Patents by Inventor Dominique Lechot
Dominique Lechot has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Publication number: 20210294268Abstract: A horological movement including a mechanical resonator and a hybrid escapement including an escapement wheel and a pallet assembly with at least one magnetic pallet-stone formed of a magnet and associated with a mechanical banking, the escapement wheel including a periodic magnetised structure defining increasing gradients of magnetic potential energy for the magnetic pallet-stone, and protruding parts associated with the increasing gradients of magnetic potential energy. When the force torque is equal to a nominal force torque or has a value within at least an upper part of a given range of values, one of the protruding parts of the escapement wheel is subjected to at least one shock on the mechanical banking of the pallet assembly after the magnetic pallet-stone has climbed any one of the increasing gradients of magnetic potential energy, thus dissipating at least partially a kinetic energy of the escapement wheel.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 2, 2021Publication date: September 23, 2021Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development LtdInventors: Gianni DI DOMENICO, Dominique LECHOT, Marc STRANCZL, Benoît LÉGERET
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Publication number: 20210294269Abstract: The horological movement includes a mechanical resonator and an escapement including an escapement wheel, which has a plurality of teeth, and an anchor formed by a stick and two arms having respectively two mechanical pallets likely to come into contact, when the anchor is subject to an alternative movement, with any of the teeth according to the angular position of the escapement wheel. To avoid damage to the escapement during rocking of the anchor while the escapement wheel is positioned in an unfavourable angular position, the anchor is arranged, during the rocking of this anchor, to be able to bend being subjected to an elastic deformation. The anchor has an elastic capacity between each of the two mechanical pallets and a fork of the anchor, enabling it to absorb elastically, during the elastic deformation, a maximum mechanical energy that the mechanical resonator can have during the normal functioning of the horological movement.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 8, 2021Publication date: September 23, 2021Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development LtdInventors: Gianni DI DOMENICO, Dominique LECHOT, Marc STRANCZL, Benoît LÉGERET
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Patent number: 11019889Abstract: A device for attaching an end of a bracelet to an object, including a support plate, a control member, two pins slidably mounted on the same axis, called the sliding axis, wherein the control member is mounted to move in translation on an arbor, called the translation arbor, which is substantially perpendicular to the support plate, and wherein the control member is offset with respect to the sliding axis of the pins and connected to the latter by connecting elements able to transform the translational movement of the control member into a sliding movement of the pins when the control member is actuated.Type: GrantFiled: October 3, 2018Date of Patent: June 1, 2021Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development LtdInventors: Cedric Nicolas, Dominique Lechot, Nicolas Francois
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Patent number: 11022942Abstract: Isochronous pivot for a resonator including two flexible strips joining attachment points of a first and a second element, defining two strip directions, and a pivot axis, at the intersection of their projections or at their intersection, each strip having a free length between its attachment points, and an axial distance between the pivot axis and the attachment point thereof farthest from the axis, the attachment point ratio X=D/L being greater than one for each strip, the strip directions defining with the axis a first apex angle whose value in degrees is comprised between f1(X)=108+67/(10X?6), and f2(X)=113+67/(10X?6).Type: GrantFiled: August 17, 2018Date of Patent: June 1, 2021Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development LtdInventors: Gianni Di Domenico, Dominique Lechot, Jerome Favre, Baptiste Hinaux, Jean-Jacques Born, Jean-Luc Helfer, Pascal Winkler
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Patent number: 10948879Abstract: A method for adjusting the rate of a watch with an oscillator arranged to generate oscillation at a nominal frequency N0, with a servo-system including a master oscillator arranged to generate excitation oscillation at an excitation frequency NE, which is approximately equal to, or equal to the nominal frequency N0, or to an integer multiple of this nominal frequency N0, the watch is subjected to excitation oscillation or to a modulated motion, generated by the master oscillator, during a transition phase after which the oscillator of the watch is stabilised at excitation frequency NE, and there is incorporated in the servo-system a winder for mechanical or automatic watches, arranged to move a support on which such a watch is fixed.Type: GrantFiled: April 20, 2018Date of Patent: March 16, 2021Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development LtdInventors: Jerome Favre, Michel Willemin, Jean-Jacques Born, Dominique Lechot, Gianni Di Domenico
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Patent number: 10935933Abstract: A mechanical timepiece oscillator includes, between a support and an inertial element, a flexure bearing with flexible strips crossed in projection, including, superposed, an upper level that includes, between an upper support and an upper inertial element, an upper primary strip in a first direction and an upper secondary strip in a second direction, and a lower level that includes, between a lower support and a lower inertial element, a lower primary strip in the first direction and a lower secondary strip in the second direction. The upper level and lower level include, between the support and the upper or respectively lower support, a translational table with an elastic connection along one or two axes of freedom in the oscillation plane, of lower stiffness than that of each flexible strip.Type: GrantFiled: July 15, 2019Date of Patent: March 2, 2021Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development LtdInventors: Gianni Di Domenico, Pierre Cusin, Jean-Luc Helfer, Alex Gandelhman, Pascal Winkler, Baptiste Hinaux, Dominique Lechot, Olivier Matthey, Laurent Klinger, Jerome Favre
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Patent number: 10928779Abstract: An isochronous pivot for a resonator including two flexible strips joining attachment points of a first and a second element, defining two strip directions, and a pivot axis, at the intersection of their projections or at their intersection, each strip having a free length between its attachment points, and an axial distance between the pivot axis and the attachment point thereof farthest from the axis, the attachment point ratio X=D/L being greater than one for each strip, the strip directions defining with the axis a first apex angle whose value in degrees includes between f1(X)=108+67/(10X?6), and f2(X)=113+67/(10X?6).Type: GrantFiled: August 17, 2018Date of Patent: February 23, 2021Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development LtdInventors: Gianni Di Domenico, Dominique Lechot, Jerome Favre, Baptiste Hinaux, Jean-Jacques Born, Jean-Luc Helfer, Pascal Winkler
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Patent number: 10895845Abstract: A mechanical timepiece oscillator including, between a first element and a second inertial element, more than two distinct flexible strips returning the inertial element to a rest position in an oscillation plane, wherein the projections of these strips cross each other, at a point, through which passes the axis of pivoting of the second solid inertial element, and the height to thickness aspect ratio is less than 10 for each strip.Type: GrantFiled: June 13, 2019Date of Patent: January 19, 2021Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development LtdInventors: Gianni Di Domenico, Pierre Cusin, Jean-Luc Helfer, Alex Gandelhman, Pascal Winkler, Baptiste Hinaux, Dominique Lechot, Olivier Matthey, Laurent Klinger, Jerome Favre
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Publication number: 20200409310Abstract: Inertia mobile component (1) for a horological resonator (100), oscillating about an axis of oscillation (D1), and including at least one magnetic area (10), the total resultant magnetic moment of all of the magnetic areas (10), included in the inertia mobile component (1), is aligned in the direction of the axis of oscillation (D1), this inertia mobile component (1) bearing at least one magnetic compensating element (4), the magnetisation component thereof in a direction perpendicular to the axis of oscillation (D1) can be adjusted in order to obtain a total resultant magnetic moment that is aligned in the direction of the axis of oscillation (D1).Type: ApplicationFiled: June 9, 2020Publication date: December 31, 2020Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development LtdInventors: Gianni DI DOMENICO, Jérôme FAVRE, Olivier MATTHEY, Dominique LECHOT, Baptiste HINAUX, Laurent NAGY, Jean-Claude MARTIN
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Publication number: 20200409311Abstract: Horological resonator (100) including an inertia mobile component (1) oscillating about an axis of oscillation (D1) and including at least one magnetic area (10), the total resultant magnetic moment of all of the magnetic areas (10), included in the inertia mobile component (1), is aligned in the direction of the axis of oscillation (D1), this inertia mobile component (1) bearing at least one balancing magnet (6), the direction of the magnetic moment thereof crosses the axis of oscillation (D1) to obtain magnetic balancing of the inertia mobile component (1).Type: ApplicationFiled: June 9, 2020Publication date: December 31, 2020Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development LtdInventors: Gianni DI DOMENICO, Jérôme FAVRE, Olivier MATTHEY, Dominique LECHOT, Baptiste HINAUX, Laurent NAGY, Jean-Claude MARTIN
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Patent number: 10866565Abstract: A mechanical timepiece oscillator includes, between a first element and a second inertial element, two distinct flexible strips returning the inertial element to a rest position in an oscillation plane, the projections of these strips crossing each other, in the rest position, at a point, through which passes the pivoting axis of the second solid inertial element, the embedding points of the strips in the first element and the second inertial element defining two directions in which each strip has a free length between its embedding points, and an axial distance between the pivoting axis and the farthest of its embedding points, and, for each strip, the embedding point ratio is comprised between 0 and 1, and the vertex angle at the crossing point of the directions of the strips is less than 70°.Type: GrantFiled: July 27, 2018Date of Patent: December 15, 2020Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development LtdInventors: Gianni Di Domenico, Dominique Lechot, Jerome Favre, Baptiste Hinaux, Jean-Jacques Born, Jean-Luc Helfer, Pascal Winkler
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Patent number: 10775744Abstract: A timepiece includes a timepiece movement, a calendar mechanism and a mechanism for indicating the sunrise and sunset that take account of seasonal variations. The calendar mechanism includes a date display and a month display. The sunrise and sunset indicating mechanism also includes an annual cam having a profile representative of the tilt of the sun with respect to the equatorial plane and arranged to be driven in rotation by the date wheel set via a third kinematic chain.Type: GrantFiled: December 8, 2017Date of Patent: September 15, 2020Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development LtdInventors: Beat Gilomen, Dominique Lechot
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Patent number: 10775745Abstract: A timepiece movement, a calendar mechanism and device for indicating the sunrise and sunset that takes account of seasonal variations. The simple calendar mechanism includes a display mechanism for displaying the date and a display mechanism for displaying the month. The sunrise and sunset indicating device also includes an annual cam having a profile representative of the tilt of the sun with respect to the equatorial plane and arranged to be driven in rotation via the hour wheel set through a kinematic chain that passes through the month display device and has a transmission ratio of 1:744.Type: GrantFiled: December 8, 2017Date of Patent: September 15, 2020Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development LtdInventors: Beat Gilomen, Dominique Lechot
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Publication number: 20200201259Abstract: A bearing for an arbor or staff of a rotary wheel set of a timepiece movement, the bearing including a bearing block provided with a housing and an endstone arranged inside the housing, the endstone having a main body provided with a cavity configured to receive a pivot of the arbor of the rotary wheel set, the pivot having the shape of a first cone having a first solid angle, the apex of the first cone being rounded with a predefined first radius of curvature in a range from 0.2 ?m to 50 ?m, the cavity having a second cone shape with a second solid angle, greater than the first solid angle, so that the pivot can rotate in the cavity, the apex of the second cone being rounded and having a predefined second radius of curvature. The second radius of curvature is smaller than the first radius of curvature.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 13, 2019Publication date: June 25, 2020Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development LtdInventors: Jean-Jacques BORN, Dominique LECHOT, Yves WINKLER, Christophe VINCENT
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Publication number: 20200110362Abstract: A chronograph mechanism includes an energy accumulator, a regulating system, and a gear train connecting the energy accumulator to the regulating system. The energy accumulator is formed by a strip-spring and includes a device for driving the gear train arranged to regulate the torque delivered by the strip-spring.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 6, 2019Publication date: April 9, 2020Applicant: Montres Breguet S.A.Inventors: Alain Zaugg, Stefan Rombach, Dominique Lechot, Jean-Philippe Rochat
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Publication number: 20200089168Abstract: An oscillator includes a resonator, which has an inertial mass returned by an elastic return and carries entry and exit pallets cooperating with teeth of an escape wheel each provided with a magnet. Each pallet includes a magnetic arrangement, with an annular sector, centred on the axis of oscillation of the resonator, defining a first magnetic barrier area extending above and/or below a mechanical pallet-stone of the entry pallet or exit pallet, over the entire length of this mechanical pallet-stone acting as support for the teeth during the supplementary arc, in order to form a magnetic cylinder escapement mechanism.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 16, 2019Publication date: March 19, 2020Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development LtdInventors: Gianni DI DOMENICO, Jerome Favre, Dominique Lechot, Baptiste Hinaux, Olivier Matthey, Pascal Winkler, Marc Stranczl, Michel Willemin, Ahmad Odeh
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Patent number: 10579020Abstract: A method for manufacturing a flexible strip, including forming a plate of the required thickness with one or more micromachinable substrate wafers; affixing, on either side of the plate, an upper mask with an upper window and a lower mask with a lower window, of identical geometry; etching the plate, at least to mid-thickness, from the upper side of each upper etching window, and from the side of each lower etching window; removing the upper mask and the lower mask, to delimit a flexible strip having a height equal to the thickness of the plate, and whose edges are as-etched. A flexible strip made of micromachinable material, including, between two parallel upper and lower surfaces, two peripheral, tapered and reverse-tapered edge surfaces, for a flexible pivot, a resonator, a movement or a watch.Type: GrantFiled: November 21, 2017Date of Patent: March 3, 2020Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development LtdInventors: Gianni Di Domenico, Jerome Favre, Dominique Lechot, Baptiste Hinaux, Olivier Matthey, Pierre Cusin, Alex Gandelhman
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Publication number: 20200033804Abstract: A method for making a flexure bearing for an oscillator with an inertial element oscillating in a plane supported by flexible strips fixed to a stationary support returning it to a rest position includes: forming the bearing with basic strips in superposed levels, each having an aspect ratio of less than 10; breaking down the number of basic levels into a plurality of sub-units, each including one or two strips joining a basic support and a basic inertial element, which are made by etching substrates; assembling the sub-units by joining their basic inertial elements; and fixing the basic supports to the support, directly or via translational tables along one or two in-plane translational degrees of freedom, of lower translational stiffness than that of the sub-unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 12, 2019Publication date: January 30, 2020Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development LtdInventors: Gianni DI DOMENICO, Pierre CUSIN, Jean-Luc HELFER, Alex GANDELHMAN, Pascal WINKLER, Baptiste HINAUX, Dominique LECHOT, Olivier MATTHEY, Laurent KLINGER, Jerome FAVRE
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Publication number: 20200033805Abstract: A mechanical timepiece oscillator includes, between a support and an inertial element, a flexure bearing with flexible strips crossed in projection, including, superposed, an upper level that includes, between an upper support and an upper inertial element, an upper primary strip in a first direction and an upper secondary strip in a second direction, and a lower level that includes, between a lower support and a lower inertial element, a lower primary strip in the first direction and a lower secondary strip in the second direction. The upper level and lower level include, between the support and the upper or respectively lower support, a translational table with an elastic connection along one or two axes of freedom in the oscillation plane, of lower stiffness than that of each flexible strip.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 15, 2019Publication date: January 30, 2020Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development LtdInventors: Gianni DI DOMENICO, Pierre CUSIN, Jean-Luc HELFER, Alex GANDELHMAN, Pascal WINKLER, Baptiste HINAUX, Dominique LECHOT, Olivier MATTHEY, Laurent KLINGER, Jerome FAVRE
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Publication number: 20190391532Abstract: A mechanical timepiece oscillator including, between a first element and a second inertial element, more than two distinct flexible strips returning the inertial element to a rest position in an oscillation plane, wherein the projections of these strips cross each other, at a point, through which passes the axis of pivoting of the second solid inertial element, and the height to thickness aspect ratio is less than 10 for each strip.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 13, 2019Publication date: December 26, 2019Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development LtdInventors: Gianni DI DOMENICO, Pierre Cusin, Jean-Luc Helfer, Alex Gandelhman, Pascal Winkler, Baptiste Hinaux, Dominique Lechot, Olivier Matthey, Laurent Klinger, Jerome Favre