HERBET Abel Feb 12, 2014:

petit moteur mécanique à balourd lancé en tirant d'un seul coup sur un lien cranté qu'on insère sous le moteur, comme dans les toupies bey-bled

Tony M Feb 11, 2014:

@ Didier That is exactly the distinction being made in the source text here between 'clockwork motors' (called 'srping' here) and the inertia ones (called 'flywheel').

Didier Fourcot Feb 11, 2014:

C'est vrai Florence C'est pour ça que je pense que "moteur à inertie" est plus correct, reste que tous les gosses connaissent les jouets à friction, ceux à ressort spiral sont plus souvent à clé de remontage, même si ça existe aussi

florence metzger Feb 11, 2014:

Il y a des moteurs à friction qui bandent un ressort en spirale...

Alexandre Tissot (asker) Feb 11, 2014:

@ Tony Thank you for your answer and your explanation.

Please, note that I did not mean to forget the word order inversion. I was asking about my proposal and the meaning of those words. If I wanted to write such a translation, I would not have asked any question on Proz.

Tony M Feb 11, 2014:

@ Asker No, Alexandre — I don't know what it IS, but it wouldn't be that! Do remember the word order inversion that normally takes place between EN and FR; so this means it would be a 'motor that uses a flywheel' (and not 'a flywheel on a motor', which is what I believe your proposed FR term would mean).

I'm assuming this is the kind of motor you get in toy cars, when you go vroom-vroom with them to get the flywheel spinning, and then they run using the inertia in the flywheel as their motive force, albeit for a disappointingly short distance. I worked out at a very early age that enjoyment out was not in proportion to effort in...