Abstract: The assembly according to the invention comprises a hard plastic watch case (2), having on its middle part one or more sealed push buttons (5) made in an inexpensive manner. Each push button (5) comprises a hard plastic stem (10), for example the same material as the case, and an elastomer flexible head (12) which is over molded onto an external surface (15) of the case. The case and the push buttons may be manufactured by injecting two materials in a single mold. The invention applies to electronic watches and to mechanical watches.

Abstract: An automatic, accurate and inexpensive timing bench, able to be purchased and used by any amateur. The bench consists of a conventional chronograph wristwatch (2) and a control box (1) provided with a housing (12) for the chronograph and a transparent cover (17). The box (1) further includes input ports, for receiving electric signals originating from timing cells, and electromagnets (51, 52) for automatically pressing the push buttons (8, 9) of the chronograph as a function of said input signals. As a result of auxiliary electric ports on each box, several of these boxes can be coupled in cascade to form a more complex timing bench.

Abstract: The assembly according to the invention comprises a hard plastic watch case (2), having on its middle part one or more sealed push buttons (5) made in an inexpensive manner. Each push button (5) comprises a hard plastic stem (10), for example the same material as the case, and an elastomer flexible head (12) which is over moulded onto an external surface (15) of the case. The case and the push buttons may be manufactured by injecting two materials in a single mould. The invention applies to electronic watches and to mechanical watches.

Abstract: Bar (6) for attaching a watch wristlet (4) intended to be engaged by sliding into a passage (12, 14) of a watch case (2) and inserted in one of the ends of a wristlet (4), the bar (6) including an elongated body (22) and including a locking device, the locking device including a lock (28) subject to the action of a resilient element (30) and a control (32, 36) for controlling the lock (28) which is accessible from one end of the bar (6), the lock being arranged so as to project in a transverse direction with respect to the body (22) outside the body of the bar (6), in a first position (FIG. 1) in which the control (32, 36) is not actuated, and to retract inside the body (22), in a second position (FIG. 2) when the control (32, 36) is actuated.

Abstract: The invention concerns a zirconia based ceramic article having a core of ZrO2 and/or partially reduced ZrO2, characteriZed in that it includes, over at least part of its surface, a superficial layer integral with said article, the thickness of said superficial layer including a plurality of regions of which one external region is formed of zirconium carbide having a metallic appearance.

Abstract: A hybrid vehicle and operating method, wherein, given a pending change in the rotational speed of a combustion engine of the hybrid vehicle, provides for a battery, independently of the power to be transmitted to the driving wheels, to be so charged or discharged in a directed manner that the change in rotational speed is effected as swiftly as possible. With regard to fuel consumption, pollutant emission and/or care of the engine, optimal operating points are passed through. On the one hand in the case of a pending increase in power of the combustion engine, it is provided for the battery to be more heavily discharged or less heavily charged according to the initial situation, and in the case of a pending reduction in power, to be more heavily charged or less heavily discharged.

Abstract: The series hybrid traction assembly comprises an electric generator set, a static converter and at least one tandem traction set intended to drive two driving wheels of a vehicle. The traction set (1) comprises two back-gear motors each comprising an electric motor (4, 14) and a reducing gear (7, 17) which drives the wheel by means of a transmission shaft. The two reducing gears are adjacent to a median plane (24). The motor driving the wheel situated on one side of the median plane is on the other side of such plane, so that each driving line preferably has a Z-shaped outline and the axial space requirement of the traction set is reduced. The assembly also comprises a generator set (40) formed of a heat engine (41) and a generator (42), this set being arranged facing one (4) of the electric motors, on the other side of the median plane. A very compact assembly results.

Abstract: The invention concerns a driving system for a hybrid-powered motor vehicle. It includes a generator set producing a direct current used by a driving set with an electric motor for driving at least one driving wheel of the vehicle. Using an accelerator, the driver gives a power set-point signal that is used by a first adjusting device which acts on the thermal engine, the generator, and the AC/DC converter of the generator set. A second adjusting device adjusts the power of the driving set as a slave of the generator set, according to the variations in the voltage of the supply circuit with respect to a desired voltage, without considering the signal from the accelerator.

Abstract: In a motor vehicle driving system comprising several asynchronous electric machines (11, 12) each coupled to a driving wheel (13, 14), a polyphase supply device (2) and a regulating device (6) using a reference signal (SR) representative of a speed of one of the driving wheels, the invention provides a method and a device allowing an optimum electric supply to be assured when one or more of the driving wheels skid in drive mode or locks in the event of braking. For each driving wheel, a measured speed signal (NM1, NM2) is processed in a detection unit (23, 24) which detects skidding or locking and delivers binary skid (P1, P2) and locking (B1, B2) signals and a corrected speed signal (NC1, NC2) representing, as required, the speed prior to skidding or locking. A selection unit (25) selects one of the corrected speed signals as reference signal. Applications to electric or hybrid-powered vehicles.

Abstract: The bracelet clasp is of the type having an unfolding buckle including a base strip (1) onto which at least a first pivoting strip (2) is capable of folding down. A locking device blocks the strips one onto the other.The locking device consists in two tongues (4, 5) raised from the base strip (1) and a fork having the shape of a tuning fork made in the pivoting strip (2), this fork having two branches (7, 8) whose ends (9, 10) are bent, each of said ends being arranged to snap lock onto one of the tongues raised from the base strip when the clasp is in a closed position.The clasp can be advantageously used in connection with a wristwatch bracelet.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method for adjusting the electric power distribution in a direct voltage supply circuit (2) in a motor vehicle, e.g. a hybrid-powered vehicle comprising an electric generator set (1) and one or several electric elements (3, 6, 7, 8) capable of consuming and/or producing power in the supply circuit, one of said electric elements being an electric driving set (3) capable of driving the driving wheels (4) of the vehicle.The power of the generator set is adjusted on the basis of a power demand given by the driver. One (3, 7) of said electric elements is defined as a power balancing element. A desired voltage (U.sub.0c) of the supply circuit is determined, the effective voltage (U.sub.0) of said circuit is continuously monitored, and the power of the balancing element is adjusted so as to maintain the effective voltage at the level of the desired voltage.

Abstract: Timepiece comprising a caseband (2) capable of being elastically deformed whose internal wall (20) has a first protruding part (23, 24) and a second protruding part (28) forming a stop for the movement (50) associated with the dial (52). When the movement is inserted into the caseband, the first protruding part is passed via the rim (56) of movement by the application of pressure (58) on the movement resulting in a separating force of the case band thanks to the specific profile of the first protruding part. Once in place, the movement surmounted by dial is held in a fixed position in the caseband by means of the first and second protruding parts.

Abstract: A watch having a rotating bezel associated with a system of axial ratchets and a ring allowing the rotating bezel (2) to be snap fitted onto the middle part (4) and assuring the functions of centring, holding and angular positioning said bezel. The ring (8) has a substantially U-shaped cross section, a lower side of which is fixed to a middle part by being driven onto said middle part and the other side of which has a prominent surface (20) onto which the bezel (2) is mounted. The ratchets are formed by flexible strips (26) cut into the flat base (18) of the ring (8). The system may be simply and inexpensively manufactured and mounted.

Abstract: The clasp wristlet is of the unfolding buckle type comprising first (4) and second (3) strips hinged to each other and comprising a catch fastening (17, 23).At one end (25) of the second strip (3) a cover (19) is mounted so as to pivot, said cover having an opening (21) in which a projecting portion (8) of said second strip is capable of being inserted. When the clasp is in a closed position, the upper face (26) of said projecting portion (8) is situated at substantially the same level as the upper face (27) of the cover (19). In this manner the thickness of the clasp is reduced.The clasp may advantageously be used for a watch wristlet.

Abstract: An electrical energy accumulator charger having a charging circuit for each cell or group of accumulator cells. Each charging circuit contains a flyback converter (CV1) which is supplied by a power source (5 to 12) providing continuous voltage having a sinusoidal form. Each converter has a transformer (T1) whose primary winding is mounted in series on the power source between two controllable semiconductors (14 and Th1). The blocking or unblocking of the converter (CV1) oscillations is controlled as a voltage of the cell or group of accumulator cells (1). Such an arrangement compensates for the disparities in maximum charge which the accumulator cells have when manufactured.

Abstract: The extensible bracelet clasp is of the unfolding buckle type. It includes a first assembly (1) comprising a cap (3) and a push-piece (5) adapted to slide on a second assembly (2) in order to adjust the length of the clasp. Such second assembly (2) comprises an arrangement (15) on which the push-piece (5) can act in order to open the clasp, such arrangement (15) and such push-piece being respectively provided with indexing means (16) and positioning means (17) in order to permit adjustment in length of the clasp and to retain the memory of such adjustment when the clasp is opened. The clasp can be used for a watch bracelet.

Abstract: Device producing an aesthetic effect by means of a field-effect or charge-effect optical shutter (5), allowing, by the switching of a power source (8), a colored decorative design (11) printed onto a non Lambertian optimized diffuse reflector (12), placed against the back face (5a) of the optical shutter, to be uncovered or masked; timepiece wherein the dial is formed wholly or partly by such a device.

Abstract: An air conditioning unit for a vehicle is inserted between an inlet conduit (12), supplied with fresh air and/or recycled air, and the passenger space of the vehicle. The unit comprises a fan (16) which supplies two conduits placed parallel, of which one (19) permanently heats the air by contact with a heating component (21, 22), the heated air being dispatched either into the passenger space, or towards the exterior with the aid of a valve (25). The other conduit (20) is opened or closed by a valve (27), according to whether one wishes to cool or to heat the passenger space. The heating component (21, 22) is thus permanently cooled, both when the passenger space is heated and when it is cooled.

Abstract: The invention concerns an acoustic alarm safety device comprising a case (2), a vibrating element (20) associated to a membrane (22) so as to make it vibrate, electrical means for providing a control signal to said vibrating element, and means (18) for actuating the electrical means.This device is characterized in that it further comprises a pierced backcover (28) attached to said case (2) and arranged so as to protect it, and so as to allow a vibration of the set of the vibrating element-membrane (20, 22), said backcover being attached to said case in a manually removable manner, and a fitted ring (26) to which is attached said membrane (22), said ring (26) and said membrane (22) being associated to the case in such a way that the set ring-membrane (26, 22) ensures the waterproofness of the case (2).

Abstract: A timepiece 1 comprising in particular a case 8 having a back cover 10 and a middle part 12 in a single piece, a control stem 26 co-operating with a pull-out piece 44, and an extractor device 48 enabling a part of the pull-out piece 44 to be raised to free it from the control stem 26. The timepiece is characterized in that the extractor device 48 comprises an extractor element 48 having a first branch 50 which slides in the movement 2 in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane of the movement 2, the end of said first branch 50 being substantially facing the pull-out piece 44, and a second branch 52 which comprises a portion projecting from the periphery of the movement 2 to form a gripping arm. The extractor element 48 is free to move between a first position called the rest position, in which it does not act on the pull-out piece 44, and a second position called the operating position, in which the end of the first branch 50 pushes the pull-out piece 44 out of the groove of the control stem 26.