Patents by Inventor Walter Affolter

Walter Affolter 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: 5278806
    Abstract: A capacitor, which is charged up by induction currents generated in coils, is used as the current source of the wristwatch. To this end, a rotor, which can rotate about the center of the housing, is provided whose circumferential zone lies in an annular space surrounding the watch mechanism and supports a plurality of coils which are distributed uniformly and are electrically connected in parallel. Attached in the annular space are a plurality of permanent magnet pairs whose magnets are in each case located opposite, separated from one another, and between which the coils oscillate, which coils are connected via annular contact tracks on the rotor and contact springs to a rectifier, via which the capacitor is charged up. The permanent magnets are seated on the circumferential region of a base plate consisting of soft iron, whose central region has a pot-shaped depression for holding the watch mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 1992
    Date of Patent: January 11, 1994
    Assignee: Gigandet S.A.
    Inventor: Walter Affolter
  • Patent number: 5033035
    Abstract: The watch has a housing, composed of a metal center part (1) having a molded-on glass collar (1a), a watch glass (2), over whose rim (2a) the glass collar engages, and a metal base (3) fixed to the center part by screws (8). A movement retaining ring (6) made from plastic is inserted in the center part (1). A first seal (4) lies between the movement retaining ring (6) and the rim (2a) of the watch glass (2) and a second seal (5) between the movement retaining ring (6) and the base (3). The screws (8), which pass through apertures (9) in the edge region (3a) of the base (3) and are screwed into axial threaded openings (10) in the center part (1) not only serve to secure the base but also simultaneously compress both seals (4, 5) when tightened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1990
    Date of Patent: July 16, 1991
    Assignee: Mondaine Watch Ltd.
    Inventor: Walter Affolter
  • Patent number: 4594008
    Abstract: A wrist watch case comprising a crystal bezel provided, on the depending walls covering the strap fixing sides, with diametrally opposed recesses. A first recess is adapted to receive a projection formed on the case periphery and a releasable locking member in the form of a U-shaped clamp is located in the other recess, the side legs of this clamp being adapted to be inserted into corresponding holes formed in the case periphery. The projection and the locking member, in the assembled watch condition, bear on the corresponding wall sections of the relevant depending crystal bezel walls which limit said recesses on their lower sides, thus effecting a perfect compression of the gasket clamped between the crystal bezel and the upper edge of the middle of the watch case and ensuring a reliable watertightness even in case of large tolerances of the cooperating parts. The releasable locking member may also consist of a small plate or a spring blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 1985
    Date of Patent: June 10, 1986
    Assignee: Mondaine Watch Ltd.
    Inventor: Walter Affolter