising a metal or metal alloy having a resistance to relaxation equal to at least 50% of the applied force. The test for detecting this percentage is carried out after 10,000 hours at a temperature of 70 ℃ and a force of 75% of the stress required to obtain a plastic deformation of 0.2% (i.e. approximately 75% of the elastic limit of the third material).

Greater than 50% relaxation/resistance is obtained when the third material comprises copper, brass, nickel silver (also known as "cupronickel" or "silver ocean"), ARCAP alloy, and even greater than 85% relaxation/resistance is obtained when the third material comprises Pfinodal alloy, Spinodal alloy, Durnico alloy, duramphy alloy, copper-beryllium alloy, and 20AP steel.

For horological-specific considerations, the locking member 9, 109, 129, 209 is even more preferably chosen from the above-mentioned materials that are not ferromagnetic and insensitive to magnetic fields, namely copper, brass, nickel silver (also known as "cupronickel" or "silver"), ARCAP alloy, Pfinodal alloy, Spinodal alloy, copper-beryllium alloy and duramphy alloy.

As better shown in fig. 1 and 2, preferably according to the invention, the locking element 9, 109, 129, 209 has a ratio of height H to width L (H/L) of between 0.1 and 5 in a section lying in the axial plane. Therefore, it is important to properly select the length L to have the peripheral portion 13 sufficiently far from the center of the axis D to have a sufficiently high/long lever arm to provide sufficient grip to secure the components together. At the same time, the height H must also be chosen appropriately so as to obtain a minimum height sufficient to protect the second material with little or no plastic domains and a maximum height that still obtains the following intermediate deformations. Therefore, it should be understood that the ratio H/L must be suitable for the intended application.

According to another preferred solution, the locking element 9, 109, 129, 209 is chamfered to prevent any destruction of the second material with little or no plastic domain. In fact, as described below, the chamfer prevents the locking element 9, 109, 129, 209 from coming into contact with the upper surface of the part 5, 105, 205 by means of sharp edges that would generate excessive stresses and/or pressures on extremely small surfaces, depending on the geometry of the intermediate deformations.

Advantageously, therefore, according to the invention, the at least one first material forming the member 3, 103, 123, 203 may comprise a plurality of materials, for example a metal or a metal alloy.

A method of manufacturing the first embodiment of the component system 1 according to the invention shown in fig. 9 is explained below with reference to fig. 3 to 8.

The method comprises a first step a) consisting in forming parts of the assembly system 1. Thus, step a) comprises a stage intended to form a member 3 (which member 3 may or may not be a single piece) made of at least one first material comprising a shaft 2 and a shoulder 4, and a second stage intended to form a part 5 with an opening 6 made of a second material (for example a silicon-based material) with little or no plastic domains, and a third stage intended to form a locking element 9 in the form of a washer made of a third material, the hole 8 of which locking element 9 is smaller than the shaft 2 or the member 3. It should be understood that in step a), the order of completion of these stages is not important.

The method is followed by a second step b) consisting in letting the shaft 2 of the component 3 freely enter the opening 6 of the part 5. Step b) is shown in fig. 4.

Step c) continues the method and comprises a first stage intended to place the shaft 2 against the hole 8 in the locking element 9. The first phase of step c) is also shown in fig. 4. The tool 15 can be seen in fig. 4. The tool 15 is preferably flat, i.e. has a substantially flat surface 14, which surface 14 is intended to be in contact with the upper surface 11 of the locking element 9. It should therefore be noted that assembly errors between the upper surface 11 and the lower surface 12 can be eliminated if the locking member 19 as shown in figures 1 and 2 is symmetrical.

Step c) is followed by a second stage intended to forcibly slide the locking element 9 against the shaft 2 using the tool 15 to deform the locking element 9 so that the peripheral portion 13 of the locking element 9 is closest to the component 5, as shown in fig. 5. It is clear that this second phase can be likened to a drive-in operation.

This intermediate elastic deformation can cause isolated plastic deformation on the inner wall 10 of the washer, with the effect that the locking element 9 is a Belleville washer. However, this geometry is unstable (i.e., it is not plastically deformed such as by creep) and is caused only by the force of the tool 15. This intermediate elastic deformation is maximized by using a tool 15 in the locking element 9, which is smaller than the shaft 2 of the member 3, and whose surface 14 is substantially flat.

This intermediate elastic deformation is very important for future assembly systems 1, since it applies future axial stress to the component 5 via the lever arm with the width L of the locking element 9 on the peripheral portion 13 of the locking element 9, rather than as close to the shaft 2 as possible, as shown in fig. 6. It will therefore be appreciated that the cross section of the shoulder 4 of the member 3 should preferably be substantially equal to or greater than the cross section of the locking member 9 to allow the peripheral portion 13 to exert an axial elastic force perpendicular to the shoulder 4 of the member 3.

The method simply ends with step d) consisting in stopping and removing the tool 15 when a predetermined force, smaller than the yield strength of the third material, is reached between the tool 15 and the shoulder 4 of the component 3. In fact, once a resilient grip perpendicular to the shoulder 4 of the member 3 is obtained between the peripheral portions 13 of the locking element 9, the tool 15 will serve to move the inner wall 10 as close as possible to the component 5 and exert on the peripheral portions 13 a yield strength not exceeding that of the third material used for the locking element 9.

It is therefore clear that once the tool 15 is removed, it is not desirable to stress the component 5 over the entire width L of the lower surface 12 of the locking element 9, but only or mainly over its peripheral portion 13. The fixing of the assembly of member 3-part 5-locking element 9 is thus achieved solely or mainly by the axial elastic force of the peripheral portion 13 of the locking element 9 perpendicular to the shoulder 4 of the member 3 and the radial clamping of the inner wall 10 of the locking element 9 against the shaft 2 of the member 3.

Fig. 3 is a graphical representation of the force exerted by the tool 15 in the above method with respect to the axial position of the tool 15. The second phase of step c) starts with arrow a, as shown in fig. 5. The peripheral portion 13 of the locking member 9 grips the component 5 starting from arrow B, as shown in fig. 6. Starting from arrow C, the inner wall 10 of the locking element 9 is moved as close as possible to the component 5 (as shown in fig. 7), and any additional force from the tool 15 will exert an internal stress on the locking element 9 without affecting the geometry of the locking element 9.

It is therefore clear that the steps of the manufacturing method and the elements of the assembly system are very simple and very easy to implement. Therefore, according to the first embodiment shown in fig. 9, balance spring 5 can be mounted on balance staff 2 by using assembly system 1 of the invention. To this end, collet 7 of balance spring 5 is fixed between pivot 3 and locking member 9.

In order to minimize the risk of plastic deformation of the locking member 9, 109, 129, 209, step d) is stopped when the force applied by the tool 15 is between 20% and 90% of the yield strength of the third material. Of course, this percentage must vary depending on the intended application. During the test, it is clear that the stopping step d) is completely satisfactory when the force exerted by the tool 15 is substantially equal to 75% of the yield strength of the third material.

As mentioned above, the elastic assembly of the locking element 9, 109, 129, 209 is advantageously obtained by using a third material comprising a metal or metal alloy having a resistance to relaxation equal to at least 50% of the applied force.

The test for detecting this percentage is carried out after 10,000 hours at a temperature of 70 ℃ and a force of 75% of the stress required to obtain a plastic deformation of 0.2%.

Greater than 50% resistance is obtained when the third material comprises copper, brass, nickel silver (also known as "cupronickel" or "silver ocean"), ARCAP alloy, and even greater than 85% relaxation resistance is obtained when the third material comprises Pfinodal alloy, Spinodal alloy, Durnico alloy, duramphy alloy, copper-beryllium alloy, and 20AP steel.

For horological-specific considerations, the locking member 9, 109, 129, 209 is even more preferably chosen from the above-mentioned materials that do not have ferromagnetic properties and are therefore insensitive to magnetic fields, namely copper, brass, nickel silver (also known as "cupronickel" or "silver"), ARCAP alloy, Pfinodal alloy, Spinodal alloy, copper-beryllium alloy and duramphy alloy.

As better shown in fig. 1 and 2, preferably according to the invention, the locking element 9, 109, 129, 209 has a ratio of height H to width L (H/L) of between 0.1 and 5 in a section lying in the axial plane. Therefore, it is important to properly select the length L to have the peripheral portion 13 sufficiently far from the center of the axis D to have a sufficiently high/long lever arm to provide sufficient grip to secure the components together. At the same time, the height H must also be chosen appropriately so as to obtain a minimum height sufficient to protect the second material (with little or no plastic domains) and a maximum height that still obtains the intermediate deformations described below. It will therefore be appreciated that the ratio H/L must be suitable for the intended application.

According to another preferred solution, the locking elements 9, 109, 129, 209 are chamfered to prevent any damage of the second material. In fact, as mentioned above, the chamfer prevents the locking element 9, 109, 129, 209 from coming into contact with the upper surface of the part 5, 105, 205 through a sharp edge capable of generating excessive stresses on a very small surface, according to the geometry of the intermediate deformations.

Advantageously, therefore, according to the invention, the at least one first material forming the member 3, 103, 123, 203 may comprise a plurality of materials, for example a metal or a metal alloy. Thus, it will be appreciated that a single first material may be used to make the shaft 2, 102, 122, 202 and shoulder 4 as a single piece, or the shaft 2, 102, 122, 202 and shoulder 4 of the member 3, 103, 123, 203 may be constructed of multiple materials and/or multiple parts.

It is understood that, thanks to the method of the invention, the second material having little or no plastic domains may in particular comprise silicon, quartz, corundum, silicon dioxide, silicon nitride or silicon carbide without risk of damage.

Fig. 10 shows a further embodiment of the assembly system 101, 121, 201 according to the invention in the field of horology. For example, pallet 105 may comprise two assemblies 101, 121 according to the invention, said assemblies 101, 121 being respectively used to fix fork pin 103 and pin 123 to pallet lever 107.

As shown in fig. 10, each assembly system 101, 121 comprises a pallet lever 107, this pallet lever 107 being fixed between the shaft 102 of the fork pin 103 or the shaft 122 of the pin 123 and the locking piece 109, 129. It is therefore clear that each assembly system 101, 121 is sufficiently resistant to avoid relative movement between its components.

In the same figure, the escape wheel (more generally the wheel 205) comprises a component system 201 intended, for example, to fix the pivot 203 to the wheel 205. As shown in FIG. 10, the assembly system 201 includes a hub portion 207, the hub portion 207 being secured between the shaft 202 of the pivot 203 and a locking member 209.

It should thus be apparent that the exemplary assembly system 201 may be applied to any type of wheel set. In addition, pin 203 may include a pinion in a single component to form a complete wheel set.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the examples shown, but may have various modifications and alterations obvious to a person skilled in the art. In particular, the locking elements 9, 109, 129, 209 may have different geometries without departing from the scope of the invention.

The tool 15 may also include a generally conical surface 14 to substantially follow the shape of the Belleville washer obtained during the intermediate elastic deformation.

In addition, the opening 6 in the part 5, 105, 205 is not limited to being circular and/or the part 5, 105, 205 may be partially perforated below the locking member 9, 109, 129, 209. Thus, for example, balance spring 5 of fig. 9 may be replaced by a balance spring 10 comprising a collet 41 whose hole is of a generally clover shape, as in european patent No.2363762, incorporated by reference in the present patent application, without losing any of the above-mentioned advantages.

Finally, different "brittle" materials in silicon or aluminum-based materials are conceivable, such as zirconium or titanium-based ceramics or glasses. The locking pieces 9, 109, 129, 209 may also be formed from a substrate of amorphous metal (also referred to as metallic glass).

Claims (23)

1. An assembly system (1, 101, 121, 201) comprising a member (3, 103, 123, 203) made of at least one first material, said member (3, 103, 123, 203) comprising a shaft (2, 102, 122, 202) and a shoulder (4), said shaft (2, 102, 122, 202) of said member (3, 103, 123, 203) being received in an aperture (6) of a component (5, 105, 205) made of a second material, characterized in that the assembly system (1, 101, 121, 201) comprises a locking element (9, 109, 129, 209) made of a third material, which locking element (9, 109, 129, 209) is arranged to elastically attach said component (5, 105, 205) between the shoulder (4) of said member and said locking element (9, 109, 129, 209), wherein said locking element (9, 109, 129, 209) is a washer, the inner wall (10) of which radially clamps said shaft (2) of said member (2, 109, 129, 209) 102. 122, 202) which, after being moved into contact with said part (5, 105, 205) in order to fix said component (3, 103, 123, 203) -part (5, 105, 205) -lock (9, 109, 129, 209) assembly, is elastically deformed to apply an axial force to the shoulder (4) of said component, the axial force being greater along the peripheral portion of said washer than at the radially inner portion of said washer.

2. The assembly system (1, 101, 121, 201) according to claim 1, wherein the third material comprises a metal or metal alloy having a relaxation resistance strength after 10,000 hours at a temperature of 70 ℃ equal to at least 50% of the applied force representing 75% of the stress required to obtain 0.2% plastic deformation of the third material, so as to maintain the fixation of the component (3, 103, 123, 203) -part (5, 105, 205) -locking piece (9, 19, 109, 129, 209) assembly.

3. The assembly system (1, 101, 121, 201) according to claim 2, wherein the third material comprises copper, brass, nickel silver, ARCAP alloy, Pfinodal alloy, Spinodal alloy, Durnico alloy, duramphy alloy, copper-beryllium alloy and/or 20AP steel.

4. Assembly system (1, 101, 121, 201) according to claim 1, characterized in that the ratio (H/L) of the height (H) to the width (L) of the locking element (9, 109, 129, 209) is between 0.1 and 5 in a cross section lying in the axial plane.

5. The assembly system (1, 101, 121, 201) according to claim 1, characterized in that the locking element (9, 109, 129, 209) is chamfered to prevent any damage of the second material.

6. The component system (1, 101, 121, 201) according to claim 1, wherein the second material is a silicon-based material.

7. The component system (1, 101, 121, 201) according to claim 6, wherein the second material comprises silicon, quartz, silicon dioxide, silicon nitride or silicon carbide.

8. The assembly system (1, 101, 121, 201) according to claim 1, wherein the at least one first material comprises a metal or a metal alloy.

9. Assembly system (1, 101, 121, 201) according to claim 1, characterized in that said shaft (2, 102, 122, 202) and said shoulder (4) are in one piece.

10. Timepiece, characterized in that it comprises at least one assembly system (1, 101, 121, 201) according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. Timepiece according to claim 10, wherein the component made of the second material is a wheel set (205), a pallet fork (105) or a balance spring (5).

12. A method of manufacturing a component system (1, 101, 121, 201), the method comprising the steps of:

a) forming a member (3, 103, 123, 203) made of at least one first material comprising a shaft (2, 102, 122, 202) and a shoulder (4), a part (5, 105, 205) made of a second material having an opening (6), and a locking element (9, 109, 129, 209) made of a third material in the form of a washer, the hole (8) of said locking element being smaller than the shaft (2, 102, 122, 202) of said member;

b) -inserting the shaft (2, 102, 122, 202) of the component freely in the aperture (6) of the part (5, 105, 205);

c) placing the shaft (2, 102, 122, 202) against a hole (8) in the locking element and forcibly sliding the locking element (9, 109, 129, 209) against the shaft (2, 102, 122, 202) using a tool (15) to elastically deform the locking element (9, 109, 129, 209) so that a peripheral portion (13) of the locking element (9, 109, 129, 209) is closest to the component (5, 105, 205);

d) stopping and removing the tool (15) when a predetermined force, which is smaller than the yield strength of the third material, is reached between the tool and the shoulder (4) of the component.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein step d) is stopped when the force applied by the tool is between 20% and 90% of the yield strength of the third material.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the third material comprises a metal or metal alloy having a relaxation resistance equal to at least 50% of the force applied in step d) representing 75% of the stress required to obtain a 0.2% plastic deformation of the third material after 10,000 hours at a temperature of 70 ℃, so as to maintain the fixing of the member (3, 103, 123, 203) -part (5, 105, 205) -locking piece (9, 109, 129, 209) assembly.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the third material comprises copper, brass, nickel silver, ARCAP alloy, Pfinodal alloy, Spinodal alloy, Durnico alloy, duramphy alloy, copper-beryllium alloy, and/or 20AP steel.

16. Method according to claim 12, characterized in that the ratio (H/L) of the height (H) to the width (L) of the locking element (9, 109, 129, 209) in a cross section in the axial plane is between 0.1 and 5.

17. Method according to claim 12, characterized in that the locking element (9, 109, 129, 209) is chamfered to prevent any damage of the second material.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the second material is a silicon-based material.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the second material comprises silicon, quartz, silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, or silicon carbide.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one first material comprises a metal or metal alloy.

21. The method of claim 12, wherein the component is a timepiece wheel set (205).

22. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that said component is a timepiece pallet (105).

23. Method according to claim 12, characterized in that said component is a horological balance spring (5).