Patents by Inventor Olivier Hunziker

Olivier Hunziker 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).

  • Patent number: 11822289
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method including: a) obtaining a substrate extending in a predetermined plane with a first layer parallel to the plane; b) forming a through-hole in the first layer; c) depositing a second layer on the first, the second layer filling the a through-hole to form a bridge of material; d) etching a hairspring in an etching layer made up of the second layer or the substrate, the one of the second layer and the substrate in which the a hairspring is not etched constituting a support, the bridge of material connecting the hairspring to the support perpendicular to the predetermined plane; e) removing the first layer, the hairspring remaining attached to the support by the bridge of material; f) subjecting the hairspring to a thermal treatment; and g) detaching the hairspring from the support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: CSEM CENTRE SUISSE D'ELECTRONIQUE ET DE MICROTECHNIQUE SA—RECHERCHE ET DEVELOPPEMENT
    Inventors: Michel Despont, Frédéric Kohler, Olivier Hunziker, Jean-Luc Bucaille
  • Publication number: 20230136065
    Abstract: The method for manufacturing a timepiece component is capable of thermocompensating a functional assembly including the timepiece component. The method includes at least the following actions: a) providing (e1) a substrate (1) of semiconductor or metallic material; b) proceeding with the deposition (e2) of a polycrystalline or monocrystalline silicon layer (5) on the substrate (1); c) releasing (e4) the timepiece component (10) from the substrate (1).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2021
    Publication date: May 4, 2023
    Applicant: ROLEX SA
    Inventors: Jean-Luc Bucaille, Olivier Hunziker, Frédéric Kohler
  • Patent number: 11073798
    Abstract: A bearing (1a) for guiding a timepiece shaft about an axis, notably a guide bearing for a portion of a timepiece resonator shaft, comprising at least one pressing element (13a) arranged in such a way as to constantly exert an action on the shaft, radially or substantially radially with respect to the axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: ROLEX SA
    Inventors: Raphaël Cettour-Baron, Olivier Hunziker, Léonard Testori
  • Publication number: 20200379408
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method including: a) obtaining a substrate extending in a predetermined plane with a first layer parallel to the plane; b) forming a through-hole in the first layer; c) depositing a second layer on the first, the second layer filling the a through-hole to form a bridge of material; d) etching a hairspring in an etching layer made up of the second layer or the substrate, the one of the second layer and the substrate in which the a hairspring is not etched constituting a support, the bridge of material connecting the hairspring to the support perpendicular to the predetermined plane; e) removing the first layer, the hairspring remaining attached to the support by the bridge of material; f) subjecting the hairspring to a thermal treatment; and g) detaching the hairspring from the support.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2019
    Publication date: December 3, 2020
    Inventors: Michel DESPONT, Frédéric KOHLER, Olivier HUNZIKER, Jean-Luc BUCAILLE
  • Patent number: 10539926
    Abstract: A balance spring for an oscillator of a timepiece, wherein it comprises a component part, in particular at least a coil or a portion of a coil, provided with heavily doped silicon having an ion density greater than or equal to 1018 at/cm3, in order to permit the thermo-compensation of the oscillator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: ROLEX SA
    Inventors: Richard Bossart, Olivier Hunziker
  • Publication number: 20190271946
    Abstract: A process for manufacturing a timepiece oscillator made up of a balance and of at least two spring portions that are arranged in parallel, which includes (a) choosing the frequency f of the oscillator, (b) choosing a balance and spring portions so that the inertia of the balance and the angular stiffnesses of the spring portions allow an oscillator of chosen frequency f to be formed and so that the variations in angular stiffness of the spring portions as a function of temperature are able to thermo-compensate the oscillator, and (c) assembling the chosen spring portions with the chosen balance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2019
    Publication date: September 5, 2019
    Applicant: ROLEX SA
    Inventor: Olivier Hunziker
  • Patent number: 10338528
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for fabrication of a balance spring of a predetermined stiffness comprising the steps of fabricating a balance spring in dimensions of increased thickness, determining the stiffness of the balance spring formed in step a) in order to remove, locally, a volume of material, in order to obtain the balance spring having the dimensions necessary for said predetermined stiffness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: CSEM Centre Suisse d'Electronique et de Microtechnique SA—Recherche et developpement
    Inventors: Frederic Kohler, Jean-Luc Bucaille, Olivier Hunziker
  • Patent number: 10324418
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for fabrication of a balance spring of a predetermined stiffness comprising the steps of fabricating a balance spring in dimensions to obtain a deliberately lower stiffness, determining the stiffness of the balance spring formed in step a) in order to compensate for said missing thickness of material required to obtain the balance spring having the dimensions necessary for said predetermined stiffness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: CSEM Centre Suisse d'Electronique et de Microtechnique SA-Recherche et développement
    Inventors: Frederic Kohler, Jean-Luc Bucaille, Olivier Hunziker
  • Patent number: 10120341
    Abstract: A method for determining an imbalance characteristic of a hairspring (5) balance (4) oscillator (3) of a timepiece movement (2), the method comprising at least the following steps: —Setting the hairspring balance oscillator in an oscillating motion at at least two amplitudes, —Determining, for each amplitude and for at least two positions of the oscillator, a piece of data representative of the oscillation period of the oscillator, —Using the data from the previous step to calculate the imbalance characteristic of the hairspring balance oscillator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: ROLEX SA
    Inventors: Richard Bossart, Marc Cerutti, Frédéric Burger, Olivier Hunziker, Denis Favez
  • Publication number: 20180284698
    Abstract: A bearing (1a) for guiding a timepiece shaft about an axis, notably a guide bearing for a portion of a timepiece resonator shaft, comprising at least one pressing element (13a) arranged in such a way as to constantly exert an action on the shaft, radially or substantially radially with respect to the axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2018
    Publication date: October 4, 2018
    Applicant: ROLEX SA
    Inventors: Raphaël Cettour-Baron, Olivier Hunziker, Léonard Testori
  • Publication number: 20170176941
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for fabrication of a balance spring of a predetermined stiffness comprising the steps of fabricating a balance spring in dimensions of increased thickness, determining the stiffness of the balance spring formed in step a) in order to remove, locally, a volume of material, in order to obtain the balance spring having the dimensions necessary for said predetermined stiffness.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2016
    Publication date: June 22, 2017
    Applicant: CSEM Centre Suisse d'Electronique et de Microtechnique SA - Recherche et developpement
    Inventors: Frederic KOHLER, Jean-Luc BUCAILLE, Olivier HUNZIKER
  • Publication number: 20170176942
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for fabrication of a balance spring of a predetermined stiffness comprising the steps of fabricating a balance spring in dimensions to obtain a deliberately lower stiffness, determining the stiffness of the balance spring formed in step a) in order to compensate for said missing thickness of material required to obtain the balance spring having the dimensions necessary for said predetermined stiffness.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2016
    Publication date: June 22, 2017
    Applicant: CSEM Centre Suisse d'Electronique et de Microtechnique SA-Recherche et developpement
    Inventors: Frederic KOHLER, Jean-Luc BUCAILLE, Olivier HUNZIKER
  • Publication number: 20170108831
    Abstract: A balance spring for an oscillator of a timepiece, wherein it comprises a component part, in particular at least a coil or a portion of a coil, provided with heavily doped silicon having an ion density greater than or equal to 1018 at/cm3, in order to permit the thermo-compensation of the oscillator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2016
    Publication date: April 20, 2017
    Applicant: ROLEX SA
    Inventors: Richard Bossart, Olivier Hunziker
  • Publication number: 20150338829
    Abstract: A method for determining an imbalance characteristic of a hairspring (5) balance (4) oscillator (3) of a timepiece movement (2), the method comprising at least the following steps: —Setting the hairspring balance oscillator in an oscillating motion at at least two amplitudes, —Determining, for each amplitude and for at least two positions of the oscillator, a piece of data representative of the oscillation period of the oscillator, —Using the data from the previous step to calculate the imbalance characteristic of the hairspring balance oscillator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2013
    Publication date: November 26, 2015
    Applicant: ROLEX SA
    Inventors: Richard Bossart, Marc Cerutti, Frédéric Burger, Olivier Hunziker, Denis Favez
  • Patent number: 9081365
    Abstract: A regulating system (110) for a horology movement (12) comprising a first sub-system (11) including: a first oscillator (O111) which includes a first balance (B111) and a first balance spring (S111); a first element (M111) for displacement of the first balance spring (S111); and a first element (A111) for activation of the first displacement element (M111), at an instant, or substantially at an instant, when the speed of the first balance (B111) is zero.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: ROLEX SA
    Inventors: Raoul Behrend, Fabiano Colpo, Olivier Hunziker
  • Publication number: 20150138933
    Abstract: A regulating system (110) for a horology movement (12) comprising a first sub-system (11) including: a first oscillator (O111) which includes a first balance (B111) and a first balance spring (S111); a first element (M111) for displacement of the first balance spring (S111); and a first element (A111) for activation of the first displacement element (M111), at an instant, or substantially at an instant, when the speed of the first balance (B111) is zero.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2014
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Applicant: ROLEX SA
    Inventors: Raoul Behrend, Fabiano Colpo, Olivier Hunziker