Crystal vibrator mounting

Abstract

A mounting is provided for mounting a tuning fork type crystal vibrator in a hermetically sealed oscillator envelope. The mounting comprises a pair of discrete elements depending from the oscillator terminal tag and each element includes a shoulder connected thereto, an arm connected to the shoulder and forming an elbow therewith, an inwardly arranged finger connected to the arm and forming an elbow therewith, a downwardly arranged flange from the finger and a cradle member depending laterally extending between the flanges and connecting the flanges. The mounting elements are arranged in the oscillator envelope so that each cradle member supports a tine of the tuning fork vibrator.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An improved oscillator for a timepiece comprising a terminal tag, contacts mounted in said terminal tag, an evacuated envelope hermetically sealed to said tag, a tuning fork type crystal vibrator mounted in said envelope, and a mounting for said crystal comprising a pair of connected elements depending from said terminal tag, each element including a shoulder connected to said terminal tag, an arm connected to said shoulder and forming an elbow therewith, an inwardly arranged finger connected to said arm and forming a second elbow therewith, a downwardly arranged flange depending from said finger, and a cradle member depending laterally between said flanges and connected respectively thereto for supporting said tuning fork type crystal vibrator. 
     
     
       2. The improved oscillator as claimed in claim 1 wherein said pair of connected elements are substantially coplanar and substantially mirror image projections relative one to the other. 
     
     
       3. The improved oscillator as claimed in claim 1 wherein respective arms of said respective connected elements have a resilient spring-like character wherein the resiliency thereof is normal to the vibrating direction of said crystal vibrator. 
     
     
       4. The improved oscillator as claimed in claim 1 wherein said flanges of said respective connected elements have a resilient spring-like character and the resilience therein is parallel to the vibrating direction of said vibrating crystal. 
     
     
       5. The improved oscillator as claimed in claim 1 wherein the root of said vibrating tuning fork type crystal is supported in said cradle member of said mounting. 
     
     
       6. The improved oscillator as claimed in claim 1 wherein said oscillator envelope comprises a pair of shallow, concave sections provided with respective outwardly extending rims, said shallow, concave sections being engaged along said respective rims thereof by a cold weld, said engaged rims thereby forming an outwardly extending flange. 
     
     
       7. A mounting for a tuning fork type quartz crystal vibrator having equispaced tines joined at a root of the type employed in a timepiece comprising a pair of substantially coplanar integrally connected elements in spaced relationship, one with the other, said pair being substantially mirror image projections, one of the other, each element including a shoulder, an arm connected to said shoulder and forming an elbow therewith, an inwardly arranged finger connected to said arm and forming a second elbow therewith, a downwardly arranged flange depending from said finger and a cradle member depending laterally from said flanges for supporting a tine of said tuning fork type crystal vibrator, said cradle member providing a connection between said flanges. 
     
     
       8. The mounting as claimed in claim 7, wherein respective arms of said elements have a resilient spring-like character wherein the resiliency thereof is normal to the vibrating direction of said crystal vibrator. 
     
     
       9. The mounting as claimed in claim 7 wherein said flanges of said respective elements have a resilient spring-like character and the resilience therein is parallel to the vibrating direction of said vibrating crystal. .Iadd. 10. A hermetically sealed quartz crystal vibrator assembly particularly suitable for use as a time standard in an oscillator circuit comprising in combination a flexural mode tuning fork quartz crystal vibrator having first and second substantially opposed planar surfaces and being adapted to vibrate in the first vibratory direction substantially parallel to said surfaces, and a pair of mounting plates, each mounting plate having a first portion secured to said first opposed surfaces of said vibrator at a non-vibratory portion of said tuning fork vibrator, each said mounting plate including a second portion mounted to a reference member, each said mounting plate having a first elongated resilient portion and a second elongated resilient portion intermediate said first and second portions, said first resilient portion being adapted to vibrate at an angle of about 90° with respect to said first vibratory direction and said second resilient portion being adapted to vibrate in a direction parallel to said first vibratory direction. .Iaddend..Iadd. 11. A hermetically sealed quartz crystal vibrator assembly as claimed in claim 10, wherein said first and second elongated resilient portions of said mounting plates define U-shaped spring-like elements said first resilient portion defining a first leg that is connected to said second portions of said mounting plate, said first leg being adapted to vibrate at an angle of about 90° with respect to said vibratory direction, and said second elongated resilient portion of said mounting plate defining the other leg of each U-shaped spring-like portion and being connected to said first portion of said mounting plate and being adapted to vibrate in said first vibratory direction parallel to the vibration of said vibrator. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 12. A hermetically sealed quartz crystal vibrator assembly as claimed in claim 10, wherein said second portion mounted to a reference member is a shoulder, and said first portion secured to one of said opposed surfaces is a cradle member, and said resilient portions intermediate said first and second portions includes an arm connected to said shoulder and forming an elbow therewith, an inwardly arranged finger connected to said arm and forming a second elbow therewith, a downwardly arranged flange depending from said finger, said cradle member depending laterally between said flanges and connected respectively thereto for supporting said tuning fork quartz crystal vibrator. .Iaddend..Iadd. 13. A hermetically sealed quartz crystal vibrator assembly as claimed in claim 11, wherein said pair of mounting plates are substantially co-planar and are substantially mirror image projections relative one to the other. .Iaddend..Iadd. 14. A hermetically sealed quartz crystal vibrator assembly as claimed in claim 12, wherein a non-vibratory portion of the tuning fork quartz crystal vibrator is supported in the respective cradle members of the mounting plates.