Patents Assigned to ETA SA
  • Publication number: 20220091562
    Abstract: A horological resonator mechanism, including a structure and an anchoring unit from which is suspended at least one inertial element arranged to oscillate along a first degree of freedom in rotation RZ about a pivoting axis extending along a first direction Z, the inertial element being subjected to return forces exerted by a virtual pivot including a plurality of substantially longitudinal elastic strips, each fastened, at a first end to the anchoring unit, and at a second end to the inertial element. Each elastic strip is deformable essentially in a plane XY perpendicular to the first direction Z. The anchoring unit is suspended from the structure by a flexible suspension arranged to allow the mobility of the anchoring unit along a plurality of degrees of freedom including at least two in the plane XY, along a direction X and along a direction Y orthogonal to the direction X.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2021
    Publication date: March 24, 2022
    Applicant: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogère Suisse
    Inventors: Pascal WINKLER, Raphaël COURVOISIER, Jean-Luc HELFER, Jérôme FAVRE, Dominique LECHOT
  • Patent number: 11283371
    Abstract: A rotating piezoelectric motor including a piezoelectric actuator including a resonator having a pair of arms connected at one of their ends in a connection area, the other two ends being referred to as ‘free’, a passive element able to be driven in rotation by the friction of the free ends on the passive element, the passive element including a disc and a rim extending from the periphery of the disc, the rim passing between the free ends of the arms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere Suisse
    Inventors: Pascal Lagorgette, Pascal Meyer
  • Patent number: 11281163
    Abstract: An electronic timepiece with a first and second electric motors for driving time indicating hands with a set of gear wheels, and a microcontroller connected to the motion sensor and controlling each motor. A motion sensor includes a movable element arranged to move freely inside a structure connected to the timepiece movement. As a function of the position and movement of the moving element inside the housing, a first and second electric signals, different from each other, are generated by the motion sensor for the microcontroller in a defined time period to determine whether the timepiece is in use. If only one electric signal is detected by the microcontroller in the defined time period, the timepiece changes into a sleep mode, by stopping at least the first electric motor intended to drive the seconds hand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere Suisse
    Inventors: Vittorio Zanesco, Pascal Lagorgette
  • Patent number: 11262704
    Abstract: A watch case for a wristwatch including a watch middle, at least one strut for supporting the watch middle, the strut extending beyond the space occupied by the watch middle, a device for removably attaching a watch strap to the strut. The watch case further includes a member for fixing the strut or one of the struts to the watch middle, the removable attachment device being formed when the strut is fixed to the watch middle, and the fixing member includes a device for detaching the strut from the watch middle, configured to allow release of the strut from the watch middle without using tools, the strut being removably fixed to the watch middle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere Suisse
    Inventor: Didier Finck
  • Patent number: 11262702
    Abstract: A timepiece oscillator structure includes at least one divisible unit, which includes at least one component which includes at least one flexible blade or at least one blade with necks, joining two main units, each more rigid than the flexible blade or blade with necks, where the divisible unit includes at least one protection unit adjacent to at least one main unit to which it is connected by at least one divisible linkage which is designed in order to make possible the detachment of this protection unit from the component when the component is fixed, with at least the particular main unit which is adjacent to the protection unit, to a more rigid external element than the flexible blade or than the necks of the blade with necks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere Suisse
    Inventors: Daniel Mallet, Pierre Cusin, Raphael Courvoisier, Pascal Winkler
  • Patent number: 11243499
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for setting a quartz watch, the watch comprising an optical sensor and a microcontroller configured to receive electrical signals generated by the optical sensor, the method being performed by way of a portable electronic appliance comprising a point light source and a microcontroller configured to control said point light source, the method comprising the following steps: placing the optical sensor of the watch facing the point light source of the electronic appliance on the order of the microcontroller of the electronic appliance, flashing the point light source of the electronic appliance so as to form a sequence of light pulses corresponding to a coding of setting parameters, the sequence then being received by the optical sensor of the watch decoding the received light sequence, by way of the microcontroller of the watch, in order to recover the setting parameters on the order of the microcontroller of the watch, setting the watch according to the setting para
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere Suisse
    Inventors: Pascal Lagorgette, Raphael Balmer, Jean-Bernard Peters
  • Patent number: 11226592
    Abstract: A regulator key whose arms ensure clearance of a balance spring even in event of shocks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere Suisse
    Inventors: Laurent Kaelin, Fabien Schlup
  • Patent number: 11219110
    Abstract: A method for managing a lighting of a zone of interest including at least one object liable to be manipulated by a user, the lighting being carried out by a main lighting device and a secondary lighting device both provided with electroluminescent elements, the method including identifying the user and/or the object; configuring the lighting of the zone of interest according to the profile of the identified user relative to vision and/or at least one characteristic of the identified object, the step including generating an instruction for controlling the lighting properties of the main lighting device and/or of the secondary lighting device according to criteria of visual perception of the object by the user; controlling the main lighting device and/or the secondary lighting device according to the instruction for controlling the lighting properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere Suisse
    Inventors: Dominique Dubugnon, Cédric Blatter
  • Publication number: 20210405587
    Abstract: A rotary wheel set system of a horological movement with a rotary wheel set, a first and a second bearing, for a first and a second pivot of the arbor of the rotary wheel set, the wheel set including a mass center in a position of its arbor, the first bearing including an endstone including a main body equipped with a pyramidal cavity configured to receive the first pivot of the arbor of the rotary wheel set, the cavity having at least three faces giving its pyramidal shape, the first pivot being capable of cooperating with the cavity of the endstone to rotate in the cavity, at least one contact zone between the first pivot and a face being generated, the normal at the contact zone or zones forming a contact angle (?h) relating to the plane perpendicular to the arbor of the pivot, wherein the contact angle (?h) is less than 45°.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2021
    Publication date: December 30, 2021
    Applicant: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogère Suisse
    Inventors: Jean-Luc HELFER, Dominique LECHOT
  • Publication number: 20210405588
    Abstract: A rotary wheel set system of a horological movement with a rotary wheel set a first and a second bearing for a first and a second pivot of the arbor of the rotary wheel set, the wheel set including a mass center in a position of its arbor, the first bearing including an endstone including a main body equipped with a conical cavity configured to receive the first pivot of the arbor of the rotary wheel set, the first pivot being capable of cooperating with the cavity of the endstone to rotate in the cavity, at least one contact zone between the first pivot and the cavity being generated, the normals of the contact zone forming a minimum contact angle relating to the plane perpendicular to the arbor of the pivot, the minimum contact angle being less than or equal to 30°, preferably less than or equal to arctan (½)
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2021
    Publication date: December 30, 2021
    Applicant: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogère Suisse
    Inventors: Jean-Luc HELFER, Dominique LECHOT
  • Publication number: 20210397141
    Abstract: A display permutation method (500) implemented by a display device (100) for detecting the passage between a first orientation (131) of said display device (100) and a second orientation (132) of said display device (100) so as to permute at least one first indicator (110) between at least one first operating mode (101) and at least one second operating mode (102), and at least one digital display (140) between at least one first display mode (141) and at least one second display mode (142).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2021
    Publication date: December 23, 2021
    Applicant: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogère Suisse
    Inventors: Romain BESUCHET, José NOIRJEAN
  • Publication number: 20210396516
    Abstract: A navigation instrument including an orientation angle calculation unit, in particular the first and second orientation angles, wherein the orientation angle calculation unit is configured to be able to determine the first and second orientation angles in a given order and also in reverse order; and wherein the calculation unit is arranged to be able to choose between said given order and said reverse order, to calculate the first and second orientation angles, based on a comparison between an indicator of a risk of error, quantifying a risk of instability of said unit during the determination of the first and second orientation angles, and a predetermined threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2021
    Publication date: December 23, 2021
    Applicant: ETA SA MANUFACTURE HORLOGÈRE SUISSE
    Inventor: Romain BESUCHET
  • Publication number: 20210397135
    Abstract: A watch with annual calendar setting, the watch including at least one setting member configured to displace an hour hand and/or a minute hand, at least one detecting member configured to detect the date change, and at least one central processing unit configured to deduce the set date, to actuate the motor and to implement the annual calendar setting method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2021
    Publication date: December 23, 2021
    Applicant: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogère Suisse
    Inventor: Pascal LAGORGETTE
  • Publication number: 20210397133
    Abstract: A navigation instrument including an orientation angle calculation unit, in particular the first and second orientation angles, wherein the orientation angle calculation unit is configured to be able to determine the first and second orientation angles in a given order and also in reverse order; and wherein the calculation unit is arranged to be able to choose between said given order and said reverse order, to calculate the first and second orientation angles, based on a comparison between an indicator of a risk of error, quantifying a risk of instability of said unit during the determination of the first and second orientation angles, and a predetermined threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2021
    Publication date: December 23, 2021
    Applicant: ETA SA MANUFACTURE HORLOGÈRE SUISSE
    Inventor: Romain BESUCHET
  • Publication number: 20210397137
    Abstract: A method for automatically correcting the time and/or the date for a self-correcting watch including at least one receiving member, at least one detecting member, and at least one processing unit for implementing the correction method. The correction method includes at least one step of receiving at least one datum, at least one step of detecting the wrong time and/or the wrong date and at least one step of correcting the time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2021
    Publication date: December 23, 2021
    Applicant: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogère Suisse
    Inventor: Pascal LAGORGETTE
  • Publication number: 20210397134
    Abstract: A method for updating (500) the date for a watch implemented by an updating device (100). The updating method (500) including storing in memory the current date (171) according to a perpetual calendar programmed on a time zone (175), receiving a second signal (181) before verifying a first signal (131) after having received the second signal (181). A comparison is carried out between the second signal (181) and the current date (171) in order to control the driving of at least one date-disc (120) with a drive member (160) if the second portion (127) is different from the current date (171) until the first sensor (130) detects a first portion (126) of the at least one date-disc (120).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2021
    Publication date: December 23, 2021
    Applicant: ETA SA MANUFACTURE HORLOGÈRE SUISSE
    Inventor: Pascal LAGORGETTE
  • Publication number: 20210389725
    Abstract: A motor module for a horological movement, the motor module including a plate bearing one or more cogs, and a cog bridge mounted on the plate, wherein the cog bridge includes a device for clipping the cog bridge onto the plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2021
    Publication date: December 16, 2021
    Applicant: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogère Suisse
    Inventor: Raphaël BALMER
  • Publication number: 20210389727
    Abstract: An indicator anti-correction system for a timepiece, the system including a correction mechanism of the indicator and a correction gear configured to mesh with the indicator, the correction mechanism being configured to be connected to a manual correction actuation system and to mesh with the correction gear in a first correction position, the correction mechanism being movably mounted between the first correction position and a second non-correction position, wherein the system further includes a component mounted movable in rotation about an axis, the component having a first end configured to cooperate with at least one protuberance provided on the date indicator or the hour wheel, the component having a second end configured to cooperate with the correction mechanism so as to block the mechanism in an anti-correction position when the first end of the component cooperates with the at least one protuberance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2021
    Publication date: December 16, 2021
    Applicant: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogère Suisse
    Inventor: Stéphane BACHMANN
  • Patent number: 11188029
    Abstract: A device for selecting a combination of patterns for a timepiece, including an inner disc including N angular sectors of the same size, each bearing a symbol on its periphery, with N being a whole number greater than 1; an outer disc coaxial to the inner disc and with a larger diameter, the outer disc bearing M symbols distributed over M*N angular sectors of the same size, with M being a whole number greater than 1, each of the M symbols of the outer disc being repeated on N consecutive sectors of the outer disc; a dial extending opposite the inner disc, the dial including an aperture allowing a pattern of the inner disc to be matched with a pattern of the outer disc; an activation device allowing the inner disc to rotate and a meshing device coupling the two discs according to a speed reducing ratio M.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere Suisse
    Inventor: Pascal Lagorgette
  • Patent number: 11183952
    Abstract: A rotating piezoelectric motor including a piezoelectric actuator including a resonator having a pair of arms connected at one of their ends in a connection area, the other two ends being referred to as ‘free’, a passive element including a cylindrical part extending orthogonally to the resonator, the cylindrical part being able to be rotated by the friction of the free ends of the arms on the cylindrical part, each free end including a protuberance such that the protuberances extend towards one another and together form a housing for a portion of the cylindrical part, the motor including a device for holding the portion of the cylindrical part inside the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere Suisse
    Inventors: Pascal Lagorgette, Pascal Meyer