Patents by Inventor Thierry Ravenel

Thierry Ravenel 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: 8398865
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a mechanical part includes the steps of providing a micro-machinable substrate; etching a pattern which includes the part through the entire substrate using photolithography; mounting the etched substrate on a support so as to leave the top and bottom surfaces of said substrate accessible for coating; depositing a tribological quality improving coating of on the outer surface of the part; and releasing the part from the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Rudolf Dinger, Thierry Ravenel
  • Patent number: 8354032
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a mechanical part includes providing a substrate of micro-machinable material; etching, using photolithography, a pattern that includes said part through said entire substrate; assembling a clip on said part so that said part is ready to be mounted without the portion made of micro-machinable material having to be touched by a tool other than the clip; releasing the part from the substrate so as to mount said part in a device such as a timepiece movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Rudolf Dinger, Thierry Ravenel
  • Publication number: 20100006540
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of manufacturing (1) a mechanical part (51) including the following steps: a) providing (3) a substrate (53) made of micro-machinable material; b) etching (5), with help of photolithography, a pattern (50) that includes said part through said entire substrate; According to the invention, the method further includes the following steps: c) mounting (7) said etched substrate on a support (55?) so as to leave the top and bottom surfaces of said substrate accessible; d) depositing (9, C?) a coating of better tribological quality than said micro-machinable material on the outer surface of said part e) releasing (11) the part from the substrate. The invention concerns the field of timepiece manufacture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2009
    Publication date: January 14, 2010
    Applicant: THE SWATCH GROUP RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT LTD
    Inventors: Rudolf Dinger, Thierry Ravenel
  • Publication number: 20100005659
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of manufacturing (1) a mechanical part (51) including the following steps: a) providing (3) a substrate (53) made of micro-machinable material; b) etching (5), with help of photolithography, a pattern (50) that includes said part through said entire substrate; According to the invention, the method further includes the following steps: c) assembling (13) a clip (91) on said part so that said part (51) is ready to be mounted without the portion made of micro-machinable material having to be touched; d) releasing (11) the part (51) from the substrate (53) so as to mount said part in a device such as a timepiece movement. The invention concerns the field of timepiece manufacture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2009
    Publication date: January 14, 2010
    Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd.
    Inventors: Rudolf Dinger, Thierry Ravenel