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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Patent number: 9335739Abstract: The timepiece comprises means for indicating the sunrise and sunset taking account of seasonal variations. These means comprise a sphere reproducing the terrestrial globe, a shell arranged concentrically to the sphere and arranged to demarcate one portion of the terrestrial globe where it is night from another portion where it is day by indicating the position of the Earth's terminator. The shell can pivot about the globe on two axes perpendicular to each other. The shell is driven by the movement so as to rotate at a rate of one revolution per 24 hours about the polar axis. A disconnecting mechanism is controlled by an annual cam which has a profile representative of the tilt of the Sun with respect to the equatorial plane. The disconnecting mechanism controls the tilt of the shell about the axis by means of a drive shaft concentric to the polar axis.Type: GrantFiled: September 23, 2015Date of Patent: May 10, 2016Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development LtdInventors: Beat Gilomen, Michel Willemin, Dominique Lechot
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Publication number: 20160124389Abstract: A shock absorber device for an arbor of a timepiece element including: a support including a base cup surmounted by a peripheral rim, which is delimited, opposite the cup, by an upper surface, the cup and the rim together defining a housing; a pivot system extending along an arbor, the pivot system being arranged in the housing and including a base including an elastic return mechanism at the periphery thereof, formed by at least one curved arm, including an opening in which is inserted a pivot element configured to cooperate with the arbor. The at least one curved arm is used for locking the pivot system in a bayonet fitting.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 21, 2014Publication date: May 5, 2016Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development LtdInventors: Dominique LECHOT, Alain ZAUGG
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Publication number: 20160098012Abstract: The timepiece comprises means for indicating the sunrise and sunset taking account of seasonal variations. These means comprise a sphere reproducing the terrestrial globe, a shell arranged concentrically to the sphere and arranged to demarcate one portion of the terrestrial globe where it is night from another portion where it is day by indicating the position of the Earth's terminator. The shell can pivot about the globe on two axes perpendicular to each other. The shell is driven by the movement so as to rotate at a rate of one revolution per 24 hours about the polar axis. A disconnecting mechanism is controlled by an annual cam which has a profile representative of the tilt of the Sun with respect to the equatorial plane. The disconnecting mechanism controls the tilt of the shell about the axis by means of a drive shaft concentric to the polar axis.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 23, 2015Publication date: April 7, 2016Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development LtdInventors: Beat GILOMEN, Michel WILLEMIN, Dominique LECHOT
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Publication number: 20160026153Abstract: The timepiece comprises means for indicating the sunrise and sunset taking into account seasonal variations (17, 27). These means comprise a sphere (17) representing the Earth, a shell (27) arranged concentrically to the sphere and arranged to delimit a part of the globe where it is night time from another part where it is daytime by indicating the position of the Earth's terminator. The shell can pivot around the globe along two perpendicular axes (X-X, Y-Y). The shell is driven by the movement in order to revolve at the rate of one revolution every 24 hours around the polar axis (X-X). A differential mechanism (50) is controlled by a year cam (72) that has a profile representing the inclination of the sun in relation to the equatorial plane. The differential mechanism controls the inclination of the shell around the axis (Y-Y) by means of a drive shaft (35) concentric to the polar axis (X-X).Type: ApplicationFiled: July 9, 2015Publication date: January 28, 2016Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd.Inventors: Beat GILOMEN, Michel WILLEMIN, Dominique LECHOT
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Patent number: 9207642Abstract: The timepiece includes sunrise and sunset indicating means taking account of seasonal variations, said means include a sphere reproducing the terrestrial globe, a shell arranged concentrically to the sphere and arranged to demarcate one portion of the terrestrial globe where it is night from another portion where it is day by indicating the position of the earth's terminator. The sphere is arranged to be driven by the movement so as to rotate at the rate of one revolution per 24 hours about a first axis of rotation oriented parallel to the plane of the dial, and the shell is mounted to pivot about a second axis perpendicular to the plane of the dial. The sunrise and sunset indicating means also include an annual cam arranged to be driven in rotation by the movement at the rate of one revolution per year, the cam having a profile representative of the tilt of the sun relative to the equatorial plane.Type: GrantFiled: January 26, 2015Date of Patent: December 8, 2015Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development LtdInventors: Michel Willemin, Beat Gilomen, Dominique Lechot
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Patent number: 9116507Abstract: A universal timepiece includes a manual mechanism to shift selectively some of geographical labels borne by a dial by 1/24th of a revolution, to make it possible to change, by one hour, local times associated with the geographical labels during a change from wintertime to summertime or from summertime to wintertime.Type: GrantFiled: March 15, 2012Date of Patent: August 25, 2015Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd.Inventors: Alain Vuilleumier, Jean-Jacques Born, Dominique Lechot
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Publication number: 20150234357Abstract: The timepiece includes sunrise and sunset indicating means taking account of seasonal variations, said means include a sphere reproducing the terrestrial globe, a shell arranged concentrically to the sphere and arranged to demarcate one portion of the terrestrial globe where it is night from another portion where it is day by indicating the position of the earth's terminator. The sphere is arranged to be driven by the movement so as to rotate at the rate of one revolution per 24 hours about a first axis of rotation oriented parallel to the plane of the dial, and the shell is mounted to pivot about a second axis perpendicular to the plane of the dial. The sunrise and sunset indicating means also include an annual cam arranged to be driven in rotation by the movement at the rate of one revolution per year, the cam having a profile representative of the tilt of the sun relative to the equatorial plane.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 26, 2015Publication date: August 20, 2015Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development LtdInventors: Michel WILLEMIN, Beat GILOMEN, Dominique LECHOT
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Publication number: 20150177698Abstract: The invention concerns a device for regulating the relative angular speed between a magnetic structure and a resonator magnetically coupled to each other and forming an oscillator which defines a magnetic escapement. The magnetic structure includes at least one annular magnetic path at least partially formed of a magnetic material of which one physical parameter is correlated to the magnetic potential energy of the oscillator, the magnetic material being arranged along the annular path so that the physical parameter varies angularly in a periodic manner. The annular path includes, in each angular period, an area of accumulation of magnetic potential energy in the oscillator, radially adjacent to an impulse area. The magnetic material, in each accumulation area, is arranged so that the physical parameter of said magnetic material gradually increases angularly or gradually decreases angularly.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 22, 2014Publication date: June 25, 2015Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development LtdInventors: Gianni DI DOMENICO, Pascal WINKLER, Jerome FAVRE, Jean-Luc HELFER, Baptiste HINAUX, Dominique LECHOT, Patrick RAGOT, Fanel PICCINI
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Publication number: 20150177697Abstract: The invention concerns a device for regulating the relative angular speed between a magnetic structure and a resonator magnetically coupled to each other and forming an oscillator which defines a magnetic escapement. The magnetic structure includes at least one annular magnetic path at least partially formed of a magnetic material and the resonator includes at least one element for magnetic coupling to the annular magnetic path, this coupling element being formed of a magnetic material having a physical parameter correlated to the magnetic potential energy of the oscillator. The radial dimension of the annular magnetic path is smaller than a corresponding dimension of the coupling element, and the magnetic material is arranged so that the physical parameter of said magnetic material gradually increases angularly or gradually decreases angularly in order to obtain an angularly extended magnetic potential energy area in each angular period of the annular magnetic path.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 22, 2014Publication date: June 25, 2015Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development LtdInventors: Gianni DI DOMENICO, Pascal WINKLER, Jerome FAVRE, Jean-Luc HELFER, Baptiste HINAUX, Dominique LECHOT, Patrick RAGOT, Fanel PICCINI
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Publication number: 20150177696Abstract: The invention concerns a magnetic device for regulating the relative angular velocity of a wheel and of at least one magnetic dipole integral with an oscillating device, said wheel or said dipole being driven by a driving torque, said wheel including a periodic, ferromagnetic pole path which alternates according to a center angle and said at least one dipole being arranged to permit magnetic coupling with said ferromagnetic path and oscillation of said dipole at the natural frequency of the oscillating element during the relative motion of the wheel and of the magnetic dipole to regulate said relative angular velocity, said device being characterized in that said wheel further includes means for dissipating the kinetic energy of said at least one dipole when it moves away from said ferromagnetic path.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 9, 2014Publication date: June 25, 2015Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development LtdInventors: Jean-Jacques BORN, Gianni DI DOMENICO, Jerome FAVRE, Baptiste HINAUX, Dominique LECHOT, Patrick RAGOT
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Patent number: 9025419Abstract: The universal timepiece comprises a winter/summer switching mechanism (27, 29, 31, 25, 19, 19H, 19E, 20, 20H, 20E, 21, 21E, 21H, 22, 22E, 22H, 23, 23E, 23H, 11, 11A, 12, 12A, 13, 13A, 14, 14A, 15, 15A, 17) arranged to be driven intermittently by the movement to selectively displace some of the geographic indications carried by the dial (3) by 1/24th of a turn in order to change by one hour the local time associated with these geographic indications during a change from winter time to summer time or from summer time to winter time.Type: GrantFiled: September 17, 2013Date of Patent: May 5, 2015Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd.Inventors: Dominique Lechot, Alain Vuilleumier, Jean-Jacques Born
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Patent number: 8985845Abstract: A timepiece movement including a tourbillon that has a rotating carriage bearing a sprung balance and an escapement. The carriage includes a top pivot and a bottom pivot, respectively carried by a top bridge and a bottom bridge of the carriage. The carriage pivots between a bottom plate of the timepiece movement and a bridge of the movement in the timepiece movement includes a stop member, arranged for limiting the axial shake of the carriage.Type: GrantFiled: March 22, 2010Date of Patent: March 24, 2015Assignee: Montres Breguet SAInventors: Alain Zaugg, Dominique Lechot
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Publication number: 20140078869Abstract: The universal timepiece comprises a winter/summer switching mechanism (27, 29, 31, 25, 19, 19H, 19E, 20, 20H, 20E, 21, 21E, 21H, 22, 22E, 22H, 23, 23E, 23H, 11, 11A, 12, 12A, 13, 13A, 14, 14A, 15, 15A, 17) arranged to be driven intermittently by the movement to selectively displace some of the geographic indications carried by the dial (3) by 1/24th of a turn in order to change by one hour the local time associated with these geographic indications during a change from winter time to summer time or from summer time to winter time.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 17, 2013Publication date: March 20, 2014Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd.Inventors: Dominique LECHOT, Alain VUILLEUMIER, Jean-Jacques BORN
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Publication number: 20140003198Abstract: A universal timepiece includes a manual mechanism to shift selectively some of geographical labels borne by a dial by 1/24th of a revolution, to make it possible to change, by one hour, local times associated with the geographical labels during a change from wintertime to summertime or from summertime to wintertime.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 15, 2012Publication date: January 2, 2014Applicant: THE SWATCH GROUP RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT LTDInventors: Alain Vuilleumier, Jean-Jacques Born, Dominique Lechot
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Patent number: 8328413Abstract: The timepiece includes a chronograph whose hands are driven by a first gear train (4), which in turn drives a first resonator (5) and a watch whose hands are driven by a second gear train (8) independent of the first gear train, wherein the second gear train in turn drives a second resonator (9). The first (4) and second (8) gear trains are driven from a single energy source (10).Type: GrantFiled: February 24, 2010Date of Patent: December 11, 2012Assignee: Montres Breguet S.A.Inventors: Dominique Lechot, Alain Zaugg
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Publication number: 20100238769Abstract: The invention concerns a timepiece movement including a tourbillon that has a rotating carriage bearing a sprung balance and an escapement, wherein said carriage includes a top pivot and a bottom pivot, respectively carried by a top bridge and a bottom bridge of the carriage, and said carriage pivots between a bottom plate of said timepiece movement and a bridge of said movement, characterized in that it further includes a stop member, arranged for limiting the axial shake of the carriage.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 22, 2010Publication date: September 23, 2010Applicant: Montres Breguet SAInventors: Alain ZAUGG, Dominique LECHOT
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Publication number: 20100214879Abstract: The timepiece includes a chronograph whose hands are driven by a first gear train (4), which in turn drives a first resonator (5) and a watch whose hands are driven by a second gear train (8) independent of the first gear train, wherein the second gear train in turn drives a second resonator (9). The first (4) and second (8) gear trains are driven from a single energy source (10).Type: ApplicationFiled: February 24, 2010Publication date: August 26, 2010Applicant: MONTRES BREGUET S.A.Inventors: Dominique Lechot, Alain Zaugg
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Patent number: 7527424Abstract: The anti-trip device for a timepiece escapement essentially includes a sprung balance (1), this device preventing the angular extension of said balance beyond a normal angle of rotation. The device is characterized in that the arbour (2) fitted to the balance (1) is provided with a pinion (3) meshing with means (4) preventing said balance from rotating beyond said normal angle of rotation, whatever the direction of said rotation.Type: GrantFiled: December 14, 2006Date of Patent: May 5, 2009Assignee: Montres Breguet SAInventors: Dominique Lechot, Alain Zaugg, Thierry Conus, Andrés Cabezas Jurin
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Publication number: 20070140066Abstract: The anti-trip device for a timepiece escapement essentially includes a sprung balance (1), this device preventing the angular extension of said balance beyond a normal angle of rotation. The device is characterized in that the arbour (2) fitted to the balance (1) is provided with a pinion (3) meshing with means (4) preventing said balance from rotating beyond said normal angle of rotation, whatever the direction of said rotation.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 14, 2006Publication date: June 21, 2007Applicant: MONTRES BREGUET SAInventors: Dominique Lechot, Alain Zaugg, Thierry Conus, Andres Cabezas Jurin
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Publication number: 20060233052Abstract: The invention proposes a shock-absorber device for the balance pivot of a watch movement comprising a jewelled setting which is held resiliently by a spring in a complementary housing arranged on a fixed support and which is fitted with a jewel forming an endstone, of the type wherein the spring is formed by a metal strip which is fixed on the support so as to overhang, which extends in a radial plane in relation to the pivot, and which forms an arm including a securing end, and an abutting end abutting axially against the endstone so as to hold the jewelled setting axially in its housing, characterized in that the arm includes, from the securing end, a section generally rectilinear and parallel to a radial direction, relative to the axis of the pivot, a resilient section in the form of an annular sector and an abutting sector which extends generally along a diametral direction substantially perpendicular to the rectilinear sector so as to form the abutting end.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 29, 2006Publication date: October 19, 2006Inventors: Alain Zaugg, Dominique Lechot